neepheid

No problems with the two Tributes (L-2000, M-2000) which I have had the pleasure of owning, if it helps add to the statistical reassurance.

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1434627183' post='2801289'] I did not! I shall next year though. The funny shapes intimidated me I think [/quote] Ha, you mustn't worry about that. I'll bring the freakshow circus with me next time

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' timestamp='1434629431' post='2801318'] I played three different levels of t bird the other day at Andertons. The entry level bolt on neck sounded terrible, but played ok, whereas the classic (?) set neck epiphone kicked even the USA version to the curb. The epiphone had a clarity and bite that the USA didn't. The USA sounded weak and lifeless to both myself and the guitarists I took with me. The USA left me cold, and wondering why it cost over a thousand pounds more than the epiphone model [/quote] If it's the rather wordy Epiphone Thunderbird Classic IV PRO you're talking about, then it's through neck and uses exactly the same pickups as the USA model. If that particular Epiphone sounded better to you than that particular Gibson, go get it and save yourself a packet. Epiphone gear is decent, just ask any Jack Casady owner.

Have I not bored everyone to death about it yet? My wife bought me my Gibson RD Artist, I never want to sell it for that reason alone but it's also a fantastic bass and if I was reduced to only this one, it wouldn't be the worst fate in the world but I hope it doesn't come to that

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1434616538' post='2801153'] This may be a stupid question but bear in mind I know nothing at all about Thunderbird basses. Do they naturally sound very muddy and fuzz effected or is that a sound coming from the amp? [/quote] No, they don't, but that's just my ears talking and I only have experience of the non-reverse Did you not have a shottie of my NR at Moffat?

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1434483587' post='2800101'] Just out of curiosity are the pots the same ones that were on my NR that I sent you? You know all about my woes there. Maybe they were just cock. [/quote] They are the ones you sent me, nothing wrong with their values, it's the taper that's wrong for (Gibson) tone controls so all their action is concentrated at the end.

[quote name='el borracho' timestamp='1434469188' post='2799942'] The only time I tried my M2500 with standard length strings through the bridge there was a visible lifting of the bridge. Very slight but enough for me to replace the strings and go straight back to through body. [/quote] If you want to top load your 5 string G&L, here's a (reversible) modification... http://www.bassesbyleo.com/l2500_bridge_mod.html

[quote name='HengistPod' timestamp='1434465474' post='2799866'] On arriving at the gig around tea-time, we found a jazz band already set up. Much dismay was in evidence. [/quote] If that had happened to me (and if they hadn't been as nice as they were to you), they'd have had to redraw the map of Mull as half of it would have been vaporised in a massive explosion of frustration and anger

I have no strong opinions either way, it's a purely aesthetic choice as far as I'm concerned. Wood's wood to me and as long as the wood is of sufficient structural integrity to stay in the right shape whilst counteracting string tension then I'm as happy as a pig in the proverbial. I don't expect to end the cyclical debate with this revelation

This is the Greco I'd love to snag:

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1434359098' post='2798806'] Leo Fender must have thought it made a difference, as even after it had been removed on Fender basses, through body stringing was included in the final design of MusicMan basses. I think he left it out on G&L though. I can string through the body on all my basses and I've tried on 2 of them. I didn't notice much difference in sound or feel, but then my senses aren't that finely tuned. There are no down sides to through body stringing and only you can decide if you discover any benefits. [/quote] G&L 5 string basses are through body strung and they really ought to be strung that way as if you top load a G&L 5 stringer then your bridge is held down only with the two screws at the side. Through body stringing is part of the structural integrity of the deal. From my Gibsonny point of view, through body stringing means the three point bridge has no hope of pulling the inserts out of the body so it's a win for me. Also through body strung Gibsons tended to have the strings going through the body behind the bridge instead of underneath it so if you don't do it then you've got some redundant (and painfully obvious) holes in your bass for no reason. Fine if you're a bit steampunk I suppose

I'm terrible with names and faces, I need to have met the particular piece of tonewood a few times before recognition kicks in.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1433954462' post='2795438'] Is a tone bock the same as a tone plate? The Gibson Les Paul Money bass had a walnut tone plate: [/quote] As does the later model Les Paul Double Cut: What's that? There's one for sale in the forum? Well, I'll be damned!

