Grand Wazoo

I agree worth the £200, I would ...... well you know what I am going to say...

I'd spend a few quid on it by junking the Select by EMG and put some proper Duncans in it

[quote name='Linus27' post='774791' date='Mar 14 2010, 11:11 PM']One of my best sounding and playing basses I own is an ESP 400 series jazz, seen in the below picture (black with white scratchplate) and based on a 1962 Fender Jazz. Its from 1988 and is uber rare because it has the same headstock as a Fender. I think at the time, ESP were making parts for Fender Japan in the same factory so it could well had ended up as a Fender. I have never ever seen another ESP bass with this headstock. My bass has served me really well and done 100's of gigs. I would never ever sell it.

[/quote]

Back in the early 90's I had the very same as yours, a ESP 400 Jazz to which I put Bartolini's and Bart pream, BadassII sounded awesome. Lost it in a house move. (stolen from the removal truck) unfortunately with the insurance money received a year later from the removal comapny I was never able to find another one.

[size=4][b]R.I.P.[/b][/size]

[quote name='Steve Amadeo' post='774764' date='Mar 14 2010, 10:43 PM']Hi,

I've just bought a Musicman Stingray 5 and the bridge saddle grub screws with 1/16" hex adjusttment slot need replacing.

Does anyone have any idea what size screws these are or have experience replacing them? Are they easy to find to replace?

Thanks,


Steve[/quote]

Get in touch with Strings & Things official distributors of EBMM they'll sort you out with new bits.
[url="http://www.stringsandthings.co.uk/index.html"]http://www.stringsandthings.co.uk/index.html[/url]

Buy a flight case for the amp / cab and when you play sit them on top.

something like this, if you email the seller he will have one for every size [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ASHDOWN-ABM-410T-GUITAR-COMBO-AMPLIFIER-FLIGHT-CASE_W0QQitemZ380215164783QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item588696ff6f"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ASHDOWN-ABM-410T-GUI...=item588696ff6f[/url]

While I wait for the pickguard to arrive from Canada (2 effing weeks now) I started working on the spare p/up covers, of course if I don't like them on I always have the original Duncan ones to put back

[quote name='guyl' post='774069' date='Mar 14 2010, 07:54 AM']Earth buzz problems and crackling pots? Has anyone else suffered these problems on a nearly new Shuttle or did this guy just end up with an unusual duffer?[/quote]

Well [color="#FF0000"][i][b]"this guy"[/b][/i][/color] did not end with a duffer, I was only borrowing until my MB got back from fitting the new head. I also mentioned that the crackling pots might be due to this amp being a 7 months old shop demo and that perhaps the pots could have done with some contact spray, however they were very stiff to turn, and as a result too small to tweak, I didn't find them comfortable specially with the knurled metal feel they gave. In conclusion the amp lacked warmth, I can only blame my dislike for this amp to the fact that owning a Mark Bass, I am spoiled by the ballsy real warm sound it gives with just all the eq pots set to flat, that I hardly need to tweak the amp and I can get away through a whole set of songs just by the instrument EQ controls. I realized this in my view cannot be achieved with the G-Benz.

I love all 3 of them, but if I was to nominate a favourite out of the 3 I would say the 51 Precision has the sweeter and mellower sound

Of course all 3 are fitted with Seymour Duncans and high quality pots, capacitors and wiring looms. The 51 precision wires were as thin as those found in old trnsistor radios, you could just cut them with your nails.

I have recently sent my Mark Bass combo model CMD102P to the distributors for a head swap having bought a Little Mark Tube to fit in there, I did this through Darren of Bass Merchant in Colechester who while my amP was away he let me borrow a Genz Benz Shuttle 6 and this is a review I wrote about it. (By the way Darren is a star)

-----

Well I guess since I had never tried one of these Genz - Benz Shuttle 6.0 before in my life and I happen to have one on loan for a few days, I might as well give it a good test and write my findings here.

This amp is only temporarily replacing my Mark Bass CMD102P combo which is undergoing a head change from the Little Mark II head to the Little Mark Tube 500 one, and as a result, the benchmark upon which this Genz - Benz is being compared to is an act difficult to follow to say the least.

The G-B has all these funky blue and red lights for various functions and actually they are a bit too bright for my liking to the point where looking at them directly actually bothers my eyes sight, far from relaxing, I wish you could dimmer them down a bit.

the controls are divided in sections:

Tube Preamp controls are Gain & Volume with a red overload clip light to warn you of it. There is a mute button which it's actually a neat idea not present on the Mark Bass and makes swapping basses noise free and safe to your speakers.
The EQ controls:
Active Parametric Equalization
Low / Mid (cut/boost) / Mid Freq lets you shape the Mids once you are done with boosting/cutting / High

Following are 3 buttons each dedicated to an additional post eq series of preset curves, these are from left to right:

L.F. Boost (Low Freq, Boost obviously)
Mid Scoop (Similar to Trace Elliot Smiley Face)
H.F. Attack (High Freq. Boost)

Master Section
Master Volume and a series of lights that indicates the status of the power amp ranging from top to bottom as follows:
Clip/Limiter - lights up when auto limiter kicks in and prevents you from blowing your speakers

Signal - lights up when the mute button is on and "signal" is fed through the speaker.... what's the point of this? I fail to recognize.
Thermal - I assume this would light up when the amp is overheating, this one is handy.

