Misdee

I went to see Rainbow at the first ever Monsters Of Rock at Donnington in 1980 (!). That was the era of Graham Bonnett as singer and Roger Glover on bass, although I would have to say that the Dio/Daisley lineup was Rainbow's finest hour. L.A. Connection is still one of my all time favourite play- along tracks at home.

Thanks for that, Emmett. The Sunburst one is a looker, that's for sure. I've always wanted a '70's style Jazz and this looks like a fantastic example. Grateful if anyone else can share their impressions of these Basses.

I'm seriously interested in buying one of these basses, but I am very unlikely to be able to try one out, and will have to buy sight unseen. Is there anyone who has one of these basses, or even just had a go on one who can tell me just how chunky the "U" profile neck feels compared to a typical Jazz Bass. My current Jazz Bass is a 2012 American Standard with the Modern "C" profile, and that to me is already a bit on the chunky side compared to a typical 1960's era Jazz neck. I am not necessarily averse to a slightly bigger neck, but I haven't got the biggest hands and there is a limit to what I can comfortably cope with. Any other thoughts, observations or indeed recommendations about this particular model would be very gratefully received. Cheers

I had an Ampeg SCR DI, and I have to say, the sound was an acquired taste. Even without the Ultra-Hi button on, I found the treble very, very prominent and I had to cut the treble control to less than nine o'clock or it was just unlistenable with my Fender PJ - style bass. I am a fan of Ampeg gear, but to my ears at least, once you strip away the marketing hype, the reality is that the SCR doesn't sound very much like the classic designs we all know and love.

TIs are a good choice for roundwound players who are thinking about dabbling in the world of flats. They have a more articulate tone than most flats, and the lower tension feels more familiar than a lot of flatwound designs.

The necks on Laklands are indeed very playable. I have tried Lakland basses with Fralins and Aeros side by side with newer models with Lakland's own Hanson pickups, and I thought that the Hanson pickups sounded better.They were certainly louder and more punchy than the Fralins, if slightly more modern sounding I definitely wouldn't consider the Hansons to be inferior in any way, so I wouldn't discourage anyone from contemplating buying a model with the newer pickups on. The Fralins have more of a vintage sound, maybe, if that is what you crave.

I love Musicman basses, and I particularly long to own a Stingray Classic, but unfortunately my ageing back and shoulder mean that I would need to find an exceptionally lightweight example. I know there are some out there, but they are few and far between. As it is, my HH Bongo is light, sounds amazingly punchy and has enough of the Musicman DNA to satisfy my needs. I know some people are not keen on the looks, but I personally think that the Bongo looks great with it's angular and futuristic 3-d champfering.

The bassline on that track was played by Randy Jackson (he of American Idol fame in more recent times). It was the first record he ever played on, I seem to to remember, and the beginning of his burgeoning career as a top session player.

[quote name='WhiteNGold' timestamp='1423251792' post='2682903'] I'm interested to know if the fretboard needs to be removed to install them...my PDN Stingray has a lacquered neck & fretboard join so that worries me... [/quote] Sims are quite secretive about how they actually fit the LEDs, but I am fairly sure they would be able to fit them to your bass without much problem. I've seen plenty of basses with painted and/or lacquered finishes on the neck with Sim's LEDs in the past. However, whether spending upwards of £600 or so to get them fitted is a good idea is another matter entirely. To me, it is a huge amount to spend on something which is essentially a superfluous novelty. For decades bass players managed without LEDs, until manufacturers created a desire for them. Ultimately it is just another gimmick designed to take your money from you. The first company to offer LEDs was Alembic back in the 1970's, usually as little red side- dots on the edge of the fingerboard. OK, I can see how they would be useful in certain situations, maybe, but then again in 30 odd years playing the bass I have never ever found a need for lights on the fingerboard. In the real world LEDs are unnecessary, from a playing point of view at least.It seems crass (and rather uncool) to be so focussed on flashy appearances. Having said that, the Mint Green Sterling with the matching colour lights does look pretty sharp! Maybe I need to find a boy band willing to feature a clapped-out-40- something bass player with a big belly.