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I was in exactly the same situation a few weeks ago and started an almost identical thread. I take it you have a bass at the moment? if so i would just stick the money into a seperate account to your current (one without a card so you cant spend it easily) and just leave it sitting there until you find a bass that you cant live without. I find when I have saved money to spend on a bass I get a lot more picky about whether I actually 'need' it and my brain says "money in the bank or bass" money in the bank usually wins. The other question is, if you have absss at the moment and you sold you others, why did you keep that one? maybe that is the bass for you and you dont actually need another. I noticed you sold a couple of Sadowskys and presume you are looking at instruments in the same price bracket or higher? maybe look at some cheaper basses and get 2 which is what I am going to do. I went through some expensive high end basses and am now back with a good old Fender USA and never been happier. I managed to hang on to some money and may get a Precision or Stingray in the new year, but at the moment I am a happy boy with a Fender and a Squier. I would never have thought I would say that!

[quote name='agoulding' post='1051402' date='Dec 8 2010, 10:16 AM']opinions are like arseholes ladies and gentlemen, everyone has one. If you're enjoying it, carry on. If you aren't, carry on. People who are saying my sisters version is bad (which is fine) clearly aren't taking into account its chart position. Saying something is crap is an awful lot different to "i don't like it" which imho is slightly more respectable, to the people who put in alot of hard graft to make things happen.[/quote] This is a very good post, why rip someone to pieces just because your not a fan or dont like their style? like agoulding says, just say "i dont like it" and show a bit of respect. She gigs, plays and instrument and sings live which I have the upmost respect for. Most of the bass players and bands mentioned on this forum are not my cup of tea, but I don't go into every thread and say so, why be negative? No one has been into the "show me your band" thread and ripped fellow bass chatters bands apart have they? I have seen constructive criticism on there but no horrible unjustified comments. Is it because they are around to defend themselves? If Ellie took up bass and started coming on here and asking for guidance and information would everyone be so quick to say unconstructive things about her in threads? who knows. I for one think Ellie is really good, beautiful songs on the album, and a gentle and beautiful voice. Not every female singer has to belt it out like the big Diva's. Debbie Harry had a weak voice in my opinion but still good.

I don't own one of these but I have played a couple. Initial thoughts, not as nice as the CV jazz. The build quality was great, the blocks on both the basses I played were neat as was the fretwork and overall construction. The bridge and tuners were fine but to be honest a small investment in new ones would make it a better bass IMHO. the only thing for me was that the neck was very anemic and I really do not like the feel of the satin necks on them. The Classic Vibe Jazz felt a lot more 'complete' and I like the tint on the neck, makes it feel a bit higher quality in my head. The sound was good, nice growl to it but no better than the CV Jazz. Anyway nice bass but i would go for a CV based on feel and playability myself.

[quote name='skej21' post='1048745' date='Dec 5 2010, 09:22 PM']Is it a 50s Precision bass like this, because if it is, I would agree! [url="http://guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=06112213062018"]http://guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_det...=06112213062018[/url] Really superb basses and if you stick some flats on, it'll rock the sh!t out of EVERYTHING![/quote] Yeah thats the one I played, I might have played a good one but what a superb bass, just brilliant. The build was fantastic and the neck felt amazing, its not what I bought but I am in the new year after I have let the new one settle in. [quote name='thepurpleblob' post='1048757' date='Dec 5 2010, 09:31 PM']A nice old Stingray or a nice old Fender USA-something. You can't go far wrong and/or loose money, surely, even if it doesn't pan out.[/quote] I totally agree, I have played and owned some lovely basses but I just wanted to strip things back and go back to where I started, Fender...and like you said, you can almost always shift a good Fender or MusicMan.

