stevie

Looks really interesting, but I can't find the PDF you mention ....

I'm sure there are some people on here who would like to know that.

Agreed - the Major's material is second to none. The free midi files that you'll find on the internet are a really good source of dots for the bass. You'll need a midi player that will display the music (rather than just play it), but I believe there are some free ones around.

I had the same bass as you and fitted a Nordstrand MM pickup to it. Over £100 - so it's got to be good, wouldn't you think? Well, no. The Wilkinson that was in there originally sounded a lot better to my ears. I swapped back and forward several times (and tried series/parallel wiring on them both) but ended up selling the Nordstrand. So, try replacement parts by all means but bear in mind that there is a lot of marketing hype surrounding pickups and preamps - just look at the Duncan Antiquity range to see what nonsense goes on. This is why these companies can charge up to £200 for an item with a parts value of less than a fiver. What good aftermarket pickups do give you is consistency, i.e. you pay your money and you can be reasonably confident you've got a good one. Do buy used, because this could otherwise prove to be an expensive exercise. I'd go for the preamp first if it were me: getting the right amount of bass boost on that bass is key to getting it to sound good.

[quote name='Rayman' post='921810' date='Aug 11 2010, 05:34 PM']He's an all round cool cat our Janek.[/quote] Not so sure he's "our" Janek any more. I had a quick read of some of his posts on here (very interesting guy) and it seems he got pissed off with people taking potshots at him. He hasn't posted for quite a while.

Your problem is that your Vintage copy is much better than you think. Don't underestimate it.

Never heard of these guys before (I'm about 10 years behind what's happening), but that was great! The horn section and backing vocals make a huge difference to the first video. And the bass sounds a lot better IMO.

Very interesting post, which goes to show the importance of trying an instrument before you buy it.

Ebay have recently introduced a set of controls that appear down the left hand side of your screen when you do a search. If you look under Refine Search/Preferences/Buying formats there is an Auction command that will remove all the BuyitNow rubbish from dealers and display auction items only. I live near Absolute Audio. Their lists of hundreds of musical instrument items at a time made searching for local items virtually impossible. So the button is a godsend. If you haven't seen it before, give it a go.

For those who are wondering, it fetched £495 in the end.

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='916548' date='Aug 5 2010, 11:22 PM']Don't know if buying online is any different.[/quote] It is.

This: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLmclOZDwlg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLmclOZDwlg[/url] might help you get a better price. (Sorry, no idea how to embed it).

Reslo ribbons were used by vocalists before the SM-57 made them redundant. As a vocal mike they were muffled and fed back badly. British made though - and vintage.

[quote name='Beedster' post='916126' date='Aug 5 2010, 03:58 PM']Problem is, the O/P's situation is a bit clouded by the fact it was a best offer and not BIN, so frankly I have no idea whether that's technically an auction or a sale. Good luck to him either way [/quote] I'd guess (because frankly, I don't know either) that a BIN is similar to making a best offer when you buy a car. You're not bidding against anyone like in an auction. I've reached the conclusion that you should not bid any more on eBay than you can afford to lose. That limits me to about £150.

[quote name='Beedster' post='915978' date='Aug 5 2010, 02:00 PM']Was the sale an auction (sounds like it if the seller thinks someone may pay more if he re-lists it)? if so, distance selling regulations do not apply.[/quote] But look at this: [url="http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/Distance-Selling-Regulations-And-eBay_W0QQugidZ10000000000140381"]http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/Distance-Selling...000000000140381[/url]

Here for reference: [url="http://www.out-law.com/page-430"]http://www.out-law.com/page-430[/url] Make sure you cancel the contract unequivocally and in writing within 7 days. I'd send a letter recorded delivery to be on the safe side. I don't think the seller's return policy is necessary relevant here if he is a trader.

Just bought an amp from Martin, who gave me a great deal, and packed and shipped with impeccable organization. He also threw in a carrying case at no extra charge, which was much appreciated. A great guy to do business with.

[quote name='Phil Starr' post='909800' date='Jul 30 2010, 12:14 AM']The figures show the sort of increase in compliance you would expect after a breaking in period though why Qes would change beats me.[/quote] Because Fs is part of the equation for Qes: Qes = 2pi x Fs x Mms x Re/ (Bl)2. If Fs drops, so does Qes.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='910949' date='Jul 31 2010, 09:00 AM']Given the above, you just need to ask yourself if a minor cosmetic issue bothers you enough to take it back. And that will be your answer![/quote] It would do my head in every time I picked it up :-) Anyway, if I'd paid a grand I wouldn't accept sloppy workmanship, even if it did sound OK.