Shaggy

Lots of sage advice above! Trouble is; when you set your heart on a bass, it's an itch that has to be scratched. It took me over 20 years to afford the fretless Wal MK 1 I wanted at the start of my bass playing career; when I finally got one I realised that I actually preferred the old Ovation Magnum 1 fretless that I already had (and had cost me peanuts) As we all know, GAS is an unreasonable mistress.......

......push you Close to the Edge, surely? All the best Bassman Sam, you can see the whole of BC is with you

This being BC, you should get both, of course...... If you're set on a combo, it really has to be Ashdown (as I think you've already decided) - as The Greek points out; Trace ones are seriously heavy. I use both - "compact" rig is an Ashdown MK500 with 4x8 and 1x15 mini-cabs, "big rig" is Trace AHSMX600 with 2x10 and 1x15 cabs. Unsurprisingly the bigger Trace cabs have the edge, but if I had to pick one of the heads it'd be the Ashdown.

I'm pretty sure Kramer used to offer a half-fretted option on their '70's alu-necked basses

When I was 16 I gave up playing classical violin after 4 years of intensive training as I knew I'd never be Yehudi Menuhin. The same year ('77) I saw the Stranglers live at Cambridge Corn Exchange and knew with total certainty that I wanted to do, and could do, what JJB was doing on bass - was gigging one month later. I've never looked at anything on YouTube, but I suspect much of it is the same self-indulgent w@nkery that punk rock was about breaking away from. It doesn't matter how good you are, as long as you're enjoying what you're doing, and doing it from the heart.

I had one of the 5 strings a while back - I think it was the Tony Levin one. Didn't keep it long enough to upgrade, but I thought the pickup really weak - I'd certainly have changed it for an SD or similar. Nice looking and light weight bass though

Some great replies on this: for me the Gibson Thunderbird, Ric 4001, and Alembic S1 / S2 are iconic and stunningly beautiful. Here's one not mentioned so far I've always liked with its minimalist body outline and funky F-hole. A beach to play finger style though, with that skinny neck and narrow string spacing,

Another great and smooth deal with Mick - bought a Gibson buckle off him, usual friendly chat, buckle arrived next post. A true Basschat legend..........

Likewise. Blew out the speakers in my Dad's old radiogram

Some lovely grain on that maple - good score l've been trying to resist my long-term hankering for a blue-burst one......

Always liked Wings, and Macca's melodic bass playing on anything he does. This is my personal favourite that tends to get missed off "Best of" compilations - takes me back to listening to it on the jukebox with some friends from school in an Ambleside pub in the late '70's...…..(easy to get served underage in those days )

Interesting - I'd seen that on the local Facebook bass gear selling forum, and contacted the seller out of curiosity as to what model it was. I guess probably not worth much more than starting bid with that mod, but have to say I prefer it aesthetically with the omega cut out to the rather boring original styling.

Disco-tastic....... The Enfield basses are very Wal-styled, especially the Cannon

No direct experience of either, but the '90's Korean ones were made by Peerless and are very highly regarded. Anything modern MIJ is bound to be a safe bet too. A good thread on current semi options here:

Bought a pair of jazz bass pickups of Chris; as feedback above suggests he's a total star to do business with - patiently answered my inane questions, and send the p/ups off well packaged in double-quick time. Definitely of the good guys on this forum!

I had the grey beanie as an early Christmas prezzie for myself - actually quite comfy!