solo4652 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 You can buy one of these new for £50 [url="http://www.johnnybrook.com/product.aspx?prod=jb100"]http://www.johnnybrook.com/product.aspx?prod=jb100[/url] I'm considering one as the start point for a fretless bass. Buy this, drop in a Mighty Mite unlined fretless neck, add some Tokai pups I have. Any thoughts? Waste of money? Get-what-you-pay-for? Bargain start-point? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I've done a few project basses and I'm increasingly of the opinion that a lot can be acheived with very basic materials. If the setup and electronics are good (as you have mentioned) then I think it'd be a lot of fun and the chances of you ending up with something that wasn't useable are very slim. Even if you budget for a good setup to be done on whatever you end up with, you'll be quids in and have a lot of fun doing it! Cheers, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 [quote name='solo4652' post='662477' date='Nov 23 2009, 10:40 AM']....You can buy one of these new for £50....[/quote] You want to buy a £50 bass then spend £100 on parts? In the end it'll still be a £50 bass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 [quote name='chris_b' post='662531' date='Nov 23 2009, 11:47 AM']You want to buy a £50 bass then spend £100 on parts? In the end it'll still be a £50 bass![/quote] With £100 worth of parts that actually make the noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 if your changing the electronics and neck, what about the option of buying a blank body and making a project out of it. good fun and you'll learn a bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 It sounds like it'll be a trigger's broom by the time its finished. If the body is decent then its probably worth doing as that will probably be the only original bit left, otherwise I'd spend a bit extra & buy a decent alder body from brandoni or similar and build up from that that a bit at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Get what you pay for...IMV To do any mods, the core stuff needs to be very good.. so it needs to play well which I would venture is likely to be quite a hit and miss thing for this money.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 The question that's always burned on my mind is 'will a piece of alder or maple machined in Indonesia or China sound any different to a piece machined in the Good Ol' U S of A?' If you have a decent pickup and get it set up properly it should sound fine. Having said that, I wouldn't buy a whole bass guitar ("made from the finest materials...", for that price it might well be the 'finest plywood'). If you want to hack it around, rip the frets out, re-carve the body and re-wind the pickup then go for it but if you're only keeping the body then just buy a second hand body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I'd keep an eye out for a Squier/Vintage/Aria etc. bass cheap on eBay, you can pick these up for around the £50 mark. If you want to sell the neck, tuners and pickups on they'll have a higher value than Johnny Brook parts, Squier for the Fender shaped headstock alone Squier Affinity P-Bass for £50 + p&p here: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ180435663664QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2a02cdbb30"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bass-guitar_W0QQitem...=item2a02cdbb30[/url] I bought an Aria Jazz for £45 and it sounded heaps better than the usual budget stuff. I've played a very nice Stagg natural Jazz too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I've got one and it's fab! It sets up well and sounds superb very loud and punchy. A few iffy frets but it's really good. However!!!! I bought mine to mod and NOTHING on it is a standard size, even the body is smaller and slightly off jazz shaped. I bought a load of cheap gold hardware from eBay and nothing fitted. Nor did any of the stuff I had off other jazz's. The neck has an extra fret too. So modding not as easy as it sounds. But for a beater bass then go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapscallion Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Those ProBass ebay jobbies are awesome, and only £100 brand new, very good quality. it looks like they're the same build/plant as the SX guitars, which are very highly rated in the bass community. I've got a vintage modified jazz and its lovely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Curious, any chance of a link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarPig Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 I could only find this one: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBass-Vintage-Modified-NEW-EXCLUSIVE_W0QQitemZ190350933658QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2c51ccbe9a"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBas...=item2c51ccbe9a[/url] The series/parrallel switch is a nice addition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share Posted November 24, 2009 Ah - well there's a clear consensus emerging here. I'll not be getting a Johhny Brook or a Jay Turser or anything else like that. I'll look out for a Squier. Thank you to everybody for your thoughts. How about an OLP body with a an unlined fretless neck? Do/did OLP make such necks? