Bridgehouse

I think it depends on your playing style. If you are prepared to put the hours in to build muscle memory and technique then I actually find it more of an expressive and pliable instrument. I’m not a fan of the traditional “mwah” fretless sound per se - I just find it far more flexible as an instrument for expression and dynamics - slides, embellishment, vibrato, tone - makes it a bit of a different instrument tbh

I know, I know.....

To be fair my “free” offer wasn’t exactly genuine...

Oh, what fretless basses do you have that I don’t need? *Intrigued*

I’m still considering. Pondering you might call it. My worry is getting rid of the fretted basses might lead to a run on buying fretless basses I don’t need...

There’s a packing surcharge of £5000 per bass

Yeah, I might go fretless only and give all my fretted basses away to good homes.

You guys need to watch out for the “Free to a good home - 1964 Precision” thread then.

Well I had a bit of a play with the other basses last night. Started with the hollowbody 51P - yeah, it was okay. Not bad. Decent handwound pickup so should have been. Moved on to the solid body 51P with custom one off Ric style single coil - better.. bit better. Then on to the ACG Finn 4 - a step up again, rounder, more complex.. And then onto the 64P - yet another significant step up - really good as I remembered (haven’t played it for a couple of months or so) Then back to the Shuker. Yeah. After 5 mins I didn’t want to go back to any of the others. Still felt better, still sounded more complex and detailed and more pleasing. Still much preferred it. Well there you go.

Definitely the opposite of tinny. It has an expensive Nordstrand split Jazz under the board which sounds like a Jazz.. so I know it’s not the unique board or bridge. The piezo has bucket loads of lows and low mids and plenty of top end. When you blend in some of the upper mid heavy jazz you get this really broad lush deep rounded sound. In fact, the Jazz on its own sounds a bit thin tbh...

You know, much as the mwah is there in spades, when you whack up the piezo and play very regimented it really does do a great impression of a normal fretted bass - almost P like in tone. I’m very much sold on under saddle piezos for a very rounded deep sound

Probably a bit pricey just to sling the Precision ;)

An update. I’ve been off the bass for a wee bit (just a break) and a few weeks back decided to start practising again. Once lockdown is over there’s a whole series of jams and gigs to do, so I figured it was time to start up again. I’m usually a creature of habit.. but this time I picked up the Shuker to start with. It’s the only bass I’ve played for the last few weeks. I look at other basses, but no. It’s actually better than it was. Solid, stable, more sustain and more tone. I have no idea why. It’s now officially the best bass I’ve ever played. I have even looked at the 64 Precision and thought “I should probably sell you”. I know, right?

Bought second hand so no warranty implied at all.

The real irony is, if it wasn’t my bass I’d be secretly hoping that the OP wanted to sell it so I could buy it

At the moment, no..

Ahah!

Just ran a raffle with just your name in the hat Weirdly, Rick 4000 won it....

Nah. None of you lot deserve it

I’ve not had the bill yet....

Yeah. I take all the points raised. It’s a stunning instrument. It plays beautifully. It sounds immense - the piezo bridge being part of the fretboard gives it a deep tonality which is so rich - it’s not just deep and boomy, it’s very full and very rounded with some impressive overtones. Blend in the pickup under the board and it gains a midrange honk as well. And that should be enough to keep it, right? It probably is. But the fact that I’m asking the question worries me.

I’m going to give that one a miss. Even 2” high action would be preferable...

No way.. cheap processed rubbish!

I’ve basically not had it for the last year so in some ways I already know what it’s like without it well enough

Which brand of Scratchings?