Surprising #1

[Rayman]

Do you have a bass, that might not be your most valuable, might not be your number one choice of gigging instrument, might not even be your favourite particularly…… but it’s the bass you pick up and play the most, it’s the one you generally reach for when you’re learning new stuff or just noodling at home, it’s your number one basically? 
 

I do….

 

 

 

Sire V7. It plays fantastic, sounds fantastic, looks fantastic…… it does everything with bells on. I didn’t expect to like it quite so much when I bought it (in a sorry state) last year, but it’s become my “go to” for almost everything. I’m considering gigging it in place of taking two (differently tuned) Thunderbirds to gigs. It’s not quite the right aesthetic for an original rock/metal band, but…… who cares right?

 

A surprisingly great bass. 

[LeftyJ]

Mine have been my shortscales for the last two years, which was a huge surprise for me. I traded one of my Ibanez MC924's for an Atelier Z Baby Z-4J because I had wanted to try one for a long time, but I really didn’t expect I would like it as much as I do. Then one year ago I added a Sandberg Lionel that I put LaBella flats on (which was even more surprising, because I had never liked using flats before, but the Lionel just begged for them) and it's just a ton of fun to play. I really enjoy them a lot! 

 

I have no place for them in my band (I play doom metal tuned down to low A) which really just adds to the surprise 

 

 

Edited Monday at 14:34 by LeftyJ
Pics added

[Kiwi]

Yes! 

 

The best sounding bass I have ever owned and close to the best sounding double humbucker  bass I have ever heard.  It was a Basschat mule for a while, had multiple owners over the course of four years.  I played it at a BC bash and had an 'aha' moment, then missed out on it when it came up for sale.  Then 9 months three years later it came up for sale again and I jumped on it for 600 quid.  It made three Smith basses redundant.  

There were minor neck warp issues but Jon Shuker steamed the neck back into shape and now it has all the qualities of a Smith bass but with extra definition.  Super tight and authorative B string, loads of midrange growl and the top end is sweet and bell like.  Absolute killer bass and a keeper - so I installed flat response Wizard humbuckers, coil splits and switches.  Wouldn't mind trying some multi coils and a DLPF out in it at some point.

 

At one point I had a slightly earlier NS5CR as well, with a thicker dot neck and 34"scale length.  It was also a nice bass but more of a tenor in timbre whereas this one is a baritone.

[Rayman]

8 minutes ago, LeftyJ said:

 

I have no place for them in my band (I play doom metal tuned down to low A) which really just adds to the surprise 

 

Pics to follow. 

I’d like to see that!

[neepheid]

Not really - I do try to make sure I rotate around all my basses.  I am a lazy boi though, so sometimes at home I'll favour the Epiphone Jack Casady, because even unplugged, it's loud enough to hear over laptop speakers.  For when I can't even be bothered finding a cable, let alone an amp

 

[Rayman]

2 minutes ago, Kiwi said:

Yes! 

 

The best sounding bass I have ever owned and close to the best sounding double humbucker  bass I have ever heard.  It was a Basschat mule for a while, had multiple owners over the course of four years.  I played it at a BC bash and had an 'aha' moment, then missed out on it when it came up for sale.  Then 9 months later it came up for sale again and I jumped on it for 600 quid.  It made three Smith basses redundant.  

There were minor neck warp issues but Jon Shuker steamed the neck back into shape and now it has all the qualities of a Smith bass but with extra definition.  Super tight and authorative B string, loads of midrange growl and the top end is sweet and bell like.  Absolute killer bass and a keeper - so I installed coil splits and switches.  Wouldn't mind trying some multi coils and a DLPF out in it at some point.

I had an identical one….. maybe 20yrs ago? Fabulous thing it was. I had that and an N2. Stupid to move either of them on. 

[LeftyJ]

56 minutes ago, Rayman said:

I’d like to see that!

Added 

[PaulThePlug]

Ibby SR300 Passive P, Tonerider, Flats

Body Mod by @Andyjr1515 🙂

Edited Monday at 22:30 by PaulThePlug

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Mine depends on my mood. I would probably have said my black JMJ was my favourite a few weeks ago, however I'm liking my new JetGlo 4003 a lot more than I had expected to. Then when they come out of their cases, there's the faded peham non-reverse thunderbird and the flamed maple starfire...

[Rosie C]

2 hours ago, Rayman said:

Do you have a bass, that might not be your most valuable, might not be your number one choice of gigging instrument, might not even be your favourite particularly…… but it’s the bass you pick up and play the most, it’s the one you generally reach for when you’re learning new stuff or just noodling at home, it’s your number one basically? 

 

 

Yes, my Squier jazz - and I went as far as to sell all my other three basses as I so rarely played them! 

