4000

My Squier P is an '89 IIRC. It plays and sounds as nice as most Ps I've tried.

To use an analogy I often (over ) use, "there's something wrong with these shoes. They don't fit me."

Ironically that's exactly what I couldn't do with the Wal Custom I had, plug in and easily get a great sound. I guess it depends on how you play and what your definition of a great sound is. I'm hoping my incoming Wal Pro will be different, otherwise that will be up for sale pretty sharpish...

[quote name='gareth' timestamp='1375725392' post='2164819'] you might be right - I had an 82 4003 and it was.........................awfull [/quote] The thing is, this is all totally subjective. I had a '76 4001 that I thought was a good bass, but not an exceptional one. I prefer my original '72 by so big a margin it'd be difficult to measure it. But the friend I sold my '76 to much prefers that bass to my '72; it suits him much better. This is true of all basses. One person's "holy grail Jazz/P/Ric/Wal etc etc" might be another's "worst Jazz/P/Ric/Wal ever". Isn't that the fun of it? Finding an instrument that suits you? I love that.

I've just bought an old Pro IIE (which I'm yet to get my mitts on) and Paul answered a phone call straight away, emails within a couple of days, and was very helpful. He's on the pricey side though; for a basic set-up and electrics check he quoted me approx £200 which is 3 times what I'd expect from the Gallery.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1375549110' post='2162832'] This might be the case if they were all equal. When I found [i]my[/i] holy grail (a '72 4001) it destroyed all my previous findings and preconceptions in seconds. [/quote] Like Rich, both my babies are also '72s. Les Claypool got a '72 and said it was the best sounding bass he'd ever heard.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1375548754' post='2162823'] Someone should start making high quality basses that look and sound like Rickenbackers but are much better made and more ergonomic . [/quote] Have you tried a 4004? More ergonomic for most people. Unfortunately they don't work for me; I haven't actually found any bass more ergonomically suited to me than a Ric 4001/4003. I don't get the quality thing either, the bulk of the ones I've had (over a dozen) have been far better made than any of the Fender or Fender-derived instruments I've had and were actually better made than my Wal Custom, on which the fretboard hadn't been properly levelled before fretting. I've had a couple that weren't so great but every single Fender I've had has had significant neck problems, often from new. All the Statii I've had have also had issues, as have 2 out of 4 top-end Warwicks. Horses for courses IME.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1375547898' post='2162800'] I do get the impression that a lot of people who buy Rics don't actually want a Ric bass but are actually after a Ric-shaped P or J. There are plenty of times that the Ric works as a bass but it requires the right combination of player amplification and overall band sound. [/quote] This. It's a lot to do with the specific bass though, how you play, what your rig is like, how you eq, what strings you use, what your band sounds like etc etc. The band sound, as BRX always so rightly says, is so important to whether an instrument works or not (and vice versa, which is why I didn't like the recent 'modern Jazz Bass' version of Chic, because the band didn't sound the same to me anymore and lost that warm roundness - not just in the bass but in the band sound - that I love). I never use my Rics with cabs with tweeters because for me they just don't work. Did a festival recently where I had to use a Nemesis rig and the sound I got was awful. At rehearsal with an Ashdown a couple of days later the sound was fantastic. FWIW I've owned or used loads of basses, from Fender to Musicman to Wal to Alembic, and I always come back to mine. But maybe they just don't suit you. It happens; I have the same problem with Jazzes.

I started playing in 1980 and certainly in the circles I moved in Jaco wasn't considered any more highly than Stanley; they were both equally revered. It was only after Jaco's death that it changed IME.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1374688230' post='2151945'] I must admit that I find the earlier albums sound a little dated now The only ones I listen to these days are Time Exposure (just for Heaven Sent really), If This Bass Could Only Talk and East River Drive. The newer Stanley Clarke Band album is worth a try out. I saw this band live and, whilst they were very good, I was deeply saddened to see Stan's Alembic sitting at he side of the stage unplaced for the entire gig because he was playing upright instead. [/quote] To me it's East River Drive that sounds dated. Like bad film soundtrack stuff IMO. Can't listen to it anymore; didn't like it much when it came out. I'd file it with much of MM's output. I saw Stan with Hiromi at Ronnie Scott's and it was one of the best gigs I've ever seen. His upright playing was, IMO, fantastic. He did play a bit of Alembic too though.

