Gazza 2905

[quote name='Greggo' timestamp='1391420847' post='2356812'] Thanks all for the info. I didnt do a major amount of "damage" with the 120, I rubbed it up and down neck and noticed it was scratching as opposed to smoothing, so I stopped immediately. Having wiped off the 'dust' I cant really feel the scratches but can see it lightly in the places where it abrased (I suppose its no worse than the general marks on the back of the neck that were done by previous owner just through wear and tear). Think I originally panicked a bit! If I was to jump to a higher grit, say 600 as noted above for a smooth matte finish, would this smooth off the neck still in spite of the light scratches? [/quote] Glad to hear that the damage is probably not as bad as your originally thought. I think if you rub it lightly with 600 grade, then 800 through 1000 to 1200, and then finally 0000 grade steel wool, you should get a nice finish eventually. Remember to take your time, and rub lightly, don't be in a hurry and try to fix it too quickly. A little bit of patience now will pay dividends. Good luck!

Sellers responsibility, - no doubt. Grangur's right, If they won't take responsibility, don't buy from them!

Great bit of advice. Top of my 'To Do' List now!

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1390163035' post='2342228'] Mine's a keeper - I love the string tension, the light weight, the spread of sounds with just a passive four-way switch and a tone control, and I switch between mine and my regular 34" basses all the time and never notice. The only time I notice the frets is if I'm doing a lot of work down the first three frets (that nut-to-first-fret on the E is a loong way ) or if I'm right up in the nosebleed frets - 15 and up for me. If you do a lot of chordal stuff over fret 15 you might have to readjust your technique a little, but otherwise it's all positive for me. I only play a 4, I'd imagine the 5s make even more sense - I've played a Dingwall 5, and the B was fantastic, but 5s aren't for me. The build quality is second to none, I've never had to go anywhere near the truss rod (and I'm a fiddler) and the attention to detail is superb. Oh, and Sheldon Dingwall is a gent who has given me some top quality customer service in the past (there's a thread on here about it somewhere). If you can get down to Bass Direct, Mark has the largest collection in the world, and if you don't like them after a visit there, you never will. [/quote] This [quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1390252313' post='2343256'] I have waxed about this before elsewhere, but I jumped right in after a couple of decades without a 5'er for a Dingwall. Awesomeness in every way. It has a killer B, it's light, it has a lovely thin neck, it's very well balanced. I could go on. The last thing I think about when I strap it on is that the frets are fanned. It really doesn't make that much difference and I have quite small hands. I really can't think of a bad thing to say about them - other than the price of course, but mine was worth every penny. [/quote] and this! I've just bought one myself, a few days before Christmas, a Lee Sklar signature, and it's absolutely fantastic. The feel and the playability is incredible! And the fanned fret system is easy to adapt to, which is, perhaps, quite surprising. I took to it in no time, and you don't have to have big hands, - mine are tiny (they really are!) And you don't have to be a super amazing bass player either, - coz I'm not! Just try one, see how you get on with it

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1390041415' post='2340741'] A great on line site is [url="http://www.studybass.com"]www.studybass.com[/url] The good thing about this site IMO is that the lessons are in chronilogical order, i.e. each lessons builds on what went before, so there are no gaps in the learning process. Start at the beginning and work your way [i]slowly[/i] through it.[/quote] Wow, I've just checked out this site, - what a great resource! It's very tempting when your start out learning something, to jump about all over the place, learning a bit of this & a bit of that. As Coilte suggests, work your way through this website, at least for now; that way your learning will be structured and you'll really feel that you're making progress. Good luck!

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1389619029' post='2336128'] No. Just go to check out the best selection of bass gear in the UK. [/quote] This! Everyone should make a point of visiting BD at some point, if they can, it's well worth the trip. After all, what's the worst that can happen? You don't [i][b]have[/b][/i] to buy anything! But you probably will!

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1389689801' post='2336861'] If you CAN easily stretch to cover F-A on the E string then I salute you, but doing it with a small movement in the left hand is not the end of the world.[/quote] Totally agree. I used to worry about this when I started playing, even believing that my hands were too small for bass, but when I stopped trying to rigidly adhere to one-finger-per-fret fingering and used a bit of thumb pivoting down at the lower end of the neck, I overcame the problem. On the broader subject of comfort; whilst there's a lot to be said for finding a playing position that is comfortable; if you are self taught you are more likely to have picked up some bad habits that will limit your progress in the long run. Anyone who picks up a golf club for the first time, for example, and just starts swinging, rarely grips the club correctly. As others have rightly pointed out, avoid hooking the thumb over the neck if you can, and try to play with the tips of the fingers. And relax, - that's very important!

