mcnach

Another thing: look at the imprint the bridge ground cable left in the finish. There are TWO marks. To me, that suggests that after being set one way, someone removed the bridge and fitted it again (the cable was not laying in the same position as originally, so it left a second imprint). We can only guess why.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1481905185' post='3196192'] Well, I for one, am trying my best not to buy from them. I'm also trying not to buy from any other seller as I'm trying to kick GAS. This situation is really odd though. Squier turn out 100s of basses. How come this one bass got singled out to have a second set of holes? After all they don't make a fretless by taking a fretted off the line and giving it special treatment. If fretless needed holes in a different position, which I can't see, they would drill the one set in the correct position. This isn't a luthier making a mistake. This is factory workers on a production line. [/quote] It is very odd indeed. I can't imagine that the pilot holes are not drilled by a machine... really strange

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1481907387' post='3196225'] The OP went even further, he refused to let them fix the issue lol. [/quote] they were not offering to fix the issue, they were offering to [u]take money[/u] to fix the issue But it does look like they did not really understand the issue in the first place, or they thought it was caused by the OP.

8lbs for a 5 string is pretty good! I'd love a white light one... and get a new scratchplate and a white MM style pickup on it.

Homebase have some cool foam mats, designed to protect your knees while working kneeling on the floor. They're about 3cm thick and come in various sizes. Cheap too. Those would work well.

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1481862766' post='3195791'] +1 for the 55-02, does everything well, and great to play, although they can be a little inconsistent in my experience, so try before you buy. The older Korean ones have more 'heft' tonally, IMHO. Or a 55-94, which has the edge, if your budget can stretch to one... I've got one of each, a DJ5 and a 55-76, but I'm a greedy b*stard... [/quote] a 55-76!!!!! THAT is what I would like... so rare, 'though. A real Stingray 5 alternative, with the right string spacing

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1481848969' post='3195766'] You have answered your own question, the 55-01 hasn't got any humbuckers, they are soapbars. I really like the 55-02, sounds like you need to go and try a few out in a shop? [/quote] The 55-02 is a fantastic bass. If you don't need it to do the Stingray sound... the 55-02 would get my vote. Really well made, well balanced, lovely neck dimensions (personal, I know), versatile without getting into crazy 307 combinations with 17 switches territory... I kind of regret selling mine.

[quote name='scrumpymike' timestamp='1481827664' post='3195538'] What a bummer - surely Adrian's not using cheap Chinese screws?! [/quote] the pickup mounting screws aren't made of the toughest metal either. I snapped one too. I had a lot of fun removing the bit that was stuck in the body... It's usually advisable to be careful, ensure the screwdriver tip is well matched to the screw head, and if it's tough... be extra careful. I'd say be a little more careful than usual with these.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1481825704' post='3195516'] Devils advocate here Jose, ignoring this particular situation as I agree it just needs sending back if it does not do what the OP thought it would but is that fact or opinion reagrding the holes/position of the bridge?, has anyone looked under a Squier bridge on a fretless or measured the bridge position? [/quote] I owned a Squier Jazz VM Fretless and a Fender Precision 70s RI fretless. I know it's not the same instrument discussed here but the position of the bridge was identical to the fretted counterpart in both cases, and the Jazz certainly didn't have extra holes. I did measure the bridge position and many other things as I was in the middle of my messing about with pickup positioning phase... Not a definitive answer but that's what I've got to go by. Why do you think you'd need to move the bridge to intonate a fretless? There's plenty of room for adjustment at its normal position

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1481821949' post='3195475'] Looking at where the saddles are with it in tune there's more than enough travel with the intonation screws to cope with it being used as a fretted/fretless instrument with the bridge positioned using the 'first' set of holes (those nearest the pickup) in my opinion. It looks like a botched job to me. [/quote] exactly. And Thomann will know if this bass was previously sold to somebody else...

