Conan

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1363117352' post='2008860'] I still keep a (rarely used) Fender J which I use when the occasional artist\band frown at anything other than Fender, just to keep the peace. (And secure me the gig! ) [/quote] That's just bizarre! It's bad enough that bass players have chips on their shoulders about Fenders, but why on earth would, for example, a keyboard player or vocalist have a strong opinion about the bass you turn up with? Where does that attitude come from I wonder? If somebody wants [i]me[/i] to play bass, or even audition for them to do so, then they have to accept [i]my[/i] taste in instruments - which may [i]include[/i] Fender, but certainly does not begin and end with them! I've had plenty of funny looks and "witty" comments about my Status, but to my knowledge have never had any responses along the lines of "sorry mate, you're a good player but we just don't think your bass would fit into this band...". Have other people experienced that? There are some strange people in this world...

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1363106855' post='2008624'] I can't agree with very limited variance of tone at all. [/quote] Me neither. That said, more tone variation comes from the player, the amp and any effects than it does from the bass. A P bass is clearly more limited due to only having the single pickup (well, you know what I mean!).... but a J bass is certainly not tonally restricted in any way (IMO). In fact, there are so many different sounds available from the typical J configuration that most players don't even bother to explore them, but stick with the "classic" bridge only or "both-on-full" settings.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1363106048' post='2008602'] The way I read it is that by implication "Leo get it right" means that there was no need to even think about looking at improving the bass guitar after the release of the Jazz bass in 1959/60. [/quote] That's not how I read it, I must admit. I take it to mean that even if Leo had a crystal ball and could see how music would evolve over the next 60 years, he still couldn't have designed/made a range of instruments that were [i]more[/i] suitable for use than the ones he came up with. Just look how many guitarists use Strats, for example. They can't all just be Fender sycophants - there must be something about the Strat that makes it still appeal to the grandchildren of the guitarists that first had access to it...

[quote name='DorsetBlue' timestamp='1363105258' post='2008586'] Not convinced by the Squier Affinity [/quote] Some of them have very good parts! I had one with an excellent neck. In fact, the only modding it "needed" was a pickup upgrade, some new pots and a bit of a tweak to the wiring. Total cost of modding around £50 and the bass cost £65 used. I ended up with a very playable, good sounding P bass for the cost of three sets of DR strings!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1363104353' post='2008563'] But don't go telling me that "Leo got it right" or other similar bollocks clichés when if you look at it objectively you'll see that actually all he did was get it slightly less wrong than his competitors of the time.[/quote] Nice use of tautology there. Right and wrong are relative terms, each defined by the other. If you are less wrong than everyone else, then you must be (by definition) more right. Right?

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1363095327' post='2008315'] .......... things have moved on. There are far better ways of building most things now than there was then & the bass guitar is just one among that very long list.[/quote] Hmmmm, maybe there are better ways of building them, but that doesn't mean that the end result is necessarily better. For example, my two main basses are a reasonable new (2009 I think) Fender J bass and a 1986 Status series II. Both are very well put together (despite being made from very different materials and using very different methods). Is one better than the other? Yes and no (IMO). The Status is undeniably a "better quality" instrument, and certainly took a lot more man-hours to design and assemble. It is a neck-thru rather than the BO Fender. It balances beautifully. It sustains for ever. It has no dead spots or inconsistencies on the neck. The pickups are silent. The preamp is powerful but usable (although 3 band would be better!). All in all, it is just a "better" bass than the Geddy Lee jazz. So why do I end up playing the J more, or even at all? Because, despite the dated design and production methods, Fender quite simply "got it right" with this bass (IMO). There may be different ways to get there, but the ultimate destination is the same - a bass that feels good, looks good and sounds good. New is not always better... Just look at architecture!

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1363094015' post='2008265'] tommyrot. [/quote] Oh? And why is that? I ask purely for info...

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1363092873' post='2008235'] Mostly the post before mine, [/quote] Ah. Yes. I understand now. And agree.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1363092709' post='2008229'] My initial suggestion was partially based on what the OP had listed in his signature. [/quote] Good point. The neck-thru thing appears to be the problem. Not that it is all that important really IMO... there are good basses with and good basses without. But if the OP wants something in the "J bass" style, then anything but a bolt-on neck is going to seriously increase the price and reduce the choice available...

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1363092459' post='2008223']Just let me clarify one more time though, I am talking about consensus in the bass making and bass playing world at large at the present time , as illustrated by market trends in basses and which type of instruments high profile players are using[/quote] I thought you made that point very clearly. Several times now... Some people don't listen.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1363088277' post='2008113'] Unfortunately the OPs budget IMO is totally unrealistic. [/quote] Or maybe some of the suggestions are unrealistic? Not all of us have a spare £2500 to spend on "another" bass...

