Jimryan

Sounds good to me. Count me in.

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1488294401' post='3247595'] To resurrect an old thread, I'm weighing up getting some quarter pounders too - they're to go in a bass which is naturally quite bright and midrangy, so given what i've read about them, i'm hoping they may add a bit of thud/smoothness to things. I've heard a few people describe them as a bit too aggressive etc - what does that mean exactly? Are they just too hot and push to distortion, or do you mean they sort of overwhelm the sound of the bass itself? I'm a novice to replacement pickups, but there's a point at which i'm just going to have to buy some and see how they get on. [/quote] I put them in my precision (which was already VERY bright due to a carbon neck) and they sound brilliant. To the point theyll be going in my current project too. On my bass, the strings I was using made it a tad too bright so I've swapped them for nylon tapewound strings. Might be worth trying those first if the bass is that bright. With the tone up there's still plenty of treble, but the strings really push the bass, and with the tone rolled right off the give a great vintage tone. In regards to people calling them aggressive; they are, but not to the point of distortion. The gain on my amp (TC Electronic BH550) is set to 9 o'clock and there's no distortion or clipping. For a while I was going between a passive P with QP's fitted and an active stingray. The stingray needed a bit more gain where the P had a higher output. Hope this helps.

I've got a deco one too. Great little bass, but the intonation on my E is miles out and it puts me off using it a little. If you can get along with the strings they're great, fun, little instruments.

[quote name='scojack' timestamp='1488229934' post='3247105'] Loving that bridge... sneakin' stuff past the missus is a way of life for me [/quote] I'm very impressed with it. A wonderful piece of engineering, produces a fantastic bright tone, nice and light and it looks great too.

[quote name='Rikki_Sixx' timestamp='1488209486' post='3246804'] First time I've ever seen twin strap buttons. Is that to prevent forward "lean"? (can't think of a better word for it!) [/quote] I've always used them to adjust my basses height depending on what I'm playing. Rock stuff has a lower bass, whilst jazz and mark king style slap requires a much higher bass. Two strap buttons, strap locks and two strap locks on the actual strap means I can adults comfort and bass height in seconds. There's also the added stability when propping it up against things.

I'd assume so as the fit was perfect. Yeah, they can be pricey. Mine ended up around £410 as I wanted a blue tint. Luckily a status neck won't fit on my 5 string project so I've saved some cash there.

[quote name='DarkHeart' timestamp='1488121585' post='3246009'] Gold anodised scratchplate? [/quote] Think that might be a bit much.

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1488120286' post='3245991'] Twin strap buttons on the bottom. Some day all basses will be like this (apart from offset ones, obvioulsy). [/quote] In an ideal world yes. After having two on a hohner years ago, I've put two on every bass I've had since.

They're brilliant. Great basses for the money and at the price it'd be rude not to upgrade parts. I'll have to check it on some scales later. It's not overly heavy compared to some basses I've owned in the past.

Nice productive morning. All before Mrs Jimryan woke up, new Babicz bridge installed and she hasn't realised it's a new one or grilled me over buying parts. neck and strings back on, intonation and action set as well. Noticing that the pole pieces didn't match, they've also been coloured gold. I'm also very pleased with the colour match on the headstock. [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0595_zpsm8qihhfa.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0595_zpsm8qihhfa.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0596_zpsftil7gsl.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0596_zpsftil7gsl.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/263916-nbdwell-kinda/

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/255440-finally-finished-stingray-refinish/

Hi Tom, Not done it on a Ray34 but I fitted one to a sterling ray S.U.B a year or so ago and all was fine. Perfect fit and had no problems whatsoever. Only thing that annoyed me was the gap in the scratchplate where the truss wheel used to be. Cheers, James

