Marvin

Single-cuts, gold hardware and coffee table finishes is about it really. And I don't like Rickenbackers, ugly, messy looking things.

The same cab is over £100 cheaper from Thomann. It's not cheap gear...but it is good

I have no advice but all the best, sounds great.

I tnink I'll always need a p bass and this one makes the right noises...for now

I've not had a chance to really explore my TH350 yet. However, from what little dabbling I have done it could probably cover quite a lot of ground. I mucked about the drive and gain last night and could get a nice clean type tone but also when cranked a good dirty one. I think it's a lovely little piece of kit. I must admit I haven't noticed the fan, even when I told everybody to shut up last night at practice I still had to listen for it. And it's monsterously loud for such a tiny box, gain and drive @12o'clock and master @9o'clock last night could be heard as clear as a bell and our drummer uses lump hammers for drum sticks

Firstly the spec.[list] [*]Color: Amber [*]Body Material: Soft Maple [*]Body Finish: Polyester [*]Body Shape: Precision Bass [*]Neck Material: Maple [*]Neck Finish: Polyurethane [*]Neck Shape: "C" Shape [*]Scale Length: 34" (864 mm) [*]Fingerboard: Maple [*]Fingerboard Radius: 9.5" (241 mm) [*]Number of Frets: 20 [*]Fret Size: Medium Jumbo [*]String Nut: Synthetic Bone [*]Nut Width: 1.625" (41.3 mm) [*]Position Inlays: Dot [*]Neck Plate: 4-Bolt Engraved [*]Middle Pickup: Duncan Designed™ PB101 Split Single-Coil [*]Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone [*]Pickup Configuration: Split Single-Coil [*]Bridge: 4-Saddle Standard [*]Hardware Finish: Chrome [*]Tuning Machines: Standard Open-Gear [*]Pickguard: 3-Ply Black [*]Control Knobs: Dome Style [/list] I've been on the lookout for a Precision style bass since joining my new band recently. There's nothing wrong with my V7 jazz, but I wanted that P bass tone for the sort of music we play and, in part, the look...and also the fact I wanted something that could take a few knocks as I've become quite precious about the V7, despite it not being an expensive bass. I found this Squier VM on Nevada Music's website in the second hand section. Having dutifully looked elsewhere and noticed that prices for all Squiers seem to have gone up quite a bit the £150 inc delivery and 3 month warranty seemed a good deal, so I took the plunge. Nevada's second hand section says all instruments receive a service and set up. Not a complaint, but whoever it was set up for must have had archery as their second interest. I've adjusted the set up to something much more playable and given the pots a squirt of servisol as they were a little scratchy. Otherwise, Nevada Music packed it well and it arrived in very good time. Apart from the screw holes for pickup and bridge covers that must have been on the bass and a small amount of greasy palm marks on the neck, it's nigh on spotless, it looks as near new as possible really. No dings or scratches at all. I didn't expect to like this bass. I wasn't overly taken with the colour and I fully expected to flip it. However, it's a bit of a cracker. Having got the set up decent I've played it constantly for the last week or so and to both band practices we've had recently. I don't have a problem with nut widths it's the thickness that does for me and this bass is fine. It's has a 41.3mm nut but the neck is quite shallow back to front and I find it very comfortable to play. I would have preferred a lacquered rather than satin finish but that's a minor thing. A bone nut would have been nice What does it sound like? It sounds like a p bass, it thumps and sounds great with my new band (we play indie punk rock originals). The Seymour designed pickups are quite powerful and loud. It just sounds like it's supposed to, so no complaints there. When I 'squirted' the pots I was pleased to see how neat the control cavity was and that it was all properly grounded. All in all it's a very nice bass. HOWEVER, brand new this would have cost about the same as a Sire Marcus Miller V7. So how does it compare in that way? Apart from the set up I also sanded the back of the neck on the Squier. Where the skunk strip was inlaid you could clearly feel a ridge where it met the maple. The Sire blows it out of the water quite frankly. Second hand the Squier is good value for a bass that I'll use for gigging as it can take a few knocks but in terms of overall finish, quality and sound the Sire easily takes first prize. I still like the Squier though [attachment=214213:IMG_0036.jpg] [attachment=214214:IMG_0038.jpg] [attachment=214215:IMG_0045.jpg]

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1457201547' post='2996343'] What preamp's do these basses have in them.? [/quote] Sire's own, designed in conjunction with Marcus Miller.

Cheers. Plenty of options there, thanks.

