40hz

Totally agree with you, Alex is one of my fave players, quite a few inventive basslines scattered throughout the Blur back catalogue. Colin Zeal one of my faves. Edit - I also happen to live about 5 miles away from his house. Often thought about asking him to sign my Blur albums but chicken out massively!

I love J5. My favourite hip-hop group. Chali 2na has the most distinctive delivery in rap/hip-hop today.

I absolutely love Trace. Great amps with a fat, clear tone. Congrats, looks great!

AdBlock ftw

Just bought a Gallien Krueger MBE410 from Julian. All round top bloke, Held it for me for a couple of weeks and so I went up to Wakefield to collect. Cab is exactly as described. He is very friendly and courteous, Quick replies, no drama or fuss. Good stuff. Cheers Mate!

Yep, a Sandberg Basic 4. A fine bass guitar it is too.

Any 2nd hand Trace Elliot. Biggest bargains to be had. The AH series show up on here fairly frequently, sweet flexible clear tone and tonnes of headroom on tap and built to last. Can't go wrong.

Hoping Trace release a new set of micro heads for the relaunch, with all the classic features and backlit! They would sell an absolute tonne!! Take my money!

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1418510193' post='2630865'] I have a Rockbass Streamer and a German stage 1 Streamer and they sound very similar and even more worryingly they both play beautifully. I'd recommend the Rockbass streamers very highly. [/quote] Really? My Rockbass Streamer sounds absolutely nothing like a real Streamer.

I would add, ALL Warwicks should come with Ovangol or Wenge necks and fretboards with bell brass frets. It's such a massive part of the DNA of Warwick and what gives them that amazing signature tone. If it doesn't have these, it kinda defeats the point of buying a Warwick branded product (tonally at least), In my opinion of course. That sound is so distinctive and I would wager, possibly the main reason people are initially drawn to them (build quality goes without saying, phenomenal)

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1418281695' post='2628665'] If you had 2 basses, same spec except one with a maple neck and one with rosewood neck and you swapped the necks they would sound different , but if you swapped the bodies there would be no change in sound [/quote] This^

Country of origin really doesn't bother me personally but I think most peoples misgivings with Asian produced lines is that the manufacturer has clearly moved to these places to cut cost. And quite often the finished product will carry a high-ish price tag. So I think as consumers, a lot of people feel like they are being ripped off more-so. For example the MiK Wawicks, the Pro Series Thumb was around £800 from Thomann if I recall. It didnt sport the wenge neck or exotic woods either. IMO if Fender can ship their wares across the Atlantic and still put a price point of £550 on Mexi-Jazzes. The Pro series with even cheaper labour rates shouldn't be up at that price point it was. That doesn't just apply to Warwick, any brand that has a cheaper line in Asia.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1418225032' post='2628139'] The Warwick brand will have three core variants in 2015. At the lower end is the Rockbass range made in China. The Pro Series was made in Korea but has been discontinued. Thomann are knocking out the remains of them at very cheap prices. The new Pro Series will be essentially made in Germany (over 90% German I believe and certainly enough to pass EU regs as being "made in Germany") and will be available in the UK from around April next year. At the higher end there's the Handcrafted in Germany range: Warwick series LTD Editions Signature series Also sitting in this bracket is the Custom Shop. Almost all of the Handcrafted, and Custom, range is built to order with a wait time of circa 8 weeks but can be as short as 4 weeks (damned efficient these Germans!). Any info on pricing or models feel free to PM me [/quote] That's good to hear that the Pro models are being German made! Any reasoning why the range was so shortlived (in being made in Korea?) And also are they likely to be easy to find?

The Pro line isn't even sold over here is it?

