Tokalo

Got a new base last week (I blame the snow – I worked from home due to the travel warning a couple of weeks back, and found I could fill some of the time I was waiting for network connections by looking for bargain basses on my tablet. Ahem.) I don’t have easy access to a guitar shop with a decent range of basses, so I am dependent on basschat for working out which guitar will suit me best. Based on what I’d read on here, I began to focus on G&L, with my criteria for my next bass being: passive, 38mm nut width, not JJ pickups. There was a B-stock Tribute Kiloton on DV247 with about £120 off. It was white, with the reduction for a “chip in paint by the neck joint”, although there was no photo of the actual bass/damage on DV247 website*. It arrived, as promised, in 4 working days from Germany (got to say, I was impressed with the communications from DPD via their app). First impression out of the box is that it’s a bit chunky. Reviews mention the slimline SB body, but it’s about twice as thick as my Squier VM Jaguar. In terms of weight, though, both have basswood bodies but the Kiloton (counter-intuitively) is half a pound lighter. The plastic scratchplate protector had been removed, and there was no documentation at all in the box. The strings are not the standard stock d’Addario EXLs (no coloured ends or silks), and feel like they’re nickel-coated. I’m guessing that this is an ex-display model, and that the strings have been changed at least once. The serial number dates the bass as Sept 2017. However, the scratchplate has no scratches, so there are no actual signs of wear, and everything else is fine apart from the paint chip and the neck joint, which isn’t the neatest: some of the cuts appear not to be perfectly straight. Plugged into a practice amp, at first it was all about playing with the 3-way switch, working out which is series, parallel and single coil. Online reviews mention the increased output through the series setting, and this is clearly the case. The neck is nice and quick; the large inlay dots somehow make it look wider than it actually is. The tuners are smooth (noticeably smoother than the Gotoh GB707s on my step-son's SR1605). I was asked to play in a one-off band at a local church 4 days after it arrived so had an early chance to give it a proper test, playing through their huge Peavey combo. I instantly had to turn the master volume on the amp down from 5 to just under 3: this MFD pickup is certainly as hot as all the reviews suggest! The thing with the three-way-switch pickup variations is that they have such different outputs that I decided to stick to just one: in this case the parallel because it was a church, and I didn’t want to blast them away with the series option. I’m afraid my ears aren’t good enough to tell how closely this sounds like a Stingray, j-bass or p-bass in the various pickup settings: all I know is that there is a lot more variety than I expected, and that I can see each having its place. To me, the bass sounded brilliant – deep, rich, clear and with incredible sustain, I’ve never really considered why sustain is important to a bass, but now I think it means the full tone of the note lasts longer: for any notes of a minim or more in length, the outstanding, full timbre of the Kiloton just keeps shining though. And there’s no worries about getting lost in the mix: you won't. Even with the unknown strings , I didn’t want to stop playing. It's made me aware of my poor technique (particularly right hand) – there’s no hiding place with such a powerful pickup, but I’m looking forward to the challenge as it means more time playing this bass. Next step is some new strings, probably GHS Pressurewounds as I’ll be playing a fair bit of pick and I hate string noise. Overall, this was an excellent purchase, and for the first time, I can't imagine needing (or even wanting) any other bass. * BTW The paint chip is about 1cm across and ugly, but only visible to the player, and there’s no damage to the neck joint. I reckon a dab of tippex and some superglue on top will be good enough for me: I’m not selling this beast!

Sound Quality 3/5 Very bright, especially with the d’Addario EXLs it came with. I upgraded the strings to some Elixirs, but it was hard not to notice that with both sets of strings, the pickups are sensitive to high frequency harmonics, giving a kind of “halo” effect. Sometimes, it can even sound like you’ve got a chorus pedal on, and I had to uninstall my strap locks because if they moved in their sockets, the pickups would ring out. On the plus side, the 3-band EQ gives you loads of variety and control, and along with the sweep between two humbuckers you really have a wide range of sounds to play with. If you don't want a humbucker sounds, there's a switch which gives you the option to change either/both pickups single coil or enhanced single coil. Reliability/Durability 4/5 My first impression when the bass arrived was that the neck was slightly offset - that is, looking from the front, the E string was closer to the top edge of the fretboard than the G string was to the bottom, allowing for the varying thickness of the string itself. GAK were great, and quickly sent a replacement bass, which was fine. (I noticed a similar problem in photos of one or two other SR300Es I had looked at, so I'm not sure if this is an issue with the neck pocket on cheaper Ibanez basses?). Despite being played weekly, I’ve got to say the bass still has an immaculate appearance – I’m pleased that there’s no sign of any knocks, dents or even scratches, so the finish seems quite robust, and the 5-piece jazz neck feels solid and plays really fast (and it looks lovely too!). The bridge is bulky enough, and you can load strings from the side, so there’s no need to thread them through holes. The tuners are Ibanez standard, and maybe they would benefit from being upgraded to a higher ratio if this bass is used for gigging. Price/Value 5/5 It seems to me this is an outstanding bass for just over £200 new, even with upgrades to new strings and possibly tuners. General Comments I bought the SR300e 9 months ago, after about 2½ years of playing. I already had a battered old entry-level Spector NS2000, and had added a used Squier VM Jaguar out of curiosity. I quickly realised that the narrowness and playability of the Squier neck vastly increased the pleasure of playing bass, so wanted to change the Spector (42mm nut width) for bass with a jazz neck. I also wanted a second bass for my main (rockier) band - the Squier has TI flats, which sound great in my church band, and I didn't want to ruin such glorious strings by whacking them with a pick every week. The first thing you notice is that it is so light, and it's hard to imagine a more comfortable profile. You get so many different sounds from all the pickup/EQ permutations – it easily fitted in with the Coldplay/U2-type numbers my band plays. I reckon GHS Pressurewounds are the perfect string for this bass. They seem to give the bass a power boost, and at the same time minimise the string noise. With the Pressurewounds, the SR300E feels like a serious bass with plenty of character. A veritable bargain.

