warwickhunt

I think if you have experience (ie Beedster), you get a 'feel' for what needs doing and don't always follow one route. During Lockdown I've bought 4 basses (I put the Lockdown bit in to justify the purchases) and none arrived ready to go for me. I literally pick a bass up and look at it, plonk a few notes and can pretty much gauge if I need to adjust saddles, truss rod or even the nut (the last one being rarely). I then set about doing the most obvious and then fettle it in increments from there. Rarely does a bass just need either/or truss rod/bridge adjustment when it comes to getting an instrument to play how you like. I'm with Beedster that a bass maxxed out on the saddles and too high to comfortably play (for the new owner) would be a case of bringing them down to a mid point... though I sometimes adjust to the point they are almost flat on the board and go from there and then seeing how things 'feel'! On the point of 'feel' I've never used a feeler gauge or other measuring device in 40 years of playing/setting up basses. Early days I used to pay to have a bass set up and I can appreciate that sometimes the pro's need to have points of reference especially if they don't know a customer. However, once I sussed what a set up is all about, I just started tweaking and fettling to my heart's content.

SSII style inlays or are they stickers?

If it is a Stingray OR Sterling and it has this legend on the back of the headstock then it is the 'proper' USA version and not any of the confusing lower spec models... which might or might not be as good as the USA version!

Daft thing is that there are lots of good clues that this may well be (or at least have parts) a 70's P bass. However, it just 'feels' a bit off and I'd have bells ringing. Saying that I'm sceptical because I've heard/seen how easy it is to paint/stamp/code Fender parts to look authentic.

He's adding even more comments from helpful buyers... but I feel he still hasn't nailed his colours to the mast and personally stated it defo is a 70's P bass. Even his comment that 'apparently' it was inspected by R Bush seems non-committal.

I bet yours sold within 24 hrs? Probs sold yours too cheap and you'll need to be on the ball to get one at that price... on any given day.

Not sure condition is that important when you are talking 'Rays. The £700 ones were never 'common' and tended to get snapped up. As soon as you head toward 4 figures, folks start to get twitchy with actually putting hands into pockets.

Really? I'd say they've been consistently undervalued. Anything from £700 - £1000 for a bog-standard bass I'd consider 'normal'.

I've owned a DB750 which some will say is the pinnacle of Aggie tone and I have to say I've had a few amps since the 750 and they sounded better (imho), including a Thunderfunk 550 and TF750 which were superb with a pair od db112's. I sold the Aggie cabs and I've settled on the TC RS210 cabs which stacked vertically are a great gig solution... not something you need to worry about.

I'll predict that you will getting a bewildering array of answers! £1200 - £1300 is a shedload of money for 2nd hand gear... for use at home! Anyone with anything to sell will convince you their amp/cab combo will get you the tone you want... what is wrong with the PJB?

TBH you own a bass 16 years but don't know it is a 70's P bass... you're also happy to (re)post that 'someone has said it's a 70's Fender' but not actually say it yourself or do the research to prove it and get a better price? The fact that he is happy to show pics of the neck and pocket is great but why doesn't he just say 'this is a 75 P bass this is my proof'? I agree the pup looks new and I'd not think that type of logo'd pup would be 16 + years old.

The best amp that had no valves and was 'Solid State' old school has to be the GK 800RB

Here's a 63 P (Pino) bass @ £390 with no reserve... who's brave enough? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1963-Fender-Precision-Bass/133538462183

All of the bidders are shown as private, it's pretty standard.

What's the craic with the nut and the G string run off?

Very clean body for something that has needed new pick up and pots?

I'm always wary of messages from 'friendly Indians'. I'm not saying the bass is wrong per se but it is a very good get out clause if it isn't as described... someone else has said what it is not the seller!

Hmmm. I'd have reservations all right.

Let me know how you get on... I've been contemplating dropping either a pair of Bart pups or a pair of DiMarzio pups into my Pro II. I've always said that the rear pup is next to useless due to the location, though it is really the only downside to these basses.

Blast from the past Daz! I'm 99% certain that I didn't change anything else in this conversion, the blend pot would be as per the original MEC (mine was a stacked vol/pan pot). I'm sure like me you'll be thinking; if it sounds OK without the changed pot... let's leave well alone.

re. the social media 'outpouring' - I have never been one for shouting about how much I like/love the output from VH over the past 42 years but I found myself genuinely upset at EVH's passing. His music was part of my youth/adulthood and I never failed to listen to what the band VH did through the years, even if I felt indifference to some of it (nothing to do with band line-up changes). I'm sure EVH's early work would eclipse anything that he might have done now but I'm struggling to put into words my feelings toward the fact that his death was self-inflicted and has robbed us of any further opportunities to hear him produce more music. However, back to the OP point. I found myself picking up the bass and jamming along to a variety of VH material today; none of it recorded... doesn't make it any more/less valid. Oddly enough it made me feel better.

It's music... what's not to like? If not personally 'like' then at least turn a blind eye and allow others to show their appreciation and maybe someone out there will like it and it will brighten their day; I think we all need a bit of that.

Any Musicman picked straight off the production line will be as good/better build quality than 'team build' CS Fender bass. I've yet to see or hear of a Musicman that wasn't superbly finished and put together. Oh and I'm no fan-boy with a Musicman bass to sell or to inflate the value of; I've simply owned a few of them in my time and they are (very) well put together. ...in fact I may retract this statement as I'm trying to source a reasonably priced USA Sterling at the moment.