mcnach

Hi, my name is mcnach and I'm a bassoholic. I own... basses. I'm cutting down, slowly (I still have one in order )... but cutting down. I generally only use a handful of basses, so on that basis I decided to reduce clutter. Slowly. But I like basses, the way you get different sounds and their different sound and feel encourage you play slightly differently. So I keep a few different beasts around. Invariably, I go through phases favouring this bass or that other bass... and I may not play my Stingray/SUB (USA version) much for a while. Perhaps only at home. And then one day, I pick the Stingray or the SUB, and it blows me away. Last Saturday there was a private function at a local venue to celebrate a friend's birthday and there were a few bands playing, including mine. My gf likes my white SUB and I had a red pickguard laying around, she saw it and said "hey, you should play that bass with the red pickguard". I really wanted to play the "Precision JJ" [1] as I've been doing recently, or the Maruszczyk P/JJ... but said "fine, it's been a while, it deserves to be out". I loved it! I like it more than my Stingray, in fact! (pickup wired in series, rather than parallel, meaty!). And only a few weeks ago I was thinking that maybe the SUB should be on the list of instruments to let go! (I really have a strong preference for maple fingerboards). So then I used it at practice on Wednesday night. Amazing. Now, I'm here looking around at the racks full of instruments thinking "why on earth??? why???" I just need THIS one. Here's the white SUB with its sibling: [1] and this was originally a Matt Freeman Precision, now I just call it JJ because it's not even a Jazz either:

Noooo! The cream coloured pickup just looks... tacky! Just look at my fretless (seriously now: I do wish I had gone for the black one instead... )

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1484228958' post='3213741'] Neither do i. I mentioned a minority, which really isnt ' general ' As someone mentioned , misunderstandings are rife on forums where little emotion can be determined from a bit of text on a screen. I'm not saying thats always the case. Some posts by the arrogant are exactly that with obvious meaning, but many more times i suspect that the people jump on someone far too quick because they read what they want to read, with little thought about holding back and maybe interpreting things in a different way, or simply asking if thats what the poster meant Luckily, that is a minority. There's no question that this is general BC behaviour, far from it. There's many many good folk here [/quote] very true, very true...

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1484183475' post='3213429'] Wow this looks to be exactly what I want!!! Do you know if they'd be able to do a copy of an existing pickguard or even already have the template for a relatively rare shape like the Schecter Diamond J that I want? Never mind, I should have read the site before asking. Now that you've showed me this site I have to think if I want a custom print or just stick to tortoise! [/quote] notice that they don't do 3-ply or beveled edges. It's a 2mm acrylic sheet with a design bound to it on the bottom. It allows you to have any design you like easily, but no good if you're after 3-ply or a bevelled edge is important to you.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1484226894' post='3213697'] You could "ask a question" on ebay asking what the D stamp means, or even "why would I buy this from you when Thommann who you get them from sell for less than half this price?" This scheme is probably why folks on here are finding the deko ones are going so fast. [/quote] he'd just ignore the question and won't be displayed on the ad...

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1484221783' post='3213630'] Disagree there I think a small minority have already decided on the attitude to adopt as soon as someone famous / much talent decides to post here Of the famous that have been chased off by the baiters, were they all arrogant then ? I doubt it [/quote] I can only go by the exchanges I read first hand... there was definitely an attitude (or at least perceived attitude, since with Vail Johnson I later realised that it just came across as arrogant in writing, but it wasn't his intention and in face to face communication it would have been clearer). I've seen arrogant attitudes by non-famous similarly chased away (search for "Inti", although he had the habit of deleting a large number of his posts when he got upset, which was most of the time). Neil Murray, for instance, posted here a few times. He comes across as a very easy going kind of guy, and I never saw anybody chase him away. There are others but that's the first one that comes to mind. I just see no evidence to claim that there's a general attitude on BC picking on 'big' players. It would be a very idiotic thing to do (picking on those players, just because). If there's one thing that we all share here is a passion for bass stuff. Those are the guys who are where they are because they're good at it and have experiences that most of us cannot even imagine. It would make no sense to chase them away. Why do you suggest it has happened with a handful of people? Jealousy?

black!

