Sibob

I'm going to sit down and do a proper comparison like OTPJ did, but what I will say at this point is that my Am Standard sounds pretty different to my Squier CV. The Squier sounds fine, but the Am sounds more 'complete', there is a wider range of frequencies in the sound, more clarity across the two pickups, it sounds a LOT livelier than the Squier. So from that point of view, my Am standard sounds better! BUT: 1 - It's subjective 2 - I would expect a better sounding bass from a more expensive bass Si

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='660514' date='Nov 20 2009, 08:07 PM']HOWEVER because this 'is' Fender Masterbuild then they can charge wtf they like. Truth be told Fender couldn't possibly justify that price tag for the component parts, even inc' the wages for a Master [s]Screwer-together[/s] I mean builder. [/quote] Surely this also includes similar 'builders' such as Lakland that, although using great woods, are just mass produced bodies being 'screwed together' And if we assume that master builders at Fender are making the basses by hand then 'screwing them together', then guys like Coppola are charging the same amount of money for the same prank . Si

Do they do MIM Millers? I thought they were American or Japanese, never really paid them much attention. To be fair to the custom shop/masterbuilt Fenders, I think part of the glory of owning one of them is that you own an almost one off piece by a company that largely deals in hundreds of thousands of units. Luthiers like Shuker etc are renowned for one off pieces, so that almost devalues it, if you get my meaning. This is of course a very steep price for ANY bass imo, when I was looking at Custom Shops, I was looking at prices that equated to just over a quarter of this MM, and although I'm a massive Fender fan, I don't believe they've ever made a decent preamp. Si

You may well have noticed that I've posted the below picture in the competition before, I'm not re-entering it as it were, but decided I wanted to join in on the 'Tie-Breaker' game, and needed some visual stimulous. And so: [url="http://img692.imageshack.us/i/spacv.jpg/"][/url] [b]Barefaced - Putting the 'Freak' back into 'Frequency Response'[/b] Hopefully this will mean that I will now win, and I can put the cab next to the other most important thing I've won......my late eighties 'Headmasters series' Scorpinok Transformers toy.Oh yes! Si

I tried the one they currently have at The Bass Merchant, and from someone who really doesn't get on with Active basses, this had a LOT of tone!. Beautiful neck to play as well. And looked great!! Si

My band tunes to C standard (C, F, Bb, Eb), I use a 4 string bass with 45-105 strings, low action/not sloppy at all (for a low tuning), and no need to recut the nut. How? Higher Tension strings, I'm sure other brands do them!?...perhaps, but give Malcolm at Newtone a call, tell him your tuning and preferred guage, and he'll sort you out a tension that works for you! Si p.s. I may sticky a downtuning thread....mainly so I can stop going over the same ground lol Is there a definitive one do people think?

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='659946' date='Nov 20 2009, 10:42 AM']As far as I understand it, a DoveTail (as Andy.T says) is a specific type of neck joint, mainly found on classical/acoustic guitars where the join across the "shoulders" of the instrument tapers down in a sort of "V" shape. As for "duck tails", I can only assume he means an almost "surformed" V shape which would indicate a weakness in the structure of the wood...? Edit: Okay, I just did some reading & it's where they add a strengthening piece of wood in the transition area between the headstock and the 1st fret area of the neck. Basically, if you can see a "V" shape near where the neck ends and the headstock begins, it's been added during the manufacture process as a strength-adding piece of wood at a weak point, if I understand correctly.[/quote] But on a stock Fender?? Si

I definitly know where you're coming from! When I started out It was all about modern designs, tiny body shapes, hated trad. shapes etc etc. As I've grown up, I have definitly matured and mellowed in my tastes, Fender designs, Old school hollowbodies and the like. Haven't found a preference for old tube amps though, as reliability is still important to me haha. But yeah, all but two of my seven basses are Jazz basses, with the other two being a Precision and a Stingray....so hardly uber modern there . I have one 'vintage' bass, I have an ever increasing love for old fenders, but I don't think I'd limit myself to just using them, my '73 is lovely, but my 2003 Jazz is the benchmark for ALL basses I now try. I just bought a new Squier Classic Vibe and that is superb. I'm also perving over a 1969 Jazz (lots of bunce). Hmmmm Si

