Paul S

The sort of places I generally get to play in no-one in the crowd gives a monkeys what bass you use. I regularly gig with basses that owe me less than £100. If they feel and sound ok to me that is all I care about.

I have one very similar and straight out of the case it is the nicest Precision bass I have picked up. The more people say such things the more I think it isn't hype about these JVs but actually true. We can't all be lucky!

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1388590658' post='2323734'] Both the Vintage Modified Jazz and the Deluxe Jazz Active basses get good reviews - I've got the latter as a 4 string version and am very happy with it - the 3 band EQ plus slap switch offer bags of potential for varied tones. [/quote] This^^^ Assuming it has to be new? I recently bought one of the Deluxe Jazz Bass IV (nearly new) and am really impressed with it. I prefer active basses so would always pitch this over the VM or CV ranges.

[quote name='Alfie' timestamp='1388574835' post='2323473'] Has anyone ever needed a backup bass? [/quote] One of my basses decided to upgrade an input jack fault from 'dodgy' to 'terminal' at the sound check one time. So I switched to my trusty B2A. And I broke a string at a rehearsal once, which raises the possibility of doing it at a gig. For me it is quicker to change basses than to change strings. I am sure this will prompt an avalanche of posts from those dextrous souls who can change strings in the blink of an eye, but I am not one of them.

[quote name='Ed_S' timestamp='1388571018' post='2323446'] Either way, I make myself play a full rehearsal on it at least once a month so it's not alien to me if it needs to come out at a gig. [/quote] That is an extremely good idea. At the moment I don't use it routinely but that would certainly go some way to remove the 'latency' I get when switching between them.

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1388527800' post='2323191'] Fender Silver Squire basses, are superior Squier Jazz and Precision basses, made in Japan. They were manufactured between 92 and 94 and are very good quality. The nut size is wider than a jazz but narrower than a precision. They get univerally good reviews. If you find one for sale on ebay or basschat I recommend you buy it. They usually go for around the £200 mark. They make excellent spare basses. There's a few on ebay at the moment. I personally wouldn't offer more than £200 though. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Squier-Precision-P-Bass-1994-5-Made-In-Japan-MIJ-Silver-Series-Vintage-/231124988814"]http://www.ebay.co.u...e-/231124988814[/url] [/quote] Mine will be up for sale very soon, I will be asking £180. *Very* scruffy (or is that lots of mojo?) but very little wear. Edit. Another one going along the Steinberger route here, I always take my Hohner B2A along as back up. It doesn't sound a great deal like a Jazz bass but you can get a passable P-Bass sound out of it. Plus, on more than one occasion, the band have been crammed into such a small space that I ended up using the Hohner anyway. But these small bodied, headless basses have inherent problems when switching between normal bodied/headed basses as they can play mind games that take a while to get used to.

Whenever I go to Basildon I always pop into the Cash Mart there - the one opposite M&S. Today they had an Aria Pro II Classic Laser in translucent burgundy, not bad nick for an 85/6, for £120. Had I not just bought almost exactly the same bass a couple of days ago (mine is black) I would have got this as I think it is a bit of a bargain. I didn't try it, I hasten to add.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1388393167' post='2321386'] Same neck dimensions as my 300, which weighs in at 3.67kg/8.09lbs. My 380 is out on loan at the moment but feels exactly the same. I have to agree about the neck - I actually thought it was slimmer than a typical Precision. [/quote] Thanks for that. I will keep an eye out for one, I think, if and when the timing is right. For now my budget for random bass buying has gone on an 80s Aria Pro II Classic Laser. Or is that Laser Classic? Anyway, the active one.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1388339494' post='2320969'] This. Good drainage is key and 10 degrees C is about the minimum in winter. [/quote] I've found cold tolerance very much depends on the species, Mark. I have had [i]Echeveria agavoides[/i], [i]Echeveria rosea[/i] and [i]Echeveria elegans[/i] growing outdoors and unprotected for many years now, including through the last few colder winters - so they would have taken a low of -8C plus the freeze/thaw of 60cm of slushy snow on top of them. Actually, growing them outdoors helps with mealy bugs and vine weevil, another pest they are martyrs to. There are one or two other species that do ok outside - [i]Echeveria secunda[/i], for example - but most other species, of course, turn to mush with the first frost.

