Grangur

Without doubt your best route is second hand. I've been watching Squiers on Ebay this week. You may be lucky to get a jazz for your money, but it's a great time to buy a p-bass. They're all going for less than 100. The cheapest being those for collection only. Then get a BCer to collect it and ship it to you.

Thankfully my problem isn't so much CTS as an ache down the side of my hand below the little finger from over stretching. It'll be ok in a day or two. I just need to rest it and work on pivoting the thumb. Thanks for everyone's input.

Ordered. [size=4]It looks like it's a good book for many other things too. [/size] [size=4]Many thanks Simon.[/size] Rich

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1389715243' post='2337150'] Flying fingers is a sure sign of tension Read. "Serious electric bass" for exercises [/quote] You know me so well!! You mean [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Serious-Electric-Bass-Complete-Contemporary/dp/1576238830/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AHRB2OK2Q2YCL"]this[/url] book, Simon?

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1389706171' post='2337043'] So the course starts today. Who actually signed up for it? [/quote] I did. Don't know how well I'll do, but nothing ventured....

The resistance on a pot can be logarithmic, rather than linear. On the pots you have 3 terminals. Try changing the connections by swapping the 2 end ones over. It may mean that the knob may work the opposite way to that which logic would tell you, but it might sort the problem.

Sitting here reading this with the little finger of my left hand aching from practice yesterday, I have to say there are some really good posts here in this old thread. I've had 2 teachers, each in their 20-30s telling me, a 54 year old, I need to use 1 finger per fret even on the bottom 5 frets. I say, yes this is something to work towards, but not a big issue. Last night I just over-did it. Reading this it's good to have the confirmation that I've been right all along; do what you can. If you CAN easily stretch to cover F-A on the E string then I salute you, but doing it with a small movement in the left hand is not the end of the world. Thanks guys.

I have some here going spare. They are slightly smaller than the full-scale Fender heads. They're from a Squier. They're not perfect, and I don't have the mounting screws, but you can buy them on ebay. Make me an offer

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1389638438' post='2336438'] There's got to be a trading standards issue there if the website still says they're all made in Italy? [/quote] I think you have a point if you make the Trading Standards claim over the weight, rather than the place of origin. Their website still says 15Kg - [url="http://www.markbass.it/product_detail.php?id=37"]http://www.markbass.it/product_detail.php?id=37[/url] I'd me miffed to say the least.

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1389629949' post='2336300'] That's an impressive job you've done there Rich. Be interesting to hear what it sounds like. I know, none of us are ever happy. Looks great. [/quote] Many thanks Graham. I'm busy practising for now. Once I get my fingers going again I'll post a soundcloud link. The problem with building basses is it takes your time that should be used for practice. (See the note to self in my sig - it should incude bass-building too.) [quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1389643545' post='2336524'] Looks great! Good job! Personally I think I'd re-shape the lower horn to be a bit more traditional but yeah, looks lovely! The ferrules are a nice touch that I don't think many people would have thought of; nice touch. Truckstop [/quote] Thanks Truckstop. Actually I like the strange bottom "horn". It makes a good carry handle if nothing else and it curves well for playing when sitting down. Thanks to everyone else for you kind comments too. Rich

Seeing the above, here's another fretless beaut, that may not be to everyone's taste: I've just done it up as a refin and done a build diary, if anyone's interested its [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/225195-wishbass-refinrebuild/page__st__30"]here[/url] The body is poplar with "go faster stripes" in purpleheart. The bridge and nut are new and made of ebony.

