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I've only ever tried La Bella Deep Talking flats tbh, found them to be well balanced.

Sorry to say I do have an Eames chair (reproduction) 😂

I can't see any obvious structural red flags (neck repairs, neck/bridge geometry, cracks, sunken top etc), and even the bridge looks like it's probably OK. It looks like a solid top, I'd agree that the back is probably laminated. It's a non-ebony fingerboard, which you might be happy with for some styles of playing, but having mine replaced was a big improvement. It's interesting, that style of tuners often indicates an older bass, but it's clearly dated and the sprayed lacquer finish is very much a mid-later 20th century factory bass feature too. I guess Hungary must have stuck with the hatpeg tuners for longer than Germany did. I'd absolutely buy it for £275, but you could very easily throw a few hundred more at it to get it well set up with good strings. Of course, if you're feeling handy/brave and keep an eye out for decent used strings you could have it up and running for less.

In 2007, I put together a bass, a fancy bitsa mostly - I bought the body and neck off ebay (not your typical F style bits - a body with a fancy top which might have been home made and a F like neck but with a somewhat different headstock shape), but did some modifications myself (through body stringing, an extra hole for a mini switch) and refinished it myself in shellac (Ronseal's finest "French polish") and was quite pleased with the result. It predates my involvement here, so it was never documented, but it looked like this: But being a daftie at the time (heh, what's changed?) - it eventually got sidelined, then raided for parts, and eventually abandonded in the shed, where it sat, unloved for many, many years. The only thing positive you could say is that it was out of the rain and wind. Apart from that, it was in a damp, unheated shed for at least 7 years. A conversation I got involved in about "why don't (electric) instrument makers use French polish as a finish?" reminded me of this beast. For shame. What a waste. I retrieved it from the shed and took it in the house... Yeah, a bit manky. I have no idea what that discoloration of the wood next to metal parts is, it doesn't wipe off, it's in the finish or the wood. Oh well, if it doesn't wipe off, it can't harm me, or something. Quite a handsome top on it, and no veneer either, nice thick top... Eww, and that was just the front upper bout. But it was clean. Needs a polish, but there's no point in doing that unless the thing works...

Looking to sell my Finale carbon fibre bow and I'm unsure of what a reasonable price might be, can anyone give any advice? (I know this should go in the 'Wotzit Werth?' subforum, but I didn't think many people look in there!) I've had it for 10+ years and it's seen a lot of practice and the occasional gig; there's a small chip on the top of the bow near the frog, and it would benefit from a rehair. Pretty sure I bought it from here, where they're listed at $400 + $75 shipping: https://www.stringemporium.com/finale-bass-bows.htm

Her's a rough idea of costs (from my rusty memory so not exact). Estimates include delivery per item. HB PB-50 - £105 Neck - £70 Covers - £70 Inserts and Bolts - £25 So I reckon I am into this for £270 (ish). I already had the Makita, tools, rubber mallet, files, sandpaper, pack of plasters, eye drops, paracetamol etc.... I know I wouldn't get my money back on it, but that is not the point. I suppose I could sell the original HB neck but I'm not that bothered to be honest, it can sit on the shelf as an ornament!

If rickenbacker was a coffee shop. Apart from the quality thing

I am reliably informed that the bass player on the Edu Lobo track is actually Nico Assumpção not Bruno Aguilar. Will amend the website later.

How would you play the reversed fretless part ? Using a pedal?

It occured to me after looking at the spec of these basses again, considering the vintage-accurate spec of the pickup, will these basses be prone to the much-debated weak-sounding G string exhibited by some Stingrays of yesteryear? It's certainly something to consider.

