jezzaboy

If you can manage to up your budget slightly, the Yamaha 434 is superb. It is a step up in quality from the 234 and is a bass that will do any gig. They aren`t as heavy as the old ones having a smaller body. I owned one and stupidly sold it on. Havent tried a 234 but I imagine they are decent. The Sub series are nice and the newer ones have a better pre amp than the older models that were super hot and not in a good way. They are nicely finished in my experience. If you like the MM sound it will get you near enough on a budget. If you want an active bass get the Sub, if you prefer a passive, go for the Yamaha. You can`t lose really, they are both decent budget basses. Good luck!

Sorry Lozz, it was Emory Gordy who played on this. If I remember right they only played the track twice and it was done!

I just bought one of the Classic Vibe Squier Mustangs and it really nice apart from the tuners which are made from play doh if I`m not mistaken. I looked at buying a Bronco for half the price but I would have spent a good few bob getting it to what I would want it to be so got the Mustang.

I look at it this way. I own Fenders, Sanbergs, G&L but if I was starting all over again, I would buy 2 Sire V7 Vintage model basses. Two because I would need a backup for gigging. One in black the other in that candy apple red colour. Just get the black one ordered and let us all know in a week or so how happy you are with your new bass!

I have one of the Jazz basses you are looking at, bought from Andertons as well. It`s a really well made and put together bass but mine is quite heavy, round about 9 to 9.5 lb`s. If thats not a problem for you then go for it. The Sire bass is a great bit of kit with a really good pre amp and loads of tonal options. And the neck on them is peachy due to having the edges of the neck rolled making it really comfy to play. Either one will do the biz but I see the Squier isnt in stock at the moment.

A set of Schaller BM`s will do the job nicely if you want to change the tuners. About £70 delivered from Thomman.

Deke was the man when it came to writing about the music industry. His stories were well written, loads of humour and most of us can relate to the things that happened. Get them from Amazon, you won`t regret it!* *(Well you might but ya boo sucks!)

Here ya go

I got one of the natural ones a few weeks ago. Really nice and a steal at £400. I was a bit worried that the neck would be like the L2000 tribute which I find too chunky but the neck on these is like a standard P bass. It has a 3 piece body but it looks fine from the front, not to obvious. It is a bit of a lump though, must be about 9.5 - 10 lb`s.

Check out the interview with L and Guy Pratt. What a thoroughly decent chap and great player.

Really cool topic Dave. It will be "interesting" to look back at this topic in say 6 months time and see where we all end up. Healthy I hope!

We are supposed to be playing the first gig with our new singer in the Hard Rock Cafe in Glasgow on the 25th of April. There is a "request" by Nicola`s lot to not have any events with more than 500 people and I don`t think the venue holds that many. No word either way yet but I`m not hopeful. But I imagine the ticket sales will be crap anyway. The annual Bonfest festival in Kirremuir is looking dodgy as there are people coming from all over the world and it`s quite a large event. If its binned, I imagine it will seriously affect the local economy. Having played there the last 3 years, due to getting a new singer on board we aren`t playing there this year and I was really looking forward to the Glasgow gig. Gigging isn`t my main income but I feel really sorry for all the sound, lightning, trucking, techs etc that make their living doing this. But for us it just a gig thats blown out (maybe) and there are many other people in a worse position than us.

We turned up at a pub in Prestwick Ayrshire, 2 valve Marshalls, Ashdown stack, pa and I think we had lights that night as well. The landlord showed us where to set up and the 1 plug socket available to us. He explained that the band the previous night had blown the other sockets and it would be fine to plug all the gear into said socket. He found it quite amusing that we are an ac/dc tribute and he had a problem with the electrics. Plonker.

Thats a new one on me that is. I can just see the advert on Gumtree. "New bass player required. Last one left due to non availability of buffet!"

The only reason I turn down gigs is due to distance or money or a combination of both. Examples: travelling from Glasgow to Frazerburgh for £250 between 5 of us and travel from Glasgow to Banff to play for 1 hour on a Saturday night. And some of the guys in the band wanted to do both of the gigs, madness. And I don`t do boats. I get seasick in the bloomin bath! Captain Pugwash I aint!

I use my 715 on the Line setting and have had plenty of volume from it. Enough to heard with a couple of Marshall dafties. Having said that I bought a EH Battalion a few weeks ago and had to crank the volume knob to get a decent amount of volume form the set up in the studio. Previously I used a Art Mic pre before the RCF so I would have plenty of volume going into the speaker. The speaker volume was about 1 o`clock. I`m going into the studio tomorrow night so will have a mess about. Glad you seem happy with the 732 now Paul.

For 20 years, I worked in a company manufacturing industrial cladding eventually becoming one of the managers of the facility. It nearly drove me nuts as there was a lot of stress involved and my wife said it made me a different person. It closed in late 2003 and I got a job in transport with one of the companies who did work for me as an lgv driver. I thought it would do me me for a year or so till I get my head together but I`m still doing it. After having numerous jobs driving for various companies, I currently work for a multi national company delivering bathroom and heating items to mostly new builds across Scotland. The job is easy but the place I work is full of numpties, god knows how they are still in business. A few thing I have learned in this job. Don`t buy one of those shiny new builds, they are thrown together and are mostly crap. And plumbers are the biggest bunch of moaners I have ever worked with despite earning really good money.

Don`t read his autobiography, the most boring piece of moaning I have ever read. Good drummer though.

I have never gotten a decent sound out of a Trace head or combo but that could just be me Having owned a few Ashdowns and used rig supplied gigs, I would go with the big A.

Ive spent a few bob on Schaller locks over the years. But now I use the washers from Grolsch beer bottles. You can get a bag on e bay for about a fiver and as long as the original strap buttons are secure, they do a a fine job.

It will be fine. I bought a RCF 715 about 6 months ago and it`s working out fine. The guitarist ( a devout Marshall tube combo user ) can`t get his head around it though!

Looks good. Not much info re release though. I bought a book about 10 years ago about the place.

I really have no idea why G&L persist in offering a cracking bass with a baseball bat sized neck. I have had a few and always move them on due to this. The 44 mm width I can handle, just, but to make it so much of a handful is crazy imo.

Cease and desist letter being typed up at Fender HQ as we discuss these..... But if they aint too dear, I would take a punt.

I`m 54 and our rhythm guitarist is 33. Sometimes I start talking about the 70`s only to be reminded that he wasn`t even born then! Boy it makes me feel old. But it shouldn`t matter in a band context unless you want to be the next big thing.