mcnach

If the bass will always be used with a pickguard... wouldn't you consider using another "standard" pickguard and just drill new holes where needed? Nobody will see the old ones.

[quote name='Bobzilla' timestamp='1429651079' post='2753723'] So, I've decided to have a go at de-fretting a bass. One £18.50 Westfield P-Bass off Ebay later, and I have a suitable victim (yes, I know, its not going to sound the best fretless ever, but its a learning tool). Key question though is filler or veneer. I've seen advocates of both on online tutorials, but has anyone done one with either or even both? Thanks. (and the good thing is that a cheap bass neck means easily removed frets with zero damage and flaking). [/quote] well done! I also bought a cheap Sue Ryder P-bass a while ago and it's turned out pretty well as a fretless. I sold a Squier VM and a Japanese Fender (beautiful, natural and unlined maple fingerboard), because this one felt and sounded better! I removed the frets myself, carefully, but I let someone else finish it. I had sycamore veneers to fill the fret slots. I keep thinkinf about removing the black dots and insert something pale instead... but that's a lot of cash for a "cheap bass", and it's purely cosmetic... have fun with yours!

It's [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-%2522Police%2522-Play-Bass-with/dp/1847722059/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429779850&sr=8-1&keywords=play+bass+with+the+police"]this one[/url] It wouldn't be my ideal playlist (So Lonely is not in there!!! Criminal!!!), but it has a few good ones anyway. The backing tracks are good. At first I wished they had vocals. Then I thought "cool, I can sing along", then I *REALLY* wished it came with vocals, and my neighbours would probably agree I noticed a discrepancy in the tab (yes ) for one of the songs, I forget which one... but they're all really easy to get by ear, which is what I do anyway. Although the tab is nice to quickly scan through and remember the parts ahead of playing. I bought it purely for the backing tracks, really

Rod bought my cream DiMarzio Model P pickup... smooth, easy, and so was the transaction

I've recently rediscovered The Police. Yeah, it happens. Also, separately, I've recently taken to playing my fretless a lot while at home [1], a lowly but fun and nice to play Precision bass I had converted to fretless. It has nylon tapewounds and produces this lovely woody thump. So, it was obvious I would have to learn a few Police songs, right? I sourced one of these "Play with..." backing tracks CDs and I just spent a couple of hours going through several songs... Things like "Roxanne". There are only a few notes (the timing is key for this one, 'though) and nothing complicated at all... but it feel great to play. Sometimes the simplest basslines can be amazing.

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1429701278' post='2754042'] I don't get this electric basses aren't acoustic instruments, and electrics is a major factor in sound. Lots of basses sound not great acoustically, say for instance a small body headless, but will sound huge when plugged in. If a bass sounds good acoustically but has crap electrics then its going to sound bad unless you replace the entire electrics and even then the pickup placement choice might be not well thought out so your stuffed, unless you fill and re route new cavities. You might as well buy a different bass. Electric bass in my view electrics first, acoustics are a factor but a secondary one. [/quote] I agree with that, in principle. However, the basses that I've owned that sounded best, they also felt "solid" when unplugged. Hard to describe, it's not exactly how resonant they were while unplugged, and it's not weight... but they just feel "well made" and solid.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1429601038' post='2752936'] Why would you play anyone's bass lines at all..?? I just noodle with things that I've come up with and I'll be trying to the bass to sound like it could handle the sounds within the styles that I hear and play. I kind of laugh when I hear someone playing a standard bassline, tbh.. [/quote] this. Or Three Blind Mice.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1429608178' post='2753028'] This. I had a Jazz bass that had this (it was McNach's, then I bought it, he missed it so much I sold it back to him) and it was fantastic. Sound guys used to complement me on how good it sounded. No, really! [/quote] The "black beauty"... I love that bass! I'm so glad to have found it again "that bass player looks a bit familiar, but I can't think why" later... "that bass looks a lot like my old black Jazz... wait!!! It is my old black Jazz!!!"

[quote name='mfisher91' timestamp='1429457920' post='2751544'] Hi all, I'm searching for a Markbass gig bag. Does anyone know of any where that sells them fairly cheaply? I've just purchased a markbass little mark 250 and need to get a gig bag as I'm out gigging next weekend, however I can't afford to spend too much on one. I've seen the Markbass ones for £70, but can't find any cheaper. Don't mind if it's not a markbass one as long as I know it fits perfectly! [/quote] Gator, small mixer bag. I used them for a LMIII, a LMT800, and Genz Benz Shuttle and Streamliner. Nice handy pocket for cables. About £20, I think.

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1429532116' post='2752284'] I've never had a noisy P bass at all. As long as the earth wire from the bridge to the back of a pot is soldered effectively, that should be all that's required. (I was told this by Sims Customs actually when I was ordering a '64 P body and asked what they recommend for shielding. They said they don't, even on their own builds as it doesn't matter on a passive bass. As long as said bridge to pot wire is connected.. It did surprise me at the time but so far no probs on my last two P's, one of which I put together myself). [/quote] On my bass, the pots/bridge ground was practically non-existent (I relied on the glue being conductive, and it wasn't), so it could well be that that was all I needed to do. Truly silent now. Well, except for when I touch the polepieces It doesn't happen often as I tend to play a little below the pickup on a P bass, but sometimes I do play over the pickup and further, and I get a little bzzz when I touch the poles. Maybe another time when I can be bothered I'll ground the polepieces too. Fortunately they are easy to access from below the pickup.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1429477408' post='2751827'] Last time I did this I just bought really cheap slug tape off ebay, a fraction of the price of the "conducting copper tape" and it turned out to conduct across the glue anyway :-) win! [/quote] Ha!

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1429475347' post='2751788'] I bought copper shielding foil from this guy on ebay. I shielded the scratchplate (I didn't bother shielding the cavity) and it got rid of any buzz from my Precision. I used conductive paint, rather than copper foil, to shield my Jazz and that did the trick. He sells both [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/jeremycharlest/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2654"]http://www.ebay.co.u...872.m2749.l2654[/url] [/quote] I never considered paint... Interesting. Thanks!

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1429475832' post='2751804'] I use the adhesive aluminium tape from Maplins. I am sure it says that the adhesive isn't conductive but actually is... Just to make sure, I shield the cavity with long strips all in the same direction, then take a single piece with a couple of millimetres folded under along each edge and lay it across the base layer. I have been known to tape a few strands of stripped copper wire across too, but it is overkill. Doesn't really answer your question, but it might help someone. [/quote] That's probably the best way to do it, conductive or not.

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1429467620' post='2751653'] You can get it easily on eBay - look for "conductive adhesive copper" Item 360195343162 is an example You could alternatively put a blob of solder on the edge of each piece of tape and check continuity [/quote] That's how I bought the one I have, and it clearly is not very conductive! Have you tried that particular one? I just need someone who has some conductive one to tell me where they got it