JTUK

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1133235' date='Feb 19 2011, 11:53 AM']Not exactly, I'd say it's more people often don't understand how global commodity prices work and base their assessment of what stuff costs to make on what we pay in Europe. Apart from supply and demand the other major factor dictating these things is how many middlemen an item has gone through, rather than material costs. How many grams of metal on a p bass? Not more than 1kg I'd hope as a player, even with a high mass bridge, the scrap value will be pennies. Add a few kg of what are pretty common woods and some trivial electronics, your raw material costs are negligible! Especially where you're in an industrial country close to the production source. Factory costs are going to be far more significant, but they're really not going to be very much per instrument if it's a large operation. So, whether these SRs are any good I can't say but even with poor QC a fair number of instruments will be well within the prescribed tolerances rather than at the extremes. They might have cheaped out on metal but equally they might not - either way the factory'll be making a profit. I wouldn't be surprised if a decent example did as good a job as a CV Squier and those are perfectly playable instruments.[/quote] Not got a problem with this..... have seen a few awful Squiers and played them though. Put them straight back on the stand... Never wondered why they didn't sell and end up heavily discounted.

[quote name='tom1946' post='1133247' date='Feb 19 2011, 12:02 PM']I'm not getting into an argument over these basses. I owned a guitar shop for some years up to my retirement and have seen a lot of crap come and go. Years ago a bass from china was total rubbish, in fact 'nowthenour**d' on ebay is still selling them by the look of it. In the last 2-3 years the chinese stuff has got much much better and would compete with Korean guitars and basses easily. If you took a part container load for say £10,000, you could buy a guitar or bass for around $12-$14 each. Naturally they weren't well setup but that was our job and we did it well. As said I bought 4 of these SR's to keep and have a play with and I have seen much much worse for the money. So please try one before criticising them, passing judgement from a no knowledge position is hardly objective. imo of course [/quote] I don't need to go and see Ashden and Diamonds to know they aren't any good in the way you should measure these things in football, for example, I really don't. As for Chinese production... most of my friends would say that are capable of knocking things up very cheaply but don't you dare expect them to put anything right..the price is too cheap for that. So, another definition of cheap and nasty for you if applied to this case. Maybe we don't have that same defintion of cheap and nasty., but I wouldn't dare sell one.

[quote name='setekh' post='1133228' date='Feb 19 2011, 11:45 AM']I was working under the impression you just felt differently for a reason, but now you're seeming more and more to be that close-minded uncle people in the family don't talk about. The one with whom there's no point arguing with.[/quote] Well, there is no point trying to convince they are any good...they may just about be playable for some people. I have given reasons why they will not be any good as the parts will be cheap and the build nasty, IMV. If a bass retails for £199 or less, then you can't expect any more as the retail and distributor could take the biggest part of all that leaving it with a build cost of...??? The whole thing is designed to be cheap ..there is no preimium built in quality here, none whatsoever..everything is done at lowest possible cost. If that is not a definition of cheap and ansty, I don't know what is. People are talking about shimming necks and putting replacement pickups etc, so this is not a good build. It might suffice for the job you want it to do but that is about it. You shouldn't expect any more and if you get it..BONUS. I am just replying to the OP who asked if they are any good. The answer will be no, but they may be worth the punt for £59.99

Chris, have a word with Andy Crockett

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1133152' date='Feb 19 2011, 10:37 AM']But does it qualify for all the same rates due to its age and if the shop were to accidentally sell it me for $1000 and me accidenatally wire them $1595 direct that might help level things out a bit [/quote] ha ha ..legit, huh..?? But sure, if you have that sort of relationship with them. Very very envious of the prices they yanks can get... and I think there is an element of what our market will pay when the prices of product transfer over here

Once a month if we are lucky....mostly once every 2 months. But we may have a few sessions to pick new songs and we may have a get together to run through chords, keys and arangements around a house before we allow the drummer anywhere near it No, this has more to do with the drums being too noisy for these sessions. One rehearsal has to produce maybe 4 new songs and then that either works to be gigged or we drop it. I think the numbers we gig are pretty strong so any new number has to hit or surpass that level. Of course, some songs are chosen for the pace and tempo and their place in the set. It is important to let the set breathe and vary the pace and dynamic...if only so it gives people a chat and to not have the band rammed down their throat all the time.

Don't know, but I'd be tempted to fly over there if I could lump something else into the trip

[quote name='philw' post='1129261' date='Feb 16 2011, 09:23 AM']Wow! Yes some lovely basses there. A pity they don't seem able to size pictures properly though. P[/quote] agree..

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1132849' date='Feb 18 2011, 10:01 PM']Ok here we go, Ernie Ball make the Stingray which has a sort of P bass neck and the Sterling which is very similar but with a Jazz bass (narrower) neck. Both are full USA EBMM models and cost around £1299-1500 ish new. The sterling by musicman are budget versions of the EB's, SB14 is like an EB Sterling, SB34 like a Ray4 and SB35 like a Ray5. still confused? So are we...[/quote] wow.. a lot of product and confusing indeed.

10 mins from you, you say..? Like to see that

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1132892' date='Feb 18 2011, 11:09 PM']Bloody tempted to up the budget and get this, it's 10 mins from me. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270705421922#ht_1018wt_1139"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...#ht_1018wt_1139[/url][/quote] Get the money back and get that... Nice looker anyway.

Fair enough. Can't complain with the service although one of the strings broke...and you can't blame this company for that.

Many basses have air chambers for this reason but are done at the build stage and then plated with the facing, typically, so you'd never know they were there. But the whole point of mahogany is its density in this case, so I would think you could affect the sound...and you may not know how much until you have done this.. Is this a neck through bass..?