I tried thro' body stringing on one of my basses, a Lakland DJ4; and compared to my other, conventionally strung basses, I didn't notice much, if any difference. Not saying there isn't any, it's just not very significant IMHO. Like BigRedX says, give it a try, - see if you prefer it. You might well need a longer set of strings too, by the way.

I start with TAB if I can. Books are the best bet, as they tend to be pretty accurate. Songsterr is a good website, although many of the TAB's on there tend to be a 'good starting point' rather than the finished article in my experience. Or work it out by ear of course. That's harder I find, but using some kind of software that slows down the music (whilst retaining the correct pitch) is invaluable here. There are a number of good ones available, I use Anytune Pro on my ipod touch. Good luck!

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1388950746' post='2328064'] Since buying a Dingwall I've been GAS free; not even remotely interested in looking at anything else. I was quite happy getting on with the business of learning new material as well as getting to grips with fan frets and my first 5'er for about 20 years. Coupled with the gig/rehearsal madness that is usually accompanied with the last few months of my year, I guess it was that I just didn't have time for GAS. The lull in my musical year that is January and February has caused me to start feeling GAS-sy, this time in an unexpectedly Fender Custom Shop type direction.[/quote] Oh dear, that's a bit of a worry........I've just bought a Dingwall, - and so assumed my GAS was cured. Maybe it's not after all. Too soon to tell yet though....

[quote name='benthos' timestamp='1376323910' post='2172137'] This has been my personal experience, too. I worked on having a relaxed, slightly curled in ring and pinky finger and it made a significant difference to my speed and endurance. It was a tip I picked up from a Dave Marks video on YouTube and I'm glad I did. [/quote] Yep, spot on with the Dave Marks reference. A saluting pinkie can be an indication of tension in the hand, and if that is the case, it will definitely limit your right hand speed & dexterity.

[quote name='lobematt' timestamp='1381415818' post='2238771'] When I'm walking in the lower end 1 2 4 does feel more comfortable and when I get right up the dusty end I usually just use 1 2 3 and sometimes 4. In the middle where most of my playing gets done I do stick quite closely to the 1 finger per fret method. [/quote] This exact same method works for me too.

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1386251331' post='2297707'] If I sell an amp, I'd include one. As for buying - I wouldn't really care either way. I've literally dozens of good tested ones here already. [/quote] This. I think it's reasonable to expect a power lead to be included when you buy an amp, because it won't work without it. But because most of us already have an assortment at home, it's largely irrelevant.

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1386232090' post='2297387'] Never understood this problem with high gloss necks. Prefer them, in fact! [/quote] Couldn't agree more! I find my hand moves better across a glossy/polished neck, - lower coefficient of friction surely?

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1385973388' post='2294118'] Just basschat and porn for me... [/quote] In that order??...

Hi Steve, thanks for the advice, I'll give it a go, but access doesn't seem to be very easy, everything's jammed in tight, and the whole preamp seems to be bonded in, so I can't remove it easily to service any part of it. Looks like I might have to take it to a pro. Thanks again, Gary.

I recently bought a 1990 Fender Jazz Bass Plus, - the one with the active Kubicki preamp, from here on Basschat. However, I've just noticed a problem, the volume output is very low. Basically, across the range of 1-10 on the volume pot, there's only any sound after you reach the '9' point. As a result, I can't get any degree of quality tone or volume from the bass. I'm assuming there's something wrong with the volume pot, and I'm wondering what might be involved in getting it fixed? it's on a split shaft, which also controls the pan between the 2 pickups. I'd rather keep the original Kubicki preamp if I can, rather than just replacing it, assuming it's possible to do so. I'm afraid I don't know much about electrics, but I would greatly appreciate any help or advice anyone can give me. Many thanks.

Just bought a Fender Jazz Plus Deluxe Bass from Lewy, - fantastic chap to deal with. Very honest and accurate description, he took the time to answer my questions via pm, provided me with photos of the bass after it was packed, and gave me all the details of the courier so that I could track the bass after despatch. It does not get any better than this! I could not have asked for a better deal from Lewy. You can buy from, or trade with him with absolute confidence. Nice one Lewy! Cheers, Gary.