Shaggy

Saw this very bass today: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hayman-40-40-bass-guitar-rare-not-many-of-these-about-/121673862391?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c5453ccf7 whilst browsing for obscure vinyl in a secondhand shop in Ammanford - have to say it's rather tasty...... I know nothing about these other that they're the precursors to Shergold (which in turn passed on a few genes to Wal basses) Apparently missing transparent plastic covers on the pickups. Seems a tad pricey to me, but if I can assist in haggling / picking up for anyone interested let me know

[quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1432767134' post='2784893'] Be grateful yours has obviously been tastefully restored. I have seen some horrendeous jobs done on some of those oldies. Funny, because the scratchplate with the controls mounted on it like that reminded me of the ghastly Rosetti Lucky Seven a mate of mine had. Pickups and controls including jack socket all in this ugly lump of white plastic..... Yours looks rather nice! [/quote] I think Broadway were a budget brand of the importer Rose-Morris, with various UK and Euro parts stuck together depending on what was at hand. Maybe Rosetti was also? The pickups / electrics / pickguard assembly isn't actually recessed into the body at all, it "floats" above it on little mounts, and as there's no room for a full size jack socket it has a tiny one instead (oo-er.....). No truss rod (though neck is laminated and still perfectly straight) basic as can be, but actually plays very nice, and has that "instant '60's" Gretsch-type tone Mine was a junk-shop find for £30, I was actually going to strip the pickups out to use in a bass project and trash the guitar, but then didn't have the heart to. The finish was irretrievably knackered with punk-era graffiti painted all over it so had to be stripped, and I did the nitro refin. Likewise I fitted the Bigsby and roller bridge, keeping the incredibly basic wooden bridge and trapeze tailpiece Really liking that Fenton-Weill bass of yours - is it short scale?

Very cool, not seen one like that before! I've got an early '60's "Broadway" semi-acoustic guitar with twin Fenton Weil pickups - look very similar to the units on your bass. The pickups are indeed fantastic units (Excuse crappy pic)

Once saw a mid-60's Hofner Strat-styled guit*r with almost identical finish - with the benefit of natural relic-ing it was very cool indeed in a Tex-Mex kind of way.....

Hell of a good score on both! Our local guitar shop hap one of those Antoria EB-2 copies back in the late '70's, which I lusted after as a spotty but penniless 16 year old. I attempted a straight swap for my Kalmazoo KB1 bass, to which the response was a pitying smile and a reply to the effect of "run along, sonny". The KB1 would probably be worth around £300 or so today (the less common Mustang copy type - cost me all of £20) Enjoy those two - Jap (?) but far from cr@p

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1429522570' post='2752148'] I've never had one break on me, am I doing it wrong? [/quote] Gibson had a bit of a name for it when almost all of their guitars and basses were mahogany necked / no volute behind the truss rod adjust point / large headstocks (early T'birds being a classic example). Back to the OP - bass has to smell right, and not keen on very light basses - I like to know I'm wearing it, and occasionally wrestle with it.....

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1428815190' post='2744725'] There's been some nice posts on BC recently about players getting their first P Basses. Even though there's a huge amount of varied high quality basses out there, it's amazing how a 1957 design is still so useable, copied and appreciated. It doesn't have to be a Fender either, as long as it's split pick up, volume and tone, it's a P Bass isn't it? So what was your first Precision? Have you had a few? What's your current flavour? What are you GAS'ing for? [/quote] Up and posting at the crack of dawn Chlilwalier? My first was a self-build in the early '80"s with aftermarket parts, intended to be a replica of Sting's maple board fretless P circa '1979. It was OK if a bit rough, and was my only bass for the next 15 years or so! Then a succession of bitsa P's made with mainly '70's Fender parts, but I've ended up with a '65 P in 3TS / tort / rosewood that ticks all the "P" boxes. You've got to have at least one!

A second very smooth deal with Daniel; bought a custom Jazz bass pickguard off him. As ever - a real pleasure to do business with, and highly entertaining communications about vintage guitars, wives, and suchlike Thanks fella!

These from Custom World Guitars in Holland seem to be well regarded and are decently priced: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bass-neck-rosewood-with-pearl-block-inlay-vintage-style-38mm-nut-C-shape-/121574156470?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c4e6268b6 (all maple ones available too) Nearly got one for my '75 AVRI, but found a '70's Fender one on US eBay

[quote name='ukulelelab' timestamp='1427920468' post='2735977'] Let's see your lovely Guild basses! Here are my '65 Jetstar and 90's starfire II: [url="http://s39.photobucket.com/user/brianmay1957/media/jetcropped.jpeg.html"][/url][url="http://s39.photobucket.com/user/brianmay1957/media/stacropped.jpeg.html"][/url] [/quote] That Jetstar is just fabulous....... Briefly had a B301-F which I regret moving on. Guilds are always classy, and a reputation for using high-quality tonewoods

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1427650327' post='2732700'] "Leverage" as a verb. I hate, loathe, and detest that, especially as no-one has a clue what they actually mean by it. [/quote] I'd say that it's important to optimise the transparency of any leverage, vis a vis the dynamics of the current situation

Hmmmm.......are we Grumpy Old Men / Women, or what? Not too upset by fashions in colloquial speech (except possibly "like" for "said", which really does grate....) - English has been evolving and absorbing since Chaucer was a lad, and white youth has been copying the slang of black youth since the Jazz age of the early 20th century What REALLY annoys me is modern management-speak, of which there are a good few examples in this thread. Not a day goes by when some jumped up little gobsh*te tells me that "we need to be mindful of having a conversation with x in respect of y" rather than "we should talk to x about y" etc etc

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1427370168' post='2729397'] Yep, 'fretless' and 'Wal' go together like cheese and tomato in my book Greg. I'd love to see it in the flesh, I should pop down on one of my Wales trips, although I worry I'd end up buying it back from you [/quote] Well I think we've managed a trade each year for at least the last 3 years, so may as well pencil in one for 2015...... Like you I've always been more of a fan of passive basses, but this might just prize me away from my beloved Ovation Magnum 1 fretless. Still got the Ric 4003FL?

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1427103180' post='2725675'] Fantastic Greg, congrats mate, just what I wanted to do but didn't have the patience for! Is it still FL? C [/quote] Sorry, been away from the internet for a few days! Yes, still fretless - plan was to re-fret when funds allow, but I'm rather liking it as is.....