Bridgehouse

But unlike the Murphy’s - he’s not bitter

I could get a really top spec Ric for the money I’d get for the 74P Or I could buy a decent bass instead. Like another fretless or something...

50/50 on the "keep" or "sell" poll... You lot are no bloody help at all! 😁

It's a long long story... So it has two pickup solutions - an under fingerboard mag (jazz style) and the ghost piezo saddles... the ghost saddles were run through a ghost acoustiphonic preamp. Well, the acoustiphonic preamp gave up the "ghost" lol. Farty noise followed by no piezo output. The preamp is kaput. I also swapped out the mag pickup for a Nordstrand, and it highlighted the fact that the (now 10 years old) preamp for the mag is, in fact, a bit rubbish.. either that or it's also kaput. So - all innards ripped out. Now, as the rest of the bass excluding the electronics is frankly just about the best instrument I have ever played.. I wanted a solution that would do the bass justice. No more crappy graph tech preamps for me. I'm going to keep the graph tech ghost piezo saddles, and they are now rewired to a single "hot" and "ground" connection, ready for a new solution.. Having sampled his delights before, I decided to approach John East - mainly as I honestly think he does the very best stuff. John embraced the project with gusto, and rather than cobbling something together, he's properly adapting a UP-4 to accommodate a piezo and mag input, with a single volume and blend, a piezo HF roll off tone control, a mid with mid sweep stacked, and a treble/bass stacked, with pull bright and all the trimmings, including an active/passive switch so I can amp the piezos off bass if I want, and a mute switch to kill everything (something I wish every bass had). It's now at the "he's making it" stage. He's a busy chap (for good reason) and so it's taken a little while to get to this point. But, ultimately, I should end up with the electronics that the bass actually deserves - a Nordstrand noiseless Jazz and piezo saddles going into a custom John East preamp system..

In fact - my Shuker Fretless means more to me and has more significance than the 74, even tho at the moment it's broked.

I bought it as a YOB and tbh it feels like it should be more special to me than it actually is...

And you are right, I’m not But the thing is, I’m not sure why I’m not...

You know, I’ve never regretted any bass I’ve moved on. Life is too short for that sort of thing. If it was something I regularly gigged or recorded with then it would probably be different. Well, maybe. But this one hasn’t got that special connection.

I thought I’d get a mix of opinions To be honest, it’s pretty much surplus to requirements. But it’s also a lovely thing to have as well. Which means I’m torn between keeping it for what it is, and swapping it for something more useful..

I get the feeling early 70s fenders are going up in price at the mo. But then again it’s difficult to tell.

I think I’m going through that “I don’t use it, but what if I miss it when I sell it/trade it?” thing. Yeah, I know I know, first world problems huh?

So I have this Olympic white 74 Precision. All original, pretty roadworn, but looks the biz. Thing is, it hangs on my wall and pretty much doesn’t get played. If I want a P with some old vibe to it, I use the 64. It’s a YOB bass, so it’s sort of special, but I don’t have much history with it. I’ve never gigged it or recorded with it. So I’m kinda thinking I should swap it out for another fretless or something else that would actually get used. Ugh. I just don’t know. Anyone else have those decision-making-paralysis moments?

Wait, there are magazines for bass players? Who’dathunkit

I bought mine purely for studio/recording - they aren't 'do it all' amps - but for the right purpose they are excellent. The 50 might just cut it, but the 20 probably wouldn't in most band situations.

Mine came in about 4 days. They are rubbish. Terrible. Absolutely awful. Sound tinny, scratchy and completely not like an Ampeg at all. They are poorly built, fragile, and flimsy. Of course, I lie. They are excellent - very usable valve tone, brilliant DI output options, and they are built like the proverbial brick s**t house. I'd hate to drop one on my foot..

It's also the most "no electronics in it as the ghost board has gone pop and thus it's an ornament at the moment" fretless bass I've ever seen!

I'm just north of Spalding, so my neck of the woods too!

I travel a lot so getting it Notts or Leicester way is very easy

I’m based near Peterborough so close to Leicester/Notts

@Marcoelwray - I've got some big Jam sessions in future months - 24th November, 16/17 Feb 2019 - each with 30-40 musicians at and we typically play and record 20+ numbers (with vid as well) if we could time it for one of these sessions then I could take it along and get a good number of players to have a go and pass on their thoughts?

Having dived firmly into the fretless pool, surfaced, had a paddle, done some front crawl, a bit of backstroke, and decided my breast stroke needs a lot of work on it - and having not drowned, but managed to stay afloat, tread water, and even make it to the side without incident or losing my trunks.... I think I'd like to get an el cheapo fretless for taking out and about for the more, um, tasty venues.... Broadly I'd like lined, or at least side line markers (which the shuker has and I'm fine with that) and I think relatively lightweight. I do like oddball, semi hollow and other weirdness as well, mind.. Suggestions?

Hahahar! It’s very different to the pf20 - like it a lot

Funny, I just got a ctm15 from @Bigwan and it’s pretty much silent compared to the pf20!!

The hum adds some authenticity to that 60s tube sound for me.. course, it’s not to everyone’s taste

Mine arrived same day... odd