Conan

By the sound of things, to get what you want you are either going to have to get it made for you or build it yourself. Limelight basses are pretty popular on here at the moment, and they are mostly made up to the buyer's specs from bought-in parts (from what I have read). Good prices too...

I recently bought a "cheap" bass - J&D brothers Jazz, which came with their own strings. No idea who makes them (as it is highly unlikely to be J&D themselves). The sound and play great! I have had no need or desire to change them at all. In fact, if I could find out what brand they are I would happily buy some more of them!

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1405017664' post='2498013'] Crikey ! [/quote] Yep - to the point where I had my amp serviced as I thought something must be wrong! Once I switched back to a nice, passive J bass; the problem mysteriously disappeared (and there was nothing wrong with my amp...)

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1405023520' post='2498093'] Where does 'do 90s basses count as vintage' come into all this? [/quote] I think the OP is implying that the seller of this T-bird is asking a silly high price, and the only possible justification for doing so would be that he is labouring under the misconception that the bass is somehow a "vintage" - and therefore worth more than it really is... Or that's my interpretation, anyway...

It was called the "slap-plate" and AFAIAA it didn't conceal a pickup - it just gave a more percussive edge to slap played on a fretless bass. They occasionally come up for sale on here - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/134054-withdrawn-wilkes-4-string-fretless-with-slap-plates/"]http://basschat.co.u...th-slap-plates/[/url] They were never very common or popular, for reasons I fail to understand. Maybe there are not that many people who like to slap on a fretless bass? Edit - I stand corrected on the hidden pickup! (Sorry icastle! ). From his own website: [i]"In his pursuit to become the best guitar builder, he also patented several innovative ideas. His slap plates on bass guitars with pick-ups in the neck have since been copied by manufacturers worldwide. Another design was a half-fretted, half-fretless bass, which gave players the option and versatility of two instruments in one."[/i]

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1404995984' post='2497669'] I think the problem with carbon and sounding brittle is because most people associate it with a Status strung up with 30s. Playing traditional bass lines on a bass that is setup to play like Mark King is never going to sound anything but brittle. Along with string gauge, martthebass is right, electronics are the biggest player. [/quote] With respect, there is more to sounding like Mark King than using a Status series II strung with superwound 30s.... I know - I tried back in the late eighties! I don't find my Status to be at all "brittle", "sterile", "hi-fi", "soul-less" or any of the other words used to attempt to describe tone. I find it to be rich, clear and musical - whatever strings I put on it. I think the new JJB sounds interesting...

[quote name='Hot Rod (Wizard) Pickups' timestamp='1405076518' post='2498564'] Please check out our first of many bass pickup demos to come: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GauV3Y2HpiE&feature=youtu.be"]https://www.youtube....eature=youtu.be[/url] [/quote] The title says 64s, but the video states 84s... which is it?

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1405073673' post='2498531'] you do NOT need the original packaging to return an item that is faulty and unfit for purpose. [/quote] I'd be willing to bet that Thomann will send you another set free of charge. Got to be worth an e-mail

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1405068327' post='2498428'] A lot of people criticising Warwick's attitude on here but we don't know what their actual response was. [/quote] Oh really! I don't believe for one moment that this could happen on Basschat!

[quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1405004366' post='2497815'] What key do you do No One Knows in? [/quote] It's in C isn't it? No mentions for Green day here? They usually go down pretty well... although there best tunes certainly were more than 10 years ago, if that is important.

[quote name='The Badderer' timestamp='1405001483' post='2497759'] Sorry conan my writing close to midnight may have not been clear. [/quote] No worries - my bad too! Getting confused in my old age...

Nice colour/neck combo! What makes you suspect (allegedly) that it may not be what it was claimed to be? The price seems very good (especially with the case) - although I didn't realise that Fender were making basses in Japan quite as early as that... You could check the serial number with Fender themselves if you want to be sure

[quote name='The Badderer' timestamp='1404947024' post='2497310'] *Disclaimer I have only played the ACG for an hour total* [/quote] I think that's the main issue right there. Like the Wals that in some ways inspired them, many users say that it takes time to learn to get the best out of their ACG basses - especially the ones with the bespoke circuitry. And some basses are just less "shouty" than others! I haven't owned a Warwick, but I found this to be the case with my Spector Euro. It would overdrive the input section on my LH500 and when I cut the bass and treble controls to levels that reduced this, the sound just wasn't the same. Maybe, in your setup, the ACG would be helped by a pedal of some description? Just to add some more of the "richness" (or call it what you will) that you are used to with the Warwick and Spector.... Worth a try!

