Sibob

Blue Jazz Increasingly falling in love with the Sonic Blue! Si

Yup, keep it on SG's yeah!? noice! , anything else I'm gonna get my trimming scissors out Warmoth do seem to do some nice options for those intrested in SG's......I'd actually love to get my hands on an SG shape with jazz pickups! Si

I wouldn't even call it fancy, it's the most confusing and convoluted website I've ever seen! Who cares about looking up the progress of their instrument when the guy obviously spends more time doing that than actually conversing with the client! If you'd ordered a Shuker (as one example).....you might not have had many pictures....or an update on the website....but you'd probably be holding the bass by now lol Good luck with it Si

"For the 3rd and final time" lol, [quote]I'll state again that my initial 'peeve' wasn't with the prices themselves, more the mis-representation of them on the website at the time[/quote] I'm not sure a Land Rover comparison is also a fair example, Bass Guitars have relevance in a city context.....Land Rovers don't Si

Thanks everyone for their input, I'll state again that my initial 'peeve' wasn't with the prices themselves, more the mis-representation of them on the website at the time. The gallery have a great reputation, put out some amazing work, and of course the jobs involved are highly skilled. To be honest, now Alex has updated the website....this whole thread as probably been quite positive! Cool Si

[quote name='Golchen' post='575159' date='Aug 20 2009, 09:48 AM']I have no objection to anyone charging what they like for any given job, it's then up to the punter as to whether they want to bite. However, I think that it's pretty poor to stick the wrong prices on the web. If you are using the internet for any kind of sales then I really think that you should keep stuff like that up to date, it's not like it needs changing every day, and you could always just put 'call for prices'.[/quote] +1 [quote name='davidmpires' post='575226' date='Aug 20 2009, 10:34 AM']I'd wait for Alex's input.[/quote] + of course Si

Ok cool, I think the Time Machine series is around the £2200 RRP mark for a 'Relic'! I'd be interested in a PM with the price you paid if you're doing that!? If not, no worries at all Cheers Si

So, hypothetically, if I was to order a '68 jazz or some-such, would it cost more than the stock '64 Relic? Si

[quote name='Delberthot' post='574757' date='Aug 19 2009, 09:22 PM']I got quoted £250 to route a musicman pickup in my gold bass from Jimmy Moon in Glasgow[/quote] Thanks mate, I feel much better now Si

No absolutely! I'm certainly not trying to taint their good rep, perhaps something got lost over the phone. I'll probably just go in and get some quotes, perhaps using Silddx's work as a haggling point . But yes, an up-to-date website is kind of a must in todays e-business orientated world Si

[quote name='Mokl' post='574717' date='Aug 19 2009, 08:47 PM']One thing worth noting is that I don't think that page of the website has been changed or updated for as long as I can remember so I expect prices have gone up. I am also considering using them for some fretwork that needs doing on one of my basses and it would be useful to have a realistic price guide. I imagine that on the whole they tend to quote when people walk in with instruments, or over the phone (as they did with you). Once they have more specific details I guess they can more easily give an accurate price.[/quote] I'd tend to agree with you, but giving your customers some out-dated quotes, and then quoting more over the phone/to your face isn't exactly going to create a positive vibe. They seem to update their stock fairly regularly, surely it's not too much trouble to change some setup prices Si

I should point out that it is a mere suggestion that rosewood is more expensive to refret than maple. In this particular example, where a bound refret is quoted on the website as £130, I reply with rosewood after Alex's question of "rosewood or maple", and I'm given a quote of £50-£70 more than the website. So i'm only deducing. It wouldn't surprise me if Maple is more expensive still, for the reasons mentioned above......but then where does the £130 come into it? Si

Yup, Imperial set is what you need, not sure of the specific size, although can find out if you don't want to buy a whole set (although that is helpful) Si

My qualm isn't necessarily with the price itself (although it is more than I wanted to pay), I know it's a skilled job, but rather with the slightly mis-leading website prices! Especially the re-fret example Si

[quote name='silddx' post='574669' date='Aug 19 2009, 08:18 PM']Mmm, interesting, I got charged £75 at the Gallery very recently for routing for a soapbar and providing all new electronics with pull push pots. Thought that was very good value.[/quote] Yeah exactly, so why is it costing me £100 and I'm supplying all the junk? haha. Just to clarify, they supplied the electronics? [quote name='geilerbass' post='574679' date='Aug 19 2009, 08:25 PM']Perhaps the £30 is for routing a soapbar into the space of Jazz?[/quote] Precisely, if it is something specific like "routing a larger pickup into a smaller existing rout", it really should say. I too would have thought that a single Jazz pickup would be on the cheaper side of the various combinations available. Si

