Paul S

I think a lot of this discussion is muddied because people are talking about different things. The word 'tone' doesn't seem to define the same quality for different people, therefore opinions about 'tone' vary immensely. If there was an industry standard meaning for the word, I suspect we might all agree. I discovered this at the SE bass bash recently - I asked for a workshop on different ways of using the amp eq to change the sound - or 'tone' as I imagine it to be. Alex Claber talked admirably and authoritatively about tone coming from fingers, attack, position where the string was plucked etc, and barely touched on the eq setting which, it is now apparent, is simply a tool to make adjustments for your acoustic environment. Which has underscored my basic misunderstanding of what I was asking - I now think I was imagining shaping my sound for different types of music. I am still unsure exactly how I would describe this, though.

I am going to be doing something similar and, pup-wise, get the impression that Kent Armstrong are to Seymour Duncans what Gotoh are to Badass - cheaper and much the same thing. Could be wrong here but I think both upgrades are sufficient for my purposes.

A bit obscure, this one - I was fiddling about with a band who had a brace of lady singers at one point and they were doing this track (badly, I should add) - 'Cadillac Blues' by Blues By Nature. the singer, Karen Lawrence, has a pretty impressive voice and I guess a lot of the appeal of the track lies around her but it is a great country rock track that could be 'heavied up' a bit if the occasion demanded. Anyway, one I have book-marked to try if ever I am lucky enough to play in a band with a decent female frontman.

I had been converted to flatwound strings but recently bought a bass fitted with DR Black Beauties and absolutely loved them. They seem an ideal compromise - slick but bright without the overly zingy newness sound that moved me away from ordinary roundwounds. But cut through so much better than the flats - much better for the rock covers I play. My BBs had chipped a little bit but I saw silddx suggested to someone touching up the chips with a permanent marker - great tip! I would also get them from [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DR-Black-Beauty-BKB-45-Bass-Strings-45-105-/300502492399?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item45f75824ef"]this eBay seller[/url] in the USA. Lots of talk recently about DR Neon strings so, in a moment of weakness I gave in to the GAS and ordered some. And, like everyone else said, found they arrived quickly and slipped through the VAT/Import Duty net and cost about £25 posted. I notice they have BBs reduced at the moment, too, so I may well order a set to keep handy. Edit - in fact I just did - £21.57 incl. postage.

I have bouts of bad back problems - a weak sacroiliac joint and currently experiencing the worst episodes ever after clearing snow! - and have a Hohner B2A in reserve for that reason. It isn't my first choice of instrument but allows me to carry on playing at times when I would otherwise not be able to. In fact I did have one a couple of years back, couldn't get on with the headless/long scale length thing and sold it. I missed it so much that I bought another more recently and have got over the issues I had with it. If you get a good one they are actually fantastic little basses - my current one isn't unfortunately but it does the job.

I can't do very much at all but what I do do ( ) I do as well as anyone else could.

Bought a gotoh-a-like bridge from Stevie. He did everything right. Royal Mail did everything wrong! Still, it arrived in the end - cheers!!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Washburn-Vulture-Wing-bass-/150531425711?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item230c5f45af"]Not cheap, either.[/url] Cousin to mine, born to richer parents.

Another Comfort Strapp endorsee.

I had one for about a year a while back. Not a skinny neck at all on mine, it was a real baseball bat neck - wide AND deep - like the larger Fender precisions. Weighed a tonne and a half, too. Beautifully built thing from quality components, spoilt me for cheaper basses. IMO better quality than a Shergold. Limited sounds at your disposal, though. Biggest problem I encountered with mine was the bridge, which is perspex and, in my case, cracked. Fortunate enough to find a NOS one to replace it with but that was a fluke. All things considered it wasn't for me but they are good quality British built piece of kit and becoming collectable. [attachment=65930:me.jpg]

Feedback of the highest order. Just yesterday, Ian contacted me and asked if I was still looking for a P-Retro unit as he had bought one that was no longer required. Deal was done at 3:30pm, P-Retro arrived here 9am this morning. Absolutely the fastest, smoothest transaction ever! Thank you sir.

Haven't picked up a Squier jag but I own a Fender jag. CIJ, so a good quality, well put together instrument. When i bought it I tried everything on the wall of my local PMT and it ended up in a playoff between this and a USA Jazz - this won on looks and versatility. Playing it - simple - it plays just like a jazz - same 38mm narrow neck but also very skinny in depth. Skinniest bass neck I have played, I think. Heavy-ish - over 9lbs, feels comfy for my body shape (thick middle). Has J type pups in neck and bridge position that can be switched between series and parallel. I don't know if it makes it sound like a jazz/p-bass, but it makes a big difference to the sound. If pushed I'd say it favours the jazz sound, rather than the p-bass sound, but is really it's own thing. Add to that you can play it active or passive - active is a simple 2 band eq. Plus a tone control that works when active or passive. So there are a lot of sounds at your disposal - played active the sound can be immense but, with everything rolled back, it can also sound quite muted. I go through phases when I think it is too complicated and just tend to use it on a couple of settings I know work, but I think that is just me being lazy. But I think you come from p-basses(?) so you might find there is too much going on. I am considering putting a better bridge on there - maybe a Gotoh - but have no plans to get shot of it. Also there is a shielding issue giving rise to a slight mains hum if something metal isn't touched. I can, again, probably fix this if I wasn't a lazy git.

Can't find an existing thread so let me be the first to stick up some feedback. Bought a Trace Elliot head from Steve, who has been uber-patient, waiting until the snow cleared, then for me to get the cash, then he delivered it! Top bloke. And a fund of stories too - thanks mate.

Might be worth having a word with your local techie guy. The nut broke on my Jaguar in the same place as yours has and, when my regular guy took it to replace it he ended up repairing it with epoxy. I think he said it was horn. Cost me £15.

I do think this is slightly mad. I recently bought a MIJ Fender Power Jazz Special, which the serial number tells me was made in Fuji gen factory in '84-85, for £410 posted. It is in fantastic nick, came with a good quality hard case and has been upgraded with Seymour Duncans. Why should that be worth less than this Squier? Admittedly it was from fellow Basschatter geddys nose but still it makes you wonder.

I have one of these - Ultimate Guitar Stand GS-100 as [url="http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/guitarstands_detail.asp?stock=10092110473748"]here [/url] - seems to do the job and folds away into my holdall afterwards:

Good job it isn't a Klingon bass, they have a cloaking device that prevents email transmission.

Gary - thank you for the pic - it is nice but I don't want one! I was just curious why no-one ever talks about them. There is always talk about the various Squier models of p- and j-basses, changing pups, wiring etc but never this one.

I think (but am not sure) that the skull and crossbones thing is a current special edition. Though not that special, if you ask me, unless you are pirate

never see anything much on here about them, they crop up on eBay from time to time. I think they look nice - worth pimping? Just snowbound, bored and curious, really.

Just given in and ordered some green ones - I'm thinking on one of my stealth basses, possibly the jaguar, standing in front of the Trace Elliot rig, new head with UV tube, might look interesting...