Jean-Luc Pickguard

I look after my stuff - the chrome pickupo & bridge ashtrays on my '81 precision are identical to the much newer ones on my other much newer fenders. No rust or tarnish, the chrome is bright and the only marks are fingerprints which come off with a wipe of a microfibre cloth. No one's going to see the bridge and relic bridges I've seen are usually ridiculously overdone. I'd vote leave 'em be.

There are a couple of songs in our set that need a low D - one of those is an original where on the verse I play a repeated low D - its the third track on [url="http://orangeunsignedact.co.uk/acts/obviously-5-believers"]http://orangeunsignedact.co.uk/acts/obviously-5-believers[/url]. I only take one bass to gigs, usually the mustang as its so comfy. I just play that song using the D on the A string - no ones commented so far on it sounding different to the CD. When I recorded it in the studio I didn't really get an inspiring tone out of my active 5er, so I used my passive Precision & recorded it in two takes. First with the E string tuned down to D just playing the low Ds for the verses and then with normal tuning for everything else & comped it together. The other song we play that needs anything lower than open E just needs a low D at at the end of a decending run. If I have one of my basses with a D-tuner I just flip it for that note, but if I have the mustang, again I play the D an octave up.

[quote name='deksawyer' post='277633' date='Sep 5 2008, 10:10 AM']They're the only acoustic guitar I've seen with an action as low as an electric.[/quote] In that case you'll have to take a look at my stratacoustic sometime.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='276545' date='Sep 3 2008, 09:01 PM']Has anyone encountered this system before? [url="http://www.michaelkellyguitars.com/acoustic_guitars.html"]http://www.michaelkellyguitars.com/acoustic_guitars.html[/url] It looks intriguing... but![/quote] That looks like it could be a brilliant idea. The one thing I don't like about set necks is that they can't be shimmed so setting them up is always less flexible. I managed to get my cheapie stratacoustic playing really well by shimming it as it has a standard bolt-on strat neck, whereas my much more classy 80s washburn acoustic has really high action which I can't do much about as it probably needs a neck reset.

As well as producing it didn't Tony Visconti also play Bass on "the man who sold the world" - I've always love that album especially the fuzz bass on "she shook me cold". I must dig the CD out and give it listen tonight.

[quote name='Sibob' post='274837' date='Sep 1 2008, 06:43 PM']Definitely explore other avenues like Lakland and G&L etc (wouldn't bother with Cort myself), but give each[/quote] Who makes Lakland skylines & G&L Tributes? Cort

[quote name='matt_citizenbass' post='275053' date='Sep 1 2008, 10:58 PM']i think i've completly fallen in love with that danelectro '63 bass. its a shame they only make the aqua one in long scale. maybe its just the body size thats a problem [/quote] I have the previous (90s - made in Korea) version of the longhorn, which looks closer to a late 50s/60s one. Its a very light & comfy bass to play and has a unique sound. It does a great punchy double-bass type sound. The '63 comes as a short scale bass, long scale bass & guitar - The only difference between them all is the neck (& bridge ), the body, pickups and electronics are exactly the same on all of them.

Sounds like you should look at Danelectros The longhorn has 30" scale & 24 frets The short scale version of the '63 bass has 22 frets

[quote name='rayfw' post='274180' date='Sep 1 2008, 12:35 AM']Would've been cool if it had 5 wheels. [/quote] would have had six if you include the spare wheel & the steering wheel

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.