Paul S

I was born in '57 so probably aware of music from the early to mid 60s onwards. My parents listened to a lot of 'foreign' stuff which, even at the time, seemed a little odd. I'm sure there was more to it than this, but these stuck in my mind - Los Paraguayos, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass , Nana Mouskouri. And, not quite the same, a lot of Bert Kaempfert (maybe that is why I like the plink of a pick on flats?) They did travel abroad a bit before it was fashionable, so maybe that was what it was about. More exotic than Southend Anyway, I had a sister who was 5 years older than me and she used to listen to lots of pop chart songs, played them to death. She got into Mowtown, played them to death. Heard it Through the Grapevine, over and over and over and over and... Not so much Beatles or Stones although she did have Sgt Peppers and played it over and over and over and... Then at senior school I got to listen to blues and heavy rock. Caught up with what I'd missed and enjoyed what was contemporary, discovered live music and that was that I like most stuff these days but blues/rock is where my heart is.

I wouldn't worry, its the internet. That always happens.

Ben bought one of my spare pickups in the simplest, no-nonsensiest kind of transaction that makes doing business on this forum a joy. Top chap, even though cybermen scare the bejeesus out of me.

My relationship with fretless is much the same as with a 5er. if I am in a band situation where I need/have use for one I thoroughly enjoy playing it. But if I don't I immediately default to 4 string fretted and anything else languishes in a cse until I take pity on them and move them on.

I'd say unlikely. I noticed that he'd joined in 2015, despite only coming out slugging just now. Grimalkin crashed through the skylight with his dukes up straight away.

I'd have a go with black nylon tapewounds - I put a set on mine, when I had one (well, a Club) and it sounded pretty fab. Lovely feel, too.

Took this to bits today, gave it a clean, lemon oil on the board, and strung it with my favoured TI Flats. Little tweak of the truss rod. Absolutely loving this, bags of character, with a clean boost and slight push of the gain it is a beast, the bridge humbucker starts to break up nicely and when both pups are on it is rather yum. Serial numbers on the pickups show they were made (thanks Jon @Bassassin for the decoding lesson) 17th and 18th of August 1976. I was surprised to find a pcb in the control cavity, proper job! Cover cleaned up nicely after a soak in soapy water. It doesn't actually look any different to before as it wasn't that mucky. Need to play it with the band, see how it sits.

A Hohner B2B has just popped up on eBay. Looks like it is in good nick. I've used my bass tokens for this quarter so not in the market for it. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115702311641?hash=item1af0652ad9%3Ag%3Aa54AAOSwQ31j5jWZ&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoKgtN5TZr9YKjaUIQSQCuZI9kPkcDQ17pfaCj2B59Z5qpYRlrRzym4Lb%2B932wia0ytYLq13wDr2Qx8ep1BbgSHf1FhGNSE2vEvAIR4LkdHQs3hZc2%2B4WG5d7wLUppJ8sYrKpBwkpcClRZ%2BbnQ7hq%2FVv55MaJOtCpnKRiN0o75CCr9Uwz4%2BC4PCVsMG0Bqy6lmVsw%2BrH4tD35iZ59YGCUQZQ%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR97hhMrIYQ&LH_ItemCondition=3000

Sold Lee a set of tuners, easy peasy transaction.

Better open a window...

I think I have worked it out, combing this thread with other similarly proscriptive nonsense. Thin, shallow necks are fast, but only if you use a pick and a music stand and play once a month. If you wear a hat you can play a narrow but chunky neck finger style every other weekend as long as you only take occasional prompts from an iPad. But it is only wide, chunky necks that allow the correct technique employed by proper, regularly gigging musicians who either sight read or memorize 300 songs, with or without a waistcoat. Did I miss anything out?

Made me laugh out loud, so all is good.

Indeed. In theory, you get yourself prepared, tense all the right muscles, bend the knees and off you go. In practice, that little turn in the stairwell, that little slip on the gravel of the car park all conspire to knacker the lumbar. I had quite a physical job for a while, which didn't help.

many thanks for such generous feedback. 🤣

That's fixed now. Back in the day, before my lumbar region turned to cottage cheese, I had a TE 18", 15" and 2x10" to mix and match as I fancied.

I had a Squier VM Jazz fretless, which when it came out was kind of industry standard entry level fretless. Ebanol board, as I recall. Quite nice. I also had a Squier VM Mustang, which was a great little bass. In fact I've had two, both sold of course. I'd probably buy another one if a black/maple came up for sale. Stock pup was a bit meh but an easy upgrade.

There are no facts in your proposition that only fat necks promote 'proper technique'; it is simply your opinion. I agree that to say 'thin necks are fast is silly' but, frankly, no sillier than saying only fat necks promote correct technique. If you think about all the (hundred of?) thousands of bass players who have habitually played Jazz basses over the past 60 or so years out of preference to fatter necked basses then maybe consider that their opinions 'beats or equals' yours, if that is important to you.

Copy and paste, nearly Lee, next time you buy some, just get them delivered straight here

Oh dear, it is the 'correct technique' can of worms again. it is a good job that, every once in a while, somone new to the forum comes along to show us the error of our ways.

I had this with a MM Sterling. The bass and case were really smelly. I completely took the bass to bits and washed everything - except the electrics, obvs, before someone mentions it - in warm soapy water, then polished the body, neck and hardware. The case got a liberal helping of 'Shake n Vac'.

It does seem an odd analogy although I am sure In have used it myself in the past as, somehow, people seem to know what is meant. But, yes, why should a neck that is narrow play faster than one that isn't? Nonsense, really. We all have nuanced preferences, some folks prefer narrow, some wide. Some like C profile, others D or U. But it is a personal choice, not a universal law. It's taken me a long time to reach the conclusion that my most comfortable neck is 40mm wide at the nut and a C profile, but if it isn't it I might still enjoy playing it.

Psycho killer, Talking Heads. Pump it up, Elvis Costello Boogie oogie oogie A Taste of Honey

Livin on a prayer, Bon Jovi.

It would be intresting to try and sell the strings afterwards. 'Cut for a 2+2 headstock' wouldn't quite cover it.