4000

Andy, consider yourself in receipt of a Good BC-er award. Whatever that is. I don't drive, so if the item for sale is collection only and isn't on a decent rail link I'm a bit stuffed. In fact given all rail links to Preston are apparently undergoing engineering works until March (year right, it'll be more like March 2020) I'm stuffed regardless.

I'm sure that bass was in the Gallery once, many years ago. I'm sure I remember playing it, unless there's more than one that colour, which I would've thought unlikely.

FWIW, this is my '72 Azureglo. I spent 17 years looking for one. Really.

Ah, you and me both, I used to have great days out to include both shops. The old ME was like an Aladdin's cave, loved it. Bought my first JD in ME, went in to buy a white GA24 (remember the walls of basses?) and came out with an early Supernatural with Saturn inlays. Sounded great. Then I sent it to John Diggins for some work and he changed the pickups as he said the old ones were going! I was mortified but had no idea what to say. When I got it back I didn't like the sound half as much. I later spoke to the guy it was built for and he told me the original bridge pickup had been a custom wind, which may explain why it was so different. Actually, there was a Ric in the B/ham Bass Centre that was one of my 'ones that got away'. Wonder it was the same one? Probably would have been mid/late 90s. I'd traded my Dolphin Pro 2 in ME for a Status 2000. When I got it home, I realised the Status caused me severe issues (as they do), so took it back and reclaimed my Dolphin. While I was there I popped round to the Bass Centre and they had in a Jetglo 4001, Nov or Dec 72 IIRC. Checkered binding, toaster, crushed pearl etc. I think it was £795, or possibly £895. They had it incorrectly listed as a '73 or something, so I told them what it was. It wasn't very well set up, but I plugged it in and it sounded huge. Unfortunately I didn't have any cash at the time, and for some reason it didn't occur to me to offer up my Dolphin as a px. Yeah, wish I'd bought that bass, it was definitely up there in 'chances missed'. It was one of the best-sounding Rics I've played, although I do generally love '72s. Wonder who has it now? It'd be around £3k these days!

Yeah, he was a good bloke. I can't imagine him not being involved in music somehow! He sold my mate his first PRS. Always had a lot of time for the old A1 crew, Nigel Clutterbuck, Drew & co. Despite the flack he gets for his trade show performances, Nigel's a lovely bloke. Either Nigel or Drew (I think both!) sold me my main Ric.

That's interesting, because they phased out the checkerboard (early '73) long before they introduced Midnight Blue (the metallic blue) which was early '80s IIRC. So unless it was a refin, it was either a custom order, limited run, or was actually non-metallic Azureglo, in which case mid '73 or earlier and very collectible. Strangely I find Rics more comfortable, but hey, I'm weird. ;-) BTW Andy, I remembered today that Napper was actually Napa IIRC, and was his surname (first name possibly Ian?). I saw it on an email once. I thought it was Napper too, as that's what everyone called him. Not that it's in any way important.

Napper, that was it. Good memory Andy! Jimmy (possibly Jim at the time, or maybe the other way round) was working at the Bass Centre in London in 2003, after they moved from Wapping, because he arranged my Alembic Triple Omega custom order (my 40th birthday present to myself). That's a bass I really, really wish I hadn't had to sell.

Sounds feasible Andy. Actually, Jimmy at the time was beardless I think (and pretty young). Only saw Jimmy there the once but we had a good chat. That def sounds like Richard though. I think the guy with the beard also used to work in A1 in the guitar dept. I forget his name: a nickname of sorts, if I recall. He was a nice bloke from what I remember.

There was a guy there called Richard who had previously worked at A1 and later worked for Music Ground. He could be hard work. I had a Warwick Streamer for sale in there for a while; when I saw that Overwater had a Dolphin Pro 1 in I agreed to px my Streamer for it, so rang the Bass Centre to tell them I’d be taking my Streamer out. He actually rang me back, ranting at me that I’d sold it privately to avoid paying commission. Weird. Jimmy Sims worked there for a bit too. He was far more amenable.

