Kiwi

Update time: [attachment=36295:DSC02843.JPG] Modded Spector (serial NB1926) from above and a recent bargain off Ebay, NS5CR from the SSD days but after he reclaimed the Spector brand. So its got the slightly thicker neck profile and dot inlays, serial 1382 I think. The natural tint one has a slightly lower resonant peak so sounds warmer and growlier but less bite. The sunburst one is brighter sounding but the resonant peak is higher so less warm but the mids have a nice purr to them and the neck has super low action. I can really fly around on this bass. Both are now loaded with customised Wizard soapbars to my spec (overwound coils, ceramic magnets, coil splits) to give as much warmth as is possible with magnets and wire. In single coil mode, they can sound like an Alembic in the upper positions and like a Tobias in the lower positions. In parallel mode, it sounds like a Smith but with less scoop. On the bridge pickup alone in single coil mode it does a pretty good impression of a Jaydee! With the neck pickup in single coil mode it does a passable p-bass impersonation but the ceramic magnets mean its a little clackier than most P's I've played. Still, by notching back the mids and raising the frequency cut to the clacky frequencies, its possible to tame them. Both will eventually be loaded with three band customised parametric eqs by Klaus Noll. EDIT: Doesn't do Stingray or Jazz at all. But it can sit nicely in the mix of most Chic songs nevertheless.

I want the green one.

Joe I find myself lusting after that guitar preamp. Then I have to remind myself that I've already got everything I can realistically justify...*SIGH*

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='652863' date='Nov 12 2009, 06:07 PM']If it doubles in (real) value by the time you retire then that's - whoopee!!! - £8000. You could buy a cheap car for that. If it increases in (real) value at a gentle rate and ends up being valued at £12k then you've tipped all of £4000 into your retirement pot. These are very small numbers. And they assume that you're prepared to invest £8000 in the first place, which I am certainly [b][i]not [/i][/b]going to do.[/quote] For items like vintage basses you NEED for them to appreciate in order to even cover the costs of ownership which, as far as insurance goes, could potentially be quite a bit unless you have the bass stashed in a secure deposit facility somewhere. Plus there's the lack of peace of mind if you do use the bass in having 8000 quid wrapped up in something that can be easily lifted with one hand from a venue somewhere while you're not looking.

The quilted maple strat body that I dropped off to Jon Shuker for refinishing 2 years ago, so I can get my Nile Rodgers thing happening again.

I felt a twinge of jealousy at that P-bass. Most of the time I'm put off by the chunky neck but a factory fitted jazz neck would be the business.

[quote name='Sean' post='652316' date='Nov 12 2009, 10:39 AM']Are you using toggles to do the coil splitting or what? I'm seriously thinking about using the splittable EMGs in place of the existing ones but don't want to spoil the look with mini-toggles.[/quote] I have the NS5CR forum whore bass which I've fitted with toggle switches because I don't intend to sell it, ever and there wasn't really any other feasible and cost effective alternative to getting the options I wanted with the U-Retro. There are some early Spectors out there with toggle switches fitted at the factory as well so its not completely out of character. I find the attack of EMG pickups is too brittle. The pickups I've fitted give it the sweetness of an Alembic but they're more susceptible to hum than the EMG's as well because they're not active. I've got a second NS5CR in sunburst which is an earlier SSD version so has a slightly squarer neck profile but I'm modifying it in the same way. It sounds slightly brighter acoustically but is deader electronically because I haven't yet fitted a buffered pre.

Investing my savings in some niche appeal instruments helped me stave off the effects of redundancy for a good 12 months. I didn't set out to invest my money though, I got lucky with the choice of instruments. Still, way better than sinking my money into a flash motor.

12 years, kind of made up for it afterwards though. I'm pretty settled where I am at the moment although I've still got a hankering for a custom graphite necked 5 string...

As Sean says, the all maple instruments do have a compressed response when popping. I like that personally. I have custom made Wizards in both mine to pump up the warmth, sweeten the attack and supply coil splitting. The single coil response is really nice too, a bit more definition in the mids. I have a customised u-retro in one which sounds great with the pickups but I'm getting customised 3 band parametric eqs for both eventually so I have maximum flexiblity. What are you listening to your bass through? Is there likely to be anything in the signal chain that is causing a compressive effect? Some wireless headphones have a signal limiter built into them.

I have a spare 3 bolt MM maple f/b neck from a '78 Stingray in great nick although the truss rod needs replacing. Paul_C offered to do it once for 40 quid. I probably don't need it anymore since I had the current neck on my Stingray dressed and refretted. I paid quite a bit for it (120 quid) because they're so uncommon and I'd looking for that plus shipping from NZ. Alternatively there's a graphite jobbie from Status too.

Its a mexican standard Fender Jazz though, am I missing something?

[quote name='Bottle' post='650413' date='Nov 10 2009, 09:58 AM']I'd use the Bridge HB wiring for both pickups TBH - the diagram you've posted at the top seems to be the easiest wiring to follow:[/quote] I was trying to use the diagram at the top but because I didn't understand how the switch made its connections it was impossible to figure out how to rewire the connections for parallel instead of series in one position. Thanks again!

I've replaced the Barts in my Pentabuzz with Alembic Activators because I wanted to hear more mids. But I may yet change them again to custom Wizards at some point in the future for extra warmth.

Thanks for that Ian! Which of those connections are north-start, north-finish, south-start, south-finish? [i]Bridge HB toggle[/i] 5 = south-finish 2 = north-start earthed = south start and north finish? [i]Neck HB toggle[/i] 5 = south-start 2 = north-finish earthed = south finish and north start?

[quote name='tauzero' post='649425' date='Nov 9 2009, 10:44 AM']Blimey, how many fences did he own?[/quote] he started off with exotic wood and then went to graphite composite?

BUMP - anyone?

Pics please!!

Truly amazing. What amazing technical facility, what a talent. He plays each of those instruments to an incredible level of proficiency. I hate him. (Just kidding, I'm in awe really)

Is there any way to wire a pair of ON/ON/ON 3TDP switches and humbuckers so I can select inside coils, outside coils and have both coils in each pickup running in parallel? If it uses a DPDT switch instead of one 3TDP then so much the better. I've spend most of today trying to get my head around it and failed. Mainly because I can't work out how the 3TDP switch makes its connections. Basically I'm hoping its possible to take this option: and change the humbucker wiring shown to parallel instead somehow. There has to be more than one way to do it though, I have potentially two switches to play with. Not that fussed about series mode to be honest. Doesn't do a lot compared to parallel and the voltage difference is irritating.