bigjohn

[quote name='mike257' post='302667' date='Oct 9 2008, 12:19 AM']I can't vouch for it first hand, but a frined of mine just picked up a MIM Classic 70's Jazz and loves it. His live tone with it was pretty good too, really clear top end.[/quote] I played one in a shop in Paris. It really was a lovely, lovely bass. The neck felt fantastic and I usually much prefer precision necks to jazz ones. I'd buy one over an american standard jazz everyday of the week.

Aye, that stingray looks a right bargain.

I've got a old Marshall JCM800 running into 2 Acme Low b2s - (Cheers Alex!) As long as I don't max out the marshall - which results in some WOW overdrive I can get a lovely creamy 70s sound out of it. Very Young / Dylan / Band. Esp with my precision which has a 62 pickup / electronics in it and thomastik flatwounds. Newer cabs can be a bit hifi - but to be honest that's what I like about my rig - I get the sound I create with the bass and the amp being faithfully reproduced by the cabs.

[quote name='BOD2' post='301439' date='Oct 7 2008, 03:30 PM']It could be that the resistance track on the pot isn't quite perfect (although probably within manufacturing tolerances). The only way to check this would be to put an ohm meter across the pot contacts and check the resistance at various points. With the meter across the two outer contacts you should get a reading of the full resistance of the pot of around 250k. With one meter probe on the centre contact and the other on one of the outer contacts you should see the resitance change as you sweep the control. The fact that the volume tails off early doesn't mean that the pot range has "shifted" at all - it's might just mean the the pot resistance reaches near maximum a little earlier than it should. With the volume control on "full" the pot is actually "bypassed" and it's resistance is not relevant. As you turn the volume down you introduce the resistance into the circuit.[/quote] Ah nice one. So long as I'm not doing myself out of output I can live with the volume being zero a little early. Thanks for the test though. I might have a play with it next time I've got it open. Cheers John

GOOD I like to play bass I like to drink BAD (esp for my neighbours) I like to drink & play bass

[quote name='neepheid' post='301351' date='Oct 7 2008, 02:10 PM']Did you use a linear or a log (audio) taper pot? A linear pot will not seem like a uniform adjustment in volume whereas a log pot will.[/quote] Both vol and tone are CTS 250k vintage back split shaft audio pots. I got them from Allparts and they only do audio pots with vintage backs. Weirdly enough, they also only do split shaft vintage backed pots too when I would have thought a solid shaft would be more "vintage" ( I know CTS make em as these were the ones I replaced). I was going to use a linear pot for the tone but they don't do em with a vintage back anyway... Anyway I digress... It's not like it's all or nothing with the volume, it's just that it hits "zero" before you stop turning the knob off, there's about another 10-15% of turn where the pot has no effect.

Hi, I've just replaced the electronics in a p bass for the first time. Well - actually for the second, but the first didn't count It sounds great. My one complaint is that the volume pot still has a bit of turn left after the volume is completely down. I actually don't mind this really - but... Does this mean that I'm missing some of the turn of the pot and cutting out some of the output when the pot is turned full up? Is the solder in the right place? Cheers for any advice. John

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='294690' date='Sep 29 2008, 05:16 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280272150053"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280272150053[/url] I consider myself a person who puts ridiculous lowball bids on instruments "just in case I get a bargain some day", but bidder 1 here bid £1.50 for a six string bass. I wonder what they were thinking. Bidder 2 not much better at £13.[/quote] £13.50 and not a penny more...

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='290026' date='Sep 23 2008, 02:57 PM']I am definitely up for this! More than happy to leave my bits uncovered when leaving the shower also. Where do I sign?[/quote] Do you have a smooth pussy?

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='289956' date='Sep 23 2008, 01:44 PM']Lacquer the cat first, this will not only prevent shedding, but also give you a challenging practice run. Leave it in a cool place to harden, as the cat will be attracted to a warm place.[/quote] Genius. Beats finding a taxidermist.

it's one piece maple. Aye, my house has a cat in. A long haired cat too. I'll probably do it out in the carport / garage bit to be honest and lock the critter in.

Hiya, I might have a go at getting my project back on this weekend. The first thing I'm doing is fitting (filling holes and drilling new ones for) new tuning heads. After which I shall be applying a new headstock decal, and then lacquering a mighty mite maple p bass neck. I'm thinking about using some [url="http://www.behlen.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=B103-021&Category_Code=AEROS"]behlen[/url] aerosol lacquer. Anyone got any tips to get an even application with no cat hairs etc? Should I apply the lacquer and then wire wool it off the frets for instance? John

We did a gig on Sunday with no drummer. I found practising the songs on my own with no backing track at all was good. At rehearsal I found there were bits in songs that I was relying on drums, either as cues or parts where I was playing around the drums, obviously those are the bits that needed a bit of rework. It also helped listening to demos with no drums on. But then, these are newish original songs which I don't know quite as well as should! On the plus side I really enjoyed it and will definitely do it again. Much less hassle doing a gig without a drummer

I've got a JCM800 bass series head. It's quite hard to get a clean sound out of it. But then, I don't really go looking for it. I sometimes use an overdrive pedal to overdrive the overdrive

Another trick is be foreign. I went trying some basses out around Pigalle in Paris in the summer. Apparently they're just the same over there according to my French mate who I was staying with. No problems for the English though. Take your bass off the wall, ignore the face of horror on the shop assistants face and start talking English to your companion. Left well alone.