[quote name='Mister RLP' timestamp='1484162687' post='3213218'] Is this what I should do - use glue - or just place the covers over the pickups? [/quote] Just place the covers over the pickups, and make sure you have enough foam underneath so that the pickup presses firmly against the cover.

[quote name='blamelouis' timestamp='1484140368' post='3212953'] Any of the big name players that have appeared on here have been treated like shitt by people who are nowhere near their level of musicianship or will likely ever be. [/quote] Your level of musicianship is irrelevant when it comes to whether you're treated with respect or not.

[quote name='Mister RLP' timestamp='1484082975' post='3212598'] So I have picked up some Entwistle pickups for my Matt Freeman p-bass and as stated earlier the pickup covers have long ears and won't fit. I need to get different pickup covers. Finding it hard to see which ones might work. Would these be ok do you think? [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KBYYYFW/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A30B8VBSCA3EJZ"]https://www.amazon.c...=A30B8VBSCA3EJZ[/url] or has anyone got a link to where they got pickup covers that fitted? [/quote] I got mine from 'guitars_electric' on eBay: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pair-of-PICKUP-COVERS-in-BLACK-CREAM-or-WHITE-to-fit-Precision-P-Bass-guitar-/190980490847?var=&hash=item2c7753065f:m:mOj0wiAk5TV65_6pNY9TY3g"]http://www.ebay.co.u...5TV65_6pNY9TY3g[/url] Some black ones for the Matt Freeman, which fitted perfectly in the pickguard, and white ones for the Mike Dirnt:

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1484130683' post='3212844'] "Knuckle draggers" might be a little harsh on some, maybe not on others, but saying, "They (Janek etc) bought it on themselves", isn't good enough. When people are baited and goaded it is unnecessary and looks bad on Basschat. From Janek, through Guy Pratt and Vail Johnson down to JTUK. At the end of the day the whole forum looses. It is unpleasant to experience and unpleasant to watch. The Mods should crack down, but they don't. It is what it is, but more respect is needed for different ideas, approaches and opinions. [/quote] Respect should be given/expected regardless of who you are in the bass world. BC is not perfect, but it's generally pretty decent in that respect compared to other fora I've visited over the years. One thing that you can notice here, and I'm not sure how much of it is due to its largely British membership, is that BC is not swayed easily by big names. If you come around here with an attitude, you tend to get attitude back no matter who you are. That is not a bad thing necessarily. But there is a danger (read below). I missed Janek's episode at the time and only found out afterwards. It is a shame, but it did look to me like his demeanour was slightly off. Maybe he was having a bad couple of days, we've all been there... but you can't simply say BC chased him away as if 'famous' people were not welcome here. Neil Murray has absolutely no trouble here, I wonder why... I missed Guy Pratt's episode entirely. I didn't even read it afterwards. It's a shame, as I really rate him and find him pretty entertaining too... but I can't comment on this event. I was in the first row for for Vail Johnson's episode. His attitude, again, triggered it all. I had the fortune to PM with him afterwards (I was one of his critics) and I ended up sad about the whole thing because on a PM level he seemed pretty cool and made me realise that some people, sometimes, just have a different more direct approach to discussion. It seems to me that BC is, by comparison to other fora, relatively easy going and mild-mannered (excluding the odd OT thread!). Maybe this make a more direct/abrupt approach stand out, and it seems people object to that. The thing is that if the same discussion, in the same tone, happened face to face, it would probably be ok. That's what I thought of Vail's thing. Writing here, we miss a lot of cues: tone of voice, body language... and someone coming here for the first time, especially if they have experience of other internet fora, may not realise that things are slightly different here. Does anybody here remember Inti? He wasn't anybody famous, as far as anybody here knows... remember his attitude? He was chased away because of it, not because BC could not deal with top-rate bass players. It just seems that BC has low tolerance towards arrogance and your name means little if your attitude is off. Unfortunately, an energetic and passionately direct approach to discussion can sometimes be perceived as arrogant when in written form. Which brings me to the part about respect. It would be good for most of us (some are already pretty cool) to think about what we post before we post, especially if reacting to somebody's comments that we disagree with. Written communication is prone to misunderstandings. Still... low tolerance towards arrogance is not necessarily a terrible thing even if we end up missing out a bit. I'd prefer that the reaction towards arrogant comments were just ignoring them instead of bickering... so there's room for improvement, but I don't think we can accuse BC of chasing anybody away, as it definitely takes two to tango.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1484128404' post='3212827'] It seems like only yesterday some guy called Peter Balzary from a Chilean band tried to promote his lurid celebrity-endorsed Basses on here. Luckily he was chased off with a flea in his ear.... [/quote] Michael's brother was here? cool

