Misdee

Thanks. As long as the bass plays well and isn't a boat anchor I will be quite happy. Like I mentioned previously, I can always run it through an external preamp if the sound needs a bit of extra juice. General consensus seems to be that the stock pickups are okay. Mostly I'm just looking for something decent to have around to keep my chops up to scratch on. I've got a touch of arthritis in my right hand nowadays and I am determined to minimise its effect on my bass playing.

It's very sad when you see someone's life reduced to lots in an auction. I think Del was a bit of an afficionado when it came to gear. I'm not being at all critical of Del's family doing whatever is necessary, by the way. It's just that it's so hard when you have to sort through the possessions of someone close to you after they are gone. It's hard to part with things, and it's hard to keep things and be reminded by them. No easy way to deal with it all.

That's a lovely pair you've got there. USA Laklands are top quality instruments, no doubt about that. The necks are indeed pretty fabulous. Also, interestingly enough, they are very varied in profile. Just like old Fenders in that respect. I have owned four different 4 string USA Lakland basses with Jazz Bass necks and all of them very different to each other. All very playable, though.

Something else to consider is if the seller is looking for a quick sale. To get maximum money for anything you are trying to sell, be it a house, a car or a bass, you usually have to wait a bit longer to find someone who really wants what you've got. If, on the other hand,there's some expediency to get the item sold then the seller might be more disposed to entertain offers under the asking price.

A passive Sire bass appeals to more than an active version partly because for not that much more than the the difference in price I could buy a Sadowsky external preamp that I could also use on my other passive basses if I wanted to. That said, to be honest with you I usually prefer my Fender-style basses passive anyway. So many preamps(such as the Sadowsky) add bass and treble, which inevitably gives the effect of recessing the apparent midrange frequencies. Thing is, I like a mid-focused sound on a Fender bass. (I do have a Sadowsky bass but it's a Will Lee model with the mid-boost preamp.) A passive Fender-style bass through a good amp and cab is the sound I like best, most of the time.

Thanks chaps, you've all given me some food for thought. I need to make a decision, and the question I am asking myself is, if I'm going to buy a new inexpensive bass, if not a Sire then what else? I had previously thought about getting myself a Bass Centre Bruce Thomas Profile Bass or Norman Watt Roy Blockhead bass but then I remembered the Sires and thought they might serve me just as well for less outlay. If the Sire P Basses are inherently lighter then I will have to have a rethink. I automatically gravitated to a Jazz because of the Marcus Miller association. It also depends what is currently in stock with retailers.

I'm mainly going to be noodling unplugged so in some ways it doesn't matter if it's a P or a J. I have been looking at the Sire passive P Bass and it's another contender. I love P Basses anyhow, by the way, just thought a Jazz might be more versatile. I've already got a 70s Fender Jazz but it's got flats on for reggae ect. Thought a V5 with rounds might be something different to add to my arsenal.

Difficult to say without knowing what tone the bass player was aiming for and in what circumstance. If you're talking about live sound at a gig, a common trick sound engineers use is to cut a significant amount of low end on the bass in an attempt to make it more audible in terms of being able to distinguish the notes and articulation. In terms of on recordings, using a more mid-focused and/or trebly tone can be a way to avoid competing with deep bass from drums and synths ect. The bass guitar needs to find it's own territory in the mix.

I have no problem with people trying to haggle. I have a realistic idea about the price I want to realise for whatever I'm selling. If that price isn't met then I can always say no. Similarly if I was trying to buy an item advertised on Basschat, I might make an offer based on what I thought was a fair price. However, as others have commented, it's all about the manner in which you negotiate. Tact and good manners are everything, as far as I'm concerned anyway.

Thanks, weight is definitely an issue, but at the price I can be a bit more philosophical about it than with a more expensive bass. I suppose it makes it even more authentic and evocation of a mid-to-late '70's Fender bass. It's a four string I'm considering, and I am hoping it will clock in around the 9 pound mark based on what I have seen, but I can cope with up to about 9 1/2. I'll mainly be playing it sitting down anyway.

I've been looking for a relatively inexpensive but decent quality bass to practice on when I can't use my other basses for whatever reason. The Sire V5 looks to be an excellent prospect. Before I pull the trigger I would be very grateful for other people's experiences and opinions of these basses, good and bad. I've been doing some research and the general consensus seems to be that they are pretty good.

What a great track! I'm going to figure out how to play that.