[quote name='dangerboy' post='205038' date='May 23 2008, 03:28 PM']I have a question. All over this site there are male bassplayers calling their basses 'she' or 'the girl'. Do female bassplayers call their instruments 'the boys'?[/quote] My basses are boys. I'm not gay - but they're the only male company I get in my house. They both drink and like football.

I'm with Alexclabber and his Venn diagram army. I usually find my playing sounds pretty much the same whatever gear I use. I eq it till I get a tone I'm familiar with / like. Some gear is louder, and some I overdrive more. However, I think the biggest influence on what sounds I make is how much beer I've drunk.

2x10s are the way for me.

I used to play exclusively with a pick. I now play entirely with my fingers. I find don't lose or forget my fingers. And I don't have to pay 50p for them in the music shop. Or lend them to people and not get them back. I can still play with a pick - but find fingers much easier. I would have been perfectly happy to play with a pick for the rest of my life I wasn't such a forgetful twat.

I love these MIA vs MIM things. As far as the current and recent past - Standards (american series) and Standards (MIM) are very similar in my opinion. Both have bodies and necks machined in the same factory nowadays I believe. Difference is MIAs are assembled by Mexicans in America . Both should be set up as to the players preference, strings and environment. MIAs have better qualilty hardware, although Highways have the same chrome tuners (16:1). Not sure about the bridges as I've not compared, but they look the same to me. (the 2008 MIAs have high mass vintage bridges though which look v nice) Some MIMs like some MIJs come fitted with MIA pickups. They're usually reissues or factory special runs though. MIAs and some MIMs are fitted with bone nuts. Mexicans are only currently available with a rosewood fretboard, although there have been maples in the past. The Mexican "upgrades" have MIA electrics (not pickups) and US barrel knobs. If you've got time and are interested just seek and find the fender parts lists on www.fender.com

[quote name='cheddatom' post='222032' date='Jun 19 2008, 11:55 AM']I always assume that my GP has real reasons for everything but he just doesn't communicate very well. I'm probably being naive though because he failed to diagnose my grandad's stroke and (less seriously) my broken foot.[/quote] My foot was buggered too. I did something to it kicking a wall (whilst playing 5-a side, we conceded a needless and a late equaliser which lost us about 4 places in a 10 team league - in my last game for the team). It never really healed. Last winter it hurt a bit just walking on it, and I started to feel pain in my hip. I went to the doctor and explained to him I'd injured my foot playing football (missing out the bit about me kicking the wall) and that now the slight limp it was giving me was hurting my hip. "Learn to live with it" was his advice. "You're getting old", (I am 33) "Thing's don't heal like they do when you're young.", "You should have gone to the hospital when you did it, they might have been able to help then...) It took me a good 20 mins of argument with the w***er before he referred me to a podiatrist. Who incidentally fixed my foot within about 10 minutes by giving me a pair of insoles. In this case I could see the f***er was loathed to refer me, it was something he considered "complicated" and unresolvable so why should he spend his budget on sorting it. w***er.

[quote name='jono b' post='220833' date='Jun 17 2008, 06:50 PM']I'm lucky, my MIM Jazz was an 18th birthday pressie a few years ago so I feel obliged to keep hold of it, but I lucked out and got an absolute belter! Very good quality and well put together, even if it's not the colour I wanted. I only had a wee issue with the neck pocket, but it's no biggie. Anyway, so far I've stuck a Seymour Duncan SJB-3 in the neck and put a Badass II on it at a total cost of about £70. I'll probably stick another pickup in the bridge at some point, but that means for just over £100 or so, I've made an already good bass better, and since I'd never sell it for sentimental reasons, I'm glad I'm "stuck" with a good bass as opposed to a pig. I think with Mexican basses the QC is pretty hit and miss, and some folk'll find a belter and some folk'll find firewood. I reckon modding a Mexican Fender is a good project, but it's worthwhile taking the time to find a decent starting point, not just grabbing the first one that turns up on ebay.[/quote] Some are belters. The modded one I bought just to take the neck off. I did that and put it on another bass. Neck is mint (as was the rest of the bass after a wipe). Would have paid £70-£80 just for the neck. As it is I paid £170 for the whole bass and had it in bits (unsentimental like) in about 20 mins. Was a nice bass - but I wanted a p bass neck for my lovely MIM p bass special. The neck fits a treat on that. Was left with I spare body I now love. And few people can say that. I've been putting it back together since.

[quote name='Bigwan' post='220616' date='Jun 17 2008, 02:37 PM']It's like my old boss used to say "There's no point polishing a turd..." My point is, if you like the bass and plan on keeping it for a while then go ahead and mod it until your hearts content, but only if it's a worthwhile mod. If you're modding it trying to make it into something else you've seen/played/lusted after then you may be wasting your money needlessly. I spent over the odds tarting up an old Aria Pro II 5 string with a new bridge, Bart pickups, then EMG pickups and circuit. Spent way more than the bass cost me. In the end it wasn't much better than when it started. It's the bass I learned to play on, and it's never going anywhere, but it's still a plank after all the mods. For the money you're talking about spending you could sell the bass, add the extra and have something better (into Lakland Skyline territory there). This is all very subjective though. In the end it's your bass and nobody's going to call you a mug if you want to spoil it a little. I wouldn't class a change of strings as an upgrade though...[/quote] A MIM Fender isn't a turd. I polished one of mine and it came up all shiny...