Fionn

Strictly from personal experience ... I've played only two Mexican basses, both jazzes, both pigs of things. I would never think about buying one of these without playing it and looking it over first. That goes for any Fender though.

You'll find this interesting ... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ARZGwfhC_U"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ARZGwfhC_U[/url]

The bass player in the picture doesn't get the females only because he plays a drab p-bass. If he played a Warwick he'd be a total flange-magnet.

Light, compact, powerful, good-sounding, value for money ... As a 1-unit solution you could go for the Gallien-Krueger MB212. It puts out a mighty 500w @ 4ohms through its twin 12" neo speakers. Uber-light too. It only weighs 41lbs. Or as somebody mentioned previously, you could go for the MB210 which is even lighter, cheaper, and more compact. It still has the 500w amp, but it's rated at 8ohms, so you'll only get 350w of that from the combo alone.

[quote name='Handwired' timestamp='1390056527' post='2340977'] [size=4]If you're going to play with drums then go for the bigger set up. The GB stuff, as you say, is being given away at the moment. You will only rattle windows if you turn up. One thing to bear in mind is that if you do commit to a bigger rig you’ll try harder to find some band mates, if only to help justify your purchase and one more Bassist making music has got to be a good thing.[/size] [/quote] Good answer. Your practice amp is not suitable for a band situation. The Genz Benz contour combos are suitable, and when you eventually get into the gigging you can boost the output with an extension cab, if necessary. For £299 these are a bargain. I don't know of anything better and more suited to purpose that you could buy new for that money. I would say go for it!

Check out the Afronauts. I defy anyone to listen to this and not feel the urge to shake it down. SOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!! ... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jMq3bIpo0s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jMq3bIpo0s[/url]

I've been listening to Bootsy Collins at work all morning, working through his early albums, lovin it, and just thought I should post this so other folk might benefit from some bargain Bootsy funk. I bought a box set of his first 5 solo studio albums a while ago. The 1970's stuff, straight off the back of Parliament Funkadelic. A heavy host of p-funkers play on these albums, Clinton production, groovelicious stuff! Anyway, the box set costs less than £15 delivered That's less than £3 per album. Yeah baby ... [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Album-Series-5-Pack/dp/B003097AFQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389788685&sr=8-1&keywords=bootsy+collins"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Album-Series-5-Pack/dp/B003097AFQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389788685&sr=8-1&keywords=bootsy+collins[/url]

My first bass was a Sunn Mustang P-bass copy. Obviously not the Strat that you're asking about, but this info might give you some kind of impression ...It was a surprisingly nice feeling bass, great neck, solid wood body. I sanded it down and found that it was three pieces of a light and relatively soft wood. These instruments were made in India. There's some kind of Fender association although I'm not sure what it is exactly. Someone will probably be along to clarify.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1389623212' post='2336200'] Seeing the above, here's another fretless beaut, that may not be to everyone's taste: I've just done it up as a refin and done a build diary, if anyone's interested its [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/225195-wishbass-refinrebuild/page__st__30"]here[/url] The body is poplar with "go faster stripes" in purpleheart. The bridge and nut are new and made of ebony. [/quote] Oooof! that's lovely!

Hmmm. I'd be miffed too. It's a bad show, if their website is still stating the lighter weight and Italian manufacture. naughty naughty

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1389292960' post='2332533'] Too high and it looks like you're stroking your beard, too low and it looks like you're scratching your nuts. [/quote] Brilliant!!! High slingers = Beard strokers low slingers = Nut scratchers Anyone in the middle is either a beard scratcher or a nut stroker!

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1389484465' post='2334776'] I also recommend the Jazz Bar. Lots of Jazz and lots of other stuff too.[/quote] +1 It's on Chambers Street, same street as the National Museum of Scotland. That's well worth a look too. Entry to the museum is free and it's AMAZING.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1389488742' post='2334826'] i know i over post music. but i will say hands down this is the best soul album i have ever heard. they are so so good. from NewYork, without doubt my number 1. the harmonies are just fabulous, the bass playing, the horn section. [/quote] You don't post too much music for me dude. You've got really good taste. I love the Rebirth

I'd turn the input and output controls to minimum. Bring up the input until the signal from your bass is just clipping the orange led, then bring up the output until the volume between the effected and dry signal is the same (unity).

Are you saying that the led meter is constantly maxed out? Does the threshold control have no effect whatsoever?

this ... [url="http://www.genzbenz.com/?fa=detail&mid=2864&sid=705&cid=95"]http://www.genzbenz.com/?fa=detail&mid=2864&sid=705&cid=95[/url]

[quote name='tobiewharton' timestamp='1389379655' post='2333693'] Will the 10-inch speakers give enough low end for a five-string too? How advisable is an extension cab such as the Genz Benz FCS-115T? Thanks again. [/quote] 10" speakers are perfectly fine for a five string bass. I would be inclined to go for a 2x10" extension cab.

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1389308724' post='2332818'] Surprised as you may be, but the thing I dislike most about that is the pickup choice and placement... [/quote] For sure. It doesn't look too shabby for £170.

[quote name='0175westwood29' timestamp='1389287949' post='2332437'] name and shame id say [/quote] Absolutely.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1389172353' post='2330772'] Pocket science? [/quote] hahaha! brilliant.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1389152836' post='2330703'] I can see the logic of that thinking, about transmission of vibrations etc. However, in practice... how much a shim compromises this? I have used shims, and one of my basses has a micro-tilt mechanism to achieve what a shim achieves... and have I ever felt the basses were inferior in any way? Not at all. When I installed a shim, the only difference has been that I was able to improve the playability of an instrument without hurting its sound whatsoever... Shims allow to adjust the neck/body angle subtly but significantly. Mass production basses are not all identical, some neck pockets/necks fit better than others... it's the way they're made. Elegant? Perhaps not much. But it works and I doubt anybody would be able to tell whether a bass has a shim without dismantling it. I know I could not. [/quote] Maybe so, but that's not a thing which is well made. Is it unreasonable to expect that an instrument which costs several hundred pounds should have an accurately constructed neck joint? In this example of mass-production, is it unreasonable to expect that the manufacturer should take the time to match necks to the bodies of these expensive products? In my professional opinion (I'm a silversmith), anything less is plain sloppiness/ complacency on the part of the manufacturer. The joiner who fitted my kitchen would get that join right, so a company which has made millions of guitars should be able to do the same, it's not rocket science. Opinions will differ. I've heard it said that the charm of Fenders is in their apparent "imperfections". That is maybe so, but It makes a mockery of those folk who bang on about the tonal difference between a rosewood and maple fretboard, etc. Such fine nuances, translated through a shim .... really???

Does anyone know what the fingerboard radius is on old Aria SB's? I've got a fretless SB900 (1981). The previous owner had been using round-wounds and has marked the fingerboard a wee bit. He has really dug in on the "A" string and created tiny wee grooves at the 3rd and 5th fret positions. I would like to smooth it back to perfection, so I can get the action as low as a thick mwahhhh will permit. I just need to know which radius block to buy (or borrow) for the task.