Mylkinut

I was at the Thomann Fleamarket a couple of weeks ago and picked up a natural-finish one for £25! I'm deeply impressed with it, even for £100 I'd be chuffed to bits. Very solid and great fun to play.

Ahh, Bangkok is such a great place to be. I spent 10 weeks in Thailand last year, my third visit! Welcome chap

[quote name='Bobby K' timestamp='1359129087' post='1950365'] My first "proper" bass. Superb and I used to carry it in a guitar case, it being headless and all :-) [/quote] Ha, same here. Kinda miss it actually.

Cheers! Yeah, I've never been sold on the gold hardware but there's no arguing with the sound it makes

[quote name='joeystrange' timestamp='1358936283' post='1947188'] I bought mine in 2011 and it came with a manual, two allen keys, guarantee info and a padded Fender gigbag. Oh, and a Fender sticker too. [/quote] Yup, a bandmate of mine bought a MIM Strat and it came with all of this, plus a fender cloth (but no sticker ). I'd assumed this is just what they came with, sad to see so many short changed...

Thomann have always done well by me... but then I do have a few family members who work there so maybe I get special treatment

No worries, glad to be of service!

Thanks! Matting it with sandpaper toned the orange down somewhat, much closer to the Capri Orange I had in mind... And here you go, it's the PDF on this page. There's a bumper load to choose from. http://www.tdpri.com/forum/bass-place/252557-p-bass-headstock-template.html

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1358768707' post='1944555'] The problem is that not everybody surfs the web and the forums and most of them isn't aware of the QC issues. In fact i would say most people buying is first "proper" bass after saving a lot of hard earned money will enter a music store and buy whatever is on the wall regardless of its condition/issues/setup/etc. just because they still don't know how to check this. So i'm affraid to tell you that a big lot of bass players do buy a planck of wood going only by what it's written on the headstock. [/quote] I suppose that's true. But surely if somebody went to a shop, tried a Fender and [i]liked it[/i], it would mean that either that particular bass had no QC issues [i]or [/i]any it did have didn't affect the bass in any noticeable way (that's not me saying they should be there, just sometimes these things get blown out of proportion). Either way, I'd hope that someone would be able to spot a dog when they picked it up. If they can't... well maybe they shouldn't be spending so much on a bass just yet (not that it's my place to question what people buy, that's what got us all into this anyway right ) [quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1358768707' post='1944555'] Call me "hater" if you want but i will keep advising anyone looking for a Fender to be very carefull with any defects and to inspect it well before spending the money. [/quote] Which I'd also advise - with any manufacturer. [quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1358768707' post='1944555'] There's another important thing to take in to consideration, these days people buy a lot of gear through the internet, with that kind of QC Fender isn't the best option to go when ordering internationally (Thomann, Musicstore, etc.). [/quote] That's spot on, but having said that the only bass I've ever bought online that had serious issues was a Sandberg. Every factory knocks out a turd once in a while.

Just some Rustoleum I had in the garage left over from respraying a fixed gear. I think the colour is called 'Real Orange'. I sprayed 3 coats of primer and 4 thin coats of colour - the back will need another coat since the primer came through a little when I was sanding it back. That can wait though, it's far too cold at the moment to spray and I don't have anywhere heated to do it.

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1358721540' post='1944177'] Thats what makes the world go around folks! You keep buying your Fenders and so will I.......after very carefully selecting a good one. [/quote] As I think anyone would do - I don't think anyone would knowingly buy a bad bass just because it said 'Fender' on it (at least I really, really hope not). There certainly are dogs out there, but if you find something you like... whatever tickles your pickle

Normally I keep quiet on these debates, but crumbs... some do get terribly wound up by other people's choice of instrument. I've owned Musicman basses, Rickenbackers, Ibanez basses, Warwicks and everything inbetween. I've played/been loaned G&Ls, Spectors, Sandbergs and a few boutiques. I still own a Peavey and a Yamaha because I like them. Any of those bother you? Or is it just the big F? I personally think my three are every bit as good as anything else I've played. Surprisingly, that's why I've kept them. I can understand why Fender gets knocked at every opportunity, and I'm not defending them here. They make what some consider to be sub-par, out-dated instruments, and yet continue to be the market leader despite the fact other companies may be more deserving. But honestly, why should that concern you? You've got plenty of choice to buy something else, so do and leave it at that. I've got plenty of respect for someone who sits in quiet satisfaction that they've made the right choice, but I've no time for someone who looks down on others for making a choice they didn't. I'm sure most would agree. In short: please stop worrying about what other people are doing and play your bass, whether it has Fender on the headstock or not.

[quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1357908711' post='1930351'] I'm quite tempted to get a Jazz kit after seeing this thread. I'll be interested to see how this turns out! [/quote] Go for it - I came into this expecting to enjoy the project but maybe not the bass itself, but I'm really happy with it

Right, so I finally got round to sanding the finish back today. Pretty soon realised that it looked brilliant in a matt finish, so I just assembled it! The finish feels fantastic, lovely and worn in. It plays surprisingly well; I've got the action right down and the neck feels lovely. The sound is huge, I wasn't expecting much but the pickup is reasonably hot. Definitely gig-worthy. [IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y98/mylkinut/DSC_0063_zps69dda6d3.jpg[/IMG] Only thing left to do is to oil the neck and age it a little - not a fan of the pale wood.

[IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y98/mylkinut/DSCN5781_zpsb5ae92d8.jpg[/IMG] 1987 BB5000. A total beast.

[IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y98/mylkinut/DSCN5772_zps6e5216a4.jpg[/IMG] My first Jazz, recently bought from a fellow Basschatter. First thing to get me off my P Basses in a while.

My pair - the '77 isn't quite that yellow... [IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y98/mylkinut/DSCN5779_zpsedcf5ae6.jpg[/IMG]

Just received Gary's Jazz in the post. Absolute gent to do business with - even dealt with me wanting to buy something over Christmas Top bloke.

If you're buying second-hand you're halfway there at today's prices

Actually, what would be best to sand the paint flat so I can spray a clear coat over it?