Let's see your guitar and bass gear!

In reply to David S. Wallens:

I think when this drum kit finally sells, I'm going to be on the lookout for either a P Bass to continue my Steve Harris clone project, or just go out and buy one of these:

It's a Squier PJ Bass, which is basically a P Bass body and neck with a Jazz bridge pickup. The Ibanez TR70 I have is a lot like this, but I think I would like this one better. I just missed one over the weekend locally for $80 just like the one in the pic.

And if the PJ happens, it's getting a set of these:

EMG Geezer Butler pickups. Just like John Bonham "taught me" how to play drums, Geezer "taught me" how to play bass. Steve Harris showed me too, but Geezer was my first "teacher".

David S. Wallens wrote: FWIW, I loooooove my P-basses. One is Mexican-made from 1999 or so fitted with a Seymour Duncan pickup. I paid $199 for the guitar. Love it. Sadly, though, I don't exactly sound like Steve Harris.

Same here. I have four variants of the P-bass and one 5 string Jazz right now (because it was too cheap not to own). I've owned several Jazz basses and I just haven't found one I get along with yet.

I have a made in Japan Geddy Lee Jazz. It's super-cool but I admit that I play my $199 P-bass way more.

It's funny, as I get older, I want more basic instruments. Right now, I have an ecclectic lineup of stringed things:

GUITAR: -Epiphone Les Paul Standard

-Epiphone Les Paul Special II

-Jackson Performer PS4

-Ovation Celebrity Acoustic/Electric

BASS:

-Warwick Streamer Standard

-Ibanez TR70

-Ibanez SoundGear SR400

-Epiphone Goth Thunderbird

And all I want lately is a damn P Bass and a HSS Strat. Why? Because they are easy to pick up and play. Each one of my current instruments was more or less bought because they were a "good deal". My favorite guitar to play right now is the Les Paul Special II and favorite bass is the Warwick. But they both have caveats: The Les Paul needs better pickups, and the Warwick has a mellow, subdued tone that isn't great for everything. Not that I dislike any of the instruments I have, but none of them are good "all around" instruments.

The funny thing is I used to have a Samick P-Bass copy, and I HATED IT. In fact, I gave it away because I hated it so much. But years later after playing a few Squier models, I want one again. Weird.

I hear you about the basics thing. Lately I have been playing my P-bass and Tele the most. (Well, and my Univox High Flyer bass, too.)

In reply to SilverFleet:

I have a Warwick too(Rockbass Corvette, lefty 5-string, 32"-scale) and I love the tone of it, but it's just not comfortable for me to play. The top horn hits me right in the chest, and the angle of it & the strap causes the neck to angle outwards away from my body. I had to import it myself from Germany, since no one sells them here(or at least didn't a couple years ago), so I'll probably never sell it either. It just sits in its case most of the time though.

I have 2 P-bass copies. One is a Davidson lefty which surprisingly sounds great. Not sure if the aluminum nut(hey, it was handy) I put on when I flipped the strings is part of it, or if it's just a good piece of wood(...heh, that's what she said...). Unfortunately, being a 34" scale it's just too long for me to play comfortably.

I also have an older SX P-bass that's a 30" scale - and bright metallic pink. It doesn't have quite the tone of the Davidson, but it sure plays nice.

Since my time in NH is coming to an end soon, I decided to take one last lunch trip to the only indy guitar shop left in town (besides Guitar Center). They usually have something interesting to look at. They also had a near-new Hofner CT Club guitar. $299 w/ gig bag. I picked it up, strummed a few chords and was smitten. Damnnit... really didn't need to add another guitar to move home. Oh well...

And because I still suck at pictures, you guys get a stock Musician's Friend pic (sorry):

I'm sure it's a veneer, but the flamed maple on the arched back is cool as well. Sound (acoustic - amps are home in PA) is bright and kinda Gretch-like. Apparently the mini-humbuckers have a P-90'ish tone. The body is noticeably thicker than a Les Paul.

Spent some time playing that Epi Les Paul Special I rehabbed over the weekend, comparing it to my "nicer" Epi Les Paul Standard. Is it weird that I like the Special better? It plays better than the Standard, and feels easier to play since it's lighter. I can't wait to get a set of hotter pickups in it!

Also, I'm still on the hunt for a new project bass. I've even considered buying a Affinity P-Bass new, except for the fact that Fender doesn't sell them new anymore unless you buy the combo pack with the amp and other stuff. When did that happen?

I've also considered getting a 5-string. Someone local is selling a Affinity Jazz V for a reasonable price. I don't know how one of those would play or sound compared to, say, a Jackson Concert Bass V, but I'm considering it.

So, advanced apologies to my neighbors...

SVT-CL sitting on top of my Skunkworks 810. This sucker is LOUD, but man does it sound good.

Ampeg = AWESOME.

