Conan

Double box. If possible, make the outer box quite a bit larger and pack the space in between them with bubble wrap or those "cheesey wotsit" type packaging blebs... Use the thickest cardboard you can find and plenty of it!. I'm sure the advice about making the handles accessible makes sense, but I'm not sure how you could actually do that and still package it securely.... Swings and roundabouts maybe.

[quote name='Wil' post='1310068' date='Jul 20 2011, 10:46 AM']+1 on pickup height being set so they're not too close to the strings.[/quote] If the pickups are too close to the strings, then the magnetic field will actually interfere with the vibration of the strings and reduce sustain, volume and tone! There is a happy medium of course, which will depend on the string gauge and how hard you play - but I would say that 5mm or so was about right.

[quote name='Danbass7' post='1307977' date='Jul 18 2011, 03:37 PM']how can this be worth anywhere near this much ?[/quote] It isn't. Just because he wants it to be, doesn't make it so! He wants forty grand-ish for a bass, and won't even deliver it?!?!

[quote name='Gust0o' post='1307558' date='Jul 18 2011, 10:49 AM']Unless you feel the wood, finish or branding (which seems to be all that he is keeping) are worth £500, then the economics become questionable... but they always are for modding.[/quote] Why is that? I have just upgraded the pickup on my Squier Affinity P. It plays well and has a lovely neck, but the original pups were very ordinary indeed. For a total of £50 I now have a bass that I would happily gig. It plays great and now sounds great too. OK, if I sold it on I would not get that fifty quid back as it is still a second-hand Squier - but at the moment I have no intention of selling it and the increase in quality makes the small investment well worth it to me. I do agree though, that there comes a point when the economics do indeed become questionable...

[quote name='Wolverinebass' post='1307465' date='Jul 18 2011, 09:30 AM']Now, whilst it's not a bass I would have bought, would people argue that there is a point where doing this sort of stuff is just insane? I pointed out that for what he was about to spend on hardware, he might as well get a custom bass made for him.[/quote] Custom basses don't always end up being the panacea that people think they will be. The for sale section pays testament to that! It seems more normal to do radical mods on a budget bass, rather than one costing £500 second hand. That must put it in the £800-1000 price bracket new. At that price you would expect the original hardware to be decent, so I'm not sure why he would want to replace ALL of it... And if he did, would it necessarily make that much of a difference? It's one thing upgrading a Squier or a cheap copy that just happens to have a great neck, but to replace everything on a decent bass seems odd to me. If he is doing it for his own use and knows exactly what he wants, then fine. It's his cash. But as others have siad, it may not add anything to it's resale value. In some cases it may even reduce it. Sounds like an odd project to me...

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1307114' date='Jul 17 2011, 09:35 PM']Is she the Japanese girl that plays Sadowskys or Laklands Anyone want to fire up a clip?[/quote] She's Dutch I believe. And yes, she is very good. But surely we don't have to limit ourselves to just one young, attractive, talented female bass player?

Well I liked it Pete! The rest of you miserable gits can sod off!

[quote name='Doddy' post='1307019' date='Jul 17 2011, 08:20 PM']I think she's alright. Her solo album is good,but she doesn't blow me away. I think that there are a lot better players around.[/quote] There is always someone better.... But she is very good. That's good enough for me. Although that J looks enormous on her! How tall is she?

I used to have a Wal and a Squier P. They were so difficult to tell apart that I had to get John Giblin to Autograph the more expensive intrument. Whenever I needed to identify one from the other it was then easy... The writing is on the Wal.

[quote name='Maverick' post='1302178' date='Jul 13 2011, 12:03 PM']the guitarist/mainman demanded I use a pick. It didn't last.[/quote] Did you insist that he only play Cmaj and D7?

Mostly fingers. A bit of slap when it's appropriate... But playing in a covers band there are some tracks which really need a pick if you want it to sound anything like the original band. Iggy Pop's "The Passenger" for example. In an original band I might still use a pick just to get the type of sounds that I can only get with a pick! My fingernails are really soft and rubbish, so I keep them short. If I want that extra click/attack I will use a pick. As BRX said, why limit yourself?

[quote name='chrisd24' post='1302138' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:40 AM']Ha! clearly,but im still young(ish) and my back is still ok(ish) so i think i can handle it!.....and there's always castors.[/quote] Indeed! [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=125690"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=125690[/url]

[quote name='chrisd24' post='1302132' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:32 AM']Are they purely valve or valve pre's? The one i was looking at on ebay is a 4x8 which seems quite interesting,dont think i have ever seen a 4x8 combo! also just looked up the weight....... .....which doesnt concern me but there must be a shed load of "stufff" inside these combos![/quote] Some are all valve. The number of valves ranges from 2 to 8 in different models as I understand it. And TE never really went down the "lightweight" route!

[quote name='chrisd24' post='1302103' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:16 AM']I was looking on ebay at v types and a few others but have literally no idea what i am looking at,any trace elliot aficionados out there happy to share some info would be greatly appreciated.[/quote] The V-type amps contain varying numbers of valves, rather than the non V-type ranges which are all solid state. The amps are pretty sought after and often go for high prices when they come up. The V-type cabs (one of which I am selling) were designed to bring out the best in the V-type amps. Again, they are not common and look rather different to the "standard" Trace cabs - green carpet covering, sparkly grillcloth instead of (or as well as) the standard punched steel black powder coated grill plates.

Ironically, the first time I ever heard Berlin was on Bruford's "Feels good to me" album. I actually thought it was Jaco. Seriously.

[quote name='Gust0o' post='1301208' date='Jul 12 2011, 04:02 PM']It's not like we're a Mary Poppins outtake, it shouldn't be too hard. Half the battle is remembering that we're not all Hugh Grant and the Royal Family.[/quote] Or, god forbid, Brian Sewell.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1301205' date='Jul 12 2011, 04:00 PM']A diddent think see![/quote] Mee neeetha. Owa posh fa the likes o us ah reckin. Nowt's the botha.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1301201' date='Jul 12 2011, 03:58 PM']Am guessing yiv nivvor been roond owa neck of the woods, marra...?[/quote] Nee chance o that kidda.

OK, some slap in here too... Nice view of an early Trace Elliot 8x10 combo in this next one... More tasteful fingerstyle...

[quote name='Shambo' post='1301088' date='Jul 12 2011, 02:37 PM']I'm not happy about being booked in for another gig before being asked and I think that might be the deciding factor for me.[/quote] I agree. That is ignorant, selfish and egotistical. But that's singers for you.

Aaaaw! I didn't realise that PlayMobil did bass amplification! Bet it's loud though?

[quote name='chris_b' post='1299938' date='Jul 11 2011, 02:42 PM']He doesn't look as much of a plonker as the cop standing facing the audience![/quote] I know! "Oh, is there a band behind me? I'm just carrying out my duty here y'all... I don't listen to this long-haired, young persons music anyway - more of an Elvis fan, etc, etc"

After many years of using Rotosound, Elites and D'addarios I recently discovered DR strings. Pricey, yes - but tone to die for! They apparently last a long time too so may not be as expensive in the long term as they seem...