Chris Sharman

I find a good answer to loose leads is to replace the mono jack socket (if it is the open type) with a stereo socket but only connect it as a mono. The additional prong gives it a bit more security by pressing against the centre pin and makes better contact. I have done this recently in my Jazz and it works a treat. Probably got the idea from someone on here of course....

Black. NO Tort..... Errrr....NO......definitely black. Hard game this, do I win?

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1393962440' post='2386382'] ... I wonder if they've bothered to check the battery? [/quote] would have been my first thought....

April 1st already? Surely not! I feel sick.

Never did grades although the Bass lead me to GCSE music grade B. Never learnt to sight read until a few years ago when I took up the tenor sax. Finally opened my eyes to how much I still have to learn. Cant wait to broaden my musical horizons now. You are never too old!

Just to throw a little more into the mix - I have just sold (on here) a Yamaha RBX370 active fretless which was very light weight and I could play it for hours without problems. It was replaced by a Westone Thunder 3 which seems to weigh the same as Neptune but was a personal 'need to have'. The point of this is that the Yamaha was a de-fretted bass i.e. it started off as a standard RBX370 which some previous owner paid good money to have the thing de-fretted and set up beautifully for a novice fretless player (such as myself). Perhaps if you cant find a fretless you are comfortable with, and lord knows they are in short supply, perhaps you may find a fretted bass you are naturally comfortable with and have that de-fretted? Could be the solution? Maybe?...

To quote Robert De Niro in the film Ronin; "where there is doubt, there is no doubt" i.e. if you are not sure of it, LEG IT! the above rule has served me well so far....

I use a Denon system that I bought on Fleabay. it is the best system I have ever owned. For the music I play in the room I have it is perfect, anything more expensive would be wasted on me. am I a Philistine or just, well, you know, a normal bloke?

Top Bloke - travelled quite a way up to collect the bass - stayed for a chat over coffee. No problems at all can recommend him as a good guy to deal with.

How strange - I was reading about this only yesterday on the BBC website. I thought "a bass or even just the fretboard made from that would look amazing" then I read the story about the illegal trade in this wood. You can read it here; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26037626 It does look beautiful though. I wonder if there is an official supply route for it?

+1 for the Westone Thunder. I have recently acquired a Thunder 3 (my second one) and the tonal variations you can get from it still amaze me. Even good ones are south of £400 mine was not in good nick therefore was a long way south of that. Bargain. Also the Yamaha RBX range. Second hand they trade for peanuts and if you get one of the higher numbered models (270, 370 etc) they have more kit than the basic 170 for not much extra dollar.

OOooff! I've just had a little accident! That is gorgeous. Want!

Hmmmm...Warwick create the Steampunk/Scapyard Bass. Not for me thanks.

I would guess at a Chinese factory with, as you say, a sticker for branding (hmmmm quality). I would also guess that the reason one of the controls on the front doesn't seem to work may be related to the battery cover on the back.....

Have just finished the electrics part of the overhaul of my new(old) Westone Thunder iii fretless. The feeling of plugging it in and hearing it sing after the work I have put in on it was just..... You all know what I mean.

