discreet

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1458209478' post='3005540'] ...tell your bandmates to shut up. [/quote] Do that anyway, as a matter of course.

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1458209360' post='3005539'] there's a moshing community? [/quote] What's moshing? Sounds like self-abuse.

I've always wanted this type of bass but can never justify one as I'd be reluctant to gig it and only play it at home... I prefer something a bit more substantial to hide my muscular frame behind when I'm playing out! Nice score.

[quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1458206320' post='3005499'] I am massively impressed with these, especially given the outlay. [/quote] The neck in particular is exceptional - a proper P-Bass handful, plays beautifully, straight as a die, nicely-finished frets and a truss rod that works perfectly in both directions. Great bit of timber, too - worth at least twice what the entire bass cost, imho.

[quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1458202993' post='3005456'] See, I can hear a lot more in the 3-5k range on the wilkinson. Weirdly I prefer the darker seymour duncan [/quote] Having just listened at volume on full-range studio monitors I'd have to agree that the Wilkinson pickup is definitely brighter than the Seymour Duncan - which is certainly darker, as you say. But it does seem to have just as much bottom end (which is quite extreme in both cases!). I don't think it's necessarily a negative trait though and is something that could be easily sorted with EQ, both live and in the studio - if it were considered a problem. I don't think the difference warrants investment in a replacement pickup, I'll take the Wilkinson. It is a budget bass after all and the object of the game was to see what you could get for little money, and the answer to that is 'quite a lot'. That is if you're prepared to put a bit of fettling work in initially and be happy to return the bass under warranty if you get a bit of a dog! You pays your money and you takes your choice. But the two sound clips are obviously played on the stock D'Addario Rounds and there doesn't seem to be as much woolliness in evidence as there is on my audio clip. I can only conclude that this is due to the La Bella flats, though I haven't previously noticed this problem with them. It could be banana-fingeredness on my part during the recording, which I did in a hurry... I'll check the original file later and see if there's anything up with it. Thanks to Kodiakblair for the comparison files, very interesting.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1458203049' post='3005458'] Nice work, although I would do that top screw up before you catch yourself on it! [/quote] Hehe. Spotted that, and the tug-bar screws, but not before taking the pics. All good now though.

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1458162973' post='3005287'] Fella I know bought T-bird's PB-50 with a Duncan SC in it. When I swapped out the Wilkinson for the SF I sent it to him over in Kenya. Couldn't tell much difference myself apart from the Wilkinson being louder. [url="https://soundcloud.com/subdude67/seymour-duncan-pickup"]https://soundcloud.c...r-duncan-pickup[/url] [url="https://soundcloud.com/subdude67/wilkinson-pickup"]https://soundcloud.c...ilkinson-pickup[/url] [/quote] Thanks for the links Davie, I'll have a listen tomorrow (today!) when everyone's left the house. I don't have much personal experience of the 50s-type SC 4-pole P pickup, so it will be interesting.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1458141324' post='3005054'] ...it's the rapscallions playing other instruments at the same time as the bass who render the nuances which you can hear from a soloed bass rather moot, at least as far as my ears are concerned. [/quote] I should have said, 'sound like a bass guitarist playing a bass - [i]in a band situation[/i].' Not being of the Michael Manring persuasion.

[quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1458140423' post='3005050'] ...sounds like the pickup is throwing out more low mid than my personal taste agrees with so it sounds woolly to me. [/quote] I could try another SC pickup, as I was half-toying with the notion anyway. Anyone know what the established upgrade path in this situation? Any suggestions before I start a 'Which SC P Pickup?' thread? SD? Fralin? Lollar? Regardless of cost I really like the neck and the way it plays, so it could be worth doing.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1458149094' post='3005140'] And anything you can play on a P, you might as well play on a decent bass instead. [/quote] *¥£% #$$ &€% @#$£@*&!! Thhhppp!!

