Paul S

Very much, Rod. Quite a revelation. For one band it is my #1 bass - the look and sound are just perfect. During the set I alternate between that and a Stagg EUB so both are kind of unusual and eye catching. Have to say it was a bit of a steal, too... but don't tell the guy I bought it from.

There's a whole 'Carry On ...' film's worth of double entendres there At rehearsal last night the DC sat nicely in the mix with the band and through my proper rig so it looks like it is going to be here to stay for a while. I still prefer the Longhorn, though - the tone is more 'rounded' I think.

I know what you mean - I was at Uni 1976-1979, always had enough money to supplement the god-awful food supplied at the hall of residence I lived in (Commonwealth Hall in Russell Square - any other former inmates?). Those were the days - studying in candlelight during the 'winter of discontent'!

Interesting - you hear the same as me. I did wonder as my ears aren't what they were I have 'bonded' fairly seriously with the Longhorn, I have to say. Sounds brilliant, light as a feather and easy to play. And eye-catching quirky looks, too. I'm going to gig with it for the first time on Saturday, really looking forward to that. Meanwhile the DC will get a run through this evening - a different band, different music, might fit in ok.

Blimey - you haven't seen one since then?!

Needless to say I have terrible GAS for one now. As I do for the Flyte, now you mention it...

I did that with a car once - I changed the brake pads in a Cortina (ok, showing my age here) and found a slim piece of rusty old tin lying on the floor once I had finished so I binned it. Took it for a drive round the block and every time I touched the brakes there was the most incredible shrill squealing noise. I discovered that the 'bit of rubbish' was actually quite important and called the anti-squeal shim. One of a catalogue of car DIY disasters that led to me always taking my car to someone who knows that they are doing.

S'ok - it was apparent as soon as it came out what was going on. Maybe it is a Korea vs China thing? Anyway, glad to have it up and running - going to use it at rehearsal tomorrow to see how it sits in the mix. Sounds different to my Dano Longhorn, somehow but that could just be the Longhorn has older strings on it.

With regards to the preamp, rather than the pickups - I have one and when it arrived I discovered the pre-amp was knackered. With excellent timing I managed to pick up a 4 knob J. East U Retro that appeared for sale within a few days and that really has given it a great range of sounds. although it has to be said that none are that old school woody Precision thump. As with Sharkfinger above, I use the J pickup blended with the P pickup to give a passable Jazz tone. Great basses, though - the neck is amazing and the lack of weight so useful on bad back days.

Thanks for that. You may have seen the bass in question, actually, as it was the bassist from a Cardiff based band - The James Clode Band. Sort of country rock and pretty good - great singer. They were performing on one of the pop-up stages at the O2. Big weekend of country music there this weekend. Going there again for the second day, shortly.

Saw one of these in action yesterday - never seen one or heard of it before. Sounded extremely good. Headless along the lines of the Steinberger and Honer B2A but with the coolest body design I have seen on one of these small-bodied basses. Pic nicked off the interweb: Anyone got one? Know anything much about them? I read this morning about a fire that destroyed the factory, ending production after only a short run in the 80s. Which completely contradicted what the bass player told me yesterday!

Nice for them to have found another genre of music to squeeze all the life and fun out of. IMO etc.

Update - having now got one that fits, I thought I'd update the post in case anyone else wants to search for similar topics. 3mm (M3) x 25mm theaded bolt. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190842506229?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26ghostText%3D%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D190842506229%26_rdc%3D1"]http://www.ebay.co.u...6229%26_rdc%3D1[/url] Not a self-tapper, no springs! Screws into a flange on the side of the pickup. At least, it does on the DC9 model bass.

That's cheap! Just ordered some... thanks for the heads up.

I had a GB Streamliner 600, which I liked a lot. I liked the warmth of the valve preamp but found it hard to adjust on the fly - in my covers band I need to hop from fairly clean to driven - and the 'double gain' set up of the controls makes this difficult to achieve without huge volume swings. I could have done the od with a pedal, of course, but for me that kind of defeats the object and overly complicates matters. In the end I chose my TC Electronic Classic 450 over it because I found the controls easier to use on the fly - if I want a more overdriven sound I dial in more Tubetone without having to adjust the volume each time. I wouldn't say it sounded the same as the GB but similar - similar enough to get away with, anyway. As a Valve-a-like effect the Tubetone isn't bad although perhaps lacking something of the true character of a valve preamp. I imagine the RH450/750 is even better for this with its presets. I am curious about the GK MB 500 Fusion, I have to say.

I have Shergold Marathon 4 stringer and it is just shy of 7.5lbs. Incredibly light. Have to say this looks amazing.

I am also slightly discomforted by someone I have never met calling me 'mate', but then I am a reserved, hoity-toity, just short of Royalty type of gentleman. Being called 'Dude' breaks me out in a cold sweat. I have also come to the realisation that some other people have a Life. When I meil band members, for example, some might not reply until next day or longer - amazing to think but there you are. 3.5hrs wouldn't get me PMing the next in line. edit meil? Email

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1425381936' post='2706661'] 424 has angled through body stringing and a 5 piece maple/nato neck over and above what the 414 has. The posher ones add stuff like different pickups (P with blades instead of pole piece pairs), spline jointed bodies, maple/mahogany neck instead of maple/nato, nickel silver nut (same material as frets so in theory open strings sound more similar to fretted ones), and some mad wood treatments which claim to make the wood "old" but fresh from the factory. [/quote] [quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1425391921' post='2706812'] I can't tell the difference tonally or in terms of playability between the 414 and the 424X. The through-body stringing and 5-piece neck seem to make no difference whatsoever. I think the only differences are cosmetic [/quote] Thanks chaps! Being a simple sort of fellow I don't see much mileage in trying the posher ones. [quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1425391457' post='2706809'] You got one! Well done. [/quote] Yes. Seemed easier than going through the DRC to give yours a try!

Well, I bought a BB414 (from MoJo) a little while ago and used it for the first time at rehearsal last night. To say I was surprised would be an understatement - I was very impressed indeed. It is actually a touch heavier than I would usually like but hangs so well when wearing it that it doesn't notice. I may change the tuners for lightweight ones if it becomes a problem. The neck is very nice, a bit thicker in the hand than most Jazz basses but not a plank, either. In fact the general build quality is better than I expected. Tone-wise is where it impressed me most - woody with a character way beyond its price point. Playing around the 7th/8th fret really brought that out - a lovely sound indeed. It sat in the mix like a Precision - tone up at half was very aggressive but rolled off completely gave a nice 'old school thump'. Dial in just a touch more treble and I found my sweet spot. Hard to believe I could get such a playable bass with such a great tone for such a small amount of money. What, if anything, does a 424 (and beyond) bring to the party that the 414 lacks?

Status Graphite double ball end strings are excellent value. I'd be happy with that for £215