Bassassin

A long time ago, I said this: "A gentleman is a man who can play slap bass. And doesn't." I take some (negligible) pride in having seen that repeated, uncredited, elsewhere on several occasions. I don't hate slap, but I'm in a position - probably not a unique one - to appreciate that what I said is correct. I know this because I can't play slap (at least, not very well), but spent a lot of years in my 20s trying to shoehorn it into any & every available song, irrespective of whether it was appropriate or not. And given my musical bag's tended to be rock, metal & prog, it was largely very, very inappropriate. Fortunately it was just a phase, one I think I got past when I spent a few years not playing in bands & concentrating on solo writing & recording, which I think (or hope!) helped me get some insight into what worked & what didn't. I haven't slapped a bass with any degree of seriousness in probably 25 years or so - apart, perhaps when that nice Mr Wooten's double thumbing technique became a thing. That was interesting to dissect and learn, up to a point, particularly to find it was largely just playing percussive up/down strokes (ooer Mrs) with the thumb, much like a meat plectrum. One thing did serve as a reminder why I stopped slapping, and this helps keep me on the straight & narrow. About 10 or so years ago, my then band used to organise the live music at a local community festival. One of the bands we put on had sent in a good demo of well-written and competently performed indie pop - think somewhere between Coldplay & Travis, but maybe a bit less whiny. The demo gave no clue to the fact that live, their bassist crammed absolutely every 4-chord strummy ode to bedsit heartbreak with relentless, clattering, pokkata-pokkata-boinkity-boinkity-pokkata-pokkata-BOINK. I was just thinking - bloody hell, that used to be me - and then he started doing that thing of launching the bass (a Stingray, naturally) so it spun around his back on its strap. If I'd had the presence of mind to record it & put it on Youtube, I swear it would still be getting hits & being shared on drumming forums to this day.

I hoped that was the case! Can never tell though, they've been depressingly & increasingly popular since Load. I remember a mate who'd been a big fan since Kill 'Em All days coming back from seeing them on that tour ranting "They should just call themselves 'Licker' - 'cos they're not f**king metal any more!"

Thread needs to be renamed "What's your personal favourite album by (insert artist here). I say this simply because so many of the recommendations are so very, very wrong!

What - so unless you have a specially calibrated tuner, you couldn't correctly tune a guitar fitted with this anyway? I've wondered about it myself but am tending to concur with @ead .

I've had residual Status GAS since playing a mate's S2000 in 1985. This really isn't helping!

Both sound good to me, both identifiably "P". As likely to be inherent differences in strings/pickups as anything else.

Only just seen this thread - IMO good call not to buy the (somewhat overpriced) Greco because you'd probably have been sorely disappointed if you wanted it to sound like a proper 60s Hofner. The pickps, despite appearances, are single-coil Maxons, exactly the same as these: These are quite bright-sounding pickups, used in many early 70s MIJ basses (intended to be hidden under covers) and can sound quite authentic in Jazz or Rickenbacker copies - less so in other basses. Much as I love the old MIJ stuff, that Squier's a great choice - and a bargain!

Missed it. Bugger.

That's fascinating - I had no idea about those US Ibanezes. Will have to read more about them. I've seen pics of the Bunker before but didn't know about the neck construction. Just assumed it was a hugely aesthetically challenged take on a headless design.

Interesting - didn't know the Electra brand had been revived. Back in the day there were actually two US-based Electras (and an Electa in Australia, but that's another story), the best known owned by St Louis Music. These use the old SLM logo and the headstock shape common on the SLM Electra Westones. The old ones are very rare in the UK & Europe, being a US distributor brand but I do like the look of these - the 2x reversed P setup is very interesting. Great-looking basses too.

Cool - interested in hearing more about the more upmarket stuff they're introducing. Cerainly looks the business.

Swedish proggers Opeth (who are probably my favourite current band) released most recent album in Swedish & English versions - I definitely prefer the Swedish version. Despite having no idea what Akerfeldt's on about...

I've found RM small package deliveries seem to be all over the place. Ordered something from Ebay a month or so back, didn't turn up so after 3 weeks I chased it up, and received a refund. Item turned up a couple of days later. Seems to have settled into a pattern of pretty much everything being 5-10 days late, doesn't bother me as long as stuff turns up eventually. I should point out to everyone talking about using ParcelForce for basses - unless their T&Cs have changed recently, their insurance does not cover musical instruments. They will cheerfully sell you upgraded cover - but instruments are specifically excepted items in the small print.

