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After a fair bit of research, helped by a couple of threads on here and advice from @ead , I acquired this. I'm very happy! Great neck, good condition bar a few dinks here and there, frets in good nick and a superb player. The seller seemed to think, due to a 'U' serial no, that it was from 95-96 but I'm inclined to think it's a 2010 model given its condition and spec. As the neck shows, this is the JB-62US model that indicates an alder body and US spec pickups; lovely dark tort scratchplate on it too.

I've just got my bass back from Dave, it's a Fender Elite Jazz and I've had it sprayed Olympic white nitro from it's original natural. So here is my experience with it.... I bought this bass from @andybassdoyle back in May after being on the search originally for a '75 RI which seem hard to come by. I love the black block on maple look. This bass was in my budget and I thought the modernisations of compound radius, active (although we'll come back to this), matte neck and the possibility of string through bridge were worth a try. After receiving the bass, it felt right and was a joy to play. But that preamp just wasn't doing it for me, so out it went (as well as the Gen 4 noiseless pick ups) and in went a set of Dimarzio Model J's and a VVT set up with the 4th knob being a capacitor switch. Lovely. Then after seeing @AndyTravis 's MM jazz respray, I thought about a spray job on mine. The body on my jazz was a bit plain, so a paint job would help it stand out and I've always liked the idea of a white nitro finish which will age nicely. I believe this model did come in white, but I couldn't see any for sale anywhere with a maple neck. So got in touch with David at the end of July and we went over what I had in mind and such. I stripped off all the hardware and sent it off 11/08. David kept me updated along the way while sanding and prepping and when it came to mixing the colours. And finally the finished bass: Everything fitted (extremely carefully) back together as it should, so happy days. I couldn't be happier with the job David did on it. He is such a nice guy to deal with, the price was very fair (IMO) and the turn around time good too. Over time it will mellow out to a more cream colour and will show wear and tear. So yeah, if you want something resprayed, David is your guy. And now my bass is exactly how I want it. Thanks.

I've done it... Bought one of those new-fangled optical pick-up fretless thingies. It's arriving tomorrow and should look like this: Now our band will be able to do proper punkfunk versions of all those Paul Young hits of the 80s!

Having sold some gear and cleared a couple of things off - I’d hoped to get a Status Groove from these very pages. Typically - it’d sold about 4 hours before my gear had been paid for. “Oh well, they drop up from time to time - will have a mooch on Facebook marketplace...” I saw this. Hours later, a deal was struck. It was our very own @Geddys nose who I’ve dealt with before. tis very good.

My beloved parents looked on with interest as I got to grips with the bass. They were pleased to see me doing something creative. My dad in particular was interested in my progress; he had an artistic bent and always loved music, and I think he would like to have picked up an instrument himself but World War 2 got in the way a bit. They didn't even complain at hearing me practice Level 42's 'Dune Tune' over and over again in an attempt to get it right, in fact my dad grew to really like the tune. (Years later I sneaked it onto a mixed tape I made for him, and when he heard it he laughed fit to bust.) Then one evening I was sitting with them in the living room, they were watching the telly and I was flicking through the adverts in a mag -- I think it might have been the sadly missed IM&RW -- as I was desperately in need of a new amp as my band was starting to get somewhere. Dad asked what I was looking at, I said I was quite interested in this Laney Pro Bass 4x10 combo that had just come out, it looked like just what I was after as I couldn't afford a similar Trace, and I said I was thinking of popping into London at the weekend (rail travel was actually cheap back then!) to check it out. Dad looked at Mum and said "What do you think?". Mum said, "Well it is his 21st soon." Dad looked at me and said, "If you try it out and you like it, we'll buy it for you." You can imagine how stunned I was at this bolt from the blue. I told them how brilliant that was, and that I hadn't been dropping hints or fishing for it. Mum said yes we know, if we thought you had we wouldn't have offered. I still remember driving home from Tempo Soundhouse in Hanwell a few weeks later, feeling like a dog with two danglies, with my shiny new amp in the back of the car. It served me faithfully for 20 years and I wish I still had it. Wish I still had my parents too.

