thebrig

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1475090392' post='3143035'] I generally use 4 music shops, PMT Birmingham, The Little Guitar Shop in the jewellery quarter, Fair Deal Music and Rockstar Guitars in Blackheath. To date all have given good advice and excellent service. We appear to be well served here in the West Midlands. [/quote]Have to agree with this, for me, its more than a hours drive to PMT but well worth it for the amount of goodies they have on offer, and I've always found the staff to be friendly and knowledgeable. About a year ago, because of my back & neck problems, I thought that maybe a short-scale bass might be the answer, so I spent a very pleasant couple of hours in PMT trying out various shorties along with a few Ibanez's because of their lightweight, anyway, because of my love for precisions, I decided that the Fender Mustang I tried was probably the closest I would get to the sound I want from a short-scale bass, but I still couldn't make up my mind, so the sales guy said, "why don't you take it home and try it out for a couple of weeks, you can pay on your card now, but if you don't like it, just bring it back unmarked, and we will refund you". So I did this, but unfortunately after just a couple of days, I could tell that it wasn't for me, so I took it back and asked for the salesman who I dealt with originally, but it was his day off, so I told the guy what the arrangement was, and without any questions, he asked for my card and refunded me, I didn't buy anything else that day, but I have bought many items since, and I always recommend PMT as the place to go if you want great service. Edited for grammar and spelling.

I have a custom made 51 slab body precision with a single coil, a 54 precision with a single coil, and six other Fender precisions including a 71 & 75, they all have split pups, but are all from different manufacturers, two of the them have graphite necks, two have maple boards, and two have rosewood boards, I have a Squire VM precision with split pup and rosewood board, and I also have a [font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]Maruszczyk Jake, with split pup, rosewood board, 32" scale, s[/color][/font][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]ome of the bodies are alder, some are ash, and [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I think the Squier[/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] is basswood, and they all have different finishes, so quite a cross section of the same bass.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Soundwise?[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I'm no expert and I'm not sure how good my ears are, but here are my thoughts.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Splits?[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I think at home when playing on my own, you can hear subtle differences,[/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] but I've gigged them all, and in the mix the splits all sound pretty much the same, they all cut through really well, even though the basses are all made very different, even the medium scale sounds the same.[/font][/color] Singles? Definitely different to the splits, but still sound like a precision, if that makes sense? My verdict? Like I said earlier, I'm no expert but I would guess that the positioning of the pickup is all important, I think you could put any old neck on any old lump of wood and providing the split pup is in the sweet spot, it would sound like a P!

[quote name='scrumpymike' timestamp='1475136805' post='3143256'] What a beauty is that! Question: did you know in advance from the way you spec'd it that it would look like that or was it a pleasant surprise? [/quote]Yes, I sent him pics of other basses on his site with the colour scheme I liked, I also chose to call it "Old Thumper" rather than Jake, I designed and sent him the logo, I chose to have white binding on the neck, and I wanted it to be chambered so it would be lightweight (7lb 5oz), I also asked for it to be medium scale, the body is alder with swamp ash veneer front and back, and I have to say that I'm very pleased with it. It's a happy day for yourself, it looks outstanding and I bet it will play and sound fantastic, it will be with you next week so let us know just how good it is.

[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1475098503' post='3143125'] That isn't helping. Looks lovely though! [/quote]Thanks, I've just put on some La Bella flats and it sounds fantastic. I waited about twelve weeks for mine, and I found that weeks 1 - 6 dragged on forever, weeks 7 - 10 weren't too bad as I started thinking about it a little less by then, so it went pretty quickly, week eleven, I got an email saying that it should be ready in a couple of weeks, and believe me, those final two weeks seemed like two months! Make sure you upload your sofa shot when you get it, I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Here's my sofa shot from about six weeks ago. Oh dear, maybe I shouldn't have put this on here it as it probably makes your wait feel even longer now. Sorry people! Mind you, the wait will be worthwhile, trust me.

I wouldn't have one myself and I don't usually like the look of them either, but I have to say that it looks great, and the maple neck really does something to it.

