Chiliwailer

Only just saw this. Well, they have bite, just perhaps not the ‘rip your head off aggression’ you can dial in from the old ones. IMO, YMMV, etc!

Indeed, Chris had the best dry jokes too! Sounds like a plan then, that’s a very nice bass to have your sights locked on 👍

If that was around 2006 I might have sold it to you! The Special is different to a Classic, which are lovely too. The body and hardware is much more ergonomic on the Special and the pickup and preamp are very, very different. The Special can do a lovely old school tone, but next to a Classic you’re likely to hear the difference.

Squier all day long Just can’t beat the versatility of a P. The Greco might be nice but is too limited IMO. But if that’s the tone you want, that’s the tone you want! Oh yeah, I’m selling some lovely D’Addario Chromes flats in the classifieds

Neck width also depends on when the one you played was actually made, they did used to be wider. Its really odd, I though the maple fingerboard versions felt narrower but later found out they measure the same. I wonder if the generous slab of rosewood or ebony make them deeper? The new maple boards are super comfy though, in between a Jazz and P.

I’ve had one since Sept ‘18 and really like it. Been playing Rays on and off for about 24 years. It’s definitely different. In some ways it misses the aggression of the old 3 bands, but it makes up for it IMO with a hugely improved preamp that gives you a lot of useable flexibility. So it kind of sits in between the old 2 band and 3 band models doing its own thing - but being more mellow or open like a 2 band when you want it. Every so often I miss the bite of my old one, but I have a HH Special and the versatility and improved ergonomics win it for me.

Exactly that. I’d be well surprised if that wood separated more and became an issue.

I went back to passive as I could use an external Aguilar Tonehammer pedal. Plus nothing else interested me as much as the East.

Lol, just saw this thread title with interest and didn’t remember I started it! Sadly, I had to remove mine when I put some Fralin stacked pickups into my Jazz, the preamp just wasn’t designed for the extra output I guess? I spoke to John, he wasn’t sure why, but I was getting tons of clipping. Shame, was a great preamp.

Is that at TW300? Back in ‘93 I was a 15 year old in Andys on Denmark St, learning to set up acoustics on them. If there’s nut file scratches behind the nut, and dodgy notching on the bridge, then it’s one of mine! 🤣

Sounds harsh, and a touch unfair. But yeah, Bozo comes to mind for doing that! The previous ones were well known for other issues, much more apparent than a glued in ferrule. Those big issues ‘seem’ to be sorted i.e. finish, frets, truss etc, hard to say, or critique, based on one experience. I’ve had no issues with my machine heads.

I bet you do! This 2019 has restored my faith in Gibson (QC), I hope they keep it up across the range.

To name just a few - Had Strats - love the neck pickup but not the others Had Teles - loved the bridge pickup but always wanted the neck pickup to sound like a Strat. Had a LP - not for me. Had a SG - nearly there. Now got a SG with P90’s - I love every pickup position from it. For me, it’s ideal. Looks like the one below. For acoustics I have a Martin 0018 and a Martin Parlour made around 1840.

From my experience, if CTS, there should be another code starting 304- or 137- (depending on shaft type). After that comes 4 digits, of which the first two are the year and the next two are the week of the year. E.g. 137-6410 is the 10th week of 1964.

Depends on the type. I’ve had a swamp ash Fender P that was 7.5lbs and heavy as f@%# 1970’s ones. But yeah, good ash is often light. Some of the 50’s ash Fenders are super light and sound awesome.

Music Man had a similar statement out a while back, due to environmental and harvesting issues http://blog.music-man.com/instruments/changing-times-changing-timbers-why-the-guitar-industrys-swamp-ash-shortage-wont-interrupt-our-mission-to-make-the-worlds-best-guitars/

Cheers 👍 It’s a Mike Lull PJ4. I’m a Fender fan, but ergonomically the Lull is the best Fender P that Fender never made!

Oh yes, that album had a lot of riffs to answer for! Saturdays were Metalli-days 😄

Yup, it’s not a Bass Direct advert if there isn’t something wrong with the info somewhere! Hasn’t stopped me buying from them though - at least their knowledge is better than their copying and pasting! 😂

Roka’s on Denmark St had that (later bought out and changed to Rockers) they had it at the back of the shop on the office door, way back in 1993 when I first worked there and for many years after. It said something along the lines of ‘Anyone playing these following songs should seriously consider if they have a career in rock n roll...’ I think the Rockers staff then put something similar on the front door about then being banned. The original Roka’s was a great shop - the place to get your spares before the internet.

Good move - I had flats on mine and it was perfect. Stunning basses the Old Smoothies.

Cheers, it’s nice and light and the neck is stunning - like my old 94 Ray. I imagine your 87 neck to be lovely too, but perhaps wider and lacquered if it’s anything like my old 86. The new EQ sits nicely in between the old 2 & 3 band EQ’s - so quite different. I’m not saying it’s the best choice, but will at least be very different to your 87, which I’m sure is a great bass.

I’ve previously had 80’s - modern Rays, 2 band and 3 band. For my taste, I’d recommend buying one like the HH Special I own now. The others are still great, I just feel this suits what I like better in a bass (ergonomics, awesome EQ and versatility).