Sean

My uncle was an assistant chief constable. I geddit. He was a thirty something degree freemason and CBE from QE2 herself. Crime number.

There is absolutely no way that a bass guitar gets accidentally delivered to an auction house and then that auction house proceeds to list it for sale. "Oooh, look! Something got accidentally delivered. Let's list it." The whole thing stinks. I'll speculate that someone at the auction house is a fence and uses the business to move on their stolen goods that come in from a network of theives that include contacts in courier companies. The reluctance to cooperate might point towards this incident being just the tip of a large iceberg. If it's gone back into the Parcelforce system it will have a new tracking number, shouldn't it?

Wilkinson hardware is generally good and stands up well against other brands. Schaller and Hipshot are higher quality and associated with more premium or high end spec instruments. I've only had good experiences with Wilkinson hardware. Another brand that is gaining popularity and a decent reputation is Guyker. One thing to be aware of when swapping out this kind of tuner is the mass. If the V96 is light, putting heavy Schaller vintage-style tuners on that are heavier than the stock ones, could cause neck dive or at least a change in balance of the bass. Another consideration is that the OEM tuners aren't the same spec/quality as the aftermarket ones. That the WJBL200 tuners supplied from the factory aren't as good quality as the aftermarket. I've seen this before on various products. Sometimes it's impossible to change to another tuner without having holes. I'm doing one this afternoon and will post a pic. I'm putting the old screws back in the old holes... ...probably.

I've done it myself a few times but recently I've done it 3 times through https://www.bassjapandirect.com/index.html Danny Stewart is the chap. He charges a small fee for his export services however this is the only route I'll use these days. He has a Bass Finder service but if you know what you want and where it is he reduces that to just his admin fee.

I loves a look behind the scenes. Thank you for posting this.

This week: 1. What You Know by 2 Door Cinema Club Plectrum, clean, touch of Chorusaurus. 2. Just a Day by Feeder Plectrum, DP-3x bi-amp mix setting, touch of Chorusaurus. I'd not heard this before, it's a good un for getting a tone of your own. I have to learn my vocal bits too. Rehearsal tomorrow, gig next week.

Hmmm, this is today's new thing for me. I've had headless basses, 7 Hohners, a Status Streamliner, a Status "somethingelse" graphite/wood (sorry, can't remember) and I didn't know about the dead spot thing. "You're always on that Basschat forum..." "Yes, I learn stuff. Most days."

I wonder how many readers of this thread have picked up their basses and started looking for dead spots. I'm not going to bother. I'm not aware of any and would be frustrated if I found one. Good luck with getting it sorted and although I've not had any dealings with Dingwall, I only hear positives about its customer service.

Not for me. I just don't get on with any jewelry. I love watches but can never keep one on for more than a few hours. I tried various rings over the years but am always too conscious of them. My dad will be celebrating 60 years of marriage this year and he hasn't worn the ring since the wedding day! He doesn't like the feeling.

Resale on them is alarming if selling one bought from new. If you're buying used they're one of the best bargains out there especially the neck through Korean ones. The quality of them is as a good as anything but the only way I'd be playing a new one is if I was on the artist roster, and I don't think that's going to happen any time soon.

Even tuning up is going to sound sweet with that combination. Great to know you're back on the horse. Have fun.

If I had a bass-related business I wouldn't be posting rolling eye emojis on another bass-related business' post even if it's incorrect. That's just not good form. It says things about the business.

Mods, would this post be better off in Repairs & Technical? I'll respond to the post tomorrow. I've rescued 6 of these so can add a bit of value.

I've got 4 Japanese Yamaha 😉 basses, I've always been a fan and have always fancied an NE2, they are so classy and beautifully made. I went to a Nathan East clinic years ago and fell in love with the BBNE2 then. Flagship Yamaha bass.

I agree on not de-fretting. The BBNE2 is a neck-thru design, making a fretless neck for it isn't an option. It's also a high-end and quite sought after bass that could be difficult to resell if de-fretted and you'd have the cost of re-fretting if you wanted to reverse the job. If money is no object and none of this matters, go ahead and defret. It's a different decision for different people.