What a lovely bass. If I were you, incidentally, I'd move that pot full of [i]Echeveria[/i] out of it's saucer and into the greenhouse. Last thing that wants to be is waterlogged at this time of year.

NOS Marathon neck, eh? Interesting and tucked away for future reference. Meanwhile there is a beautiful black one just appeared in our classifieds, if you aren't patient enough...

Muchas gracias Hoiho! Funny things, necks. Usually I like then skinny - the skinnier they are, the more I like them. But I recently bought a Shergold Marathon and the neck on that is wide-but-shallow yet still somehow doesn't feel that 'wrong'. Maybe if a 'Black n Gold' comes up at the right price I might have a punt and see. Thanks again

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1387027481' post='2307543'] Geezer Butler's playing really shows that, contrary to popular myth, you don't need to use a pick and/or lots of distortion in your sound to cut through the mix in a heavy rock group. With the right tone and attack ( and really big amps) , you can make yourself heard just as well playing with your fingers. [/quote] I remembered, when I read this, that I had recently seen some footage of Geezer playing with a pick - but I couldn't remember which track. It came to me this morning - not seen it in any others but during *some* live footage of Children Of The Grave you can see him playing with a pick. http://youtu.be/eSM_ufbBlZQ Or, in this rather confusing clip you can see him playing with both pick and fingers - different nights footage cobbled together, I suppose. http://youtu.be/lboS7psz-qc

Try a Zoom

I have just about finished changing all my basses from rounds to flats as I much prefer the sound. If you don't like them, don't fit them! Horses for courses.

[quote name='hoiho' timestamp='1388185140' post='2319351'] The Aria Pro II CSB-380 Cardinal fits the bill, as a "lightweight, slim-necked double cutaway bass" - only thing is it's a medium scale. I keep my blue one for "stunt bass". They come up on Ebay all the time, at wildy differing prices. [/quote] Yes, the Aria Pro CSB Cardinal. I like the look of these (the one that catches my eye is the 'Black and Gold') and medium scale is all good as far as I am concerned. I asked about these on here a while back - from the replies I think the neck may be a bit too wide. But maybe they aren't all the same? Any chance you could please run the ruler (and scales) over yours, please?

Ta. I was tempted for a while but I'll give it a miss, I think. I think the problem is that it is rather reminiscent of my old Washburn Scavenger of which I still have fond memories even though it weighed as much as a bus. There must be a lightweight, slim-necked double cutaway bass that isn't an EB-0 out there somewhere in JapCrap land

I love the symmetry of these double cutaway basses. I'm guessing this is heavy with a wide neck - do you happen to know, Jon?

Precision for me. I keep trying all different basses and enjoy them for a while but the one that keeps me smiling is my Precision.

SAHB! Sweet memories! First time I saw them was at the Alexandra Palace Rock festival in August 1973! I was 15, it was my first major rock festival. Uriah Heep topped the bill, but there was Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Gary Moore. Can't remember who else. I missed the last train home and slept outside Fenchurch Street Station with the winos. They opened with the Osmonds' 'Crazy Horses' as I recall. SAHB, not the winos. Pretty well unknown at that point but they were on Old Grey Whistle Test a short while afterwards (Next and Faith Healer) and became a big name act. I became a bit of a fan - saw them numerous times, including SAHB without Alex. I place Chris Glen in my top 10 bass players as I think he has a great feel for what he does. And Zal Cleminson is a manic genius on guitar. Still is. Great live shows.

Assuming you haven't been there already, there is a discussion forum dedicated to Westone guitars. If the parts are available, they will know here: [url="http://forum.westoneguitars.net/"]http://forum.westoneguitars.net/[/url]

Hand size is largely irrelevant as far as I can see - I have fairly big hands but prefer smaller neck sizes and you will see female bass players using 5/6 string basses. It is more down to whatever you feel comfortable with. Try as many as you can!