Norris

Could your pickups be re-packaged to fit the existing holes? It might work out cheaper and needs no intrusive surgery

That's ok. I've incorporated loads of other people's ideas anyway Anyway I have TWO of them I still have some other bits to do first but I do keep thinking about that grain filler now the ash back is ready for it! Loads of real life stuff coming up which means I'll be struggling for time - but I'm still itching to pop that lid!

A quadrant cabinet scraper can help with rounding over in awkward places, especially if you cut it down a bit. It is quite easy to put a gouge in your top though It certainly helps to get a roundover started if it's too fiddly to get any power tools to it though

I'd buy second hand and save some of the budget for a setup by a decent guitar tech. Don't sniff at Squiers - try a few different basses, but make sure a Squier is among them

I was going to be the keyboard player in my school band but seeing as I didn't own a keyboard anyway and we decided that a bass player was more important. So I became a bass player. Being a bass trombonist at the time helped. We started off with two guitars, bass and vocals going through one small combo amp. We had that opened up by customs on our way to our very first gig in Germany - we were all part of the school choir doing an exchange visit with a woodwind band and performed the two songs we had written at the farewell party ) think that I'm the only one out of that band that ever carried on playing after we left school

You'll have to try a Ric and a Thunderbird for the holy "quinitry"

Despite being an old git I quite like a bit of Grime

See if you can borrow a Daisy Rock bass for your next rehearsal

RnB has always confused me. It doesn't sound like any rhythm and blues I've heard. It seems to be such a wide genre too - so many turns are described as an 'RnB artist"

I wouldn't hold your breath. I'm 18 months into build number 1 at the moment!

Excellent work! Please feel free to pass on any other tips that occur to you. Flake is involved in one of my future build daydreams (build 4 or 5 - a 34" scale 4-string, single 'bucker passive archtop bass with scrolls and translucent red base & gold flake... or something audacious like that!)

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1487532517' post='3240558'] Ah...but first I turn it round and do it better on the other side. And if that isn't right, then the mosaic look, then the.... [/quote] ... Eddie Vanhalen style random stripes?

Have a look at the Jack Bruce (ish) build thread by Andyjr1515. There was quite a bit of discussion about notch filters and Andy had a couple as switch options

What you described is a notch filter if I understood correctly

The Comfort Strapp is made from neoprene and elastic in the main. However I wouldn't describe mine as being bouncy. They have a bit of give in them but that's a benefit imho. They are stable. Maybe you should try a few, but most music shops don't stock decent bass straps

No idea about mains suppressors/conditioners. My amps have always just run on what comes out of the socket. As for kettle leads, try to go for the standard connectors - without the gap between live and neutral, as they are the proper plug for the job plus kettle leads tend to be quite short. As for the fuse, the small glass one in the back of your amp will be lower rated than anything you stick in the plug. I just use a 13A one in there. Your amp fuse is the one doing the protection

The Squier P Bass Special is great if you can find one second hand. Mine was around the price you're looking to pay second hand. I don't know if they did them in Olympic white though. I love mine - metallic pewter with black plate

My azureglo 4002. I part exchanged it for next to no value on an Aria SB-1000. That is a cracking bass too but I do miss that Ric. My current 4003 is not as nice

I would think twice about hefting a bass of that weight. However as regards strap recommendations I wouldn't use anything but a Comfort Strapp. Check which length you need though - some of them are quite short i.e. go by dimensions rather than description and measure up first

[quote name='Manton Customs' timestamp='1486762155' post='3234482'] Lighter fluid is the best for this task as it'll leave next to no residue behind and will not harm the finish. Other products can make any future refinish work very difficult. [/quote] +1 again

Do you rest your thumb on the pickup? It could be that you are inadvertently pressing the pickup into the body and it's just catching on the screw threads rather than popping back out

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1486243666' post='3230364'] Are you trying to give me [i]more[/i] GAS? [/quote] Oops! Wrong spelling doh!

Lovely. I look forward to seeing it at the next bash

I went on Thursday. The Saturday tickets sold out really quickly. Lovely black Lakland being played by the geezer

Also a lot of landlords will be filling their 2017 diaries right now, so don't hang about and get out there pedaling