Nine hundred quid? Nine hundred quid for some cheapsh!t Tele parts artlessly bodged onto a knackered old bat that was probably a fiver out of a charity shop? Amazing. Hope it sells.

You can buy tuners - sorry, turners - like that brand new on Ebay for a tenner. Abandoned "projects" like this always amaze me from the perspective that they can progress so far before the person finally realises they lack any of the necessary ability, understanding, competence, skill, or any grasp of basic proportions and aesthetics. Or, evidently, any appropriate tools or materials. Or presumably even one of those free paper tape measures from Ikea. I'm finding the back view a little upsetting. It's been nailed together, hasn't it? With actual nails.

For help with model ID, I can point you towards Fernandes' catalogue archive. There's a lot to go through... http://www.fernandes.co.jp/catalog/ Unless the model number's on the instrument, then the ID's pretty speculative, and for several reasons (pickup position, dot board, no rear ashtray holes) I'm pretty sure it's nothing like as early as 1975. Fernandes, like most Japanese home-market brands, have model numbers reflecting the original RRP in yen, eg an FJB-80 cost 80,000 yen. So if prices increase, model numbers change in relation. Weird, I know. Anyway I'm sort-of inclined to think this might be a later bass, maybe an 80s or 90s RJB series. But I'm no expert on these. Ferrnandes is a brand I've had very little to do with, being predominantly home-market, they don't turn up too often & I've never owned one - but I would say £225 equivalent for that appears ridiculous from a UK perspective. They're replica-standard instruments, incredibly high-quality, and I would speculate that's close to 1/3 what you'd pay at home, if it's in good order. So if it sounds like I'm basically saying buy it, then I probably am...

My studio desk is an old Ikea desk called a Jerker. Which isn't funny. Not at all. Not even remotely.

Exactly what I thought, for 40-odd years.

£435??? Paid £50 for mine... Although apparently the new price was £389, and there aren't exactly many of them around. There are some folk on an FB Aria group who might be interested though.

I've got a few. Yamaha SG1500, 1984. Such a stupidly high-end, pro-standard guitar I feel a total fraud every time I pick it up. However I wanted one of these literally for decades and was finally in a position to indulge myself a year or two back. Westbury Standard, approx 1981. Had this 15 years or so, unfortunately can't justify keeping it now I have the Yam. Looking for a good home... Squier Strat, MIJ E-serial, '86-ish. Outrageous car boot find. Fenix ST-20M Not-A-Rebadged-Squier-Honest-M'Lud. Proving all the best Strats are car boot finds. Actually plays better than the E-serial, but sounds very different due to its mini-humbuckers. Hohner Revelation RTX - a bit of an early 90s weirdo - the so-called "Eurofighter" guitar: German brand, body & neck from the Czech Republic, British pickups/electronics, German & British hardware, assembled in Wales. Incomprehensible passive electronics, very good for metal, currently serving as MIDI controller 'cos I ain't no keyboard player. Aria Pro II PE DCW-T, 1998, one of only 100 imported to the UK. For all your sparkly, Bigsby-y, P90-y needs. J&D Thinline Tele copy. My proper midlife crisis guitar - found myself having weird, inexplicable hankerings for a Tele, despite having spent my life considering them old geezers' meat & potatoes pub-rock guitars. Always had a sneaking liking for Thinlines (designed by ex-Rickenbacker designer Roger Rossmeisl) and couldn't justify spending much on a whim. This was £113 brand new - should be junk for that money but it's lovely, genuinely can't put it down. Turns out you can buy the same guitar with F style head & Tokai logo, for three times the price. I have a few others, a couple of acoustics and a few projects but these are the ones that get regular-ish use.

Not necessarily - it will entail repositioning the bridge somewhat, so it should work if there's enough room - ie no annoying pickup stuck where you need the bridge to go. Unfortunately by the looks of it, that might be the case with the HH4's bridge pickup. In the event it's possible, because the bridge placement will be changed in relation to the pickups it will sound quite different to the longscale bass.

A healthy dose of Servisol lubricated switch cleaner has revived dozens of scratchy old pots on instruments I've worked on. As long as they work to an extent beforehand and aren't mechanically damaged, it will get rid of most unwanted crackles & buzzes. Cheap stuff so it doesn't hurt to have a can sitting around in case you need it.

Beware the curse...

80s Yamaha. Had a BB400S with the same bridge.