And so, as a post-script. P and his delightful wife arrived last weekend to pick up the Guitar Bouzouki. And I think he would be happy in me saying he loves it For me, that is a great pleasure and relief in equal measure! P was able to bring his standard Irish Bouzouki for me to have a look at and listen to and that was fascinating. We both agreed that the Guitar Bouzouki has a much richer sound (which would be hoped and expected) and a strummed chord just goes on, beating sub-harmonics all the way, for a long, long time. The neck between the two instruments was quite different, part designed and fully expected and part more of a surprise. P had requested it to be wider and shallower than his original which will always change the curves and feel, but the thing I noticed straightaway was that the 'V' on the original felt distinctly V shaped to the hand further up the fretboard than my build. It doesn't really show on the profile drawings but it does give it a different feel further up the board. Not necessarily a bad feel, but certainly a different feel. Changing that, if P's conclusion was that he wanted that tweaking, is actually a very easy fix and the sort of thing that can be done on a 'while you wait' basis. And there's a crazy coincidence (that I won't go into detail on) that might mean that finding a convenient time to do that would not be too much of problem. But, that said, even at first play, this is P showing how a Guitar Bouzouki should be played. Glorious! And particularly glorious through headphones

I had recorder in school and piano lessons once a week after school. I ended up playing truant and missing the lessons my parents were paying for. Mum isn't interested in music and dad listened but never played. When (inevitably) they found out what I'd been up to, I knew to fear the wrath of my mother. It was with a certain bewildered relief therefore that the loving, gentle man my father always was, decided to handle the disciplinary hearing. He asked why I bunked off lessons when I clearly loved music. I told him yes but not that music. Two days later he came home with an electric guitar he'd seen advertised on the buy and sell notice board at work. He waited until he saw my bloody tattered finger tips after a few weeks of Bert Weedon or somesuch, and organised lessons with a young guy over the road. Oh and he built me my first amp out of an old radiogram. It wasn't just the single most important event in my teenage years, the start of a life long passion, but it was, and remains, the most wonderful inspiration for how to be a parent I could ever hope to achieve. I miss him so much, and I don't think he had any idea just what he'd done for me.

Quite frankly I'd take the Skjold, or pretty much any of the others pictured here, over yet another P bass any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

Does "Turn that racket down!" count as encouragement?

Morning lads, I have the same bass as soldersqueeze (Squier on the right) and was thinking of selling but having read this thread might just get new pickups instead! Can you give me some suggestions on a powerful p and j for the squier VM SS Jag? Thanks

It’s changed a bit. They added something I suggested. I’ve been asked to beta test it too! Looks pretty impressive and deep.

Awesome thing to do I've done it myself with a slight twist I sold my stuff then donated the money to charity I don't give much away now as in the past I have seen stuff I have given to people to help them out go straight on ebay so at least if I donate the cash I know my effort will go to a good cause 100 percent

My all time favourite is my Status Series 2 Classic but I've mainly been playing my Stingray Special for the last two years. It would be a difficult choice if I could only own one. I would probably keep the Status for playability and sentimental reasons, but the Stingray is great to play and sits in the mix better for what I currently do (when we are able to do gigs).

dBpoweramp. You have to pay for it but it is well worth it. https://www.dbpoweramp.com/

In a perfect would I'd buy a Fodera MG Mini but it isn't perfect and I don't have $10k to drop on anything nevermind a custom bass. Or an even more perfect world be a sponsor of Ibanez and have them make me a short scale fanned-fret GWB35 with Aguilar or Nordstrand strung E-C. As neither are going to happen I bought a TMB35 about a month ago as reviews were solid although most about 4 string. Almost immediately or even before it was received I decided it was going to be a bit of a project bass to mod. (This seems to be a trend with the new shorter scale Ibanez basses and rightly so for the quality and pretty brain prices - @therealting has done an excellent job on a Mezzo). @walshy had a set of AG PJ5 HC so thought what the hell...they arrived next day and then so did the bass. Tip for everyone else; the routing for the Ibanez Dynamix pickups are not the same as the AGs. Before doing anything else I strung it E-C with some strings I had laying about (bought some Foderas to go on post-mod) and recorded this quickly - From Within - Michel Camilo (Anthony Jackson Bass Cover) and was already suitably impressed with feel and sound for £200ish. Luckily I had just spoken to my mate Jimmy about doing some fretwork on my basses and he recommended 'Rob' who does his guitars. So I set about getting them over to Rob with no rush on them. A few WhatsApp back and forth we agree it needed a bit of a reroute and the pickguard would need changing to cover any holes I left it all up to him. It'll be ready to pick up tomorrow after one more minor mod. I was excited anyway but after his comments I can't wait to pick it up tomorrow now: his nonchalant 'turned out alright hasn't it' got much more excitable with 'mate these pickups...I had to phone my bass player to tell him about the sound'. Then I got a pic...I'm totally into the new 'board shape. I have a 4 or so additional mods in mind but will get it back and finally play it a bit before deciding what to do next. Will check back in with a video/audio of it soon. Tomorrow will be a New Improved Bass Day

