Hi all,
This is my very first post here - thanks for having me!
Despite my "handle", I do NOT play Strats - the only one i own has been sitting in its case for the last 5 years now. Just can't get on with 'em...
I'm really a Telecaster man at heart, although I do own and love several other types of guitar. Just recently, I have been "putting my toes in the water" with regard to playing bass, and I am having
REAL fun with it - I just
LOVE playing bass!
I've owned an old Aria bass for years, but when I saw THIS little beauty on eBay a few weeks ago I thought I'd give it a try:
This cost the equivalent of around $250 US (yes - even HERE in "Rip-off britain"!!!
). Its a
RICHWOOD Jazz Bass copy. It is so much like the Fender I had to look twice. Apart from the logo on the headstock, and the three Tele-style knobs instead of the standard black ones, you would have a job to tell. The finish is simply immaculate - CAR Alder body, maple neck (with a lovely vintage finish - not the insipid white like on the Squiers), r/w fretboard. Neck straight as a die. All the hardware is spot on - no cheapo tuners & bridge here!
I am going to change one thing - and that's the pickups. Although I prefer the slimmer Jazz neck, I believe that the real deep bass growl that you get from the neck pup of a Precision is hard to beat. The Richwood pups - although perfectly functional - just don't seem to give me enough bottom end.
The Jazz bass seems to be more aimed and middle & treble tones, with the bottom end tones somewhat lower, but on this particular jazzer, the bottom end is much too "thin".
I've been looking at the Seymour Duncan SJB-3 "Quarter Pounder" pickups, which appear to give a hot output and are more bottom-endy. Friends keep telling me that EMG are good, but they can't say which pups would suit, or how much they are! (I believe that EMGs are expensive?).
In addition, others have recommended DiMarzios. This bass thing is so new to me, and I want to get it right! I've really taken to playing bass, and there are lots more opening in bands for bassists than lead/rhythm guitarists!
Can any of you guys help me out?..
Looking forward to contributing here (if I can!) and learning a lot from you all....
