discreet

Maybe couple it with with the £289 Toneman 8X10 for an affordable touring rig..? [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/ashdown_toneman_810.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/ashdown_toneman_810.htm[/url]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1428068291' post='2737706'] And apparently I do things like this quite often... [/quote] You look like you're shouting at the drummer... 'Play in time you bastard!!' Or something.

[quote name='grumpyguts' timestamp='1428136875' post='2738304'] £253 for 600w looks very tempting... [/quote] It certainly does... not exactly lightweight at 10kg, but nowhere near all-valve weight.

[quote name='Emanew' timestamp='1428137279' post='2738312'] Tortoise or White? [/quote] Mint green, always mint green. Edit: OR Parchment white.

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1428103585' post='2738206'] ...burgundy is the better of the two... [/quote] +1 If it has to be one or the other, then Burgundy Mist. Not a big fan of green basses.

[quote name='spinynorman' timestamp='1428100754' post='2738189'] It is hard if you don't like the song... [/quote] Absolutely. I had cause to learn a couple of Jamiroquai songs for an audition a while back, and though I nailed them in the end I hated every minute of it (not being entirely fanatical about Jamiroquai), so the process took about three times as long as it should have.

Shoreline Gold.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1428073994' post='2737818'] Good evening, xxxxx , and ... [/quote] Thank you for your circular, Dad...

[quote name='ThomasB' timestamp='1428073214' post='2737804'] Hello fellow ass players... [/quote] Well you got the measure of this place right away! Nicely done.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1428099653' post='2738175'] Painted necks feel "cheap"? [/quote] I suppose if it's a cheap paint job on a cheap bass. I like a good handful of naked wood myself (giggity) and always assumed I wouldn't get on with painted necks, but the painted neck on my Spector Euro was class and I loved it.

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1428094885' post='2738119'] ...I do like the Sire headstock shape. It's fresh, classy and just works in my book... The logo's cool too, nicely understated in that font... [/quote] When I first saw the Sire basses I immediately worried a little about the headstock shape, but I've grown to like it a lot. As a qualified typographer in a another life, I can tell you the decal is indeed understated, classy and nicely designed. Of course that doesn't mean you'll like it. The 'F' decal is overblown, florid, kitsch and way OTT, but it seems to be rather popular for some reason...

[quote name='cetera' timestamp='1428095990' post='2738140'] It never goes away [/quote] Not even when you actually own a number of high-end Spectors, by all accounts...

[quote name='zero9' timestamp='1428091284' post='2738072'] ...my next move is to try and get my hands on both the Sire and Squier. The plan is to attend upcoming bass bashes, if possible, and hope someone has one or both to try [/quote] I think that would be a sensible plan. Having said that, I've bought most of my basses sight unseen, with wildly varying results. Happy with what I've got now - at the moment - but high-end Spector GAS is rearing its ugly head again...

[quote name='davehux' timestamp='1428077676' post='2737890'] Want an Ampeg SVT CL for Ashdown money? [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/bugera_bvv3000_infinium.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...00_infinium.htm[/url] I've so nearly pulled the trigger on one of these over the past couple of weeks [/quote] It is tempting...

Looks remarkably like a Yamaha TRBX to me...

[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1428071495' post='2737771'] It's true that the Sire headstock shape is a bit gumby... [/quote] Gumby sharing a joke with himself yesterday... ahem. Yes, the bass is longer than is usual overall (about 119cm) but it WILL fit into a Hiscox Liteflite and it DOES fit into my Ritter gigbag. Yes, the through-body thing with the 4-string bridge is an issue, but not one that bothers me in the least - though I can well see how it might be a problem for some and may even hint at possible errors elsewhere. Having said that I haven't found any. Yet. But anyway, Sire have held their hands up and said they are addressing this - it's merely teething trouble, imho. Can you imagine EBMM or RIC or FMIC listening to customer feedback and acting on it? Because I can't!

[quote name='zero9' timestamp='1428067327' post='2737685'] Commendations to everyone for the informative reviews provided. Without you and this forum, it would be impossible to make an informed choice. I'm still considering either the Squier VM Jazz V option or the Sire MM 5-string. As thing stand, and based on my current 'research', I'm still favouring the Squier offering...[/quote] Thank you. I've owned a Squier VM Jazz V and it's a very good bass indeed - for the money. But it wasn't until I installed an Audere JZ3 Jazz Preamp that it really came into its own. Of course this bumped the price up somewhat. Finally the 'B' string became a bit of an issue (for me) and I moved it on. But to be fair, it was mainly because 5-string basses aren't my thing. However, the Squier just didn't have the playability or 'feel' of the Sire. I don't know what the Sire 'B' string is like as I'm a four-string player, but the Sire bass I have now is superior in almost every way to the Squier bass I had then. In fact, I'd say it's at least equal to, and in some ways superior to, a Fender Jazz . I completely understand where you're coming from though, for many years I was only interested in basses with an 'F' decal on a headstock with 'that' inconic shape. And again, for a long time I wasn't interested in basses with sophisticated tonal options (or even more than one pickup), being a staunch Fender P man (which I still am to some degree) and there's a lot to be said for that level of simplicity. But I would urge you to get both basses in your hands and play them before you make a decision. This might be tricky of course, but there must be a five-string Sire owner somewhere within striking distance. If not, I'm sure there soon will be.

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1427973357' post='2736470'] Stand by for some 'tossing' jokes from discreet... [/quote] [quote name='barneyg42' timestamp='1427986527' post='2736723'] Oh let me be the first! I always thought there were quite a few tossers on here! [/quote] [quote name='seashell' timestamp='1428016521' post='2737234'] I thank you! [/quote] Gosh, that's a bit rude. You won't catch me making off-colour comments like this...

[quote name='Green Alsatian' timestamp='1428020571' post='2737247'] ...the bar has been raised at this price point... The Sire exceeds this on every level - aesthetics, ergonomics and sound... [/quote] In a nutshell. Great post.

[quote name='geoham' timestamp='1428011858' post='2737155'] As much as I moan, I love playing with the guys... and I think our music genuinely does have something unique. [/quote] Then maybe you should have ignored the replies on this thread and gone for it... Sometimes even good advice is just plain wrong!

[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1428011258' post='2737143'] Cool. I've got the ash, you have the alder. When shall we do it? [/quote] Errm... I dunno - you're not going to bite me or pee on my leg, are you?

... could we have more and bigger pics, please..? Thanks... Looking really good. Minimal!

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1428001901' post='2736996'] ...my take is alder produces a slightly more refined, mellow and less strident at the extremes tone... [/quote] I'm still to be convinced about the effects of tonewoods. Having said that, I chose alder over ash for its alleged mellowness... I suspected the tone circuit and pickups may have a 'Marcus bias' - that's why I chose a rosewood board over maple, too. I imagined that an ash/maple combo, along with the 'Marcus' factor, would result in a bass a little too 'top-end' for me, but I really don't know if that's the case or not. I'm certainly happy with the amount of heft on tap, but that could well be down to the circuit. We need an A/B comparison!