kwmlondon

Okay. Quick update. I took the scratchplate off last night and had a look under the cover. Nothing on the preamp but it's all nicely installed - very tidy. Having a good close-up look at the top it's going to be an incredibly thin layer of flamed maple as when I look at the thing in profile where it's been scraped clean and you can see the indivdual laers you can't actually see the top at all - it may look like there's a deep top in the photo but the grain of the body almost goes up to the varnish. Must be paper-thin. Anyway. It's fine. I took the action down a few notches as I prefer things a bit lower and it's very nice. Plays great. Sounds okay, you just have to back everything off a lot, so if the bass is 10%, mid centred at 50% and the treble at centred at 50% you get a really nice tone out of it. Whack the treble up and it gets very stingrayish indeed. A lot closer than a bass this cheap has any right to do. The strings on it at the moment are perfectly serviceable - seem to be odd ones from different sets but that's fine as it sounds and plays perfectly well. I may keep an eye out for a set of cheap flats at some point and throw those on - could be a fun exercise but I really have no plans to do anything else to this bass as it's really just a beater.

Like this? https://reverb.com/item/4330836-hohner-professional-b-bass-v-guitar-5-string-neck-thru-through-active-pickups-preamp-electronics Yummy!

Bye bye....

I have a friend who is a very successful musician and he collects guitars. He has special things that look like giant filing cabinets.

I did spend the budget on the Canadian Dingwall. The other two are cheap as chips!

I can relate and I am envious to some extent… but I know this is going to be pure heresy … I recon I only need one bass. My owning three is sheer indulgence. I will feel sad when the ‘ray goes tomorrow but I think it will be liberating.

I had a Status 3000 back in the early 90s. Great bass. I completely understand. The Stingray is nowhere near as important to me as that Status is for you.

I mean, why would you ever get rid of it as long as you enjoy it so much? Great.

I have friends who play the guitar that feel the same way about PRS. Soulless, lacking character etc. It's all personal though at the end of the day. Maybe the people in the band with you will notice when you play something else and have an opinion about tone, the sound person at a gig or in a studio possibly but the only person who really cares is you. Nobody in the audience will have any idea if you've got a Fedora or a Glarry.

It did. I drove him to the hosptial a couple of times and it was great to be able to help and actually get some proper time with him and my sister - had a few laughs as we drove into UCLH and back. We lost him in August. Two teenage kids left behind. It's not been a great year for our family but they're strong and supported amazing friends - it's been incredible to see people pull together to get through.

Last Christmas me and my partner came down with full-blown flu a couple of days before Christmas and we were unable to join my family. We knew it was my brother in law's last one (he was in the same situation as your brother) but we were both so unwell we coud not join them. We got to spend good time with them after but I hated missing that holiday with him. I hope you enjoy your Christmas.

I found the same with my Dingwall. The passive tone control is hugely useful too.

I’ve found this setup really versatile but it works for me. I don’t think it’s for everyone…

Oooh, the sound of my youth!!!

Exactly. Nothing comes for free... there's always something to pay in some way, somehow...