Bridgehouse

Lindy Fralin Split Jazz set delivered this morning. Decided to fit them in an appropriate slot in between meetings. I'll give them a proper test tonight but they are super quiet and definitely no hum when using either bridge or neck solo'd. On first listen I'd say they are slightly hotter than the CS pickups and probably a bit "fatter" or "rounder" sounding, but definitely retain a lot of that vintage Jazz sound. I'll report back when I've had a good play tonight, but they have ticked the box already by removing any hint of single coil hum.

There’s a big difference between the price that’s asked for and the actual selling price (if it sells at all).. There is decent stuff out there at decent prices, you do have to look about a bit though. Some people seem to be still stuck in lockdown mode when pricing did go rather bizarre..

A few more shots which shows different colour variation..

It certainly feels about right. Although I've got a semi-hollow 51P which probably only weights 7-7.5lbs I actually like a bit of weight in a bass - I don't like them really heavy, but I'm not obsessed about super light either these days.

I don't have a method of weighing. It's a tiny touch more than my Shuker, and about the same as my homebuilt 51P solid body though, so I'd say around the 9 1/2 lbs mark or so

Yes, it has. Just enough finish left and not just sanded off entirely

It’s an odd colour - looks different in different lighting….

Double post gremlin!

No - it’s an unbranded generic fake BC straplock

Here's the Andertons Video - it's the last Jazz near the end just after the Precision... The case candy is all present and correct as well, including covers, certificate, wallet, build sheet, strap, picks etc. etc.

Following my recent "Which Custom Shop?" thread, I received quite a few contacts from people selling CS basses for me to consider. One such bass really caught my eye, and I decided to go and give it a try. There's a little bit of history to this one. It's one of a batch of Custom Shop Basses that Andertons got in, I presume to try out the CS Bass offerings and see how they fared. It's still on the Andertons website (as out of stock) and funnily enough I have the original receipt left by the original purchaser as well, confirming that it sold for just a touch under £4k. It actually featured in one of Andertons YouTube videos - I'll link that in another post. Now, I was offered this for significantly less than that, and just about spot on the upper end of my budget. I've had a few CS guitars in the past, but never a bass. I always considered the guitars to be really well put together, really resonant and lively, and full of character. 5 minutes with this Jazz confirmed that this bass is similar - really super to play, and a very comfortable neck shape. I've always been a P-bass guy and love the wide fat 50's necks, and have found Jazz necks to be a bit awkward, but this one is slim front to back and widens nicely up the neck and really is comfy. It really is lively, and very resonant - lots of sustain, lots of depth to the tone, quite similar to my experience with the CS guitars. Anyway, it's Charcoal Frost - and I'd say a mid-relic (not heavy, but not light either) with a Tort guard. In some ways it's a bit of an oddity - it's certainly individual and plays really very well indeed, so I'm happy. I can see this being a keeper - spent most of last night playing it and didn't for a minute question why at all. I've put flats on it - Super Light Gauge Chromes - and they really seem to suit it. It also came with slotted saddles (as you can see in the pic) which I've swapped out for some threaded which I prefer. I also have some Lindy Fralin Split Coil J pickups on order to get rid of the hum when solo'ing each pickup. I really like Lindy's split coil - got one in my 51P build and it's superb.

Yep. Looks great - will take some shots tomorrow in the daylight for a NBD thread

It’s a bit odd, it’s Charcoal Frost, with tort, and it’s a mid-relic and stack knob. Plays absolutely beautifully and sounds cracking. Whether it was worth the just-under £4k new price is something I will have to think on, but it was definitely worth the not-much-more-than-an-American-Ultra that I paid for it. Seller was an absolute gent as well so he will be getting a glowing feedback post tomorrow as well.

Went to see a CS today. Bought it. It’s a 62 stack knob jazz which has appeared on an Andertons video, and cost significantly less than the price it sold for from Andertons earlier this year. Putting some flats on it and I’ll do a NBD post tomorrow, but short and sweet summary is that it’s flipping fantastic.

But seriously guys, it does look awesome, no?

Mmmm. That colour is "Absynthe Frost" Which certainly explains why it gave me a headache similar to that long weekend at uni I don't remember much about....

Well, vintage basses have gone up a lot in the last few years. When I started playing guitar/bass and collecting the mantra was always “don’t bother with 70’s fender - it’s heavy and the tooling was wearing out”. For quite some time they were affordable. Now, not a chance. I’ve seen a few 74s in the past week or so and there’s no way I’d pay the asking price. I’ve been offered a few custom shops as well - and the used prices for these have been very reasonable, and a lot less than a mid-70’s equivalent. A _lot_ less

I struggle to trust myself with one of my basses let alone anyone else!

Well, a lovely chap has contacted me on here about one and I'm going to see it on Saturday. I'll keep you all posted.

I have absolutely never experienced gear snobbery as a bass player. I’ve turned up to small venue gigs with vintage basses and reasonably large festival gigs with basses that I actually did make myself. I have never had a bass player approach me and comment on a bass at all. In fact, every bass player I’ve ever met out gigging has been a real gent (or lady) and been thoroughly decent. I do sometimes take a Helix floor out for gigs and get the odd bass player asking which patch I’m using or how easy I find it to dial in a decent sound. However, I’ve witnessed guitarists invade the stage after gigs to ask the guitarist in our band why he dared to show up with an Epiphone, or whether he realised that the Carlsbro amp he was using was cráp. He gave absolutely no cràps whatsoever. I’ve also witnessed a drummer walk on stage and stroll up to our drummer to ask him if he had any coke or weed on him and a keys player ask if anyone had a USB-C to USB-A converter. Either this all says something about the kind of gigs I go to or…

A sweat worthy concern if ever there was one.

See, I’d give another Sandberg a go - I’m not _that_ closed minded, but experience has shown me that I’ve just never got on with them. I notice there’s a masterpiece goldburst at Bass Direct which I feel like I ought to try, but it’s active with an MM/J combo. Why do they have to make it active/passive?!

Nope. Hate it.

A CS Jazz wouldn’t have to be 70’s spec. The standard spec would be fine.

Yeah - I did see that one, and looks nice, but it’s probably not relic enough for me (I really like the way CS relics are done)