ThomBassmonkey

My advice would be to get a small head. Something like the GK MB200 would be perfect, it only puts out 200w at 4Ohms anyway, it should have enough beef to power one 8Ohm 2x10 for monitoring and it's so small you wouldn't need to take anything extra. It'd also work as a backup head if something goes wrong with your main head. It's a much more convenient and practical solution to selling half of your current gear then having to find another combo that potentially could be bigger and heavier than what you're currently using.

It's unlikely it's Fender, with the nice top and the neck pickup looks like a double J or MM. Having a bit of a search around online, I found this: There's no logo on the headstock, so RR is probably right.

[url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_70_classic_jazz_bass_3ts.htm"]FENDER 70 CLASSIC JAZZ BASS 3TS[/url] [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_american_deluxe_j_bass_rw_3csb.htm"]FENDER AMERICAN DELUXE J-BASS RW 3CSB[/url] [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_70_jazz_bass_cc_mn_3ts.htm"]FENDER 70 JAZZ BASS C.C. MN 3TS[/url] The first two would need the scratchplate changed if you were set on tort but I'm sure that you wouldn't justify spending the extra money on the last purely because of the scratchplate anyway though it does have the maple board too. Still a massive difference in price though so neither are likely to be deciding factors.

I expect Sandberg could knock one up to those specs without costing a fortune if you're looking for one rather than idle curiosity. it's unlikely you're going to find one as a stock model anywhere, rosewood boards aren't very common from what I've seen (not that I'm a fretless player so I don't go out of my way to look), mixed with a black neck and matching headstock, never mind with the other total blackness and you'd have to get very lucky. Or you could go with a defret, then there'll be loads of options.

Would a sharp saddle really cause a string break on a bass? I can't imagine it ever getting anywhere near the core, I could believe (and have seen it) on guitar, especially the higher 3 strings but I can't see it happening on bass. I'd suspect it was a dodgy set. I've only broken 2 strings in 10 years and I really hammer them. Of course both times were real pigs, first time was the only time I hadn't brought a backup bass to (and I played 6 string bass at the time) so lots of panicing as I tried to transpose down a string for anything on the C and the second time was on a Dingwall the day before I sold it, luckily it was the G string so I stuck on a spare string I had.

[quote name='cocco' post='1258491' date='Jun 6 2011, 03:42 PM']I'm a rock player through and through, alot of what I do is bass driven, I play with a pick mostly but I switch to finger style alot for dynamic purposes. I love my grabber for it's punch and agression. I love P's apart from the lack of a back pickup to rest my thumb on. I don't like that my bongo has no soul, I don't like that my jazz sits ontop of the mix. I love my T-40 in humbucker mode apart from the weight. I like 2 EQ rays but not 3 EQ rays, I love the ray neck profile too and I like G&Ls, especially the thinline ASAT I dont want a fancy top wood, I'm thinking maple, ash or alder for a body wood because my grabber is maple and my fenders and peavey are alder or ash. I'm not against bass wood after playing an aerodyne but I'd be worried about it feeling too light. Shape wise I'm thinking T-bird or explorer as a sort of enthwhistle tribute and Id like it to look 70s. Pickup wise I was thinking double Darkstar for the growl and depth or 2 fat humbuckers but defiantly passive, although after the aerodyne I'm tempted by P/J or even P/P because I don't really like jazz pickups.[/quote] Send that quote out in some emails to various luthiers and see what kinds of prices and suggestions they come back with. If one has an idea you like but is expensive, you can approach another one with the idea and see what he says. It also gives you an idea of what you can do to try and fit your criteria. BRX is right, you don't need to know what gives you the punch from your grabber etc. you just say what you like and the luthier should be able to make suggestions that you can then look into to see if it suits you. Looking at your list though, if the only problem with a P is having no back pickup, why not get a PJ or put a thumb rest on a P in the position you want? If you wanted Darkstars, you could always get a P routed to your needs and get them fitted.

[quote name='Machines' post='1259681' date='Jun 7 2011, 01:50 PM']The problem I have is as soon as anyone is endorsed, anything they say about their gear is instantly biased - I can't take them as seriously.[/quote] I understand that and I know I ring GK's bells a lot. It depends on the circumstances of the endorsement though. I bought my first GK stack normally and turned down other endorsement offers because I was happy using the gear that I already had. After that I approached GK and got an endorsement from them. I understand some people probably get the first endorsement they can then sing from the hilltops about how brilliant the gear is without much thought, but I expect there's probably more people that have endorsements from specific brands because they want to use that gear, not just because it's the first thing they were offered. The fact that someone has an endorsement from a brand should be a recommendation in it's self because it's saying "I like this brand enough to associate me and my band's names with it".

[quote name='Rumble' post='1259628' date='Jun 7 2011, 01:09 PM']ThomBM - Lovely Sandberg, sir! I had considered a Sandberg, but it's just finding the right one on the used market.[/quote] Yeah, they're pretty rare, that's for a reason though. I got lucky with mine, I was looking for a jazz style bass and saw it on the for sale forum, then I put up a wanted ad in the relevant forum with a list of what I was looking for, the MM5 had everything on that list and is absolutely beautiful. If you can find some nutter who wants to move his on though, you're in for a bargain. As a further suggestion to you though, how about a G&L L2500, they come up fairly often here, are pretty cheap (the tributes are usually around £400) and brilliant basses. Very versatile too. I played one a while ago and was surprised when the owner put it up in the for sale forum to find out it was a tribute and not a USA one.

Congratulations, Sandberg are brilliant basses, I own two and love them.

