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So Mrs B and I are having a drink and a chill, and out the blue she says ”Can you build me a bass..? I quite fancy one to learn on” ! Is this a trap?

It'll be 8 years tomorrow. Eight. And there's still a Simon-shaped hole here that will never be filled. Luv ya mate.

Hi I know you are moving on but, as a bass builder, just to put your mind at rest: it is exceptionally unlikely that the twist problem is anything you've done. My reasons for saying this: As folks above have said - with a single truss rod neck - in my view, the truss rod does not do anything about twist. It does not cause it and it cannot cure it. I'm pretty sure the Jazzus is a single truss rod neck. The truss rod adjustment is a routine event - especially with changing weather conditions. Adrian M explains this himself in Part 1 of his YouTube set-up guidance videos (which are good, by the way). He himself in that video adjusts the truss rod under full string tension. Adjusting with no string tension is also OK. Unless a bass has been left in exceptionally poor storage conditions (eg, I make an assumption it hasn't been left in a car in full sun in recent weather or anything of similar extremes) twist is usually an issue whose causes would have been already present in the timbers or construction at the time of building. It is entirely possible that this would have been undetectable at the time of making so it is not necessarily a sign of poor quality control. As the neck moves, through playing or through weather changes, those underlying issues can sometimes start to show. On a relatively new bass, therefore, I'm surprised that there is any argument other than to replace the neck FOC (I think the neck is bolt-on?). It is usually no-one's fault - but it is, in most likelihood, a fault in the bass.

Look, I don't profess to being a Nirvana, Foo Fighters, QoTSA, The Crooked Vultures or Probot fan, but I do find Dave Grohl somewhat endearing. This has just dropped on YT. The first eight minutes is documentarist, the final 23 minutes is an instrumental track wholly recorded by Dave Grohl. It's pretty intense. It's also pretty good.

😂

Not a lot to report today, got the last three coats of nitro onto the backs and the neck. Tomorrow weather permitting I'll finish off the fronts and let them hang for a while and move on to the next project

Here's mine which I still own: It's Burns Sonic from the early 60s which I got second hand in 1981 for £60 including the original Hard Case and a Fender-branded strap thrown for good measure. It's far from original, although most of the modifications were done before I got it, and all of what I have changed - replacement bridge, machine heads potentiometers and capacitors were done to keep the bass playable as the old parts had worn out. I used this with the first two bands I played with including the demo recordings that nearly got my second band signed to CBS records! It doesn't get much use these days as I play 5-strings and Bass VIs, but I'm toying with the idea of using it as a basis for a custom Bass VI build.

In my head, the lower (bass) strings should be fretted and the higher (treble) strings should be the fretless ones ...

Swindon? Why such a roundabout place? OK I'll shut up!

If you'd like an objective road tester , i'll volunteer. I'm prepared to drive to Swindon if you can too

Neither did I. This is of course a lie to make you feel better. I did. And I neeeeeeed that tube sound for recording.

Sage advice. I will wait for at least 50 more replies before even vaguely going near a “buy it now” button

My motto is 'Procrastinate Tomorrow'.

Yes, high-level GAS is when ignition occurs, your buttocks get singed and you leap up and get the credit card out! I'm down to two, but trying to justify a Vintage 4V MN purchase. It's very affordable, it's the right colour combo (no refin needed), the hardware and electrics are of sufficiently good quality to make upgrades uneccesary, it plays very nicely, it sounds great, it looks the business and... you just can't have too many P basses! Have I sold it to you yet?

Just following on, XLR cable arrived and all connected up. Definite difference from the treble perspective. Whereas via the 1/4" jack output I rolled the treble back to the 10 o'clock position, with the XLR, the same treble response is closer to the 3 o'clock position. Much better.

I must add, and its by no means rubbing anyone's face in it; my Maruszczyk that arrived two months ago was beautifully built. There are clearly issues with some that are leaving the factory, but they're not all bad so don't be put off or disheartened.

It wouldn't all fit onto a dvd. It would have to be a streaming service

The blooper reel?

quite clearly you are wrong, why are you visiting drum and guitar forums? You can't be a real bass player, you must be one of them musicians I keep reading about

I'd have no problem with 200w and a 1x12 with no PA for that gig. You really need that much kit for a wedding band? Who are you covering? Sabbath?

wow I'm knocked out by the response - thanks @SpondonBassed, @TheGreek, @Dad3353, @bigsmokebass, @Teebs, @Misowaki, @Grangur, @BaggyMan, @HCC - there's lots here for me to try. First up I lowered both the neck and bridge pick ups under the G string and noticed some improvement straight away (hats off to @TheGreek!) - I ran out of adjustment pretty quick, so also raised height of the string a little. End result, definite improvement over most of the fretboard. I still don't think there's as much punch as from the other strings, but I'm encouraged now to tweak some more based on the feedback and see how much more improvement I can get. Will feed back. Thanks again, glad I joined. And @TheGreek - your joiner joke, oh dear 🤪

Buy that bass. That'll do it!

Either this...or it is a trap So run, run now as fast as you can!

My CIJ Geddy Lee is a shadow of its former self. It now has lollipop tuners, concentric tone knobs and Aguilar AG4J-HC pickups... I’m not welcome in some places ‘round town!

That's a beard? I thought it was something off a Pink Floyd album cover No, I want to do a fretless sometime but I want to do some Thunderbird type things or Fire Dragons as they're going to be called.

