retroman

+1 for the Lemmy thing. Probably why I have a Rickenbacker! Always been a big Motorhead fan...... Cliff Burton, Alan Davey, and Steve Harris banged the final nails into the coffin

One that deserves a mention; Scott Reeder of Kyuss/ The Obsessed/ Goatsnake fame. A lefty who has been hammering out some huge bass riffs for years, and never really seems to get the mention that he deserves. Seem to remember that he plays bare footed as well!? Over rated? Any muso type that can play a hundred notes a second, but don't seem to be able to play a song.

The Mrs very generously bought me a 30th anniversary Stingray for Christmas. She is a star! I have had the bass for some time though, as I couldn't wait until Christmas for it I got money from the rest of my family so I could go out and treat myself. A trip to Electro's in Donny saw me return with a set of Delano pickups for one of my P's. They have given it a lovely warm tone.

I feel that it is important that everyone has an equal say. I play in a 3 piece, so there are times when playing the root, and following the guitar line works, and then times when a driving bass line really brings life to a song. I took over the bass reigns in this band earlier this year, although I had known the singer guitarist for a lot longer. One song left over from the original line up is very simple guitar wise, so I came up with a driving, funky bass line that uses roots, fifths, and octaves, and it really brings the song to life. But if the other two guys didn't like it, I would have just taken it on the chin. There are times when the singer guitarist will make suggestions for bass parts, and I am more than happy to try them out, and then again there are times when the drummer chips in, or I'll chip in over guitar/drum parts. I think that it is very important that everyone has the same goals both musically, and professionally. It helps if you are all good friends too! I would never want to play in a dictatorship though.......some people might be cool with it, but I can't stand being barked orders sgt major style. Nor can I play stuff that I am not 100% into. I once quit a band through one of those situations

Might also be worth checking out the thundering stoner rock bass god that is Scott Reader, of Kyuss/ The Obsessed fame. That guy has certainly belted out some killer low end grooves in his time. Think there is an interview with him showing some of his techniques on YouTube, from a website called "Riff By Riff", or something like that.

1) Get a decent demo recorded 2) Get some bigger Gigs 3) Try and at least break even! 4) Continue to improve my finger style 5) Finally get a result on an ongoing warranty issue on a certain £1K+ bass that I have put in my loft in disgust...........

For Looks alone, T Bird, Buzzard, or a Ric

I think it fair to say that Ric's are a real Marmite bass.....You either love 'em, or hate 'em I have a '80 4001 in JetGlo, and I love it to bits. Played through my SVT Classic, and 610HLF cab, it's a real tone monster. It has a really fast slim neck, with a really low action. It weighs a ton though! They are totally different to play to Fender type stuff though (I have a Jazz, and 3 P's). They have a slightly shorter scale, and the strings are very close to the edge of the fret board. Also, I think anyone used to Fenders would find the bridge, and the pickups very strange and awkward to start with. I would recommend playing one for an hour or so to see if you get used to it/ grow to love it. I would also consider going the second hand route, as the full retail on a new one is horrendous.

I have a Squier Affinity Jazz that I use for band practice. It's fitted with the EMG J set, and sounds awesome! Really growly tone. The build quality is excellent, and really hard to fault, unlike a certain 1K+ bass I bought recently...... IMHO, a MIA Fender is not 1K better than a Squier by a long shot

Good thread I seem to favour Mahogony bodied basses. Seem to give a much deeper, thicker, fatter tone to my ears. The three I have that are built this was are my Thunderbird, Stingray, and Ibanez IC200. The Stingray, and the Ibanez both have bolt on maple necks, with rosewood boards. Another real tone monster I have is my old faithful Rickenbacker 4001, which dates to 1980. Totally different tone to the above, and tends to have much more of a "voice" in the midrange frequency, and sounds awesome when playing chords. Pickups are a bit on the quiet side in this one though. Also have several lumps of Fenderesque type timber floating about. 3 P's, and a Jazz. 2 of the P's, and the Jazz are pretty much the same umplugged, and have rosewood boards. But the one that stands out is my old Aria Legend, which was my first bass. It's got a maple neck and board, and a ply body. don't ask me why, but it's the loudest bass I have for playing unplugged! It plays really nice, and has a good fat tone when plugged in too. As far as electronics go, for tone, I seem to favour good old fashioned passive. But I have to admit, I have recently gone into the world of active, and they do make life easier if the backline is supplied, and you're not sure what you will be getting on the night. Pickups certainly can make a huge difference, as I have found out with my Squier Jazz bass, and Squier Precision Special. The Jazz has the EMG active setup, and the P has SD Quarter Pounders. Then there is always the debate on construction. Bolt on v's through neck, different laminates, bridges, nuts, use of composite materials, headstock angle, etc

