Happy Jack

They all play in bands with two bassists ...

There's nowt wrong with foam earplugs or even cotton wool if what you want is simply to protect your eardrums. On the other hand, if you want to protect your eardrums AND still be able to listen properly to what's going on, without deadening or muffling the sound, then you need proper earplugs such as ER17s. If you want to protect your eardrums AND still be able to listen properly to what's going on AND to hear as clearly as if you weren't wearing any protection at all, then you need top-of-the-range filter plugs such as ER15s or ER20s.

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1447884052' post='2911299'] Ooh, sickburn. [/quote] That's a small village just south of Edinburgh, right?

If you're going string-through then you need to check that the LaBellas will actually reach the nut before the silks start. Mark where the nut touches the string you currently have (Tippex is good) and take the string off, measure it carefully from ball-end to mark, then ask your chosen string supplier to confirm the precise length of the LaBella from ball-end to silk. Obviously you shouldn't have a problem ... they make these strings to fit the basses! The fact is, I have several times found the first 1/4" of the silks on one or more strings on the "wrong" side of the nut.

Also worth a mention are La Bella FL Deep Talkin' and Status Graphite Half-rounds. La Bella FLs are bloody expensive and not always easy to obtain, but they do sound wonderful. I started using them when I bought my first proper vintage Precision, on advice from Basschatters who know this stuff inside out ... Clarky, Beedster, and Wateroftyne. They're not so good on longer scale basses like the 35" Mike Lulls I play now. The Status Half-rounds offer a genuine compromise between the feel of flats and the snarl of good rounds on a P. I converted to Lakland Joe Osborn strings when I started playing 35" scale since all Lakland 5-strings are 35" AFAIK. Those Osborns then turned out to be re-packaged GHS strings, which takes you back to Essential Tension's post up at the top. The fact that they fit 35" scale so well also means that they are excellent for string-through-body on a 34" scale bass.

[quote name='operative451' timestamp='1447780318' post='2910321'] I'm pretty sure that in my local WH SMith they sell Guns 'n' Ammo. The magazine, not the actual things. [/quote] Well it's quite normal to put ammo in a magazine. Sorry ...

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1447746553' post='2909877'] The cover of a music magazine - or any magazine - featuring a weapon unless strictly in context is horrendous timing at any time. My opinion of any individual who thinks it's cool to pose with a weapon is also not that high. [/quote] On a point of order, Chris, the cover does NOT feature that photo. Apart from that, I entirely agree.

[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1447718818' post='2909825'] Hey guys, what does two P pickups do for tone? Just curious as I've seen tons of P+J and P+HB basses, but not P+P. Can anyone explain? [/quote] They allow you to dance about architecture (if you know your Zappa).

Yup, some Ted Nugent stuff is great too. Doesn't alter the fact that the guy is certifiable and shouldn't be allowed out without his strait-jacket.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1447620928' post='2909048'] That was written back in time when you needed a musket to protect yourself from Grizzly Bears or poachers on your homestead.... [/quote] IIRC, they needed the muskets to protect themselves from the British. They didn't have an army so they needed Minutemen (that's militia, not intercontinental ballistic missiles).

Think I'll wait for the Deko version ...

I'm glad they didn't get your doubleneck.

Z Car design? Presumably he's an Everton fan ...

I suspect that stability might be an issue ...

Bubenreuth is where Hofners used to be made, also Framus. The whole region is famous for the production of high-quality instruments.

Couldn't he afford a proper bass guitar?

I once got chucked out of a pub for making a small gesture at the manager. Don't suppose that counts either.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1447181936' post='2905646'] It's awful, but I quite like it for some reason. [/quote] http://youtu.be/dJmg-879j5o

In excellent, all-original state, that bass would have been worth somewhere in the region of a grand, maybe £1500 if the vendor got seriously lucky, but also maybe £750 on a slow day. For something as beat-up as that, and needing quite a lot of work, £255 was probably a pretty fair price. In my vintage-Hofner-collecting days I had a large cardboard box filled with genuine, original parts for old Hofners that I'd accumulated. If I was still in that position, I would happily have paid £255 for this bass, knowing that I could pretty much restore it from my own parts bin.

Never knew that Rory had one! http://www.rorygallagher.com/#/archives/guitars/burns_weill_rp16_streamline

[quote name='bumnote' timestamp='1447099157' post='2904899'] 100w fender bassman with its 4x10 loud enough to keep up with a fairly loud drummer [/quote] That's cheating, that is. Them's [i][b]valve [/b][/i]watts which are a whole nother thang.

I had a GK MB200 for a while. Astonishing thing. Put through a pair of Barefaced cabs (so as to get 4 Ohms) it was plenty loud enough for any pub gig ... still not sure why I sold it. I now have an Aguilar Tonehammer 350, which is obviously bigger than a 200W. On t'other hand I've yet to get the Master volume up to 12 o'clock. Cue posts about non-linear control knobs ...

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1446994343' post='2903954'] How many people wishing they kept theirs now??? [/quote] Well looking at those adverts, I rather wish I'd kept my barn. When I think of all the great things I might find stored in there ... It's OK though. I have an uncle who is yet to pop his clogs, so I'm confidently expecting a dozen vintage instruments to come through.

[quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1446898271' post='2903297'] Probably better to play this one standing methinks! [/quote] I think you meant "better to mount this on a stand". I don't want to think about what that thing must weigh.

Pooched? I've owned a shedload of vintage Hofners over the years (27 at the last count) and I'm not familiar with the condition you describe. I'd guess that those pickups are comprehensively f***ed but, luckily enough, there's still no shortage of original Hofner staples out there.