Grangur

When selling on Ebay, it's never good news that the buyer only has to tell ebay that it never arrived and the money gets sent refunded. Something I've noticed more and more is, if I'm buying or selling it seems everyone seems to think it's my job to either deliver or collect. Somehow I always seem to find folk who won't go out of their way to make it happen.

With all large companies, amazing response or adequate can all come down to which Customer Services person opens your email. Staff changes happen, instructions from above can also change things too. Also, one person can be thrilled at getting quick response at them sending out a new volume knob. Another, hearing that, can be disappointed when they don't jump to send out a new replacement bass. "Life is like a box of chocolates."

I sold my Squier VM Fretless to Andy. He's a good guy to deal with. Everything went smoothly. He confirmed delivery and all good. Many thanks Andy.

Fair point, depends on how many of a particular instrument they sell. Truth is, the split in the neck would be easy to fix. Not that I'm saying you should have to.

Maybe some folk sell stuff on eBay that they'd rather not put on the sales floor? With both neck and body faulty, I'm wondering if this situation could come about by building a composite bass of parts from multiple faulty basses? Put on eBay to get their stock cleaned up. Not that a good reputable company like this supplier would EVER dream of doing this, naturally.

For an example of the playing difference between a 4 and a 5, go and play a 2 octave G Major scale on a 4 string. Start using the G on the E string and go up 2 octaves. To do this you will then end on the G at the 12th fret on the G string. If you do this same on a 5 string bass, you can, of course use the same E string G. As an alternative you could use the 8th fret on the B string. A is the 10th fret on the B and then drop to the E string for the next 3 notes etc. You can complete the entire 2 octave scale between the 8th and 12th frets. So, provided you like the attack tone of these notes for the song you're playing, most of what we play on a 4 string bass can be played between the 7th to 12th frets on a 5 string.

Seldom would a genuine Fender have nice grain like that showing through the sprayed finish. So, unrealistically good for a Fender.

He should be able to do it himself.

Can we please see your reference material that substantiates this claim?

Unless the skunk stripe looks a dogs dinner, I'd imagine this is simply a small amount of movement in the wood that's happened due to poor seasoning of the wood at the time of manufacture. There's a danger here of making it worse by digging it out and trying to do more than is needed. Simply sand down the wood in the back of the neck to make it all smooth. Use coarse paper to start and work down to really fine grit, to get it really smooth. Don't use a sanding block, use the sheet in your hand, so you end up with a shape that's good to the touch - not that you should be changing the shape to any great extent. When you've sanded it, re-finish with lacquer. Job done.

Agreed, @mcnach. It is the angle. Provided the body is placed flat on the router table and clamped firmy, in a CNC manufacturing plant, the router should, surely come in cleanly at it's pre-programmed level/angle and re-produce the same depth/angle all day long. Thinking about this more; I guess where the variation can come in is if the bodies are not as fully seasoned at the time of the manufacture as would be ideal. This happens in the manufacture of wood products, especially in the mass-market manufacture. My experience of this is in solid oak furniture. It was certainly true there. In newly seasoned wood, further moisture may leave the wood after the cut has been made. This added seasoning can result in additional small movements in the wood at either end/side of the neck pocket. This is, of course, due to the nature of wood meaning that theory and practice isn't always the same thing. I've never needed a shim on a Warwick, which tends to be most of the basses I've owned TBH. I would have hoped Fender and Musicman to be in the same area. That said I have put shims in Fenders, and all number of other basses. IME Ibanez are pretty reliable though.

@stingrayPete1977, @mcnach, OK, maybe I've been spoilt with instruments that haven't needed shims. I would have thought a pocket routed to the correct depth wouldn't need one. Yet, I have to say I've fitted a fair few in older instruments. I reserve the right to be wrong on occasions.

With so many faults and their evasive response, this would appear to me like the actions of a trader trying to pass graded stock off as "perfect". Being wise after the event, it's a shame you didn't send it back as simply "not as required" and get a refund under the distance selling regulations. TBH I'm really surprised it needs a shim. That, after all is a work-around to cover for a badly worked pocket. No new bass should need a shim IMHO.

Welcome back @davidmpires As Scott Devine has been mentioned, get a 14 trial of the SBL academy and take a look at the courses there. They're a lot better than his free videos. There are other tutors there too.

Oo er... Mummy's come in to check on us.

I was in the furniture business with my brother for a while. My brother took home an oil-finished oak coffee table and used it in the garden. The oil finish soon disappeared. The wood turned a grey colour like ash, but the wood stood up to the weather with no signs of rotting for a good number of years. I'm sure you won't need to worry too much. Teak-oil will be better than boiled-linseed, but it'll hold out well for a long time.

NO!!! Not an SR300!!! Joking! As above, you'll struggle to find a bad bass these days. With computer-aided manufacture, the budget basses are all set up to make it all fool proof. Look out for a Bass Bash. There are a few that happen up and down the country. One near you is this one At a Bass bash, folk take along their own basses and everyone gets to try each others gear. There are a few guys who always go to the Midlands one, who make basses too. So it's well worth a visit.

Hey, come on @discreet, you can do better than that, there's a word missing! The subject of the sentence is missing. Corrected: "I think, like most threads on this subject, this one has got a bit silly." Come on, if you're going to split hairs, really go for the jugular.

I'm with @ikay. This is likely to be setup. Is it quiet on all strings? What's the distance from the bottom of the strings to the top of the pickup? Please measure this with the strings fretted at the last fret. Also, what's the height of the strings above the last fret?

All basses get sold in the end. That's why I think of myself as only being the custodian of mine. At least I like to think they will out live me. I can't see any reason why they won't even if certain components need replacing at some stage. So, assuming I get to carry on playing 'til I go, it may be my family that sells them on. But you can be safe in the knowledge that all my basses will get sold one day. Perhaps, @BigRedX you've devised a plan that none us us, mere mortals, have worked out?

Fat Lama has an insurance policy and they, supposedly, check out hirers. Don't ask me how.

Edit: for lower - read that as "nearer the body"; so actually it's higher up the neck. Yes, the whole thing of a >4 string bass is not having to move about so much. Anthony Wellington will tell you: "A 4 is the hardest bass, 5 is easier, 6 is easier than a 5, 7 is easier than a 6."

Yes, @stingrayPete1977 I did get to thinking, "if you can't find the £175 to buy it outright, are you the right kind of person to borrow this, and keep it in good nick?"