Telebass

We did get a pretty good split on the tickets!

My back is now solid steel! But getting down to fiddle with pedals and the like will be something of a challenge...

Hello all, long time no speak. My old band, The Rock 'n' Roll Outlaws, last played on NYE 2018, which seems a lifetime ago. Frontman Sam emigrated to Quennsland and never looked back, and good for him, too. BUT... He's coming back for an extended holiday in March 2025. The boss at Tavistock Wharf always said, "If ever..." So we have the last weekend in March. Saturday sold out in 24 hours. Sunday is currently about half sold, but that's only been public for a day or so. Fabulous! But boy, have I got to work on my fitness...at 72, I won't be prancing about like before! Exciting times!

No idea, but glad they manage it! Flats on, everything tweaked and adjusted, and it plays really well. I also put identical new strings on the FrankenFender, so was able to A/B them for sound. The CV is still notably harsh compared to the 1994 American Standard pickup in the black bass, so I may yet install the Tonerider and KioGon loom and see if that changes anything. Overall, a great purchase.

Pickups: these are alnico-based, and sound pretty good, much less harsh than the Sonic's pickups. Still have a Tonerider and @KiOgon loom I bought for the Sonic (and had to carefully remove!), but not sure that it needs changing on this one. Will play it a while and see. I'm not so much as taking off the pickguard film until I know this one is good in every respect! Edit: truss rod definitely works!

66 Jazz-style? Would be a great option! Add in lolipops for an even greater mash-up! But that would be 60s and this is suppose to be 70s.

And even easier on the frets, too!

After the sad departure of the Squier Sonic P-bass in California Blue, it's replacement has just arrived. And what a replacement! Just unboxing it, and it has already exceeded my expectations. The packaging itself is on another level between the Chinese Sonic and this Indonesian Classic Vibe 70s Precision. Quick tune up, not much needed. Action good, might be tweakable better. Intonation appears spot on, too, which I've never had even from a USA Fender...Relief could be a little better, maybe? The point is, this is playable right out of the box. My one trepidation was the spec saying the nut width was 1.685", which is between the two normal P sizes. Well, that's obvious garbage, just from feeling it. It's a 1.625", bang on. And slim front-to-back! It's just a great feeling neck. A quick noodle, and I feel right at home. Flatwounds will be installed soonest, because I have a phobia about rounds on a lacquered board! Because my first Fender Precision was a 75 Fullerton, I've always liked the shiny gloss-finished type of neck. This one is really nice, darker-coloured than I was expecting - vintage tint? - but not roasted dark. My other walnut P-bass was a 79 fretless, seen here with two nieces, the older of whome is nearly 50 now...eek!

Okay. "Walnut"!

Oh dear... New Blue Bass has a faulty truss rod. Back it goes. CV 70s P incoming! There will doubtless be a thread entitled New Brown Bass Day in the very near future...

As someone of similar age, go for the Elf/One10 rig if pennies allow. Just add a good jack-to-speakon cable, and you're set, with a total rig weight of under 30 pounds including all cables.

That's what I use.

That makes a lot of sense, will check when I do the swap.

OK, a bit more info. Two sets of Fender 9050L flats arrived, one set for each P. Did the new one first, not much adjustment needed, quite pleased. Did the older bass then, equally easy to dial in. One thing I noticed was that the BBOT on the Squier looks noticeably heftier than the MIM 2003 original on the Fender. This irritates me somewhat, and I may yet replace both bridges. The Gotoh 201B-4 is the current favourite. Plugging in and noodling through the Tascam trainer: the Squier is as loud, but is quite harsh-sounding compared to the Fender, and the controls are not wonderful. So I have a Tonerider pickup and a KiOgon loom here, and once I've spent the next set of free time rebuilding the PC i'm typing on, I'll rework the Squier. My expectations are not high, I'll be entirely happy if it just smooths things out a bit.

I currently own two Precisions. One, my long-serving FrankenFender, has a 2014 American Special Jazz neck. This has factory-rolled edges. I never thought a great deal about it, because other basses I put together around the same time had bound necks. Having now got the Squier Sonic P, the sharper edges are very obvious, although not a big problem. As the fret ends are actually pretty good, I reckon I might get away with a gentle roll with a socket, as these maple boards have very thin finishes.

Ok, it was yesterday, or maybe the day before... Cheap and pretty damned cheerful! After some basic tweaks, it played well. Will do a more extensive setup once the Fender 9050 flats turn up. Squier Sonic Precision Bass in California Blue.

Yup, a P. OP edited for idiocy...

Yup, that's my reading of it!

Was perhaps a bit opaque there... I meant that the two One10s could handle a 500W amp if I need the extra oomph later. Unlikely, the Elf is pretty loud through just one! I have done two full band rehearsals with just that, one was fine, the other, louder band, yes, it began to struggle without the full output. But they're still a kind of Trace Elliot waste, I keep telling myself!

Once it all arrives, I will do a family pic!

Still only have the Elf for the moment, but that ought to be enough for what I envisage!

Decided I'm going to actively look for gigging work again, if anyone will have me at my advanced age. To that end, and because I just happen to have the wherewithal at the moment, I've ordered a Squier Sonic P-Bass in Cali Blue, two sets of Fender flats (the real Fender needs new strings!), a decent Speakon cable, and... a second Barefaced One10 with cover! So, have a small, light, versatile rig that won't endanger all the metalwork in my back. Still only using the Elf, but it will give me the option of a 500W amp should I need it. Also means I can put the entire rig in a Smart Car, with room to spare. Not that I have something that small... I know it's not quite Christmas yet, but it feels a bit like it. Yay!

Better yet, I have designs on a new bass...Bwahahahaha! While I will never, and don't want to, strut around in a full-on rock band again, I see no reason to let my bass rot any further. My recovery from the sugery in Jan/Feb has been very pleasing, although the surgery itself turned into a fairly life-threatening event. So, because I'm an inveterate tinkerer, I will likely buy a new Squier Sonic P, and set about making it my own! Exciting times!

Ok, time passes. Still many barriers to overcome, but with the aid of a 4-wheel walker, have managed a 1.5 mile circuit of Tavistock town centre and park. There is still pain, and unexpected instability to deal with, quite apart from needing personal care for some things. Still uncertain as to regaining the superpower of putting on my own shoes and socks!

Sounds like a plan! But maybe a bit early yet.