scrumpymike

You can tell I'm angry - I've managed to launch another 'pink torpedo' 😄

WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!! After a weekend of pink torpedo-ups over delivery (PMT left my house number off their paperwork but DPD still tried - and failed - to deliver it on Saturday AND Sunday!!) finally got my Ivory TMB30 today... and what a mess! When I unpacked the apparently undamaged (Fender!!) outer carton, the inner Ibanez box was battered with sections clumsily cut out at the narrow end; then when I took the bass out I found dirty scuff marks and an edge chipped on the rough-feeling head-stock (water damage??) plus light scratching on the neck nearby. What's potentially even worse though is that the overall condition of the bass can only be described as shoddy. The paint finish was worn away around the edges of one of the neck-screw holes, there was swarf around the nut slots, a strange stain on the fret-board, and the pick-up routing in the body had ragged edges. http:// All of which makes me wonder whether I get a straight replacement or a refund to buy a Squier s-s Jag.

+1 for the TMB30 love. Had a black one, sold it - realised I should have kept it so just found and ordered another in my preferred Ivory finish. I take my hat off to Ibanez for making a brilliant first-time-buyer bass that's good enough for experienced players to use.

Hey Pete, nice meeting you again and glad it's still as good as you remembered it from the SW Bass Bash - just don't go trying to pull any more bits off it (oops, forgot it's yours now and you can pull as many bits off as you like) 😄

Thanks Damonjames - and the Basschat-er I'm buying from tomorrow also owes you and Kirky one.

Hey Kirky, thanks for those carefully chosen words of reassurance. It's probably the case that the OP has just been very unlucky, although I'm sure that doesn't make him feel any better. GK should be ashamed of themselves and of their UK rep.

Bu99er - I'm just about to collect/pay the balance tomorrow on an 800 that's from our FS forum! What should I do? Is the 800 of similar design (and unreliability?) to the 550? Presumably it generates more heat so could potentially be worse 😲

Thanks for that. Just fitted a set of GHS Brite Flats in medium gauge, already had them so nothing lost. They're definitely have a much stiffer feel than I'm comfortable with but I'll see how they sound in rehearsal. Following on from what you said though, maybe a higher tension set of light gauge would be the best compromise. Too many variables for me and I can't afford to try everything.

Just a heads-up for anyone looking for a Cazpar (30" scale). I've just posted my beautiful 4p on the FS forum - and here's the sofa shot: http://

QUOTE: Although @Len_derby 's bass contained no CITES Appendix timbers, there seems to be confusion in some US and UK customs operations (and some associated scare stories) to make me believe that I need to be particularly careful that this does NOT contain any such woods and that I can prove that in a way that would satisfy a well-meaning but ill-informed customs official who might think, "Bass Guitar - impound" or even worse - and just my paranoia because I'm sure this would never happen - one who might think, "Hmmm - bass guitar, impound ...and keep" Andy, I know from my Gillett experiences what a minefield this CITES business is. Doing the necessary paperwork for Japan recently was a nightmare and I was having sleepless nights until the importer confirmed the consignment had successfully cleared through customs. So, here's an interesting development I was going to PM you about but thought I'd add to this topic instead as it may be of general Basschat interest. A Swiss guy visited our stand at Olympia to tell us about a system he's developing that would enable us to build ID data in to our instruments. The data lives on a transducer that's embedded during construction and can then be scanned with a smart-phone. His idea was that this could confirm serial number, model name, give detailed info on construction materials and would also be helpful in case of theft. He didn't know about CITES and when I explained to him the potential for adding traceability info he got really excited. We're excited too as this would be a great 'fit' with our Contour range. We're expecting a trial system some time soon.