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I love these posts that say "My XX bass is fantastic. Brilliant value, best neck I've ever played, etc, etc. Now for sale in the Marketplace"...

I like Barefaced Cabs, but if weight were not an issue I'd use Markbass cabs. I love 'em. If they are guilty of colouring one's sound, then it's a colour I like. I've used Markbass rigs a lot as backline and I'm always pleased to see an MB rig because I know I'm going to be heard, I'm going to hear myself, and I'm going to sound good. So I play better. They're relatively expensive because they're well-built. They're not actually that heavy, either - only when you compare them to boutique, ultra-lightweight cabs. I'm a fan of Markbass combos, too - the 1X15 combo in particular is fantastic. I have a theory (possibly insane), that bass gear manufacturers know that a large percentage of their customer base never play outside of their rooms and tailor their products accordingly. Markbass may sound a bit flat in your bedroom, but at a venue they really kick it out and sound very punchy, articulate and lush at battle levels and 'in concert'. OK, I'm done!

Duke of Edinburgh, Barrow in Furness, 2002. I left a really good extension lead there.

Heaven- 2 minutes to midnight. Hell- trying to learn 2 minutes to midnight.

Blocks & Binding I think

Any excuse to pop a picture of this 1981 SBR-150

I always regret never seeing The Cure. My favourite period of theirs was around the release of Disintegration and Wish, and it was just around then that they did a gig at Crystal Palace Bowl in South-East London which was just down the road from me at the time; to this day, I've got no idea why I didn't go and see them and regret not doing so. I know they still do the occasional festival here and there but I've got the feeling that if I see them now, I'm going to leave disappointed.

Bass player 'has issue with a product from a manufacturer that is always 100% perfect in every way' shocker! Stock market down, etc...

I have not read the whole thread but there is both a lot of good and bad info on this thread so I will put in my 2p. For the record I am an Electronics Engineer and advised on the design of the HPF on passinwind's HPF design. However that was all his work and I take no credit for it. So what is an HPF? High Pass Filter or less commonly called a Low Cut Filter. So why do we need one? Bass guitars and DBs and the whole system between them, and the Loudspeaker, produce very low frequencies that do not add to our sound. These VLFs work the speaker hard and rob us of headroom. How do I know if this is happening to my system? If you can see the speaker moving, that is caused by VLFs. Take you grille off and watch the cones while playing. Your eyes will not see a cone vibrating at 25Hz* so if you can see it move, it is below 25 Hz and well below Low B at 31Hz. Watch the video of the Micro Thumpinator in action on the SFX site to see the effect.Microthumpinator web page My amp has an HPF do I need an external one? It depends, some built in ones are too shallow. 12 dB per octave is too shallow, 24dB is the minimum in my opinion. That rules out the Broughton. It would be better than nothing but imho not much. What if I just turn down the bass? Most bass controls will affect frequencies in the low mids and higher and have a big impact on your tone. Do I need a variable or adjustable HPF? If it works it does not matter. The Thumpinator works well and also the various FDeck versions from the USA, are good. Variable Filters have a bump at the f3 point. No a good design will be flat to all intents and purposes. If a fixed HPF works well, what benefit would a variable HPF bring. Mainly to help tame room resonances/boominess in conjunction with the normal EQ. It can also allow you to experiment for yourself, a variable HPF can start the cut-off higher for a 4 string than a 5 string. Alternatively it allows you to tune the response so as to just remove the unwanted VLF stuff leaving more of you tone intact.

It`s the Markbass cabs that are the culprits. I`ve found they have a high-end roll off that means whatever sound you get working well with them, when DI`d the sound is much harsher and treblier than you`d want. Many cabs are voiced a certain way - my Ashdown ABMs add in a lot of low-end, something I found out when I switched to them from Barefaced which really were as close to flat as I can describe.

Headless If only to see the perplexed look on the average punters face when you step onstage with it

It was terrifying and great too!

I own an Aria SB1000 which I bought in 1986. Its a 1979 bat-ear model. The quality of this bass is at least the equal of any bass I've ever played (bear in mind I also own a Wal....) and it will be the last bass I ever part with. It's a wonderful instrument. I hate to agree with you bassasin, but I think maybe you are talking rubbish lol. Look at the things Ibanez and others were selling bassists in the late 80s, and the colours.....

Okay, cool, I'll switch up brands next time. I think they're seated fine as far as I can tell, no movement, fairly neat and tidy, doesn't look any different from any other bass I've got, no damage or anything unusual. I've been in search of a bass playing friend for that reason! Unfortunately just haven't had the time to cross paths lately, I'll see if I can arrange something for an upcoming gig. I've only found guitar players to ask lately. They seem confused at the size and lack of extra strings and tend to just blackout. Alright I made that last bit up. Thanks for your advice!

