Paul S

+1 for getting secondhand. It is impossible to know immediately what sound you like or how to make it without trying lots of different things so almost inevitably you'll want to change whatever you get initially. If you buy new you'll take a hit on the purchase price. I know I did when I didn't listen to the advice on here - I bought Ashdown MAG 300 combo new plus ext. cab which I was happy with right up until I tried a Trace Elliot rig at rehearsal one night..... But whatever you go for you will stretch your funds considerably by getting secondhand. EBay/Gumtree can be a lottery but you can buy with confidence from here. And, of course, +1 for getting Trace Elliot. You can't really go wrong with these. There are 300W combos/ head + cab popping up all the time secondhand that are plenty powerful enough to keep up with loud drummers - I play in 2 rock covers bands and the rig in my signature has no volume issues. You can add another cab as and when funds permit. Assuming you are happy with the sound the TE gear should see you through right up until your back gives out in 30 years time. Ashdown stuff is good value also - it often gets bad mouthed for 'wooliness' and so has a poor resale value but for £300 you should be able to pick up a 300W ABM combo - the ABM range is significantly better than the MAG (which I had ) All in my extremely limited experience, I should add. Edit [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=83914&pid=848177&st=0&#entry848177"]Link here to one for sale at the moment in Ipswich - bargain![/url]

Wow. I'll say that again. Wow. Which do you use the most? I can't help but notice a glaring omission, though...... (sorry, couldn't resist...)

Thought I'd fill an idle moment in the lull before going on holiday by sharing some pics of my recent spell of Matsumoku madness. It all started with the Washburn Scavenger bass, which has been banded about in other threads a bit recently, and which I bought just a few months ago: [attachment=49313:wash8.jpg] [attachment=49314:wash2.jpg] [attachment=49315:wash3.jpg] [attachment=49316:wash4.jpg] [attachment=49317:wash5.jpg] [attachment=49318:wash6.jpg] Typical fairy story 'lived in original owner's auntie's loft for 25 years' - still had plastic cover on the rear pot cover plate, no fretwear, hardly a scratch on it etc etc. I was completely blown away by it - the quality, playability and sound. Weighs about 3cwt and is neck heavy but I forgive it any flaw. Cost me £175 and worth double, I reckon. So, that was it - I became hooked on Matsumoku - the whole idea of entry level guitars being made to such a high standard is just so appealing. I and started to take a peek on eBay to see what came along. Well, not too long later, this did - a Westone Thunder 1T guitar. Bought for an incredible £37.70 - incredibly another 'lofty one' I kid you not, and filthy dirty when I picked it up. 200 mile round trip to collect, spent a little getting it cleaned, set up etc but one heck of a lot of a guitar for a spend of around £100. One of the guitards in one of my bands recently bought a Gibson Les Paul studio and I reckon this is it's match: [attachment=49319:westone2.jpg] [attachment=49320:westone3.jpg] [attachment=49321:westone4.jpg] [attachment=49322:westone5.jpg] So then I got the idea I might want a Westone Thunder bass to match. Started to look on eBay and this Westone Thunder Jet came along - winning bid was £72 including the original hard case, collect only from Wimbledon. Fate - I was going to Wimbledon for something work related that week, literally 2 minutes drive from where this lived. New strings, clean and set up sorted out any immediate problems. I now have a well used but superb quality back up instrument: [attachment=49323:westone14.jpg] [attachment=49324:westone15.jpg] [attachment=49325:westone16.jpg] [attachment=49326:westone17.jpg] Then, just a few days afterwards I was made an offer I couldn't refuse on this Thunder 1A, bought for £110. Again, a clean, set up and new strings has brought this back to life - it really is good. [attachment=49327:westone9.jpg] [attachment=49328:westone10.jpg] [attachment=49329:westone11.jpg] [attachment=49330:westone12.jpg] A pretty handsome foursome which, in terms of total cash outlay cost around the same as my Fender Jaguar. Is the jaguar better? I'd like to say yes but, actually, I can't. Although very different to the Scavenger, for example, it is no better. I had always read of the devoted following these guitars get, now I know why. I look forward to getting to know them all a lot better this year and can hardly wait to pick them up.

And hi from Benfleet.

My Fender Jaguar has an enormous range of sounds available to it - my band #1 do 50s stuff through some slightly heavy 70s tracks to some 'modern' poppy rock type stuff and there's a sound there for everything. Well, except maybe I have never been happy with it for heavier rock, don't know why - but we don't do much of that. The other band does, but I use my new Westone Thunder which lives up to it's name rather.

