scrumpymike

Always LaBella 760FS-S for me. They're 045-105 stainless-steel flats. Not what I'd call bright but bright enough for me through my LFSys Monaco FRFR cab. Never had to change a set but then again I tend to change basses instead of strings 🙂

How did you guess that a Mazzer would be my choice if I won the Lottery? No common-as-muck Ferraris here thank you!

Don't worry folks, we're not going to do a runner with the money 🙂

I fitted the AG 4M/J-HC set and retained the Sandberg pre-amp. The change has added warmth giving a more classic vibe. The only downside is that the humbucker can't be split so the two-way toggle switch doesn't do anything. I didn't use that anyway. Fyi here's an e-mail exchange I had last March with their UK Distributor Barnes & Mullins. At that time they didn't have the pickup set in stock or any shipment date from Aguilar so I ended up doing a personal import. QUESTION I have a Vox Starstream bass fitted with AG 4J-70 pickups and OBP-2 pre-amp as OE. I love the sound and am considering modifying my Sandberg M/J to get the same Aguilar tonal vibe. The mod will be done by Taunton Audio Visual, who have an account with you. They have suggested I contact you direct as they were unable to answer the following questions: It appears the AG 4J-70 can only be bought as a pair and the only M/J 4 set listed by Aguilar is the AG 4M/J-HC (i.e. not specified as the '70s design). How close are the tonal characteristics of the J-HC to the '70s pickup I know and love? Also, if I retain the original Sandberg 2-band boost/cut pre as a cost-saving measure, is that likely to have a significant effect on the sound of the Aguilar pickups? I don’t want to spend money on this until I have a better understanding of what I’ll be getting. Thanks, Mike ANSWER Hi Mike, Thank you for your interest in Aguilar pickups. Regarding the tonal comparison of the J-HC and the J70 pickups, the HC series is very closely voiced to the J60’s pickups. The J70’s are a bit brighter than the HC. It is hard for me to say how the tone of Aguilar pickups will be influenced by the Sandberg preamp, as I have no experience with that preamp, but If the Sandberg preamp is transparent it should have minimal effect on the Aguilar pickups' inherent tone. I hope this helps a little in making your decision. Many thanks and best regards. Pete Peter Hoggett Barnes and Mullins Ltd.

That's half a dozen pre-payments received so far. Keep 'em comin'!!

PM sent

OK folks, looks like we're back up and running on the following basis: The hall is booked for 11 October at a cost of £232; I will need to have received pre-payment of £15 from AT LEAST 16 Bass-Bashers to cover our costs; As payment for the hall is now due, immediate payment by anyone willing and able is encouraged so we don't have to cover the full £232 ourselves; If we don't have the attendance numbers we need by the end of July, we can still cancel the hall booking and get a full refund; I will do the pre-event organisation as usual; Mrs S and Scrumpette Janey are more than happy to do teas & coffees; Everyone will bring their own food and preferably cup/mug so that the only washing-up at the end will be a limited number of hall cups/mugs; Everyone will take their own rubbish home with them; We will need at least 4 'early bird' attendees to set the hall up (tables, chairs, power grid) for the day; There will be a raffle as usual; Any cash surplus will either be refunded to attendees or donated to charity - TBC. Provided the above is acceptable to at least 16 of you guys, then the South-West Bass Bash is back in business 🙂

It's Sunday the 11th of October.

OK, so let's see if we can make this work on the basis that everyone pays more and brings their own food. Just checked that the hall is still available on Sunday 11 October and put a provisional hold on it. However, we will need at least 20 Basschatters to commit by paying £15 a head well in advance. This will also more than cover the continuous provision of hot drinks. If the attendance is higher on the day then we can just divide the cash surplus and give everyone a cash refund before close of play. Alternatively, the balance could be donated to a pre-agreed charity. Over to you 🙂

A third of the full price but the increase isn't the only reason, just the one that has pushed things past the tipping point. It's always been a big ask of Mrs S and the Scrumpettes and it felt an awful lot easier when we started in 2017.

Dear Bass-Bash buddies, I'm sorry to start your New Year with unwelcome news, but I'm sad to announce that the 2025 Bash was the last one that we'll be doing. As you know, our Bashes have always been massive value-for-money, largely because Mrs. Scrumpy and I were able to hire our wonderful hall at a much-reduced rate. For various reasons, we have both recently retired as Trustees, meaning that the cost of hiring the hall this year would be the full commercial rate of £232! Thank you all for making this such a joyous event over the years. If anyone else decides to continue with a S-W Bash, you can be sure I'll be there 🙂 Here's wishing you all the very best for 2026 and beyond! Mike, Gabrielle & The Scrumpettes.

You're right about the savings on imported goods being minimal. That was my experience when I recently bought an Aguilar pickup set from Sweetwater in the USA - and that was only because I was able to get a really cheap international delivery with a US delivery broker called PirateShip. I ordered and paid for the set online, had it delivered to a friend in California and she dropped it off at her local Post Office. As you say, doing this is really a last-resort way of getting something that's not available in the UK/EU - like the Aguilar pickups and the made-for-Japan Mustang. You're also right about the warranty. Danny at Bass Japan Direct confirms that there would be no warranty, which is why he inspects and sets up all basses before he exports them. The price he quoted includes his £70 service charge.

£721 quoted by Danny at Bass Japan Direct which I assume includes everything except 20% UK VAT. Although I have a feeling it would be worth it in absolute terms, can't help thinking about what else could I buy for £865.