Morning all, A few weeks back I ordered and took delivery of a Harley Benton Deluxe PJ 5 string. It was bought with the intention of upgrading it, despite it turning out to be an amazing bass, straight out the Box. When it arrived, I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do (straploks, Hipshot ultralites, Hipshot A type bridge, seymour duncan pickup), I wanted to make it as close to my main bass, but a 5 string version (and without a carbon neck). [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/_20170116_134751_zpsloheidvp.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/_20170116_134751_zpsloheidvp.jpg[/IMG][/URL] After receiving it, I also toyed with the idea of maybe having gold hardware? This is where the sandberg configurator came in handy as it gave me a rough idea of what I was aiming towards... [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/IMG_0152_zpsaivjrgq9.png.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/IMG_0152_zpsaivjrgq9.png[/IMG][/URL] Happy with that, I started ordering parts. Little bits that Mrs jimryan wouldn't notice, first a set of knobs turned up, then the straploks. Then came the issue of matched headstock, knee I wanted one, but couldn't be arsed with painting. Then I remembered a neck I got in a tried a few years ago on here. The original owner wanted a black matched headstock and used self-adhesive vinyl. Cue eBay! It took 3 orders from different companies (only 99P a pop) to find a close enough match (that means I've 3 sheets left if anyone wants a matt plum or gloss red headstock). Old tuners removed, but wait! I can't match gold hardware with a chrome string tree. Best order one quick. Whilst waiting for the string tree to arrive, I spotted the "overstock" section on the Hipshot site. I'd never previously seen this before and what was a real bonus for me, was that gold ultralite tuners were on there...at $10 a pop. I think I'll order those. That took me to the eBay store which has the "make an offer" option. All in all, five tuners plus shipping came to about £35 and flew through customs. String tree received and 45 minutes free before leaving for practice, here we go. Viny one, edges trimmed, more trimming, more trimming, string tree fitted, edges filed, truss nut hole opened and filed aaaaaaaaand done. Off to practice. Now where's those bloody tuners. [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0592_zpsjfms3dlh.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0592_zpsjfms3dlh.jpg[/IMG][/URL] That takes us up to yesterday, when the tuners actually arrived. Out the Box the finish looks great so best get them installed. Popped a hole in the vinyl, tuner through and tightened. Got them all lined up how I wanted them and started screwing them in. Best not put my thumb there are I'll end up doing what my mate did with a screwdriver...F@&#!!! Well it was more MMMPH (had the screws in my lips to have them ready at hand and didn't want to lose them). 3mm precision Screwdriver straight through my thumb, blood everywhere. Best wash that. Plenty of cold water, an entry and exit would and a plaster later, best crack on...after cleaning the blood off of the neck. Screws in, ferrules on the front tightened and that's those done... [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0594_zps49knmkab.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0594_zps49knmkab.jpg[/IMG][/URL] My job for today is to swap all the scratchplate screws over to gold ones and if I get time I'm going to (carefully) install a Babicz bridge I picked up. Another bargain as a local luthier was looking to get rid of it and managed to get myself a gold one for £95 (£100 if you include the postage). Not the Hipshot A type I was after, but I've been curious about them for a while. Only parts left to source would be pickups and a new scratchplate. Pickups, I want a seymour duncan musicman pickup at the bridge like on my bass, so it'll be a ceramic one wired in parallel. It's the neck one that's bothering me. Do I buy the 5 string quarter pound to match my other bass at £130 odd orrrr do I buy a SD musicman pickup, but an Alnico V one at £80. Once I've figured that bit out I'll worry about pots as I'm thinking of having 2 push/pull pots both for series/parallel switching. After that, it'll be the scratchplate. I'm not a fan of the "ribeye steak" one it came with, so I'm thinking either pearl white, mint or parchment. Cheers, James

Huge fan of the nexus strings. Been using them for a few years now.

We near on always start with ready or not by the fugees. Always goes down well.

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1485374761' post='3223514'] I had a p-bass (Axl player series) Changed everything out on it and had a fender neck on it. Was about 14/15lbs. [/quote] I had one of those too. Kept it stock and it sounded brilliant. Really bright, really aggressive and looked amazing. Only downside was that mine weighed 9kgs.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1484233883' post='3213799'] What is mildly annoying is all the Decos now vanish super quick, before you had time to deliberate if you really needed Bass Uke etc etc! [/quote] Sorry, that was me. Great little uke with nothing wrong with it. Not a fan of the strings though.