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1481809403' post='3195330'] how do you tune the bass to allow for playing behind the lines as the nut wont be installed behind the line which is essentially just another fret so open strings will be out of tune with fretted ones? [/quote] if I understood correctly, he doesn't really "play" behind the lines: he places the finger just behind the lines, so that the string *exits* at the line. That's how everybody plays a fretless, am I wrong? I don't think the OP is trying anything unusual that requires a special setup. It's just that the bridge was put a little too far back by somebody. That is a mystery. Maybe someone tried a very heavy gauge set of strings?

[quote name='GreeneKing' timestamp='1481805969' post='3195286'] I'm not trying to be critical of you here just applying reason. If there are two bridge drillings, one for fretted and one for fretless with the design to fret on the fret line for correct intonation then if you refuse to play the bass as intended it's not really Thomann's fault. Peter [/quote] There are no two bridge drillings in a stock new bass. The bridge is in the same spot fretted or fretless. This is not how the bass was meant to be produced. Thomann sold a bass that someone had tampered with. Who? No idea. But if it wasn't the OP, then he shouldn't have to keep it or pay to fix it.

AS the others said: it seems to me they did not understand that the holes were there already and not made by you. If you can produce pictures (can you post them here too, please?) that clearly show the holes were there before painting, as you indicate, then I'm sure they'll realise it was not your fault and they may let you have it at a discount. Of course, they may simply choose to take it back for full refund, and if you want to keep it that won't do much. Personally, I'd send it back and get another.

another zoom R16 user here, love it.

[quote name='MrDaveTheBass' timestamp='1480938115' post='3188145'] Can't beat a good bit of dub! King Tubby is a firm favourite of mine. I recently got hold of a copy of this: [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Island-Presents-Dub-Various-Artists/dp/B00ISGOKDQ"]https://www.amazon.c...s/dp/B00ISGOKDQ[/url] A lot of dub compilations can be a bit patchy, but there's not a duff one on there. Irie riddims! [/quote] Thank you for that. I had a quick browse and ended up buying it too. That's a very good one

[quote name='AustinArto' timestamp='1481502913' post='3192802'] Lol. Tribute bands. [/quote] I missed the joke...

I sold Colin my Wizard Thumper pickups. Very pleasant transaction and nice chat... Great guy, would not hesitate buying anything from him or selling again. Thank you for everything, I hope you get that bass up and running soon

[quote name='whizzzy' timestamp='1481477123' post='3192560'] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Bought some pickups off Jose, they arrived promptly, well packed and in very good condition. A smooth transaction, just like you like it to be. Also had a very interesting and enjoyable chat with Jose via pm. [/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Highly recommended and would certainly have no hesitation in dealing again. Thanks Jose.[/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color] [/quote] it's been a pleasure

[quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1481466282' post='3192454'] I feel that those who shout loudly about how crap vinyl has always sounded have only ever heard a 20s hand-cranked gramophone with hawthorn needle and large horn, or at best a Dansette! Once you've experienced a really good vinyl system you'll know what all the fuss is about... Now I'm off to oil my beard and sculpt my man-bun. [/quote] I was there and it was very good. But then a good mastered CD sounded as good if not better, with the addition: - no crackles or pops ever - no need to turn it around every 20 minutes - the songs closer to the centre sound just as good as the ones on the edge a lot of the bad press for 'digital' comes from bad mixes/masters, and the awful compression war that started in the late 80s. I enjoyed my vinyl... the ritual of opening a new album, admiring the artwork, reading the notes, looking at the photographs... But with regards to sound quality, give me a good digital copy anytime. However, I'm glad I got to experience the following when I was 12 or 13... I got my record of "Mob Rules" by Black Sabbath and I waited all day for everybody to go to bed so that I could listen to it without interruptions. The record player was pretty decent, my dad liked his music... but it was in the living room which was always busy with TV or just people chatting etc. It was summer... warm night, windows open letting a small breeze through. The room is dark, illuminated only by some residual street lighting and the green pilot lights of the amplifier. I get my headphones on, and get the record out... I can see the label (Vertigo) with the lightning and flying saucer... a little eerie... I place it carefully on the plate and as I lift my hands... static "lightning" sparks between the record and my fingertips, resembling the lightning of the label. I stood there with my hands in the air still... ah, you had to be there! it was awesome! A lot of my good memories of vinyl comes from the fact that I was young and discovering music and I had a lot of time to go over every minute detail. Also, I'd only be able to buy one record a month maybe... unless it was my birthday... so I was carefully choosing where I spent my money and each record was a little treasure. It's just different now.

wow! I love the colours... but I'd be afraid of stabbing myself with it if I used it It looks great 'though!