Wait till one of them is 16, picks up your bass and Inot 3 months is not only far better than you, but gigging in the most popular band in school. Can't get any time in the practice room now!

One thing I discovered is that not all 9v batteries are equal. When I got my used Squier Jag (the full length version, with active bass boost), I found the battery cover kept popping open and poking me in the belly. A few months later, I changed the old Asda battery for a branded one. Suddenly, i could play the bass without being stabbed. On inspection, the asda battery is a couple of mm wider than the Energiser, just enough difference not to fit in the compartment. Who knew?!

I think Craig Charles in now on Radio 2 on saturday evenings. The show does seem to be packed with good tunes, whenever I catch it.

Courier service

I would never have heard Foo Fighters' cover of "Have a Cigar" if it weren't for Planet Rock. Strangely, the Hairy Rock show on Sundays/ Tues eves is also rather varied (and funny). I agree about repetition, though. Especially Rolling Stones songs. And I object verbally every time they play U2. Rock? Really?

One of the best feelings I know is hitting an open E for the final chord of a song. No need to dampen. The whole room shakes, and I win that particular chord in my battle with keyboard, guitar and even drums.

I think Danish oil is ok as long as it is based on tung oil (which this is). Is tapping frets something I should be able to do (if I'm careful)? It certainly sounds preferable to explaining to Mrs T why I'm taking my new bass into the bathroom with me!!

I've just acquired a used Squire Jaguar VM (the long scale version with active boost; I don't think it had been looked after too well - I had to straighten the neck and do the intonation). It arrived via post, so I don't know how it's been stored. But on first inspection the rosewood fretboard looked pale and dry. I applied a little Danish oil I had left over from a table restoration project, and the colour has come back to the rosewood. But. I can't play the bass because the frets are cutting my fingers. It's not that they haven't been smoothed - they are fine if you run your finger over them in a direction from the strings towards the back of the neck. But in the other direction there are tiny edges which are causing my cuts. There's lots of love out there for these Squier Jags, so is it possible I just got a bad one? Or is there a chance the rosewood had dried out too much at the previous owner's and exposed tiny corners of the frets? If so, can I avoid having to file them by re-hydrating the wood? Would my problem in fact be solved if I stand the guitar I a humid atmosphere, like a sauna or a bathroom when the shower is running?!

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1485158260' post='3221517'] As above. Don't add a scratch plate. If you want to do anything get some decent strings and a set-up. [/quote] I must admit that, just to get playing, I did initially get some cheap strings off ebay, but they felt a bit rough and I was worried about wearing down the frets. I've come across several threads promoting flats recently, so this month I've tried out Fender 073s. I prefer the softness of flatwound strings and the deeper, fatter tone when I'm playing as support to the rest of the band, but I can't help feeling the guitar's lost some sparkle and brashiness when I try to play anything a bit more adventurous. I suspect I should get a second bass that's more suited to flats and put (quality) roundwounds back on the Spector!

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1485032981' post='3220646'] DO NOT put a scratchplate on a Spector! [/quote] Thanks for the tip. I'll carry on playing it as it is!

This took 14 months to put together, since I started playing again. It fits inside an old laptop case, and the board is the lid of an olive oil crate (long story). I have no budget for music, so I've had to buy cheap and when my Beloved wasn't looking. Anyway, pedals and power cost just £182 in total, which seems cheap, but it's proportionate to my ability! The plan is to upgrade my bass before I start tinkering with this. But sometimes it's like an itch you can't scratch 😦

My brother had this in his loft for about 10 years. It's only an entry level NS2000 made in Korea or somewhere. But for £50 I'm pleased (I'm afraid I have no budget for music). I love the pickups, the weight and the colour. There were a couple of serious holes in the body, which I've filled. But I can't hide the repairs so I'm thinking of adding a scratch plate that I'll need to cut myself.