Shaggy

I'd imagine the DMZ 4001 would be quite a bit more cutting with rather less bottom end than a standard P - alu Kramers have a really ringing sustain too. Meant to say that they're ideally best played through a valve amp (to my ears) as can othwise sound a tad piano-like - I play mine through a Mesa Walkabout or Titan V12 and they sound massive and growly..... The necks are a joy to play as well as being an iconic exercise in styling - the ebanol boards on my two are barely marked after 40+ years.

Plenty of info online, eg:. http://www.vintagekramer.com/alum.htm I have a 650B and a fretless 450B, essentially the DMZ series were very similar (alu necks on heavy walnut or maple bodies) but with the well known Di Marzio pickups rather than the chrome covered single coil Mighty Mite p/ups on the earlier models. I love mine; distinctive looks and distinctive tone (quite "toppy" -think bass intro to Boomtown Rats "Rat trap" which was a 650B), and quality build - they were boutique range basses in their day. Neck is roughly P profile, medium scale, and ultra stable as long as you don't use very heavy / high tension strings (in which case they've been known to bend!). Necks not as cold on the hand as a Travis Bean - which is about the only other bass you can compare then to -(which I've also got) due to the wood inserts Good luck, - there were a few alu-necked DMZ models recently on eBay, though not sure if there was a 4001

Agree with all the comments on this thread that it's probably more about strings and technique than core bass tone, but an Ovation Magnum is just fabulous for reggae / ska - I've never played another bass with such naturally massive low end whilst retaining complete clarity / articulation. Currently using La Bella 750T White tapewounds on my fretless Magnum 1.

It's a far from perfect system, but I've bought a shedload of basses and a few amps on eBay, mostly from abroad, and have to say I've never had any trouble whatsoever. It's generally a more friendly experience buying and selling,on this forum, but flip side of that is I've been shafted twice

Yup....... Yup......... Yup....... Yup....... Neither of these meh in the studio, but IMHO improved live - Deep Purple - Made in Japan Bursting out - Jethro Tull

The one exception for me being the much-covered "Knocking on heavens door" - Dylan's original never bettered. As has been discussed before; much of Led Zeppelin's "original" material were essentially covers of blues standards PS I forget 2 gems of popular music Mickey - Toni Basil I love Rock n' roll - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

IMHO it's surprisingly rare that the the cover is better than the original best example to me of the reverse being the case is the sublime "It's all over now Baby Blue" by Them, covering a Bob Dylan song (actually, probably most Dylan is improved by covers.....). Also: Heatwave -The Jam Nostalgia - Penetration Fields of gold - Eva Cassidy One - Johnny Cash

Aesthetically that bass is crying out for a Charlie Christian style pickup: https://www.musicstore.de/en_OE/EUR/Roswell-Pickups-CHC-Charlie-Christian-Black/art-GIT0043527-000 Some great ideas above, mind

Same bass as this one?

In 42 years of gigging I've only once ever played to zero audience - a gig in Llandovery when there happened to also be a local festival going on. Played half the set to the staff, who enjoyed it Worst non-gig was a booking for a summer outdoor festival in the Valleys, turned up to find the power supply was a single extension lead plugged into another extension lead plugged into a shed with one domestic socket. Our PA is 2KW. We snuck off quietly before anyone had noticed we'd arrived.......

Haven't tried one, but apparently they're Samick (Korean) bodies with Schaller hardware assembled in the US for a brief time in the early '80's. Price is probably about right if in decent nick, and it'd be a Precision clone with a bit of rarity value.

Those guys were the business - "Slade Alive" is one of my all time fave live albums

Had some Trace Elliot logos from Ade - great guy to deal with, thanks fella!

I actually I have one, which I have yet to move onto from more conventional 8-course lute and has been sitting accusingly untouched in the music room / man cave for a few years now. Technically it would be more accurately called an arch-lute than a theorbo - the upper strings are basically a normal fretted lute, with the accompanying "basso continuo" played on the lower unfretted strings. The long extension is actually quite light, so doesn't have the horrendous neck dive you'd expect. I'm away from home at the mo, will take a pic when I get back. I'd assumed this thread was about some of the early double-necked electrics (like the Moserite pictured) which often had divergent rather than parallel necks

As posts above show - Mick is definately one of the good guys on BC . I posted a wanted thread for Trace Elliot cab logos this evening expecting absolutely zilch response, and blimey he PM's me straight away saying he has one and happy to send it as an Xmas prezzie for gratis. Many thanks Mick! Will return the favour if I can, and I refrain from making any pun on the classical phrase "Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes" (work it out...)

Oly White and tort is as good as it gets on a P bass. Lovely rosewood board too.... Enjoy it

most super and wizard bas is gibson as any fule kno.......... A 'Ray is probably the only "iconic" bass I've never owned, but I used a 1980 MM Sabre as main gigging bass for many years. It did pretty much everything I'd want from an active bass, despite a weak-ish G and the 2 band EQ had the most extreme range I've encountered on any bass, so you had to be careful with it. I stupidly sold it in the endless quest for the BSB (Better, Sexier Bass). Recently needing that sound again for a funk /disco band I've gone for a MiG Warwick LX Streamer Jazzman, that objectively outshines my old Sabre in every area - but somehow I just don't have that connection with it I had with the Sabre.....

Looks like the real deal and a stonkingly good score; I'm jealous! - a 4005 is about the only bass I still have GAS for, but with the stratospheric prices there's no chance....... The occasional '70's Shaftesbury copy crops up, but this looks light years better

I'd agree with that - when I was at Liverpool Uni, OMD were kind of the "house band" in the student union just as they were breaking through, and I loved the early stuff, especially "Messages". They were always pop, but I found the later material bland in the extreme Great times - Echo & the Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, and Wah Heat! played there too as local bands just hitting it big, though one of my favourites were Original Mirrors who never did

Is that the 3035 Marshall Silver Jubliee model? That's been my back-up amp for a few years now - rather underpowered for its claimed 300W, but a really nice core tone and it says something that they're still going strong at 30 years old. Don't flog it too cheap, as they're pretty rare and have their admirers (I think the bassist from Nomeansno used one?) Hell of a power upgrade to the 1.5 kW Crown!