Hi again guys, I've been working on the bass again after some trauma on the home-front. Mrs G's Dad died, so we got held up a bit. Hey, ho, on we go... So I kept sanding, finishing off with 320 grit paper, and eventually I applied Lemon Oil all over the bass. It got about 4 coats of oil. Then 2 coats of bees wax. It now feels really smooth even if there are one or 2 marks. The marks used to bug me initially, but if I were to sand forever I don't think they'd go all together. Things like the marks where it had been fitted with a pup cover will always be there. There are a few checks in the wood. None are catchy, but they wont get worse now, but I came to the conclusion that it's all part of the character of the piece. You'll recall the original bridge and nut were like lumps of grey concrete. Well I went and bought a piece of ebony and cut out 2 pieces and got to work shaping them. Using the old stone bridge, the intonation of the strings was set by placing the bridge under the strings at a jaunty angle. I was going to do this again, simply shaping the top of the ebony in the same way as before, just with a bit more style (I hope). That was until on another thread here I saw a Letts bass for sale and noticed an ingenious twist in the top of the bridge. Using the twist the bridge could stay almost straight on the bass. The twist in the top meant that the line gave the angle for the intonation. So I got to work, first with a Stanley blade, then a Dremel 3000, (Newly acquired, thanks to the lovely Mrs G) Using a small sanding drum attachment on the Dremel I shaped it after drawing a pencil line on the top of the wood from one corner to the other. Finishing it off by hand with fine paper I got it to a smooth finish. The slots in the old bridge, for the string spacing were vaguely 20mm apart. I did the new ones 19mm apart and started off with small needle files. Carefully I filed to try to get the spacings just right for the strings. I took ages, getting nowhere fast. I moved on to sandpaper, wrapped round a hacksaw blade.... slowly it went on. [size=4]I took a break and went on to the nut. Again I measured the spacings. 12mm in this case. I started again with needle files, bought Ebony especially for this project... Ebony is a hard wood this calls for tough measures.[/size] Out came the Dremel again. This time with a sanding blade and I cut the slots in no time. I can't say hand on heart that the depth is 0.0000anything, but this depth can be fine-tuned later. Finally putting the bass together, the twist in the wood does a fine job of the intonation and it feels better than I expected in the playing. It's actually straighter than it looks in these pics, I think. Or maybe I'll go check that in a few minutes. Those with good eyesight will see I've gone for putting a barrel jack in the side. I saw somewhere that someone had stood on a lead in a Wishbass and the jack had ripped the front-face out. Wanting to avoid this I thought the barrel jack was a good route. So I added a tone pot to fill the hole on the front. The drill I used for the jack hole in the side is a neat piece of kit. It is a [url="http://www.screwfix.com/p/disston-multi-angle-drill-bit-12mm/32343"]multi-directional drill bit[/url]. So it also works as a router for the course routing of the inside to get the elects compartment bigger for access to the jack securing on the inside. I finished this off using a Dremel 565. Which was recommended to me by our own Hamfist. Ferules added to the rear. If anyone's still reading, many thanks and I hope some of this may be useful to someone. On a closing note... the neck has no truss rod. When putting a straight-edge against the neck to check the relief with no strings. The neck has a slight hump. When the strings are attached, the relief is about 1.5mm. It's more than I would choose, but the mwaa is fine and it plays well. The action is good, and playing up the neck a short way is like having a ramp installed. Yep, it's a keeper I recon.

Jimmy Lloyd Rea was the bass player for Johnny Lee Hooker and is in the Blues Hall of Fame. He lost the use of his legs as a youngster he did tell me once in an email, but I can't find it now. In any case he seems to play with the bass resting just above his knee, some way from his body, but this could be due to his other bulk - a problem which I hope you wont have.

Ask Jimmy Lloyd Rea... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91YxOSLaZhE

Wishbass don't have truss rods. They have 2 lines of Purpleheart wood in the neck. The necks are also slightly on the thick side. Mine has a slight bow backwards when no strings are fitted. With the strings fitted it has about 1mm relief. So the relief is a bit more than I would set it up for. But the mwaaa is fine.

Hi Hamfist, I actually saw in another thread, that you'd bought these, and following your admirable example, I bought the same. In my first attempts I used the Dremel 565 and some of the bits. Strangely I missed out using the 561. I'll give that one a try. Going off-topic for a second; for drilling for a barrel jack, I bought a multi-angle drill bit: [url="http://www.screwfix.com/p/disston-multi-angle-drill-bit-12mm/32343"]http://www.screwfix.com/p/disston-multi-angle-drill-bit-12mm/32343[/url] [size=4]This is a good piece of kit too. [/size]

Hi All, The good Mrs G has treated me to a Dremel 3000. It's helping me on my refin I'm working on. I've used it for sanding and cutting, but I need to do some small routing jobs. I'm looking to buy some routing bits but I'm not sure what kits to buy. You seem to get a better deal if you go for some of the bigger sets. What are other people's experiences? What sets tools are good, or to be avoided? Thanks in advance for feedback here. Cheers Rich

Great job. That looks really cool. Well done!

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1389364221' post='2333370'] Providing the neck pockets measure up the same and the necks are the same scale length and the bolt holes line up I don't see a problem best get ya little ruler out [/quote] ....and your business cards and scissors.

I went and bought a 3/4 sized on ebay. Went to collect it and it's in nice condition with a case etc. I also got talked into taking the 1/2 sized one they had too; case with that as well. So now I have a 23" and a 21". Problem... Mrs G likes them as guitars and wants to play them!! See Maude!!! Just look at what you've done now!!

On a good day I play actual tunes. Yes, I'm sorry, not bass-lines particularly. I read and play music scores. It started with me wanting to learn to read the tuition books without simply following tabs, and went on from there. I've only been playing 3 years, so I'm not good enough yet to be in a band... er well.. maybe. On a not so good day, (from a playing perspective) I take basses apart and build them and play about with the elects to learn more about the sounds they change. On a bad day I "do a Milty".

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1389292290' post='2332513'] Sorry, I'm a bit confused. How did you fit the strings through the bridge? [/quote]Have you bought an instrument to convert then Myke? What I'm thinking of doing is drill in through the thicker bridge wood and pass in the strings and knot then inside.

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1389290509' post='2332483'] Complete bodge. Hard to believe someone actually let that out of the shop as a 'fix'. If it's not a rude question, how much did they charge you for this 'enhancement'? Get yourself a new scratchplate and transfer the electronics from the old scratchplate to the new one. It'll take you 30 mins and you'll do a far better job than that. [/quote].... But PLEASE don't buy it from the same shop! Is the original problem fixed?