My fairly recently acquired triplet of Westones, bought in a moment of Matsumoku madness. [attachment=49195:westone1.jpg]

If I practiced for 3 hours every day for the rest of my life I wouldn't be able to play as well as that guy. Yup, it was a load of scales and twiddling, but all superbly executed as far as I could hear. I don't think what he was doing needed any kind of groove, no point sitting there paddling the E however well timed it might be - it was just exactly what it was - high class fretw@nkery. I've heard famous fretw@nkers do less when soloing in front of a camera. Be nice to hear him playing in the context of a band, hear him sit back and just do some of those lightening licks once in a while, some nice little fills. Just my opinion, of course, but I think there are some rather harsh judgements going on.

I use 1mm Dunlops. They are comfy, slightly flexible but pretty solid.

I used to own the MAG 300 2x10 combo with an ABM 15 ext cab. When I disconnected the combo speaker and played through the ABM cab the difference is sound quality was quite astounding (differences between 2x10 and 1x15 notwithstanding) but I couldn't always be bothered to cart them both around. Last night I played a small gig where the backline was provided and it was an ABM head through ABM 15" cab (didn't really have time to inspect it as we had a 10 minute turn around!) and this was even better. But like a lot of gear it is subjective and, for my ears, I prefer the Trace Elliot sound - I bought a late pre-Gibson Trace Elliot rig and sadly the Ashdown was history...

[quote name='7string' post='825164' date='May 1 2010, 09:23 PM']and the owner was really pleased to say the least. I charged this job at the normal setup rate.[/quote] I'll bet he was pleased! Cracking job. I've just acquired one of these myself and have fallen a little bit in love with it.

Sold Phil my frankenfender p-bass - nice smooth transaction. Nice guy. Nice flat, too, right near the seafront!

I bought a pack of 3mm x 8mm screws in the end - they fit a treat as they have the correct thread but maybe a little short. I'll get another pack of 10mm (as I originally said). An easy and quick fix. ta.

[quote name='HarryPotter' post='817090' date='Apr 24 2010, 11:31 AM']If a westone thunder suits your hands its all the bass you will ever need.[/quote] +1 I just bought two of the damned things for £72 (Thunder Jet) and £110 (1A) and I don't see how you could get more for your money anywhere. The 1A in particular is totally superb - I am actually considering parting with my Fender Jaguar as I will probably use the 1A all the time.

I wondered about that but the problem then becomes losing the ability to palm mute, which I do sometimes. No, I think shorter screws one way or another - either cutting them myself or getting some.

It would have to be one heck of a shim for it to work, though - they stick out by up to 6mm! I've asked on the Westone forum in the hope that someone on there knows which are the right size.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/saddle-bridge-height-screws-allen-key_W0QQitemZ170475330112QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item27b11f1a40"]Found some on eBay[/url] just need to decide which to get - I am guessing metric for the Japanese guitars and probably 10mm as the existing ones are around 16mm. Ta.

I have just bought the 7 way Rockstand and am very pleased with it. Nice and simple.

Shorter screws - supremely logical and completely obvious now it has been said. Thanks. And to prevent me from having to do any thinking whatsoever - any idea where from?

Probably a dumb question as the obvious answer is move my hand somewhere else... but it is comfortable there and the most natural place to rest for a lot of tracks I play. But for those bridges that have them sticking up (and I now have 3 out of 4 basses that do) it can get a bit sore to keep rubbing on them. So how do people get around it? Is there some simple thing you can stick over the top but doesn't damp the strings?

+1 Comfort Strapp - my Washburn Scavenger weighs as much as a busload of overweight elephants AND is neck heavy - makes it much better.

Partial update. Got both basses back yesterday afternoon and took one to rehearsal last night. Westone Thunder 1A dropped a semi-tone. Compared to the Tomastik flats on my Fender Jaguar, which I had been using previously, the D'Addario chromes were MUCH better. The extra guage and obvious tension in the strings made playing feel more natural. We also drop down the E to D for 'Slither', so I effectively dropped down to C# - handled it nicely. I can still make no comparison with same strings played with regular tuning but as it was last night was a big improvement. Have to add I am loving the Thunder 1A bass, too. Exactly the right sound I have been chasing when used active but rolled back a quarter turn. And it is a joy to play.