Machines

Agreed on Corvettes. Here's mine with it's relatively larger bodied friends.

Superb choice.

Probably a 4 here. Just want a Stingray, everything else is great.

Isn't what the bass sounds like your choice?

It just makes me think he's unexperienced with recording bass and doesn't know what he wants. The basses he's specified are all very different and the only thing they have in common is being big names.

So he has no idea then and just wants you to do his work for him.

The Camel - Snow Goose album is a great example of a Jazz being used.

My local music shop (Express Music in Solihull) is fairly small, but I think has a reasonable stock of basses for it's size. It has about 8 in total being a mix of Ibanez and Squier. None are high end (£500 tops) but I think there is a good enough mix of styles to suit most players (there's a couple of 5 strings in there too). Bass amps are a different matter though, a Fender Rumble combo is it. I am spoilt with a few good shops in Birmingham though, I have PMT and GuitarGuitar of which both have something for pretty much every player. PMT is only a 10 min drive from my work, so some lunchtimes I pop in for a browse (GAS).

He could be on the forum .

It looks like 60's to me, the modified body shape may be the cause of the perspective change.

BB got me into the blues, now the thrill is gone.

I've tried one in a shop and watched a few YouTube demos of these. They were fairly decent and not as you described, but I also doubt there is a fault with the bass (Yamaha tend to have high QC). Then again, the demos tended to be more around the EQ switch than Bass/Treble controls. I am not surprised if the preamp is fairly naff in this respect - there has to be a compromise somewhere. Changing pickups generally doesn't work well in Yamahas as they usually have non-standard sizes, I've seen a few done with ugly gaps either side that I wouldn't have done myself.

Superb choice, I liked this when I was there last month.

How much ?

I find single pickup basses to have more of an identifiable character but also more limited. I prefer the versatility of 2 pickups but always feel I'm faffing to get the right sound.

Designed in Britain eh? But made in China I bet. Seems very overpriced

Other than wood choices or neck profiles etc, I don't think many custom builders offer much you can't get from the big companies with careful consideration (in terms of sound at least). I think 'handmade' is over hyped, to me it just means it took longer and hence cost more. Technology does indeed save money, and i'd say a PLEK machine is more precise than a luthier. The difference is on quality control of mass producers, not the technology. When you find a big maker than has high QC (cough Lakland cough) then there is nothing better than a very well made bass at a reasonable price. I've started moving away from the US made principle as some of what coming out of the far east at the moment is as good in quality but a lot cheaper. Other examples are G&L Tribute, Squier, Sterling by Musicman etc.

[quote name='CokeyW' timestamp='1430854394' post='2765324'] Thanks Machines.....what do you have now? [/quote] I've been through alot, but my Lakland Skyline 55-60 is never leaving. Others are a Mexican Precision, Korean Warwick and Indonesian Spector. These are good, but not necessarily forever.

I had an Overwater Progress 3 Deluxe which costs about 3 grand new now. It wasn't my custom bass I had it 2nd hand. The quality was outstanding but in the end I would rather have a couple of good basses than one excellent. So I sold it.

Do you know what you really want in a bass ? What is lacking in each one ? If you are able to make sense of this, you will be in a better position. I think a lot of people he gone the custom route without really knowing what they want and sold soon after, the amount of 2nd hand customs in the Market Place is evidence of his.

I think it could be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Syndrome when it comes to GAS and bonding with instruments. Having found something that meets your requirements (a great bass), you feel a little deflated that the hunt may be ove My Lakland is perfect, it makes me dribble whenever I see it and smile whenever I plug it in, if anything I play it the least as it makes the others seem a average - this will never be sold (said this before with others, but I mean it, honest). The Precision has a special place as my Dad gave it to me a few years ago, I like to keep it as a benchmark of what a 'decent bass' sounds and feels plus it has that classic sound (flats and a foam mute in place). The Corvette is only a couple of months old so hasn't had too much play time, but it feels great and sounds it too. I want to upgrade it to include an MM pickup at the bridge. Then again, I think it would add zero value to it and I'd prefer if it was just a Stingray (so I should sell it and get another Ray I suppose). The Spector looks great but is perhaps underwhelming on it's own (it wants a big metal band to join in with). I'm also not really a big 6 string player. I think the fact this is my 2nd one and I sold the first one years ago and regretted it is stopping me parting with it, despite me being more knowledgeable now on why (plus I had to grovel to the missus to buy it !). That said, i'm not even in a band anymore so should stop all this dillydallying and make some music.

I can't promise I'll buy it, but will certainly read the column in WHSmith. #thisisnotalibrary

It's about tim.

Satellite?

Thanks grangur, but I'm definitely aiming for the coil tap ability of the TW for now.