ead

Then me please sir...

We are kind of on the fence in that we play pubs and clubs so we play as many of our songs as we think we can get away with interspersed with some covers. A reasonable compromise

One of our own tunes called Hey You - I thinks it's on our myspace site (fusionindierock if memory serves)

Pardon my general ignorance but what gear actually requires PAT testing? Is it just the kettle leads that plug into the outside world or is it every amp/active piece of kit?

[quote name='Johnston' date='Sep 2 2010, 07:50 PM' post='943854'] Surely if money was no object it would be a tailored instrument. Your hand would measured and the dimensions scientifically dissected to give the optimum neck width and shape. Body and arms would also be measured to get the optimum shape, contours scale length, neck and bridge angles (something like a torzal twist). then have your brain scanned whilst listening to samples of different basses. Then all the info put into a super computer to pick tone woods, custom designed pickups and tailored strings. Then everything would be CNC carved put together by robots so that the sweat of man won't contaminate the product. The frets would be pleked and you would end up with something like.. ........as you left this bass emporium having parted with £5k or more you would then acidentally trip over a stray cat and during the fall, in a vain attempt to save your investment, you would twist your body to cushion the blow, land awkwardly breaking your shoulder accidentally flinging the bass under a passing HGV. From your hospital bed you could then admire the wreakage and wonder why you didn't just get the Squire/OLD/Spector/Ibanez etc.

I was in exactly the same position a few weeks ago and have just acquired a Peavey Cirrus BXP 5 for £220 - virtually brand new - and very much enjoy playing it. I was also quite taken with an Ibanez I tried at the same time, but for me it was the feel of the B string that sold it to me. As ever try before buying anything

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='938255' date='Aug 27 2010, 04:56 PM']I used to only have one bass.... then I signed up to basschat.[/quote] + another 1

[quote name='Starless' date='Aug 19 2010, 01:50 PM' post='929796'] That has got be the most euphemistic decription of that tangled heap of junk I have ever heard. Just for the record "remarkable" does not imply approval. For clarification it is "remarkable" that RIC have not bothered to do anything about its serious limitations

I personally am a fan. In a time just after dinosaurs walked the earth and I saw Led Zeppelin play live a few times I decided I wanted to be a bass player. Not too long after that I decided I'd really like a Rickenbacker bass. Skip forward a few decades when I had some disposable to do something about it I then started playing. I finally achieved Nirvana this year and bought a Jetglow 4003 (and gigged it). I think they are fantastic basses with some remarkable quirks (e.g. the bridge). All in all I am completely pro Rics and although some compromise is necessary the look of the thing is amazing - a real design classic. I can't yet bring myself to remove the pick up cover and as a mostly finger style player this is an issue Try one today

Just acquired a Peavey BXP Cirrus 5-string, unmarked & less than 6 months old for just over £200. Worth every penny and has a nice 35" scale for less flappiness about the B string

I hope not! My main gigging basses all cost less than £300. My "special" bass is a Ric. I have lusted after once since the 70's and finally acquired a 4003 Jetglow this year. Reserved for special occasions and pubs & clubs where damage is unlikely

A long time ago I used to make the tins for Rustins

Me too my dream bass...Finally acquired a Jetglo 4003 this year and just gigged it for the first time. Awesome personal rock moment

[quote name='Kongo' post='869589' date='Jun 17 2010, 12:16 AM']Oh yeah forgot to add...Weight yes ofc...I added a Fat Finger...opinion is like Marmite on them, I jus got it cause I felt the neck was too light. I didnt sell it with that tho! no no no that badboy sits clamped on my P-bass headstock. I like weight in a bass...I was tempted to place wheel balancing weights in the electronics cavity once until I realised thats a LOT of metal to short stuff out! :-O[/quote] Having a dodgy disc or two in my neck after 30+ years of rugby I now see the benefits of lighter basses My cherised Spector now feels a bit high on the Body Mass Index scale compared to the Yamaha (and my Ric for that mastter) - funnily enough the beloved Mrs ead says the same about my BMI

This is all very helpful people, I am most grateful and the cheque is in the post I will investigate pots and dig out my soldering iron...

