Dan Dare

Old Peavey 4x10s and 8x10s are the same. Heavy, but seriously good sounding and can be picked up for peanuts.

Never thought of that. I've just compared my Mex PJ with my Bitsa (which uses a Squier body, so I assume it uses the same spacing as a full fat Fender) and the p pickup is in the same place on both.

Fusion rucksack. Being a tackle tart, I got it because it matches my gig bag.

I'd like that on a T shirt

Before cutting holes in your Nate, would it be worth selling it as is and looking for a PJ? If you mod' it, it may well reduce the re-sale value (modification usually does). The Mexican Fender PJs can be picked up quite reasonably second hand.

Check the power rating of Arctic cables, too.

EBS Freak's recommendation is a good one. The RCF's are excellent and light for their size/power. The Yamaha DXRs are also very fine. Many shops stock both, so worth comparing them. A pal of mine uses a DXR as keyboard backline at quite high levels and it's very good/clean sounding. You will need a sub for significant bottom end, as mike257 says. No getting away from the fact that you need to shift air for bass and kick at higher levels.

Seems comments on this issue are split between those who buy the occasional instrument, who don't mind travelling, and those who buy a lot/deal, who do mind. If you want to deal/buy and sell for a profit, that's your business, but you can't really complain if people won't help you by shipping stuff to you.

I don't think a bass would fit on a pallet, even diagonally, due to its length.

Why? If a seller doesn't wish to chance entrusting his instrument to a courier, that's his prerogative. "Fairness" doesn't come into it. You can always buy new. Shops will happily deliver because they are covered by their insurance (and because couriers know that they will lose a shop's entire business if they screw up, whereas they couldn't care less about a private individual).

Could be worth trying the Aguilar AG700 with your cabs. More power/headroom and cleaner than your TH. A less old school sounding head (I'm assuming by "loose", you mean the sound dirties when you push it, which is something of a TH trademark).

This. And this. I'd be willing to send an El Cheapo instrument by post/courier, but not anything decent. Collection only is a way of weeding out chancers and time wasters, too. If someone can't be bothered to collect a quality instrument, they aren't that interested.

This guy is worth a watch (you'll find him on YouTube)if you have noisy neighbours. He's created a low frequency sound file you can download and play (our bass rigs are ideal for this) to get your own back and best of all, it's not traceable to you because it doesn't sound like music (his neighbours didn't have a clue what the sound was/where it came from and blamed their central heating and all manner of things). Top bloke.

Just a quick addition. The P Special is not like a P Bass. The neck is the narrower Jazz Bass type. It does a reasonable approximation of the P bass sound, but you won't get that really thick vintage thump from it in my experience. However, the J pickup makes it a lot more versatile. Do think about buying used, though. You'll save a lot of money.

The Big Mac is also used by economists as an international comparator of prices/wages. It's a standardised product, sold worldwide. You can work out how well paid a country is by calculating how long someone on average wage has to work to afford one. It isn't only musical instruments that have risen in quality and come down in price. All mass produced goods have, at the budget/medium quality end of the market at any rate. It doesn't necessarily apply at the top end, however. If anything, handmade/custom instruments and products are more expensive. The skills required to produce them are scarcer and increased wealth means more can afford them, so the price goes up until demand = supply.

I have the Mexican P Bass Special, which is pretty well the same instrument. It's decent and versatile. Note that they sell used for a lot less than the new price on the link you posted. There's one on eBay at the moment - black with a maple neck - for half that amount and it appears mint. I'd search for a used one if I were you. Have you actually played one, btw? Never buy without trying is a good rule. You may not be able to try the actual one you intend to buy, but mass produced instruments are much of a muchness, so you should be able to find one to try somewhere.

I think the answers to your final questions are yes to all of them.

You may be "entitled to practice" (I say "may", but there may be byelaws governing that), but it would certainly not be considered reasonable to do so via your SVT and an 8x10 at full blast in a suburban flat or terraced house. A court would be very unlikely to consider that reasonable. There are actually noise limits that local authorities use when determining what is reasonable. The important thing in cases such as this (especially when you are dealing with someone who is unstable/unreasonable) is to ensure you are squeaky clean and above reproach. That way, if it comes to legal action, you are on firm ground. I know that from experience.

I agree with those above who recommend being accommodating. Headphones are simple and neighbour friendly. However, if she and her son have late night screaming matches, then it's entirely reasonable for you to raise that issue with her and tell her you expect some give and take. If she doesn't like it and the nonsense continues, I advise making recordings of it (the great thing about being a musician is that we have all that lovely tech' that makes doing that easy), in case it gets to complaints to the council about noise, etc.

A P bass has to be the simplest electric guitar around. Two pieces of wood bolted together, one pickup, two pots and a socket, one capacitor and that's pretty well it. How on earth can they sound so different and why are some dogs whilst others are great? Is it magic?

Are you buying to play or as an investment? If the former, try them and choose without regard for age, etc. Why not, as others suggest, look at road-worn repros/alternatives. I lusted after an L series P bass for several years but couldn't find anything that floated my boat (they're not common, but I found a few to try). If I do come across something nice that isn't stupidly expensive, I'll have it, but chances are slim, especially as collectors inflate the prices. I built a Bitsa to keep me going and it's surprisingly decent.

Don't forget to leave a note in your will about the real value of those instruments you told the family you'd picked up for fifty quid. Otherwise they'll flog them to Cash Converters for bugger all.

Or brown bread?

Maybe. In my experience, if I find I don't like something, I don't like it.

Have to disagree. I sold a mint Flightcase and got a lot less than that for it.