[quote name='The Bass Doc' post='659627' date='Nov 19 2009, 08:44 PM']I think you may be confusing this with the Woodpecker which can indeed be found in-cider tree.[/quote] Pure Genius! For the sake of the thread.....no idea what a duck-tail is where necks are concerned! Si

Hopefully Ped might be able to give me a lift! But any backup lifts are welcome....I would obviously pay my way! Hopefully see you there! Si

Cool, yeah I've PM'd him, so fingers crossed Cheers Si

Cos I think I might like to go....last minute lol. So wondering if anyone wants a petrol buddy! Cheers Si

Is anyone driving up from the west london/bucks/berks etc area? What a petrol buddy maybe? Si

[quote name='fatback' post='659012' date='Nov 19 2009, 10:56 AM']Those Squiers were passive, ie small cavity? fatback[/quote] Well seemingly there was enough space for a battery & preamp. Lots of people mod passive basses with preamps without needing a woodwork. Not all passive basses have tiny cavities, all I'm saying is, it's probably better to check what space a bass has if it doesn't have a preamp to start with. Si

Love a good Jazz project! Si

[quote name='jonthebass' post='658897' date='Nov 19 2009, 09:10 AM'][url="http://andybaxterbass.com/"]http://andybaxterbass.com/[/url] He's got some good gear - anyone know of him, is he on here? Enjoy anyway![/quote] Cheers for that link Si

I assume you mean the volume on the bass! I'll leave my Bridge pickup on full, adjust the Neck pickup to taste for tonal reasons, and use my amp for gig volume. Si

Corporate rejection letters don't often invite you back for another interview though huh!? Si

Ummmm, they wanted to try as many people as possible....fair enough. Go along to the rehearsal?! Si

Depends on the size of the control cavity. Some basses have enough space for something like an Aguiler pre and a 9v, some you can barely fit mini-pots in. If you're interested in going down that route on a passive, it might be worth asking the person in the shop/who owns the bass if they would mind showing you the cavity before you buy it to see what space you have to play with. Luthiers are of course able to rout out more cavity for space, but it's all money huh! And so with all that in mind, if you fully intend on adding a preamp to a bass, it's probably worth starting with an active bass, just because that's what the cavity was designed for. Si

[quote name='RaNoFuNkY' post='657614' date='Nov 17 2009, 11:07 PM']I was there Sunday night......good grief what a show! Clarke's instrumental piece was absolutely spell binding! Anyone else there on Sunday was also treated to an incredible rendition of Amazing Grace on the Harmonica. Best bit: Wooten crept in and sat in a vacant seat by the aisle during Chick Corea's set, one song later a woman walked in and quite rudely stepped over Wooten to get to the next seat which was hers, sat down and....... promptly fell asleep.....for the ENTIRE 2nd set! Haha, unreal! There is ignorance, and there is ignorance but THAT I stuggle to understand. Sleeping whilst sitting next to THE MAN to watch THE GUYS play a blinding set at a great venue. Maybe she was just overcome by the excitement. Crazy![/quote] The poor woman probably got dragged along by her bassist husband and couldn't have been more bored....let her sleep lol. At least she'll go away thinking "I had a great sleep", rather than "I was so bored" haha oh, and for the equality people: She probably had been on tour gigging for the past 2 weeks, let her rest! Si

Don't Warmoth do chambered Jazz bodies?!...that would definitly help! Swamp Ash chambered body, nomnomnom. I wonder what a 1968 neck is worth?...just the neck though, no fingerboard, and a headstock that looks like only it's mother would love it lol Si

In fact, I think a guy on here had the same bass, left the preamp as it was and swapped the p'ups for some Nordstrands, and wasn't particulaly inpressed with the improvement-to-cost ratio. Perhaps suggesting that the pickups would benifit from a better pre, rather than the other way around. Difficult to say Si

Nothing wrong with them when coupled with the preamp, but I just get the feeling they might be a bit underpowered if run passive. I might be wrong. To be honest, I don't use it enough to start a big mod project, the pre is fine for what I want.....but if more gigging happened with it, I'd perhaps look at more options. Si

My US Standard Jazz bass suits all of my needs. I have a couple of other toys that I very much enjoy alongside it, but it really is an all-in-one bass. Si