dannybuoy

I know how to change strings, set up the string height, intonation and neck relief, but that's about it. And that's far more than most guitarists I know who don't know how to do any of the above! I do have a bass that I want to get taken in for a full setup though as it's my favorite one and I want to get the best out off it. I'm talking nut slots, fret dressing / PLEK, smoothing the fret ends and rolling the fingerboard edges. I'm not confident in doing any of those things and I suspect 95% of players are the same!

The difference would probably be far more noticeable with a passive bass I reckon.

[size=4][quote name='Guitar-restaurant' timestamp='1380457257' post='2225472'][/size] [/quote]

The G-Lab Bass Wowee Wah is pressure activated and true bypass: http://www.glab.com.pl/bass_wowee-wah_en They also make a true bypass pressure activated pad for wahs: http://www.glab.com.pl/true_bypass_wah-pad_en You don't need a chunky 3PDT switch for true bypass, these use relay switching instead.

They do feel like plastic, and the VM Jazz I briefly owned had more of a harsh rattle as the note decayed rather than a warm 'mwah' sound.

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1380710246' post='2229214'] Can't you get the sound you want with the blend turned more to the P pickup without having to lower the bridge pickup? My favourite solo pickup sounds don't work very well when balanced on the center detent, i always push the pot a little bit over the detent to the neck pickup side. I got used to it very quickly. [/quote] This is a BB - it doesn't have a blend!

I've often seen Precisions where the pup is screwed almost flush to the body on the E and G sides. Needs to be far higher!

I got my hands on a new Yamaha BB1025X yesterday, and at first wasn't bowled over when I plugged it in. The bridge pickup sounded absolutely monstrous compared to my BB415, but the P pickup sounded flat and lifeless, without the low end thump the P is known for. Both pickups together sounded very scooped and not what I was used to from my 415. Luckily I decided to experiment with the pickup heights - I raised the P by only a very small amount and it was transformed, with bags of thump and growl! I found I got the best blended sound with the bridge pickup lowered slightly so unfortunately I have to compromise between having either a beastly solo bridge pickup or a tamer sound that blends better with the P. Shame there is no equivalent of the Hipshot D-Tuner for pickup heights! This is just a reminder for those of you who rarely fiddle with such things to give it a try, especially if you play a bass and aren't satisfied with the sound! Honestly, if I'd tried it as it was in a shop I would not have bought it, so I was amazed how sensitive these particular pups are to small changes in height.

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The ebanol boards are a bit marmite though - I hate them and far prefer a bit of rosewood or ebony!

Wow - just as well Alex is no longer using them in his Barefaced range eh?

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You can get low latency on the built in sound even on old machines if you install the ASIO4ALL driver. I got 10ms through my old Pentium 4 over 10 years ago! Also, if you're not bothered about applying amp models you should be able to live monitor the signal with zero latency. Again that will depend on your setup but it worked with the bog standard AC97 on board sound on my old machine, just by ticking the box in the mixer on Windows XP to pipe the line in straight through to the output.

I've been gassing for one of these since they came out, and I would buy this if I hadn't just placed an order last week for a 1025X! Listed as a 2025X but is actually a 2025: http://r.ebay.com/S0BUX7

The road worn is like the classic 50s but with added character - it's not old but it sure looks it!

Put up a wanted ad for the bits you want, loads of people have spare bits and bobs lying around as part of unfinished projects but can't be bothered to list them, but they will sell if they see a wanted ad!

Cheers, I'll look out for some. Is it a simple case of sanding down to the bare wood, brush it on, hang it up to dry and repeat for a few more coats? Gotta get myself a body first though, on the look out for an ash Jazz body on the cheap...

I fancy putting together a frankenbass, and I love the look of the matte black finish Sandberg offer: Does anyone know if it's possible to get such a finish using simple off the shelf black stain / oil, or have any tips for which products to use and how to go about getting a good looking result?

I use a pair of Ampeg SVT210AV's - cheap, light, and a perfect match for the OTB.

Swap it for a fretted P?

I spotted some new inactive headings at probass.co.uk, home of the Retrovibe and Vantage ric-a-likes. They are named Zygote, Warbird and Evo, but that's all we have to go on for now! SX basses are mentioned also. I emailed David and he said he'd let me know when he's ready to show them off. Warbird - a cross between a Warwick and Thunderbird perhaps?! http://probass.co.uk/Home.html

I would plump for the VT / Tonehammer over the P-Retro, that way you don't have to mod your bass and you can use it with your future Jazz purchase also.