discreet

That is a total bargain for such heft and power. But I don't envy you - I've already had one hernia repaired.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1423177820' post='2682011'] Actually that's not quite true IME. There were decent basses available provided you bought second hand and didn't want something that looked like a Fender, Gibson or Rickenbacker. I got my Burns in 1981 for £60 including the original hard case. A few years earlier I could have bought either a Microfrets or Hayman bass for about £80. [/quote] Quite true, but even £60 or £80 was a lot of money for the average teenager in 1981. Though I was lucky enough to acquire a new USA Precision in 1976, for what was about a month and a half's wages at the time.

Nice! Something a bit Wal-like about it.

That's right, they're for holding the thing.

Look at the pics carefully, kids - this is exactly the kind of unplayable crap that would have been available to you in the 1970s if you couldn't afford a Fender or a Gibson! There were no decent affordable basses [i]at all[/i]. I don't know - you tell the young people of today and they won't believe you.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1423157762' post='2681589'] Mine was well under 9lbs - a bonus, perhaps. Only £210 new! I wish you hadn't said that.... [/quote] Pretend you want the black one instead, they'e £245 for some bizarre reason!

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1423154772' post='2681557'] There's at least two more analogies that could be drawn between horses and eighteens... [/quote] They're both difficult to carry and produce a loud farting noise?

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1423154218' post='2681548'] My ambition is to have fun, don't let politics get me own and make a few pennies! [/quote] I'll go with that! I've found that not buying a newspaper and not watching the news is good for your peace of mind.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1423151245' post='2681483'] You didn't mention they are also, by Jazz bass standards, very lightweight! I had one (in black) for a while and was utterly amazed at how good it was at the price point. When I picked it up the neck was so straight and the action so low that I had to actually alter it to fit in with my heavy-handed thumpings. They don't get a mention as much as the VM or CV but I think for the money these are amazing. [/quote] Using the bathroom scales method (which admittedly could be wildly inaccurate) I'm getting 9.6lb. Is that light for a Jazz? Or does the tort guard I fitted weigh two pounds? You're quite right about the neck though, I've never seen one as straight on [i]any [/i]bass. I too needed to raise the action somewhat - I'm not a fan of a super-low action in any case, but if you are, it's very possible to get it silly low, especially with flats. Much lower than I could on my USA P. As far as feel, playability and sound go, it's an amazing bass at [i]any [/i]price point. It really sounds like a Jazz, and then some. But something has to give somewhere, hence the criticisms about the finishing and components. And if Fender made Squiers which were as good as or better than USA and Jap Fenders, who would buy a Fender? Well... I'm guessing someone who wants a genuine 'F-Decal' on the headstock. These people are still out there, y'know! But yes, given the Ebanol board and the very usable tone circult they're certainly a huge bargain, especially as Thomann are knocking them out for around £210 new and delivered! [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_squier_deluxe_jazz_bass_iv_3sb.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...bass_iv_3sb.htm[/url] And unless you have some weird penchant for sunburst, the black option looks very lush indeed. It's a shame Squier don't offer a white option as they do with the Deluxe Jazz V. Oh well, you can't have everything. Where would you put it all..?

Another vote for the MXR M-80 here. The clean channel is excellent for a bit of heft and punch without overly changing your sound and you have the option of a totally tweakable distortion channel, noise gate and DI facilities if you ever need them. I believe there is one currently up for sale on this very forum.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1423147276' post='2681410'] Bill, don't ever go away. I'd miss your posts FAR too much. [/quote] Aye!

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1423139176' post='2681216'] Happy NBD! [/quote] Thanks, H!

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1423132100' post='2681064'] Oh no!! What will we have left to talk about on here?? [/quote] Haemorrhoids?