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1481232360' post='3190905'] Might not be the 'party line' but I sort of feel sorry for the shop? [/quote] me too, but didn't want to say anything. I wonder if the mistake relates to the actual model they are selling rather than the price.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1481196703' post='3190375'] As someone whose band has been releasing vinyl there are pros and cons... Pros: It looks and feels great. An album on 12" vinyl is big serious statement of intent. Even a 7" single looks more impressive than a CD, and with my graphic designer's hat on, you really can't beat the enlarged canvas that vinyl packaging allows you. It's popular. I'll be the first to admit, that one of the main reasons we've been releasing our music on vinyl is because we sell more copies and make more profit per copy sold, than if it was released just on CD. Cons: It doesn't really sound very good. Admittedly the quality of vinyl these days is substantially better than it was back in the 70s and 80s when I was last buying it. I dug out some albums and 12" singles from the early 80s in order to play them the other day, and compared with even a modern "low quality" 120g pressing they felt flimsy and insubstantial. However a well produced and mastered 16Bit 441.1kHz digital file will always out-perform even the best vinyl from a sonic PoV. The CD version of the Terrortones album sounds better than the vinyl version when played back to back. Each version was specifically mastered for the intended delivery medium, but unfortunately vinyl simply can't compete sonically. There are all sorts of technical limitations to what can be reproduced on vinyl when it comes to bass, stereo imaging and phase effects. None of these affect digital files. You need decent (and expensive) playback equipment to get the best out of it. A digital file just needs a good quality DAC, and these days the gap in quality between consumer grade and professional DACs is not very big and it's getting smaller all the time. While it's perfectly possible to enjoy your vinyl on a junk-shop Dansette (although these are by no means cheap any more), to get the best out of it you need to invest in a good quality turntable, tone arm, cartridge etc. and get them set up properly and keep them maintained. Even then, every time you play your vinyl you are damaging it. A good deck and careful handling of the medium will minimise this, but ultimately every play wears the record slightly. A properly backed-up digital file will last forever and sound exactly the same as the day it was digitised. It is expensive to produce and therefore expensive for consumers to buy. 500 copies of the Terrortones album cost £4000 to make including the recording. We could have had 1000 CDs for around half of that. On top the increased production costs of the actual vinyl over CD, there was the increased printing and production costs for the larger 12" packaging, and finally there was the cost of the extra mastering optimised for vinyl cutting, as well as the standard digital master for downloads. It's heavy and bulky to store and easy to damage. Both for the producer and consumer. My large collection of CDs occupies the wall one side of the chimney breast in my lounge, and if I really wanted I could pack them all away in a handful of boxes, and just listen to the versions stored on my iTunes server. I dread to think how much space (and what sort of re-enforced shelving) I'd need if it was all on vinyl. The first Terrortones release - 500 CDs came in couple of easily lifted cardboard boxes. 500 copies of the album on vinyl was 6 very heavy boxes on a pallet! Also because of the size and weight of the vinyl, they had suffered damage in transit and I had to replace the paper sleeves of a whole box worth of records. Then when it comes to mailing them out, CDs can go in a small jiffy bag with a bit of extra bubble wrap. Total P&P cost for a UK address under £2.00. The vinyl needs a proper album mailer with a cardboard stiffener, and is a lot heavier with a total P&P cost of around £4.00. All of that has to passed on the the consumer. So, as an artefact vinyl is great. Even a 7" single is big and impressive, but as a delivery medium for music - which after all is what it is designed for - there's a lot of better ways to do it nowadays. BTW. For those who are analog purists, almost every record release made in the last 20 or so years will have gone through a digital stage somewhere between when the instruments were mic'd up and the vinyl being cut, so any perceived inadequacies of the digital process will have been added to those of the vinyl medium. [/quote] great post.