Afternoon all, For a now I've been after a fiver and getting back into using one, but one I'm actually going to keep and not move on. From boxing day onwards I started checking the Thomann deko for basses, preferably the Harley Benton deluxe PJ with wine red finish. Alas, one never popped up, but kept checking and low and behold the Christmas returns popped up on the deko page. Knowing how quickly things sell on their page, when a five string popped up I had no choice but to buy it. A few days later, this arrived... [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0525_zps08obdptq.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0525_zps08obdptq.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Not a bad bass (especially for £43), and I thought it'll do to get me back into using a five string. Never have been overly fond of active basses, but it'll do. Anyway, curiosity got the better of me and I kept checking the page. Checking it every day (mainly after seeing that they sell a Harley Benton fanned fret) and two days later what should pop up but the bass I was originally after...and for £35. Add to basket, checkout, buy, done, brilliant. Hang on, two basses when I'm meant to be saving for a deposit for a house? Mrs Jimryan will go mad. Fortunately a friend of mine agreed to take it off my hands for what I paid that day and he now has it (that was last week and Mrs Jimryan hasn't even noticed it's gone). Fast forward to today. My new one arrived and I'm suitably impressed... [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/_20170116_134751_zpsloheidvp.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/_20170116_134751_zpsloheidvp.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0536_zpsdbrhl4qo.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0536_zpsdbrhl4qo.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0534_zpsbazcvigg.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0534_zpsbazcvigg.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Straight out the box, gave it a tune up and sound wise it's a lot better than I expected it to be. The bridge pickup is great and the neck pickup is good (not as good as the stock Squier VM precision one though). Fret edges are great, nice and tidy and smooth. As for set up and intonation, it was perfect straight out of the box. Only thing I've changed, is I lowered the saddles. Even the pickup height and balance were spot on. Only thing I'm not a fan of, is the tortoise ribeye steak finish scratch plate. What I've found with a few basses I've modded in the past (orange jazz and a status necked stingray), is that although they're great basses when I finish, they're still not as good as my main bass. So, the plan with this one isn't to mod it into a great basses, but the five string version of my main bass. [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0532_zpsuz4wcbjj.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0532_zpsuz4wcbjj.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0533_zpsilwkc7en.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0533_zpsilwkc7en.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Some eagle eye readers may have spotted my savings comment. That still applies and will prolong the whole process where I'll being waiting for the parts to come up on here, or reduced somewhere. Apart from the status neck and that will be my birthday present for myself. So the plan is as follows, hipshot (most probably the licensed ones) ultralite tuners all angled back towards me, tension bar instead of a string tree, hipshot A type bridge, Seymour Duncan Ceramic MM pickup at the bridge, Seymour Duncan Alnico MM pickup in the middle (its cheaper than the 5 string quarter pounder), 500k pots all round and Schaller straplocks. All hardware will be gold. As for the neckim thinking of a status MM neck as they don't do a precision neck and the headstock shape is still similar. Thinking of maybe adding a red tint to it too. Only thing I'm unsure of is scratchplate colour where I met thinking either white pearl, parchment or mint. One handy little I remembered was the sandberg configurator. Put everything in to it for a rough idea and here's what it chucked out... [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/IMG_0152_zpsaivjrgq9.png.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/IMG_0152_zpsaivjrgq9.png[/IMG][/URL] When I actually start I'll probably do another build thread for all those that want to follow it. In the mean time, if anyone's fancies swapping three push fit chrome knobs for gold ones that be just peachy. Cheers, James

A couple of those part numbers have been listed in the decoration basses section on Thomann recently too.

Evening all, For a while I've been using one of Ben Bastin's wooden endpins and love it. Great tonal improvement and having the height set and dictated to me every time I set up to play is great. After removing the existing endpin and setting off for the bus with my bass I noticed something. The endpin socket sits proud of my gigbag and every time I put the bass down, be it at the bus stop on slabs or on tarmac to cross the road, the endpin socket scrapes on the floor and scuffs the timber around the socket opening. For a while I had been planning to find a solution, but never got around to it...until...over the Christmas period and all the family meet ups. Sat down at a gathering and started chatting to Mrs Jimryan's uncle. For a while I'd known about his company for a while but never put two and two together. He runs a precision engineering company, lots of metal turning and the likes and that's when I had an idea. After getting home I made up a drawing, after taking some measurements from my Bastin endpin, sent them off to him and the other day I was presented with... [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0528_zpscn7glcxv.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0528_zpscn7glcxv.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0527_zpsmsgdiudk.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0527_zpsmsgdiudk.jpg[/IMG][/URL] No more risk of scuffing or burring my endpin socket and also a handy little travel endpin. Cheers, James

[quote name='doc40hz' timestamp='1477911839' post='3165142'] Ooh, that's Nice! Thanks for the link [/quote] I was just about to point you in my direction.

I've got tickets to see them in Sheffield next weekend and can't wait. Loved the "lexicon of love" album and seeing them play all of it next week with a full Orchestra is going to be amazing. Really can't wait.