Operate - It's on when everything is ok, so I assume it's a light that reasure you thunderbirds are go and all is tickety-boo. If you know better tell me, I might have missed something.

The whole thing is quite light and aestetically does nothing to me compared to the macho looks of a Mark Bass combo or head. Frankly this head looks like someone has stuck one of those old retro Marantz Stereo Amp on a mobile discoteque speaker with a grill and a fancy name (Genz-Benz)

Before I move on to the actual aural characteristics of this amp let me tell you that I am not a fan of the small metal control pots, for the following reasons: Their tRavel is far from smooth and it actually require a little force to turn, the fact that these knobs are so stiff and also so small, it does not make them ergonomically comfortable to operate. They are made of solid knurled alluminium they are cold to the touch and last but not least they friggin' crackle a lot when turning, maybe this particular one being used might need a little contact spray tlc on the pots, but in one year of ownership my Mark Bass has never developed crackling pot yet and I am told this amp is a shop demo 7 months old.

-------

So, what does it sound like?

Well it's very modern sounding, the EQ section gives you a very good range and this is where the heart of your sound is chiselled, oh and forget the mileage you can get from a Mark Bass with all the control set flat and just work with your bass on board preamp to boost bass middle and treble! You just can't do the same with this amp as the bass sound is simply not reproduced as naturally as it is with a MBass. Period!

Here my friends, you really need to shape it with bass over the centre flat line and same with the mids, and you need to back off the high a little as it is slightly brittle from flat.

Once you are happy with this set up you better stick with it because when you come to the next section (the 3 preshape buttons) you will realize that the individual boost they provide is really only useful for a demo showcase of your slap technique than real life sound adaptation. They are just flash modes but not really something you want to use for your regular gigs.

I dare say these are barely my observations of course, and for all you know if a bright 80's style punchy sound like Mark King is what you look for in an amp than this for you.

And finally, overall this amp is actually quite noisy, if you move your hands away from the bass, it's all zzzzzzzz and hummmm and crackle & pop. Not a speck of the quiteness you get with a Mark Bass, and if you don't believe me, watch this review from Ed Friedland, we know Ed is God and anything he plays he makes it sound musical and artful, but watch what happens when he stops playing and starts talking and his hand are moving away from the bass.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch#playnex...&v=SJYX2Fkpuzg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch#playnex...&v=SJYX2Fkpuzg[/url]

[quote name='Stingray5' post='774037' date='Mar 14 2010, 01:08 AM']Very nice indeed. And judging by the above photos in particular, I'd say it's all round to yours for a Music Man paaaartay, what!?! [/quote]

Well there is a story to that pics with the drink stuff. I am a t-totaller, what does a t-totaller gets as present at Xmas from his clients? You've guessed it! Hundreds of cases of beer, wine and spirits, he doesn't even appreciates!

So what I decided to do on the day I received the bass, I threw a party on board (our ship) and those drinks were consumed within a couple of hours from the 45 crew members I work with who were all happy to wet the baby's head this way.

[center][size=4][b]Ladies & Gentlemen I present...

drum roll...


My Ernie Ball Music Man 25th Anniversary 5 strings HSS[/b][/size][/center]

[quote name='Alfie' post='774006' date='Mar 13 2010, 11:56 PM']That seller seems to have another "the one" for sale.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280477925368&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...ME:B:SS:GB:1123[/url][/quote]

[b]Excellent! Take my advice and do as I did: phone him up, he'll give you a better deal than the ebay price [size=3][u](don't tell him I told you, be clever)[/u][/size] he will love to save himself paypal / ebay fees hence a phone deal is better for him too[/b]

That's the one I think

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-CONCENTRIC-VOLUME-TONE-STACKED-POT-62-JAZZ-BASS_W0QQitemZ380169023762QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item5883d6f112"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-CONCENTRIC-VO...=item5883d6f112[/url]

[quote name='Sibob' post='698821' date='Jan 2 2010, 04:44 PM']The 'South East' bash is generally held in Surrey around November time.
But that's not to say a London couldn't be held by someone

Si[/quote]

Sorry I am new here, what is this bash all about? And why are people bringing their gear? Is this a... "show me yours and I'll show you mine?" type of thing?

Thanks

[quote name='HMX' post='773862' date='Mar 13 2010, 08:30 PM']Just an update here.

I took it into Mansons for a setup after putting the strings on. I went to collect it today and they said that there is upward bow in the neck and the truss rod is the tightest it can be - meaning major work or a new neck.