I spent some time researching combos before I bought the Rumble 500. I considered, didn't get to try it, the Ampeg but dismissed for a few reasons. Firstly, quite fickle of me, but the BA combos look dreadful. Then there's the fact they weight quite a bit and they cost more. Finally, unlike the Rumble, the Ampegs don't have a matching series of ext cabs so you can get the full beans out of the larger combos. I ended up buying the Rumble 500, and I was more than happy with it. Features, price, weight, size, practicability, flexibility and tone. IMO Fender have really hit the mark with the Rumble range, especially in terms of tone. They've done a lot of work an made a great sounding combo, I'd tend to go for as much 'power' as I could afford. Although the Rumble 200 does seem a bit of a weak link.

Only ever done one function, an awards evening. It was a lot of waiting around but better than a pub gig. It was held in a marquee so the sound of the band...well, travelled far. One local resident, dressed in what looked like some grubby shorts and a vest 'arrived' at the function, which was dinner jacket and ball gowns, to complain. He happened to come up to us, the band, who'd only just come off stage for the DJ to finish the night. We promptly passed him on to the 'organiser' of said event.

I've just bought a Squier P bass and it's got a satin finish on the neck and fingerboard. What's the best thing to clean and maintain these boards/necks with? I did read lighter fluid.

I'll be keeping the TH350 I bought recently. It's doing a great job in the Indie Punk band I've joined. Playing around with the gain and drive produces a range of sounds. ...and it's stupidly light

[quote name='EmmettC' timestamp='1456579706' post='2990439'] The pickups on the American Deluxe are passive, but there is an active preamp. It's quite common to change the pickups and keep the preamp. Active pickups are less common, EMG being the main one that springs to mind, as far as I know changing EMG pickups to passive would mean changing the rest of the electonics too, but no such problem with your bass. [b]Change the battery, and try it through another amp, in fact try changing everything in the chain before doing anything drastic.[/b] [/quote] I would go with this as a first step. Just plugging your gear into a different socket might help. I used to have an amp that would make a clicking noise if I plugged it into the sockets in my dinning room but was fine in the living room. But I would also try a different amp as well. [quote name='handman' timestamp='1456583474' post='2990480'] Hi jayv, shielding is quite easy to do , the copper tape can be bought from Amazon or eBay and there are detailed instructions on talkbass, no special tools are needed just a screwdriver and some care .I recently bought an okoume jazz bass which has n3 noiseless I did the shielding on that bass but it made no difference to the noisey operation, I would like to add I have shieded 3 jazz basses before and they were all successful, in the end I replaced the pick-ups and now have a completely silent bass. The pick ups are just not very good. [/quote] If I can shield a bass almost anyone can. It's fairly straightforward and there are plenty of instructional videos online. As 'handman' says though, sometimes it won't work and it's just a set of crap pickups. The worst thing about shielding is catching your fingers on the edge of copper tape...it's like a paper cut but worse.

There are a couple of decent sale groups, run by BC members I believe. I find the discussion groups a waste of time to be honest. It's difficult to track discussions in Facebooks format. And gear discussions decend into US made is awesome far east is crap, with that and the usual trolls, a complete time waster

You pay UK vat when buying from Thomann, EU law.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1456426833' post='2988974'] Thanks, but don't buy one on the strength of my review - you may be disappointed. Seriously though, they would be great at twice the price. [/quote] Calm down that man

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1456248416' post='2987065'] They're too light, people prefer amps that weigh around 12kg. Tone Hammers tend to blow away in the slightest breeze. [/quote] I was using my TH last night, I sneezed and it flew off the top of my cab 😳

Big heavy rigs are great...until you have to move the things. I only ever went as far as a 410 cab and rack mount amp and other bits but that was enough. Even the 30 steps from the car to rehearsal room become tedious. Give me lightweight any day, my current amp weighs 3lbs or just over 1.3kg.

Incompetent fretboard botherer and string tickler. If pressed I'd use the term bass player as I play bass. I never use the term guitar when referring to the instrument so wouldn't use guitarist. Bass guitar just doesn't sound right to me, it's a bass.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1456087896' post='2985313'] Front to back. It's a pb50. [/quote] That makes sense, thanks Just increased my GAS level.

I'm very very tempted by the JB-75. I've been toying with getting a back up/2nd jazz or p bass and was looking at old Squiers. These HB's are cheaper...as for quality, from what I've seen and heard, the HB's seem very good indeed. [quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1456084696' post='2985274'] I've got one, easily the equal of a squier or similar. Proper chunky neck though. [/quote] I assume you mean from front to back rather than nut width. Is that on the JB-75 or the PB50?

I'm neither Italian or helpful...that's me out on both.

I can't play guitar and would only ever get to be a really crap rhythm guitarist and rhythm guitar is sadder than bass..so yeah for bass! ????