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share Posted November 24, 2009 [quote name='lemmywinks' post='662603' date='Nov 23 2009, 01:08 PM']I'd keep an eye out for a Squier/Vintage/Aria etc. bass cheap on eBay, you can pick these up for around the £50 mark. If you want to sell the neck, tuners and pickups on they'll have a higher value than Johnny Brook parts, Squier for the Fender shaped headstock alone Squier Affinity P-Bass for £50 + p&p here: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ180435663664QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2a02cdbb30"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bass-guitar_W0QQitem...=item2a02cdbb30[/url] I bought an Aria Jazz for £45 and it sounded heaps better than the usual budget stuff. I've played a very nice Stagg natural Jazz too[/quote] Blast it! That Squier on Ebay was about 10 miles from my house. Looked a bit too bashed-about though. I'll keep looking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapscallion Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 [quote name='WarPig' post='663357' date='Nov 24 2009, 12:15 AM']I could only find this one: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBass-Vintage-Modified-NEW-EXCLUSIVE_W0QQitemZ190350933658QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2c51ccbe9a"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBas...=item2c51ccbe9a[/url] The series/parrallel switch is a nice addition.[/quote] Yep, thats the one! Seriously good bang for your buck and pretty nice bloke too, bass rived with a nice setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 I should get one of these. The old boy who sits behind me at Griffin Park always goes misty eyed at the mention of him. [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Brooks"]Johnny Brooks[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redstriper Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 [quote name='rapscallion' post='663109' date='Nov 23 2009, 08:07 PM']Those ProBass ebay jobbies are awesome, and only £100 brand new, very good quality. it looks like they're the same build/plant as the SX guitars, which are very highly rated in the bass community. I've got a vintage modified jazz and its lovely[/quote] Do you mean awesome for £100 or just plain awesome ? I'm interested to know how it compares to the Squire Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified jazz basses. Also how does the pup switch affect the sound ? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapscallion Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 [quote name='redstriper' post='664241' date='Nov 24 2009, 07:49 PM']Do you mean awesome for £100 or just plain awesome ? I'm interested to know how it compares to the Squire Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified jazz basses. Also how does the pup switch affect the sound ? Thanks.[/quote] Im afraid I've played neither, although I picked up a VM precision in Andertons and personally I'd say the ProBass felt nicer. Sorry I can't give a decent comparison, but the ProBass is a lovely sounder, its got that Jazz Bass growl with rounds on it, but a solo neck pickup gives quite a convincing dub/reggae sound with the tone rolled off. The series/parallel switch seems to give a more delicate precision sound, less thump. Its a shame they aren't in the shops, I had to buy mine on a whim and luckily it came out a winner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Those ProBasses are deffo from the same stable as SX basses, and that can only be a good thing. Each time I go to Dublin, I almost always come away with one...it's only the fear of Aer Lingus smashing it into a billion pieces that stops me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redstriper Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Thanks for the prompt reply rapscallion. How do you find it for weight ? I'm looking for something light to replace a heavy old jazz bass - see [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=67730"]this thread[/url]. Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapscallion Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 I don't mind it to be honest, but to be honest Steve I play sitting down mostly anyway. HOWVERE, it really isn't that heavy (or I'm just a young buck ). I just listened to your myspace, I'm taking it to a jam with a guy I was in a dub band with a while ago. I'll let you know how it fits in the mix. The only thing thats a bit suspect is the blocks on mine, they're remenisent of those stick on jobbies that were available from GSR Guitars. But really you dont notice them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 [quote name='WarPig' post='663357' date='Nov 24 2009, 12:15 AM']I could only find this one: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBass-Vintage-Modified-NEW-EXCLUSIVE_W0QQitemZ190350933658QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2c51ccbe9a"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBas...=item2c51ccbe9a[/url] The series/parrallel switch is a nice addition.[/quote] The bridge is waaay off, scale wise. Unless it's a bigger body than a Jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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