Grangur

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1473956988' post='3134533'] Interesting discussion. I went with the comedy answer but otherwise it's "no" - with a caveat. I wouldn't pay over the odds for an instrument with a "history" for myself, whoever had owned it. However I certainly would if I was pretty sure I could sell it on for a significant profit myself. [/quote] [s]A man after my own heart[/s] That's a disgustingly outrageous outlook! How DARE you!?!? Isn't this provenance thing all very dangerous in the long term? A bass owned and played by Xxxxxx Player, might be worth a bit now, but unless his/her name endures in music history, the value will drop rather than rise, surely?

Maybe a good question would be "how much extra would you pay for provenance that a bass was previously owned and played by.....(Insert name of your favourite bassist here). ? I once saw an ex Mark King Status, being sold by Mark King for charity, go on ebay for £5,000. I hope the new owner was really happy. I wouldn't have paid it.

[quote name='margusalviste' timestamp='1473889452' post='3133983'] Depends on your taste, of course! I personally tried Dimarzios vs Fender Custom Shop vs SD Antiquity II vs Lollar and sold Dimarzios. The other pickups found places on my different jazz basses. [/quote] Interesting. What didn't you like about the Dimarzio sound over the others?

[quote name='obbm' timestamp='1473876521' post='3133811'] They appear to be small gauge, full length and are tuned up an octave. The ones I've cut down are 40-100 and tuned normally. [/quote] Yes, but if the tuning heads have small spindles aren't they small for the full width of the 100 string? I guess that's down to trial and error.

Piccolo strings?

[quote name='dyerseve' timestamp='1473803996' post='3133335'] Well I just managed to pickup a second-hand pair of dimarzios from eBay for £50 so will give them a try. If it doesn't work out or show potential for other pups I may just move the bass on. [/quote] Bingo!! I've got some in an Ibanez, They're really good IMHO. If you still don't like the bass, PM me, please!

I too had a good experience when dealing with Ovi. He bought a pickguard from me. He paid nice and quick, while I was still away on holiday and was happy to wait until I got back for me to post the item. Many thanks Ovi.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1473857361' post='3133598'] Minute differences can be heard in the best studios and by those with good ears. On a stage? Not so much. I would guess most of those differences wouldn't be relevant to any of us here. [/quote] You probably have hit the most important point here. At low volume, with no effects. I hear a difference between basses with different necks, but with the same strings, setup & pups. In a band situation, in the mix - I would hear no difference.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1473787193' post='3133149'] .....except..the tone is all in the fingers. [/quote] Ahh. you do have a point there. So, maybe I should clarify the point here that I did use the same fingers on all basses in this test. [quote name='skej21' timestamp='1473787852' post='3133155'] I'm not saying all of the tone of the instrument is determined by the pickup. Clearly, woods, construction etc make a huge difference be instrument acoustically but surely that all becomes redundant once you use the pickups? Prime example, if you have a jazz and solo the bridge you wouldn't retain the low end response and resonance that the wood type brings to the acoustic tone. It would be manipulated by the voicing of the pickup (if it transferred into the pickup in the first place) surely? [/quote] Agreed, so if the wood has some bearing, how does this come to happen if not in the vibration of the wood as a holder of the pups/strings/bridge/tuners ? If the extent of this vibration is determined by the density/rigidity of the wood, then surely the thickness of the wood will affect the amount of rigidity? I guess it's also this rigidity that some folk are talking about when they comment that a certain bridge increases the sustain. (Putting aside the possibility that the new bridge could simply be screwed tighter to the body than the old one was.)

If the tone of a bass is simply determined by strings vibrating in the magnetic flux of a pickup; and that's it. Nothing more to it... Then why buy anything better than a Harley Benton PB50? Surely nothing there's nothing more to add to a Harley B, to make it as good as a Wal or All-singing-Fender is a good setup and better pups and tuners?

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1473770600' post='3132946'] I don't, but recently swapped out the CS bridge..which seems like the AM Deluxe bridge for a Hipshot. Straight swap if you get the retro fit specifically for the Fender market and 3 times the bridge. Heavier, milled, more accurate, string thru and top loading. It pretty much sums up how lazy or worse, Fender can be...when they persist in using their own design. IMO [/quote] How DARE you!!! Are you implying Leo didn't get it all 100,000% correct !?!?!?! The Fender Police Dept will be along in a mo'

Yes from me. I've had a few P-bass style basses with real chunky necks and consistently deep tone. I've also had similar basses with thin necks with consistently less depth bass tone. Also, we talk about the "sound of tone wood", and the resonance of the body wood... if there is any truth in that at all, surely the neck being longer, thinner and more bendable, it has to resonate more than a body, doesn't it? If not, why don't we need a truss-rod in the body too?

I just received a set of Gotoh tuners from Chris. He's new to Basschat and a really good guy. He sent them to me in return to a donation to a charity run he's doing in benefit for Samaritans. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Chris-Kowalski1 Chris is a really good guy to have as a new member of BC.. Many thanks Chris. Cheers Richard

Just bought some piccolo strings from Cliff. Nice easy transaction. They've just arrived and I'm looking forward to giving them a go later. Many thanks Cliff

[quote name='olliedf89' timestamp='1473682070' post='3132176'] Aye, a quick look around suggests people like these bridges! Though I'm not sure what BBOT stands for, but seems to yield the right results. I like the Gotoh that Lozz suggested so far, it's giving me confidence just looking at it, only £40ish on Amazon, too. So I've looked at the size of the 201B4, (http://g-gotoh.com/international/product/201b-4.html), which look almost the same as my current bridge... I'm a bit unsure that I'm going to order it and it won't fit though.... Can I make it fit or are all 5 screw /4 string bridges the same? [/quote] BBOT = Bent Bit Of Tin

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1473662176' post='3131964'] I'm 100% with you on the first point. My old Precision went through various wiring configurations, one time the pickup was just wired into the volume pot, on another straight into the jack socket. On point #2, concur. What is all this turning down malarkey about? Are we not men? Heh. [/quote] IMHO the benefit in turning down is simply having the option to turn up later without going to the amp. Unless, of course you're playing through a sound desk.

Other than going for the branded bridges, Northwest Guitars do some great bridges for little money. http://www.northwestguitars.co.uk/bass-bridges/

I've been to a number of bases. From my experience, the security for entry differs from base to base but has said before; photo ID is needed and getting in takes time. Also, don't be surprised if each base has more than one resident band among the squaddies already.

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1473517008' post='3130938'] I like your thinking, now if I could just get her to drive me around the M25, all would be good [/quote] PMed. I'm from Gary's neck of the woods.

[quote name='blank20' timestamp='1473443712' post='3130355'] I can recommend You this set https://gb.muzyczny.pl/161453_Martin-D9705L-bass-guitar-strings-45125.html But if You need strings that last longer, try Elixir nanoweb http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BaNM [/quote] +1 on the Elixirs. I use them all the time. They cost more than most. But last me well over a year.

I've bought a good few basses for around £50 of less and they've been good. Some have needed some work on them, such as setting up, but they're put there. I anyone who's starting out reads this and wants to know more I'd happily help you get a deal like this. I can't promise it will be within a week, but it wouldn't be long to wait before you're playing.

This will be great. I'm following!

Is this the same questionnaire as the last one?