ivansc

I am about to be reunited with an old friend. Very late fifties or maybe very early sixties Fenton-Weill bass guitar. Produced by a Mr Weill and a Mr James Ormston Burns. I lent it to my youngest son years ago and when I came back to the UK in the nineties asked him how it was doing. "Dunno - it has disappeared" Some 25 odd years rolled by and last week I got The Call. "Hi Dad - was spring cleaning, moved my wardrobe and found your bass behind it, still in its case. Do you still want it?" So. I know it has a missing plastic button on the G tuner, but last time it was played it worked fine. Needless to say there will be photos when I get it back sometime this week. Made all the more pleasurable because I worked with Jim during the steer/scorpion era. Big grins.

Was fettling my MIM bitsa Precision Sunday morning after a gig and realised what I have REALLY wanted all along is to get my old (stolen in 1964) 1962 Sunburst Precision back. *sigh* Since I couldn't afford to buy a real one, I guess I am forced to GAS over any of the 62 reissues that actually have that same wonderful wide-flat neck profile as mine. So... Squier? MIJ? USA? Don't seem to be too many in the for sale section at th moment, either... Ah well - At least I am over my Pedulla Buzz addiction now. Not too useful in a rock and roll band!

A forlorn hope. Back in 1962 I bought a 62 rosewood precision used off a guy in Cambridge who had bought it new a few months earlier. Had it stolen and got it back, re-finished it from the original sunburst to solid white (car paint!) and modded it. I cut a step in the underside of the thumbrest and mounted it half on and half off the scratchplate above the strings, right between the bridge and the pickup, almost touching the pickup lugs. I have since done this mod to every P or PJ bass I have owned but not seen it done by anyone else. So. The bass was then stolen AGAIN in 1964 and that was the last I saw of it. Just on the off chance, has anyone ever come across an instrument with this sort of modified thumb rest fitted? I know - but it IS the er um 50th anniversary of its theft and my 70th birthday, plus my 60th anniversary of playing paid gigs in June. Long shot.... I will try and sort out a photo of a similar arrangement on my P/J.

[quote name='chillbass' timestamp='1386154699' post='2296389'] Nobody talked about my [url="http://www.chillbass.fr/fr/produits/item/baffle-n2-fr"]NEO [/url]serie? lighter than some, heavier than other.. But good tone! [/quote] Salut! Ton site en VA ne marches pas pour moi.

I really dont like black basses or guitars, but I just bought.... a MIJ 62 reissue in black with a white scratch plate - probably my least-liked combination. But it plays nice and sounds good, so..... Equally, I really dont like maple necks but of all the basses I have owned, only three of them actually had rosewood fingerboards! Go figure...

[quote name='mckendrick' timestamp='1363438289' post='2012685'] It's no worse than the Moderene, the Flying V, and the Explorer. [/quote] As the owner of an Explorer bass, I resemble that remark!

not just overpriced, but he seems to go out of his way to buy in broken or otherwise knackered guitars and basses! I would not touch him with YOUR ten foot pole, let alone mine.

Remember Bruce Thomas in Sutherland Brothers and Quiver? Pre The Attractions. An ultra punchy sound, although I have to confess I preferred it when he got the Precision and started playing a few less notes to the bar.

Already have a nice old '96 Japanese one I bought recently, just fancy a US one with the stacked knobs if I can raise the $$. Might have to sell my MIM Precision.

Last lot of procells cost me £6 for ten, delivered off ebay. And they seem to go forever. Tried rechargeables and they don't seem to last worth a damn. Especially in my wireless transmitter P.S. I used to use Ikea own brand ones until a year or so back but we dont live near an Ikea any more. They were great for the money, albeit a nasty shade of hot dog mustard yellow.

Thanks, guys - on the obvious cosmetics like the stacked knobs and the earthing strap I was already aware, but stuff like the US necks tending to be thinner is good to know. I had a Precision in the early sixties but did play several early Jazzes. Always liked that really slim lower part of the neck. Now all I have to do is save up for a USA one! But in the meantime the Japanese one is doing just fine. Had it a week and already done three gigs with it!

Answered. Looks like we have a winner unless he lives in Outer Mongolia....

"I'm not a bass player, but I play one in bass magazines" Just about sums it up. Publishers are scared to have real bass players on their premises in case we break something falling over the drummer.

I'm 68 and play between 2.25 hours and 4.5 hours a week - depends if I have one gig or two on the weekend. Used to be a lot more when I was working full time, but practice? With MY arthritis???

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]COMPLETED - That went quick![/b][/font][/size] Been rummaging in the attic and found a bunch of very early Bass Player magazines. These are the American original publication, not the later UK one First issue and all the subsequent quarterly ones, then the bi-monthly and the monthly ones up to and including April 1992. Ten in all & they do make interesting reading. Dern! Just noticed I didn't buy the Nov/Dec 1991 issue for some reason. Let me know by PM if you want them and either pick them up from me in darkest rural Cambridgeshire or send me some beer tokens for postage. Hope this is the right place to post this!

Interesting. I own a prototype Epi built in Japan late seventies/early eighties, that I got from the Massman Drive factory.. As far as I know it never made it into production, but is a bolt-on neck Explorer with a precision pickup and a jazz pickup. The neck profile is that ideal compromise between a Precision and a Jazz neck you always wanted but never found. I had one of the first sets of EMG P/Js to arrive in Nashville fitted to it in around 1983 by Madison Music, complete with preamp that fitted neatly into the exiting Telecaster-shaped control cavity. It now has a thumb-shaped dent in the body next to the thumb rest and countless dings in the bodywork, weighs a ton but STILL sound absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately, due to a permanently damaged left shoulder, I can no longer play it for more than about 4 minutes and of course the shape precludes playing it seated! I may post a pic of it in guitar porn and risk the ridicule for posting such a bettered old warrior on there. Really must get the nut replaced.....

So I recently bought a MIJ 62 reissue Jazz, which I am very pleased with. I had looked at Mexican ones leading up to the purhse and now I have it, I'm wondering what the actual differences are between the three version. I mean, obviously the American ones have the stacked knobs and apparently tuners that operate in the opposite direction to normal, but where are the other significant differences? And I would like educated opinions MIM vs MIJ vs MIA if possible. Thanks!

I somehow lost a bridge saddle bolt and have only been able to source a nasty el cheapo replacement locally. Found the spring but the bolt is long gone. I have hunted around on the web but so far found nobody selling these. Anyone have any good contacts for stuff like this? Thanks!

I tried calling him and realised I no longer have his # so this could take a while.

[quote name='Lasermonkey' timestamp='1361203933' post='1982697'] Squier Precision Special. Got this from the Huntingdon Cash Converters a few years ago for £29. The electrics weren't working, but blu-tac and superglue aren't well known for their conductive properties! I replaced the scratchplate (the one that was n it had been painted Matt black. Badly) and had to tweak the truss rod , but it has turned into quite a nice instrument. [/quote] That Mike D'Souza! None of the guitars got repaired after Mick F and I quit.

That bridge looks like a slightly refined version of the one created by a friend (John Drake) who I believe sold them to Overwater at one time. Any idea where the bridge is manufactured? P.S. That isn't even close to genuine snotburst. I will get my camera out and post a piccy of my snotburst (bogey green through mucus cream) dano baritone when I get time.