[quote name='The Burpster' post='868701' date='Jun 16 2010, 07:49 AM']ead, Been there and done it. It was my first venture into pimping. (I have moved on quite a bit since then!) I replaced everything except the knobs ( I'm not sure why!) the body neck and neckplate. Everything else was ditched. Mine was Wilkinson bridge and tuners, which were not expensive (and IIRC I got them off gleebay) but a huge improvement on the nasty pressed tin OEM ones. A complete rewire V/V/T (although you could get away with a small Bart pre amp if you really needed to - without re routing) and doesnt need a harness it is very easy to do, if you have any skill with wire cutters and a soldering iron. And then SD pups and left passive. It turned it into a monster, and was well worth the effort.... ! Below are some pics (prior to the SD's going into it) just before its final incarnation. Its a shame you are a fair way away, if you got the bits you wanted to do it with I could put it together for you in an afternoon.[/quote] Man that is one good looking bass! As FlatEric and Kongo I do like the weight/neck/access of this bass but I think I may have a milder form of GAS in that I like the idea of some upgrades. Interested to hear your comments re harnesses, I did originally look for the same type of pots (just to replace the scratchy tone pot) but there are many on the market, and as I couldn't see the like-for-like part number, I'm in a bit of a dither as to which is the right one! I do prefer a VVT set up to VBT though. Have you considered re-locating to the North West Burpster, it's really very pleasant here and we have hills too

[quote name='fatback' post='866962' date='Jun 14 2010, 12:52 PM']Why not try a quality outboard preamp? No messing with routing, and you can keep it after you sell the bass.[/quote] Are these like my Hartke Bass Attack box, or is this something different. I'll have to investigate...

[quote name='janmaat' post='866909' date='Jun 14 2010, 12:11 PM']Interesting, let me know the results as I have one of these RBX banging about and don't quite know what to do with it. It is actually a hybrid as the neck + body are from two different RBXs. I have sanded the body down so it looks quite nice and is very light, but that's about all I like about that guitar... Mabe new nut, better pickups and active electronics would help, but then I think I'd rather flog it and buy something better. I actually bought this thing way back as a jam session bass to leave in a venue, and that's what I still think it's good for...[/quote] Will do. Until the post about outboard preamps (about which I am equally ignorant ) I was slowly drifitng towards some Wizard PJs and a passive pre-amp harness; there's a US website selling them here: [url="http://buzzardsbass.com/electronics/wiring/prewired-control-harnesses.html#pjbass"]http://buzzardsbass.com/electronics/wiring...ses.html#pjbass[/url] - does anybody know this guy? As the bass is not that valuable I'm reluctant to spend loads on it or I would have just traded it for a posh fretless bass. Although....

Cheers Kongo, looks interesting....

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='863797' date='Jun 10 2010, 10:31 PM']Go for it. Replacing knobs is a very easy job - you get screw on or push fit ones. Putting in new pups is easy too but requires some level of confidence with a soldering iron. Is your bass a PJ style?[/quote] Yes it's a PJ configuration. I've been looking at the Wizard site as they seem good value compared to the known brands. Any experience of their wares?

A year or so ago I launched into the world of fretless bass and bought an inexpensive RBX270FL bass from evilbay as a test bed for my curiosity. I'm now very much enjoying the who f/l experience and wondering about fixing the couple of minor niggles e.g. crackling pots or possibly a slightly posher bass. I then got to thinking why not consider improved pickups and electronics instead as I like the neck, the light weight, and the feel of the bass generally. What options do I have in this respect (pups/electronics)? On balance I'd like to stay passive and not get involved with routing but just something I could (relatively) easily change over. Maybe some posher looking knobs too. What do you think lads and lasses? Is this easy to do yourself or is it one for an experienced person?

A year or so ago I launched into the world of fretless bass and bought an inexpensive RBX270FL bass from evilbay. I'm now very much enjoying the who f/l experience and wondering about fixing the couple of minor niggles e.g. crackling pots or possibly a slightly posher bass. I then got to thinking why not consider improved pickups and electronics instead as I like the neck, the light weight, and the feel of the bass generally. What options do I have in this respect (pups/electronics)? On balance I'd like to stay passive and not get involved with routing but just something I could (relatively) easily change over. Maybe some posher looking knobs too. What do you think lads and lasses?

Sex and drugs and sausage rolls Or failing that earplugs

Thanks for all the pointers, all very helpful. Budget wise I've around £500 in the kitty...