Thank you sir... yes it has. I knew that fitting the Ultralites would have cosmetic consequences, which is why it took me so long to get round to fitting them - but function trumped form in the end - and though the tuner-hole issue is annoying, there is NO neck dive whatsoever. The bass hangs on the strap exactly in the position that I play it and no effort is needed to hold the neck up. That, plus the fact the bass is incredibly light for a Jazz, makes it a delight to pick up and play so it was well worth doing. My P Bass seems like a real boat anchor by comparison, though it's still less than 9lbs. I've also realised that most basses do have some sort of neck dive issue, though it only really manifests itself when it becomes extreme. I think Ultralites are a great affordable upgrade if you want to instantly lose 1/2lb of weight from your bass. Except where originality or style would be a consideration, of course. I just wish I'd fitted them in the first place instead of the Schallers.

Great work and pics, I'd like to hear them too

Snake oil IMHO - if you really want a RAT with an LM308, then buy one without and fit one. Even if you can't do it yourself, paying someone would be cheaper than those prices. I retrofitted an LM308 in my Turbo Rat, just to see how strong the snake oil it contained was. Cost me a few quid and 20 mins with a soldering iron. I left the 308 in but the difference between the original chip and the 308 didn't warrant the effort to my ears.

Yes the adapter will complete the circuit and shorten battery life without the cable plugged in, but if you found the fit of the cable end into the adapter was tighter than the adapter into the socket (if you see what I mean), that would be a bonus

OOOFT Desperately trying not to. Can I use "no height adjustment on bridge" to convince myself to walk away? https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Epiphone-Thunderbird-Vintage-Pro-Electric-Bass-Alpine-White/1X0O?origin=product-ads&utm_campaign=PLA+Shop+-+Epiphone&utm_medium=vertical_search&network=google&adgroup=2+-+Brand+Level+-+Epiphone&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=89448d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=87897988879&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2NXTBRDoARIsAJRIvLzIXWgZqhZGwPhlu4phn5slsN4wW1o0HfOPkpyhrdg6kcPdCSGMMBQaArE-EALw_wcB

Rickenbackers?

Even the photos are good! Quality work all round.

Well done. It is odd to see an ibby headstock on a warwick shaped body. Well worth the effort just to see that.

The first time I heard "My Way" on the car radio, I had to pull over as I was laughing my butt off. Punks? Hell, the Beatles were bigger punks in the early days but they could play. Their management cleaned their image up, not down.

I think that looks great @Jimothey Great job!

It’s the Korean Model. Lastbtime I saw one for sale was about 18 months ago on eBay, I nearly went for it but didn’t last minute, didn’t have the funds. this one feels awesome, the neck profile is so flat you don’t mind the width and it’s a joy to play. A lot of people consider swapping electronics etc but I will see currently plays well with my pedals

Love this sound :-)

I use a Hard / Soft Bass case from Gear 4 Music for mine --Very light and sturdy. I made a packing out of foam and covered it in good old Gaffa tape --I put a strip of velcro on it so it can easily be removed if you need to fit a full size P or Jazz bass! https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Bass-Guitar-Foam-Case-by-Gear4music/C87 Will.

Here’s a mock-up of how it will look when finished.......

Haha I seem to have a bass for every dislike apart from single cut but as I used to own one of them as well I will give you all a middle finger and say F**k you, you want boring buy boring, me I want buckeye burl roasted maple, gold hardware and a generous portion of points!

Blimey my original post isn’t far short of ten years old now! I’ve now seen the Stranglers 21 times, and I did in fact buy a Shuker JJ mk.1 (no. 006) in 2009 which I still have. Still love seeing them live, will be seeing them in Bristol again next month. Although it’s a shame Jet isn’t with them live any more, I think Jim McCauley does a superb job. The green 60’s P bass wasn’t nicked, it got smashed in Sweden, but Jon Shuker repaired it and JJ still has it. In fact it was the black one which was the heaviest, but it had the better sound-the green one was lighter but lacking in the sound department-JJ’s Shuker signature model is meant to be an amalgam of both basses.

I dunno... I actually get on better with women I dont like. It's not necessary to impress them, so the pressure's off.

It might be worth looking at a baritone guitar hard case such as this 'extra long' Gator case (£80): https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/electric-guitar-accessories/cases-bags-for-electric-guitars/hard-cases-for-electric-guitars/gator-deluxe-molded-case-for-electric-guitars-extra-long I believe the overall length of a Mustang is 107cm and the overall internal length of this case is given as 106.7mm so it might just fit. I'd be interested to know myself!

There's one on Gumtree for £65 ATM https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/sx-bass-guitar-red.-4-string/1284552627

Worth a enquiring about these for £70 but they are listed as out of stock unfortunately http://www.shortscalebass.co.uk/product/flightcase-for-fendersquire-mustangbroncomusicmaster-bass/ I was lucky enough to get a Fender Mustang Hardcase with my MiJ Mustang but there is NO WAY I would fork out the £200+ for one, not worth the retail price !