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1418211881' post='2627954'] I recently aquired then moved on a Thumb NT 6 which would retail new at well over £4K... I think it held its own against other basses in that price bracket. But yes I do take your point... I would imagine that a company like Warwicks business model would revolve around shifting multiple units at lower margains and I can't imagin they actually sell many new instruments at these prices? Maybe they have boosted the price of their German models in order to avoid any confusion whatsoever with their cheaper lines? The whole Fender thing does get very blurred as to what's a quality instrument and whats mass produced to a price point with MIA, MIJ, MIM, MIC... then of course all the squires... [/quote] I would agree that Fender's line up is a jumbled mess, on the flipside, I couldn't even tell you what even Warwicks line up is outside of the Rockbasses.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1418211703' post='2627949'] More than the non custom Foderas... and the prices on them get people riled up on basschat more than preferential cab handles.... secondhand is the way to go! [/quote]

What has happened to Warwick? Always been a longtime fan of them (all began with Stuart Zender) and always GAS'd hard for a Streamer Stage 1/2, but in recent years the company seems to have fallen off the map a bit. I was looking at brand new prices for the German made models and literally cannot believe the prices. I'm being serious when I say (in the UK at least) they surely must struggle to sell more than 5-10 at those prices?! a NT thumb for £3700!! A Streamer Stage II for £4400!!! Even the Bolt on Thumb is £2200. I remember when I started playing in 2004 when they were £1100 ish. Thats such a huge mark up in ten years. (I understand inflation, but that's insane) It's now dominated by the Rockbass line, which are fine instruments in their own right I guess, but essentially £400-£800 for a Chinese made budget-line that sound NOTHING like the basses they are supposed to be aping. At least Squiers sound exactly like Fenders, Sterling by Musicman sound 99% like real Musicman's etc etc. Then there was the Pro Line Series (which looked a step in the right direction), which were around for 2-3 years then disappeared completely? So what's the deal? If i were after a Streamer for example, I certainly wouldn't be paying the German price, I wouldn't get a Rockbass version because it's nothing liike a real Streamer, the Pro series has disappeared. So, 2nd hand is the way forward! On that note, off to perv on ebay at some Stage Ones (Sorry for my stream of conciousness post)

It's the little things that really make the difference. I'm sure Fender would of told you to sod off! (Coming from a Fender lover) so fair play Spector! It does sort of increase GAS knowing a company will sort you out, even if the bass isn't new, knowing you're in good hands so to speak. Same sort of thing with Ashdown, say what you like about the tone (marmite) but their customer service is second to none, so that makes them an attractive proposition. Most other conpanies in the bass world could learn a lot from stuff like this!

I agree. Always wondered why the emphasis is on body wood, always imagined neck woods would make far more difference.

I've extensively used a Jap Marcus Miller in the past and you'd think from all the internet reports that the preamp was from a kinder egg. In reality I found it quite usable as standard. Granted it's not gonna get you 'quite' to Marcus levels of punch and sizzle but it's IMO still very usable. That said the John East would dramatically improve precedings!

FWIW there are so many tales of the weak G string, my Ray34 suffering from it too, there simply has to be some truth in it, many Musicman owners deny it or attribute it to user error. Rather than even admitting something must be wrong somewhere if there are so many reports of it. I absolutely love my Jazz Bass but there are sh*te aspects to it that I won't defend like my life depends on it. Don't want to upset anyone because Musicman basses are the BOMB but they do have their foibles and a few MM owners should be a tad less precious and relax, they are still wonderful instruments!

*Update* Finally got to test it in anger and took it to band last night, using it with far less gain but boosting output/volume wielded a supremely aggressive yet clean, non farty tone. Very happy now!

Roger Waters is one of my heroes. Most Floyd tracks are a masterclass in taste and serving the song. When I think of Dark Side, I couldn't really hum you any of the basslines ( money excepted) but in that IS his mastery. I couldn't play that understated! I would stomp all over that album! yet Roger's lines are perfect for what the songs demand.

I kinda agree with you there bubinga, often thought the same sort of thing. Don't get me wrong either, I really like Musicman basses but they (fans) do seem to be more fervent!