project_c

Says it's Mex not MIJ. Nice tho.

Actually just to update this, I was wrong, I had a really close look today and I found a clear problem spot. The 10th fret seems a tad higher at the G string than all the others, my string action gauge ruler rocks up and down like a see-saw when it's on top of that fret, so I think this may be one of the main issues here.

Thanks for the suggestions. It's quite close to the ideal height but it does make a big difference playing-wise (relatively speaking..). A new nut is a good call, the existing one could well be part of the problem. There's no shim there, but in any case I think I'll drop it into the Gallery and let them have a go on it.

There's nothing drastic I can spot with the ruler and small setup measuring tool I use, but something is definitely making the strings choke out way higher than they should be. Might just be one or two rogue frets, not sure. Assuming the neck is straight and the rest of the bass has no issues (it was fine with its previous neck), could it be anything else apart from the frets?

I bought a cheap unbranded J neck and put in on one of my precisions. The neck is pretty nice, it's the right shape, it feels good, the rod is fine, it's nice and straight (the tiniest bit of relief, no backbow), but I can't get the action anywhere near as low as I'd like to, it starts choking out if I go under 2mm. I have my action set very low on my other basses (around 1.2mm at 17th fret) and I'm wondering whether it's possible to achieve such low action on the cheap neck. Would a decent fret levelling help with this, or would I be wasting my money? Is there anything else I should be trying?

That may well be true, but he would easily run circles around Davey Jones in a game of 'let's see who can burn through this big bag of crack the quickest'. And he would wash it down with 17 plastic bottles of White Lightning, the drink of champions.

Exactly. Musicians have been getting high and wiggling their maracas since the dawn of time. Check this out, all about getting high, way back from the 1930s:

Don't knock Bez, he's still out there doing his thing, what a legend. He's had more drugs than anyone could possibly imagine, and yet he's still bouncing about. Looks pretty healthy these days too. Hope he keeps on shaking those plastic maracas forever.

I use that technique all the time. In fact I wish I was better at it. It's perfect for jazz trio stuff (if you like that kind of thing). It gives you a nice muted tone without having to shove a sweaty old sock down the back end of your £32K Presentation Grade 15 string Fodera Imperial Elite with Flamed Plutonium top.

I'm just about to do this to one of my P's today, although I'm also replacing the fretless neck with a fretted one for now (I'm keeping the fretless neck, but I'm saving it for another build). I have a Duncan Quarter Pounder PJ set going in there, 70s position, V/V/T. I've already used that set in another bass so I can confirm it's a good set of PJ pickups if you like a weighty precision tone.

Yeah, quite. Say no more, point proven. You slot right into that pigeon hole like a champ.

I teach loads of them and they all know all the music, art and (to some extent) literature from the 60s/70s/80s. They look up to that generation, even while they feel like it has taken a collective dump on them. I have a student who is a bass player in a punk band, her entire dissertation (about music) was based on an interview with her grandad, she worships him. Another one is basing her entire final major project on her grandad's diaries. And there's another one who made a giant installation in the uni gallery in honor of her recently deceased nan. (wasn't very good tbh but the love was there). I'm telling you these kids look up to your generation.

That's certainly fair when it comes to many opinion polls, and in many cases you're right to point out they are biased, but the stats about tolerance levels, changing attitudes to sexuality, generational divides and votes etc are out there for all to see, there's no mystery to them.

No, of course not. See below. The younger generation look up to the older generations to set an example though, and if that example is a negative one, then it has a negative impact on the way things progress.

I said it was a generalization, but it's not inaccurate if you look at the data. But it certainly doesn't apply to everyone, especially in London where the whole thing is entirely different to the rest of the country. You're in the minority though, sadly. According to records, if it wasn't for the hordes of (Mail reading angry homophobic racist etc) boomers, we wouldn't be where we are. There most definitely is a generational divide there, even if it's not a comfortable thing to accept.

Not really, its London and sometimes deepest darkest Kent, I never come across it. Additionally I've also noticed a surprising level of tolerance towards autism and mental health, something which in my youth would have been unheard of. If you stood out as different in any way in the suburbs of the 80s, you were pretty much dead.

As I said, it's a generalisation, I don't for one second think young people are blameless. You could also argue that it would be difficult for a frail wheezy 84 year old homophobe to go gay-bashing, because he would have trouble making it out of the front door, let alone punch anyone in the face. But see actual data for shifting attitudes below: ...but of course, more importantly, we all know the demographic divide of the recent 'big' thing we all voted on, after which attitudes (and brains) regressed and we got plunged back into the dark ages. Not a coincidence.

see below

I often wonder why that generation has become so weird. They produced some of the most remarkable cultural artifacts and colossal artistic achievements of the 20th century, in a world that gave them a lifestyle that today's young people will only ever dream of, only to end up as a collective bunch of angry bitter old windbags. What has happened to the boomers? They used to be nice. I don't think it's an age thing. It's definitely a media thing, but that in itself doesn't fully explain it.

Wish it was. Probably a bit harsh, I know, but I don't know of anyone under 25 who even remotely cares about sexual orientation, gender or race. Sexual orientation is largely a problem for old people. As mentioned above, the media that old people rely on for information definitely doesn't help. In fact one of the main reasons behind the current big divide between generations is that traditional media is almost completely ignored by young people, so their impression of the world is completely different to those who still read newspapers and watch tv. Now this is obviously a generalization - there are exceptions, but in generational terms the division is clear.

She shouldn't have to, but 2018 is not exactly a time of tolerance and human compassion. We're in an era of intellectual regression. Actually it's not quite as simple as that. We're in an era abundant with intellectual progress and tolerance, which is being stifled by an increasingly dumb, aggressive and intolerant ageing population, who wish it was still 1842. And thanks to the miracle of modern medicine, they're out there shuffling about in huge numbers, and they will live until they're 136 years old. So it's going to take a long time for attitudes to change significantly.

Question for @thebassgallery - are you guys open as normal next week (after monday)? I need a bit of work done on a bass, was hoping to drop it off sometime mid-weekish.

Genz Shuttle combo if you can find one. I have the smallest one (3.0 8t), beautiful crisp tone, keeps up with drummer, keys, horns, no problem, perfect for cafe / small bar gigs.

I had to play through one of those before, they really do sound like butt. You're not wrong about the octaver-like tone, I also noticed this, from what I recall these combos have a 'deep' switch, which makes them sound like a sub-octaver going through some digital overdrive, I don't think it's just a low boost EQ. It makes a god awful racket.

I've always wondered why these preamps do that. They're more like a 3-way switch than a blend, once you're past about 5% in either direction you're pretty much either full bridge or neck. While we're on this topic, I've also found that I can't cut anywhere near enough treble in active mode, so I tend to use the bass in passive mode a lot of the time. I think it's fine for most people, I just happen to like a dead tone. In any case I still think these preamps sound killer, and I love my Dlx to bits, I don't think I would swap it for any other Jazz out there, but I do wonder why the preamp is designed like that.