It arrived earlier in the week, a 2018 Wal MK 1. (I'll get some better photo's once there is enough light)

Heaven- tommy cogbill, duck Dunn, chuck Rainey. Hell- slappity slappity slappity slappity, especially on gear demos.

Heaven - Drummers who can play and understand the relationship between drum and bass. Hell - Drummers that can't count, can't play in time, follow the vocals rather than beats or time and make it up as they go making it different every time.

Check out Ataxia. Lally, Frusciante and Josh Klinghoffer on drums. Joe plays nothing more than the songs need.

Two great ones that spring to mind. Depping on bass for a cool blues guitarist/singer called Aynsley Lister at the Suwalki Blues Festival, in Poland, in 2016 - big stage in a park, awesome onstage sound, probably 1,500 to 2,000 people turned out to watch us, and we got treated like royalty all weekend by the promoters, which was amazing ha ha! Also remember doing a lovely wedding gig at a farm in Mid Wales with my band in summer 2015 - a sort of marquee made from interconnected teepees in a field, with cocktail bar etc in it, which was all lit up and night and had a real little festival atmosphere on a hot summer night. I was on lead guitar and vocals, and everyone was right up for it as the climax of the day's celebrations. The energy was incredible, as was the hog roast and real ale on tap, and the band played brilliantly. Remember utterly buzzing listening to Tom Petty on the long night drive home back to the East Midlands afterwards.

No need for them to be mismatched if the maker knows what they are doing. I have no reason to doubt the recommendation of Markbass who happen to suggest the exact setup I am after. My present TE setup certainly isn’t mismatched either.

Still love my Aria MAB20/5 that I spent most of my formative years playing. Recently dabbled on it a bit and it's sounding better to me now than it ever did! Have to agree with BRX (doesn't happen often!), there are Arias and there are Arias...

This is a great way of clambering up the learning curve First of all, the neck pocket. When you say 'it's not a p-type neck' that could mean a lot of things! If it is off a Fender or Squier or any of the myriad copies of those makes, the likelihood is that most P-bass type bodies will have a neck pocket that is broadly the right shape. You might need to add a bit of veneer to the pocket sides to tighten it up, or sand a touch off the sides to loosen it, but it should be close. If the neck is not from a fender-ish copy of any sort, then it is very much not likely to fit a P-bass type body at all. So first question is - what is the neck off? (Pics?) Next is what the others say above. Basically, the bridge position is determined by the scale length and where the neck is once it's fitted snugly in the neck pocket. So the next question is again the neck - what scale length is it? Just measure from the nut to the 12th fret. Then double it gives your scale length (a P-bass will measure 17" to the 12th fret, giving the 'standard' long scale length of 34") Again, if the neck is 34" scale and is off a Fender-type copy and the body is a P-bass copy, it is likely that the bridge holes will be in the right place. If the neck is not 34" scale, then you would definitely need the bridge in a substantially different place, to the point that it might not even be feasible. If the neck is 34" scale, but not a Fender shaped heel, then the bridge position would be calculated once the neck pocket had been sufficiently modified and the neck position confirmed. Hope that helps Pop a couple of photos of the neck headstock and heel and the nut to 12th fret measurement and we'll be able to give you a better answer

Crosspost from the White Bass Porn Thread, so feel free to moderate accordingly if I'm not supposed to. Here's my white Status S2 Classic, with beautiful Buzzard-style white epoxy Roman numeral inlays, and a black sparkle S2 Classic 5-string. Both have bolt-on necks. The white one is an older model, with the old Hyperactive pickups and a board 300 preamp (which is wickedly LOUD, and the pickups have a brilliant sizzle to them). The 5-string has a board 303 with a small trimpot in the back to temper the output level. Both basses have belonged to other Basschatters before, the white one was Alan's (Whynot?) and the black one belonged to Rob (Bonin-in-the-boneyard), with whom I traded my Stingray 5 for this beauty. He has owned it from new since 2012 I believe, and I've had it since last August. The white one appears to have a small issue with the balance pot or the pickup wiring. With one pickup soloed, it has massive amounts of treble and top-end sizzle. However, with both pickups combined, it is a good deal less loud and loses most of its brightness. I'm not sure why this happens. Wrong pot value? Pickups connected out of phase? Has anyone else experienced this with Hyperactives and the Board 300 combination?

The modifying itch is here again! I just can't get used to the one that only has the P pickup, I really miss the bite a bridge pickup gives me. Time to start on a PJ, or to be more specific - I am going to add a J pickup (dual coil with a parallel/series switch) to my PB-Shorty.... Which will turn it into a PJB-Shorty. I've already got the pickup, a couple of small but essential parts are on order for this modification, once these are in I'll be doing some updates here. This realization also means I need to rethink the plan I had for the 51-P conversion. For the time being this one will be on hold.