simon1964

Yep - I've used them and currently have one on my Stingray. I've found them to work perfectly if properly fitted.

The logo is fantastic

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1330781467' post='1562909'] No matter how many times I try,I just can't get into Pink Floyd-I just find it really boring. [/quote] +1. Wish you were here is a decent song, but that's about it for me I'm afraid.

[quote name='pietruszka' timestamp='1330468755' post='1558121'] not to mention whoever plays for Elvis Costello, he picks some cracking bass players. [/quote] The early stuff was Bruce Thomas, which is an excellent shout!

+1 to all that McNach has said in his post. I've got the 3 band East pre-amp in my Stingray. Its a fantastic bit of kit. The treble and bass controls really do replicate those on the tradition two band 'ray. But the mid sweep is the big plus. It really has turned my 'ray into a very versatile bass. I can't recommend it highly enough.

[quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1330331812' post='1555642'] Neck looks reasonably legit to me, body is either a poosly fitting aftermarket scrathplate, or a non original body with original scratchplate. [/quote] I don't think the body is original. Even as late as 1978, Fender were fitting ashtray pickup covers. There are no holes for those for the bridge ashtray. I suppose the body might have been filled and refinished, but given the other uncertainties on this, I would need a lot of re-assurance.

[quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1330265163' post='1554802'] Shouldnt the serial be on the neckplate (with the large F?) [/quote] It should on a '73. It moved onto the headstock mid 76ish. He does say it might be a '78, but unfortunately, we can't see the headstock properly in the photos!

Hmm- lots to check out there. The bridge and pickups are obviously not original, but also the pickguard doesn't fit properly over the body routing. Also no holes for the thumbrest and / or ashtrays which there should be on a 73 P. Also the machine heads are not 70s. And the neck plate doesn't have a large "F" logo on the back "which a '73' should have. And the pictures of the headstock are not great.

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1330173133' post='1553688'] Strings and preferably hardware off the neck Make a cup of tea, keep the tea bag. Squeeze most of the water out of it, rub it carefully over the headstock to get good coverage Make another cup of tea, keep the teabag, stand back and assess the results Repeat if necessary. I've never tried it, and you may find the effect wears off after a while leaving the bits of the headstock that come into contact things (like your bass case) becoming paler than the rest. A real vintage instrument usually ends up with these bits darker. [/quote] This, but go over the headstock very lightly first with some fine wire wool. That dulls the gloss coat and will give something for the tea to "take" to. It can work, but its very hit and miss. But if nothing else its an excuse for a cuppa!

[quote name='jjay69' timestamp='1329927067' post='1549896'] Well it's becoming a mystery because i've seen this exact type of headstock on basses in some Vintage and rare shop in Denmark St (the one that looks like someones old front room stuffed with classic instruments). I know, because i commented to the guy that my head looked just like this with this "long number" underneath, but no serial number, he said thats the patent number, the serial no will be at the base of the neck or inside the body somewhere. I've always known it was a bit different but thought nothing of it, it plays like a dream. I bought it around 1988-90. It was recently worked on by Martin of Sei basses at the Gallery, i'll give him a call to see what he thought when i get chance. [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjay69/6406515165/sizes/l/in/set-72157628162331605/"]http://www.flickr.co...57628162331605/[/url] [/quote] As others have said, early pre-CBS (ie pre 1964) Precisions had the Spaghetti logo on them. But 70s Precisions all had a version of the bold "TV" logo. And I'm pretty sure no Precision has had the "original contoured body" logo on the headstock.

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1329865006' post='1548941'] Dare I ask...... ........what colour? How much? [/quote] Its in blackburst. I can't remember the exact price - but from memory it was £950ish. Please buy it, as I'm very tempted but can't justify another bass They've also got an absolutely stunning California JM in Lake Placid Blue.

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1329677990' post='1545790'] I'd love a Basic PM, but you don't seem to see them about. [/quote] There's a lovely Basic PM at Fuzz Music in Nottingham at the moment. I had a play on it last week, and it's one of the nicest basses I've played in a long time.

I'd be hard to replace - I'm the only band member with a vehicle large enough to cart the PA around...

Wizard Pickups. Excellent service, excellent pickups and excellent prices.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1328997434' post='1535958'] My fave JJ moment: When the bass comes in on Hanging Around. It really sounds like the bass amp is actually in your room, playing along to the track. Fantastic bass moment that. [/quote] Definitely this for me too. It sounds corny, but it was Hanging Around that turned me from a guitarist into a bass player (mainly because the bassist in the covers band I was in at the time couldn't play it!)

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1329655255' post='1545338'] There's lots of good advice here but it is quite simple really - you are testing the bass out, not the shop testing out your bassist skills. Playing songs/tunes is the very last thing I'd do. Inspect the bass: finish, fretwork, tuners, etc. does it tune ok? Play every note on every string and listen to it acoustically, are there any dead spots? Does it intonate satisfactorily? If the bass passes so far then plug it in, an amp of your choice, with controls flat. Repeat the every note, every string trick. If you're still happy maybe play some tunes, in different styles, maybe adjusting the tone. Play with right hand near bridge, over pickup, near fretboard. Are you going to need different strings? That needs to be factored into the cost. Etc., etc. [/quote] Exactly this. You're not there to impress the saleman. But even if you were, if he knows his job, this is likely to impress him more than playing a load of technical flash stuff without actually checking out the basics.

[quote name='Townes1992' timestamp='1329225707' post='1539061'] I also considered the Ibanez ATK200 and another ibanez, the Roadster from the SR series, these are within my budget and look to be good basses. [/quote] The Ibanez ATK and SR series are fantastic basses for the money. They feel very different - the SR has a very thin neck, the ATK is much chunkier. But in terms of value for money both ranges are very haerd to beat. IMO the SR500 is just about the best new bass you can buy under £500. And you can often pick them up used on here for £350ish.

Thanks. There's no PMT branch in Nottingham (Fuzz Music in Nottingham stock them, but only a very limited number). But work takes me to Brum pretty regularly, and a detour to PMT is always welcome! I'll try them when I'm over next.

The usual, and best, advice is try before you buy. IME Fenders vary a lot in quality (and not just the Mex ones). The nicest Precision neck I've played was on a Mexican Fender I owned years ago. But the worst Jazz I've played was a Mex Fender as well. It felt and sounded cheap. If your budget is limited I would seriously look at the Squier Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified series - they easily compete with the Mex Fenders, and have some very nice specs for the price. Edit - brensabre79 got in ahead of me. And I agree with all of his post

As a matter of interest, has anyone come across a Sandberg Bullet model in stock anywhere?

[quote name='Pete1967' timestamp='1329222965' post='1538966'] The jazz is OK but it doesn't really cut it for me - I can't really get the tone I wanted, but that is a truly subjective statement. I have the alnico single coil at the neck and I do find it noisy particulaly when you blend in the J with the Ray so the top single coil is working alone. I guess it depends on your noise tolerance, but I like dead silent, which I don't get that way. [/quote] That's interesting - I've got the Delano split coil Jazz at the neck position (Delano's take on the DiMarzio ultra jazz, I think), and that works really well. A bit fatter than a traditional Jazz. But to be honest, I tend to use the MM pickup solo'd most of the time. Dood - I'm in France at the moment so can't post any sound clips. I'll have to leave Pete to do that!