Dad3353

The 'Argus' prices seem to be around half of that. The price, new, in the US, was, I believe, $399. Still, it's worth what you think it's worth, really. Are you any good at haggling..?

The 'P' has two pick-ups, too, but they're wired together and placed in close proximity. One could also ask why a Morgan three-wheeler costs more than a Fiat Punto, as it has a wheel less.

Not an Ignition, but my 'go-to' bass is a Hofner Verithin, with similar tonal qualities, and also lightweight. Depending on the strings used (mine are black nylon tapewound...), these basses can be very versatile, worthy of far more than simply Macca knock-off use. Reggae comes to mind as a first candidate, but I've played a wide variety of stuff, from the Floyd's 'The Wall', through Pumpkins 'Ava Adore' to 'Message In A Bottle' and much more; no-one criticised the bass sound. With 'zingier' strings, one could go further still, although I'd not say it's the best bass for slapping/popping. Versatile..? Yes indeed. It shouldn't be forgotten that quite a few Beatles tracks were recorded with other basses, too, the Ricky being quite heavily used at certain times. All Beatles tracks are not 'Hofner' tracks. In modern days, the Hofner bass is used by many; the most evident being, maybe Nicolas Godin, from AIR ...

+1 ^^ Some cheaper pots (yes, some makers use 'cheap' pots...) wear out over time and become scratchy. Some equipment, (or even instruments ...) have a hard life, and pick up dust, or damp, which messes up the fragile carbon track inside the pot. Most (not all, but most...) pots have a small hole in the casing, just big enough to allow the cleaner's 'straw' to get some stuff squirted into it. A few turns of the pot, once squirted, should give it a second life. It may not last for years, though, or even work at all (depends on the real cause of the scratching...), in which case replacement with a quality pot will be required. There are folks (I'm told...) that leave the pots on their basses 'full on', and never touch 'em, so never know if they're scratchy or not..!

Good afternoon, Nathan, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Indeed, and it's not just an ethic, but driven also by necessity, sometimes..! Our Eldest needed a router, but only had a Dremel, so he made a router base for the Dremel from gash hardwood. He has since acquired a modest router, a bit bigger, but often makes the tools, jigs and such from offcuts. I do the same with my model 'planes; not much gets thrown away. Needful thrift, I'd call it.

I spent two or three careers in electronics using KF F2. I don't see why I'd change, as it does the job perfectly, as far as I am concerned, and lasts for... Well, even longer than that. KF F2 Contact Spray ...

It depends, maybe, on your ears. I have several, free and paid, plus 'ornery' reverbs, and can't get many at all to sound 'good', but that's because I'm not good. If one has Superman powers (I don't..!), there's surely a difference. Are they worth paying for..? I'd suggest that, for non-professional stuff, they're not. Maybe just take a punt on one and see if you hear anything..?

An admirable ambition; I wish you all the best with it. I've little practical experience myself, but Our Eldest is setting up his own modest luthery workshop, so we have some tips that might help. There's more to it than just tools; you'll need some space to work in, dedicated to this activity. A kitchen table might do, at a pinch, for a 'one-off' experiment, but a workshop becomes rapidly necessary. In that workshop, the most important tool is your workbench. Our Eldest 'cut his teeth' by making his own bench, in the most traditional manner, with his minimal tools (handsaw, chisels etc...). He took the time required to make a solid, usable bench to last his lifetime, and that alone has given him much of the impetus to take on the making of instruments. First advice, then, would be to decide on a dedicated workspace, and have a look at the options of fitting it with the bench you'll be needing. They can be bought, new or second-hand, or made from scratch; this latter is an excellent 'jumping off' point for getting familiar with some of the woodwork skills involved. Here's a photo of the bench he made... ... and a couple of his first guitar ... Hope this helps.

Good evening, Jon, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good afternoon, Dawn... A warm recommendation indeed; thanks for posting. There is a dedicated section of the Forum for Tutors, here ... Tutors Available ... ... It wouldn't hurt to 'double post' your comments there..? You might even care to ask Nigel if he'd like to join Basschat himself, and take advantage of that section to make his presence and services known..? Just a thought.

Maybe take a photo of the wiring cavity; it may help diagnostics at a distance..? There are many reasons why stuff happens, either from new or later on, and there's always a solution, but I agree that it's best to know what's going on. Trouble-shooting won't be difficult if you're handy with a soldering iron, but it would have to be done on a 'one step at a time' basis. Can we start with a clear photo, please..?

For all things guitar/bass electronics, I'd recommend our very own @KiOgon. A wiring loom from him would, I'm sure, bring out the best in your otherwise fine instrument. Worth a try seeing what he might suggest, maybe..?

Spoken like a true and very successful Artist; s'been a long time since you pandered to any notions of beauty, bourgeois or otherwise.

I have a buddy in the sound business; he has several XR18's and is very content with them.

Good evening, Paul, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Tony, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Lee, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Albert, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Trav, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Manny, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.