Ever looked at Sandbergs? This is my MM5 It's a jazz shaped body, the neck's a little fatter but they're built to order so you could have whatever you want (it's not fat though, just a bit fatter than my jazz). The pickups are great and growly, both have coil taps so it can be made into two single coils like a Jazz. 3 band EQ is great too, very versatile and with a push/pull active passive and (iirc) a tone control when it's in passive mode. I find it does both the MM and Jazz sounds pretty well. Neither are perfect replicas, but they're great tones on their own merit. I have a Jazz 5 from Sandberg too, the Delano pickups give it a lot more beef to my ears than a lot of jazzes I've played.

GK's MB Fusion would pretty much be my ideal spec list. I'd like to see GK's bi-amping on there but I suspect that'd increase the size and weight a fair bit and defeat the point, also it'd be nice to have two dedicated channels instead of two gain structures using one EQ. Apart from that, 500w, 3 12AX7s, 4 band EQ, countour, bass and treble boosts etc are all that I need. Neither of the two improvements I suggested have ever felt limiting.

It does make my OCD twitch, I always end up clicking the wrong one too. Not a massive issue though.

I was stunned by the MB200 at the LBGS. I spent a couple of days on the GK stand and couldn't stop switching between that and the MB Fusion. Considering there were probably 20 bassists playing at any one time and I was only using one 8 Ohm cab, it held up incredibly well. I couldn't say it'd definitely manage in a loud band with only one 8 Ohm cab though though with a 4x10 it should be alright depending on the cab. Don't know about the Ampeg head, I've never used them.

This has been brought up elsewhere. He's got it up for £150 no reserve and said that the body's not musicman. I don't think he's being unfair really. He shouldn't have the title as it is, but anyone with any sense would read through the description anyway.

Best bet would be to split the signal before it goes in.

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1256058' date='Jun 3 2011, 11:09 PM']you lucky Americans and your still in production 800RBs The closest we have is the 700RB II which is what I have but I'd love to have another 800RB[/quote] AFAIK it's not the US's fault, I believe there's some materials used that don't follow EU legislation, I've always presumed it's something to do with lead, but I don't really have any idea. Theoretically the RB series of heads are designed to sound like the 800RB, there's a section in the manual about it (to do with the contour knob), I've never used an 800RB though so I don't know how accurate they are.

Predictable maybe, but I'm saying #2. Jazzes look too plain without a p/g and I don't like creme, it looks like someone's left some white covers outside for a few months then fitted them again without cleaning them.

I don't think they're talking about that hole, I'm guessing it's about the small screw hole between that cut out and the pickup.

If you're playing venues that you can't garuantee will have a backline bass amp or a PA that can support the bass (including monitors) then you [b]need[/b] a bass amp. Depending on your budget, if you like the GK tone, get a GK. If you can't afford a GK then you'll have to settle for what you can for on-stage monitoring then use your POD to get the sound you want out front (assuming the bass is going through the PA).

[quote name='FayeAutumn' post='1248148' date='May 28 2011, 12:33 PM']It simply means you're not a funk or jazz bassist.[/quote] Plenty of great funk and jazz has fingerstyle basslines. I play some slap, it's not hard. Just make a thumbs up gesture with your right hand, then move your index finger as though you're holding a trigger. Now move your hand so your thumb's parallel with the string you're playing a root on, then whip your thumb against the string near the end of the fretboard. For the octave, just move your index under the string with the octave on and pull it away from the fretboard. You just have to work out the timing which shouldn't take long then you have the basic of slap and pop. Of course there's harder techniques like double thumbing (my thumbs are too big and I find it hard without huge string spacing so I've never bothered doing it properly) and arpeggios etc, but the simple root octave is the best place to start. After that it's just a case of moving the notes around and getting used to hammer ons etc.

If you were going to do that, it'd be much simpler to either run two heads or split your singal before the amp and then merge them into the amp again. Using a loop switch pedal that has a blend on it should work for a simple solution. I don't know how possible it'd be to put in a crossover and route the power to another cab. With there only being one mono power amp, I don't think it'd be possible without another power amp anyway (could be wrong though).

My Sandbergs have 0 fret. I find it's one of those things that won't make or break a bass but it's a nice feature. I like having them there.

[quote name='cetera' post='1252565' date='Jun 1 2011, 12:16 PM']Twat: "Nice bass..... is that a 'Warwick'"? Me: "No, it's a Spector" Twat: "Oh, is that like a cheap Warwick copy or something?" Me: *lifts bass above head like a samurai sword and prepares to swing......*[/quote] I have similar about my Sandberg. "Why would you use a copy when you can get a Fender?" and that's just on this forum.

[quote name='hellothere' post='1250913' date='May 30 2011, 10:48 PM']Why is that so bad?[/quote] Because inevitably the following conversation will be dull and pointless. I've spoken with hundreds of interesting people that are actually in bands, if I wanted a full band history from them, I'd be wasting several years of my life. If I listened to the stories of people who weren't even in a band themselves but that had friends that were in a band, my whole life would be gone. If their friend was in a famous band or someone you might know, then ok. Every time I've had that conversation though it goes: Them: My friend was in a band. Me: Oh? What was their name? Them: You won't have heard of them, they were a [insert genre] band and played a few pub gigs locally. I feel awkward for a minute because there's nowhere else the conversation can go (occasionally I can drag the situation out by asking more specifically what kind of music it is) then make excuses and leave. At the gig: "Can I borrow your..." No, f*** off. If you'd asked me before hand, sure, but if you can't be bothered to organise gear for yourself (even if that involves asking me), I'm not going to let you use mine.