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]1. Si600 - No gear, I expect to be too busy and I've nothing exotic or interesting![/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]2. Roland Rock - '78 P, W&T Ergon 5, Rocket Rig or GlockenRig[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]3. 4-string-thing - '78 (77?) P, Kala U Bass and either my Acoustic 220 or Minimark[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]4. Pantherairsoft - Roscoe LG V Sig, lots of effects, EBS/Barefaced rig (possibly)[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]5. KevB - USA Precision Deluxe (if not sold by then)[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]6. Doyle - V940, ME-20B, Random self build[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]7. intime-nick - maybe my Shuker, Sandberg, rack & pedalboard etc[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]8. andydye (if I can get agreement from swmbo) - ACG 5'er fretted and fretless, MarkBass LMIII, EAD Foundation 212, some pedals[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]9. DaytonaRik - Ashdown ABM III 1x15 combo and 2x10 extension cab, another Thunderbird IV, Schecter Omen Extreme IV, maybe a Cort (I think?) headless Flying V if I do something with it in time![/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]10. seashell - Fender P[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]11. Norris - Ric 4003, Gibosn T-bird, StaggEUB, Combo amp[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]12. Eboclive - Wal 5, ltd edition Warwick fretless[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]13. GrammeFriday - MTD KZ6 (with Nordstrand pups), MTD AG5, Sandberg Cali fretless 4, MIJ 62 reissue Jazz, TC Electronic RH750, RS210 and/or RS212, some fx boxes.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]14. Chairleg - Italia Maranello and one of those build it yourself bass kits I put together.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]15. tauzero - perm any several from Warwick JD Thumb, an Antoniotsai or two, Status Series 1 (low-mileage BC bike), Sei Original everythingless, Ashbory Mk 1 and possibly Mk II, Tecamp Puma 900, TC RS112[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]16. Prime_BASS - Genz Benz shuttle 6.0, barefaced S.Compact some effects.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]17. Cytania - cheap Moose Antlers![/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]18. Chris Sharman - Cake. That is all.[/font][/color]

Right then after several hours of success (and occasional failure) I can report the following: The good: neck is straight, everything works including the switch that is broken (it is only the toggle broken) Fretboard has come up nicely, body polishes up OK except where it has been mistreated in the past. The bad: Body HAS been mistreated in the past. This thing has history. It seems the output jack socket also needs replacing and I don't have a spare one of those at present so it looks like another trip to Maplin in the morning. It has also had roundwound strings on for seemingly it's entire life meaning there are definite string marks on the board. I may have to get the board re-finished at some point however for now I simply want to see how it plays and will take it from there. The knobs were missing and I have had to replace them for now with some from Maplin. i will change these later for some black knurled aluminium ones but for now these will do. The ugly: Someone hates Westone so much that they have sanded the Westone logos off the pickups. They also at some point tried to sand the one off the headstock but realised quite quickly that it was under the lacquer and stopped before doing any serious damage. For this they should be shot. or hung. or both. Anywhoo it is now strung with flatwounds. This is the first time I have used flatwound strings and they are a revelation to me. How have i lived so long in denial of the playing pleasure I am now experiencing. This has opened my eyes to what I have been missing. And now - to prove it did actually happen and that my hours of polishing, lemon oiling and generally tinkering have been worthwhile I present photos, enjoy! http://s951.photobucket.com/user/stg47/media/IMAG02541.jpg.html http://s951.photobucket.com/user/stg47/media/IMAG02501.jpg.html http://s951.photobucket.com/user/stg47/media/IMAG02471.jpg.html http://s951.photobucket.com/user/stg47/media/IMAG02511.jpg.html Happy bunny alert!

Didn't I see one of those for sale recently named (I kid you not) the "sh*t-o-caster"?

I paid £25 over. Nice chap, even bought me and Mrs S a coffee as we had just driven for three hours to get there. Then went off and bought some parts for it from Maplin electronics (replacement knobs and switch) and a set of Thomastik Flatwounds from a shop in Hammersmith which were marked up at £40 but he offered them me for £30. I actually feel like I have robbed people yesterday.

I will endeavour to attend, although I have no really special gear to bring so I might see if I can talk Mrs S into baking a cake or two (Mrs S makes goooodd cake!)

I had the same email as Kev as the seller and I were already in 'advanced negotiations' when he apparently had a call from someone who really wanted it and had offered £150 but wanted it shipped at that and he didn't want to courier it out. I was quite open and said I couldn't go that high as it needed money spending on it and work doing and I would have to travel down from Derbyshire to get it this weekend. He came back to me with a lower price if I came and collected it. Net result - it is now on my dining room table covered in beeswax polish, de-strung and with the fretboard doing it's best to drink me out of lemon oil. Tomorrow I start work on the electrics. I also managed to pick up a set of Thomasik flatwounds from a music shop in Hammersmith while I was down there. I am a happy bunny. Before anyone tells me it didn't happen, pics will be posted as soon as I can remember the password for my photobucket account........Again. Coming soon - For Sale - 1 de-fretted Yamaha RBX370 due to the invocation of spousally agreed one-in-one-out clause. Probably......