hooky_lowdown

Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Special SS.

Playing along with a drum machine is too advanced for a complete beginner, I think you're jumping ahead too many steps.

I'd rather buy a new set of fender flats. You have no idea if the strings will sound 'dead', they could have been stored in a damp attic for all anyone knows. I also like the type on the orange bag - being a graphic designer myself. 😁

Yes, but for a complete beginner it's not ideal. A beginner should start with the basics, bass and amp, and later find out about effects and how they change your tone/sound. 👍

I lived in London for 15 years, never had any hand issues. I live near the coast now and almost every time i go for a walk along the coast or on the beach my hands swell up, so could be an environmental reaction - you don't need to touch something to get a reaction.

Sounds like an allergic reaction to something.

There wasn't many short scales easily available in years gone by. But a short scale is ideal for reggae as the shorter length means less string tension, giving more low end. Hence my suggestion for a Squier jaguar which is short scale and has p and j pickups.

A Squier jaguar bass (which has both jazz and precision pickups) with a fender rumble V3 bass amp would be ideal for reggae. The important bit is the strings - you want either nickel roundwound or flatwound strings, and once set up you want to turn the tone knob down.

Damn spelling auto-correct. That reminds me, add pedantic to the list. 😉

People will do whatever they want to do, things listed here are only common courtesy, like reframing from using unnecessary exclamation marks!!!!!!!!

Nope, hotrails are the most common bronco pickup upgrade. Cool rails would be the same (lacking true low end), but with lower output.

The OPs vista has a bass pickup, and pickups discussed in this thread are bass pickups. Its widely known the musicmaster had a guitar pickup. I had a bronco and put a hotrails in and it didn't sound very good, had a lot of bass response, pretty woolly sounding, lacking lows and low mids, but no punch at all like a P bass pickup should. You did go off the 'rails'. 😉

I had one in lake placid blue. Build quality was flawless, I was very impressed, felt solid and well made, the hardware was ok, did the job, but what let it down is the electrics and pups. These are an easy fix or replacement, then you'll have a decent bass for little outlay. 😁

The "rails" are guitar pickups, this thread is about bass pickups AFAIK.

You have a single coil, it's going to be noisy. You can buy a 51 style hum cancelling pickup, which will be the same size as your Squier. Do a Google search for "hum cancelling 51 bass pickup".

I love my rumble V3 combo, can always dial in a good tone. 😎

US and MIM are the same fit. MIJ is different.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-ELECTRIC-TB-BASS-BODY-SOLID-PAULOWNIA-41MM-THICK-34-Scale-3B-TB/233332075626?hash=item3653acec6a:g:xW4AAOSwmbVdb62n

Have you looked on eBay?

Not unless you have a bespoke one made for you. You can get 51 specific pickup cover though!

Pure nickels, pressurewounds or half rounds may be your best bet. I was in a similar boat, hate bright rounds, love flats, but wanted something darker with some bite, and settled on D'Addario half rounds, they have a 'tacky' coating which is strange at first, but once the coating wears off they sound really nice. 😎

Toneriders v Wilkinson alnico would be a better comparison as both are vintage voiced. The Entwistle pups I would say are more modern sounding. All three imho are very decent pups for little money. 👍