mikeswals

Yes Mark, something very different. I just looked around at statii.com, and the Stealth being described as very hi-fi. Sounds like I know what I'll be after in the near future.

Please educate me on Statii as I'm possibly thinking about looking or ordering one, but they're extremely rare to find in the States. The last time I saw a Status in-person was 18 years ago when there was a Bass Centre in Los Angeles. I recently saw a few pictures of the headed Stealth model, and well, going by pure cosmetics that's what I'm liking as far as body style goes. I downloaded the Status price catalog and it seems the Steath body is all-graphite as well??? I wonder what that sounds like...bright like an original Steinberger? Is it or was it based off another model with a wood body? My head is spinning looking at all the nice basses in this thread, but it seems maybe other (maybe limited edition?) models based on the same as the Steath (rounded horns, rounded edges) not listed in the catalog.

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1360541929' post='1972211'] Are these the ones he also had waterproofed?[/quote] That would be the Sadowskys that got the waterproof treatment from Roger. He complained that his Spectors that he was previously using would cut out from the moisture collected inside. The last time I saw Metallica live was in '94 and he was still using the Spectors then. The metallica boys have heaters onstage because they don't like getting cold!

1) My May of '72 Precision did not have the gasket, though I've seen plenty of 74 and later P's with them. 2) It can sure be an attractive feature, and might make a P sell faster than a 'normal' one. But with the sale prices of vintage Fender so inconsistant, there's no guarantee that an A neck adds a set XX to the value, since there's no set value. Two identicle P's can sell for hundereds apart. 3) No one would know the definite answer, but there's always the possibilty a high profile artist wanted something that wasn't on the regular menu. I remember seeing pics of Larry Graham in the 70's with a silver finished block-neck Jazz that would be an oddity.

[quote name='oli@bass'] BTW, all of yours have ebony boards, is that correct? [/quote] Oddly enough, the black one has a rosewood board. A very dark piece of rosewood. But I don't think board material contributes anything on a Wal. Whereas the solid-mahogany body of the black one gives a very noticeable lowend depth over the others, that one is my favorite sounding one.

This picture is old, from a get together many years ago. I do recognise a few of the basses in there belonging to some long time forum folks. But the one bass I want to know more info about is the middle fretless Custom MkI sitting on the chair: it has a single pickup more in a MM position rather than a Pro position, and still has 4-control knobs. Who owns it? [url="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/396018_10150614877533023_1472807727_n.jpg"]http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/396018_10150614877533023_1472807727_n.jpg[/url]

Fender never went into fretless production with Jazz Basses. Only two protoypes built in 1970, no others. Like Emanew posted, only fretless Precisions.

[quote name='Stance' timestamp='1358508442' post='1940403'] [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/717/dscf28571280x960.jpg/"][/url] I know that the original owner was a famous portuguese luthier... So do you think that what I have is an original pre-eb fretless bass, converted to a fretted bass, by adding frets and dot markers? [/quote] It looks to me that the original fingerboard was replaced with a much thicker ebony board. The factory rosewood boards are very thin, and the fret slots are nearly right at the seam where the rosewood meets the maple. That picture shows a very thick fingerboard, nearly twice the thickness of any fretted or fretless preEB I've ever seen.

I like lots of basses.

took some updated pics today: '90 MkII midi, '09 MkII '00 MkI, '86 MkI, '90 MkI

I'm assuming the necks still have build dates written on them?

Question about the late style Pro I's like what Mark and Berend have. Since those have little front-loaded control cavities, did Wal put an info label inside these basses telling what wood and build date about the bass? I've only seen a few for sale online, and never seen one in person.

It will not be a 74 or 75 if the serial number is on the headstock of that Jazz Bass. During mid 1976 is when the serials moved to be a printed decal on the face of the headstock, before that they were stamped on the neckplate wether it was a 3-bolt or 4-bolt neckplate.

[quote name='barend' timestamp='1356862433' post='1914313'] I always feel there is a tonal difference between an MK1 and MK2. Especially between a 5 string Mk2 and a 4 string Mk1. An Mk2 sounds a bit more allround and less characteristic then a MK1 to me. Maybe because of the extra wood of the body I don't know.[/quote] I don't perceive that difference in models when it comes to 4 strings. I have five of them, all 4strings: three MkI's and two MkII's. The only variance I hear is there from the wood that was used, I wouldn't say because of the model. Its the same variance any two of other brand bass would have, for example; three Jazz Basses would have variances. My '09 MkII is very similar in timbre and tone to my '00 MkI. While both of my '90 MkII and '90 MkI have similar tones. My '86 is deepest sounding of all of them, and heavier too. Now the case of the 5 string, I once had one.... and yes I do agree they are rounder sounding, but I'd think because the neck pickup is closer to the neck than the 4's.

[quote name='Stance' timestamp='1349227447' post='1823669'] Hello Here´s mine 83 Stingray - transred with rw board. Bought it with OHSC (rectangular case in white with red interior) "Strange" things on this bass, though they look totally original One more dot marker All of them seem to be mother-of-pearl Flush battery cover (i think that´s the correct word) The hole for the screw immediatelly behind the pickguard isn´t drilled Again, I have no reason to believe that they aren´t original and that the bass isn´t 100% stock. [/quote] I see another oddity on your preEB StingRay.....a fretboard dot inlay at the 21st fret. That's the 1st time I've sen a preEB with that dot.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1349441287' post='1826371'] Have you considerd the option of buying back your old MK1 and buying a new fretless neck for it from Wal ? Paul could make you one , lined or unlined according to your preference, and send it to you and if neccesary you could have someone local like Mike Lull fit it for you.[/quote] That's what I'm thinking of doing now. I have priced just a neck, but it still may take up to a year for Paul to deliver. My white Wal in my profile pic used to be a fretless, and Mike Lull did the fretted conversion on it. But it cost more than an arm and leg to have it done, so I won't have that neck defretted, but I may just put a feeler out for a used spare fretless neck to swap on that bass.

[quote name='oli@bass' timestamp='1349420863' post='1826012'] Yeah... and then a green one popped up [/quote] Yeah, tell me about it! That green MkII came out of nowhere, and in the States too! If only it had popped up a day or two sooner. I just agreed to a trade+cash deal for my old violet MkI back. So a fretless is going to have to wait.

Thanks Dingus. Yes it is a factory unmarked freltess. But since it's a Pro, I thought they only used ash on them, no? The price is very reasonable to me. But while pondering over that bass, someone just offered me back a former fretted MkI I used to own that I wished I never let go. Ahhh, decions-decions!

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1349367703' post='1825393'] If you have got a Custom ( as I know you have) I can really see very little point in owning a single pickup Pro bass as well. [/quote] The Pro I was considering is fretless, where all my Customs are fretted basses. My very first MkI was fretless, but no longer, and I do miss having that sound. So that's the reason.

Being in the US and I have shipped many basses overseas....insurance limitations will depend on who the shipping comany is. 95% of the basses I sent have been through the Postal Service, it's the cheapest company, but they limit the insurance value to around $675 to $700 dollars (US) per box. So If I sold a valuable bass with a bolt on neck that needed absolute coverage, then I would split up the bass and ship in two boxes, insuring each for the maximum allowed value: ie, $675 each. But they make it impossible to collect on the value if it's more than that, and will only pay the insured. On UPS or Fed Ex, it's different. The declared value is the insured value. But both of these companies charge about double the shipping rate of the Postal Service, and most of the time the receiver gets charged a brokerage fee in addition to the Customs fee. But with that said, the main thing I've been running into now is Customs in most countries have been asking that an invoice to be put on the box. A couple of countries in Europe I did not include invoices for have had me fax/email invoices to them before they would release the bass to the receiver. So in other words, the invoice they're asking for better match the value being declared. As someone in another post mentioned; these Customs offices are not stupid, and getting smarter at it every year.

Thanks, that helps. Yeah I've been listening to all of your youtube videos as well as Wombatboter's videos.

I have a question for anyone who has owned a single pickup Pro in the bridge position. What is that like? I'm considering the passive rear-single Pro, but I've never seen or heard one in person. Is it at all like soloing my Custom's rear pickup? Or since it has the series switch, does it make it have more lowend than hearing a Custom soloed. I'm trying to figure out if it has enough lowend that I can keep up in a rock band mix.