Dr.Dave

I clicked on this and my fretted Precision jumped up on the desktop crying 'brother' !! [url="http://www.umanovguitars.com/store/details.asp?prodid=3369&cat=640&path=600,640"]http://www.umanovguitars.com/store/details...mp;path=600,640[/url] And if that wasn't bad enough - across the page is it's bloody twin!!!! [url="http://www.umanovguitars.com/store/details.asp?prodid=2919&cat=640&path=600,640"]http://www.umanovguitars.com/store/details...mp;path=600,640[/url] It's a terrible thing you've pointed us towards there , Admiral !!!

Erm.........not much else to say about it really. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/John-Shuker-Custom-made-Fretless-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ150317398592QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item150317398592&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1298%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/John-Shuker-Custom-m...A1%7C240%3A1318[/url]

The Sub sounds a bit like a Stingray - and , at some future point , you'll wish it was one. The Jazz sounds a lot like everything you ever heard with the possible exception of a Stingray but you might find a growly spot with the knobs that's getting there. You wouldn't want a tool kit that only has a hammer - so get the Jazz , never sell it , and learn from long experience and adventures with it what other bass or basses you may want or need - very probably none.

I got a set of Elixirs. But that was last Xmas so this year I only needed socks!!

[quote name='ARGH' post='363232' date='Dec 25 2008, 09:40 AM']Im not a drinker...I might just stay with Elites....at least I know what Im getting.[/quote] Happily , I am a drinker , but despite the occassional falling over and attcking policemen I use double ball end Elites on my headless too. Never tried Status strings. I've got Elixirs on my Shuker at the mo which sound good to me a year after I put them on. Having said that if I'd put Crappo's El cheapo strings on a year ago I probably wouldn't have changed them yet. The rest all sport Rotosounds. Been using them forever and see no reason to change. I get all my strings from Strings Direct. Fast delivery , cheap , sorted.

What's the tab symbol for hammering on while taking off your bandana with your right hand and throwing it into the crowd? I'd do that about now , sorry bar steward that I am !!

I never use my active/ passive switch. Instead I know from experience where the gain should be to achieve the same volume from each of my basses - so I just move that , though to be honest half the time I don't bother!! I never tweak the eq much anyway - my dictum is to use an amp that sounds good to me when set flat. I also enjoy the different sounds each of my basses make - why would I try to make them sound the same?? I'm not going to tell anyone else what to do - but the deal is making music to me , not knob twiddling. If you get kit that has a simple to find , pleasing 'core' sound - you're sorted.

New venue in Wakefield(been open 10 days) A real ale but trendy place called 'The Hop' in the city centre. Bit like one of these continental bars that have sprung up. Anyway - it's an absolute belter with a crowd well up for it. The corner stage is a bit small , medium room that will open into the courtyard for summer gigs. The house PA is adequate at best but being developed (we beefed it up with the arse end of our system. The lights are OK. Upstairs is phase 2 early next year. A more dedicated club type venue. Unlike a lot of thee 'fly by night' pub venues I think this will thrive. I know the people involved and they are strong supporters of live music and up on the ways of bands. Here's an article about the venue - don;t think the webbo's up and running yet. [url="http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/wakefield-news/Rock-band-drummer-opens-Wakefield.4742914.jp"]http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/wake...ield.4742914.jp[/url] The contact is Ian Fisher 'Fish'. I'm telling porkies again - just found the website [url="http://www.ossett-brewery.co.uk/"]http://www.ossett-brewery.co.uk/[/url] Tell Ian I sent you.

Ross - some bastard's nicked 2 of your fingers. I tried to tell you Castleford was rough but would you listen!!!

If it's the bass of your dreams....well........it depends how much you're able and willing to spend to make them come true. Some people dream about owning an Aston Martin or a beach front in Hawaii and it's small potatos compared with them. Having said that - it's already expensive for what it is and you don't get the op to check it out. Maybe if you wait a little longer and search a little harder you could have the same thing for a sight less from much closer.

The spunky's and the Grover Titans are like Schaller M4s - that's these jobbies [url="http://www.guitarparts.co.nz/cart/Details.cfm?ProdID=854&category=16"]http://www.guitarparts.co.nz/cart/Details....amp;category=16[/url] Not cheap and hard to track down - but if you want the best etc. Another alt. would be the ones I put on my Blue Flower P. Fender American Series Top right on this page. [url="http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/bass_tunersfender.htm"]http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/bass_tunersfender.htm[/url] Cheaper than the Schallers , retroish from the front and with a nice big fat Fender 'F' on the back. They're the one's I'd vote for because I have them so obviously they're the correct choice!!! BTW I have the Schaller M4s's on my 73 P , never let me down in 20 years and still look new.

[quote name='bassaussie' post='356833' date='Dec 17 2008, 12:08 PM']Oh ....... if that's the case, then yes, I totally agree!!!! I didn't mean there's anything wrong with left handed players or left handed instruments. To a right handed player who has a few Fenders it looks so damn odd. It shouts 'ringer' subliminally. Sure I'm not alone there. I don't know - I've got a '76 Jazz bass sitting right in front of me, and the blocks on it look like the ones in the auction. I've also got a '66 Jazz with blocks, and I can't see a huge amount of variation with it either. I think you need to take into account the awful defretting job that's been done on the neck in the auction, it's really torn the fretboard up. I guess if I did have a question, it would be about the block marker at the 3rd fret, but that may just be the photo which is distorting the view.[/quote] Always an issue in all but the best of photo's - good to have your 'first hand' view of the instruments you have with you. Part of the usefullness of this forum , I think. Few weeks back folk were saying a Fender headstock was way too 'orange' but I looked across at my 73 which is a sight more so.

