Jean-Luc Pickguard

I've not used ground/pressure wounds as far as I remember, but Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats are way brighter than D'addario Chromes, and they stay bright. Maybe not as bright as fresh rounds, but certainly a lot more so than all the other flats I've used. I love 'em and so do my 4003 & thunderbirds. I have not tried them on a precision yet, but I have a set on order ready for when I get my bitzer back this week from the gallery where it is having some work done.

I have now fitted a nice chrome 'spaghetti' Fender logo which I made using my cricut machine.

Krafty Cheese — The Residents

I like Johnny Cash's original, but I also like Slim Harpo's take on Folsom Prison Blues

Smear Body – Nitzer Ebb

Less expensive squier instruments, such as the mini precision bass and older affinity series, have a very plain looking black silk-screened logo. I have discovered that this logo is very easy to remove using a little acetone (aka nail polish remover) on a piece of kitchen towel. My Mini-P took about five minutes to debadge and is now ready for a custom decal which I will attempt to make later today.

Sharttered — The Rolling Stones

This is very much like a similar cable I put together, but using stereo components to enable me to mount a stereo wireless unit on the strap when using my 4003's rick-o-sound output.

Cut Off My Right Arm — Johnny Copeland Listen out for an absolute honker of a bumnote on the bass at 1:19

I had an unlined fretless precision bitzer which I build over 20 years ago. The neck was really nice with a dark ebony board, however I never really took to fretless and I have not played it for a long time. A few weeks ago I fitted a Fender fretted neck to it and it is currently at the Gallery having the nut cut. The fretless neck is now packed away safely in a Fender neck box while I decide what to do with it.

I put together an unlined fretless precision bass bitzer about 25ish years ago. I used top quality parts, but none made by Fender apart from an ‘F’ neck plate. I did however put a 70s style Fender decal on the headstock as I like the aesthetic — there has never been any intention for me to to sell this bass. A couple of weeks ago, after not having played this bass for a long time — due to losing interest in playing fretless, I gave it a neck transplant using a (fretted) Fender Precision to Jazz bass conversion neck (just a jazz neck with a precision decal) It has also acquired a Fender hi-mass bridge. The bass now has a Fender serial number, so is it now a Fender bass or is it still a fake?

Whiskey In My Whiskey — The Felice Brothers

Christ Hamster — Melvins

The only ones I can confirm are definitely genuine are Abraham Lincoln, Samuel Pepys, Glenn Miller, Jesus, and Paddington Bear

I've used routenote for some releases - similar to the other aggregators but they have a tier with no upfront costs.

I use my 4003 to record via the rick-o-sound output onto two tracks in logic so i can process each pickup separately, but with no variation in the performance. I use EB cobalt flats — the 40-60-70-95 set. It can be made to sound huge in the mix and I can fine-tune the amount of clank in the mix. I'm pleased I went for a 4003 rather than a 4003s - this technique has made the ric my favourite bass to record with, even if it has not dethroned my JMJ mustangs for gigs.

This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us — Sparks

Albert Flasher — The Guess Who

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat — Charles Mingus

Bed Spring Blues — Blind Lemon Jefferson

You're right Lozz, the JMJs are supplied new with fender long scale stainless flats, however I'm led to believe that the cobalts are more fragile than steels and might not survive the winding going around the string post. Maybe if any of the sets I have on a thunderbird gets a bit dead sounding, I'll experiment with that set — I wouldn't want to risk it with a new set though. I've just remembered I have a set of 30" Cobalt flats which should fit my Sienna sunburst PJ mustang as the body isn't string-thru, so I can see how they sound on that bass.

Naked As We Came — Iron & Wine

Coffee Grindin' Blues — Lucille Bogan

I really like the lightest set 40-60-70-95 (blue on the packaging) of EB cobalt flats on my three epiphone vintage pro thunderbirds so it was a no-brainer to sling a set onto my Gibson non-reverse thunderbird. When I bought my Ric 4003 they were also an obvious choice, and they don't disappoint — they really bring out the twang of the bridge pickup and contribute to the 4003 currently being my favourite bass for recording. I'd love to try a 32" set on one of my JMJ mustangs if EB ever decide to make such a set.

The Hardest Fart — Coldplay (unfortunately recordings do exist of coldplay)