[quote name='Rayman' post='664272' date='Nov 24 2009, 08:11 PM']Yep, my Trace Elliot blew up halfway through a wedding gig, just as the bride and groom had started to dance. I plugged straight into the PA and did the rest of the gig that way. I got the Trace repaired no problem, but I was nervous for a few gigs after that. Apparently the power amp had blown, a common problem in older models I'm told.[/quote] Sounds familiar......... Used to use a Trace Elliot 7 band EQ thingy in rehearsal with my old band. That blew the power amp, and filled the room with choking smoke. Then exactly the same thing happened with my AH600 V-Type head. Getting the V-Type repaired wasn't that funny either. Eventually got someone on the phone at Trace, and managed to get a replacement board. My repair guru told me that the power amp section had absolutely no circuit protection what so ever. IMHO, I'm never surprised to hear of Ashdown amps doing the same thing, as they were developed by ex-TE engineers weren't they?? Felt totally un nerved recently at Derbyshire Band Of The Year, as we weren't allowed to use our own amps, and the bass amp supplied was a Trace

Sooo, maybe all the YouTube hero's got off their beds and went to Bassday then? :brow:

If it's any help, I've just fitted the active EMG J set to my Squier Jazz, with no problems. 9V battery fitted easily inside the cavity

Cheers I am also thinking of going the black pick guard route on mine. I'll see if I can post up some pictures of it later

My good allrounder would have to be my 3EQ Stingray. Very versatile, and always gets a good sound if I am playing either pick or finger style. My Squier Jazz loaded with EMG's is also a good bass for this. For retro sounds I love my Rickenbacker 4001, and my Gibson Thuderbird. I play these mostly with a pick, and the Ric sounds gorgeous when playing chord and arpegiated type stuff. The Tbird is a good, growly, low end driven rock monster. P basses are good at getting the job done, and sound best when played with a pick IMHO My old Gibson EB2 has to be a sinner in terms of being versatile! I love that bass to bits, but it is definately a one trick pony. But what a trick For low end, it can make a 5 string sound weedy. True 70's wooly, trouser flapping bass. Lovely thin, fast, short scale neck as well. Never fails to put a smile on my face when I pick it up. Sounds just the same playing with a pick or finger style. I think trying to play slap on one of these would be plain silly! IMHO, Ibanez make some good value for money allrounders as well

The Affinity I have isn't ply

Reference above comment about Squier's being s***............... I've got a Squier Affinity series Jazz. It's very well built, came very well set up straight out the box. I've fitted a better bridge, upgraded it with the EMG J set, and it is now the main bass I use for practice sessions, and my main back up bass. I have several basses that cost £1K PLUS. I still have change out of the price of a Mex Jazz, and in terms of sounds, and build quality, it just makes the USA models look a complete rip off Being a "real" Fender is only a headstock decal away........

Thought I would do a bit of a "progress report" on this bass The tuners are now much improved after a strip down, and reassembly with some nice thin grease. I have also carried out a pretty serious upgrade on it today.....It's now active! I have fitted the EMG J Set, which comes as a complete kit, with matched pickups, replacement pots, jack socket, and hardware. A nice touch is the pots and socket are pre wired, so it's only the pickup wires that required any soldering. Fairly easy to install, and the battery fits into the standard routing. The kit has vastly improved the tonal range of the bass, which now gives a really fat bottom end, and crisp, bright highs. OK, maybe not as much range as my 3EQ MM Stingray, but still quite impressive IMHO. This bass has become my main bass at practice sessions. It now stands me at around £350, which is still less than a MIM, and it would certainly now give a USA Jazz a serious kicking

I've been using Autoglym Super Resin Polish on my basses for absolutely years. Always brings them up like new, be they nitro, or poly finish

Love the old EB2's If you fancy an EB2 on a budget, how about one of the reissue Epiphone Rivoli's from the late 90's? They came in sunburst, and can be had for sensible money off Ebay

I've already had my Christmas present from Mrs R She has very kindly bought me a 30th Anniversary Stingray

Don't forget to check out the Squier versions! Myself, and a few others have recently been very impressed with the Squier Jazz bass, and the Classic Vibe model is getting rave reviews. One of these would be well within budget, and as above, you could always retrofit it with a pre-amp, and if you want to look the part, fit a Fender headstock decal

Thanks Chaps Saddle screw heights is something that I too have found annoying - especially with Fender style bridges, where the screws are that tiny they are bound to be sharp. I have to admit, I have already modified it!! I had a Gotoh style bridge kicking about, which is a much nicer piece of kit, and has the Fender screw spacing. so I thought "why not"! Has improved the sustain a small amount over the original bent tin jobbie. Rich, Dave and the gang offered me a coffee several times, bless 'em. They're a top bunch, and I have been going in there for years. I had to decline the coffee, as there aren't many places to stop to answer the call of nature between Donny, and Chesterfield! Electro's really doesn't do my GAS any good at all, hence my calling the place "dangerous" I have to admit, the Tokai was very tempting, as I know they are one of the best budget manufacturers out there, IMHO. But, I asked myself the same question as the USA Fender...........Is it really worth the extra money over the Squier? The answer was no.

If you can find one second hand........ I used to have a Trace Elliot V-Type full rig, with the 1528 V-Type 2X15 cab. Provided lots of serious low end. It's a full sized cab, and rather a weighty beast though. The early versions were available in green carpet, later ones in black vinyl/tolex.