Doctor J

What is missing from the sound when you bypass the EQ? That is basically what you're trying to get the EQ to compensate for. If the pickup isn't even getting you close, then I'd start with the pickup before going anywhere near the preamp, personally. My own rule-of-thumb is that if I can't get a tone I like with the EQ flat, including on the amp, it gets moved on quickly. It's too easy to spend money chasing a tone you like without ever getting there.

The Geddy Jazz seems to have been a decent seller. If the instrument offers something you can't ordinarily get in a standard model, I don't see the harm. The Joe Dart basses have been something quite different for EBMM. A P bass with a slightly different colour of paint is a bit much but where the instrument deviates enough from standard that you can't replicate it by swapping a couple of parts, then it's all good. The Wimbish Spector, for example, like the Geddy, has a neck you can't get, otherwise, which legitimatises them, in my opinion. Endorsements do work because, even if a signature model doesn't take your fancy, having the popular musicians of the day seen with your instruments in your hand creates an indelible link between the music you love and that brand, whether you realise it or not. Sadowsky might make sublime J basses but there'll never be pictures of Jaco playing one. Hendrix could've stayed in tune if he played an Ibanez RG but he and his music will always be associated with Fender Strats. I'm generally not one for signature instruments but, as a young man, I had the opportunity to buy a Tony Iommi signature model, during his brief stint with Patrick Eggle, for half price and it would haunt me to this day if I hadn't made it mine. Aside from being a very, very nice guitar, they only ever made 48 of them, of which this is #23. And, to answer the OP's question, the correct answer has been mentioned a few times. Mark King, take a bow 🙂

No, it's not. You are correct. Those tuners are usually found on cheap budget instruments. The truss rod access route seems to have a black plastic collar, again, something you don't find on US Fenders, ever, and the sunburst looks quite rubbish. Two extra screws on the cheap bridge are another couple pf alarms. Fender now offer the facility to check serial numbers on their site. It'll tell you exactly the model and colour of the instrument associated with the serial. Walk away and don't look back.

Soundgarden have a rich seam of cool bass

A few others, nothing technical or outrageous but just nice grooves which support the song perfectly.

All fun. Soundgarden, from Screaming Life through to Superunknown, have a wealth of fantastic basslines to play. Yamamoto and Shepherd were both superbly creative players.

Steely Dan would be the big one. I only got into them a few years ago but it's some of my favourite music ever, now. This kind of thing happens a lot, though. I love finding great new music, even if it's old music. You have the soundtrack to your life but there was so much going on at that time and even more before, it would be ruse not to investigate.

Metallica'a utterly baffling Through The Never is part-concert, part-I don't know what but all rubbish. It has been a while since I saw it - only once - but there may have been some kind of small acting roles for the band members at various points. It's utterly terrible is what I'm trying to say. Although SKOM is a documentary, and an amazing one at that, when Trujillo hears their new music for the first time and acts like it isn't complete bowel offerings is worth mentioning.

Congrats, Skank, nicely done 👍

Sweet. I have a low 4-digit serial number ESP which I narrowed down to being from late '83-early '84. While that doesn't have a serial, the ESP stamp on the neck plate is the same as mine so I'd think it's from that era, if not a little earlier. They changed the neck plate stamp in the mid-80's. I hope it plays and sounds as good as it looks.

It's UV light exposure vs the lack of it. You're more likely to get an even finish by rubbing the rest of it with a very light abrasive to take off the finish which has aged than trying to darken those light areas to match the rest of it.

Very much so https://www.discogs.com/master/1039778-Vega-Who-We-Are

Nice to see new names too.

It's only what someone hopes to get for it, not an actual market value. I've seen much, much worse over the years. I never thought I'd get to see 1k Squiers either, but this is the crazy world we live in.

Iron, Maiden!

Manfred Mann - hate crime central.

Mansun! Smanshing Pumpkins! Mandonna!

Ahum...

Lad Zeppelin?

I respect him even when he doesn't have a bass and is driving a cab in NYC?

I don't think there is that much of a correlation between price and quality, certainly not in the used market and that's where I operate. Over the years, I've had some very expensive instruments, plenty of much less expensive instruments and those inbetweeners. In my experience, the price is often more associated with the brand name than the quality of the instrument. My favourite basses over the years have usually been picked up used for around the 400-600 quid mark, often less. I've bought much more expensive instruments, going on myth and hype, which were utter rubbish, not just as an instrument but in terms of build quality too. When you've been around long enough, you see how the price follows hype rather than quality. Did Japanese Squiers only become good in the last couple of years? The prices now compared to 10 or 20 years ago, relative to other instrument prices, certainly suggests so. And then there are 70's Fenders... wow 😂

I had one, it was useless. You quickly tire of being told the time is 1:vision Got coat, off I go.

I'd love to pick up a mint early 90's Thumb at some point. A Warwick Streamer with Wal pickups and electronics would be real nice.

On a tangent, if you're spending 4 grand on an instrument and you're not getting the full-fat brand, made by the main people, something is seriously askew.

Crimson guitars youtube channel has at least one build video for this idea. He made a Les Paul style IIRC.