So I call up the gallery to get a price for the routing of a Jazz pickup into my Precision bass, it goes something, although not word-for-word like this: Me: So I'm interested in [what I've explained above], I notice that on the website it says from £30... Gallery: [politely cuts me off] ah well a jazz pickup rout will probably be more like £70-£80 Me: Oh right....so If I supply the pickup, knob and pot would you be able to put it all together for me? Gallery: Your talking about £100-£110 for all that Me: ok thanks! Now I understand that they've covered themselves by saying "From £30" on the website, but what are they routing for that amount of money?.....1/3 of a Jazz pickup?. I can understand if someone phoned up and wanted three darkstars put in, thats a lot of work....but one jazz pickup?. It's basically double what I thought the whole process might cost. I THEN asked about a refret for my 1973 jazz, I wanted to ask about binding: Me: I see that a bound refret is £130.... (and it doesn't say "from" this time) Gallery: Is it rosewood or maple? Me: Rosewood Gallery: Yeah your talking £180-£200 for that Me: Uh-huh, and does that retain the original binding? Gallery: Yes it would do I'm no luthier, but an extra £70 because (and this is down to real basic deduction, please tell me otherwise) it's a rosewood fingerboard as opposed to maple?? I know people are gonna say they're justified because they're the best....just think their website could perhaps have some better indications/examples of prices! Si

Very very nice!! Whats the thinking behind the 4 colours? surely that wasn't common practice in '59?! What's the deal with Custom Shop now? The website is a bit lame....only one Precision model, The Pino. One Time Machine Jazz, the '64. With the rest being made up by artist models, surely there is more!? Si

What is it? 80's Fender? Si

Yeah I just went on my own to the last one! Everyones pretty much in the same boat, so it's all good! Si

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='570062' date='Aug 15 2009, 05:10 PM']Why should problems arise if you remove all of the strings at once? I do this and have done for the last 30 years with not a single issue... in fact most everyone (inc' reputed builders/luthiers) I know does it that way; it's the only way I know that you can give the fingerboard a clean whilst doing regular services/string changes. Even though your string gauges are very similar, there 'is' a difference in string tension which can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, this will have caused your set-up change. I would summise that the fact you say that your neck/fingerboard is flat means that you have very little relief in it so the smallest change in tension will require a tweak of the truss rod to get the action sorted and buzz free.[/quote] Obviously all people and basses are different My point was that removing all the strings COULD make the neck relax a lot more than if you change the strings one by one. More stable necks won't be affected as much, but some necks might not like, potentially magnifying the effect of putting slightly different gauge/tension strings back on. Luthiers probably change strings like that (cutting the strings in half to get them off no doubt lol), because they're usually employed to set the bass up anyway....not just change the strings. If you undertake a full setup after each string change then great! I prefer minimal work when changing strings. It's all hearsay seeing as we don't know what process the OP went through! I've put different gauge strings on basses before....of similar differences to those mentioned above and not needed to do anything to the neck. Seemingly what we've ascertained though is that regardless of how you change strings, or if gauges are slightly different, it shouldn't throw a neck out like we're talking about here...."buzzing on most notes"?? Perhaps it is a weak neck, but best to get a pro luthier to look at it! Si

Wow you blew my post out of the water with your positivity missile lol Very cool, always nice when you find a mid-late 70's body that isn't the weight of a cargo-ship anchor!! Si

Yeah he nails the sound doesn't he, especially that overdriven volume-swell part. Justin Chancellor is a bit of a genius....very under-appreciated I think, very creative with the instrument! Just listening to Vicarious from '10,000 Days'....absolute stunner! Si

I shouldn't think that the minimal changes in your new string gauges would affect the bass that adversely, unless you had/have a particularly dodgy neck! Problems can also arise if you change strings by taking them all off, then putting the new set on. You should change strings one by one to keep as much tension on the neck as possible! Without knowing the specific problem, I'd take it to a shop/luthier to be set up properly! Hope this helps, good luck for your gig! Si p.s. also gonna move this over to Repairs