Dan Dare

Almost anything is good for anything. True an upright won't usually do it in a metal band, but I'm sure someone will be along to prove me wrong one day.

This. People are entitled to change their minds (and often do) or even accept a better offer for something that is their property, after all.

Used Squier bodies turn up quite often on eBay. I'd look for one of those. At least you know the dimensions will be there or thereabouts.

Being an old, half-blind git, I find a clip on tuner with a LARGE display invaluable. Recently replaced the Korg Pitchblack with an Ernie Ball and it's been a big help

Good point. I've found the same - that the E needs more muting/thicker foam, even though I don't pop/slap. It's fun to experiment. I find a lower density foam, slightly thicker, produces a nicer tone. It seems to let the string speak a little before cutting the vibration. I'm off to my Obsessives Anonymous meeting soon...

None of those. See wateroftyne's post. You need to see something like - Sensitivity [average]: 102 dB SPL @ 1 W/1 m.

I'd say (and Bill will probably be along to give a more informed reply) that the second is of most help, as it is in the frequency range that is important to us. The last is meaningless for a bass player - 2.3k is well into higher harmonics. However, all such figures will be obtained in anechoic conditions, using a measurement mic' at a distance of just 1 metre, which tells you little about real-world use.

$500 should get you something nice, especially if you buy used. Have a look at the usual suspects/brands. Steer clear of anything off-the-wall or unusual. You will find something conventional much easier to sell come upgrade time. If you're playing gospel music (which it appears you may be), a Squier P or J bass is a good starting point. Plenty available used at reasonable prices. Do you have any musician friends who can help or advise you? If not, then visit as many shops as you can, try plenty of instruments and ask a lot of questions to help inform your search. Unless you need a wide variety of tones, I'd get a passive instrument - less to go wrong, no batteries to fail in the middle of a gig and cheaper. itu's string recommendations above appear to be for a 5 string. Think 40-100 or so for a 4 string. You don't need silicone cables. A plain one will be fine and 10 feet is a little short, unless you are standing right next to your amp on a small stage.

This.

You can always get the cheap neck and use it until you find something nicer. I built a Bitsa P bass a couple of years ago. Using decent parts (Squier body courtesy of eBay, Seymour Duncan p/u, Grover machines, Gotoh bridge, etc), it cost me around £230. Works very well.

Well spotted. Skulduggery afoot, methinks.

I can't remember the name of it, but I once saw a film clip which featured TH playing "live". At one point, the camera briefly caught some extra off-stage musicians, including a bass player.

The words "great" and "cajon" do not often occupy the same universe 😉

Bill, as usual, is spot on. A simple sensitivity figure, with no information about the range of frequencies reproduced, is meaningless. Tweeters/horns are much more sensitive than bass drivers, so if one measured the output from that alone (to use an extreme example), it would likely be very high. However, it wouldn't tell you anything about sensitivity where it counts for a bass cab - in the low frequencies.

The key words are "decent sound engineer".

L series. Lovely instrument and very desirable. Hope you get it back. Courier "losing" it sounds extremely dodgy. I'd involve the boys in blue if you haven't already.

Possible it was not played live and a different instrument was used for the actual sound recording? It all sounds just a little too perfect for a live take.

Buy a snare drum? Snares against a thin piece of wood are never going to sound the same as snares against a stretched drum skin.

I notice they haven't used a capital F in "fender". Perhaps it's made from an old fender (one meaning of which is the frame around a fire that prevents coals from falling out). That could explain the scorch marks.

Could be a refin'. Looks suspiciously pristine for a MIJ Squier, which are getting on a bit now.

The stickiness could be due to the fact that the factory has put a coating on them to prevent corrosion in the packet. A wipe down with some alcohol will cure that.

This. If you need more volume, add a power amp and extra cab and drive them from the TE preamp. You'll get the same tone but louder. Job done. Don't be daft like us and spend all your hard-earned on gear if what you have does the trick.

That instrument does have pretty hot pickups, even though it's passive. I wouldn't think it's wiring. If it was, the problem wouldn't normally be intermittent. Are the pots or the output socket worn?

If you use wire wool, STICK MASKING TAPE OVER THE PICKUPS BEFORE DOING SO. Apologies for the caps, but if you don't, you will end up with a "fur" of wire wool fragments on them that you will never completely remove. I speak from bitter experience.

If he has a Polytone head, I should think that will be ideal for jazz guitar. That's what they were originally intended for. The head is largely what governs how it will sound. I'd look into the neo driver option. Is the existing cab a 1x12? if so, he should be able to replace the drive unit for much less than £150 - Watford Vales has the Celestion Neos at reasonable prices, for example.