Coming soon (about 3 weeks) a kind of upside down neck Thunderbirdish shaped thing. It's the same finish as the utterly stunning p bass I bought from Thomann a while ago...

Thanks to Rick Beato I find myself listening to "Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet". This might not sound particularly momentous to you, but for a man weaned on glam, woken up by punk, shaken by ska and only lately soothed by soul, it is a huge step.

The organizers for this outside event did a good job with distancing. When we arrived the staff were drawing circles in the street setting up the distancing parameters and they had masks for everyone. Blue

New to me Bongo 4H in Ice Blue.

I have you, Mr. Mandrel, to blame for me recognising that. And for my borrowing A box of Peggs from the CD library and now keeping an eye out for it elsewhere. And for me buying Dave Pegg's autobiography. And probably for the dishwasher going wrong this weekend too. End of thread derailment and back to congratulating the proud father 😉

Good day today..... day off work, long country/canal cycle ride... dinner on the canal bank followed by a canal-side lie down in the sun with Augustus Pablo in the earphones 😀.

Wow - great to know and thanks for sharing the story matey. This was a lovely bass but tbh I agree re the electronics and I bet the changes really work. Great job on the respray too! Very pleased that it's in a happy home and undergoing some real TLC. As Hannibal Lecter said "it's all about transformation"...!!

I regrettably sold a G&L M2000 - lightweight, twin Humbuckers, phat tones...and they can be found in your budget. Try one before giving anybody your money for something else.

I wonder whether he really designed these to be able to use a bass with these fitted as an e-meter for his scientology auditing.

Yes I know it's Monday, but listen to "Friday" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLAN6NOPCxA - from "Pachyman At The Control" a great recent reggae record. Not sure why the video won't embed?? Anyway, it's ace 😎

As a parent I would encourage and support my kids in anything they wanted to do, as long as it was legal. My wife drives them mad with her "helpful" suggestions! We don't really push our kids too hard but are there for them at every step. So far, thankfully, we've got good feedback. I was determined to be totally different to my parents. I think I've succeeded.

My parents bought me my first drum kit (very much secondhand, but decent, previously owned by a ‘proper, professional’ drummer) for Christmas 1961. They allowed my ‘group’, as bands were called in those days, to practice in our front room, Dad even ferrying me to and from bookings (gigs) in his Ford Anglia until I was able to drive in 1964. And I was able to buy my 12-string guitar with their 21st present money a few years later. So I suppose yes, they did encourage me.......

Anyone else up for a "how many different pickguards will Andy have made for this" sweepstake? Bonus points if you guess what he ends up with...

Nobody musical in my family and my parents thought pursuing music was a terrible idea. I started playing guitar at 13, and after a few months on a borrowed acoustic, asked for an Epi Les Paul Special II for Christmas, on offer from Soho Soundhouse for £99. "Can't you find a cheaper one. It's not like you can really play it anyway" was my Dad's response. When I wanted to take music for my GCSE options at 14, the blocks were put on by my parents in collusion with the head of year "You can't read music now, there's no point carrying on studying it". Didn't stop me playing, and a few years later my shitty unsigned band ended up being one of the first shitty unsigned bands to be offered a headline tour of O2 (or Carling as they were back then) Academy venues. With my parents still nonplussed, I was pressed to stop chasing my dreams and ended up at 21 working with my dad at the same company he'd worked for since he was 15 years old, and the band folded shortly afterwards. Seven years of increasingly dull corporate misery later, engaged, with an infant son and a second one on the way, I took a chance, to my parent's sheer horror, and left the sensible job to make a living from music. Until COVID struck, I'd managed to sustain a career for eight years, although I do very little bass playing now and primarily work as a sound engineer and tour manager. I don't see my parents any more, but when I landed the biggest gig of my career last summer, touring as a monitor engineer for an artist who's music was always played in our house growing up, I finally got some acknowledgement, with a one word comment from my dad on a post on my company's Facebook page after mixing the main stage headline slot at Boomtown Festival - "Congratulations". That was it. I didn't feel compelled to reply!

