Paul S

I wouldn't dream of saying I was an expert but I have owned 2, still have one, the one I sold was the twin of this except with the Fender logo. The neck sounds absolutely spot on - both mine were shallow C profile approx 19mm deep at the third fret, 42mm across the nut. I can't comment on anything else - both mine had the raised A pole pieces. Are the tuners from an old JV or new?

Pointless reminiscence: That was the first year that the current Mrs S and I were together, we'd just moved in to a small flat and Life was a huge adventure. The night before we'd had a dodgy takeaway and we'd both been extremely ill all night - not eaten vegetable pakoras (the dish we shared) ever since. Felt like crap all the next day so just collapsed in front of the tiny portable TV we had and watched the lot.

Beat me to it!

From memory all the Westone basses I owned were 40mm at the nut. Also Squier Silver Series Precision and Jazz both were 40mm. Of those I have currently, a 70s Antoria Precision has 40mm nut, ditto Hondo II H1015, ditto Allparts telebass neck on my 50s P bitsa - the latter is also 'very' chunky.

Must have been some sort of voodoo. Some nice bits for my '51 P bitsa from Retrovibe.

Unbelievably I had a first class signed for delivered today that was posted yetserday.

Unfortunately they are cut for 4+1, so the G wouldn't fit.

There's always one, isn't there...

Funny, I have tried chromes, still have some knocking about, but find them to be duller than TI Flats.

Too much HP Lovecraft, I'd say.

In Shergold Marathon Retrovibe Renegade Bitsenfaker Epiphone Thunderbird Classic Pro Bitsa 50s single coil Precision Out Antoria EB-3 Shergold Marathon Hondo Alien Peavey Foundation V Retrovibe P-30 Sigma electro-acoustic Stagg EUB (strictly speaking - it is spoken for but not collected) I make that -3.

Jose bought my Sigma electro-acoustic bass in the simplest of deals. Met half way, easy peasy. Hope your son enjoys the bass!

Seamed ok to me

After due consideration I've ordered the Retrovibe one. And while I was there one of the Route '51 bridges fell into the basket, too. Thanks all.

Maybe they decided to charge by the word, like newspaper ads.

I must be insane. I have put someone on 'ignore' but when someone else quotes what the ignored person has written it becomes visble. And it has happened more than once with the same outcome.

This does sound like a plan. I shall ponder over the holidays.

Davie - do you recall, the Fury had some magnets at the back of the pickup, presumably by way of a test I could fish those out, stick them behind the single coil and see what happens?

I have two, possibly three contenders. A Retrovibe Faker and an Epiphone Thunderbird Classic Pro. Both completely different to my beloved precisions but in a good way and have joined the rotation cycle for use at gigs The third is a bitsa '54 Precision that I suspect will usurp many once I have finished fettling.

Fralins are available here, about the same price as the SDs. Davie - I know nothing of neodymium bar magnets - what sort of thing do you mean? Another option, and I have been completely dim here - I've just sold a Retrovibe P-30, which was a short scaled 50s style P bass, and one of the things I really liked about it was the tone - from the Retrovibe own make 'Route '51' pickup. This is a 9K output and the tone is what I had in my mind when compared to the Roswell. they cost £35, so around 1/3 the price of the SD or Fralin.

Lozz, would you say it still retained something of the character on the '51? There's not much online soundwise but I think it might be ahead at the moment. But then there are probably loads I know nothing about.