Muzz

Out of interest, what's the normal response time for an email to these guys? I sent one with a query about a custom build about a week ago, with no response yet. The same thing happened a while ago, I mentioned it on here and got a response after that. it might just be me, but at this point I'd settle for a "Dear Sir, get stuffed, yours sincerely" - at least I'd know...

Nobody's mentioned Thunderbirds yet...34" scale, yet that first fret can feel like it's in a different postcode... Still one of my favourite basses...

I play with a variety of dep drummers, and the very good ones have all the gears, and a great sense of dynamics, not just within a song or set, but to the venue/environment as well. The very good ones don't need a smaller kit or different sticks to do this.

That is a thing of beauty...I love Jon's work...

I've yet to be in a small pub where people could talk over a drummer playing...it's gotta be too loud. Are you all setting levels which sit comfortably with an unmiked drummer?

I'd echo the advice about better ear protection, you can't really spend enough on that, given that very very very good (moulded) protection comes at the cost of a couple of pedals... It does sound very loud for pubs, tho - the starter volume is usually the drummist: is he a one-trick monster, or can he play with a little more, erm, sublety? If the former, is he miked and going through the PA? That can start a volume war escalation... I find smaller stages mean closer proximity to the drummist and the cymbals, which are the killer for my ears. I've mentioned this before, but I bring an angled amp stand (which I no longer use) which I selflessly offer to the guitard, and use it to make sure his combo/cab is pointing at his head. They're always happy, and never suspect my ulterior motive...

I've had three (IIRC) and they were all good. One had very very slightly raised fret ends (nothing a fret dress wouldn't have sorted completely), but the other two were completely fine. For the money, they're the best I've come across.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1470943289' post='3109567'] Better than US, I'd say. I can't fault either of mine, and knowing they were built by people gives them the edge (IMO, of course!). Just out of curiously - what sort of style / config would appeal to you? [/quote] Well, seeing as you're asking , I don't like Jazzes, not even the real thing, never have done, and the only P-copy I'd be interested in would be a black double-P with a 1.5" nut, birdseye maple board (no fret markers), Nordys, Schaller 3D, Hipshot Ultralights and a P-Retro, around 7.5lbs. Oh, and Dunlop straplocks. Nothing too specific, then... But before that I'm really wanting a Fenderbird 76-lookalike with the same neck as above. I'm most of the way there with that, just need the neck sorting... It's what comes of decreasing bass-GAS...you just get more and more picky... The [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Maruszczyk stuff is really good, though, and not just 'for the money': it's really good.[/font][/color]

I feel your pain - I had a Fortress One, which I loved playing, it was one of the most ergonomically well designed basses I've ever held, with a fantastic wenge neck, but the colour was even worse than yours; it was a kind of greeny-browny-grey, which, much as I liked the bass, I just couldn't get over. The finish was gloss poly a foot thick, and after a lot of research, I just gave up the idea of a refin and sold it. I'm so shallow... Good luck with the refin on yours, and remember...pics, or it never happened...

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1471599452' post='3114304'] That's it isn't it ? Technology is far more likely to fail than something as relatively simple as a bass guitar. [/quote] Yeah, but it won't be MY fault at that point...

I always take 2 basses, and I've never played anywhere there wasn't room for the spare - and I've played some khazis. I have spares of all the small stuff, but not a spare amp - I take a cheapo DI box for that eventuality. I use more than one cab. Yep, I've snapped strings before - not often, and not for years, but it's happened. All very belt-and-braces, but it also depends on the situation: if you're playing down the Dog and Duck, then you can restring a bass while the singist (or, gawd help us, the guitard) waffles on a bit, but thought of suspending the brides First Dance* for that long because your bass has gone ping is an arse-clencher and then some. * I know, I know, what are the odds? But Sod's Law makes it all the more likely...

I've got passive switches on all my gigging basses but one, which also has an 18v circuit. Was playing a private party, pretty much last song of the night, all very leap-up-and-down busy, when I noticed my sound was getting very quiet and fuzzy. I thought one of the revellers had put a stiletto through the cable or something at first, but it turned out to be a battery dying. Guess which bass I was using? Yup...

It ain't cheap, I do know that... Sorry, I'm not helping much...it'll bump the topic up, tho...

[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1471029378' post='3110154'] Nice info -great pics Karl, much better than your for sale ads!! [/quote] They'll come in handy for when the inevitable happens... Karl, that's virtually weightless compared to a lot of late 70s Jazzes. I had a 78 which weighed a gnat's crotchet under 12lbs... Well played.

Possibly: they're like Stingrays for me (and I've had four of them) - I love the idea of them, but the reality's always a let-down...

Horses/courses and all that, for example, I've just moved my second Walkabout on, beaten by a Class D...imagine that And yep, definitely agree about cabs sounding better on a gig: I think the older angled-baffle Schroeders are the best example of that - they're kinda aggressively honky at home, but work very well in a band. I've said it before, but if anyone likes the best bits of a Streamliner, with none of the bad bits, and a whooole lot more...try a Magellan. The only thing wrong with that amp is fretting about how to pronounce it...

I dunno, it worked for me with a lot of cabs, and I'd imagine it'd be good with the S112s if they're a bit shy in the very low end (in a good, giggable way, like Schroeders).

Yep, I struggled with the BB2 and the Streamliner - in fact the only downside to the Streamliner was it needed a tighter cab in the lows, otherwise it bloomed like nobody's business. Hard to EQ out properly, too. It worked well with Schroeders, but the BF cabs are too transparent, I think. It worked well with Berg 112s, though the Magellan's much, much better.

Even though I didn't get on with the one I bought, at that money it's a chance to try it without it costing you much (if any) money, at least.