A hard time reaches you sooner or later. Now it was my turn.

[Nestor]

Hey Astro, I found the freaking chinese guy really cool!

I have been told here by the shop seller man that the Mexican Fender are real crap. He called them a "stick of wood with pickups". After this, I didn't even bother to try one out, of course...

Here there is a rather short offer... And compared with USA, well, we probably are talking about a 2% of what you have there. You guys have so many brands and shops and freelance luthier instruments wow! I whish I could move there to buy my new bass... but... cannot move.

I remember to have heard a superb Squier guitar once in a bar performance. Yes, it was really cool and also a very balanced instrument, as I after the show went to the scenario to see it closer.

[garyb]

well, the quote from your dealer shows how bad info can go around.

i live near the birthplace of Fender and am reasonably familiar with the history. i also have connections with people who work for Fender and G&L and know peopel who worked with Leo.

Mexican Fenders are the same bodies and necks as the American instruments. they are made on the EXACT same lathes as the American instruments. the better looking bodies and necks stay in Corona(CA USA), get the "better hardware" and finish and become American instruments. the other bodies and necks stay across the border to be assembled in the Mexican factory. the truth is, if you go through 100 instruments, you'll find an exceptional instrument among either group. there will be more better than average instruments among the American instruments(usually) and more average instruments among the Mexican instruments. the finish SHOULD be better on the USA instrument, but not always. the quality of the hardware and wiring is definitely better in the American instruments, but if you need to save money, the Mexican instruments' hardware is more than sufficient.

it's all about the piece of wood. if the instrument is interesting enough to get you to pick it up, that's step one. if it has a great tone in the wood itself, that is step two, three, four, and straight on home to where you live. get the best piece of wood on a playable instrument that you can afford. since you like to have nice things, spend as much as you can, or at least try to find ione that you think is nice. i'd rather have a great piece of wood that something thats look great, though. i've had the opposite too many times....

if you do it this way, you really have no reason to second guess yourself. the only reason that you will be disappointed is if you just plain want something else, just to have somethings else. it won't be because of a bad instrument.

[Nestor]

This is the one I would get eyes closed, but it is more expensive than the otheres we have talked here.

Pickups are not so good, but is more than enough for someone that can finish the sound at the end of the wires, like it is my case. This is the link of this wonderfull instrument:

http://www.ibanez.com/BassGuitars/model-SR505

[garyb]

yep, seen those.

a very competent instrument.

you should be able to find one on ebay. it's big though. shipping will be a motha....

[Nestor]

Hey Astro, Wayne! Here you have one of those crazy worshipers like you, he sure belong to your brotherhood:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_HWhHAbYuY

[astroman]

LOL - I knew in advance WHO was going to appear on the scene...

btw Nestor... pssst... the brotherhood... it's called the Leominati...

cheers, Tom

[Nestor]

LOL - I knew in advance WHO was going to appear on the scene...

btw Nestor... pssst... the brotherhood... it's called the Leominati...

cheers, Tom

[Nestor]

Interesting document. Please watch it full screen, it is a PDF:

http://books.google.cl/books?id=4UYae_h ... e&q&f=true

[Nestor]

Oh man.... I've been watching the available basses at ebay, and I'm really shocked at the prices you can get in USA. You pople are so lucky to get these ridiculously low prices for used instruments! Here I cannot even see it, not even once.

It really is frustrating to see that you could easily afford an instrument of those, but when you want to bring any of the to your home, it multiplies about 3, 4 or 5 times its original price! what a shame...

[garyb]

yes, we're lucky. too bad you don't have a reason to come here. i could hold something for you if you did have a reason...

[Nestor]

yes, we're lucky. too bad you don't have a reason to come here. i could hold something for you if you did have a reason...

Thank you Gary, I'm sure you would which I appreciate much! But no, I don't need to move there for any reason so far. On the contrary, I have many things to do here.

But well, I know I will find a way, don't worry...

[wayne]

Hey Nestor - what he means is - if you can find a work/cheap ticket to the States, it's cheaper sometimes. It's a reality here in Australia too - my jaw dropped when I first visited the US, had to buy some gear even though I was basically broke.

You are on a cool mission - bass-seeking is always a chance thing, and your odds are good if you try everything.

I ended up with my Jazz because of the wood sound acoustically - Gary's version with your head on the bass gives you the awesome raw electric dirt buzz of the thing, but pressing the body against a nice table or cupboard gives the wood.

I think traditional Fenders may be a little lowbrow/butch-arsed for many fusion applications, but some of the new active 5-string J's might be good.

[Nestor]

Hi Wayne

I uderstood well what Gary said to me, and of course it would be a great idea, but flies here are not cheap and then, you have to pay also for the visa. So at the end, it will cost even more than having it here in a shop, paying hirgh prices.

Chile can be a beautiful country in itself, and of course, there are also great people, particularly in the countryside, but it is in many ways in the stone age... honestly... It is true that there are finalcial advancements (as I'm sure you are hearing now and then in the news), but only for very big enterprises and for those exporting goods. For the rest of us, I can tell you: education, health, insurance, transport, business flow, leases, etc., are a pain in the ass. Everything you start here takes longer than expected it is much more complicated and has always many exceptions to the rule. It is very rare to see a systematization of any process, they tend to be loose and change or adapt to the situation of the day, what get sometimes in your nerves, as you are faced up with hundreds of problems to be solved, and in the same way, which creats a few more to be solved, and in the same way, so you still have a few more to solve... The country could be a much better place to be and people live much better lives if everything was a bit more oderly directed.

[Nestor]

Please, to those who know:

What about the Mighty mite pickups? Are they nice? I'm talking particularly about these ones:

http://www.mightymite.com/pickups/bass/ ... index.html

If you have any experience about them, please let me know

cheers

[astroman]

did you check Talkbass ? the last post is cool...
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f38/might ... od-178572/

cheers, Tom

[Nestor]

Well, if the SX sound is similar to the mightymite P's, I would rather like them, leasten at this, it's pretty nice sound:

http://sxguitarist.com/2011/01/14/nuevo ... preciosos/

[Nestor]

Hello People!

Hey, what do you know about the Ibanez sr485? Anybody has played or owns it here?





Cheers

[garyb]

as with most Ibanez instruments, they are a nice, quality instrument for the price.

[braincell]

I don't know but it looks beautiful. I just had my Ibanez guitar setup by a good pro. I assume that he lubricated it. Now I am worried about my bass. Maybe I will attempt this setup myself. I assume it takes many years to rust shut.

[Nestor]

as with most Ibanez instruments, they are a nice, quality instrument for the price.

Sure they are, but what about the tone? I could find only one video on the web, and it is pretty poor. I wish I could hear it played in different ways to have a clear idea of its capabilities.

Anyway, I have read several reviews about it in Harmony Central and other places, telling great things about it. What most surprised me is someone who says: "Ive owned and still own several basses, from Warwicks to Fender to Gibson, Ibanez, Schecter, Spector, and Alembic. For the money its badass, and even if I payed twice as much it would still be a better buy than the majority of whats out there under a grand". Not too bad we could say...

I guess that it must sound similar to the SR505 model currently available, becuase I understand that the 485 is its predecesor, between the 495.

Cheers