Grahambythesea

I was over in the US recently and tried the Gold Tone mini bass in a shop. Has those weird rubbery strings but it sounded really nice acoustically. Not enough to actually use in earnest but nice for practicing. Was on sale at $399 which I suspect is a lot cheaper than either the Taylor or the Guild.

You can blame anyone who voted to leave the EU! It's messed our currency completely. Just been in the States and what we have to pay for a $ would be laughable if didn't make things so expensive.

Dark tort. I used to have a white P with white PG and it didn't look good.

I love the contrasting woods. Is it really light, I was always under the impression they were heavy.

I'll give a shout for the Spector Spectorcore which also has a Piezo bridge (Fishman). Within budget 4 & 5 string versions very well made and it has an 'f' hole!!!👍🏿😉

The generally negative views expressed here seem to have been born out in low sales. Andertons currently offering the violin burst 5 string for a mere £699 and the website says they e 6 in stock! Must regret ordering them. Their video sound test makes them sound very versatile. The square shoulders give them a slab body look which makes them look a bit different and didn't show up in the original pictures released by Gibson. Anyone bought one yet?

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1501403086' post='3344409'] Shouldn't that be the other way round? [/quote]yes, that's what I meant. I'm surprised Gibson/Epiphone haven't sued! They stopped everyone else from producing lookalikes.

Does anyone else think the Embassy looks remarkedly like the Fender Dimension?

I wonder why the Mexican version of the 5 string has a 5 tuners in line head whilst the US model. Has the more popular 4 + 1 format? Are they using up the old jazz 5 string necks which used to have the 5 in line head? The Andertons deal offers a Mexican 5 for £599 while they are also offering the US made Gibson EB 5 for £699. I know there is not a lot of love for the Gibson but it does seem great value by comparison.

Other than sounding different to Ps/Js/MMs are there any other advantages? Do they weigh less, hang better, have better necks? If not then they are not going to sell and their future looks doubtful. Fender seem happy to scrap lines, remember Cabronita?

Thomman bag won't fit, bottom bout on EB2/ES335 in 43cms.

I switch between 34 ins 4 string and a 35in 5 string fretless and quite honestly don't notice the difference. I am pretty certain that all the Yamahas quoted will not be lightweight. You could try the Spectors, they tend to be lightweight and the Korean made Legend will probably be within your budget. The quality on my Korean is as good as my Euro, possibly even better!

Your voice changes as you get older too, it generally goes down a pitch or two unless really practice like a pro to keep your range up.

He played a tour with Pat Metheny, not as the bassist but the singer with PMG. However he played one number on bass with just Pat, amazing. On the strength of it bought a couple of his solo albums and they are terrific, as long as you can handle him singing in Cameroonian.

[quote name='Raggy' timestamp='1500024835' post='3335169'] Agreed. Very strange relic'ing [/quote]Me too! Doesn't look real at all, may be the kind of distress you'd get on a well used kitchen table. Perhaps that is the secret, he's cutting the bodies out of old tables!

Had the same trouble trying to find a gig bag for my BaCH EB2 long scale. Bought a couple which the measurements indicated might fit, but then they didn't, problem seemed to be waist position and width of upper bout. That one from Thomman looks hopeful.

The original Gibson did look cool and modern at the time. Another great bass player who used one occasionally was Chas Chandler of the Animals, although his prefer was for the Epi Rivoli, there was TV footage of him with an EB3 playing we gotta get out of this place. I think the long scarce with the slotted headstock looks totally wrong! Sorry if you've got one but I think the look awful.

If you like short scale and don't mind neck dive! Back in the 60s loads of people used them (the Gibson original) but they went out of fashion and production. They were probably a bass that was designed for guitar players converting.

Look at Spector's Korean ranges, I love my Spectorcore and others say the Legend is great. Super value, well within your price range and brilliant quality.