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1433839187' post='2794339'] I got a Neotech Mega after knackering my shoulder last year - so comfy! [/quote] +1 for the Neotech strap, when you have a 12lb+ bass these straps mean you don't buckle in half part way through the set Very comfortable and spread the load, slightly grippy so they can help with mild balance issues, just all kinds of good.

[quote name='lemmywinks' timestamp='1433504213' post='2791634'] I have a piezo installed in a bass which I am going to hook up to an Artec SE2a preamp (omitting the blend knob), obviously there is no metal bridge installed (it's wooden with a piezo strip) so would I need to ground the volume pot to anything at all? Obviously the piezo ground is soldered to the body and 3rd lug of the volume pot but there is a cable coming from this, can I just remove it and not get any hum? Thanks! Steve [/quote] I don't think it's necessary - hum is caused by electromagnetism picked up by magnetic pickups - a piezo wouldn't be affected by that, would it? Happy to stand corrected as I've never tried it before, but that's what my gut is telling me.

I rotate through all my basses as equally as I can. Although it's generally on a whim ("haven't played you in a while" etc.) on a long enough time line they all get played equally. I keep a record of which basses I played at which gigs (yes, I'm geeky like that) so everyone gets a fair crack of the whip.

What a capitalist pigdog, imagine having the nerve to try and turn a profit on something procured on here!

Spidey sense tingling - at best it's a misunderstanding, at worst it's an opportunistic, exploitative, cynical attempt to get young, naive bands to do all the work for naff all while the "organiser/promoter" pockets all the takings. A sliding scale between those extremes, avoid like the plague anything which errs towards the crappy side of that scale.

I read notes at a rate of one note every 3ish seconds (yes, I recite every time in my head the appropriate amount of Every Good Boy or FACE or All Cows Eat Grass or (my favourite) Greedy Buggers Deserve F All). I don't think this is meant for me

Cheers folks, I'm really happy with it. Going to order my log 250k pots for the tone/mid control - isn't rewiring something you thought you'd finished a joy?

Well, it's already in the Build Diaries but it definitely belongs here too - 1975 Gibson Ripper, restored from the wood up.

I pointed a proper camera at the Ripper tonight (my trusty old Canon Powershot A40 - 2MP, 13 years old!) and took some no flash shots. No tripod, so they're slightly blurry but I feel these far more accurately reflect the colour of the finish. [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/01_all.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/02_head.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/03_back_all.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/04_all_angle1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/05_body.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/06_back_angle.jpg[/IMG]

OK, that's enough poorly targeted passive aggressiveness, point (to BC at large) made, so here it is: The phone camera does not understand how deeply cherry red it's turned out - it's not as bright red and it's definitely more translucent than these pics suggest. Will update when I can get a proper camera pointed at it. All hail Rich/Ou7shined - the finish is absolutely stunning and the fretboard rescue miraculous considering the butchered/dehydrated state it arrived in. I helped! I played it at a gig on Saturday and I enjoyed rock solid tuning all set, felt great in the hands and according to my spies in the audience it was sounding great too. There are a couple of wee minor things still to sort. I think I got the wrong taper for the tone/mid pots as all the effect is concentrated in the last 20% or so of the pot rotation so I might replace them (I believe I have linear ones, according to the spares sheet for the Ripper I saw should be log/audio). I have no numbered switch plate for the rotary switch - a minor cosmetic detail but they're pretty rare and when they do pop up people ask stupid money for them (one just now wants £150 for one along with a chicken head knob - preposterous!). I'm using regular scale length strings and the A string can't quite handle being strung through the body so it's top loaded for now. But apart from that, it's pretty damn sweet. I feel even better about this one than when we finished the Victory, mostly because of where we started from this time. To save you looking back, this was how it started: