LeftyBassist.com

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi ... 04&alt=web

Low starting bid, but a zero feedback seller.

Looks like he just got his ebay account Monday. He also has a Hofner CT for sale.

Somehow I don't think that's going to slow this auction down much.

$500. is a pretty good BIN price for a CIJ Jazz.

I agree. I t's been played, but looks to be in decent condition. I've seen a number of them in not as nice condition sell over $600. I've got a MIJ just like this except it has the larger schaller style tuners in like new/mint condition, that I would sell on this forum for $ 645 plus shipping if anyone is interested.
http://webhosting.web.com/imagelib/site ... lx_picqrkr

This may sound weird, but a jazz bass sounds like crap in my hands. I haven't figured out how to play one.

After many months I was able to make my acoustic sound good, and I can vary the tone over a reasonable range. I have an L-2000 that I am able to get several different good tones out of, but again, only after working with it for a few months.

But I haven't been able to pick up a P or a J and get a sound I like. Maybe it's just because I haven't committed to one long enough. Maybe it's because my technique stinks. Maybe it's because I avoid EQ and tone controls. Maybe it's because I haven't found strings that I like on one.

Billy Sheehan has an old video where he says something to the effect of don't buy a new guitar; solve the problems you have with the guitar you already own. I feel like I'm in the opposite situation: I'm happy--very happy--with my two daily players. But I'm tempted to pick up a J on the cheap so I can figure it out and hopefully develop musically.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. Boring ass day at work here.

The right amp will be your best friend in this situation. Or possibly a different set of pups and/or electronics. What kind of tones are you looking to achieve?

Alternately, If you are running through a home recording rig, there are some good plug ins available to use. I just picked up the UAD SVT-VR plugin and man, there's some good stuff in there!

Wait- you avoid EQ & tone controls? I think you may have just answered your question.

For gear, I use a Phil Jones Big Head with Sennheiser HD-280s (and sometimes a SansAmp) to try guitars in the store so that no one has to hear me bumbling on upside-down righty basses. As for electronics, if I can't make it sound good at the store I ain't buying one, so I'm not quite into tinkering yet. At home I have a Bass Cub, which is pretty damn nice sounding. (I'm not a Phil Jones groupie; it was just a fortuitous trade.)

For tones, there's a range of sounds I hope to emulate someday, but they generally have certain things in common: strong attack but not too much treble, deepness without muddiness, a touch of growl but not too burpy (although sometimes burpy is pretty cool). Within that general area, though, I like a lot of different tones, from scooped to mid-rangy, from "bum bum bum" to "pup pup pup," if that makes sense. And I know that most of this is in the fingers, which is why I go easy on the EQ and tone: I want to hear my sh!tty technique as well as the character of the instrument itself.

Maybe some examples. For P I love these:
https://youtu.be/7vT5PKNiUyU
https://youtu.be/rgzD3vcrExE (the MIM in the first 20 sec)

For J:
https://youtu.be/OLCdeD1nAoU
https://youtu.be/0bi9W7Bmm88

I admire your concise snarkiness. Your replies have zero fat. It's a talent

I was an electrical engineer for a decade--I can do damn near anything with electrons. But I guess that's just not where I'm at right now. I want to learn to do it with the strings.

I wasn't trying to be snarky or lame, it's just that with an electric instrument, some tweaking will be required. I know people like to say time is all in the hands, but that's not 100% true. I believe that's more applicable to acoustic instruments, but that's just me.

Sorry, "snarkiness" was an unkind word, and I was trying to pay a compliment in my own awkward way.

And you're right. Of all the possibilities I mentioned, adjusting the EQ/tone is the easiest and cheapest. It's like, "Dude, stop complaining and just turn the @#$%ing knobs!" But I fear getting stuck with the crutch of rolling off the tone to get get rid of my fret clicks and suddenly everything is "wub wub wub" with no life to it.