[quote name='basshead56' timestamp='1404966685' post='2497350'] I think there are chancers and bludgers everywhere! haha [/quote] This! Offer him what[i][b] you [/b][/i]think is a reasonable price, explaining how you have come to that conclusion. If he refuses - his loss, not yours. It is definitely a buyer's market at the moment.

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1404905280' post='2496814'] But when you play heavy and dig in, the lack of resistance means you can play faster nearer the neck. [/quote] That's odd - I find totally the opposite! I have a heavy-handed style as well.... Neither of us are [b][i]wrong[/i][/b] of course - just different!

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1404904701' post='2496809']people would come up to me at every gig and tell me that I would be a really good player if I had a proper bass, and that by using a Squier I'd ruined the whole evening for them... [/quote]

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1404861722' post='2496566'] I don't really play the Ric anymore but when I sounded out a trade value for another P bass I was getting offered significantly less than £1k! If I do swap it in, where's the best place to get my money back/a trade? [/quote] From what I've heard, Mark at Limelight is pretty generous when it comes to trades in exchange for his basses... Maybe drop Discreet a PM on that subject?

[quote name='Jestermab' timestamp='1404892170' post='2496660']I have a variety of bass amps, both solid state and valve with a selection of cabs which are the best you can get.[/quote] No offence, and I'm sure it is not the reason for your lower pickup output - but many would argue that Orange and Markbass cabs are far from being "the best you can get"...

I've got one of these [url="http://www.andertons.co.uk/bass-combos/pid24520/cid687/ashdown-perfect-ten-40-watt-bass-practice-amp.asp?LGWCODE=24520;56375;2717&utm_source=googlebase&utm_term=PERFECTTEN40&utm_medium=pricecomp&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CjwKEAjwre6dBRC94d-Gma7g3wcSJACNatZeuuOOWcfrZzM1kJY1m8IM7qeKZCqtbp_Rrr6R2d8qdBoCJq_w_wcB"]http://www.andertons.co.uk/bass-combos/pid24520/cid687/ashdown-perfect-ten-40-watt-bass-practice-amp.asp?LGWCODE=24520;56375;2717&utm_source=googlebase&utm_term=PERFECTTEN40&utm_medium=pricecomp&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CjwKEAjwre6dBRC94d-Gma7g3wcSJACNatZeuuOOWcfrZzM1kJY1m8IM7qeKZCqtbp_Rrr6R2d8qdBoCJq_w_wcB[/url] which I really like. Good price too Mine is a few years old and I'm fairly sure it is 30 watts, whereas the new version is claiming 40... I gigged with it at the weekend To be fair, it was in a smallish room in a castle, and the drummer was using his electronic kit - but I got a decent sound that was plenty loud enough. If you play with a quietish band, then some of these "practice" amps are loud enough to gig. I also use it at rehearsals sometimes... make of that what you will!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1404762415' post='2495530'] Are you going to put a Fender decal on it? [/quote] Perish the thought! But I am going to get the headstock painted in the same colour. This will, of course, obscure the makers' name... Not that I am trying to hide that! I think I will either leave it plain of get a "jokey" decal made in the same style as the "Fecker" one on my fretless J bass copy. Maybe something like "Bender"... although that may have certain connotations

I've just got one of these. Delivered on friday, and gigged on saturday night! All it needed was a set-up and a bit of a tweak to the action. The strings sounded and felt great and the response is very even across all strings and frets. I didn't notice any of the sharp fret ends that others have referred to. The surf green colour was a very close match for my guitarist's Fender Custom Shop Strat, so that's another tick in a box! I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this instrument. Even when I switched to my CIJ Geddy Lee in the second set, the only thing that I really noticed as the slimmer neck. My bandmates couldn't believe the quality for such a low price. For £119 you just can't go wrong!! How on earth can they produce such a good bass for the price of a decent set of pickups? Highly recommended!

Generally I would say that the overal sound of the band comes first, but if you are not happy with how YOU sound, then it is likely to affect your playing and potentially your relationship with your bandmates. For what it's worth, I've never put my bass through the PA for pub gigs, but obviously electronic instruments like drums and keys will need to unless they use their own backline. What do they think about the sounds they get through your PA? What kind of PA is it? Is it capable of pumping out decent bass at reasonable volumes? I would have thought that unlikely if it is the usual, portable kind of thing... Whatever your chosen solution, it needs to be sorted out as it is clearly bothering you.