TheGreek

Welcome sir... Some advice?? Check out the Modding thread that's running at the moment and stay away from the market place. Guaranteed way to break the bank balance and lose space at home. Don't feel obliged to become part of a shipping chain to get items from Thomann to the UK either - that could become a new career. 👍👍

I've been playing - with a few years off in the 90s - since the early 80s and in that time I've only ever changed one set of pickups - and that was in my Kawai over Xmas (Thanks @Grangur) because the bridge pickup was noticeably quieter than the neck. Loads of messing about and being let down and TBH I could have/ should have lived with the original pickups over the replacements. I've started a project recently and again it's probably more hassle than it's worth. The idea was to clear parts from my drawer - didn't happen. If anything I've acquired parts. Definitely not been cost effective - I'll probably never recover my money - who will want a slab body Tele with PJ pups? Once finished I'll hopefully have got the desire to build/ mod/ update out of my system and leave stuff alone. I'm not convinced there is any benefit to modding - only other bassists care or can tell and that's actually open to debate.

My Ding-a-ling - Chuck Berry

Did I see this on ebay earlier?

Bad boys - Wham!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334782961258?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=4okvvg6cqws&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=3arTyUkpQE-&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Great advice if you have the cash, dangerous advice if you don't. If Mrs BCer finds out what you are planning, you're in serious trouble.

If you want to listen to some excellent groove with lovely tones, check out the first album by The Pasadenas https://youtu.be/uMDUkgMuTVY

You will also need to think about Yamaha, I prefer the TRBs but the BB range has serious following and if you go down the BB route you will have plenty of change in your budget. Also don't discount G&L or Spector, you'll be pleasantly surprised what's available in your price range. TBH there aren't many (if any) badly built basses today so you could find something from left field that you hadn't considered.

Heaven is a place on earth - Belinda Carlisle

You may want to jump to page 7 for the name and shame and page 11 for the outcome.

IIRC a number of BCers were burnt after handing over money for basses which they never saw and arguments about having their money returned. I believe there's a thread somewhere.

IIRC wasn't there an issue with delays with Jon Letts delivering orders to people who had paid for their custom builds. Is this right? He has at least 3 basses for sale on the Reverb site https://reverb.com/uk/item/66134166-letts-woden-ultra-lightweight-short-scale-5-string-bass-guitar-handcrafted-in-the-uk-2023?bk=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJqdGkiOiI2NDU0ODlkNC1iM2U0LTQ4ZTUtOTRhNS0zZDc2YzZjMDNiNjMiLCJpYXQiOjE2NzkxNzI1NTIsInVzZXJfaWQiOiIxMTMwOTM1NyIsInNlc3Npb25faWQiOiI0ZjVmMGZmOC0zODQ3LTQ0NmEtOTkxNy1lODY1MzcwOWVhZmEiLCJjb29raWVfaWQiOiI3NjVlYjk3OS1jYzU1LTQxZjAtOTAwOS0zYjUyNjg1NzgwMmIiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lkIjoiNjYxMzQxNjYiLCJzb3VyY2UiOiJOT05FIn0.bolw4j5D0jGTgOrL1s-l_UFPENjGS_RNKpsWP8N8bpM https://reverb.com/uk/item/66693499-letts-mini-headless-fretless-bass-guitar-handcrafted-in-the-uk-2023?bk=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJqdGkiOiI2ZWRkNDViZC1hYjg4LTRiY2QtODk4OS04MzdlNjRkODc2ZWEiLCJpYXQiOjE2NzkxNzI1NTIsInVzZXJfaWQiOiIxMTMwOTM1NyIsInNlc3Npb25faWQiOiI0ZjVmMGZmOC0zODQ3LTQ0NmEtOTkxNy1lODY1MzcwOWVhZmEiLCJjb29raWVfaWQiOiI3NjVlYjk3OS1jYzU1LTQxZjAtOTAwOS0zYjUyNjg1NzgwMmIiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lkIjoiNjY2OTM0OTkiLCJzb3VyY2UiOiJOT05FIn0.U1bVO-CqgnmZI-8qD_gEBWETACS6Lo16QSftlxY907k https://reverb.com/uk/item/66185720-letts-woden-ultra-lightweight-short-scale-fretless-4-string-bass-guitar-handcrafted-in-the-uk-2023?bk=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJqdGkiOiI1Y2M5YWE4MC0xYzU4LTQyYTktOTI1Zi0xYjY4MjY2Y2JkNGIiLCJpYXQiOjE2NzkxNzI1NTIsInVzZXJfaWQiOiIxMTMwOTM1NyIsInNlc3Npb25faWQiOiI0ZjVmMGZmOC0zODQ3LTQ0NmEtOTkxNy1lODY1MzcwOWVhZmEiLCJjb29raWVfaWQiOiI3NjVlYjk3OS1jYzU1LTQxZjAtOTAwOS0zYjUyNjg1NzgwMmIiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lkIjoiNjYxODU3MjAiLCJzb3VyY2UiOiJOT05FIn0.uMmGV-JhAZDRoFX0XjzsqfUvjQLh92MgzhSrmYN3hmM

So where is "there" so I can go and pick it up??

Moves like Jagger - Maroon 5

I do like the fretboard.

What is life - Black Uhuru

The Nathan Yeast model... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385446336465?hash=item59be6457d1:g:rdEAAOSwlM9j~LsF&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA8IWZLhV2mrepdHEaXWSjobJBz64r9eBg%2BKgkoE7ITmCOoyr1CTu2CZLDiMnf%2FESk21YswG8ztw1xMijAwNhyPctBE8gQw1xxFbl5JQCCSHbb6dKYNJUplro4%2FyPKgLeUVYl4becQnn%2Bnx7yeb8JClW66U3tqyWuOK8Kq%2Frx5dcOGeds%2BPJVBEUwUY4nUE9A6rWNh8Y91n6BT4oCNS2d8xMdvkYCKMgNsM2xDAPcnJJJBV0BUC0tCGZJLnyWwF%2BTmEh4rzuknzcI1TDh4QBExoemRCd1TYNEU2Qp4GskUxbK3C5LsoXERE73KTA5FjqCfGg%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8bfptLeYQ

I maintain that the 80s were the best decade for music. Just look who was on Live Aid and the Mandela concerts.

It's 4 Am I'm Lying Here and Thinking About You - We Are Various