Alan Rider

I took the strings off for the first time and found that a nail was threaded through the ball end. I'm guessing that whoever did that was thinking it would somehow even out the tension? Talking of which, I love that the bridge is only held on by the tension of the strings, as is the nut, and the bridge cover just slots in on two rough looking pins. The whole thing has a retro soviet feel about it in the same way as Russian vintage synths do (yes, I know its not a Russian guitar, but you know what I'm getting at).

Thanks. Rather a convoluted process to register on the Shergold forum. It's hardly state secrets being exchanged so why do I need to be approved? Ah well. I will just wait and see. Hopefully they will know where I can get a replacement tone pot knob that matches.

I've had this since 1979 when I bought it second hand in a Coventry Music shop. I worked a school holiday job to save up to buy it. I recall it was £70 but I may have got that wrong. I was almost as big as I was at the time and I could barely lift it as its a really heavy bass, but it stood out from all the Fender Ps, Jazzes, and Rickenbackers at the time. Horace Panter from the Specials gave me his old case to carry it in. I don't know a huge amount about these. I've not seen any others so I'm guessing it is quite rare? It's got a nice clear acrylic bridge and scratch plate, but one of the tone pot knobs is missing a cap so if anyone knows where I can get one. Do let me know please!

As @Happy Jack shared. There is another post about this same bass from the very person I bought it off. Small world. I am assured they made more than one of these 😁

Thanks @Happy Jack Now I have a quest to find that interview with the designer. I may upgrade the wiring but I think I may keep the original pick up still, warts n'all. I tend to whack my basses through pedals anyway so thin becomes thick pretty quickly 🙂 Now where did I put my spandex trousers and bandana?

This looks like it was a little beat up to start with @Happy Jack ? That's a lot of wear on that pickup.

@CyberBass You sold this to me! I have it now and love it. That Dark Star mod that @Happy Jack mentions sounds tempting but I'm sticking with the original pickup for now.

This is a real marmite bass. I definitely love it and always wanted to get my hands on one. I held onto that desire for over 30 years and finally I have one. Its in pretty good nick apart from some wear on the pickup paint (easily fixed). A lot of people are very snobby about these but it's very playable, sounds just fine through a decent pedal and amp and it's light weight and uniquely cool 80s look is a bonus in my book. My only bugbear is that the fret markers are dark red on rosewood so impossible to see them under stage lighting, so I needed to add stickers on the neck for that. Anyone have one of these?

To come back to Macari's moving away from Charing Cross Road. It's just another nail in the coffin of Soho. Crossrail was so keen to get people in to Central London they destroyed all of the reasons anyone would want to go there. Its not to visit Primark or Pret that's for sure. Now that no one needs to come in to London at all, the whole episode is looking very sad.

Here is mine.

Worth getting a bit of lemon oil on that fretboard too when you have the strings off. The rosewood looks lovely.

I have one of these with the bridge cover and original pick ups. You can get original pick ups on ebay if you want to restore yours to authentic. The nut was a dark brown wooden one with a slight curve on it, but these often wore and resulted in the E string not being held tightly so are often replaced. I had to do that with mine but kept the old wooden nut thinking I would make a copy sometime and reinstall it. Round wound strings are more authentic BTW. It sounds great through a good distortion pedal like a metal core or similar!