BassBod

Jazz gig in a Methodist church in Bath (ten mins away..joy). Very civilized way to make (less then half) a living. BB

Good suggestion there on the Rustins "plastic coating" - if you thin it down a lot (and wipe on) it can give an oil look, but with a permanent seal that requires no upkeep. I've only done this once (a maple fboard J neck) and it looked and felt good, took about two years to look grubby. I guess you could then lightly sand and re-apply a fresh coat. Mr Foxen - I had no idea there was a Wish bass so close to home! We must meet up at some point...... BB

I've put a few together, and played them a lot. The body and neck are good, but the body is usually alder. Its the "right" wood, is real wood but can look very boring if only oil finished - depends on the grain. The pickups and hardware are ok but I replaced most of it (except the Gotoh tuners) with WD stuff and Kent Armstrong "Sky" p/ups. For the money they are great basses. Its worth calling them - for example, a finished sunburst body and an oiled neck makes a great platform for a P or J bass, with whatever hardware and pickups you prefer. The only real issue is that of perfect fit - components from different makers don't always work, particularly scratchplates. So if you want to fit an upgrded part, assemble all the bits before you start - it can save hassle. BB

Just one or two coats of oil - no wax. You'll have to clean and re-oil every couple of months (depending on use) but it only takes ten mins... BB

Lots of questions...here goes. I wanted to learn about the build process, rather than make "my" definative bass - and that's exactly what I got to do. I learned that to do a professional job takes a lot of skill - but also a lot of "jigging". Knowing how to work wood in a reliable and repeatable way takes experience and understanding. I was set up with each process, and basically left to get on with it. I'm not very confident with routers, but John made sure I knew what to do, and took over if I bottled out...the most dangerous bit was probably cutting the fret slots. The design is a cross between a standard J and John's downsized version. There isn't much difference between this and a "standard Shuker" other than I did most of the work! Apart from a few scrathes and dents...of course. The finish is a simple satin to save time, and the bridge and tuners were re-used from a previous bass. I even had to solder the active circuit board together, once John had placed the components in the board. Wood choices and laminates were "improvised" from what was available. But there was a lot of choice (bocate fingerboard?). [attachment=3226:DSCN0760.JPG][attachment=3227:DSCN0763.JPG][attachment=3228:DSCN0767.JPG] I can't really comment on the cost - it was four years ago, and I'm sure John is a lot busier these days. At the time his workshop was in Clay Cross. If anyone is really interested then do contact John - its a great way to spend a week. BB

I did - made a 5 string "super J" in 5 days! PM me for details, or I'll post more later when the kids aren't running around.... [attachment=3199:DSCN0764.JPG] BB

Liberon Tung oil, followed by a good beeswax polish for the body (not neck). The Warwick wax is good, but expensive and doesn't build up as quickly as a furniture polish. Avoid anything containing silicon (that goes for life in general..). Read and follow the instructions. You can also use gunstock oil (Musicman do) - but it seems to contain more "nasties"? BB

I thought about building mine into another box, with real jacks fixed to the case.....but life's too short....so I sold it. Shame 'cause it is a great pedal but really isn't up to gigging - even the gentle polite stuff. BB

I can still vividly remember the "country" gig where they were all dressed as cowboys and indians. They had been drinking heavily all weekend. The guns I guessed were fake, but the knives and the rope......I've never seen a PA engineer beg us to play before......and I'm sure the milkybarkid was too young to be that pissed. yeeeharr(Weston-Super-Mare style). BB

Sounds good - do I have to go round the "magic roundabout"?? BB

Hi Martin, Don't bother with shops (I'm in Bristol) - sorry if that sounds a bit miserable, but they don't ever seem to carry decent bags. Look at Thomman in Germany? The Warwick bags are fine for general use. The "better" ones are actually a bit better, so spending nearer £40 will get you more padding than £25 but still the same basic design. I've used a "Royal Premiun Line" for a couple of years with no problems. I think the fake leather ones were the best quality/price I've seen, but they are harder to find. The best I've seen are the Levy's canvas and the Harvest canvas (Overwater), both pricey but very durable. Good luck BB

My first amp was a Sound City 50 - was pretty good really. The Carlsbro replacement was not a better amp, but it was a lot smaller, lighter and didn't smell so bad...there's progress for you. I wouldn't pay more than £100 even if in good nick, (with mullards and gold plated mains plug.. ^_^ ) BB

Great news about Paul...all the best for the future of Wal. BB

I think the jack is just a standard Switchcraft stereo - shouldn't be a difficult fix. I'd replace it rather than clean it up - otherwise you're waiting for it to happen again? if you're not happy soldering then look at the luthier list on here for someone in your area. Good luck BB

I'll admit to some dots as well...its a bass guitar habit! There are always those gigs where you just can't hear yoursely well enough (I often don't use an amp and rely on stage monitors). Its worth remembering that when you meet someone with a "snobby attitude" about position markers you can be pretty sure they've never played a "loud" gig. I sometimes think about removing them.....but stil haven't. Close your eyes and see if you need them? At least they don't light up. yet. BB