Lfalex v1.1

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1372864323' post='2130884'] Don't you know? [/quote] Isn't that the guy from Depeche Mode?

Signed vinyl copy of "Leprosy" by Death (RIP Chuck) A frankly bizarre Russian Import Black Sabbath LP, which is half "Black Sabbath" and half "Paranoid" on the heftiest piece of vinyl known to man (180g?) Sounds amazing, too.

They're >30 miles away from me, so I pop over. Can't comment on the online/postal service, but they're good to deal with in person, too. "Here's the warehouse bit... Have a rummage around and see what you might like..." (It's actually really well laid out)

I cheated. Kef 3005.1 satellites/sub, a very nifty Pioneer amp, Sony Blu-ray and Samsung telly. In the lounge. Works OK. The audio components cost less than £900. Virtually no cable visible. In the back room lurks the proper stereo... Warts and all! Edit - and in both rooms, the speakers went in first, then the ancillaries, then the other furniture. So it all "works" correctly, and people sit where they ought to!

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1374427725' post='2148610'] Agreed that the Bongo EQ is perfect. [/quote] Certainly is.

The bass is all carbon/graphite. The neck/body/hardware are all fine. It's just the phenolic fretboard that's rotting. It's fretted, and I'd attribute the pitting to delamination of the fretboard due to wear from the strings. Thanks for the suggestions so far. That Milliput looks like it might do the trick. Some sort of black epoxy that I can paint on in thin layers would be ideal. The harder and the shinier, the better!

I was hoping for a DIY fix. I have a feeling that I'll just get clobbered for the cost of a new fretboard. Which will no doubt be astronomical... And be just as prone to failure as the previous one. I have two other phenolic boarded instruments, a Vigier and a Yamaha, and neither have had this problem.

My Status Streamline's fretboard has become damaged by sweat ingress (God knows how!) It has stained the board in a way that can't be polished out. A small pit has started to wear into the board, too. It is no longer shiny and black, It's just dull and stained. The frets are fine, but does anyone have any ideas for repairing/restoring the fretboard? Thanks in advance, Alex.

Nice work. Did you have to do anything to the fretboards to repair/clean them up? My Streamline has a seriously manky fretboard already. My sweat seems to have penetrated some of the resin, and it doesn't look nice. It almost needs a thin coat of black Epoxy resin to make it black/glossy/shiny again...

Thomastik Infelds Round-cored DRs such as Fatbeams. Whilst they have the same tension per unit length, they feel softer as they are more [i] compliant[/i]. Edit- the TIs come in weird gauges, though, slightly less than 40-100. I think the DRs come in both 45,65,80,100 / 40,60,80,100 Re-edited for- Neither are cheap. Expect to pay 2 or 3 times what Rotos cost. That said, I look at Rotos wrong and they go dull. DRs last me up to 9 months if kept clean. Never tried TIs.

"This video is private" :/

[quote name='Clarky72' timestamp='1373914782' post='2143120'] I'm not seeing that to be completely honest... [/quote] Two points. 1. The Spector is slightly saved by the fact that it has a black headstock and black controls. How wrong would it be with a white headstock and gold controls? Very. 2. I was referring to a white bathroom suite with gold taps, plug holes etc...

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1372174612' post='2122472'] Is fretless bass addictive once you pass a certain point? Have others experienced this phenomenon? [/quote] No. Whilst I am tempted by one of the GWB Ibanez models, I've never really got on with fretless. It's not the playing of the thing, just the tonality. I've never found one that "sings". They all seem to have this nasal squawk to the sound. So I sold my SR5 fretless, bought a different fretted 5er, and saved up and bought an NS designs CR5 upright. That [i]is[/i] addictive. From the first time you do a huge slow downward glissando that sounds like Obi Wan Kenobi shutting down the Death Star's force field onwards...

White basses with gold hardware look like a really nasty bathroom suite.

[quote name='tonyquipment' timestamp='1373659064' post='2140395'] play an electric into a mixer + headphones [/quote] This. I live in a mid-terrace house, and have been known to play on into the wee small hours using either an electric or my EUB and headphones.

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1373470224' post='2138005'] Possibly. Argh! Too many variables! [/quote] Including manufacturing tolerances. It's only a few percent...

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1373444191' post='2137552'] If it were a change that were forced upon me, (through accident for example) then I'd probably start by taking a huge amount of psychological support from the likes of Rick Allen and the awesome Bill Clements who are just two who have rebuilt their playing and career after a loss of a limb. An incredible inspiration to all musicians. [/quote] Interesting point about Rick Allen: He must be the only drummer to lose an arm to a car with not one, but two bass related names- Corvette Stingray. It was a C4 IIRC. It crashed and the seatbelt came undone. It was the buckle that did the damage, supposedly. Nasty. Good on him for showing the determination to start again from the ground up. And good on Def Leppard for supporting him.

I was hoping it'd be like an SBV. Alas, no.

[I]Ceramic[/I] magnets in the J of the PJ? Whilst it may actually sound better, it probably isn't in keeping with the Vintage vibe. Interesting if the P is something other than Ceramic.... Alnico?

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1373481280' post='2138177'] You can get an upright for the same money (just), much more fun! [/quote] Or a second-hand EUB and secondhand electric . I have an NS CR5 and Warwick Fortress Masterman 5 that I bought on here for less than a new Stingray...

[quote name='umph' timestamp='1373211167' post='2134736'] watts a watts a watt [/quote] Not when it's an Argos PMPO watt! They're worth 4 of everyone else's..

[quote name='JellyKnees' timestamp='1373299753' post='2135850'] Class isn't a word that springs to my mind when I think of tribute bands. [/quote] I have a sneaking suspicion that some tribute bands might actually be better than the band they're imitating. Perhaps not in the composition/writing sense, but in the live performance aspect.

I need to get around to- A Ritter A Parker Fly Basslab L-bow 5 Wal, if only for the pre-amp Ummm, er.... Um... Dunno about a fifth!

My streamer lx6 has Seymour Duncans in it as standard. MEC didn't make pickups big enough in 1997! Having 2 MEC equipped Warwicks for comparison, I'd say the MEC pre hamstrings the otherwise decent Duncan's. I'm tempted to swap out the pre for a more appropriate unit- East, ACG 01, or similar. The MEC pickups work fine with MEC EQs. I think the EQ works best with either hotter passive pickups or active pickups...

[quote name='cloudburst' timestamp='1373138640' post='2134120'] Thanks folks. I'm leaning toward another Bongo Spacing - if the Bongo 5 is indeed the same as the SR5 - I'll be fine. CB [/quote] Same bridge on both, isn't it?