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Thank you @manol really appreciate it 😃

That's a shame, although having owned a few MIJ Precisions, the PUP was often the weakest link

They were lovely to play but the sound was pretty lightweight. Mine were CAR and natural, with matching headstocks. Very pretty.

I saw one in the flesh IIRC in Denmark St and it really was a very very nicely put together bass. It had a bound body with a trans finish and the grain on the body was stunning, almost good enough to suspect it was a veneer, stunning. Being MIJ I imagine it was also a very good instrument in its own right 👍

I would LOVE to arrive at a jam night with that

It was a nice piece and no doubt accurate and useful. Will it make me think twice about using tube amps? Hell no! And I'm pretty sure the word 'heft' wasn't even mentioned 🤣

Gets a bit confusing with Ray 5 pups. Up to 1991ish they we alnico, then switched to ceramic until 2008ish, and back to alnico until the bass was discontinued. Ray Specials are Neodymium as standard. Nice bass 👌

Aerodyne Precision basses. Not too many of the more familiar Jazz bass version about either.

Many thanks for your reply and advice. I'm pretty much in agreement with all your observations and recommendations. I started off down the Behringer simply because they give me what I wanted at the time and I didn't know any better. That journey began a decade ago when I retired and now I've accumulated five (of different sizes). Buying gear sucks really. You buy for Pounds but end up selling for Pennies. Living down in deepest darkest Cornwall there are very few half decent music shops selling amplification worth buying at a price worth paying. Since posting, I've had a chance to actually try out a mid size Rumble. It was good but frankly I wasn't blown away. Better than my equivalent Behringers - 'Yes'' - but not enough to justify flogging them off for pennies then hammering the bank account. If I were gigging it'll be a different story. So I've invested in some decent (but not Behringer !😂) headphones instead. They've certainly upped the sound quality ! N.B. Big thank you to all members who have offered help and advice

AC/DI

Ok. These aren't ceramic pickups though?

As for Jon Snell - when i was sorting out my hifi valve amp I mentioned previously - in my thread on diyaudio.com, he actually advised on the improvements I could do to protect the transformers, what valves would be fine to use instead of the EL34 etc.. I just dug out that thread and among these recommendations he mentioned he had been service engineer for over 45 years… Definitely a gentleman who knows his trade..

Alright then... My tech has the amp opened up again, as the volume doesn't seem to be what it should. Apparently the signal travels from several points between the power section and the preamp, and the preamp is quite complicated. At this point the gain on the preamp has to be all the way up to get even moderately significant volume. The model I have, the MK IV, doesn't have a schematic or any kind of plan available, so I'm starting to dig in and see if I can talk to any of the people who had a hand in the early designs. So far my tech has been essentially reverse-engineering his way through the amp, and it's exhaustive. I'd be very interested in hearing about any sources of first-hand info about the MK IV'S design. Thanks! It's off to Ashdown...

COT-50 is a Lovepedal "Chruch of Tone". Mine is modded so it is essentially an overdrive/booster that creates this "British valve" overdrive sound. Great for adding layers to other pedals and pushing the filters, but also great on its own for some hot sounds.

I shall try it. I often use Nøjs only with Gain rolled to almost minimum and Level rolled to 9 o'clock, with Color and Nøjs rolled down, and it becomes a tube-like overdrive which pushes my DiscumBOBulator rather nicely (also adds extra layers to other fuzz pedals). Recently I managed to roll a rather nice sound that I'd describe as "Dark Funk". I like it but it's digital, I'm all analog these days The next Envelope I want to try is Dreadbox Disorder.

My experiment this morning was to try a transparent light blue over the dark base colour. I applied it only to the end of the body so it catches the light. It definitely gives a subtle depth. Apologies for the construction sounds! 20250905_091820.mp4

I must admit he goes to great lengths to get to the answers. Watch his cabinet video it is insane but again informative.

You can switch your feed to Friends. It still has adverts, but not all the other nonsense.

Sounds good! I found a copy that was 90% there and took it to my luthier who is working on it over the weekend. I should have it back by next week. I'll post photos and a tracing for future use! Thanks all

Waiting For An Alibi - Thin Lizzy

What has worked for me for 40 years is to simply not think about it. Make sure you have learnt the songs and practiced at home. Then eventually the time will come - then just do it. Just make sure you have a pee beforehand.

I didn't know this was possible. Let me do some research.

That emotional attachement to things is sometimes difficult to break, and I understand completely what can be a bit of a dilemma when it might be time to move something on. I sympathise with the OP. I have an Overwater bass that was in real terms the first proper bass I owned as a young lad and that's my attachment. For over forty years I've cherished it but in reality used it sparingly mainly because the thought of some bufoon at a pub gig falling on top of it, or knocking it over fills me with dread. I usually use it for short spells just to give it an airing then its back to being a case queen for years at a time. It is well looked after, is well maintained, and still feels fantastic and plays as beautifully as it did when new. There I go extolling why I like it so much, but it rarely gets used at gigs anymore and only occasionally now for studio work. It's part of my personal history as a bass player. Deliberating for the last forty years about what to do with it does make it easier for me now to put it up for sale, and see if anyone might be willing to look after it for the next forty years. It would also help knowing it went to someone who was going to use it, cherish it, and not just flip it on eBay or Reverb or the like at an inflated price. Another musician I know is the exact opposite, he has never formed an attachement with any instrument or musical equipment in his long playing career and even instruments he's played and enjoyed for years at a time could be up for sale tomorrow if something else takes his fancy, or he needs the money otr doesn't have the space. There are times when I'm quite envious of that mindset. My advice would be to think carefully why you are so attached to your instrument and if you can pinpoint that, and rationalise it, it should be easier to decide the next step. Don't though wait another forty years to make up your mind! 🙃