[quote name='synthaside' timestamp='1458139755' post='3005043'] Discreet, You've missed out on perfect opportunity to purchase a Green/Teal stingray... [/quote] I'd love to, but as soon as herself claps eyes on it, she'll say, 'what's [i]that [/i]doing here again...?'

[quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1458136081' post='3005011'] It looks great, but I'm not big on the sound. [/quote] It's very subjective, of course. I sound pretty much the same regardless of which bass I'm playing and what pickups it's fitted with, so it could be that you just don't like the sound I'm making, you don't like the sound of flats, you don't like the way it's been recorded, or any of the many other variables at work. Having said that, I am quite tempted to try an upgrade pickup, but I'm not entirely sure it will be enough of an improvement to justify the cost. If I spend too much upgrading this bass I may as well have bought something better in the first place. But then I probably would want to upgrade [i]that[/i], so on and on it goes... [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1458137771' post='3005026'] Yup, sounds like bass to me [/quote] Secretly I think most basses sound pretty much the same, 'it's in the fingers' is where it's at, imho. At the end of the day you want to sound like a bass guitarist playing a bass - and you don't need to spend a fortune on gear for that to happen. Even though over the years, I have.

Back to the source for me - you can't beat the simple brilliance of Leo's 51 and 57 P Basses. Anything you can't play on a P isn't worth playing, IMHO.

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1458124198' post='3004850'] I think I might just hide it in the garage, and tell SWMBO I had to give it away... [/quote] I have multiple hard cases and gig bags all over the house. Some may have basses in, some may not, who knows..? I'm lucky really as 'er indoors can just about tell the difference between a bass guitar and a ukulele at two paces and is notoriously unobservant. She says things like, 'what happened to that green guitar you had..?' I've never had a green guitar, or bass, or even a ukulele... so there you go.

[quote name='DBerriff' timestamp='1458125628' post='3004868'] ...the drummer seems to be a real gentleman too. [/quote]

I feel a vintage instrument should be kept entire, even if it would make a lot more as parts. That's just my sentimentality, of course. I don't have a problem with parting a bass in theory, but bear in mind an entire bass is one sale, one packing session and one courier arrangement, whereas with parts you are dealing with multiple buyers, multiple payments and multiple postings which can be a right old pain in the arse and increases your chances of loss, damage, fraud, etc.

[quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1457969871' post='3003490'] ...if another man's penis is touching my bass, it makes me less inclined to play it. [/quote] The bass or the penis..? *Cue jokes about knobs, fingering, g-string, bottom-end, strap on, etc. etc*

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1458033102' post='3003963'] Looks great. I reckon you need a tort PG. Best order some tort paint too... [/quote] Ha! Tort paint? Very funny. Everyone knows you slice tort guards from the Tortloaf!

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1458075889' post='3004549'] I really ought to tune more than once a month. [/quote] Join a jazz band, you'll never have to tune again.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1458075244' post='3004533'] Reason I asked is that it just doesn't seem right to me - way too modern and hi-tech for my taste! [/quote] I have mine clipped to the back of the headstock so you can't see much of it from the front anyway.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1458073492' post='3004492'] Do those of you that use clip on tuners leave them on while gigging? [/quote] Switched off, yes. Mainly because if I take it off and put it down at a gig I'll never find it again.

Had a Joyo for a while and it was fine, but then it suddenly went tits-up for some reason. It's fine for electric guitar though. I'm currently using a Korg PitchClip which is the best clip-on I've had so far for bass, but I'm still looking for the perfect clip-on. The problem I have at noisy gigs is that the bloody thing picks up vibrations other than through the headstock, thus compromising accuracy... what's needed is some kind of battery-operated box or pedal that you can plug the bass into directly. Perhaps it could have some kind of switch or button that mutes the bass output while tuning, too. Are you listening, manufacturers??

Well I got it. What's the problem?? Laugh..? I nearly sharted!

Super. I can just imagine how that G&L pup sounds... sweet! Can I have my bridge back now, please?

Aaggh! Well you did say 'don't look' I suppose.