JimBobTTD

That's lovely. I'd leave it as it is - non-vintage scratchplate and all. It may look better with a cream 'plate further down the line, though.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='269013' date='Aug 24 2008, 07:51 PM'][...] Whatever it is it looks like a wood/factory fault rather than a knock/abuse by the owner, especially in light of someone else having the same fault.[/quote] Indeedy. It looks like the kind of thing that happens when you put a screw in a hole which is too small for it. Sometimes you get away with it, other times it splits the wood. (I don't think I have ever unintentionally written anything more loaded with double entendre!) Best of luck getting that fixed. Hopefully you can get it done on warranty. As stated above, some glues are stronger than wood, so it is not a huge problem.

Changing the volumes to a master and a blend doesn't seem like too challenging a job. You could probably pull it off yourself, but if you would rather give it to a tech, you shouldn't be charged too much for it.

Search the internet and do it yourself. It isn't that hard - I'm sure there is plenty of info in the tech forum here. You'll feel better for it, too.

200,000 readers don't mind!

Some hex-cellent tips here - thanks! Steve_K - I may have to take you up on that offer!

[quote name='bassmanady' post='268569' date='Aug 23 2008, 08:15 PM']I had the same problem,and usually allen keys are hardened,and a hack saw wont cut it very easily..i have a bench grinder and used that to grind it to the perfect length...[/quote] Oh dear...that's the kind of thing I really want to know, but really do not want to hear! I had a hunch, though. They are pretty hardy things, but unfortunately I do not have a grinder. Any suggestions on how else to shorten the key? I'm starting to think that this is the only logical way forward.

That's plan B. Assuming these keys are available, I'm sure they would be cheaper than buying a clamp to hold my current key to my workbench!

The title pretty much sums it all up. I'm returning an old Burny to the ranks of the playable and I need to give the neck some relief. I have a 5mm allen key (among others) which looks like it will fit, but the channel in the headstock is laughingly small - 2cm from truss rod nut to solid wood. Hence, my allen keys will simply not fit in the hole, so I can't adjust the rod. So...I've trawled eBay and I can't see any which look like they fit the bill. I don't have any shops locally I can use. Do any of you know where I can get an allen key with a short "L" bit? I really don't want to hack out any wood from the headstock, even if it could prove practical further down the line. Thanks in advance for any help! If any of you happen to have anything (4-5mm) which would work hanging around, I'll gladly take them off your hands! Any other ideas how I can get at this rod?

[quote name='Matty' post='266996' date='Aug 21 2008, 01:26 PM']Mike Portnoy?!? [/quote] (Quick check to see what that means...oh, it's a person) No, it's me!

[quote name='Wooks' post='266421' date='Aug 20 2008, 05:36 PM'][...] Plus you forgot that your hair has slipped down your face too [/quote] Oh sweet Jesus...that IS funny! Here's one of me taken in early 2006 (I still look the same). I'm standing on the sea.

Guitar Buyer is a UK publication which deals with gear and not much else. Recently they have interviews too, but they are few and far between and the focus is on gear (mostly guitar - precious little bass). It's a great magazine - I've been looking for a similar bass version. No link - I don't think they have a website. They are an MB Media mag, if that helps.

[quote name='sixshooter' post='264695' date='Aug 18 2008, 05:27 PM']Now for something completly different! Went into langley guitar centre last week for the first time! what great service. The owner made me a cup of coffee and I tried out a number of guitars and basses including some interesting 70's fenders! This shop has been going for a long time and I had never been there before even though I work about 5 miles away! It may be just down to the fact that I am on the older side and had me suit on, but there was no pressure to buy, and I will be going back there even if they are slightly more expensive than the good old interweb! It was service just like it used to be when I were a lad...... [url="http://www.langleyguitarcentre.co.uk"]Langley Guitar Centre[/url][/quote] Oh, that place is excellent. They had a Marshall 9001 guitar preamp and an effect unit (together) in there which I was after. It was just before Christmas 2006 and I was visiting my parents. I made the trip out there to get the preamp and they treated me like royalty, even though I was a bit scruffy and unshaven. They threw in the 4u Stagg rack case thingie the units were in, and when I asked if they could sort it out VAT free (I have an EU company), they said that it seemed like a little too much like hard work for them and instead knocked a tenner off the price, which I was not negotiating. Pure class!!! I was offered a beverage too, but turned it down for urination/long journey reasons. I won't forget the journey back carrying a 4u case with two units in (one very heavy) either...the walk to the station seemed a lot longer on the way back!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is pretty much "Guitar Buyer" for bass, right?

[quote name='bnt' post='264119' date='Aug 17 2008, 08:42 PM']If I was a moderator, I might be offended by the original post: it implies that they aren't running this forum properly, don't think about this kind of thing, and need someone else to come along and [b]SHOUT ORDERS AT THEM[/b]. [/quote] Indeed. I'm an admin on another site and I can confirm that users "kindly pointing things out" is somewhat irritating, mostly because someone has to reply to said user AND deal with the problem at hand, thus doubling the workload. It also calls into question our alertness and judgement. In short,

I just bought one of the bridges in Nick's link above. If you look around on Ebay, you can get them for £10.99. I got mine from twin--cam in black. He has one in gold listed [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOP-QUALITY-4-SADDLE-GOLD-BASS-BRIDGE-BRAND-NEW_W0QQitemZ330258317076QQihZ014QQcategoryZ42455QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]here[/url]. I'm sure if you ask him he can dig one out in chrome or black.

Interesting replies, thanks for the info.

Hello What are the advantages of 18v over 9v? I'm going to put a pair of EMGs in a project bass, and EMG suggest using 18v. Not a problem - I'm going to cut a hole for one battery, so it's not much harder to do it for two, and I know how to wire them up to give 18v. Some questions, though: a) Why bother? "More headroom" is a little too abstract for me. What effect does this have on the sound? Does it sound "better"? b) If both batteries are dead, and I only have one spare, will it still work on just one? c) Anything else to add? Ta much in advance!

Were you once a subscriber? They could be trying to woo former subscribers back with a free issue. I hope so - I am thinking about giving them another go.

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='253663' date='Aug 3 2008, 12:20 PM']I think that apart from a few unusual brands, vintage or rare basses, most basses prices are dropping at the moment. [...][/quote] Correct! I scored an Ibanez SRX500 in very good condition AND with a hard case for £102 the other day.

I have had dealings with that seller (who has about a dozen accounts on ebay - check the business name and address). Everything will be absolutely fine unless something goes wrong, and then you will get stiffed. You won't find the price so reasonable then! My case: bought a cheap neck-through bass. Noticed on first play that some of the frets had been installed in the wrong place, some as much as 3mm from where they should be. They would not take it back, would not send a different one, would not refund my cash. I couldn't help but notice that their English worsened at the same rate the problem did. My tip? Avoid, unless you have money to burn.

Thanks for the concern, mate! I've been tinkering with guitars for a while, so getting a bridge on it is no problem. I'll choose something chunky, throw in two EMG P pickups...a couple of 9v batteries and have myself a [size=4]METAL MONSTER[/size]!!! (Assuming that the seller gets back to me about the weight and it is no more than 9lb or so.)

warwickhunt - I thought that it was 12lb excluding too. The seller's first response was unclear: "This is a 12lb weight in package without case". But now I know better! Thanks too for your calculations. I'm starting to think that it will be fine. The only worry is that pickups, electronics, 9v battery and bridge will start to add up to a heavy bass...not to mention the fact that the seller is seemingly reluctant to reveal the true weight of the bass.