178 posts
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Post by mototech on Feb 28, 2016 21:24:12 GMT
I have a dilemma. I have been toying with the idea of buying a bass for a while, but couldn't really justify it to just mess about with to see f I really wanted to learn. Today I found the PB-50 SB & reading the reviews, for €98 it looks like a stupid deal, even by HB standards. Has anyone any experience with one of these & is it really the too good to be true deal that it looks? If it is, I may just have to take the leap into the dark world of 4 string guitars. Also, any opinions on the HB-20 B amp?
Thanks in advance folks, Brian.
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Post by JAC on Feb 29, 2016 8:37:01 GMT
In response to the title: of course you should buy I never got around to pulling the trigger on the PB-50 but I have heard 99.9% good reviews about it (let's not get into the 0.1%, let's just say I seem to find the 99.9% reviews more reliable ). I am sure kodiakblair can lend a hand with some positive info, amongst others.
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178 posts
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Post by mototech on Feb 29, 2016 9:40:57 GMT
Thanks JAC, it looks ridiculous vale, currently £77, with about £35 worth of pickup & strings!!!
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Post by kodiakblair on Feb 29, 2016 15:54:36 GMT
How on earth did I miss this post No idea about the amp but I could wax lyrical for hours on the PB-50. It's probably the best example of how much profit other companies make on basses. A P-bass is simplicity itself and the PB-50 doesn't deviate from that 60 year old design. Some folks point out the grain is a photo !! so what it looks great or they say " Oh it's basswood " again so what. It plays great,looks great and sounds great. It also happens to be very well built. Now lets look at the competitors. £3900 Master-built editions, who much of a master does it take to put one of these together ? OK I'll leave the masters (who are they,how did they achieve jedi mastery ?) Let's take the £400 Squier with it's Hi-Mass bridge ( PB-50's got one),no-name but vintage-style pickup . Hey they reshaped the headstock,I'll give them that. What amazing difference did they go with They gave it a PINE body,yes "tonewood" fans PINE !!!! Known the world round for is sonic beauty. Buy the PB-50, Thank me later p.s. Sounds too bright,try tapes or half-ground
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178 posts
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Post by mototech on Feb 29, 2016 16:11:34 GMT
Pine you say, they may well be on to something, I can't wait to get home & give my kitchen table a rattle with a hammer to see how it resonates. Thanks for your help, I can see joining this forum is going to be costly.
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Post by kodiakblair on Feb 29, 2016 16:44:26 GMT
Costly ? Might have saved you £330 but you'll probably spend it on HB's anyway now Seriously it's a good bass the 50. Fella asked me about them on Friday,long time player,his playing got a single to #2 UK charts back in 1980. Guy knows his onions,all he intends to do is swap the scratchplate for gold anodised and strings for La Bella's. If you go for one remember Thomann move loads of them every week so wee QC issues can get missed,if you find one email them ASAP.Never had any myself but one fella had a bridge slightly off so strings were off the pole pieces.They'll sort it with no hassle. Don't think because it's £70 it's crap,mine sees plenty of play. More than some 10 - 15 times the price. Mind and hit the table somewhere the wife puts a table mat
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178 posts
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Post by mototech on Mar 7, 2016 15:23:23 GMT
Well, the deed is done, ordered about an hour ago. I was looking for something for someone else & couldn't resist a quick look at the PB-50. They had B stock listed which worked out at under £70!!! I had a 10 euro voucher, which meant no carriage, to me, this is the bargain I couldn't miss. Now, as far as Joy is concerned, I seem to remember a saying about forgiveness being easier to get than permission, so I hope that works! All I need to do now is to learn to play, in the words of Blackie Lawless "the instrument of ignorance" Sorry to all the bass players on the forum, but as I can now count myself amongst your ranks, I feel I can happily join the merry banter.
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DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Mar 7, 2016 20:41:06 GMT
How on earth did I miss this post No idea about the amp but I could wax lyrical for hours on the PB-50. It's probably the best example of how much profit other companies make on basses. A P-bass is simplicity itself and the PB-50 doesn't deviate from that 60 year old design. Some folks point out the grain is a photo !! If that's photo flame then basswood must be very boring to look at for this to be considered an exciting improvement. And if they're going to bother to pretend its a chunk of real TONEwood why photogragh a piece with at least three joins in it?! I could have given them a pic of my Pacifica, it's got 4.
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Post by kodiakblair on Mar 8, 2016 0:16:09 GMT
Bass wood or Lime as it's sometimes known doesn't have a grain that lends itself to sunburst. Strangely the photo flame (a method used often on MIJ Fenders) was different on all 3 PB-50's I had. Purely an aesthetic thing as the similar Squier has a solid colour Pine body. For those that like wee titbits last weeks prices for imported Grade A Pine was between £226 - £312 per cubic metre on the Chinese trading market, Basswood £301 - £355. Cubic metre is enough for just over 100 bodies. Ash was £613 - £860.Historically Alder sells for less than Ash. Mahogany was £750 - £800. Maple remains high at £970 - £1070 per cubic metre Grade A. Still you get a lot of necks from a cubic metre. * All prices taken from 16-29 Feb report Globalwood.org/markets
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Post by JAC on Mar 8, 2016 7:09:25 GMT
Its amazing the things one learns on THBC, I would like to order a cubic meter of Ash please As KB says, basswood is not the most beautiful wood for bursts. However, it can be used:
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178 posts
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Post by mototech on Mar 8, 2016 7:49:55 GMT
To be honest guys, for what I paid, I wont care if it's natural wood, photo flame, or photo of the Queen Mother, it will look fabulous! Managed to get it shipped without vat for £58. Brian.
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DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Mar 8, 2016 9:45:23 GMT
Bass wood or Lime as it's sometimes known doesn't have a grain that lends itself to sunburst. Strangely the photo flame (a method used often on MIJ Fenders) was different on all 3 PB-50's I had. Purely an aesthetic thing as the similar Squier has a solid colour Pine body. For those that like wee titbits last weeks prices for imported Grade A Pine was between £226 - £312 per cubic metre on the Chinese trading market, Basswood £301 - £355. Cubic metre is enough for just over 100 bodies. Ash was £613 - £860.Historically Alder sells for less than Ash. Mahogany was £750 - £800. Maple remains high at £970 - £1070 per cubic metre Grade A. Still you get a lot of necks from a cubic metre. * All prices taken from 16-29 Feb report Globalwood.org/markets At those prices the difference between the cheapest pine body and an ash one is, at worst, £6.50. Unless there is more wastage or more manufacturing costs using ash there seems little point faffing around with photo flames especially trying to make basswood look like alder to save £3.50! There's got to be more to this. I wonder what it is?
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Post by kodiakblair on Mar 8, 2016 12:47:02 GMT
Basswood is an easy wood to work with as well as light,big consideration with tool life.I worked with Oak for a spell,saw blades were blunt after every day.Added cost on tool sharpening.
Then there's picking bits of timber that work when sunburst,if they don't look semi-ok they'll get returned. In this respect the photo flame is just really a solid colour process,basswood does have another benefit though ! it's sold graded " No Knots " whereas other timbers require filling before painting.Cuts down a huge amount of waste using photo flame or solid colour no matter the timber.My guess is whoever builds the -50 has a stock of basswood bodies and as they already do a black P-bass went for an attractive finish to compliment the JB-75.
Just a guess of course.
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DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Mar 8, 2016 13:04:24 GMT
Basswood is an easy wood to work with as well as light,big consideration with tool life... Ahh, you may have hit on something with 'light'. A stack of basswood bodied guitars is going to be a lot lighter than a stack of ash ones. Wonder if that's a major point. I have no problem with basswood bodies on the whole, though they never feel like they are hanging on to screws particularly well, but I do hate the way they are so splitty if knocked. I had a basswood tele sent by freight. When it arrived I noticed it had been conveniently 'reliced' by UPS just where my arm wanted to rest. When I rubbed the split it just kept falling away like matchsticks. Got a nice big reduction from the seller then got to work with soaking superglue into it. Now it's all shiny and smooth and looks like my arm's been very busy playing it for twenty years. It's become one of my favourites.
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