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Have played mine in a brewery in winter (yes really) which was a vast hanger type industrial building. Big temperature changes as the industrial sized heating powered on and off. Not a problem with tuning. The sound is different: clarity of notes, evenness of response and no dead (or super live) notes on mine. Disadvantages - it is heavy and a neck diver.

Like Shaggy I am fortunate to have a Kramer Alu neck bass. IMO Cheap Kramer Alu, not these days unless you are very lucky! Great basses, hard to explain but mine just 'plays itself', the string response is unlike any other bass I have (in a good way). Keep looking, you may get lucky.

At one point I suffered left wrist tendinitis, 20 mins bass playing gave me major wrist pain / inflammation. I thought I was going to have to give up bass playing (after some 20 years or so). I then stopped playing seriously for about 2 years for a variety of other reasons and then started again. Can use the same basses and have no problems in the last 20+ years (including 3hr+ gigs). I have found the shape of bass neck I prefer (find easier) has changed over the years. I also now use my SG bass as weapon of first choice. This bass rotates the neck away from my body and results in much less wrist rotation angle and flexure stress and I find it very comfortable. I have no idea why my wrist played up or why it does not now. I do find (being older) it is very easy to lift / pull / twist heavy things and cause wrist/elbow damage. Consequently I now think before doing stuff that 15 years ago I would have just 'piled into'.

Had a two pickup version of this. Good quality build, lightweight. Pickups seemed very low output. Sold it for the money suggested above.

The wood, never mind that the wood may be sourced from the same forests, the tone imparted by good ol' boy USA CNC machines is far superior to that of Mexican or Japanese CNC machines. In all seriousness I am not really sure anymore. I have a range if basses from the USA, Korea, China, Germany, Taiwan, Czechoslovakia, and India. Quality is not a function of country of manufacture or price would be my conclusion. Chowny Indian made bass quality is everything as good as my USA G&Ls. My Chinese Warwick Rockbass is superb and apart from the gloss finish and wood choice is on a par with my German one (both of those are preferences not quality issues).

Mid Wales Music, Newtown. Great 'traditional' music shop. Good range of interesting s/h and new kit at variable prices (some bargains, some fair, some ???). It has been going a long time, I bought one of my basses there in 1990, bought most recent two years ago. Phil has done well to compete against the rise of the internet stores, long may it last. One thing that works for it is being in Mid Wales, if I travel to West Mids or whatever to a large music shop the costs and time become significant. Disclaimer - I have no connection other than buying kit over the years.

Dremel (or equivalent) with a small (very small) diameter cutting wheel. Also needed, plenty of masking tape to prevent skid mark damage to the case, and a steady hand! YMMV attempt at own risk

The very tool

Sometimes you can grip the damaged heads with good flat nose pliers and get them moving. Once eased slack continue with pliers or fingers or superglue a bit of something on them to make rotation easy. Another solution is Easy out and/or Screw extractor tools. You may need to slightly drill out the stuffed Allen screws. If this fails (or you want the low cost method) drill the heads out so that they fall off. Remove the case lid. Remove the remaining screws with pliers or small mole grips.

First thing I did (and probably most others did in the 70s) was remove the ashtray(s). There must be a mountain of them lurking in cupboards, still have mine, somewhere. Agree on the neck shaving, clearly a man of skill (fearlessness?) to attempt that. My initial thoughts were gently flatten the gouge and then graft on new maple repair followed by blend in to original profile. Then again I would not attempt such a repair on a 'valuable' bit of kit.

As per Matt P, when faced with a similar problem fitting Hipshots to my SG bass I found strips of plastic milk bottle ideal,. You just need to find the right thickness plastic YMMV

As per Matt, when faced with a similar problem fitting Hipshots to my SG bass I found strips of plastic milk bottle ideal,. You just need to find the right thickness plastic

Depends on what result you are hoping to gain

Bought a looper pedal from James. Excellent communication, tracked delivery and rapid arrival. Many thanks.

Exactly

What are you building from the cast iron / aluminium frame? Great shape bass, I built my first bass in 1974 - short scale telecaster made from elm coffin boards. Local coffin maker would give them away, try finding elm at giveaway prices these days.