The semi hollow 51P was gigged at the weekend - and great it was too at 7lbs and nice and thumpy

Please tell me that you are going to do two fretless fives and that I can have one for displaying such an impressive beard.

No Encores yet? If you started in the late 80s/90s it felt like they were compulsory. Mine was a black PJ my Dad bought me. It served me pretty well, but I sold it the car park of the local sun valley factory to buy stuff for Uni.

They do in the RM range, I had the separate cabs in that formation - with the RM500 head - and they sounded very good together.

Excellent strings!! Great choice Si

You should be made to fight yourself to death as punishment for these kind of 'custom' paint jobs.

Holy Cow Batman, that is Blaaaaaaaakkkkkk..... The Wikipedia pics look like they have been created in Photoshop by removing portions of the image, they just look odd. (the cynic in me is hoping that that isn't how they were made?)

So far (touch wood) I haven't had anything stolen. The guitarist forgot to lock his van one night and both his Strats were stolen. Was that a coincidence or do these people try the doors of every vehicle every night? I've noticed that the other guys in the band leave their car doors and tail-gates open when they're loading in and out. I close the car when I'm ferrying gear in or out of the gig or home and the car is always unpacked after every gig. The basses go in last and come out first. I have left my cabs in the car only a few times over the years. I reckoned if someone wanted to run off down the street with a 95lb cab then good luck to them. I wouldn't be heartbroken if I had something nicked. Bloody annoyed with myself for letting it happen but that's all. Loosing the cash would smart, but nothing is irreplaceable and I'd be looking to make the replacement an upgrade.

From what I understand about CITES, I think it would be best if you and your friend complete all the necessary export/import paperwork and pay the associated fees. Without doing so there's a very real risk the bass will be confiscated and subsequently destroyed by UK customs. I'm aware of this having happened to uncertified imports of vintage instruments in the last few months. Alternatively, couldn't your friend use a non-CITES wood for the fretboard?

I agree. Would you like to donate one to the South London Spector Project? It's a very worthy charity that supplies Spector NS2s to disadvantaged, overweight and unemployable 50-something men who suffer from bass guitar GAS in Forest Hill, SE London. One of the white ones would be nice. Thanks.

You could argue there’s no genuine need for any bass other than a Precision. (Or any bass at all). I don’t think they intend to change the world with this, I see it more as a gesture and an indication that they are aware of issues surrounding manufacturing. If every company involved in manufacturing products of any kind made a relatively small change like this, it would have genuine impact. Saying that I think doing it like this is a little half-àssed and could be perceived as not much more than a token gesture. If they changed the whole product line to be less plastic reliant, it would really be impressive. Warwick have made a much more significant effort to minimize their environmental impact, but that’s a whole different business model.

Good question. Could open up a 'can of worms'. Well I reckon it would on Talkbass anyway 😏

Thats where the 'incredible' part comes in. Without the magic tote he's just Hulk.

I reckon most of those tools are for launching at your bandmates to win an argument. They're not needed for the instrument, they're set and forget.

Bought a GK MB200 from Deedee after I posted a wanted ad. Great basschatter. Amp arrived quick and just as described. 👍👍

In this very forum a thread was started 15 hours ago re a stolen Phil Jones bass amp, anyone notice that?

I liked DuranDuran. The songs were good, the singist can sing, the bassist played some fantastic basslines & the keys guy made me want things I couldn't afford (hence taking up bass). I've always loved synths & synth bands. I don't know how any of Depeche Mode would fare against a good pianist, but that's not what synths are about. It's sound creation.

Just to follow on from this, I asked on said forum whether Richard Barbieri had any formal keyboard training pre-Japan. Now what follows is quite brilliant. Rob Dean (Guitar/Japan) confirmed Mr Barbieri was working in a bank when he joined Japan. Interestingly, Richard Barbieri also chipped in - and he's in hospital today having his gall bladder removed - and remarked that he 'was just getting the hang of it when [we] split up'. What a bloke.

So after that little disaster I continued spraying through the day, cutting back with 800 grit between coats, the cutting back became easier and easier as the day went on. I got a total of 6 coats on which is more than enough for one day, they will be left now until Friday and I'll have a good look at them then and decide if that is enough or do they need more, they are looking very good at the moment but I'll see how they react to a bit of time to let some thinners evaporate or whatever it does Cut back after 3 coats today This was the fourth coat, starting to look good I thing

The seller needs to get with the programme if he ever wants to sell that. For example, what sort of conditioner is it in?

Dunno about that – it’s a three piece blues rock set (not exactly Zappa-esque material or a 7 piece funk band complete with brass section) and IF he does have loads of gigs in the diary and IF he is any good, then it should be quite feasible for him to quickly pick up a new rhythm section. Of course, if I was considering taking the gig then I might be interested to know why the drummer was so quick to jump ship when the bass player left…!

It does indeed.

Should be in the "things I don't understand" thread. So - how much unrecyclable global waste is a consequence of Hofner basses being non-compostable? This clearly demonstrates that they regard their instruments as short-term and disposable, so d'you think the price reflects this? And no plastic parts? Chinny reckon! Pickup bobbins, pot internals, wiring insulation? You can even see the nylon bushings on the tuners!

At least since its recyclable you won't feel so bad when it quickly goes in the bin.