That picture of you and the Wal/ Peavey rig back in the early '80's has made me a bit emotional! I can only imagine how you feel looking at it. It's easy to forget just how popular fretless bass was back in those days. I got my first fretless back to 1983 and I still remember my dismay at how difficult it was to play in tune, even with fret lines. Nice new bass and a big amp in a small bedroom. Brings back memories of me and my Ibanez Musician/Trace Elliott rig around the same time. If they ever invent time travel I know what era I would go back to, that's for sure. Good to see that you are still rocking.🙂

Mentions "two tone knobs" in the description, that sounds like the knobs I'm referring to. That is a stunning bass, by the way.

Re. wear on the knobs, some of the basses from the mid-1980s came from the workshop with knobs that were in a kind of very dark brown slightly distressed finish, for want of a better description, rather than the usual black. I noticed the knobs on this bass and I suspect they may be from that batch. My bass teacher had three MK1 customs, and his wenge one from 1985 had those very distinctly different knobs on. When he sent it to Wal to be serviced in the early 1990's he had them swap the knobs for black ones.

Looks like a nice one. Probably American walnut. My old bass teacher back in the 1980's had a very similar example.

I was agreeing with you, not criticizing you. I quoted to endorse your post, because I thought it echoed my own thoughts. My apologies, I should have made that clear. The self-styled savvy muso types are very much people I have known in real life., not anyone on Basschat. .

There's no need for folks who enjoy the aesthetics dimension of various basses to apologise. I'm certainly in that category, and as long as I can remember there has been a implicit assumption from self-styled savvy "muso" types that if you aspire to or own some nice basses then you can't be a good player. This is,of course, complete bollocks. I've been fascinated by bass equipment since I started playing, and I don't care what anyone else thinks about it. Other folks can judge all they like. I'll probably be too busy adjusting the neck relief on my fretless for optimal "mwaaa" or some other similar mind-bending bass-related activity to notice.

I've tried both the basses you mention and they are much more comfortable all round, for my taste anyway. I lived in the Bay Area at the time they were new models and in stock at local music shops. It's worth pointing out that Alembic were the original custom bass builder, and they can build anything you want. If you can afford it they will use their formidable skills to help you get your dream bass. If I won the lottery (would need to start buying a ticket first, but ...) one of my first acts would be to contact Alembic and set out my design brief. I'd probably go along the lines of a Balance K Omega with a chambered body. Never tried one but the balance and playability is supposed to be much improved. It's also just about the most beautiful Alembic I've ever seen.

I know for a fact that back in the day, Pete and Wal took great pride in the fact that their basses were in the hands of "ordinary" working musicians and that they were out there doing pub gigs ect with the basses they had made. I expect they would be a bit bemused by their basses becoming too valuable to gig for some players. A big part of that company was that they were happy to service the basses, whether you bought them new or used. There was no need to treat a Wal bass with kid gloves. And they weren't anywhere near as expensive as nowadays anyway.

Don't know anything about the Human Base. The Stingray 5 is a great bass in many respects. However, potential pitfalls, depending on your personal preference, are the weight, the 17.5 mm string spacing and the G string having a tendency to slip off the edge of the fingerboard. The Status is a great bass too, but very different. They've got their own inherently modern tone and feel. I seem to remember 18mm string spacing, so a bit wider than the MM 5. Either would be eminently suitable for pop/ funk, albeit in slightly different ways.

A great bass can isn't necessarily an expensive bass though, and an expensive bass isn't necessarily great. You can definitely find some gems that don't cost a fortune but they are few and far between. I've played and owned some excellent inexpensive basses that were useful and satisfying instruments. I've played and owned some high-end basses that were poorly made, badly designed and not worth the asking price. A great example would be the JV Squire basses I had back in the early 1980's when they were new. I had a Jazz and then a P Bass too. At the time they were the best I could afford, and I was just waiting to buy something more modern with active electronics ect, as was the fashion at the time. I eventually got through loads of high-end basses, good, bad and indifferent. Now 40-odd years later armed with knowledge and experience, when I can have anything I want, I would be perfectly happy with the JV Squire basses.

In the days before internet forums I had no idea that Rickenbacker basses had a questionable reputation for quality. I have wanted a Rickenbacker since before I played bass. In fact, one of the reasons I started playing was so I had a reason to get a Jetglo Rickenbacker. Still never had one though,due to the fact every time I pick one up I'm reminded of the multiple reasons why I can't play them.

Funnily enough, I'm in the market for a relatively inexpensive bass at the moment. Even funnier than that though, is that all the ones I want turn out to be out of stock and currently unavailable. I've already got a Harley Benton, by the way, and for the money it cost it's been terrific value considering the fun I've had playing it. I'm definitely not knocking less expensive basses, just questioning the aspiration to collect them for the sake of having a collection. Versatility is one of the most overrated qualities in a musician. Most of the greats have developed a unique style because they use their limitations creatively. Most of the best famous players have a signature sound, rather than a plethora of tones for different situations.