They told me to take it back to where I bought it from - under warranty. But hey, guess what, Reverb no longer exists!

They recommended that I pack the bass up, give it to them, they will send it to Fender who will put a new neck on and send it back.

Makes me wish I never got rid of my Spector or Precision. So gutted here. £450 I won't see for a couple of weeks at least.[/quote]


SH|T!! That is a real downer of a bad news. So sorry to hear that. And I thought it was a simple matter of muting unwanted buzz from the bridge springs. I hope Fender will sort out your neck.

Go to Maplin and get a small length of heat shrink tubing, cut 4 lenghts of tubing a little longer than the spring, remove each spring insert in a length of sleeve and then with a lighter get it to shrink over the spring cut off the excess. The spring will still... errr spring even with the rubber tubing around, only this time it will not be buzzing metal to metal no more.

Do you want my honest opinion? I would say if you are not bothered about what badge you get on the headstock then go for the Classic Vibe Jazz, it's got a lovely neck and a light weight yet resonant body, you would be saving a lot of money which you could invest in a set of "proper" pickups and electrics (pots & loom with capacitor) because the ones it comes with are below par.

this is what I did to mine,

See pics below:

[b]Original guts[/b]




[b]Replaced with Seymour Duncan Basslines Stacked humbuckers model STKJ1b & STKJ1n:[/b]






[b]plus a wiring kit from ebay as follows:[/b]
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JAZZ-BASS-WIRING-KIT-HIGH-QUALITY_W0QQitemZ270534161395QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item3efd17b3f3"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JAZZ-BASS-WIRING-KIT...=item3efd17b3f3[/url]

Now the bass plays and sounds way better than a MIM and I did try the real thing but decided to buy the CV instead.

[size=4][b]Here's the whole Squier Classic Vibe Collection[/b][/size]

I am in too!


by the way.....


[size=6][b]Who is Victor Vooten?[/b][/size]





































HAHA just kidding!

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='770010' date='Mar 10 2010, 07:12 AM']Do you still have the original neck as well? I personally thought that the neck was one of the best bits on the CV Jazz that I had.[/quote]

+1 BRAVO - well said

Understood, I make you right, then. Cheers pal

In fact, when I've finished with these small modifications, i.e. the wiring and the pickups, I am prepared to let anyone who is interested, have a go at them, we can make it a soiree event somewhere in London, or better still, book an upstairs room in a pub, have a few civilized drinks and a laugh, I'll bring the basses and a combo. Anyone interested? Alternatively someone with a big house relatively close to London, I have no problem bringing the basses along within the M25.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='771137' date='Mar 11 2010, 12:04 AM']Do you just mean this particular Precision pickup? Because split P pickups are normally hum-cancelling aren't they?[/quote]

That is what I originally thought, but he is right, I have just checked on the Squier website which says so too.

[quote name=' Squier Website']The Classic Vibe Precision Bass ’60s delivers the true Precision Bass experience. Huge tone roars from its traditional split-single-coil pickup.[/quote]

[quote name='Alfie' post='771119' date='Mar 10 2010, 11:43 PM']What else are you going to do to it? You might get to the stage where you would have been better off just getting the Fender classic series fiesta red precision.[/quote]

A new humbucking Seymour Duncan pickup and new pots / caps and proper wirings. thats all. The whole thing will cost below £60 all included

[quote name='Sibob' post='771109' date='Mar 10 2010, 11:35 PM']The stock pickup isn't a humbucker, just a standard split single coil, so I'm not surprised it's noisy!?

Si[/quote]

Ahh, bingo, that explains the racket from it! Cheers

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='771095' date='Mar 10 2010, 11:23 PM']Looks very nice though.[/quote]

Thanks mate, I am very pleased too, when I finished with it, it will be lovely.

Right..... it's indeed a lovely bass and now that I have spent the last hour adjusting the action and the correct neck curve it plays like butter however, sadly playing it through the amp confirmed my suspicions, there is a lot of static when touching the strings on and off, this is meant to be an humbucker but it bucks f*** all hum! There seems to be hardly any earth or screening and I will have to have it done, for sure. This pickup sounds ok'ish but you need to warm it up with the amp eq controls otherwise it's brittle and thin, I didn't expect it to sound great, I hoped it would, but it doesn't and after my experience with the other two Classic Vibe, the Jazz and the 51 reissue, both needed new guts so I knew this one would have been no different.

On the plus side, considering that the rest of the instrument is well constructed and the neck is lovely, the neck pocket is the best out of the 3, sorting out the pots and wirings and fitting a new pickup is not going to cost me an eye and as I said in my previous posts I had planned for this even before I bought it.

all part of the fun....

oh and on looks, having seen that Hank Marvin Salmon Pink beauty (hehehe) I have decided that a white p/guard is more at home than this cheap looking tort which looks like someone puked a whole kebab on it