Jean-Luc Pickguard

Let us know how you get on with the kit - the headstock reminds me of sx bases - I wonder if they're from the same factory? I built a fretless Precision out of brandoni parts several years ago. Its great fun gigging a bass you put together. The homemade project looks like the bloke put it all together, found that it was as shabby as Robbie Williams without auto tune, so is trying to unload it on ebay.

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='273885' date='Aug 31 2008, 05:48 PM']Damn it.. there I was thinking that I'd manage to not have my gear slagged off... *sigh* 5 string bass - check Dean bass - check POINTY (explorer) dean bass - check... oooh wait.. I have some redeeming features... No ones dissed red eyes skull knobs (on my dean) No ones dissed Shine basses (My 5 string) No ones dissed Laney amps.. Waheeeeeeeeeeeeey... I guess there's still time...[/quote] Ok then: [list] [*]red eyes skull knobs [*]Shine basses [*]Laney amps [/list] only joking

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='273864' date='Aug 31 2008, 05:33 PM']Is there any bass you do like ? [/quote] josh likes Warwicks according to his sig. 'nuff said - each to his own. I must admit i was put off by the look of Mark Bass initially, but now I have an LMII which I initially bought despite the looks (and the drummer's name on it), but I've grown to love it.

[quote name='Jase' post='273735' date='Aug 31 2008, 02:46 PM']Most types of strap locks...always break on me![/quote] I forgot about straplocks. the ones I've tried were all useless over engineered sh*t - they might stop the strap coming off the strap button, but when the button wants to come off the bass - clang! (I took all the schallers off my basses after this happened. I've had much better success with grolsch swingtop seals like Pino uses (I wonder if his fender sig bass comes with a pair?) And for a more subtle look I use shower hose washers which are the absolute best thing to use if like me you keep the strap on the bass when its put away. +1 on fx pedals as well. (except compressors/limiters when used transparently)

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='273488' date='Aug 31 2008, 08:29 AM']Several people have mentioned the Hartke (nothing to do with me, just saw it)... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hartke-4-5-XL-bass-cabinet-400-Watts_W0QQitemZ180283625917QQihZ008QQcategoryZ23794QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hartke-4-5-XL-bass-c...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url][/quote] That looks heavy - It makes my back hurting just looking at it.

[list] [*]Rotosound Strings - I stopped using them years ago when I got three sets of flats that were utter crap. [*]Picks - like playing with gloves on. This is a personal observation - I'm sure others here will have much better technique than me, but I always feel like there's something missing from the feel/tone when I use a plecky. [*]Thinking about new gear when I should be playing instead. [/list]

[quote name='Teddy_Hitch' post='266701' date='Aug 20 2008, 11:27 PM']Hey guys, does anybody know where u can get some banging guitar straps? or post pics of urs! cheers![/quote] I like Levys suede ones they are are good on light basses or guitars and come in lots of colours. I use a brown suede one on my gigging mustang. Neotech or comfort strapps are best for very heavy basses (or les pauls) I've also bought some nice cheap leather / suede ones from various seller on ebay including some that are very good copies of levys suede ones at half the price. I always avoid seatbelt-style webbing ones or printed ones with a webbing backing they're too slippery and don't stay where you put them.

I tried one out & really wanted to like it, but couldn't get past that the tone is exactly the same whether you play next to the bridge or right up over the end of the neck. Didn't convince me at all. The double bass sound was pretty cool though.

Those er-20s are great - I have a pair of the standard ones, but found that the smaller ones (babyblues) fit better so I use those. If yours don't arrive in time remember the inverse square law from physics at school and stand well away from cymbals & guitar amps if at all possible.

Not a BC member's, but the only bass I really want is this 1966 blue mustang

If he emigrated to the states with the bass, did he origininally buy the bass in the UK? If so VAT has already been charged on it, so you'll need the original VAT receipt so there won't be anything to pay. Then again I'm no expert so could be talking out of my John McCainus.

Surely flea can tune his own bass? I'm sure we've all had moments when we've had to tune during a song. I know I have. I'm perhaps too old to understand as I've seen it all before, but smashing his bass like that makes him look a bit of a drama queen. I though his Fender is Jazz actually a very faded shell pink rather than white, which accounts for its high price due to the rarity of the colour. or is that a different one? A CIJ flea sig model would be cool, but I wouldn't buy it. I'd definitely buy a signature CIJ Jean-luc pickguard daphne blue '66 RI mustang bass with aged pearl pickguard & lollypop tuners though. If fender would make one that is...

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='269850' date='Aug 25 2008, 10:40 PM']As you may have gathered from the useless replies you have received so far....[/quote] Ooh that was a bit harsh

Whenever I buy a bass the first thing I do is change the strings - to Thomastik flats. It probably takes a couple of months to lose the new-string zing, but then they're perfect. Not sure how long they'll last as I've only been using them for five years, but I'll probably change them after about ten years whether they need it or not.

Cheers Wayne - It'd be great to see your lot getting through to the finals or indeed any basschatter's band - I particularly enjoyed your myspace song - it reminded me of my UK Subs coloured vinyl 7' singles.

I'm checking out the competition on the [url="http://orangeunsignedact.co.uk"]http://orangeunsignedact.co.uk[/url] site. Waynepunkdude has uploaded a couple of his "the plan" tracks including one that I've been pogoing to gently in my chair. There are lots of bands already on the site, some and some not so, so I'm sure a bunch of old f@rts like my lot: [url="http://orangeunsignedact.co.uk/acts/obviously-5-believers"]obviously 5 believers[/url] don't stand much chance of getting through. Its very heartening to know that there are plenty of bands about that still play real instruments and write their own songs rather than all the Simon Cowell karaoke competitions that usually get shown on telly.

[quote name='deaver' post='269078' date='Aug 24 2008, 08:15 PM']Saw a 70's cover band last night that consisted of a drum machine, a bass player and four guitar players. Surely that's not right[/quote] i think I can guess what was going on - one knows "E" & "A", one Knows "C" & "F", one knows "D" & "G" and the other one has a chord book to do the difficult ones. Or maybe I'm underestimating them and for any chord one plays the root, one plays the third, one plays the fifth and the other plays an octave/6th/7th as required I was in a band with a drum machine in the 80s. Never again - they don't know how to jam.

I hadn't missed my KX5 since I sold it many years ago, but I do now It got some great bass sounds using it to play all eight voices of my FB-01 module stacked in mono mode.

Differences? probably the main difference is the finish - get whichever one you think looks best. I don't think there'd be any different in sound. Gibson T-birds are mahogany with a thru mahogany neck, whereas Epiphone ones have an alder body with a bolt-on maple neck. So they are completely different beasts. I have a lovely white epiphone t-bird.

Pino uses Thomastik TI344 flatwounds on his Precision (His sig model comes with them as standard). They ain't cheap, but are worth every penny (IMHO) - they are also my string of choice.

I have the first version (1986) Hohner B2A. When I started using flatwounds on my basses I emailed strings direct with the same enquiy. They ordered some nice smooth picato double ball flats in for me. I have had them on the bass for about four years so far and they're still going strong.

I use an LMII case. I like that I can use the amp in the bag, just unzip the flaps front & back & plug in. I also have a spare LMII case that I might be interested in selling if anyone wants to make me an offer...

Superglue is fine as long as its only two or three dots as this should break when the nut is knocked to allow it to be removed.

DeArmond was originally a pickup company which was acquired by Fender who then brought out a range of instruments under the Dearmond name. These were Korean made to the design of Guild originals. After the DeArmonds were discontinued some were rebranded as Squiers for a while. The DeArmond Ashbory was rebranded to just "Ashbory".