Well I was in Cardiff over the weekend and went to the music shops and played as many basses as I could. Admitedly not a huge selection but still good fun as I have not been to the shops in Cardiff for a while. I know what to expect from custom built and high end stuff having owned Overwaters and having played GB basses and Sadowsky's etc. I have been to Bass Direct a few times and wasted plenty of Marks time in the past but I have not played Stingrays and Fenders for a while which seems a bit odd. Anyway I was pleasantly suprised by a few basses, namely the Mexican Fender 50s Precision, and the American Standard series. Fender take a lot of criticism and admitedly the American made basses are overpriced in some shops but I was just blown away by the quality, sound and feel of the brand new American standard series. Ok no fancy woods and no active EQ which is a bit odd after my Overwater Jazz but still superb in every way. I am a huge fan of Fender Japan stuff but IMHO these new USA basses are superior and now seem to be cheaper second-hand. The other huge suprise was the MIM 50's precision, what a bass, I couldnt believe it. £500 and just a lovely playing well built, massive sounding bass....There is one going on the list (along with a J pickup to go on the bridge). I just loved the neck shape and feel, superb! Anyway, I didnt buy anything in the shops as they are far too expensive, but I picked up a new toy today, its Fender, its pretty, it was a massive bargain, and i am over the moon.......pics to come (and a 50s Precision)

I really shouldnt complain, its not like I its a proper problem Its more that when I have no money I can usually find a handful of basses I wish I could buy then when i have cash I cant find anything. For the first time I have money and no GAS! Yeah I have my trusty Squier deluxe V getting me by at the moment so not desperate for anything. Perhaps your right, stick it in my savings account so it doesn't get eaten by my house.

Warwicks are ok, I did like my old one but the bodies are a bit too small for me and the string spacing is a bit tight. My bass at the moment is a 5 string Squier with full 19mm spacing and a massive neck, I love it. I will mostly be playing Soul, Disco, Motown, Pop. I am in a Function band so need to cover a lot of styles. Stingray is high on the list but it needs to be an older one as I really dont like the satin neck, it needs to be glossy. A lot of my problem is aesthetics, the bass needs to impress me visually as I am terribly vein ha ha. Probably making up for the fact that I like like the hunchback of Notre Dame. [quote name='Jam' post='1046193' date='Dec 3 2010, 11:59 AM']If I had that much money to spend on a second hand I'd probably go for a Warwick or a Stingray. I see you've said you don't like Warwicks though. What kind of music are you going to be playing on it?[/quote]

I have £950 for a secondhand bass or two (could add some cash for the right instrument) and have absolutely no idea what I want. It is an odd feeling and I don't like it. I have been through the for sale forum and can't find anything that sets my world on fire although a couple of Precisions are quite tempting. I have played almost every major brand and a few custom builders so I know what to expect from most brands but I still don't know what I want. I know what I don't want though which narrows things down a bit: 1. I don't want custom built because they loose their value, been there done that. 2. I don't trust vintage basses and don't know what to look for or what makes a good one. 3. I don't like satin or unfinished necks. 4. Not overly keen on rosewood fretboards. 5. I don't really like small bodied basses like warwick or Overwater Progress (they look daft on me) Even with this criteria I have no idea. I just hope something presents itself soon or the money might go on bills and practical stuff. Worse situations to be in but its doing my head in.

I am in a similar position most years, finding relatively inexpensive guitar related things that family can get me. Here is what I have gone for in the past: 1. Gig Skinz amp head bag, I can get power strips, 3 leads, 2 power cables, 2 speakon cables, pad, strap, and tuner and my Markbass in this. THE BEST bit of bass related kit I have ever had: [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Gig_Skinz_Gig_Bags.html"]http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_sp...z_Gig_Bags.html[/url] 2. Spare Leads, they all die eventually and good ones are expensive. Ask for a couple of speaker and guitar leads from OBBM, sound investment. 3. I always like a new strap too, Mono straps are nice as are the old comfort strapps. 4. Auralex Gramma pad. I dont actually have one yet but its on the list for this year. 5. A good multi tool with screwdrivers, allen keys and cutters. I keep one in the gigbag always. 6. Strings are always a good one, I resent paying so much for them so why not get someone else to get them. 7. A good compact guitar stand like a hercules or something similar.