 

[Norris]

My favourite noodling guitars were a Hofner violin bass and a nylon-strung classical guitar. Both of which my son took with him to university. Ah well, I guess they do belong to him 😂

[mikebass456]

7 hours ago, PaulThePlug said:

Ibby SR300 Passive P, Tonerider, Flats

Body Mod by @Andyjr1515 🙂

That's definitely got a story to tell - love that it shows it's 'scars' and what it's been before.....😉🤘

[mikebass456]

9 hours ago, Rayman said:

Do you have a bass, that might not be your most valuable, might not be your number one choice of gigging instrument, might not even be your favourite particularly…… but it’s the bass you pick up and play the most, it’s the one you generally reach for when you’re learning new stuff or just noodling at home, it’s your number one basically? 
 

I do….

 

 

 

Sire V7. It plays fantastic, sounds fantastic, looks fantastic…… it does everything with bells on. I didn’t expect to like it quite so much when I bought it (in a sorry state) last year, but it’s become my “go to” for almost everything. I’m considering gigging it in place of taking two (differently tuned) Thunderbirds to gigs. It’s not quite the right aesthetic for an original rock/metal band, but…… who cares right?

 

A surprisingly great bass. 

I must get round to trying a Sire bass sometime - probably one of the short scales, as I seem to be gravitating to short scale more and more these days......🤔

[tauzero]

The Sei fretless or the Antoniotsai. Partly because they're the closest to hand.

[Kiwi]

14 hours ago, Rayman said:

I had an identical one….. maybe 20yrs ago? Fabulous thing it was. I had that and an N2. Stupid to move either of them on. 

Is it possible it might be this bass?  I know the previous owner bought it from a member called Homerplaysbass because Homer let me try it at the BC Bash up in Northhampton.  

[Rayman]

1 hour ago, Kiwi said:

Is it possible it might be this bass?  I know the previous owner bought it from a member called Homerplaysbass because Homer let me try it at the BC Bash up in Northhampton.  

That’s it! Alan (Homerplaysbass) and I traded a lot gear between us. I remember that bash, and I remember you being there along with some of the original Bassworld members. 

[Kiwi]

1 hour ago, Rayman said:

That’s it! Alan (Homerplaysbass) and I traded a lot gear between us. I remember that bash, and I remember you being there along with some of the original Bassworld members. 

Good grief that must have been 2006.  I didn't buy it until 2009 - just after I had to leave my corporate gig band due to work relocation. So more than 9 months later...!

It's one of those instruments that just shouldn't be as good as it is on paper. All maple construction and Czech origins don't suggest anything special going on.  My Pedulla is all maple too but sounds nothing like the Spector. 

 

I think the neck on this bass is perhaps a little less rigid so it sounds warmer.  I was all set to slap an ebony fingerboard on it to deal with the warp but the steam treatment from Jon basically reset the neck sufficiently for a fingerboard and fret dress to soak up any remaining deviation

[Rayman]

It’s a fabulous bass. Gigging with that and a Kramer era N2, via a Markbass rig, at the time I was like a pig in s@#*. 

[Kiwi]

46 minutes ago, Rayman said:

It’s a fabulous bass. Gigging with that and a Kramer era N2, via a Markbass rig, at the time I was like a pig in s@#*. 

Yeah, I haven't gigged it in earnest yet after...15 years!  The one time I could have, it was still being shipped over from the UK so had to use the Status Series 1...speaking of which, that could potentially qualify as well for it's sheer versatility after modding it.

[miles'tone]

Yep, although I only have one bass now. It's still surprising to me how happy I am with it.

[paul_5]

20 minutes ago, miles'tone said:

Yep, although I only have one bass now. It's still surprising to me how happy I am with it.

BURN THE HERETIC!!!

[Stub Mandrel]

Not quite the same thing, but if I gave any concerns about a gig... lighting, pressure to deliver, feeling under the weather, I make life as easy as possible for myself and take my Flea Jazz bass for maximum playability.

 

My Sire P10 gets close.

 

[jd56hawk]

One of those basses very few know about.

Sometimes I forget how good it is.

 

Edited Tuesday at 13:49 by jd56hawk

[Bagman]

14 hours ago, Kiwi said:

Is it possible it might be this bass?  I know the previous owner bought it from a member called Homerplaysbass because Homer let me try it at the BC Bash up in Northhampton.  

I had a go on both your Spector's here in Otautahi but i can't remember what year that was sorry - nice instruments

 

My #1 is a MTD Grendel 5 which is the least $ spent but really is a top instrument 

Check out the Czech's I think... 

[Owen]

I have an MTD Kingston I bought for peanuts while playing Ebay roulette many, many years ago. It has been badly abused over the years. I should not have taken the Audere preamp with Low Z switch out of it. I have changed pickups 4 times. It now sports 2 Smith humbuckers and goes through a Smith floor preamp. The floor preamp will eventually be plumbed into the bass. It has the loveliest neck I have ever played and is super light. Nothing not to love.