therealting

[quote name='Bridgehouse' timestamp='1487883139' post='3243934'] Yet more research for me to do [/quote] Love my two (: You didn't say whether you'd rule out fivers.

43mm on that Hohner 5er is still narrower than my 61P! (44mm)

Seems like it would be awfully narrow to me...

[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1487803055' post='3243167'] I thought fanned frets were really cool the first time I noticed them. But they're just a fad. [/quote] I quite like mine, as I do my parallel fret basses. Things go in and out of fashion in this and all other worlds. They do play differently, and for those who like them nothing else is quite the same.

I think fanned frets are also becoming popular because advances in CNC technology mean that they are easier and more affordable to manufacture, meaning more players buy them, making them more affordable to manufacture...

The Fender 9050Ls are just about my favourite flats. I have Chromes on my Dingwall Super P and they are great, TI Flats on my 56 P and 9050Ls on all my other flatwound string basses.

£8k is a hell of a lot of money. I personally wouldn't spend that on a bass unless I knew EXACTLY what I wanted. £2k on a Sadowsky would be money very well spent IMO.

They can be rewired easily if required. My Super J5 has an East J-Retro Deluxe with a blend control. It does mean I don't have pickups-in-series as an option, but I don't miss it.

Let us know how you get on.

Around the £1k mark depending on condition seems to be about right. I've heard they're pretty substantial basses.

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1487265132' post='3238505'] I could understand it one way 'round; less so the other. That is to say, I could understand turning down an instrument which sounded good and was a delight to play because you couldn't get on with the appearance. Conversely, investing in an instrument for its looks, even if you knew it sounded terrible, seems like a daft use of money to me. And I speak as someone who is really very shallow when it comes to the appearance of guitars and basses! [/quote] But who says it has to sound terrible (I didn't)? We live in an age where basses are generally pretty well made, set up services are widespread, and pickups and electronics are easily available and replaced. Modern instruments (eg Fender types) are reasonably consistent these days, and if someone wants a reliced one vs a pristine one because they like how it looks then what's the big deal? And that's assuming they sound and play equally well - some people prefer how the aged ones feel and play.

[quote name='Jazzjames' timestamp='1487250090' post='3238354'] I think you need to think carefully about why you want the instrument. Is it to look cool or to make music on? [/quote] Why not both? Most of us have bought instruments because they look cool for one reason or another, and most of us have decided not to buy otherwise fantastic instruments because they didn't like the way they looked. What's wrong with getting a bass because you like the way it looks? Is getting a newer bass that has been reliced to look old any less honest than buying an older bass that has been refinished to look new?

+1 for Newtone. They did custom sets for my 8-string Conklin.

Bassdirect?