Annoying Twit

Thinking about what I've read in online reviews, it seems that total weight is the big surprise for many online purchasers. Either complaints about American ash bodies weighing mega amounts, or pawlonia bodies being so light it feels as if the bass could just blow away. I've seen fewer complaints about unexpected string spacing. But that might be due to the standardisation in the bass industries - so many copy jazz and precision basses with copy jazz and precision necks.

Given that you've already bought one non-fitting set of strings, and given that you've seen that not everyone who posts will give you a 100% reliable answer, having a quick measure with string or similar seems prudent. But, since it's your money that you will soon be parted from, clearly it's up to you what you do. More precise information here: http://www.bassstringsonline.com/34--35-inch-Long-Scale_c_935.html

See post #5 and your response in post #6. I personally would think that measuring yourself would be the most reliable option.

if you have the bass, couldn't you fit a suitable length of string and then measure it?

Do you have an electrical multimeter?

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1427654498' post='2732750'] Silent bass no more. Man am I glad to here that. And for around £80,that just makes it better [/quote] Ditto from me. What was actually wrong with the original electronics?

Wow. This thread is still going. I bought a plastic one, gave it a go with loads of effects, thought it useful, but haven't used it much.

Many more dekos. Will be gone ASAP [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/decorative_guitars_and_basses.html"]http://www.thomann.d...and_basses.html[/url] EDIT: LP copies now gone. First time I remember seeing a P90 equipped Gold Top. Now there's a natural colour 'Santos Series' classical. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_santos_series_c_40scedeko_2.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...40scedeko_2.htm[/url]

I agree with HappyJack. This is all useful information that sellers/manufacturers should really add to their advertisements/listings/product descriptions.

It makes me think that I should buy an instrument, leave it in the canal for a month, then try to sell it on ebay.

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1427534157' post='2731451'] I think it's quite plausible 100 people are checking frequently. I know from the 2Harley Benton guitars FB pages,the owners forum, BC and TB as well as Bassic.ch there's an awful lot of folk actively seeking dekos. Once you allow for 3 million customers making nearly £400 million in sales last year,do you really think Thomann need to "invent" dekos to boost their Google rating ? [/quote] I'm not sure what is going on. I think it's plausible that they might be concerned about their public image if people are buying instruments and then receiving apology letters and no instruments. We have several such comments on this thread already, and that may be damaging to Thomann. However, 'plausible' only means 'possible'. It does not mean 'likely'. EDIT: The 'Santos' series classical guitar is still available, over two hours since it was listed.

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1427534112' post='2731449'] Nah, I got a dud. A deko bass ukulele with a back bow in the neck and a truss rod that does nothing. Was still worth a punt though. [/quote] Sorry, by 'people have' I mean that 'some people have'. There have been other problems such as the silent jazz bass. My own deko (the PJ5 is my second) has some finish flaws, and the neck was maladjusted. But otherwise it's good. But others have received instruments that were perfect or near perfect.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1427461371' post='2730653'] If they were ever there at all.... don't forget, it's all about getting hits on their site - the more activity they generate, the better the site will be ranked in Google. They only need you and 100 others checking 4 times a day to get a nice bump up in the Google ranking. I wonder how many folk get the same email that Chris Sharman got? [/quote] That is an interesting view Grangur. It does give a plausible explanation for what is going on. I'm sure that there would be 100 people checking frequently. Chris's email that they only ever had one PJ5 is interesting given that I have received no apology email, and now have tracking for my order including a PJ5. It is clearly not true that their database only updates once an hour as instruments can appear and then disappear within seconds. If their database only updated once an hour, then instruments should stay on the site at least an hour. Looking at this thread, people have been receiving instruments with nothing wrong with them. Has Thomann been finding that they've run out of stock and sometimes been D stamping some B stock to fulfil the orders? Clearly not all the time as the 'apology email' result has been happening for some time. Has anyone who ordered a deko and received an apology email ever had other stuff in their order as well? I'm wondering if the nature of the order might influence Thomann to treat people differently.

Classical dekos! [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/decorative_guitars_and_basses.html"]http://www.thomann.d...and_basses.html[/url] EDIT: This is a higher priced (higher quality I"d presume) classical electro-acoustic with a Fishman pickup. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_santos_series_c_40scedeko.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...c_40scedeko.htm[/url] I didn't mention the L-450 plus Les Paul in my initial version of this post. As I predicted, it was gone before I could even post. Gone in 41 seconds. Classicals still around eight minutes on.

Did anybody see the dekos this morning? I was away from my computer. They included a HB60 semi hollow, and a standard jazz bass. But, gone in 35 seconds. The lot.

[quote name='Chris Sharman' timestamp='1427387490' post='2729790'] Well, I have just had an email from Thomann to ell me that the guitar I ordered is no longer available and an order could not be generated for you. NOT IMPRESSED! Although Mrs S can be heard giggling faintly in the background... [/quote] This has happened quite a lot. I've received a shipping confirmation for mine, so I presume that's OK. But, it seems that their computer systems are not robust enough. You ordered yours at 9:36am or before. I don't know how long after that they sold out as I was in transit after that and not online. One thing: What happens if the disappearing deko is part of a bigger order, made to dilute the shipping cost? I presume that in that case, the rest of the order will ship, and the shipping cost will be less diluted.

