NBD - Don't judge me.

[Beer of the Bass]

I like the headstock re-shape, as the HB headstock is a little inelegant. I wouldn't have bothered with the Fender decal myself, but it's your bass not mine!

[zero9]

I don't get sticking Fender decals on non-Fender instruments, unless it was a Cuntz guitar

[sirmuppet]

I actually know a few guys who have Fender and Gibson Guitars/Basses who actively put stickers, tape, remove truss rod covers etc... so you don't know they're playing a Fender or Gibson.

That said, if you like your bass and you feel comfortable with it then it's all that matters. I mean Slash is a prime example. His main Les Paul for years wasn't even a Gibson but it had a Gibson logo on it.

[kodiakblair]

I'd proudly sport a Cuntz bass

[stingrayPete1977]

I never knew that about Slash?! I know some artists are endorsed by other brands so try not to be seen promoting another brand, Stuart Zender on the Mark Ronson tour for example. I wont be removing my lovely (and genuine ) USA 'spaghetti' Logo

[Painy]

Hmm. I guess if it's okay to remove the logo from a fender maybe I should tell people that I bought a fender and removed the guitar from the logo before putting it on my HB as an amusing back story to distract them from the issue.

[Paul S]

For me it makes no difference what is on the headstock. As someone said a while back, 99.99% of punters won't notice or, even if they do, care. And if anyone does actually judge you with their eyes - what is written on the headstock - as opposed to their ears - what is coming out of the speakers - then that is their problem.

I put a Fender decal on a Mighty Mite neck on my bitsa Precision (now moved to a better home) mainly because it looked rather desolate with nothing up there (and the rest of the bass was a Fender, anyway). But I have gigged and will continue to gig with Squiers, Westones, Washburns, all proudly displaying their logos. As long as they are physically up to the task, sound good and not likely to fail mechanically mid-gig then if I like playing them they get gigged.

[miles'tone]

Very brave reshaping the headstock like that. Nice job! The pickguard looks much better now.
I'm quite interested in getting a HB fiver, any ideas what it's weight is at all?

[sirmuppet]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1419618921' post='2641357']
I never knew that about Slash?! I know some artists are endorsed by other brands so try not to be seen promoting another brand, Stuart Zender on the Mark Ronson tour for example. I wont be removing my lovely (and genuine ) USA 'spaghetti' Logo
[/quote]

Yeah, it's a well known thing about companies restricting the artist to using only their guitars or certain models. The bigger the artist, the less hold. Richie Sambora never just used a Fender when he was a Fender artist. He used his strats probably 40% of the time.

Here's a little bit about Slash's Les Paul http://www.slashsworld.com/equipment/guitars/59-les-paul-replica-built-by-kris-derrig/ Interesting that Gibson actually issued a replica of that guitar in the last few years.

[stingrayPete1977]

Thanks for that sirmuppet, every day is a school day

[sirmuppet]

Lol.

[3below]

Quality of kit these days is so good for the money. Does the label matter? My 1980s USA bass is very nice to play. So is the Chinese mass produced bass with EMGs fiited (£100 all in). Is there much difference - not really.

[discreet]

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1419709581' post='2642151']
Quality of kit these days is so good for the money.
[/quote]

It is - when I started playing bass, if you didn't have a Fender or Gibson or R*ck*nb*ck*r, then you had something which was barely playable at best and a pile of junk at worst, but F, G and R basses were prohibitively expensive at the time. Now you can buy something which looks, plays and sounds totally the business for a very reasonable price - so the decal thing has become moot. Particularly as there are now many manufacturers making basses that are at least as good as and in many cases a lot better than, F, G and R.

Edited December 27, 2014 by discreet

[3below]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1419711073' post='2642168']
It is - when I started playing bass, if you didn't have a Fender or Gibson or R*ck*nb*ck*r, then you had something which was barely playable at best and a pile of junk at worst, but F, G and R basses were prohibitively expensive at the time. Now you can buy something which looks, plays and sounds totally the business for a very reasonable price - so the decal thing has become moot. Particularly as there are now many manufacturers making basses that are at least as good as and in many cases a lot better than, F, G and R.
[/quote]

So well put, my experience exactly from bass playing circa 1974 onwards, especially having owned them all, FGR at various times. Fond memories (LOL) of Kay (Woolworths?) Columbus, Jedson, Avon basses The only bit of kit I have left from that era is a Shure Unidyne B mic. The plus of that era was Marshall, Hiwatt, VOX etc amps at silly prices compared to today.

[Grangur]

I couldn't be more pleased that the Op is happy with the bass. Sorry if my comment about the logo was taken negatively.

I had a Gear4Music. One of the first changes I made was to remove the logo. So, yes I'm a snob too.

My thinking on Fender logos, though, is if I built a custom car would I stick a Ford name badge on it?

Nice bass BTW.

[stingrayPete1977]

You might if it was a GT40 kit car? Or even just one inspired by ford or with some ford parts. I think thats fine for a private individual , building many Ford Focus replicas as a business and putting Ford badges on those however I think is wrong

[Painy]

Thanks again for the positive comments and I'm glad people can see the difference between doing this with my own bass with no intention to sell (if anything I suspect I've actually devalued it slightly) and doing it on a commercial scale. The replica kit car analogy sums it up pretty well for me.

