Grangur

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?

Assuming the PG wasn't broken before you took it in. Take it back and tell him you hated it on first sight, but took a cooling-off period and on reconsideration you still hate it. So, please put it right. In any case it's not right him drilling a hole without asking.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1389260757' post='2331937'] Yes, and i still think a lot of it is to do with fashion. As i said we live in very conservative times. Very few people want to be different. In music nearly every popular artist plays it safe nowadays so what has become a traditional rock instrument fits in perfectly. People also now buy with a view that they will be selling on in the future so want something that will not lose money and hopefully actually make money. This wasn't the case in the 60s and 70s where the Fender Jazz Bass you bought new in the mid 60s would (after a few knocks and dings from gigging) be worth about half that when you part exchanged it for a new one (everyone wanted brand new shiny basses then) in the 70s. What is Road Worn today meant tatty unloved and unwanted then. [/quote] Has this really changed? Other than pre 1970/80s instruments find me a bass that's selling for more now 2nd hand than you'd pay for a new one? Ok, maybe there's a few "exclusive" or limited edition exceptions, but not for a run of the mill bass.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1389271736' post='2332137'] Good example! Except that the problem is new jeans look crap, whereas a new bass looks lovely! [/quote] Isn't it a matter of the bass (or jeans) needs to fit your image? [quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1389273961' post='2332176'] I think Sandberg do a good job but I was at a wedding once & the bassman in the band that were playing was using an aged california whilst wearing a suit. Not a good look. [/quote] - You beat me to it! Jaco looked right with a worn bass. He earned the right to play a worn bass as well. I'm a noob. If I played a road worn it would look stupid.

It's funny much of this thread has moved on to the matter of the shim. After all, shimmed or not, that's not the cause of Cameltoe's problem. As wood moves over time - that's to say it swells, shinks, bends etc, it's not unreasonable that after a period, any instrument constructed of wood may need a shim to make up for the changes. At the beginning, however, I seem to remember reading that this shim was claimed to be "factory fitted". I'm with Fionn on this, there's no way I'd be happy to buy a brand-new-out-of-the-box bass and find it's got shimms to make up for poor build quality.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1389185110' post='2330989'] True - but why are so many for sale? [/quote] I believe this is because so many are bought online and not every bass suits every player. Even Fender can't promise that. Plus half of the Fenders I've bought turned out to be fakes with Fender logos, and so round they go again...

I'm new to this market, coming back to bass late in life but IMHO there seems to be a widespread religious-cult style patriotism love out there for Fenders. It's a following that I would otherwise only expect to see for following of a sports team. My guess is it's a following that has infectiously come over from the USA after it's been born out of their patriotism for a home grown manufacturer with some history to it. (They love their history, limited though it may be. ) I agree with the above, unless you need the money don't sell. If you do you'll regret it later.

Welcome! Rich

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1389106932' post='2330047'] It's sometimes nice when other musos see you putting your Fender back in the case and you flip it over and they see the ferruled holes in the back and give you that 'Ooh its a US model' look. Pure snobbery I know... [/quote].... or you've bought the ferrules and done a neat job.

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1389095791' post='2329760'] Remember that if you're using flatwounds they don't like thru-body stringing. [/quote] I've always thought thru-body looks cool. Don't ask me why, I know it makes no sense. I bought a fretless that was strung through the body with flats. The sustain was pretty useless. I re-strung it with the same strings, using the bridge and the sustain is miles better.

There's a useful set of neck radius templates in the "Ulitmate Guide" you can download from http://www.jerzydrozdbasses.com If nobody knows your answer you may like to check this guide out.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1389025008' post='2328947'] You don't need to resistors to replace the tone control, because on the normal passive tone circuit the other end of the potentiometer isn't connected to anything. [/quote] I stand corrected - thanks. I wrote that without checking. I'm surprised it works without, but I guess the potential divider circuit uses the impedance of the amp circuit to make it work. Thanks BRX

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1389043672' post='2329317'] There's a back to top arrow at the bottom of the page, in the light gray bit to the right of the 'Help' link. It's pretty well hidden though. [/quote] like

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1389044014' post='2329329'] So well hidden in fact that I never realised it was there! [/quote] I'll have a look next time I'm on a PC. There's nothing like that on the phone version.

Hi Jamie and to Basschat. I know you've told us what genre you want to play, but can you tell us what sound you like? As you may appreciate "superior" is a subjective matter. Not that I can answer your question as I know the Barts but not the pups in the Curbow.

Maybe a mod can combine this thread, It's duplicated here: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/226390-could-anyone-give-some-advice/page__fromsearch__1 Cheers!!

Something I'd like more would be either a "Back to top" link or a "View new Content" button at the bottom of the page. It would save getting to the bottom and having to scroll back up.

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1388934919' post='2327773'] I'm no electrical whizz but my understanding on the way it's being explained is that the tone control is essentially a variable resistor. If wiring the P/U direct to the ouput, either via the volume control or not, is too bright then put everything back as it was and replace just the tone control with a resistor of the same value. I also assume if you like the tone of your bass somewhere between 'fully up' or fully down', as mine seems to have a real sweet spot so to speak, then you could replace the control with a resistor having a value somewhere inbetween the 'fully up' or 'fully down' values on the tone control. I assume it's possible to get a reading of the tone control when it's in that sweet spot so you know what resistor will achieve this 'tone'. Is this correct? I don't want to do this, just interested. [/quote] You're thinking on the right lines, but the tone at the output jack is determined by fixing a capacitor between the two terminals. The capacitor changes tbe tone by leaking some high frequency signals (treble signals) to earth. You get to control the sound by using a varible resistor to increase the resistance to current able to flow through the capacitor. So if you're fitting a tone control you need both a capacitor AND a regulating resistor. You're right that the variable resistor can be replaced with a combination of 2 fixed value resistors. The reason why it has to be 2 resistors is that electrc current will always take the easiest route. So if you simply put a resistor in series with the capacitor all the current will go straight to your jack and pass the capacitor by. So if you want the effect of a VR being at the halfway sweet spot. Then you will need to use 2x 125 ohm resistors.

I've been looking at strings too... the price of £20 is good. Maude, where did you get them from?