Bear in mind that Vegemite is MIA*, so surely it must be better than Marmite? But what about "vintage" Marmite? [size=1]*Made In Australia[/size]

[quote name='alembic1989' timestamp='1363079972' post='2007892'] That's great..and no the thru neck is not necessarily a deal breaker..thanks for that. [/quote] They look fantastic, but get very mixed reviews... [url="http://www.talkbass.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/761/title/jazz-bass-24/cat/761"]http://www.talkbass.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/761/title/jazz-bass-24/cat/761[/url]

Well, if the thru-neck wasn't a deal-breaker, these are very nice... [url="http://www.musicradar.com/gear/guitars/electric/bass-guitars/4-string-electric/deluxe-series-jazz-bass-24-19710"]http://www.musicradar.com/gear/guitars/electric/bass-guitars/4-string-electric/deluxe-series-jazz-bass-24-19710[/url]

[quote name='fumps' timestamp='1362860084' post='2005535'] God I miss my Homer jack bass. [/quote]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1362758059' post='2004396'] So this is aimed at people who don't even play ? It doesn't even look like any of Geddy's basses [/quote] I have no idea [i]who[/i] it is aimed at. And would any non-bass players know the difference between a MIM/CIJ Fender Geddy, this bass or a handmade custom shop version specced for and used by the man himself? I suspect not. I wonder how many they have sold?

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1362755745' post='2004342'] Is there no limits to the depths some people will stoop to in order to pretend they are Geddy Lee ? [/quote] I agree to an extent.... but then again Rush have a lot of older (and presumably more wealthy) fans who might not fancy a T-shirt, but want to demonstrate how much of a fan they are by buying a bass guitar that looks a bit (in their eyes) like Geddy's. Or maybe they think that it brings them closer to one of their idols? It's all a bit odd really.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1362756037' post='2004348'] They are such beautiful basses that you need to ask yourself "....are they pieces of art"....or pieces of entertainment"[/quote] Only an entertainer would ask such a question. An artist would just [i]know[/i].

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1362752753' post='2004271'] I would say these are nothing like a Geddy Lee bass. The pickups are in the wrong place for a Geddy (and the wrong kind) the neck will be fatter than a Geddy one too. Definitely fanboy stuff given the pricetag... it's just a VM'77 with some stickers on. They are good basses for the money (usual money not this one) but nothing like a Geddy. [/quote] Exactly. That being the case, is someone (Rush and/or Fender) trying to pull a fast one here?

[quote name='jonsmith' timestamp='1362750312' post='2004218'] I haven't tried myself, but I'm told delivery of these is restricted to North America. [/quote] Yeah. I've just tried ordering one (just to see if it would work!) and it didn't. However, it is possible to use third party companies as US shipping addresses and they then post stuff on to the rest of the world, so it would be possible to get one if you were determined... Just seems an odd thing to sell in a band's merchandise store!

Just spotted this on the Rush website. Has anyone tried one of these? Are they meant to be similar to the "proper" Fender GL J bass? [url="http://www.rushbackstage.com/rushbackstage/accessories-etc/rush-fender-squier-clockwork-angels-bass.html"]http://www.rushbackstage.com/rushbackstage/accessories-etc/rush-fender-squier-clockwork-angels-bass.html[/url] Opinions?

[quote name='V2factoryman' timestamp='1362664928' post='2002984'] Is it just me or is it like a disease when you go on the forum in the "For Sale" sections and start foaming at the mouth? [/quote] No, that's a fairly normal reaction! [quote name='rednose200' timestamp='1362691098' post='2003546'] I really cant understand why anybody in their right mind would want to 'F' about with the electronics of a Geddy Lee Jazz. Just why would you ? If its modded then it isnt worth as much as a standard model - and if you should wish to pass on in the future then you should be aware of that, and be prepared to either struggle to sell it or get less for it. [/quote] Well, mine had been modded when I bought it, so the decision wasn't mine. But personally I don't see the problem in trying something different. If you've bought it, its your bass and you can do what you like to it. I actually like the sound of my Geddy with the EMGs. To my mind, the GL is simply a very good quality Fender J bass. It is very playable and has a lovely neck. There is no need to leave it exactly as it is unless you are some sort of sad Geddy clone. And don't forget, Lee himself doesn't play one of those basses, but a series of Custom Shop variations... [quote name='Wylie' timestamp='1362699741' post='2003729']Me neither! My standard Geddy pickups are hot!![/quote] I wouldn't know...

[quote name='Dandelion' timestamp='1362734939' post='2003900'] It does not sit too well on the lap[/quote] It does if you play with a kind of "classical guitar" position, with the bass between your legs (as it were...).

I had a five string version and it was a decent bass. I just found it slightly "polite" for my tastes. Not so much soundwise, but I just couldn't set the action quite high enough to allow me to dig in a bit.... Good value if you can pick up a second-hand one and they have quite a useable range of tones. The twin-pickup version would be more versatile though....