budget bassist

If you can, try and push the pickup down as far as you can, and then grip the head with a pair of mole grips or pliers and get plenty of leverage on it, but try not to scratch the pickup casing like i did. Might easier if you get someone else to hold the pickup down.

You disgust me!

Aye, but you never know where she's been

[quote name='thedonutman' post='800110' date='Apr 8 2010, 07:38 PM']Update: The guy has emailed me back: - He assures me the fretboard is Ebony (Am I going crazy? I have two slotted Ebony fretboards on my shelf along with a Jackson guitar that has a Ebony fretboard - looks and feels [i]nothing[/i] like what's on this) - The original JANII was replaced with the Brass nut - £100 refund I'm not sure what to do at this point. £100 barely covers the work I'd want done at minimum, which is a nut replacement, setup (and possible a fret level). And I'd have to shell out more than that to strip the finish to get the bass the way I'd really like. In the interest of being nice to the guy I could just take the refund and try and sell the bass on to get my cash back. Do you guys reckon £650 would be a reasonable price for it? If not, I think I will get a full refund. Even if the fret/neck info was given to me in an email instead of the description I hope it's still within my rights to send it back on the basis that the fretboard is wenge and not Ebony.[/quote] You said jon shuker quoted you £100 for a fret dress and a setup, with a good setup, low frets should be no problem. £100 refund sounds reasonable to me, considering the price you got it for in the first place. As for the colour, that's no fault of the seller's. You bought it knowing it was that colour and you might want to strip it back, it would be unfair to send it back to the seller for that. If someone bought a bass from you and on reciept, decided they didn't like the colour and wanted a refund, would you not be pissed off? As beedster pointed out, this occurs fairly often when buying basses sight unseen and definitely isn't a "disaster". With all due respect, you're making far too much fuss over what (IMO) are fairly minor issues, which can be fairly easily resolved. You really can't complain at all, given the price you paid for it.

love that bleached blonde

I don't think it'll take a lot to set it right, personally. Just had a look at my streamer (didn't have to hand last night) and the frets on that are very flat indeed, plays fine though

[quote name='discreet' post='799088' date='Apr 7 2010, 07:10 PM']Was it an Ashdown?[/quote] most probably! (i can attest to this)

[quote name='Chris2112' post='799073' date='Apr 7 2010, 07:01 PM']I'm sorry to say, but that looks hideous. It just looks like a very badly abused Thumb that [b]should sadly be skipped[/b]. You've been taken for a ride by the seller, which is also unfortunate. Personally, being a Thumb owner and addict myself, I'd just send it back and save up for a better one...[/quote] You what?! It's not that bad! nothing a redress and setup won't fix!!

[quote name='chriswilliams666' post='799048' date='Apr 7 2010, 06:44 PM']Eddie Van Halen and Zakk Wylde do it. Then again, they were probably high at the time.[/quote] Asing a chain as a strap is one thing when it's on a fender strat, using one on a 5 string thumb is something totally different!

Why?....

[quote name='thedonutman' post='799032' date='Apr 7 2010, 06:25 PM']Regardless of how easy, or not, something is to fix, I think I have every right to complain about inaccurate descriptions from sellers. Overcomplicated comparison alert : If you bought a Les paul and it turned up with a broken headstock, despite being advertised as "great condition, no headstock breaks" you'd be pretty unhappy wouldn't you? It's not a case of "It'll only cost you £50 to get the headstock glued back on by a luthier", it's a case of you receiving an item that wasn't accurately represented in the listing.[/quote] True, i would probably send it back and get a refund, depending how bad it was And what on earth is going on with those strap 'buttons'?

You don't owe the buyer anything, it's up to the buyer to make sure that you sent the item insured. If it's insured, it's fine. If not, they need to file a dispute through paypal. Basically, it's not your problem.

It may need a refret (or just get them crowned?) but truss rods can become tight if they've not been moved in a while, get a pro to set it up, i think that's all it really needs. And the nut is about 1mm away from the end of the fretboard? it's probably just moved a little, as those nuts just come right out. I think you're making a fuss over nothing...

You sound like you could do with a break. As some people have said, maybe pack up your gear and put it in the loft for a bit and see what happens. If you don't touch if for a couple of months, maybe even a few years, that doesn't matter. You have your family, just do what makes you happy.

Megadeth - Holy Wars and Poison Was The Cure - amazing songs

Out of interest, what was wrong with the other ones you tried? Plenty of people seem to think they're rubbish, they never say why though... My streamer $$ is one of the best basses i've ever played (for me)

[quote name='Clarky' post='797505' date='Apr 6 2010, 01:27 PM']The last two albums did have some scorching tracks on them though (and great bass playing) - my fave is "Washington is next"[/quote] Yeah I quite liked some of the tracks off Endgame, 1,320 and Headcrusher mainly. I could never get into United Abominations though, personally. I can't wait for them to release a new album with Ellefson though! It should be pretty killer!

[quote name='Bigwan' post='797377' date='Apr 6 2010, 11:50 AM']Used to think there wasn't a Warwick made in the last 10 years that was any good[/quote] A lot of people seem to be saying this, and I really don't understand it. I think it's mainly people who haven't played a Warwick in the last ten years because they threw all their toys out their pram when they started making the necks out of ovangkol and changed the dimensions.... my 0.02

[quote name='the_skezz' post='797240' date='Apr 6 2010, 09:36 AM']Alright then, I'll give it a listen...to be fair, I've only really heard the greatest hits and the last two albums, so maybe I can't really comment...it's just that from what I've seen, a fair bit of it seems to be following the guitar or playing something rather similar to it. But if you say Rust in Peace is good for em, I'll check out the numbers I don't know from it.[/quote] The last two albums weren't real megadeth IMO, have a listen to youthanasia and everything else before that, that's their best work (youthanasia, rust in peace, countdown to extinction, so far so good so what? peace sells but who's buying? and killing is my business and business is good), the rest just doesn't compare. Rust in peace is by far their best though.

[quote name='Rosh' post='797127' date='Apr 6 2010, 12:55 AM']You think that's bad?! I'm the only person on the planet, neigh universe, that thinks Tim Burton is overrated.[/quote] One of two, my friend. I can't stand most Tim Burton films, particularly the animated ones.

[quote name='the_skezz' post='797110' date='Apr 6 2010, 12:28 AM']neither have any really standout basslines IMO...[/quote] You what? Try the whole of Rust In Peace?

I'm making the most of it while i can

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='796997' date='Apr 5 2010, 10:05 PM']On a more serious note, as Sam says, Ashdown gear is excellent. I've had several from a cheap EB180 combo to a MAG Evo II rig and they've all been excellent with great sound. If a little on the stupidly heavy side![/quote] You should try the ABM stuff! I had an EB180 head (which blew up, shocker) which was good, but i replaced it with an ABM 300 EVO II and i tell you what, they're worlds apart! The ABM is great, honestly, i can't recommend them enough!

A photo from a recent band practice for a band i was depping with