Hi Mark, The line 6 stuff is good I know people who use it and like it a lot, but I think you can outgrow it very quickly and if you get further into the world of recording you will start wanting better kit. Their modelling software is good, i used it for a while and so did my best friend but I think the GarageBand amp modelling and effects stuff is as good if not better now. I went to the Apogee stand at a music show about a year ago and even the guy at Apogee was saying how good the Garage Band modelling software was at the moment. I could be wrong here but apparently a lot of what goes into Logic has filtered down into it. A lot of it is budget and how far you want to go really. My mate does the Radio 1 jingles so needs a high quality audio and therefore a high quality interface and runs the 'Duet' in the studio and the 'One' as mobile interface for his laptop and it really performs. He is actually just about to buy the MarkBass software for recording bass as he says it has some of the best sounds he has come accross, so if you just doing bass that may be an option. If you want to record guitars and everything then Guitar Rig is very good. Saying that good tones are available for bas with no modelling and just good EQ. I dont know a lot about this stuff, just picked up loads from friends, but I know GarageBand, Logic and Apogee just work incredibly well with Mac. [quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' post='1033633' date='Nov 23 2010, 10:33 AM']Hi Nathan, You have confused me now - I was all set to go for the Line 6 USB interface as I had heard good things about it but now the Apogee stuff looks good. Is the Line 6 not better because it has the option for amp modelling and effects etc? Mark[/quote]

Drums wise I would go for software drums. Again the new Garage Band has quite good drum loops and you can program your own once you start getting more involved. I can also highly reccommend EZ Drummer. It is relatively inexpensive but if EQ'd well and mixed properly it can sound unbelieveable. Againa friend of mine does huge ammounts of production music, jingles, radio beds etc and he uses it very often along with some more expensive stuff but he loves it for it s ease of use and sound to cost ratio. Keyboard wise you can get some very good but very affordable M-Audio stuff at the moment. great place to start, all USB and it will work with what Garage Band as a starting point. NJE [quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' post='1033545' date='Nov 23 2010, 09:14 AM']Cheers guys for all of the advice coming back here it really is appreciated. Ok so it would seem sensible to stick with garage band and I am going to buy a sensible USB interface as suggested. How do I move on to get different drum loops or programme hits and accents etc - do I need a dedicated drum machine? Also if I wanted to add basic keys is it sensible to get just a keyboard module and use the standard sounds in Garageband?[/quote]

Hi Mark, There is so much about both in terms of software and interfaces. If you already have a mac I would suggest using Garageband as a strating point. The older version I have is more than capable of making good quality demos and basic tracks and I have actually heard people do some incredibly well produced tracks on Garageband. The more recent versions are incredibly good and the amp simulations are very capable. I have friend who is in the business and does a lot of jingles, session work etc and he always reccommends Garageband as a starting point and then Logic as a next step up. He runs Protools as well but really doesnt like it so a lot is just preference. The other thing is to get a good quality interface. Personally I swear by Apogee, either their 'One' or 'Duet' as do a few friends of mine. It is superb quality and very intuative. I am pretty sure they both only work for Mac but that could just be the 'One'. Between me and my friend we have been through Line 6, Tascam, Lexicon, M-Audio and various other interfaces over the years and the Apogee just stomps all over them in terms of sound quality and if you get more involved in recording you wont need to upgrade. Recording is great fun, even just getting down bassline ideas, have fun. Nathan [quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' post='1031667' date='Nov 21 2010, 06:36 PM']Evening all, I am looking to set up a very small scale home studio for song writing and working on songs sent to me by band mates etc. I have a MacBook which has Garage Band on it although I have never really used it. Questions is would it better to use this a starting point and buy a USB interface to record into Garage Band or is a hardware option better such as the Belkin 4 track recorder which records direct to an ipod or the Boss Micro Studio etc? I am not a fan of programming drum machines but am pretty computer literate. Any advice or guidance on this one would be greatly appreciated. Cheers[/quote]

That was a very very special Stingray, i dont know why but there was just something about it. The neck was ok when I got it but I wanted to protect it and clean it up a little so I contacted ernieball who said use birchwood casey true oil and gun stock wax and the result was pretty good, that bass stayed around a while. Strange thing is I went through a "I am a 5 string player" phase and sold it and now I am trying to get my hands on one again and shift my Overwater Jazz 5. Oh how fickle I am.......swings and roundabouts again.. [quote name='Ou7shined' post='1032628' date='Nov 22 2010, 02:03 PM']lol I do indeed. She's a fantastic beast. And I returned the neck back to the way god (or Leo) intended. Swings and roundabouts eh? [/quote]

