Dr.Dave

I sailed through my bypass earlier this year - though I was fit and well and hadn't been ill - and went straight back to it once I was allowed to drive again. I did that because I was determined not to stop gigging because of illness etc but For a long time I've been considering it. I'm an early retired 64 , fit and well and do several volunteering jobs so it's not my age - I'm just bored with it. I played in a pub in Castleford ( never go unless you're forced , and even then don't go !! ) about 8 years ago and it suddenly occurred to me that I'm still hawking my talents around the same toilets as I was when I was 17. I've had plenty of laughs along the way and done nigh on 2000 gigs but the truth of it is that I set out to become an artist and settled for being a craftsman. That's my greatest regret. These days I get more joy from noodling around at home than the ' groundhog day ' feeling of gigs. So - yes , gather ye rosebuds etc but when the time comes to chuck them away - act. I haven't done that and it's been a mistake.

Never quite understood why - as the commercial makers do - sticking a jazz bridge pickup on a precision makes it a PJ. It's just a modded Precision. Anyway - mine isn't. Just finished nailing this together. It's a Frankenstein based around a Squier PJ body and a new Fender 70s Jazz neck. I found some SDQPs on eBay. Got a Hi mass with some Amazon vouchers I had given and for the princely sum of £3.54 got a vintage pearloid pick guard off Temu ! Every hole lines up perfectly. I shielded the inside with slug tape from the garden centre and rewired it so it's vol/blend/tone. It's far more the love child of a Precision and a Jazz than most. Not a great pic but it does have Milly eating a scrambled egg in it !

As a Yorkshireman I'm not allowed into Lancashire without fighter cover so Dunc kindly packed up his Barefaced cab and we couriered it to chez moi. I'm well pleased with the cab and happy to have bought it from this fine gentleman. Thanks , mate.

Nice suggestion , cheers. I am grateful for it but I'm probably too Neanderthal to do that . The only reason I want the blend pot is that with two vols I don't have the 'kill switch ' effect under my hand which I use a lot when addressing the assembled Williams. I've never been one to worry too much about tone which might sound strange to many but it's such a subjective thing I don't see a lot of point. Like I'm always saying - Edwin Collins had a massive hit with the world's worst ever guitar sound , so why worry ?!

Many thanks both of you. It occurs to me that if I'd actually opened the box that my SD QPs came in the other day I'd probably find that wiring diagram inside !! It's all based on a sunburst Squier body. I bought the whole working bass but everything will go bar the body and what I can use of the electrics. Even the aged cream pick guard is new - 4 quid off Temu !! I wanted a jazz neck so the P neck and hardware is on eBay now. Rest to follow.

Hiya folks - just to kick off by saying I'm no sparky beyond wiring a plug or soldering a jack so please keep that in mind. Just picked up a P J which I'm modding and one thing I want to do is dump the two vol control ( as per jazz bass) set up. I'd like to replace the second vol with a pup swing pot. It's need to have a click in the mid position ( are they all like that ?? I don't know ). So - I'm going to need a suitable pot. Any idea which one I should get ? I read online either a 250k or 500k should do it but I don't know the difference. I'll also need a wiring diagram which I can most likely follow. All thoughts gratefully accepted.

Yep - did that earlier. Trouble is there are folk who are patient. There are folk who are not patient ..... and then there's me !

I have a BT8 - Fender American Standard - bass xtender key and I've just fitted it to a Dimension bass BUT , like a right prat , I've managed to lose the nylon washer. Anybody know what size these are - I can probably get a bag of 100 from ebay for the square root of not much or I can make one out of a milk bottle cap but not if I don't know the size. All help appreciated - cheers D

I'd happily gig with a Squier Affinity Jazz and to spend the change on a few pints and a painted hussy.

Played a battle cruiser called the Galway in Retford last weekend. Let the singer ( who was trembling like a crapping dog all night ) sound check my mic because I was busy with a pint of Dancing Dragonfly and couldn't be bothered to do it myself............ came home with Covid !! Whoopee - 2 years working in a covid jabbery and being Santa to grubby working class rugrats and I've dodged every bullet only to catch it from a shared mic !!! No symptoms BTW. I've always said bugs can't live on me. They take one look , say phuq that for a game of soldiers and go elsewhere.

What's on my set list .............. Footprints and spilled beer mostly !

Sunday morning conversation..... Wife - what was the band called last night ? Hub - can't remember , I had a few too many Wife - were they any good ? Hub - can't remember that much about them... Oh - they had a right gobby bastard telling nob gags with a stupid looking bass , I remember him , I'll go see him again. My job is done !

Here's some beer bottle labels under a clear pickguard on my 'ray.