Nashville Deko back! [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_custom_line_nashvilledeko.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...shvilledeko.htm[/url] EDIT: 3 left, according to the KB method.

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1426617921' post='2719928'] A few of us from here went on a one day course with Ben from Crimson Guitars last year. He taught us how to do it. I ended up buying this set of tools: [url="http://crimsonguitars.com/shop/guitar-building-tools/Essential-fret-leveling-and-dressing-tool-kit"]http://crimsonguitar...essing-tool-kit[/url] and watched his video a few times as a refresher and am now confident in doing it. Take a look at the vid and see how you feel about having a crack: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uflkxIgPr1c"]https://www.youtube....h?v=uflkxIgPr1c[/url] Where are you based by the way? Anywhere near Bristol? [/quote] Sorry, I didn't notice that you had posted this. I've just bought a 5 string bass (Harley Benton deko) with the intention of doing the frets on it. I was planning to buy a tool for fret levelling, and was seriously thinking about the Crimson Guitars tool. I've seen the video. I don't feel confident, but my bass purchased today is a cheapie so that I can have a crack at doing something. If I screw up the frets, I'll defret it I'm in Leicester.

I've just reviewed my order. I had a shopping basket ready so that I could check out really quickly if a suitable Deko turned up. My order has one of these in it, though I don't remember adding it! Ooops! I do remember being curious about how well a bass equaliser would function in shaping the sound of basses, and wondering if it would give some boost too. I'm going to find out now I've also ordered some nylon tape wound strings (Fender 9120). Again, that was something that I was interested in trying out. But at least I remembered adding those, and knew they were there when I hit the buy button.

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1427366209' post='2729335'] I took the tele as well. It is my left handed friend's birthday today. I added it to the batch so as to avoid postage costs [/quote] I've just loudly LOL'd in a public place! That's six we've bought from this single batch, I think. I can't remember the price, but I think it was about £16 or so for the tele wasn't it? Also, in terms of what I mention in actual threads, I note that a left handed and/or cheap telecaster may be of interest. I definitely will remember that in the future. [quote name='lowhand_mike' timestamp='1427366169' post='2729332'] i umm'd and ahhh'd too long [/quote] Your time will come. Here's a youtube video with the Nashville Nylon. Sounds nice IMHO, it doesn't have that slightly 'hard' sound that some piezo pickups have. The same person in another video says that it's quite quiet acoustically. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26aHja5FflQ[/media] Here's what I assume to be the acoustic sound. I think the playing could be a bit cleaner however. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXSymkCELis[/media] And since most of us bought the PJ-5 HTR, here's an online demo while we're waiting for a week or so. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV_iSITTPUk[/media]

My apologies to Mrs S. Five purchased in this batch. And the PJ lasted at least 98 minutes. The PJ5 is gone now, as has the low spec left handed telecaster I never got around to mentioning. So the Deko list is now back to its current normal.

Four instruments bought from this batch? That would probably be the best batch ever if we all get them. Owen - when you get the Nashville acoustic, I'd like to hear what the acoustic sound is like. The Thomann page for it only has sound samples recorded via the pickup. I do think they look very nice, and one of them could replace my very battered Yamaha C40. If you could compare the sound of the two HB classicals, that would help. Note that my C40 is in such bad condition that I don't need to know what the HB classicals sound like compared to a C40! EDIT: PJ5 still up. Over half an hour now. Will it make a full hour? EDIT: It did.

Hopefully we're both early enough in the queue that we'll get ours. It says "available immediately" rather than there just being a few items remaining or whatever it says for some other instruments. I tried KB's method of ascertaining the stock level, but when I go to the main instrument page, the bundles don't list the dekos.

Dekos! PJ5! [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_pj_5_htr_deluxe_series_deko.htm?sid=06ed21ba48f4f01e4d102ee3a64a918d"]http://www.thomann.d...d102ee3a64a918d[/url] I've purchased a PJ5. I'd like to use it for practicing levelling of frets. If anyone near Leicester misses out, and really really was desperate for one, please talk to me. (I wouldn't profiteer). I removed the jazz bass kit I had in my shopping basket which was going to be a project to allow me to do that. I'll just use the HTR as a kit. Custom 'Nashville' nylon electro-acoustic. Much more expensive than the £14 classical guitars, but so are the non-deko ones. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_custom_line_nashvilledeko.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...shvilledeko.htm[/url] Most of them (minus a standard strat) are still there 14 minutes after they were listed. EDIT: Nashville nylon electro-acoustic gone. PJ5 still there.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1427240825' post='2727918'] So did I, until last week! [/quote] It does look reasonably nice for £120. How much are they worth. I'm not going to be buying it, but am nothing if not curious about things.