HowieBass

Gas Valve - When the only thing that'll satisfy your cravings is a big old tube amp.

Thanks for this - I'll have a listen to it. Link here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06tvgp1

Looks like a surface mark probably from the hanger, nothing to worry about with regard to the integrity of the neck/headstock from what I can see.

I've used metal polish and T-Cut scratch remover polish.

[quote name='blablas' timestamp='1452080310' post='2946125'] I don't get all this for or against nagging, if you like it buy or build one, if you don't just don't! I don't like most of the designs and made my own, just to see if it was possible to come up with something that's pleasing to me. [/quote] I never tire of looking at your basses - wonderful instruments!

Do you think He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is a bit of a numerologist and has chosen the asking price of £257 for a special, mystical reason? Answer: Yeah, he's discovered the philosopher's stone that is capable of turning sh*t into... well, more sh*t.

Damn, almost made it but failed at 'Seven Nation Army' (though the main riff does sound good when played on a P bass strung with flatwounds)

That looks rather nice (and shiny!) and is one bass I've been wondering about trying for quite some time.

You could try this before taking them off and boiling them in water (which I have done, with the plastic ball ends and you do get a bit of life back, the plastic doesn't melt but it can become brittle - note I also added some white vinegar too). http://youtu.be/s8OYeN9mAL4

Every time I look at these I remind myself that should I ever win anything substantial on the Lottery, a Wal would be near the top of the list. Great looking bass!

[quote name='Matte_black' timestamp='1451845970' post='2943975'] I'm pretty sure the adjustable poles are there to make the pickup "follow" the fingerboard radius. It's something you can't do simply tilting the pickup. [/quote] That's true for pickups where the whole body of the pickup is a single unit like a single coil J or a humbucker but the Westone Thunder has a split P and you can adjust the angle of each half to follow the individual string heights/fingerboard radius.

Widened the neck as well? That's quite a mod!

If you've got a good chromatic tuner, do you even need to sound the harmonics? I tend to check the tuning pretty much at the 'dotted' positions all the way up the neck up to and including the 21st and (where available) the 24th fretted notes.

That price seems steep - I know some BCers produce them commercially. Try Googling "custom scratchplate" and you'll find a few there straight away.

I also think you're right to suspect the body/neck wood as the source of the dull tone - I believe that a body or neck that resonates in the same range as the notes played will absorb/rob energy from a vibrating string. I think that the tonewood 'thing' is more a matter of subtraction that addition when it comes to particular frequencies. What you're not hearing with your bass is being taken up by the wood itself rather than that energy staying in the string and being sensed by the pickup. It'll never sound good.

Great colour!

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1451515459' post='2941230'] Very cool. I really like the truss rod cover. As you said, it's the little details. [/quote] I like that too! Never seen that with a heel end truss rod adjustment - clever!

[quote name='essexbasscat' timestamp='1451517060' post='2941252'] Well done for doing something to brighten up the lives of people that probably don't get much excitement [/quote] +1 fantastic that you've made the effort to offer some entertainment - well played sir!

A Squier 5er, probably something like a VM Precision or Jazz ought to be a safe choice, especially if you can grab one secondhand.

This will probably surprise a few people on here but the worst instrument I've (briefly) owned was a Vintage V4 P bass - bought new it had lots of finishing faults and the strings were already showing signs of rust. I sent it back, got a refund and bought a far superior Squier VM P bass secondhand from another BCer and the difference in quality was like night and day. Squier (or rather Cort in many cases) are turning out some consistently good instruments these days.

The truss rod runs down the centreline of the neck so there's no asymmetry designed into it with regard to expected string tensions; in fact I only just read on here the other day about Andy McCluskey (of OMD) reverse stringing his Jazz bass in exactly the same manner as yourself. Have you checked the truss rod to see whether it's able to be adjusted (you'd need to tighten the bullet nut in order to take some relief out). As to why the relief/bow has increased - is where you keep the bass now colder or more damp than usual? It's not unknown for necks to move with changes in the season/weather.

I like the way the pickup covers/controls and scratchplate (ivory and white?) look against the sonic blue so that's the one I'd go for.

I've been using raw linseed oil (from a bottle that must be about 35 years old) and it's been fine.

I don't own a Sire V7 but you'll probably want to change the nut as the slots won't be the optimum width for the thinner strings - certainly worth doing if this is for the long term. You'll also need to check the relief and probably adjust the truss rod as the total tension is likely to increase.