[quote name='BassApprentice' timestamp='1484059757' post='3212297'] [url="https://www.facebook.com/AlanGeorgeGuitars/"]https://www.facebook...nGeorgeGuitars/[/url] This guy seems to batch order guitars from a Chinese factory. Might be worth seeing if he can satisfy your 5 string itch? Jazz type [url="https://www.facebook.com/AlanGeorgeGuitars/photos/a.810800285725980.1073741860.202825416523473/810800499059292/?type=3&theater"]https://www.facebook...?type=3[/url] "Super strat" type 5er [url="http://aggmusic.co.uk/product.php?i=130"]http://aggmusic.co.u...oduct.php?i=130[/url] On the other Yamaha's are very good too... [/quote] Thanks for the link. I was mostly interested in the customisation aspect (at low cost), as a curiosity. If my original idea doesn't go forward and I still want a 5 string I'll probably get a TRBX 505 at some point... or a stock Maruszczyk.

I 'discovered' this a few days ago and I'm loving it: [media]http://youtu.be/eVBubpQbkg8[/media]

Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you guys, but I don't think this is going to happen. The seller has not got back to me about the last enquiry, other than a "ok, I'll check". It's been about 10 days now. I'm not feeling inclined to pursue this if they can't be bothered as it wasn't anything I was desperate about and it's not like I'm short of ideas as to where I could spend money instead So unless I receive an email by the weekend, that will be it. I had a quick go with a Yamaha TRBX 505... it is not a maple fingerboard and I'm not in love with the pickup configuration, but that thing felt really nice and sounded very good with the band (mostly reggae), and it's only about £300 in the second hand market. So the experiment idea is looking less interesting right now. edit 17/1/17: they stalled at the last minute, and I don't want the bass THAT bad to want to be chasing them after I made clear that my credit card was out of my wallet ready to be used. So I'm keeping my money and I will not proceed with this.

[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1483906063' post='3211050'] North of £400 for a Squier doesn't make sense to me. [/quote] Why not? I remember paying £325 or so for a Squier CV60s in fiesta red. At the time I was "uf, over £300 for a Squier seems a bit pricey" when I started looking at these basses, but the minute I got my hands in one, it made sense. They did not feel like the budget bass the Squiers I had tried before did. £300-400 for a 'Classic Vibe' Precision (or the similar quality Matt Freeman, Roger Waters etc) doesn't seem extraordinary when you think a Fender MIM will be around £600 and a MIA around £1000. There are cheaper Squier Precisions, around £180-200, and they're ok, but the CV series is a substantial step up in quality.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1483974328' post='3211569'] Well, it looked good. [/quote] to be fair, it would cost you only pennies and 10 minutes to replace them with something of the right size... I just don't care enough

