Rich

I couldn't. I could get down to two, but one of them would be fretless. I need that mwaah in my life.

That comes from a farcebook group of which I'm a member. If anyone in the group ever takes umbrage about something and announces that they're leaving the group, we all start posting pics of the most ridiculous frocks/ballgowns we can find in a 'bye Felicia' sort of way. It's our way of making their dramatic gesture look silly.

Why aren't different types of finish available? What happens if we want a mattery, or a satinary, or an eggshellary?

In the absence of a full glossary: "clown whore" -- one former member's now-legendary description of any bassist/musician who does not think of themselves as an 'artist' first and foremost. The rest of his argument was similarly ridiculous. I think he thought of himself as Van Gogh with flatwounds. He was quite rightly ridiculed for his ludicrous pseudointellectual posturing, and stamped off in a fairly spectacular flounce. "a waste of TIM" -- another former member who failed to sell any of his tat in the Marketplace and, rather than perhaps review his pricing or sales technique, announced that the whole marketplace was 'a complete waste of TIM' (sic) and and stamped off in another fairly spectacular flounce. "is Mark King better than Flea?" -- from a thread many many moons ago which posed the question "Who is better at slap, Mark King or Flea?". A lot of people felt that this was a bit like comparing apples to oranges as their approaches are so very different, provoking a fair bit of good-natured jocularity. IIRC the member who asked the question did not stamp off in any sort of flounce, spectacular or otherwise. The question has become a bit like a Basschat version of 'what would Jesus do?'. "is that bass any good for playing metal" -- similar to the King/Flea one above. The question was asked, "what's the best bass for metal?" (to which of course the answer is, you can play metal on absolutely any bass and 'best' is entirely subjective). Again, it provoked much witty japery and the member who posed the query did not put on their flouncing frock. If I've got any of the above wrong, please correct.

As are the terms "clown whore", "a waste of TIM", and "is Mark King better than Flea?"

Harry, what if anything are you doing for amplification?

As much as that? Pfft. You were lucky.

Harry, Teebs -- do you guys find the Thunder tends to neck-dive?

I reckon you need to screw those pickup polepieces out a bit further.

Hallooo

That's the badger, yes. Look, we're in danger of bogarting young Harry's thread here

Thanks it needs gold knobs, I'd love a set of the originals but have you seen the prices they fetch on fleabay?? 😮

Good call. You can't go wrong with those two, good solid basses both. L-R: bitsa P bass (modified since pic), Thunder 1-A, Shuker custom 5-string, Sire V7 5-string, bitsa 'Ray-ish fretless, Ibanez BTB 6-string. Missing from pic: Wal Pro 2-E. (PS. just in case you didn't know... 'bitsa' is a common term that refers to a bass that has been home-built from parts, i.e. made up from 'bitsa this and bitsa that' )

Hi Harry and welcome I echo everything this lot have already said. Also -- play along with stuff, no matter where you hear it. I remember seeing an interview with Billy Sheehan where he said that he used to keep his bass with him even when he was watching TV, and when the adverts came on he'd play along with them. Theme tunes, likewise. Any music that cropped up, he'd pick the tune out. It's fun and it all helps.

Update -- another tweak to the circuitry sees the addition of a series/parallel switch allowing me to run both pickups together in series. Mahoosive sound.

I made the pickup cavity using a drill and (very very sharp) chisels. No router involved. Don't let a lack of luthier tools put you off having a go!

Yes, very much so good old MS Paint

It's done very pleased with the result, quite surprised at how un-Raylike the sound is with the MM pickup solo'd but pleasantly surprised as it's a good usable sound -- very distinctively different to anything else in my wee collection, which was the entire point of the exercise to begin with, so it's mission accomplished the series/single/parallel switch makes for maximum flexibility too. It's passive V/V/T at the moment and I'll probably leave it like that.

True, true... although there are two factors: 1. I've had a look around on t'internet, specifically at things like the Sandberg PM4 which has an identical pickup configuration... their MM pickup is even closer to the bridge than mine, and I figure if it's good enough for them... and; 2. I've already been busy with the chisels, so it's kinda a done deal it's only dropped in the rough hole for the moment, I haven't cleaned any edges or tidied it or anything yet.

There are quite a few things I'd like to have -- e.g. Roscoe Beck 5, Chowny CHB-1 in sapphire burst, another Shuker -- but only two/three that I'm really itching to get my hands on: 1. Wal 5-string fretted, ideally Mk3 but a Mk2 would be just as good; 2. YOB ('65) Jazz Bass, from April that year if poss, ideally in candy-apple red with matching headstock. 3. Failing 2 above, a good replica (e.g. light relic Limelight) would be fine.

Ok, this project has taken something of a left turn... having a rummage in the ol' spares box, I came up with the old pickup from my OLP 'Ray. Hmmm... watch this space (Yes I know the MM needs to be about 1/2" further away from the bridge to be in the proper sweet-spot, but I really don't want to butcher that lovely pickguard if I can get away with it.)

My fretless Ray neck had the same in terms of side dots, i.e. where they would be for a fretted bass... I blacked them out with a sharpie pen and then put big white Letraset dots at the fretlines, which I painted over with a smear of car touch-up lacquer. You can just about make them out in this pic.