JimBobTTD

Very nice indeed. That Jazz is the sex.

Right... I have decided to keep the scratchplate. I can live with a couple of mm either side - it will add character. This is, after all, not a machine-made bass. Since my last update, I have shielded the pickup cavities and marked out where to drill for the tuners. The new set of pickups arrived along with the new output jack plate. The biggest thing was reversing the tuner post on the 5th tuner. This was NOT an easy task. I stripped the screw on all 5 tuners. I was stuck. I had a 1/8" allen key which fit, but the screws had been monster tightened and my key was just twirling round in the hole and stripping it. Finally, I gave up. What was the worst that could happen? I chucked one in the freezer in the hope that the metal would contract a little bit. It worked - I then used a set of pliers to grab the screw and loosen it. Amazingly, the plastic washer survived and I was able to unscrew the rest using the allen key. I had done a search and a Talkbass thread came up with a chap with the same problem. He had been sent an allen key by Hipshot and said it was a 3/32" key. This may have been the case, but my 3/32" key was far too big. It needed a 1/8" key. Note that metric keys do not work as they are either too small or too large.

I use an [url="http://www.dv247.com/cases/skb-1-skb-sc44-rectangular-bass-soft-case--42261"]SKB hardbag thing[/url] and it utterly rocks. The portability of a gig bag with a good dose of the protection of a hard case.

Curiosity has had the better of me. Where is the shop going to be? I couldn't see on the website (which is full of nice toys).

[quote name='RhysP' post='1272865' date='Jun 17 2011, 04:52 PM']They should employ somebody with "Putting a decent magazine together" experience while they're at it.[/quote] True, though.

I think Ken Smith has come off as a decent chap who may be a little hot-headed at times but cares enough about his instruments to come on here and try to set matters straight. Not a w***er at all; or no more than the rest of us. Ken - if you are ever in my neck of the woods, you are welcome to stop by for a cup of tea.

Oh helloooooooooo....

Sold a pair of EMGs to Gizmo - nice and smooth transaction and a great fellow bassist. Thanks!

I would leave it alone in honour of a man you never met.

I sold smartbomb a bridge and some pickups - no problems at all and an all-round good guy. Thanks!

I'll gladly take you up on the offer, though!

[quote name='Mornats' post='1260351' date='Jun 7 2011, 10:50 PM']I wrote that first reply on my iphone but I'm on my PC now so can say a bit more If you go with Komplete, try and get Komplete 7 Elements rather than Komplete Elements. The "7" version has a LOT more sounds include the best of Absynth which is a great collection of atmospheric sounds. Decks.co.uk are selling it at £40 (it used to retail at £80 ish) and it's a much better pack than the newer "non-7" version. Plus you get a €50 voucher to spend in the Native Instruments online store (I used it as part payment towards Session Strings, a pretty good orchestra plugin which costs €100). Actually now that I think about it, they do a free version of Komplete so you can try it out: grab the Kontakt 4 player (and the others too whilst you're at it) from here [url="http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/?category=1339"]http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/pro.../?category=1339[/url]. [...][/quote] Thanks! I have downloaded Kontakt from NI via the link you gave and have installed it inside Cakewalk. I have had a fiddle with the on-screen keyboard and it seems pretty much exactly what I was looking for! I shall have a look for the M-Audio keyboard you recommended and get cracking. Thanks for the tip! [quote name='Prosebass' post='1260369' date='Jun 7 2011, 11:01 PM']If you are not used to using midi and are not competent with a keyboard I would suggest using samples and loops. [...][/quote] Thanks, but I want to learn and become competent. I have been using drum loops up until now and shall continue. Samples are all well and good, but they do not offer me the creative option of changing them.

If you get some and have enough left over, I'd like some too!

Hello I am feeling very creative right now and am on a musical journey. I would like to add some extra sounds to my recordings, such as strings, atmospheric noises etc. I suspect that the best way to do this is with a keyboard and a synth module, but I have no idea. Here is my set-up: Line6 Toneport ux2 to PC with Sonar Cakewalk. I hear that the Toneport does not have MIDI in. What I would really like is to buy a keyboard, hook it up to a 1u rack thingie which is then linked to my computer via the Toneport, which has XLR and 1/4" inputs. I have no major problems with using plug-ins, but this is really foreign territory for me. Is this possible? How? Any idea for gear? Pref cheap, as I cannot play piano at all and this doesn't need to be all that flash. Thanks!

[quote name='gjones' post='1258943' date='Jun 6 2011, 10:14 PM']I agree with all of the above and it also looks disgusting. Unless you're getting it for a tenner don't bother, buy a nice new one made in China.[/quote] Exactly! I might not know my Fenders well enough to tell whether it is a fake or not, but I know my basses well enough to tell that that it is a foul-looking neck in terrible condition. I have just received an excellent bass neck from Warmoth - try them!

I used to have a Jazz Bass Special - it was great. It also had a thin neck with clear lacquer on rather than painted. It is my understanding (based on stuff I read on the internet years back) that the original Japanese basses came in two models - one with a thin Jazz neck and one with a slightly chunkier P-style neck, the latter of which Duff preferred. It thus makes sense that his signature bass has the larger neck.

I use Ibanez Soundgear basses exclusively (although my Jazz project is nearing completion!). I have the older ones which were made so incredibly well; my main is a mid-90s SR1205 which I love to bits. I put EMGs in there and an EMG preamp too. I use it in my metal band, but I also use it in my rock/pop covers band. We play stuff like Deep Purple, Kiss, The Darkness and even Brian Adams. I have no problems with it at all. It doesn't do the passive Fender sound, but it does a great rock sound and isn't too bad at blues either.

This is about a 5mm gap. The angle on the scratchplate is too much. I'll scan it in tomorrow and/or take a photo or two. The gap is quite huge.

But the real joy was finding that the Hipshot tuners fit in the neck without needing to widen the holes. JOY!!!

Updates: The body and neck arrived yesterday. I have had a quick fiddle with stuff. There have been disappointments but also plenty of joy. First, the joy. In photos. The body: The neck: Battery box and ferrules installed: Shielding in place under bridge and a wire to the control cavity (which was soldered to the copper tape): Bridge on: Arty shot: That's all for today. The disappointments: Pickups do not fit. I don't know how, but I managed to get the wrong set! Scratchplate has a mighty big gap by the control plate. I'll contact Warmoth and see if they will still honour its return. Hipshot tuner - I don't have the right size Allen key to change the tuner from right to left handed. Output jack plate - I think I want a football one rather than the square plate.

The body and neck have been sent and have now cleared customs - I should have them with me on Monday or Tuesday. The guy who finished the body sent me a photo, apologising for the picture quality: