LukeFRC

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1344528904' post='1766074'] No one has said you have to use a certain pot value. But if the pot value alters the sound of the instrument then swapping pots like for like when one is closer to the intended value will make a difference. so swapping by pot that reads 634k for one that reads 493K will likely give an audible change. Even though they both say 500K Ergo swapping cheap pots out for better ones can alter the tone. Add in cheap sh*t wire with a higher resistance than good quality stuff and no one say that all wire has the same resistance because it hasn't. Oh and I have too much of a conscience for law [/quote] Of course half of this only matters on passive basses.....

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1344528522' post='1766059'] Wow and even at that price still no mention of how special the tone is. [/quote] mate. if you have to ask you obviously don't *know* do you. tut tut

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1344528036' post='1766040'] The reason we use 250k or 500k pots is because those are the pots which are readily available that are "close enough" for the job. It would be a scary universe indeed if guitars ONLY worked with these exact value pots. It could be that your specific bass would sound best with a 315k pot but try finding a decent supply of them. A quality pot will have a better chance of being closer to it's intended rating that says a cheaper job with a wider tolerance would, although it would be very foolish indeed to write off all cheap ones as not being be accurate as with modern production techniques this gap is closing, but even if a cheap one is as improbably far out as 25% it could still be in an acceptable range for your instrument. Just because it's traditional to use a 250k it doesn't mean that you need 0-250 per se. [/quote] my Yamaha SG uses 300k for the tone pots.... Warwick told me I need a 220k MN blend pot.... (into a 500k vol) really there going to be much difference between 220k and 250k?

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1344523695' post='1765938'] You've tried cts pots in your Warwick? [/quote] no. the MEC ones are diddy, and green and therefore better! look at these... if we buy more than 4 we get a discount! http://www.banzaimusic.com/Alessandro-SS-250k-log-Guitar-Pot.html

Guys dont want to excite anyone, but my warwick's pots cost 3 times a cts pot and sound 3 times as good.

Warning: I can't spell. The capacatance value of pots is small enough to ignore right?

[quote name='RichZbaraski' timestamp='1344511539' post='1765622'] No, but that is a very similar bass! This one is a very dark finish. I remember seeing that one on the bay. Hmmmm, my instinct says no. So perhaps i'll leave it! [/quote] but the early fenders were supposed to be good. For doing up to sell it'd not worth it maybe, but as a good bass to... you know, play... maybe? Let me put it this way, if it were my family I would be going around for a play and possibly getting a great bass.

[quote name='RichZbaraski' timestamp='1344464499' post='1765145'] So, I may have the opportunity to buy a 1963 Fender Jazz bass for £800! Crazy right?! Reason is, is that it really needs a refinish and the markings on the neck have been sanded off swell as the logo (ugly red varnish refinish) though the markings are still on the neck plate and majority of the hardware is original. My question is, refinished in OLY white with a matching headstock, how much do think this will be worth? I've seen a unoriginal refinished 63 jazz bass go for around £2,750 but I can't be sure Sorry if this is violating any rules! rich [/quote] sorry for being an idiot... but why does it matter what it will be worth? You will never be able to prove more than hearsay what it is or isn't- it may be a fender- it may not be. So that given- what matters is what the thing is like to play, is it a amazing bass? is it worth 800 or more even now? If it is then why not get it and get something special at a good price. But it would be fraudulent to buy, refinish and sell as an original and you don't have a clue- so the question is- if I got this, and refinished it would Bass + refinish < sale price if I wanted to move it on? For info there was a jazz that a guy sold on here last year that he sold as a bitsa with possibly some old fender parts on it. Dead honest, and it looked like it possibly was real old parts- but again couldn't prove more than he had a good jazz bass. I think it went for £550 or so

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1344463698' post='1765126'] Very true. Why spend £150 on a set of Lindy Fralins when you could have a secondhand set of pickups from an Squier affinity for £15. If subtle upgrades to the quality of a pickup's component parts can make a big difference to their sound quality, why can't the same improvement be found when you upgrade your electronics? After all a pickup is just wire and some magnets. [/quote] because there are many different variables in the construction of that pickup that affect it's working. A pot is a variable resistor, and while one can be smoother in it's sweep, something giving 250k ohm resistance should sound the same as something else giving 250k ohm resistance.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1344460571' post='1765052'] No that's slightly facetious. But continuing the analogy, when we are speaking about the musical response of pots you might as well be saying to your tyre guy "don't get the air for your tyres here, it's free. The garage round the corner charges 20p air... it's bound to be better". [/quote] Not wanting to knock the stuff KiOgon does.... given how soldering iron resistant a lot of folk are on here... I can believe a well made set of components could be better than an idiot made set..... I am more intreaged by all the "CTS pots changed my tone" thing... would be fascinating to actually test... I guess there could be intolerances to the pot track? or something inducing additional capacitance?

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1344436625' post='1764465'] Sorry but I have to disagree for the very reasons that you think that they are great! I agree with all of the statements that a Wal can sound great BUT having owned one many years ago (and having one in the house now on loan), I have to say that they infuriate me with their ability to allow 'me' to screw the tone up! I found that when I owned mine that if I gave it just a bit of a tweak mid song/gig it had the potential to start to sound pants and I'd then spend the rest of the gig trying to get back what I wanted... not my idea of fun. Not saying that they aren't great basses, I have liked the neck of everyone that I have tried but I find them generally a bit too heavy and those tone circuits are just not for me. [/quote] so not like P basses then?

is there a mute button?

http://youtu.be/nxJtW2qOKkA

[quote name='davehux' timestamp='1344170078' post='1760630'] I had a sniper bid ready to go on this item, and he obviously panicked and pulled it just before the end. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170889897925#ht_2030wt_922 Now relisted with a reserve. Might bid, might just tell him to poke it Grrrrrrrrrrrrr I hate that!!! [/quote] its been on sale on here for a while. Er why not pm the seller on here and make an offer that way. He's a good guy. I don't really think he's a b@stard for pulling a sale. Esp given the nature of the item.

much cheaper one on gumtree

and how much money have you spent on basses since you started out before you realised that "your" sound was a P bass?

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1344176762' post='1760710'] You mean pinned? If so, then can I suggest we entitle the thread "Mahogany". If that's a touch obscure, then perhaps "Zero fret". Or we could just have a poll to decide the title, there are bound to be so many others with favourite phrases mined from his listings. [/quote] seriously I don't think it would need to be pinned to be near the top

do you think we should just have one thread for this fella?

I read that on talk bass the other day

[quote name='Stephen Houghton' timestamp='1344103886' post='1759904'] Gotta be worth more than that, Maya yes but not El Maya surely? You cant get these anymore! Still plays better than fender precision [/quote] You can't get small pox anymore either. I'm just going by the prices I've seen over the last few years. Bassassin isn't around at the moment but theres one or two more folk with a bit more knowledge. Maya/el maya you need to find someone who knows enough about japcrap to know the difference between the Rokkoman brands- but not someone who knows enough that they will just sit on ebay picking up japcrap bargins at around the £100 mark.... now given a USA fender is going down to about £500 secondhand... and you can buy a second hand JV squier for £450 (not collectors, but with up grade pickups and new fretless ebony board) and the last Squier SQ P bass went for £350 ish... all of which to the general player as a brand are more desirable.... I don't quite know how much you would be expecting to get for this? I have picked up similar quality japcrap, and of far more desirable brands for under £100

notice the top cutaway on the guitar too? my guess.... until big red x comes and tells us.... first act

search in the "japcrap" thread- a couple of el maya's popped up in there. My guess £50-200 range