I found an eBay seller that sells GFS-style cheap pickups for only $22 a set!

http://www.ebay.com/sch/guitarmadnessguitarmadness/m.html?item=281648857015&rd=1&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

From what I've researched, GFS and a few other budget brands gets their pickups from the same place and rebrands them, and these are no different. The ones I'm looking at are the Guitar Madness "1984" zebras. I want a hotter pickup for the LP Special, and these should do it while looking cool. I'll be ordering some soon. Even with these, I'll have under $50 total into the project.

In reply to Gimp:

berkeley yeah!

petegossett wrote: In reply to Gimp: berkeley yeah!

Considering what I have spent on various amps and cabs over the years, if I had a time machine I would have just gone back and bought a SVT from the start.

Yeah, the SVT and 810 combo is basically my dream rig. There is nothing out there that sounds better IMHO. That's soul-penetrating low end right there.

Speaking of amps... I guess my giant Peavey Combo 115 has an optional 2x12 extension cab and can run at 300w. That's good to know down the road in case I ever gig out from behind the drum kit. I'm still pretty happy with that thing, but it's no SVT.

But man, that Ampeg.... DROOL....

SilverFleet wrote: Yeah, the SVT and 810 combo is basically my dream rig. There is nothing out there that sounds better IMHO. That's soul-penetrating low end right there. Speaking of amps... I guess my giant Peavey Combo 115 has an optional 2x12 extension cab and can run at 300w. That's good to know down the road in case I ever gig out from behind the drum kit. I'm still pretty happy with that thing, but it's no SVT. But man, that Ampeg.... DROOL....

Had I gotten this years ago I'd be better able to carry it too! This rig is pretty much destined to stay in my basement rehearsal space, with the head coming out for the bigger gigs.

My SVT-7 Pro and 410he cab will be my travel rig. They still sound pretty sweet together.

I had a smaller Ampeg and, yeah, it sounded sweet. Now I play through a GK--right size, right price. Still, I wouldn't turn down the right deal on another Ampeg.

SilverFleet wrote: I've also considered getting a 5-string. Someone local is selling a Affinity Jazz V for a reasonable price. I don't know how one of those would play or sound compared to, say, a Jackson Concert Bass V, but I'm considering it.

I admit, I have never found myself wishing that my bass had another string or two.

I figure that four strings is good enough for Steve Harris.

Gimp wrote:

petegossett wrote: In reply to Gimp: berkeley yeah!

Considering what I have spent on various amps and cabs over the years, if I had a time machine I would have just gone back and bought a SVT from the start.

Now that I think about it, I've never actually played through an SVT rig... The typical 70's "P-bass through an SVT" was never the tone I sought, though I've heard plenty of other players w/SVTs I really dig.

In reply to David S. Wallens:

I've limited myself to 6 - I figure any more than that & I might as well get a Chapman Stick. Besides, there's no way my hands could reach across the fretboard if it was any wider. Small hands, small...bass.

David S. Wallens wrote: I admit, I have never found myself wishing that my bass had another string or two. I figure that four strings is good enough for Steve Harris.

I feel the same way about guitars. I have enough trouble playing 6 strings.

Just brought my purchases from NH home to PA. Crap... I really have to figure out how I'm going to store all of these...

If anyone wants to take a SVT and 810 for a spin, my door is open.

In reply to Gimp:

My old bass player has two of them. A vintage head with a nice cabinet he keeps in his studio and a reissue head and more beat up cab he takes to gigs. He found a guy who specializes in these heads and can restore them to as-new condition, if not better.

It was guitar lego time last night. The blue Strat got a rosewood neck and an HSS setup with a Pearly Gate humbucker and some Custom Shop Texas Specials. The black Strat got the maple neck and the "Gilmour" pickup set on a black single ply. My wife thinks I'm nuts. Pics to come.

Man, that HSS is fun to play. Big spike in volume on the humbucker (to be expected) and there are all sorts of interesting games to play with the wiring, but it's got a great range of sounds.

My coworker keeps trying to get me to buy a Mesa Boogie amp (they're from California, and everything from California is better, as we all know) but I'm having fun dinking with the guitars.

Keith Tanner wrote: My coworker keeps trying to get me to buy a Mesa Boogie amp (they're from California, and everything from California is better, as we all know)

Tell him "So is Carvin" the next time he makes a fuss about it.

Seriously though, Carvin makes a hell of an amp for the price, and their instruments seem to get great reviews too.

In reply to petegossett:

When I was in my band, my bass player had a Carvin bass combo. That thing was a little on the fragile side, but it sounded awesome. It made basically any bass you played through it sound great. I hear their guitar amps are even better.

Spent some more time with my cheapo Les Paul yesterday. I don't get it at all... it's supposed to suck as an instrument, but I love the way it plays. I again picked up my "nicer" Les Paul, and within 5 minutes, it was back to the other one. The pickups still suck, but the playability is great. It's very comfortable to play, and it shouldn't be. It's the first instrument I've had in a while that I look forward to picking up and playing.

When I'm done with this one, it's time to rehab the "nicer" one.

Why not put the good pickups in the cheapo body for the time being?