HowieBass

I don't know if Allparts in the UK would be any cheaper for postage but here's the page for the item http://www.allparts.uk.com/products/plastic-spring-washers-for-bass-keys-between-button-and-housing-8-pieces-white

Might be worth giving all the pots and the jack socket a clean with contact cleaner spray to make sure there's no surface oxidation/crud causing a problem too.

I wonder when the "you do/you don't try to intonate a tea chest bass" flame war will start?

I think donations might be possible via the Music Department of Bradfield College - [email="[email protected]"][email protected][/email] - news story about fund raising efforts here http://www.bradfieldcollege.org.uk/News/NewsArchive1/Pages/GuitarathonforDza.aspx

Just spotted this on YouTube, inspirational to say the least... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51VDJt-Qm5Q

Clicked on the link, got placeholders for the images but no content showing (I don't have a Pinterest account either).

Just to muddy the waters a little; have you considered Genz Benz Focus cabs? The FCS-210T and the FCS-115T are rated at 300 watts, have a tweeter level control, have a street price of £199 and roughly the same weight as the TC cabs. The Bass Whisperer is impressed with them, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urvdCExs2kI

I'm running my basses through a Zoom B9.1ut and have settled on a patch for my fretless that employs an amp+cab simulation, plus octave (down), detune (tad more subtle than chorus) and reverb - all switchable. This Zoom unit is a little complicated for some and I suspect didn't sell well (which is why it's now discontinued), but the quality of effects is good and I bought mine new at what I consider a bargain price. Worth looking out for secondhand.

... Jazz Club... nice.

I've heard mixed stories about the Squier Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz - it has a lined ebonol fingerboard; ebonol is a very hard wearing synthetic material so you can string it with roundwounds to get that Jaco tone and not worry about wearing furrows into the surface... some people reckon it's a great instrument whilst others have had issues with neck stability (could be a manufacturing quality control issue that's since been sorted). I must admit I've been tempted to buy one of these secondhand just to satisfy my curiosity but I haven't pulled the trigger yet (and besides I have 5 basses already).

+1 for both the Fender steel flats and the Roto nickel rounds

Am sure you know what I mean about the saddle adjustment, having them almost matching the radius of the fingerboard for the G and E strings. Nice to know there are plenty of decent sounding budget basses out there!

That's a lovely looking instrument! Wouldn't mind adding something like that to my own collection one day. Think it would do any good to try squirting some switch cleaner into the toggle switch? I've an '86 era Westone bass that has 3 toggle switches (pickup selector, active/passive, humbucker/single coil) and all of them are of the sealed unit type... I felt that I was lacking a bit of output volume and treble and assuming that all 3 are in the signal chain it seemed sensible to spray cleaner (using the supplied thin tube) into the things and work the toggles backwards and forwards to get rid of any oxidation on the contacts; I think it's improved the sound (I blew into the switches to clear excess spray out and checked the output when they'd all 'dried out').

A Jazz will certainly have a slim neck but if the bass is sounding good I'd persevere a little longer and see if you can adapt to it... are you placing your thumb in the middle of the back of the neck? I've got a fretless Cort B4, VERY slim profile neck, made from a 5-ply laminate of wenge and rosewood; TONS of middle growl; in fact now I'm playing through a decent combo (Genz Benz) and I can hear everything the bass is giving me I'm backing off the treble and that's surprised me as it's wearing flats. Always a surprise isn't it what a decent set-up can do to an instrument?!

My present to myself the other week was a Genz Benz Contour combo, but I doubt my neighbours will be as pleased as I am!

What a great story! Makes me feel all low frequency and not at all fuzzy tee hee

I really don't need another bass but hmmmmm that does look good LOL Apparently, though not recommended with a decent bridge (where the height screws run in grooves), and until you replace the bridge, if you have the outer two saddles slightly angled off the horizontal (with uneven height adjustment screws) you'll have a bit of string tension pushing the saddle inwards that helps them stay put against the next saddle.

If it's a poly varnish you could try metal polish on a soft pad... clean the frets at the same time

I'm using raw linseed oil on my fingerboards and I apply it using a kitchen towel rather than drizzling it over the wood, so it's applied sparingly; it flows into pores and fills them so that in time after repeated applications (days or weeks apart) a sheen develops - I tend to use a cloth duster to polish the fingerboard after I've played the instrument. The only downside is that linseed oil has a peculiar smell (though since I don't use much at any one time it isn't an issue for me).

Apparently you can use Coca Cola to clean brass, it's the phosphoric acid in it that does the work... I believe similar results are achievable with vinegar or brown sauce (both slightly acidic). So, remove the bridge and dip the whole thing in cola overnight... then when cleaned and dry apply a clear laquer to maintain the finish.

I can't comment on the similarity or difference between Jazz bass necks and Ibanez necks (which I've read are skinny) but I know that Jazz necks are great to play. Don't worry too much about neck thickness; if you've average sized hands you should find it fairly easy to accommodate different profile necks (I have a 5 string bass and it's no less comfortable to play compared to my Jazz). If you do go down the Squier Vinatge Modified or Classic Vibe Jazz bass route then you have ample opportunity to later upgrade the bass if/when you get more confidence and knowledge... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/167390-squier-vm-jazz-upgrades/

I've used thin plastic sheet of about 1/32" thickness, cut to shape to fit the neck pocket of my Cort Curbow 5 because I needed to raise the neck when the saddles of the G and B strings were bottoming out and the action still wasn't low enough. I used two thicknesses so I raised the neck by about 1/16" and I drilled holes to accommodate the neck retaining screws. I can't remember where I got the plastic (I'd used it during an art degree course) but it was thin enough to cut with scissors - this is similar stuff I think http://www.amazon.co.uk/SHEETS-BLACK-PLASTIC-PLASTICARD-0-75mm/dp/B00F5YJOC6/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1387794254&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=0.75mm+plastic+sheet

Yeah but if you buy a bass for $4,280 whilst you're living in the USA, then realise you've blown all your life savings on something in a moment of madness and need to sell it fast you're hardly likely to then buy a one-way ticket to Liverpool and sell it for the equivalent of $1,600.

[quote name='Steff' timestamp='1387736196' post='2315060'] What are the chances of someone from the UK buying this bass from the US owner, then bringing it over and now selling it? [/quote] I'd say chances are nil; nobody buys a bass in September for roughly £2,600 then sells it a couple of months later for £1,000 and uses the same item description as the guy they just bought it from.

Start learning how to do sliding double stops