[quote name='Muzz' post='1132308' date='Feb 18 2011, 03:02 PM']I'm the same. Except for the 'warwick thumb' bit... [/quote] LMAO

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1132941' date='Feb 18 2011, 11:52 PM']So i take it you have played a SR bass this evening then? Or are you still saying they're cr@p without ever actually touching one?[/quote] Look, they are cheap and nasty. there is no doubt about it, just as they would be if they charged full price in the Hi St. You can go to any shop that sells this type of budget gear like Encore and the like and find this type of bass. They are terrible basses..and I have seen plenty of them...most music shops would be trying to sell them. I'm sorry if I am telling you this and you don't like it but there is no way they are not cheap and nasty The plating will be poor, the paint poor, the wood poor, etc etc ... if may well be true that these issues apply to basses that cost much much more but it doesn't make any odds. The only way they are not cheap and poor is if your definitions differ widely from mine. but there is widely and widely. They might be worth the money to you and you might enjoy them for whatever reasons and that is fine..but some things cost nothing for a reason. I've seen enough of these things to define them as cheap and nasty, I don't need to view every single one and I'd be quite happy if you'd actually got a decent-ish playable one by a stroke of good fortune but these aren't designed as decent instruments, they are designed to be knocked out and fill a void. We don't need to go around in circles again..some of you are entirely happy with your purchase, that is ok.

For sure, buy one for your kids if you aren't sure they will stay interested, buy one to mod the hell out and get the practise, buy one as that is all you have spare at the moment..buy one for charity but don't buy one expecting it to be any good. There are plenty of basses 10 times the price - and some, that are good only for firewood... This will be a cheap and nasty bass. But if it serves your purpose, enjoy.

And what price would they be discounted down from..? I really really really don't need to see these. You can go into any music shop that sells basses for £199 and you'll get the same. That is a rough around the edges bass with cheap components. Some might play above that price grade, most will not. As to the OP.. are the worth £59.99...? depends. They are certainly better value at that price than the original. I find it funny that decent set of strings could cost you two thirds the price of the entire bass. These basses have strings, right..?

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1132449' date='Feb 18 2011, 05:01 PM']Venues will book you if you list a few 'popular' acts? Discerning or what?[/quote] They'll book you once on that maybe. If you aren't any good, then you'll not get a return or up your money. But it is also true, anyone can pretty much blag a gig but sooner or later you'll have to be worth it. Anyway, personally, we don't kid ourselves, we have been outdrawn by many a band we can play under the table and no one is going to be surprised if the landlord/booker goes with the band who pulls the most in.

Good to see that this may have been resolved although I'd prefer to know what had been fixed ideally or what it actually was. I was going to suggest the output trans may have issues but I'd be seeing if I could borrow a spare amp just in case. Definitely invest in decent leads...preferable studio quality cable that is garaunteed.

[quote name='Johnston' post='1132389' date='Feb 18 2011, 04:02 PM']Just because some things are cheap doesn't mean they are. I used to work in cars . Dealer part £250 the same part from the same factory same stamped part No.s just without a hologram sticker from the motor factors up the road less than a ton. A wee sticker can make a big difference on the perceived value and quality of parts. Would you say the person that bought the cheaper part "thinks" they got a bargain or they did?? It's hard to even get a solid generic non painted P body for £60 delivered even if the rest is sh*te your already even plus the rest can go on Ebay for profit.[/quote] You think this is the same thing...?? Anyway..I have changed my opinion on the basis of these posts. I am so pissed off that Fender have the gaul to charge me £800 or whatever for a complete rip-off when I can get it for £60. It's not fair, I tell you.

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1132336' date='Feb 18 2011, 03:22 PM']Damn right, as soon as i finish work i'm going to storm straight to the SR shop to challenge the old dear who sold me the bass, i'm gonna kick her in the t1ts and demand she rectifies the unplayable piece of junk she sold me. There's no possible way it can ever be a good bass because she had the cheek to sell it to me for £60.[/quote] Yep...you should exactly do that

[quote name='crez5150' post='1132427' date='Feb 18 2011, 04:37 PM']We used to do Synchronicity 2..... hard bloody song to sing[/quote] We do it as well and had to drop it a tone as all Sting's song are hard on the vocals. I think we will replace it with "bring on the night" and have dropped "she's too good for me". Like him or not, Sting's has a very strong higher register and that can be a killer.

I just know what I like and I know what I can play... and sure, some basses aren't worth the bother. I very much doubt these would be it.... they fact that the components would most likely be very dodgy and poor quality would seal it. Most of you guys seem to be swapping them out, so that suggests you might agree. You can flood the things with decent fittings but you'll not get that money back, for sure. The best way these make sense is the guy said he was modding it as sonmething he liked to do and wanted to experiment on someone not worth much. And no, I have seen plenty of expensive basses which fail on certain levels, AFAIAC, so I wouldn't get suckered that way either. But if you think you have a bargain and bass to play, then good luck to you.

How much are these new..? The component price must be pennies. Even if they can bolt them together with a degree of success, and they resonate ok.. no dead spots, decent output from the pickups..grub screws on the bridge stay relatively tight so the bridge doesnit slip...the tuners can keep them in tune..?? These are all ssues that have plagued Fender, amongst others and that is without the planks of wood being machined well enough to actually be capable of a decent playing action. If the action was 3mm, then it isn't playable, IMO. and nor should you bother. Look, I am happy, ...well, not really, I don't care, as I don't have to play them, ... that they have a use but these can't be good basses. Useable...?? but that depends what you want/expect.