lemmywinks

The Warwick Gnome i and iPro feature a USB audio interface on the back, could just plug it straight into a PC to do quick recording:

https://www.thomann.de/gb/warwick_gnome_i.htm

4 hours ago, Rodders said:

Been on the look out for a piezo bridge too, so it would be handy to know, cheers!

I have one of the Powerbridge ones knocking around I don't use any more, basically the Fishman ones but without the branding. Have a 4 string in black and possibly a 5 string in silver as well.

Also have a Bartolini buffer pre, think it's the 2 channel one.

Bargain that.

2 hours ago, Bassassin said:

 

Sounds right - DiMarzios are imperial, anything MIJ/MIK & hex-poled will be metric, them's the rules! If you pop it out the wiring should be black/white/red/green - I don't think any Japanese units used that.

 

If you're lucky it might even have PAF stickers...

From memory it doesn't have the PAF stickers but there was definitely a green wire in there, thanks! I'd always assumed MIJ + cream pickup covers + hex key pole pieces would be Dimarzio but only realised there were in house lookalikes the other day when reading the Samick Wikia, bit of a relief although regardless it's a great sounding pickup. Just shows a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous!

Was getting a bit paranoid about the pickup in this as apparently it was also available with an in house Dimarzio clone which has cream coloured covers, the pole pieces take a 0.9" (translates to 3/32") or 2.3mm hex key, I take it these are legit pickups?

@Bassassin prob best just tagging you to save time really!

39 minutes ago, Bassybert said:

According to the listing it sounds like this bass.

What's that bass in the background? Thought it was an SD Curlee but I'm not sure the neck pickup orientation is correct.

Poundland do a 2m x 1.5m tarpaulin for £1.50.

What strings are people using on 32" scale basses btw? Have a lightly used set of long scale Elite steels on there at the moment but I don't like how the thick the windings are around the E string post, also not keen on how Elites sound these days. Unfortunately I binned all my used strings last year so have nothing to experiment with.

4 minutes ago, Jackroadkill said:

Yeah, man - what a great way to spend sixty nicker!  I'll bet you're well chuffed!

Yeah really happy with it, technically £64 as I ordered some new knobs and bought some white vinegar!

All clean and shiny now, might not look much different but I can promise my bin is half full of absolutely disgusting paper towels. Still need to sort a shim for the neck as the reason the pickup casing cracked was because the previous owner screwed them down as far as they'd go so they weren't too close to the strings, bridge is bottomed out so it needs the neck angle sorting. Touched up some of the headstock chips and found some screws for the truss rod cover which had been glued on.

Think I'll get away with the stock bridge unless it gets any worse in which case I'll get the AliExpress one

.

Eeuurrgh, this bass is pretty minging!

Everything came out easily enough aside from the pickup screws which I had to Dremel a slot in as they were rounded and well past saving. Everything is having a soak tbh, years of bassist cheese and corrosion on this thing.

Can see how bad the wear is on the neck and board here.

39 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

The bendy bridge is another thing that points to Matsumoku - loads of Mats basses from that late 70s/early 80s era had these & they all seem to be made of cheese. This is the one that was on my Westy Track 2 when I got it:

 

 

 

The one on mine is nowhere near that bad, just a gentle curve that could be mistaken for the bridge following the fingerboard radius. It still looks like it's affecting how low the action can go though as like that photo the hooks around the posts are warped a little bit and won't sit flush with the body.

Went to move the truss rod before and it seems like that's fully working which is a relief (pun intended)

Think there's been at least two threads on this already!

The body was originally a Tiger Music branded Amazon cheapy, was looking at them briefly for a potential project as they're kinda like a Warwick Fortress which is the best bass shape. EDIT: The bass with a mini practice amp, cable and strap was £112 delivered brand new.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tiger-Red-Electric-Bass-Guitar/dp/B0096CJJ2S

MDP bought the body from an eBay seller who was parting one out, can't remember how much he paid (it's on one of the other threads) but it wasn't much. Then he did this to it.

7 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

 I'd ov haggled to £50!

Similar 3 point bridges on AliExp cheap...

Aye I've found one for around £11, looks exactly like the Epi one right down to the circular points where it was cut from the mould but with a blank rectangle instead of the Epiphone logo.

Weirdly that same charity shop often gets music gear in, been Trace Boxer and Commando combos there last year. I always have a look in the window when I'm going past and got lucky!

12 minutes ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

I've owned one like this. 

 

It was a medium scale with a great even sound across the fretboard. Also it was a heavy f%cker with poor balance. 

 

IIRC I had to replace the 3 point bridge as it had warped and cracked like you'll see on many Japanse basses with this type bridge.

 

Definite bargain here, it's a lot of quality for little cash.

This one is 10lb 6oz or 4.7kg in new money, definitely heavy for a small bodied medium scale bass. Balances fine though, can sit it on my right knee and it stays in the same position without any hand support. There's a fair bit of wear to the lacquer and on the edges of the board, looks like it may have seen some moisture at some point but the frets have plenty of life left in them and overall it just looks like a heavily used 40+ year old bass. Lots of little dings and dents all over, don't think it's ever had the luxury of a decent gigbag or a guitar stand!

The bridge is also bowing slightly, will replace it if I end up playing the bass a fair bit, which bridge did you buy out of interest?

Will be giving everything a proper clean tomorrow evening and putting it back together.

1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said:

Nice... Twin Cut, Maple...

I wouldn't of left it.

I originally did have a quick look, then walked on to do my shopping. While stood at the checkout I realised I was being an idiot so went back and bought it.

Ordered a set of these in the dark amber colour, should look a lot better and only £3.41

1 minute ago, Paul S said:

Absolute bargain.  Necks on these are simply fantastic. 

Measured it because it felt shorter than usual, it's a bit over 32". Feels great despite some issues with the lacquer, just makes me want to play old Sabbath tunes on it all the time which is mainly what I've been doing this afternoon.

At least if I gig it I won't be the oldest in the band any more.

Just now, tauzero said:

 

Year of conception bass?

Was born in November so unfortunately not!

Have removed the stars and stripes from the aftermarket knobs, they also had protruding plastic stars around the edge which I removed with a craft knife. Look like regular black speed dial knobs now, much better although I might get some dark amber ones.

Quite a nice top underneath the gunk and rust

9 minutes ago, neepheid said:

You jammy b'stard

I've sat here seething at all the posters on here snagging £20 Arias, Greco and El Mayas from car boots for years, gimme a break!

3 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

Steal. Probably Matsumoku - my Westbury Track 2 has that style of plate & apparently those were all Mats. Pickup almost certainly a DiMarzio (stick a hex key in a pole piece, should be Imperial so metric won't fit) and worth the price on its own.

 

I love the fact that deals like this still come up.

It has the hex key pole pieces, I checked that before I bought it as a bit of insurance just in case the rest of the bass was junk. The bridge is starting to bow a little but given the age it doesn't look too serious.

Plugged it in and it sounds brilliant, bought it with the intention of flipping it on eBay for a profit but want to keep it now. Don't really have anything else here that does big old school sounds as well as this.

Looks like the H-1015 here, says Matsumoku apparently, made from 1980-1981:

https://samick.fandom.com/wiki/H-1010#H-1015

I take it that serial number means it's from 1980? Kinda gutted if so as I was born in '81!