A Frame 5 string that was in the Gallery when I first used to go springs to mind. Cherry body, a bit Sei Flamboyant-ish, bolt-on satin finish carbon fibre neck, 2 Bart Js & parametric eq. It was super. Just never could quite talk myself into it and then it was gone. Other notables are a 5 string burl walnut and wenge Sei Original headless fretless which I sold my Sei Melt to buy, only to find I had been pipped at the post. It was the best fretless I’ve ever played and I loved it. Turned up for sale on here sometime later and the guy who beat me to it had had it fretted. Doh! And the mold green Pedulla MVP I should’ve bought from A1 Music for something like £599 (although I did buy the other, which was a trans gold/amber colour. That was a great bass).

What's the difference in the neck spec/shape?

I'd say Ibanez SR are a good bet. It's all personal choice of course but the P -Lytes I've played I haven't really liked at all. The only Status 3000 I've played was pretty light so they obviously vary; might be worth finding out how much that specific example weighs. The guy selling the Kawai is a good friend of mine, but it's one of the few basses he has that I haven't tried - yet - so I can't help there. Might be worth going along to somewhere with a good range of varied stock and seeing what suits.

They used to have a Teal one in The Gallery that I played a lot. The neck was fabulous, one of the nicest necks I've ever played. Sound was very 'graphite'. I love the shape but it doesn't love me; I couldn't get on with the extreme forearm contour (something I can't cope with on any bass). TBH, that was the only thing stopped me buying it.

On a serious note, I've played maybe ten or so high end US Spectors and I'd have an early Thumb over any of them in a heartbeat.

12" is about right for me on guitar and bass.

I had the fretless Dragonfly and it was great, lovely tone and a great player.

Lovely bass(es). Is the middle one a Limelight? If so, how does it compare with the CS?

I had one the same as the above, which I'm pretty sure was made in Japan. Sold it to a friend and it remains his main bass. They're great. I've had 2 x Pro 1s as well and it held up pretty well against them (and indeed was actually more comfortable - I always found the Pro 1s a bit weird ergonomically, despite their claims). Nice, punchy tone (although a bit lacking in girth for me for band use) and a great, slim neck, much thinnerr than the wide, fat Pro 1 necks. I didn't like it quite as much as my '91 Pro 1 - that was a lovely bass, went to the bloke in 100 Reasons - but I liked it more than my '96.

They may both be essentially maple neck-throughs with 2 pickups but there the similarity ends. Utterly different feel, sound and look. The super Ric would be the 4004. ;-)

Actually, scratch all the above. ABBA. Hands down.

Was this the only tour Primus supported them on? I thought when I saw them both it was Roll the Bones. Still, it’s a while ago now.... First saw Maiden at Reading in ‘82; I really miss Clive Burr. :-(

You should absolutely always choose a bass that you find comfortable. I tend to that think whatever instrument you learn on has implications for what you may or may not find comfortable. I learned to play on a Ric so don’t have any problems in that respect ( & mine balance fine; I’ve had a couple with bigger headstocks which were a little neck-heavy, but no more than most Fenders I‘ve had) whereas for me a Fender Jazz is about as uncomfortable as an instrument gets (and all the Jazzes I‘ve owned have nosedived, bar one which weighed a ton). Obviously YMMV.

You see, this is the problem. Cetera loves Spectors and I love Rics (well, many of them) and his experiences of both are pretty much the opposite of mine, so you need to decide for yourself. As you like the Spector you've got, you're probably more likely to align with his experiences, but not necessarily. You may really like both, for completely different reasons. I always use the argument that asking someone what instrument is best is like asking them what shoes are comfiest. They haven't got your feet, so ultimately it's a bit of a pointless question. Go and try some on yourself!

They're very, very different basses in every possible way, but there's no such thing as better, only better for you. As a case in point, I had a Euro LX and to be honest I didn't really like anything about it. Ergonomics didn't suit me at all, I thought the neck was way too big and the sound one-dimensional, whereas my two main basses are 1972 Ric 4001s (I've had about 15 Rics). Ricks can vary a great deal though so you'd need to try a few and you may actually get on better with a recent 4003 or 4004. Or you may hate them all! Ultimately only you can decide.