Thank you sir, that's very kind of you 😊

Ok, so last bit....the pickup cover. Getting a bridge cover had been pretty easy online. There appeared to be lots of sellers that had them. Pickup covers were not so easy - only options I could find were shipping from abroad and adding about £25 on to the bill for delivery. Eventually, I found someone on eBay selling one they had bought but not used for about the same money as I paid for the bridge one (£35). I added this using the same inserts and knurled bolts technique as I did the bridge cover. My original idea being that if I was playing it and the covers were getting in the way I could get them off quick without tools. As mentioned in the earlier post, I did have to add a foam spacer under the feet as the 4mm bolts tightened all the way into their inserts but it still rattled slightly. All was solved after that. That left the finished guitar! I love the look of it and use it as my noodling bass at home. I like the fact it is exercising my brain and muscle memory into being able to flip more easily between 4 strings and my gigging 5s, and I have even taken it to a couple of gigs to try out on the odd song.

Lovely tune, and superb fretless tone. ❤️

5 months ago, I was like you, but I managed to find a rare BassLab L-Bow V, that I, of course, bought. I would have preferred the fretless version, but it's even rarer. The two other fretted basses in the house belong to my wife and I absolutely don't play them. That said, if I put aside that dire Maya EB-2 "bass", which was my first bass, that I sold to get drunk after my studies, alongside a pristine Korg MS-20 (yep the real one that nobody wanted anymore back then). I then really started playing fretless and almost only fretless during the next 38 years, firstly, on a defretted Aria Diamond Violin bass, my second bass and first real one as the crappy Maya doesn't count to me, fitted with EMG "Steinberger" pickups and also a piezo under the bridge (painted in pearly yellow and modified by my friend Christophe Leduc). It really sounded amazing, but ended up as a deco (and then binned) after it was accidentally broken by a family member... That said, I had a pretty good load of fretted basses, but always ended up selling them very quickly, except a very few ones for some reasons. I'm like @Linus27 or certainly @Rosie C and @Beedster and feel at home on fretless basses.

I had an Ash bodied natural Fender Precision with coated maple fretless board and it was incredible. It was so nice to play and sounded amazing. The below track was recorded using it and its one of my favourite fretless bass sounds I've recorded.

..and before anyone asks, I did eventually take the protective plastic off the pickguard!

Yes, it did! Apologies, ran out of time last night! I kept my eye on the internet but wasn't seeing anything with a proper lefty headstock that wasn't silly money. At the same time, I had become obsessed with trawling Ali Express and finding dodgy looking but very cheap little electronic gizmos that I didn't need but wanted to try out. It was on one of these sleepless nights of constant scrolling that I noticed there were sellers on there doing various necks. After more eye-dehydrating hours, I found a maple neck with the correct looking shape headstock, but a right handed nut, all ready to go for about £70 delivered. In my lack-of-sleep delirium I decided it was worth a punt. I hit order, and waited....and waited.... Eventually, about 2 weeks after the due date, I got a message to say it had been delivered, which it hadn't. Figuring I had been scammed, I messaged the seller. They said it would be there soon, and fair enough, it turned up a few days later...Phew! The neck turned out to be really straight. I did file down a few rough fret edges again (no worse than the HB one) and there was a slight smudging of one of the 12th fret edge markers, but apart from that it was fine. I found the heel of the neck was a little wider than the HB body's pocket, so had to sand the pocket edges a little. I probably should have been patient and sanded a little more off, but with a confident tap with a rubber mallet it squeezed home fine. My only gripe with the neck was the nut was only 32mm wide, so the neck has more of a jazz feel than an original P bass, but it is still nice to play even though my personal preference would have been to be wider. It wasn't mentioned on the listing, so "beggars can't be choosers" as they say.... I put a cheap set of flats on it, and it sounds awesome! The stock pickup in the HB (I think it is a Wilkinson?) sounds fine to my ears The final thing I had an issue with was the circular string tree. As the neck was brand new and not drilled, I nicked the one from the HB neck and guessed the best placement. Due to the longer length, bigger thickness and tension of the E and A strings that were bow under it, it started to pull the screw from the wood After searching my bits box I found a suitable wider and slightly longer screw that fit still fit through the tree. Once it was all done, I loved the look! The neck is really straight and definitely looks the part!