[quote name='josie' timestamp='1475019579' post='3142424'] 1992 US Jazz Plus 5, £750 - I was lusting for the Jazz Aerodyne I'd left with my son in Nashville and just lashed out on impulse. Spotted it on the Promenade Music website, phoned up and asked them to hold it, jumped on the next train to Morecambe Bay and it was mine a couple of hours later. How different can two Jazz basses be? The Aerodyne is slimmed down and graceful, the Plus is a heavy chunky beast and hard to play. I really didn't "need" it, and I wouldn't buy it now, now that I've brought the Aerodyne home. I'll still use the Plus as a challenge to improve my playing skills. If I had to let one of my guitars go it would be that one. But I got a huge buzz out of buying it, and I still get a buzz from just looking at it. Putting "indulgence" in perspective - I know plenty of people who spend £750 on Starbucks coffee in 18 months. Or similar casual trivia. I'm not sure a handsome top quality bass, even one I "don't need", is really an indulgence by comparison. [/quote]I totally agree with your last comment, and I regularly point out to Mrs Brig that if I spend a a few bob on a bass that I don't REALLY need, it would never add up to the amount that she spends on shoes and clothes that she doesn't REALLY need.

Looks like the 6 & 7 stringers are happy to post a pic, how about the rest of us mere mortals who can only manage 4 strings, or maybe 5 at a push?

Thanks everyone, I think I will have to get my camera out and start taking some pics of them.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1474979565' post='3141989'] Thinking about it my secondhand Burns Sonic Bass bought for £60 in 1981 was far more indulgent in terms of what it cost against what I could afford to spend than any that I have bought since. Certainly nothing I've bought in the last 20 years has required me to cut back on what I spent on food so that I could buy it. [/quote]I think everything cost a lot more in real terms than they do now, for example, my first ever VHS player was about £750 in the mid-eighties, and I also remember paying nearly £300 for a standard microwave oven, but my greatest memory was of reading the "Bells of Surbiton" music catalogue night after night around in the mid 60's and drooling over the guitars which ranged from about £15 right through to about £150 which was a heck of a lot of money in those days. The one instrument that always sticks in my mind was the Hofner Violin bass that was 55 guineas (£57/15/0d) or £57.75p, and I think that Strats, Jazzes and P's were between £80 - £120, I used to read that book in bed more than my stash of alternative mags that most teenage boys had hidden away in those days.

I'm having a clear out and want to start with selling all the effects pedals I have purchased over the years only to never use any of them, they are all still nicely stored away in their original boxes. So does anyone know what it costs to post the average pedal? Cheers

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1474976130' post='3141933'] Fair enough - didn't know that he'd had a stroke. Of course, as we get get older we can be afflicted with all sorts of things that require an adapting of technique. I think it demonstrates that there are some musicians with poor technique that go on to greatness... because, they have that "something special". We shouldn't assume, though, that WE have that "something special". [/quote]I definitely have the poor technique part, but the "something special" part? definitely not! so unfortunately, I never went on to the greatness part sadly. But on the upside, I'm quite happy with my playing, and I must be doing something right because I'm lucky enough to play with three very good musicians who make me feel great.

In 1967 I bought a s/h Burns Sonic bass for £15, this was more than THREE times my weekly wage, which was £4/10/0d (£4.50p to all you younger people). I borrowed the money from my older sister and payed her back in weekly instalments of 10/- (50P) for the next 30 weeks. Today the cost of that bass compared to how much I earned would be the equivalent of about £1400/1500 I guess, although today, £1500 would buy you a much better bass than that Burns Sonic for sure!

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1474968243' post='3141830'] I probably shouldn't have chosen that clip. He's recovering from a stroke and can be seen to be struggling at times but his technique is good enough to have made him an elite and world class bass player for the last 50 + years. [/quote]Personally I think the clip is a great demonstration in showing that whilst there will always be the "correct technique", "the correct way", "you must do it this way", etc... we are in fact all different physically, despite what people say, Chuck Rainey is using a technique that is comfortable for him, and allows him to continue playing despite recovering from a stroke, and I have to say, I really enjoyed the video, and despite his so called poor technique, I thought his playing was great. For me, I have to use a very flat technique because I have virtually no control of my thumbs due to arthritis, and I had the trapezium removed in my right thumb which has resulted in not being able to touch my little finger with me thumb, and this is not a recent thing that has hampered my technique, I have always had very little flexibility it my thumbs, and no amount of stretching exercises seemed to help. So yes, if you are lucky enough to be born with the perfect anatomy, then you can adopt all the "correct" methods, but a lot of us have to adapt to methods that suit the way we were made, even if they are not technically correct.

