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Is it a glass finish that has worn through? If it’s a full on gloss you want I would suggest getting in touch with David Wilson, he does phenomenal finishing work but you would probably need to ship it to him. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002025970885

I think he has got a great tone to his voice and it is a great tune. I think people get too hung up on how he got to where he is, and the fact he was in a boy band, but I wish my voice was half as good as his.

Two good real world reviews is always helpful, thanks chaps! What is also swaying me is the aux in and headphone out, that could be a real help. i have bought too many amps without trying in the past so I might actually try and find one to test out somewhere.

These guys might be worth an ask, UK based as well; https://www.guitarbuild.co.uk

I decided to pack up playing a few months ago and I sold my Tonehammer 350. I then got coaxed into playing with an old band so I need a new head. I don’t want to spend much but the Genzler has caught my eye along with a couple of others and I was wondering if any folks on here had been using one and what the overall impression of them is, durability and tone etc.

I saw that for sale, great deal in a great bass, and one of the best introductions to a 5 string you could get. I tried 5 strings twice and only the second time did I get in the right mindset that worked for me. I always thought of it as some alien instrument and it’s not, it’s a 4 string bass with a massive long thumb rest 😄. In all seriousness though, I played it like a 4 string for a while and then slowly went through my set lists with various bands to see where I could drop down to notes on the B rather than go up to notes on the A. Soon it just became natural but don’t feel like just because it’s there you need to use the B string all the time. The other piece of advice I always give is to put away the 4 strings, so many people just give in and go back to what is familiar and comfortable. I sold my 4 string the day after I got my first proper five so I had no choice but to get on with it or discover it wasn’t for me long term.

I may have missed it but has anyone mentioned Sting yet? Justin Currie - Del Amitri Tyson Ritter - All American Rejects Pete Cetera and Jason Scheff - Chicago Tal Wilkenfeld - Solo stuff Troy Sanders - Mastodon Brian Wilson - The Beach Boys Kip Winger - Winger

The peavey did pop up in my searches, very cheap too! Will have a proper look at it.

Grendel bass by Michael Tobias Design made in the Czech Republic I think? I think it’s essentially the same as the newer Saratoga’s by MTD. He also licensed the design to the bass centre and it was called the stadium. I believe they were all made before Michael Tobias could start making basses under his own name again after a non compete period but I am not sure how accurate that is, read it somewhere....

I think this bit of real world feedback is convincing me this amp is a good move. I had an old Reidmar which I loved, but it got stolen and I replaced it with a Aguilar Tonehammer which was also a great amp. I have recently sold the Aguilar as I was “done with bands” but I have just been sucked into doing some playing again. I want something fairly cheap and with some decent volume and this is one of the best options I have seen.

Have you seen the 2x12 Genz Neo cab in the for sale section? 4ohm and not too far from you. Might be a good match with the Genz head.

Sire have released a few new basses on Facebook, but the short scale and passive jazz with roasted necks were of particular interest.....yes please!

I think the Musicmaster was the budget model and this was a more deluxe version for guys who wanted to play bass but were coming from guitar and wanted the shorter scale. like a lot of things when something becomes fashionable the prices go up. I remember seeing a yellowish mustang with competition stripes in my local shop for £400 when I started out. I wanted it because it was a ‘real’ fender which you didn’t see where I grew up and was told by the owner that it wasn’t a proper bass...

Pre orders from Music Zoo: https://www.themusiczoo.com/products/fender-justin-meldal-johnson-signature-mustang-bass-black

Looks like Fender should be announcing the black version of the JMJ Mustang at NAMM....

Contact Strings and Things the UK distributor, I got new pickup covers from them without too much bother. I had to wait a while as they shipped them with a big order of instruments from the states but I wasn’t in a rush.

I’m at a similar point, I have for the time being had enough of being in bands and the pressure that brings as I am normally pushed into lead vocals as well. I have a plan to go and learn a list of songs that I have always wanted to learn but never needed to for bands, things like hit me with your rhythm stick, sir duke, a couple of Vulfpeck tunes etc. I may even record/video them to really analyse my playing and see how tight I can get them as a real challenge. I also dabble with guitar and want to give my acoustic a little more time, learn a new song/chord a week sort of thing.

I have wound down gigging with the covers bands I played in, I just got sick of so many aspects of gigging. 1. The same old crap covers that everyone expects at big function, sex on fire, brown eyed girl, anything by the bloody Beatles 2. Crap pay; no one wants to pay anything decent for a band unless it’s a wedding. I earned more playing gigs when I was 16 than I do now at 36. 3. Wedding gigs are just a massive pain in the derrière, they take all day most of the time, your crammed into a corner and have to put up with a DJ with an overinflated ego and sense of self importance who thinks he should be in the middle of the space assigned for the band. 4. Young people rarely want to watch bands in my experience, in fact to sum up a conversation I heard at work with younger folk than me ‘if they see a band of “old men playing old music” we just turn around and leave’. 5. I’m sick of playing to seriously whizzed up older folks who think walking on stage with the band and trying to sing is a good idea and then later ‘dance’ so out of control that they fall over the floor monitors and knock over all the kit. 6. Drunk people asking over and over again for songs you don’t and can’t play. That’s just a few.....and sadly the thrill of playing and a little applause and a few quid at the end of the night doesn’t outweigh the crap above and being away from my family at weekends. I am sure I will change my mind and miss it at some point but for now I’m good.

Very good idea! I will look into that, currently use a small oil radiator but I don’t think it’s overly efficient. I was just curious if there was a case that insulated guitars as well as made them less susceptible to moisture etc just in case they needed to go in say an attic or garage as well.

I have an office separate to the house and it doesn’t have any permanent heating. It’s essentially the back of our garage but insulated as well as possible and decorated etc. I was thinking about keeping my guitars and basses in there but it can get very cold in the winter, so it got me wondering if there were any cases that were properly insulated and would protect them against the cold?

Now I have been banned I don’t feel the pressure to abstain so I am looking for a new case and some kind of fancy gizmo with lots of knobs so I can practice with headphones at home.

I automatically put strap locks on all my basses for years because I thought it was the done thing. I bought a comfort strapp years ago and never bothered with strap locks ever again. Never had a hole widen or a bass fall to the ground, no issues. Washers work great though way cheaper than buying Schaller or Dunlop etc. Am I missing something with regards to installing strap locks, why would you need a luthier to put a screw in an existing hole in your bass?

I mean this is the nicest possible way but Jesus you lot have some serious GAS issues! I bought a bass on the 2nd of March 2017 and put strings on it on the 30th March 2017 and haven’t bought anything since. In fact I sold a bass and an amp. Do I get a prize? 😄

I really hope someone at Sadowsky reads this thread and realised what a stupid name Metro Express is for the UK market. I don’t think I could own one simply because of the Tesco association 😂

My friend just messaged me to say JF had rejoined and followed it up with “I didn’t know he’d even left, he hasn’t played with them for 10 years...probably explains those crappy albums”.