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1419703309' post='2642071']
Very brave reshaping the headstock like that. Nice job! The pickguard looks much better now.
I'm quite interested in getting a HB fiver, any ideas what it's weight is at all?
[/quote]

Again thanks. I trained as a draughtsman (old school - none of this newfangled CAD malarkey) so was quite comfortable drawing the outline of where to cut free hand. After that I just had to grit my teeth and go for it.
The scary part is that I have next to no tools so this was all by hand using nothing more than a junior hacksaw, a coping saw, sandpaper and would you believe, a metal file!
The weight question is one that always makes me smile. When people are complaining that their 8 1/2 lb bass is too heavy to play a whole gig with i think they should walk a mile in my shoes. My bubinga Corvette weighs in at a little over 14 lbs and my Cort A6 is probably not a million miles off that figure either! Personally I like the solid feel of a good weighty bass.
Anyway, I just weighed it and whilst it feels feather light to me compared with my other basses, I suspect most would find it a bit heavy at 9lb 11oz.

Edited December 27, 2014 by Painy

[miles'tone]

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1419718565' post='2642249']
Thanks again for the positive comments and I'm glad people can see the difference between doing this with my own bass with no intention to sell (if anything I suspect I've actually devalued it slightly) and doing it on a commercial scale. The replica kit car analogy sums it up pretty well for me.



Again thanks. I trained as a draughtsman (old school - none of this newfangled CAD malarkey) so was quite comfortable drawing the outline of where to cut free hand. After that I just had to grit my teeth and go for it.
The scary part is that I have next to no tools so this was all by hand using nothing more than a junior hacksaw, a coping saw, sandpaper and would you believe, a metal file!
The weight question is one that always makes me smile. When people are complaining that their 8 1/2 lb bass is too heavy to play a whole gig with i think they should walk a mile in my shoes. My bubinga Corvette weighs in at a little over 14 lbs and my Cort A6 is probably not a million miles off that figure either! Personally I like the solid feel of a good weighty bass.
Anyway, I just weighed it and whilst it feels feather light to me compared with my other basses, I suspect most would find it a bit heavy at 9lb 11oz.
[/quote]

14lbs!! Blimey!
Yes weights a factor for me due to back disc probs but 9lb 11 oz is pretty respectable for the design really.
I've got a Squier VM P5 that weighed 9lb 8oz and with some lightweight tuners, bridge and routing out under the pickguard I got it down to 8lb 6oz and it feels and sounds good. I want a P5 fretless really so for the price these HBs are going for, it really is a great contender for a project. The pickups sound great as stock from what I can make out on YouTube.
I have also weighed up going for a HB B-550f and save myself some work, which I may end up doing, but I do love fretless P basses! (Hmmm the plot thickens! )

Thanks for taking the time to weigh it painy, much appreciated. \m/

Enjoy your bass man

[Pinball]

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1419718565' post='2642249']
I just weighed it and whilst it feels feather light to me compared with my other basses, I suspect most would find it a bit heavy at 9lb 11oz.
[/quote]

What is an acceptable an weight is an interesting point and depends on the user and the bass in question. I think that ergonomics and balance are equally important as weight.

I would rather have a comforable balanced 11lb 8oz bass that an unbalanced 8ib 8oz one any day. Anyway I rate anything lighter than 10 ib as light weight.

[Painy]

Funnily enough it was the VM P5 that I would have gone for if I'd had a few more pennies spare but given that a P bass was a complete u-turn on my thinking about basses over the last 19 years it was a bit of a gamble anyway.
Having now played this at last night's gig through my Ampeg rig I have to say it's a gamble that's well and truly payed off. So much so that I'm now thinking of selling my Cort and buying the Squire (Mmmmm - Olly white, dark brown tort guard and maple board).
What do you make of the VM P5 then?

[miles'tone]

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1419720828' post='2642272']
I'm now thinking of selling my Cort and buying the Squire (Mmmmm - Olly white, dark brown tort guard and maple board).
What do you make of the VM P5 then?
[/quote]

With the mods I made to personalise it, I can honestly say It's the best bass I've ever owned. Among others I've owned a Stingray, vintage Ric and gigged an American Standard jazz for a decade and I really do love this Squier more than all those others. Crazy huh?! It's just totally "me". It balances perfectly and is so resonant (even before the routing out of the wood under the pickguard - more so now).
I restrung it with DR Lowriders nickels and that took the string to string balance and the B string response to another level. Highly recommended!

Really interested in the HB P5 though, nice it's a P/J too. Again, it would make a great fretless.How DO they manage to sell them so cheaply though?
Mind boggling really isn't it..

[Painy]

[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1419720253' post='2642270']

I would rather have a comforable balanced 11lb 8oz bass that an unbalanced 8ib 8oz one any day. Anyway I rate anything lighter than 10 ib as light weight.
[/quote]

Very true and for what it's worth the balance is perfect. Not even a hint of neckdive and I was a bit concerned that there might be having played basses with smaller paddle headstocks previously.

[Painy]

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1419721994' post='2642282']


With the mods I made to personalise it, I can honestly say It's the best bass I've ever owned. Among others I've owned a Stingray, vintage Ric and gigged an American Standard jazz for a decade and I really do love this Squier more than all those others. Crazy huh?! It's just totally "me". It balances perfectly and is so resonant (even before the routing out of the wood under the pickguard - more so now).
I restrung it with DR Lowriders nickels and that took the string to string balance and the B string response to another level. Highly recommended!

Really interested in the HB P5 though, nice it's a P/J too. Again, it would make a great fretless.How DO they manage to sell them so cheaply though?
Mind boggling really isn't it..
[/quote]

Well that's me sold on the Squire then. Just need to sell my Cort now.

I must admit I can't understand how the HB was so cheap myself either. I remember when a mate of mine was looking for a bass about 18 years ago and the cheapest he could find new was a Rockwood for £130 and that was utter garbage!