Starless

Never really understood the whole 'bass-as-lead-instrument' thing. I mean, come on, Bass solos? Eech.. probably very clever but less than entertaining. More cringe-inducing than drum solos. Just don't get it.

Probably easier to mod a tone to your liking (strings, pickups, eq etc) than a mod a neck.

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='849321' date='May 27 2010, 12:19 PM']I bought a MIJ sunburst P body from brandoni - it is identical to the one on my MIJ Fender '62 reissue. It was a while ago, but they might still have some.[/quote] Trying to access their website (Google turns them up - brandoniguitars.co.uk) but get re-directed to one of those all-purpose guitar shop pages. Do they still exist?

This seems to be an incredibly handsome bass for not a lot of money..... [url="http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product~name~Squier-P-Bass-Special---Walnut-Satin~ID~3573.asp"]Satin Bass[/url]

[quote name='dlloyd' post='849224' date='May 27 2010, 10:22 AM']How are you getting on with the bull fiddle?[/quote] Considering I don't get on with a fretless Precision neck, the 'beast' is a bit over the top... my left forearm hurts like hell today.. but I think that is just muscles which have never really been used saying "What the hell are you doing to us!!". Even plonking out basic root/fifths makes you close your eyes, nod in time to the music and say to yourself "Mmm, yeah, jazz baby...". Love it. Great fun and well worth persevering with. I think some formal tuition is in order so that bad habits don't form too early...

Just using the body on a 'cheaper' bass is a good idea. I am in a phase of trying to mix'n'match my basses to get the correct combination of instruments so that I finally have my perfect set-up. I have a 62 Jazz (CIJ) and the neck is just perfect, but I prefer the shape and simplicity of the P body (and single pick-up). So my ultimate quest is to find a P body to go with the Jazz neck. The Jazz neck is a vintage tinted job so finding a P body that goes with that look is tricky. I recently acquired a 'natural' fretted P and have tried that body with the tinted Jazz neck, but they are not a close enough colour match (headstock/body either has to match totally or be completely different to work IMO - something that doesn't [i]quite[/i] match just looks like it's been stuck on). The ideal body would be a sunburst P, but finding that difficult to source without a neck on it, but have also been looking at white bodies and that could work. So far I have been looking at Fender Japan, but a Squier body in white might just be the answer (buy the whole thing then [s]throw the neck aw[/s]... sell the neck on). Does the quality of the body of a bass really matter that much? It's just the lump that all the important stuff (neck, pickups) is attached to surely. There is also the issue of getting screw holes to line up, pocket tightness etc.... nightmare.

It's interesting that the Satin Jazz is mentioned in a fretless thread. As the previous owner of the little beauty, it had sat in a bag for months while I had mulled over converting it to fretless. I already have a workhorse CIJ 62 Jazz so the satin was in effect a duplicate. I came very close to making the journey to Glasgow to discuss removing the fretboard (completely) and replacing with an un-lined rosewood slab. It would then have been the coolest fretless Jazz in existence. The cost of that on top of its original value (not to mention the shipping/charges etc from Japan) would have taken it over my self-imposed limit for carting around to gigs (i.e. I would have been 'fretting' about anything happening to it). I'm determined to find a half-decent looking un-lined fretless Jazz somewhere, as my current fretless is a P, and I just don't get on with the neck as well as a Jazz. I tried to find a trade for it on here last year sometime - anyone remember this? - Once again, it's another one sitting in a bag doing nothing..... (I really must stop acquiring stunning looking Japanese Fenders). For the amount of money involved, those Walnut Squiers actually look like a no-lose situation no matter what is eventually done to them - the only restricting factor is the word 'Squier' on the headstock. I know they are perfectly good guitars, I know they are well built, I know that 'name-on-the-headstock' snobbery is evil and self-defeating... but... but...

