Paul S

Give it a go. You can always move it on if it doesn''t suit, but living with it is the only way you will find out. Over the years on here I notice that you aren't shy to move stuff on... I recently got my hands on a '77 one and it is lovely (if a little battle scarred) and it has a gorgeous warm woody tone that is similar to, but lighter than, a P.Bass. Even the intonation is live-with-able.

[quote name='squibs' timestamp='1362149673' post='1996491'] I like the above explanation. As with many things bass/guitar related, it leads me to question two things: 1) how much do I notice the difference, 2) how much do I care if I don't notice the difference. [/quote] In a moment of weakness I bought a '77 Fender Musicmaster the other day - I had no real intention of getting one but it appeared on eBay with a cheap BIN and local pickup. I had some increasing GAS about Fender short scales after enjoying an Epi. EB0, though why I feel the need to justify it on here I am not sure... Anyway, this is one with the strat pup - made in USA, the bottom end of the range and probably least collectable of the 'vintage' Fenders. I really like it! It sounds like a mini- Precision. Light as a feather, comfy, easy to play. Yes, the output is low. My simplistic answer - turn up the volume on the amp! Seemed to work for me.

I just bought a '93 MIJ Silver Series Squier P. bass. Weighs just 8.5lbs, the neck is 40mm at the nut and shallow - I love jazz necks as a rule but this is awesome. I've been able to take the action down *really* low - one of the best necks I have ever laid hands on. Best of all the tone, straight out of the case, is amazing. It has a certain P. Bass quality that no other P.Bass I have played has had. Cost me £200 and probably the best £200 I have ever spent.

Bought a defretted VM Squier neck from James. Totally smooth transaction, good comms, easy chap to deal with. Just the job. Cheers, Jim.

[quote name='Dr M' timestamp='1361962572' post='1993584'] The Pro IV is active, and doesn't really sound much like the classic TBird. So from what people have said, it might be quite a good option. [/quote] This. I had one for a while and it really only resembles a Gibson T-Bird in the shape. As said, it is active - completely different tones available to the thud of a Gibson. It also has a skinny Jazz profile neck and *doesn't* neck dive. Good range of sounds, fairly lightweight to wear. Worth checking out. I didn't keep it because I am over 50 and overweight and it just felt wrong to be wearing it somehow. This is more for slim-hipped youngsters wearing their basses by their knees. But, as everyone else has said, you can't go wrong with a P Bass.

I hate to sound like a stuck record but there is a nice defretted Westone Thunder in our classifieds at the moment for £95.

I have just got my hands on a Squier Silver Series precision - it arrived yesterday - and straight out of the case it is immediately promoted up the order. Weighs in at about 8.5lbs, 40mm nut width but shallow neck - extremely comfy. But the tone! That woody growl is present in buckets, more so than other precisions I have played incl. a USA Standard I had for some weeks. I don't know why it is so different from my 90s MIJ Fender (which is also nice but got some serious pimping to get there) - ostensibly they would be much the same? Anyway, it is the nicest P-bass I have played, ticks all my boxes and apart from a quick clean and set up later today I won't have touch it. Bought it for £200 - an absolute bargain.

Westone Thunder 1A fretless sometimes pop up and sell for £120-200 depending on condition. They are nice (if heavy).

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1361810891' post='1991253'] Ah, the SB3 does tend to be rather gentle in the mids for a P pickup (it's that modern big bottom end and sizzly high it's going for I think). It was the authority of the P's mids I was missing in the vid. All makes sense now. [/quote] Maybe it is my ears but I found a SPB-3 made my P-Bass more aggressive and middy rather than scooped.

I was chasing YouTube links the other day and rather enjoyed this - nice bass playing on a Danelectro. I guess that is light as a feather, also short scale. Is it muddy? A bit. Nice though. [url="http://youtu.be/pZ2SLTajOvc"]http://youtu.be/pZ2SLTajOvc[/url]

We cover this and, yes, it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Great to play, especially when the solo starts. I don't know about playing it with eyes shut, though - even Duff watches what he is doing on the vids I've seen. We recorded is as a demo - this is our previous guitar player. Listening to it again now I think we do it more accurately with the current guitarist. I wonder if this embed code works? [CODE] <a class="my_play my_27" title="Slither" href="http://www.myspace.com/bandxerocks/music/songs/slither-80573539" style="display:inline-block;margin:0;padding:0;border:0;width:27px;height:27px;overflow:hidden;text-indent:-9999px;background:url(http://x.myspacecdn.com/modules/common/static/img/playbuttonsprite.png) no-repeat 0 -85px;">Slither</a><script defer="true" src="http://www.myspace.com/music/buttons/js"></script> [/CODE] Edit, apparently not. Oh well.

I recently bought an Epiphone EB0 for not very much. This was my first short scale bass and I like it lots in terms of comfort and playability. Maybe I was lucky but the build quality was pretty good, too. For some reason I get on with the short scale quite well, even though I am not a particularly small chap. Equally strangely I can switch from 30" to 34" without blinking (switching from headstock to headless and back caused me all sorts of problems initially. not the same, I know, but nevertheless... ) I changed the pup to a Dimarzio, dropped in a KiOgon wiring harness with new pots (the tone actually does something now) and fitted a Hipshot Supertone bridge and it has transformed it completely. It doesn't do much but what it does, it does brilliantly.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1361550771' post='1987423'] If I were looking at replacing the Badass I would probably go with a 'quick release' type rather than 'string through'. [/quote] Somewhere else that the Hipshot A style wins. Not cheap. mind you.

Yes, I tried that but ended up with my hand at the wrong angle. No pleasing some people, I know...

I don't like the BBOT as it seems to rub my hand in exactly the wrong place - I rest on the bridge a lot when playing (with a pick) - so I have usually replaced the bridges on basses I use a lot. I haven't tried a Badass but on my MIJ Fender Precision (and other similar basses) I have fitted a Gotoh 201, a Gotoh-a-like and a Hipshot A style Fender retrofit. Of those the Hipshot is the best by some way in terms of build quality and making a noticable difference to the sound and sustain. I see there is one offered for sale on here (not by me). I terms of value for money the Gotoh-a-like, at around £12 on eBay, was best - not as well made as the proper Gotoh but did the same job. These are changes that can easily be reversed and the bridges can be sold on again. I think it is interesting to try.

I bought a Silver Series P bass yesterday on eBay for £200, which I think is cheap. One went the day before for £185, which is even cheaper! If it is in good nick I would say £250? If you really don't need the money I would hang on to it as I am sure the value will increase.

There have been some interesting ebay listings recently. There was a sunburst early 90s MIJ Squier Silver Series P-Bass finished last night for £185. I would have bid on it but I like black basses and really don't like sunburst. Then this morning ANOTHER Squier Silver series P-Bass appeared, in black, BIN £200. So I did. I'd think that for £200 +/- these would be hard to beat. Alternatively buy a nice Westone Thunder bass, stick a Wizard Trad pup in it and you have all the P-Bass tones you could ever want.