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1483788878' post='3210088'] String-though body too! Impressive on a budget bass. Not sure that it adds anything to the sound, but it's a feature if you like that sort of thing. [/quote] The thing is... the ferrules were too narrow for the string ends, which didn't fit inside the recess, so you'd have the string ends protruding at the back So I never used the string-through method.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1483736189' post='3209780'] Currently £55 - went through a phase of being consider great VFM here - issues with soft frets? [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/old-riyder-rp-1-bass-guitar-in-nice-condition-/122294712433?hash=item1c79553871:g:Ts0AAOSwa~BYaYB7"]http://www.ebay.co.u...s0AAOSwa~BYaYB7[/url] [/quote] Well, when they were trying to get rid off the whole line, they sold for £60... and although they were not amazing basses, they were fully functional instruments, so not bad at all! I owned three One was white/white/rosewood. I put a black pickguard on it and a Wizard Thumper. That was pretty nice. The neck was on the chunky side for a Precision, but I like that. I used it live a handful of times. Eventually I sold it, as I have better Precisions. Then I got a translucent blue/white/maple and another white/white/rosewood. I put the maple neck on the white one, and defretted it, added a black pickguard and a Model P pickup. I still have that one. The blue one I stripped and was going to build a new bass with a MM pickup etc... but got bored and sold it as a back of parts to someone willing to finish it. Soft frets? I can't say I noticed anything like that. It's not like I used them for years, however, and on the fretless -the only one I have used regularly for a few years- I use nylon tapewound strings. Frankly, if you want a cheap Precision I'd rather get a Westfield. Those are great value. Both Precisions and Jazz basses are pretty good, if a bit heavy.

[quote name='Bearfist' timestamp='1483876792' post='3210736'] These are pretty good aren't they! Received my 32" Scale Jake on Friday. Had a couple of days to get to know her and yeah they have nailed it, exactly the bass i was hoping for. [attachment=235490:IMG_3157.JPG][attachment=235488:IMG_3155.JPG][attachment=235489:IMG_3156.JPG] So impressed I've been talking to Adrian all morning and i'm just about to order a second one, another Jake similar to this one, black and maple but 33" scale this time, still tuned BEAD, thinking 3+1 non matching headstock, different bridge maybe. Thinking about maybe having the board and neck with a slight vintage tint this time but a little worried it might be a little to yellow or dark for my taste, anyone got one of Adrian's basses with a vintage tint maple neck? I'd love to see some, particularly with a black body? [/quote] Not a black body, but this is mine with the yellowish tint: I think it would look great on a black bass!

[quote name='Musashimonkey' timestamp='1483775097' post='3209968'] Thanks guys, the support is really appreciated. Definitely increased my understanding of shims. Schaller 3D is probably my favourite bridge too, takes care of your every wish for adjustments. Just wanted to say that Sandberg customer service have been great, quick communications, very polite, and putting a luthier in contact immediately. So too has the UK shop, lots of support and understanding all round. Thank you. [/quote] glad to hear that. A good company demonstrates its greatness on how they deal with problems. I hope you get the bass you were wanting soon

[quote name='Rexel Matador' timestamp='1483737926' post='3209799'] This is all very interesting and is pretty much the reason I asked. It seems like the love for Matt Freeman's signature bass only slightly crosses over with the love for the man himself and his ouevre. It's just a consistently great and affordable precision bass, hence why I'm mystified that it's no longer available. So good that it's a threat to the Mexican standard? And I remember reading another thread (possibly here, or possibly over on Talkbass) when it first came out. Someone questioned what was even so "signature" about it. It's just a p bass, isn't it? (For the record I think he's wonderful. Rancid are hit and miss but Freeman always brings it.) [/quote] Yeah, I don't think it's more signature than the fiesta red was a 'Palladino' signature (they didn't sell it as a signature, but it could have been just like the Freeman was only about it being cream/black/maple.) They also discontinued the CV sonic blue... and brought in the red one... then that one was discontinued. I think they just like to change the finishes, I don't know.

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1483715991' post='3209503'] Do people actually buy signature basses/guitars because they like the artist? [/quote] I guess some do. I have two (three?) signature instruments... but I didn't choose them because of the link to the artist: 1) Fender Stratocaster Richie Sambora - well, I wanted a Stratocaster with a Floyd Rose and a proper humbucker at the bridge... it was the only Stratocaster I could find like that at the time! I do like Richie Sambora but it played no part on my decision. I don't play any Bon Jovi on guitar. 2) Squier Mike Dirnt Precision - I had no idea he was the guy from Green Day. I just liked the bass, like a 51 Precision but with a split coil pickup. It was very light, comfortable and sounded good. 3) Squier Matt Freeman Precision - not a great fan of Rancid although I like some of their stuff... but it is a gorgeous Precision with that cream body and lacquered dark maple neck...