Let's not start getting all chippy-on-the-shoulder because no-one else knows the ins-and-outs of our kit, or makes us feel under-appreciated. I haven't a clue what half the drummer's kit is called or why he bothers tweaking his tum-tums (or something) before a gig with the thing I normally use to bleed my central heating radiators. Guitarists have a suitcase of little boxes on the floor in front of them (with cool blinking lights and stuff) and they stand on them every so often, I'm just not interested in whatever they may be for. Sound checks? It's a bass, half of any 'nuances' get completely lost anyway (IMHE) - Can I hear it? Can they hear it out there? Good, where's the bar?.... It all comes together though and we sound pretty smart. That's all that matters. Team game.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='843847' date='May 21 2010, 09:23 AM']Before the mid nineties they are marked "Made in Japan". After then (and a change in manufacturing contract) they are marked "Crafted in Japan". No doubt the cognoscenti have an opinion as to which is "the one to have" [/quote] I can't tell any difference, but if it helps bump up the value of my MIJ, then long may the cognoscenti spread these desirability myths....

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='841803' date='May 19 2010, 10:29 AM'].....the OP is talking about an MIJ not a MIM. The snob-o-meter seems to put them somewhere in the middle I think.[/quote] The Fender Japan stuff is still almost the guitar/bass world's best kept secret. They will not lose value - especially as they are now getting much harder to acquire (and the prices are rising). Have played many Mex/Jap/US and there is no contest. There may be 'iffy' Mex's and US's, but never an iffy Jap. Rock-solid reliable and beautifully made (as you would expect). Anyone happy to pay hundreds more for a 'Made in USA' decal on the headstock (that's the only difference) needs their head examined (IMO).

If you can, do yourself a favour and consider removing any 'available' ad you have kicking around, or at least editing them to remove any reference to your ex-band. It just doesn't set the right tone for attracting a band. It's like those internet dating sites (so I'm told) where women will include in their 'Looking For...' blurb a whole ream of things that was wrong with their ex. I think people just tend to skim right over those ones.... (I certainly would).

[quote name='bubinga5' post='843264' date='May 20 2010, 04:26 PM']where is the best place to buy MIJ fenders from now?[/quote] Right [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=82368"]HERE[/url]

This is just nonsense. No disrespect to anybody involved, but if I was looking for a bassist and was skimming through the 'available' ads, the OP's opening couple of lines would have me moving smartly on to the next ad. Don't want to dampen down this feeding frenzy (it's obviously keeping a few people entertained), but I can see merit in both arguments and to have the word 'Professional' bandied about while acting in anything like a professional manner (I'm having to duck the sheer quantity of toys flying around which have originated from the OP's pram) is a bit ironic. Just my opinion, but the OP's 'bassist available' ad is more concerned with getting back at the ex-band, than a serious attempt to advertise one's wares. Completely self-defeating exercise as I'm sure other bands would look at the ad and come to the same conclusion as I have. It's a team game, the OP didn't agree with the training methods, move on, next please. If the band were sneaky advertising for a replacement, then the OP's diatribe against that band and individual members on a public forum is just as questionable. They sound just like my cup of tea, plenty get-togethers and don't care too much about making a filthy profit. Just a pity I'm several hundred miles away.

I can't agree with the OP on this one. I suppose it all depends whether you enjoy 'rehearsing' or not. It beats playing on your own along with an iPod, any day. Even though the band might not be the closest of buddies, it is still great to let rip. It's what I joined a band for (playing with others) so I am happy to 'rehearse' anytime for as long as they want, especially as gigs are a bit thin on the ground at the moment. Of course it helps having a rehearsal space that does not have to be paid for, but the OP seemed to be of the opinion that because he has learned his stuff, everyone else should be as perfect as well and not 'waste' his time. Hmmm.. It's a hobby and it's a team game. A hobby that I would gladly do for nothing (even gigging) as we all have day-jobs. You don't see many golfers demanding payment from the golf club for playing on their course - so why should a pub pay us for having a ball? There are thousands of ski-ers out there with expensive kit and horrendous travel costs, but they do it because they get pleasure from it. If I was in a band but baulked at having to actually play together too often, then I would have to seriously question if I had chosen the correct hobby.

Headstock fag-burn.