Cheers for the comments, I am going to have a look at this 87 again this afternoon and see if a deal could possibly be struck. £1300 seems high as i have also seen similar era basses go for less on eBay and on here. It is mint and even the string mutes are immaculate but still its a lot of money. I love Rays but the problem for me is that I really dislike the non finished necks, I LOVE gloss necks, which is why I refinished the neck on my old Ray (which I believe Ou7shined now owns). This ultimately restricts me with Stingrays which is why I have also been looking at the new classic series. They have everything I want in bass pretty much, birdseye maple, gloss and the funky bridge. The only thing I am not too sure about is the slab body, oh and the price of £1350 for one on here. I am ultimately looking for something that wont takle too much of a hit price wise if I have it for a few years and sell. Maybe these 80s Stingrays will be the future collectables as they will be approaching 'vintage' age at 30 years soon. Maybe best to try and pick up a bargain 80s after all.

Apologies in advance for a slight hijack but I am looking at a few Stingrays at the moment and was wondering if any of you MusicMan aficionados would be able to comment on price for me? I am looking at a 87 Stingray for £1300 and was wondering if this was about normal for an early-ish Ray? seems a little hight to me? Thanks, Nathan

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1028186' date='Nov 18 2010, 04:59 PM']Farmer does a credit check come into play? Pitfalls?... my credit rating is not the best...[/quote] Hey Bub, I went up to see Mark a couple of weeks ago as i desperately needed a new Amp for upcoming gigs. I was going to sell my current setup to fund it but couldnt be without an amp so I stuck the best park of 1k on the 'Take it Away' scheme. I am sceptical about things like this because they sound too good to be true but it was absoluetely fine. Yes there is a credit check but I have had huge problems with my bank in the past (nealry cost me gettinga mortgage) but I was absolutely fine. Its 9 months and you just pay the biggest deposit you can. I only have a few months of 80 odd pound payments to make (most covered by selling my amp) and I will have a new rig to show for it at the end. To me it just made sense, when will you ever get 9 months interest free on anything.

Dave (aka Daveybass) recently bought my Aguilar cab and i just wanted to say what an absolute gentleman he is to deal with. Great comms and swift payment leading up to the transaction and a pleasure to deal with while we had a slight hiccup with delivery. Without going in to too much detail, the courier I used (DHL ) managed to damage the cab in transit and I was away when Dave received it. Instead of getting shirty and and upset when he got no response from me, he was a true gent and stayed cool as a cucumber and was EXTREMELY patient while I tried to claim my money back from DHL. It took weeks to sort out a payment for Dave and he was very understanding at all times with great comms throughout. Do not hesitate in dealing with this man, he is a true Gentleman! All the best Dave.

I have just completed a trade with Paul (aka PGTIPS) and he is a top chap, great communication, and I am totally happy with my new Case. Another fantastic transaction on Basschat. Cheers Paul

Never played a Fender Reggie but I can honestly say that GB basses are stunning in every way. Dont worry if you have the ability or about just playing it at home, if you like it and if it will make you play more and make you happy then go for it i say. There is one on ebay at the moment as well for £1300 buy it now. I am conteplting getting a used GB spitfire at the moment but its a lot of cash for me at the moment. DO IT I SAY!

I never saw this thread first time around and it makes for some interesting reading. I have been thinking about the whole 'investment' bass and what will retain or grow in value recently and I am looking around for what brands and instruments will keep their money and wondering what is the vintage Fender of the future? The reason I ask is that I have been looking at the secondhand value of some of the high end custom guitars available like Sei, Overwater and GB and secondhand they make nowhere near their original price. I have an Overwater and have been looking to buy a GB Spitfire. I have seen one that was a show piece which would have been the best part of 3k new up for sale in immaculate condition for £1300 which to me is rediculous. I would love a custom bass built to my spec but I know at some point I am liable to get into a financial situation or get bored and need to sell it at some point and the thought of losing over half the original price seems quite scary. Yes you should have an instrument you love and play and enjoy without doubt, but would I be better of investing in something like a limited run Fender Custom Shop? They seem to hold their value quite well and seem to be in demand. Similarly I have seen NYC Sadowskys go for high prices secondhand. Are custom shop Fenders and Sadowskys more likely to hold value? is ther another brand like Alleva Coppollo that will be a future classic? I know Wal's go for silly money but are they likely to go up any more now that they are being built again? Who knows but interesting to hear peoples point of views on the subject.