I think many folk find that a left handed Fender automatically looks 'wrong' to us. Add that to a poor description and the alarm bells ring before a closer look is taken. From the pics it's the block markers that concern me - they look plain wrong.

[quote name='ziggenpuss' post='341204' date='Nov 30 2008, 04:13 PM']Dr. Dave, Rudis is my usual chioce of watering hole on the rare occasions when me and the Mrs get out, shift work being the bugger that it is plus the current economic squeeze etc but I'll come and say hello if I manage to make it.[/quote] He did too , with Mrs Ziggenpuss. Nice to meet you , mate - and thanks for the Rustic Robin or whatever it was called!! Hope you didn't think me too much of a misery talking to you for 5 mins then vanishing like some big shot. Got the call to get ready etc and had to go. Not the best attended I've seen Rudi's - Hey Ho. I thought our Doc B support outstripped our ZZ trib too. Been a few weeks since we Eliminated and couldn't quite get it going properly.

I wouldn't be without my rack tuner. From time to time I get the urge to use a little chorus in a couple of songs live. I like it but I like the sound uneffected too - so I end up not setting up the pedal and eventually flog it. I don't like the idea of the lead not being behind me either - though that's easily solved if I wanted to. Compression is something I would use if I were in a different band - to smooth out my mis hits a bit. But I'm not - so I don't!! Thought also I should try a bit of fuzzed up bass on some of the numbers in the ZZ trib - but again , too idle to do anything about it except think. I like the sound of (well tuned!) bass - GK - whatever speakers don't break. That's me. Dinosaur. I'm full of admiration for bassists that use effects tastefully - heavy on the tastefully. I think too that if I didn't gig so much , playing around with effects would stop me getting too bored with bass when practising. I don't practise bass at all at home at the mo. We don't rehearse as a band. CD on in the car - bang it out at the soundcheck - throw it in the set and see if it floats. Works for us - you'd have to ask the williams if it works for them.

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='355001' date='Dec 15 2008, 01:38 PM']To confuse the issue my unlined fretless precision is anything but precise in my hands. [/quote] Ha! Considering the posts before you 'fretless Precision' is a bit of a contradiction in terms , isn't it. I suppose , at the time , the basic Precision the fretless was modeled on was too well known a name to mess with. Who wants a 'Fender Precisish' ?

My reaction's like yours - why??? But a little bit at the back of my mind is slightly jealous that I'm no longer young and daft enough to know the answer!!

I think it's a wise move for anyone learning to do so on an instrument that's an industry standard , few frills ,workhorse. You can't break rules unless you know what they are and a Jazz is perfect for that. The slimmer J neck will help anyone with small hands too. It's still a big instrument but if she's been noodling on your Ibanez she's obviously not put off by that.

Don't pack it in ,Alan , there's something out there ideal for you and that'll soon get the smile back on your face. Tank de Lawd your bass wasn't jacobsed !!!

I'm well aware of Jaco's very musical bass playing - both in support of songs and as a soloist. But if I walked into a gig and saw what's in the clip - I'd walk straight out again. Sorry.

The good luthiers can do stuff many of us would think impossible. I saw a telecaster at Jons that looked worse than this , and he reckoned it wouldn't be a big problem to fix. Certainly I'd ask a good pro's advice before dissmissing the possibility of repair.

[quote name='Beedster' post='348762' date='Dec 8 2008, 04:01 PM']Radius of the fingerboard looks wrong to me, and I'm wondering how squaring off the neck might have effected the truss rod bolt head. He's no doubt a decent guy if Dr Dave says so, but he needs to check out how much modified Fenders actually sell for, or at least get the bass put back close to original, before asking what he's asking! Chris[/quote] If I read his email properly (and if anyone's interested take no notice of me and check yourself) the neck itself is untouched - just the end of the rosewood fingerboard has been squared off. I think he's an OK bloke , but naive in it's worth , maybe too much 'look at the prices in Vintage and Rare ' going on. For me , this could have been a potential bargain - hence I never flagged it on here!!!!! - but it wasn't. Of course , he may have lowered his reserve in the relisted auction. He's not asking telephone numbers BTW , hate being cagey but I took his information re the reserve as private , which I was grateful for , and don't think I should say what it is.

If it is the one Old Git's pointed out - this is relisted after it went unsold last week. I've been in touch with the guy - seems a decent enough chappy. Should you want to get this back to 'normal' , you'd need a new pickguard and just chuck the xlr . the new P/g would also be needed to do the fingerboard job. He tells me the neck is untouched by the mod - only the fingerboard. The original is squared off so the extension pice butts up to it. So - dump the extension piece and having saved a little bit to make a 'fillet' for the end of the original. Job done. It's not something I'd shy away from workwise , but I think he's wanting more than the bass is currently worth - esp if you add the cost of a luthier doing the work rather than a DIY job. It was def. something I was interested in to a certain financial point. He told me his reserve - but I think it's unfair to post that - sufficient to say it's no bargain. It would be a fair price without the mods but still no big bargain , but it's his bass and good luck to him.