Paul S

What is the best way to tune a banjo? Tighten the top string until it snaps, repeat with the rest What is the best sound you can get from a banjo? Splash. What is perfect pitch with a banjo? Throwing it in the bin without it hitting the sides. I adore banjo. Wish I knew more about it and will check out the suggestions. I had assumed it took decades to get a reasonable sound.

Shocking news, hard to believe. RIP.

No it isn't. Consider that the 12th fret is exactly half the scale length. So one half is nut to 12th fret, second half is 12th fret to bridge. Shortscale is 30", so each 'half' is 15". Long scale is 34", so each half is 17". Which means your bridge would need to be moved forward by approx. 2". Assuming the shorter neck fits in the pocket in the exact same way. I think that may be a bit simplistic, but the principle applies. Maybe someone with some science can come along and explain it properly. There are plenty of good, cheap shortscale basses out there - with plenty of discussion on here if you use the search facility - no need to destroy your existing bass.

Try Status Graphite. They do a range of double ball end strings and are much cheaper. Follow the links via the online shop menu on the left.

I've had similar things. I spent a couple of years waiting for a Westone X790 deluxe - flagship Westone bass. Just didn't ever get on with it once I finally got one - didn't like the tone. Same story with a medium scale Aria CSB 450 Black n Gold in museum condition that I imported from Japan. Looked absolutely amazing but just sounded honky to me.

Just put a black scratch plate on it. [attachment=209145:JV01.jpg] [attachment=209146:JV02.jpg] I'm having trouble putting this down at the moment. Sounds beautiful, really sings. I am lucky enough to own a Fender logo JV0 '57 RI Precision in tobacco burst. So far as I can tell the build quality of this is about the same. But this is lighter and has a nicer tone. And cost considerably less! Edit - just noticed I've put the new strings on a bit wonky! I must shift them over a groove.

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1452093396' post='2946317'] Yamaha BB424!! Around £200 second hand and really good basses. I've had mine for coming up 3 years, I haven't bought anything else since and it's done nearly 200 gigs and countless rehearsals with no signs of knackering out. Even cheaper still are the BB414's. Slight lower quality build construction but sound and behave the same. [/quote] There is one in the classifieds here at the moment for £200.

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1452168845' post='2947163'] I am still struggling to see/hear your points unless you are a Barefaced Troll. [/quote] We have a winner!

That's how I read it. Although primarily a pick player, I've been working on my fingerstyle for the last couple of years and now I switch between the two from song to song all through the sets and sometimes if required in the same song in louder passages - I just moderate the volume by varying the attack. The trick is palming the pick without dropping it, then magically producing it again when needed - a touch of the Paul Daniels required. Actually, I am not sure I want to think of a touch of Paul Daniels.

Presumably described as 'aqua' as the pictures were taken underwater [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Danelectro-56-Aqua-Bass-Guitar-/131694302058?hash=item1ea997936a:g:YgQAAOSwwPhWjUZu"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Danelectro-56-Aqua-Bass-Guitar-/131694302058?hash=item1ea997936a:g:YgQAAOSwwPhWjUZu[/url]

I own quite a lot of basses - I think around a dozen or so. I always take 2 basses to a gig. I'm in 3 bands, for which I like to use slightly different sounding basses as they are different genres. For one band I use a Stagg EUB if space permits, so that's an extra one! We are working on an acoustic set, too, so that's my Uke bass and/or semi-acoustic too... I am absolutely sure I could make do with a single Precision bass for all of them

A pleasure to deal with Ian again, who bought a MIJ 32" scale bass (not our one, Ted) from me after I answered his 'wanted' post. Totally smooth transaction, great comms, friendly guy, instant payment etc etc.

I think he is still largely to blame. I agree - someone, somehow squeezed the bass neck into the guitar body even though not all the screw holes lined up - as is plain. Any reasonable person, upon coming across the result of unholy union, would have acted differently. Throw it in a skip or, preferably, set fire to it. No, he compounded the aberrant alchemy by putting another guitar pickup and shabby non-adjustable bridge on it. Then sticks it on ebay and ask a mind boggling £257 for it.

I know it is an offering from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named but nevertheless.... [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TeleSG-MIJ-short-scale-bass-Shaftesbury-Columbus-/191771417980?hash=item2ca6779d7c:g:sAkAAOSwU~FWDZHK"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TeleSG-MIJ-short-scale-bass-Shaftesbury-Columbus-/191771417980?hash=item2ca6779d7c:g:sAkAAOSwU~FWDZHK[/url]

Or... get cheaper strings. Legacy strings are re-badged nickel Rotos ( I asked at Strings Direct and he confirmed it but asked me not to tell anyone) (oops) but only £9.99. Or £30-99 for a 4 pack.

Re pickups and bridge. (stuck record alert) I have recently acquired a Squier Musicmaster bass 'Vista Series' that has a 4 pole 'proper' bass pickup in it and also a 'proper' adjustable bridge fitted into a plate that is the same as the Fender Musicmaster. Both are significant improvements over the Fender ones. I haven't searched but am sure that these could be had as separate components. FWIW I did what you are doing - pimped a tatty old Fender Musicmaster. Eventually I had someone (The Bass Doc - is he still doing it?) rout a bigger pup cavity to fit a Wizard Trad Precision pickup, new scratchplate, new Kiogon loom. It sounded MUCH better. But the Vista sounds better The pickup from that, if it or an equivalent can be bought on its own, would be where I would look I think.

Easiest course would be to get a new loom from Kiogon here and a new Hot (or Cool) Rails pickup. Doesn't involve any soldering, just screwing the pup wires into the screw terminals of the junction box. Maybe look at replacing the bridge, too, which is about as elementary as a bridge can be.

I wondered if that might be the case. Bad timing again. My old one had the same thing - an ex-Hayman neck.

Relisted [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Shergold-Marathon-4-string-bass-guitar-Big-Plate-Mk1-pre-1980-/221984897737?hash=item33af54bac9:g:KLAAAOSwaA5WiUFa"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Shergold-Marathon-4-string-bass-guitar-Big-Plate-Mk1-pre-1980-/221984897737?hash=item33af54bac9:g:KLAAAOSwaA5WiUFa[/url]

To be fair, bar staff aren't standing next to the snare drum. At least, not at any of the gigs I play.

Amazing what you can do a recycled child's trampoline isn't it.

Possibly the most skewed logic I have read this year. Well, it is only 3rd.