NBD - Squier Deluxe Jazz IV Active I'll be doing way more gigs this year than last, so I wanted a cheap, playable bass that sounded (and looked) good, to use at any, er... less salubrious venues we may play. Largely because of the current Squier love on this forum and because to be fair I have already owned a Squier Jazz V in the past and liked it, I felt another Squier would be on the cards. My new project is an alt.country/Americana/Blues Rock hybrid, so I went for something I thought would fit in with the vibe. Normally I wouldn't touch sunburst with a bargepole, but I think it appropriate in this case. So, the Squier Deluxe Jazz IV Active. Notable features include a three-band tone circuit and an Ebanol fingerboard. As I understand it, Ebanol replicates the qualities of Ebony in that it is hard and dense... but it's a synthetic polymer, presumably cheaper and easier to work than Ebony. It's very hard, smooth and shiny and I like it. Fnarr. The tone circuit comprises volume, pickup blend, stacked treble/bass and mid. There is also a 'slap switch', essentially a mid-cut which boosts the low and top ends for slapping. So I won't be using that, then... it does offer extra tonal possibilities, but anything which cuts your mids in a live situation is to be avoided, IMHO. The pickups and tone circuit don't seem particularly strong to me, but as I've been playing my Spector Euro which has EMG P/J and a TonePump, this is hardly surprising! However, the Squier sounds good through my recently-acquired MXR M-80 using the clean EQ channel, so that's how it's going to happen. I fitted Fender 9050ML flats and they sound great, as usual - it's proved possible to get quite a low action as the neck is very straight indeed - straighter than my Euro neck (which has graphite rods in it). I don't know if this is just because the Squier is new, or whether the Ebanol board imparts some kind of stability, or what. I notice the board isn't a veneer, it's a slab, and does a fair impression of a rolled-edge fingerboard though the radius is 12" so it seems fairly flat. I don't mind this as the nut width and neck thickness are typically Jazz, so a flatter board suits me better - I do normally prefer a wider and thicker neck. One day I must buy a Jazz with a Precision neck... anyway, the bass feels good in the hands, isn't overly heavy on the shoulder and balances well. It's very easy to play and the tone circuit is intuitive, though to be honest I've got it set mainly flat with just a little bass boost and am relying on my M-80 for the bulk of the tone-shaping. I was almost hoping to debunk the 'Squier is as good as Fender' mantra you see everywhere, but I can't - because it's a very good bass. And as I bought it used from this parish, it was a bargain too (many thanks to Bass Culture - Mark) and I don't see how Fender's margins on these can be anything other than minimal. Obviously so many are manufactured and sold that the economies of scale make it workable. There are always negatives, and in this case it's the finish. As you can see from the pics, the body is clearly a three-piece job and you can see the joins, though a solid colour would solve that problem. Also I don't like sunburst Jazz bodies with no pickguard - they look strange to me - I've never been a big fan of the 'Jaco' look - so I bought a tort guard from eBay and fitted that, which at least has the virtue of covering up some of the finish! Also, the bridge and tuners are not of the highest quality - especially when juxtaposed with the Hipshot BT1 Xtender I fitted to enable one or two numbers in the set - but they work fine and do what they're supposed to. The bridge is a hi-mass type with barrel-screw runners and does its job well enough and the tuners hold the bass in tune, which is what you want really, so... Would I use this as my main bass? When necessary, yes. Is it as good as a MIA Fender? No. Is it as good as a MIM Fender? Yes... it's as good as a good MIM Fender and better than an iffy MIM Fender. Is it as good as a CIJ Fender? No. All IMHO and based on my own experience, of course. But bear in mind that the differences are all in the finish and the quality of the hardware and components. Is it as good as a Spector Euro? Get the hell out!! But you'd be very hard pressed to tell the difference between this Indonesian Squier and a USA Fender in a blind listening test. And the Squier feels right, it plays very nicely and it sounds good. So at a gig or in the studio it makes not a lot of difference. So where else are you playing? Have you really invested all that money in your USA Fender just to play it at home..? If it were down to cash and a Squier was all I could afford, then that would work fine - the current reputation of Squier is such that I have no qualms whatsoever about the 'S-decal' on the headstock and I would be happy to use this as my main squeeze all day long, no problem. But having said that... it is nice to have other options available. I thank you!

I'm guessing 'Anadin' is from 'Analgesic' meaning 'painkiller' - referred to in KB's post.

Just acquired a Squier Deluxe Jazz IV. I was hoping it would be crap so I could provide a much-needed antidote to the ongoing Squier love-in on this forum and debunk the whole 'Squier is as good as Fender' thing... but it's not. NBD to follow.

Anodized gold! Top bling. And everyone will think you're a pimp. Who plays the bass. What's not to like?

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1423092035' post='2680808'] Heroin is a crutch best avoided. [/quote] Horse for course...

[quote name='The Badderer' timestamp='1423091928' post='2680806'] My personal favourites [/quote] Uncanny! Those are the three!

[quote name='The Badderer' timestamp='1423091749' post='2680799'] [url="http://www.studentbeans.com/mag/en/campus/18-hilarious-places-to-pass-out-drunk"]http://www.studentbe...-pass-out-drunk[/url] [/quote] Hah! I've done at least three of those.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1423091742' post='2680798'] [/quote] A bowl of heroin?? What do you think you are doing??

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1423079452' post='2680516'] Maybe the title should be changed to something anodin... [/quote] That's just given me a headache.

Please stop showing pictures of booze - I'm a recovering alcoholic!