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1374916383' post='2154712'] Please don't take this as trolling because it really isn't but I just can't get my head round Stanley Clarke. I'm pretty open minded about all types of music and like to think I take influences from all genres, I bought the 'brown album' about 15 years ago and it really bored me. On the strength of this thread I've just tried it again hoping I may have 'matured' into the sound but nope. Granted he is fantastic at what he does but what he does just doesn't do it for me, I'd like to like him but I can't. I'd like to be able to learn and take something from his playing to add to my influences but I just can't listen to him. Just goes to show what a force of nature music can be to stir such different emotions in different people. My loss really. Enjoy SC for me. [/quote] Nothing wrong with this. You shouldn't [i]have[/i] to get your head round [i]everything[/i]. At least you didn't just say it was sh*t. FWIW I bought Stanley's brown album and Jaco's first on the same day, many years ago. My dad talked me into getting the Stanley one; I was anticipating being blown away by Jaco and wasn't so bothered about the other bloke. I got home, put them on, and my life was changed. But not by Jaco's album, most of which I still don't like.....

I love McLaughlin so each to their own...

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1374864481' post='2154310'] Will do, mate. [/quote] Cheers mate. I always wondered! I wonder if he'll remember?

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1374862399' post='2154262'] I know Jon - he lives in Stoke. The band has been touring again in the States. I'll ask him about the bass if he comes into the shop again. Great player and thoroughly nice bloke. [/quote] Pete, if you do, ask him what rig he was using on the Black Flame clip on Youtube.... FWIW, last thing I seem to remember about his 'Great White' Ric was that it was bought off ebay a few years back (I remember it being on) by one of the Rick Resource guys who was a huge fan of Jon. I wonder if he got it back?

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1374784932' post='2153290'] I've got that whole programme on DVD somewhere. Joyous. [/quote] If you find it is there any way I could possibly get hold of a copy? I love Renaissance but have never seen it. PM me if necessary.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1361041144' post='1980315'] That first self titled solo album aka the Brown Album is my favourite . It must rank as one of the all-time great fusion albums , and is a terriffic record not just on a muso/ bass playing level . [/quote] +1. One of my top ten albums of all time, and the only 'bass' album to get anywhere near.

[quote name='wombatboter' timestamp='1373708100' post='2140743'] Well, that's the nice thing about music : that something "happens"... not that I expect it to come from the bass only. [/quote] This is why I listen to music....

Yes, they sound very much like Wals IMO/IME. Like Alembic, they have a broad spectrum of tones (which will vary slightly from bass to bass) and can be made to sound less distinctive, but IMO 'that' tone is always there to some degree; the main reason I got rid of my Custom was because 'that' sound didn't suit my band at the time and I couldn't get rid of it. However I'll let you know if I've changed my mind in the next week or so.

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1364256944' post='2024086'] Pino is my favourite bass player by a long shot, he's incredible. He kind of echoes most closely the kind of bass player I'd really love to be if I could do it. He's probably the most in demand bass player in the world right now as well, which I'm sure has its perks. As for Entwhistle, he was totally unique and I've learnt to appreciate his playing over time, he really was an extraordinary musician with his own pace on the bass that no one really ever matched in rock music. He and Pino are almost at total opposite ends of the spectrum playing wise, I don't think Pino fits the role of Entwhistle well but if we're being totally honest then basically no one would have filled the role capably, so why not ask Pino to fill in in his own capacity? He's going to do a better job at bass playing than anyone else out there, and who wants to hear a copycat Entwhistle anyway, his tone was dire in later life. [/quote] Entwistle is far more the end of the bass-playing spectrum that I'm interested in. Pino is a great player, but doesn't really interest me, playing-wise or tonally, which is not to criticise him; he's just not really my thing. As a previous poster said, I find him a bit bland really. He's kind of the British Nathan East (although kudos to Nathan for supplying the fab bass to Get Lucky recently). I'm not keen on his more distinctive fretless 80s stuff either, but I think that's because of the over-affected (IMO) tone. FWIW Entwistle's Alembic tone is one of my all-time favourites. Still, I'm not entirely sure how a 'Pino is great' thread turned into an argument about who is better.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1364124319' post='2022051'] Have to agree...... pretty much unlistenable on most levels.. but...the Who worked as a unit, somehow [/quote]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1364078988' post='2021806'] Great player, totally wrong for The Who. [/quote] +1.

The last pre-EB I played weighed as much as a house. The heaviest bass I've ever worn (and having owned a few 13lb basses in my time that's saying something), bar none. As soon as the weight hit my shoulders I had to take it off. What did it sound like? I never got that far!

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1374422138' post='2148533'] Urgh, what an awful song. It was dire then, and is dire now. [/quote] I bloody well wish I'd written it. And not for the royalties.