prowla

When buying a bass, I would suggest getting a decent one used; it'll hold its value so if you decide to sell it you'll recoup your money and so it'll be a zero-cost item. Of course, you'll get recommendation for a variety of instruments; I'd suggest looking at what your favourite musicians play and letting that steer your choice. As far as playing goes, if you've done a bit of guitar, then you'll implicitly know where the notes are (ie. a 4-string bass is like the botton 4 strings of a guitar an octave lower). A small clip-on tuner is a handy thing to have around (I have a Rotosound one, but there are plenty of brands about).

I'm not a fan of the Hipshot bridge, but each to their own.

I've got a few real ones and none of them sound quite the same!

Some bands use synth bass pedals to add things; you can do strings, choir, orchestral sounds and suchlike. An octave pedal like a Mosaic can do things too. You can run the sounds to separate amps or the PA to make them distinct. And they don't have to be on all the time; they can even just add points of interest during songs. Rush are probably the best example of that approach. Alternatively don't overthink it and just be a 3-piece. Budgie are a good example of that (and are not dissimilar to Rush when you listen). Robin Trower's work (Bridge Of Sighs & Long Misty Days) doesn't sound empty.

This could be the most impressive instance in ages of a thread going off in a completely different direction. I think it would be a good idea to split it if possible; not from a "get off my land" perspective, but rather because it is a topic worthy of discussion in its own right.

It's gone mental!

Can you sell me one for a couple of hundred quid? 🙂

Can't they just make them wait in the corridor like other patients?

I guess I'm used to the dichotomy: my favourite bass player is Chris Squire and one of my favourite artistes is Billy Squier.

What was that brand again?

Yeah, don’t forget Lex Luthier too…

Didn’t John Diggins work for John Birch at the time?

That one's a Matsumoku; I had a similar CMI bolt-on some time back (it had dual rods).

That's about right for a bolt-on faker.

I think Gordon Smith did some work on my 1964 RM1999 real Ric, back in the day.

My definition is that someone who crafts (or makes) an instrument from bare wood (but may attach bought-in shinyware & electrics) is a luthier . There's also the term "tech" used; I'd define that as someone who does professional-grade setups and repairs. In contrast, someone who builds (or assembles) an instrument from pre-made parts (ie. neck & body) isn't; I'd probably call them builders(?). I've had great results putting together instruments from parts, but my woodworking skills are pretty abysmal, so I could probably never be a luthier.

The term "luthier" gets used a lot, but what does it mean?

Every time I see someone call them a "Squire", I just think "retard". (I know you're not supposed to use that word these days, but that is exactly the word I think.)

That is possibly the most rubbish thing I've ever seen.

The V2 bridge completely eliminates the tail-lift issue. However, I've got one on a 2010 4003 and it won't adjust the action low enough, so I'm thinking of going back to the original bridge/tailpiece unit.

(Tail lift?)

An Escher bass.

They've shifted the selling bit to the buyer. eBay already had buyer protection, so they've just added a buyer's tax. They're really doing their best to help people decide to look elsewhere.