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1474759502' post='3140361'] Good lad for keeping it as it is. It looks like a great bass. I've turned to using a Lull PJ4 as some shoulder problems mean playing anything heavier a PITA at present. But my 70 P is staying exactly where it is, cos when I need it, I'm very glad I've got such a cool old instrument. Enjoy it bud, and good luck with the back problems too. [/quote]Thanks for the kind words, and yes, its nice to have such a great sounding/playing bass I can play sitting down at home.

We are a four-piece band that consists of a Vocalist who also plays Blues Harp, Drums, Guitar & Bass, and we play mostly old school R&B/Pub Rock. Unfortunately, our vocalist called me a fews hours before our gig last night to say he can't drive due to a problem with his eyes, so rather than cancel, our drummer took on the vocals and did a great job. This isn't the first time he has pulled out of a gig, and he is also in two other bands, so we feel we need to have a plan B in place so we can still play gigs when he is not available, or pulls out at the last minute. Our set at the moment is made up of mostly Dr Feelgood material plus a splattering of songs by The Inmates, The Pirates, Nine Below Zero etc, and we are going down quite well locally, but if we go out as a three-piece as well (maybe under a different name), we are thinking of doing something totally different, maybe material by bands such as The Who, ZZ Top, The Jam etc.. but can you suggest other bands/songs we could cover as a one-guitar band please? we would be looking for crowd pleasers rather than songs that please us. Thanks

Folks, thanks for all the sound advice, and just to reiterate, I definitely won't be getting it refinished, and as for buying another bass? I already have seven others (all precisions), and they are all really nice instruments, so I have plenty of choice. My goto bass is my new [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Maruszczyk Jake which I had made to my own specs, it's medium scale, jazz nut width, and very lightweight, which I need due to severe back and neck problems.[/font][/color]

[quote name='Greg.Bassman' timestamp='1474645374' post='3139575'] Hi everyone. This is great. Thank you all for your feedback! How similar is the nut profile to a Fender jazz? Their website says it's 38mm at the nut (a standard jazz being 38.1 I believe)- how true to form is this, does it play fast? [/quote]The nut is 38mm but because the neck is so skinny, it actually feels a lot more than 0.1mm thinner than a standard jazz neck. Yes it plays fast, but then again, it's all down to just how fast your pinkies will allow you to go.

I started with an SR500 which was very nice to play, then moved up to a SR1200 Premium which was absolutely brilliant, then I had a SR5000 Prestige which was also great, the reason I no longer have one is because a precision is more suitable for the band and music I'm involved in at the moment. IMO, despite the SR5000 being the top-of-the-range model, I think the SR1200 was the best of the bunch and I wouldn't hesitate to get another one.

Just to clarify, I love the bass and I actually brought it because of the mojo, and I certainly have no intention of selling the bass just now, I was really just curious to know whether a refinish would affect the value at all. This bass is a fantastic player and the tone is to die for, it really does sound like a vintage bass, I don't know much about it's history but it's obviously been around the block a bit, and the case is even more battered, but it does turn a few heads when I walk into a venue with it. Edit: I will be leaving it as it is.

Here is the bass in question, it has a jazz neck which I believe just a few of them had around this period, it is quite chunky but feels great, especially for me as I prefer the jazz width, but love the P tone.

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1474570463' post='3138936'] Yes. There is no rhyme or reason to the whole thing, but the market loves the original paint. [/quote]Or lack of it?

I have an all original 1971 Precision bass with the "A" neck (Jazz width) which has paint chipping off badly, it also has lots of buckle rash and chips, so it would need a lot of prep work beforehand, so if i went ahead with a refinish, would it affect the value of the bass?

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4]Don't know whether this has been done before, but following on from a suggestion by Baxter on the "[/size][/font][color=#323232][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Who on Basschat has the most expensive bass?" thread, I thought I would ask the question. [/font][/color]

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1474290077' post='3136833'] Sorry to hear of this happening mate. Sincerely hope you get it back, and they catch the scumbags who stole it... BTW. Might be helpful to other BC'ers on the lookout for it, if you could let us know what city / town / area it was stolen from? EDIT: Other BC'ers might then be able to keep an eye open in Cash Converter shops and similar places in that area.... Good luck in getting it returned [/quote]Yep, definitely need a bit more info if possible.