If you're still considering these two basses here's my opinion on them: Embassy Pro: -Far more comfortable body shape IMO. Easier to reach the lower frets. It's also a LOT lighter than the TB (which unfortunately also means a bit of neck drop). -Not quite as nice build quality as the TB. It feels like a cheap, quirky vintage bass (but I happen to like cheap, quirky vintage basses!). Generally a bit rougher feel to it than the TB. -Less sustain than the TB but similar tone (same pickup same wood). -Slightly chunky neck. -The fretwork isn't quite as nice as on the TB but it's perfectly adequate. -VERY IMPORTANT: At least one entire batch of the Embassy Pros had the bridge installed too close to the neck, making it impossible to intonate. Make sure you don't get one of those!!! It's really, really bad, we're talking 1-2cm out of position and the bass will sound awful unless the bridge is moved back a bit (which will require a luthier unless you have the skills to do this yourself). Epiphone was totally aware of this but didn't seem to bother when I asked them about it. They basically just told me to wait until that batch had sold out before buying one. And then they discontinued it. Very poor. If I remember correctly a late 2018 serial number is a red flag, possibly other serial numbers too. Thunderbird Pro: -Generally higher build quality and slightly better fretwork. -Much more sustain but the tone is quite similar (same pickups, same wood). -Very bulky, extremely heavy, very uncomfortable IMO. -Slimmer neck but also harder to reach the lower frets, especially when sitting. Personally I prefer the Embassy, even though the TB is slightly better quality overall. I like the rougher feel and the quirky charm of the Embassy. My TB is one of my least used basses, simply because I hate the bulky body. Very uncomfortable. Thunderbirds just aren't my thing, even though they look insanely cool!!! But avoid the faulty Embassy Pros with the bridge mounted too close to the neck!!! They are total junk unless the bridge is moved (which is of course possible but will add extra cost if you need a luthier to do it). Also be aware that there are several different versions of the TB Vintage Pro. Some have rosewood fretboard, some have pao ferro and some have that compressed/heated/dyed pine stuff they call Blackwood Tek. I'm fine with both rosewood and pao ferro but personally I wouldn't touch a bass with blackwood tek even if I got it for free.

The reverse V or as I like to call it "An abomination in the sight of the Lord."

I quite fancy one of these

Ebay should find a way of keeping idiots like this away.

I often wondered could you get a pure valve slave amp for bass 🤔

I'm wondering if there's call for a tube bass bash once we can get together - there are people with amps here I'd love to have a few minutes with, and I have a Bassman 135 that I suspect some may like to try. I'm a little north of Manchester, and if anyone is interested i'd be happy for them to pop round and have a look at it (it's NOT for sale 🙂 ) but it may help someone pondering a longer distance transaction, once we are allowed to meet even in small numbers. Paul.

Never look into a heat gun - you’ll burn your brows off and probably your face too

I replaced all of my Warwick straplocks with normal pins long ago. Stupid system.

I’ve recently bought a Tech21 VTDI and it has that spongey valvey feel to the sound. It really captures it well and I can appreciate what the valve amp users on this thread mean, the sound and how it reacts to playing dynamics is a fair bit different, and I suppose depending on viewpoint more rewarding.

Truth. This was about 5 years ago and I still own the bass to this day . I emailed Sandberg customer support (their general support email address) some time in the early evening, got a personal reply from Hölger himself at around 3am simply asking for my address. No platitudes, just “Send me your shipping address, I will sort this out” or words to that effect. A week later I have a brand new identical tuner postmarked from Germany, free of charge. All this for a used bass which I admitted was damaged as a result of my own incompetence - not a failure of the product itself. I insisted upon paying for the tuner but Hölger was having none of it. That’s a masterclass in customer service if you ask me.