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My run of bad luck with basses continues. My recently acquired Sandberg California wasn't going to play ball. It was fine a week or so ago when I gave it a good testing at home upon arrival, very happy indeed. Put it back in its gig bag until tonights practice. I was really looking forward to properly using this bass with the band and planing to use it at Saturdays gig but it was not to be. The input socket was not going to accept any lead I tried so something is obviously broken and a new socket is probably needed. So I had to drive back home and get a replacement bass, my old Gibson Ripper. Rehearsal going well until I had sudden overwhelming pain in my knackered right foot which left me hopping about and swearing like a drunken trooper! I can only imagine how funny this is going to look should these pain spasms return whilst gigging this coming Saturday!

Went to watch band resolution 88 at jazz refreshed, 91 livingroom brick lane. They play jazz fusion. Really really solid group. Bass player was right in the pocket. If you ever get a chance I would give them a listen or go watch. Really enjoyed them.

Yeah, you wouldn't want anything too OTT on a sparkly purple T'bird, would you?! 😃

I know Larry Hartke. He's from my part of New Jersey. I remember going out to diner with him once with one of my old Jersey buddies. Daryl

Well, my practice tonight was way better!

I should probably share the invisible bear story for new members that haven't heard it. Daryl

Glad you like it. I believe the 3 bolt neck tilt was on jazzes only. The finish to me looks more like a varnish on a stripped body. Another common mod of the era.

I did hear the Beach Boys in Tesco once, if that helps.

Nothing To Lose - KISS

Back Door Man - The Doors

When my back was 30 years younger, I don't think I gave schlepping my 99lb 410 cab a second thought. I'm kind of assuming the majority of us are in the same boat.

Harry White. He’s a skilled luthier banging out very good Ric copies to your own spec. Some say they are better than originals and cheaper too. I enquired a few years ago but didn’t go ahead as I’m a brand snob and couldn’t quite bring myself to pay a lot for a (very good) fake.

Obviously he'd be mad to say "everythng is definitely being added to the old Helixes forever, 100% guaranteed". But given their track record, I'd personally be surprised if they immediately started acting like the current models no longer exist. Whereas I'll be _very_ surprised if the Darkglass Anagram is still getting updates 10 years down the line...

I imagine that that is height adjustment foam that has disintegrated.

There are a number of reactions/posts over on the Notable Deaths thread.

Anal - Robbie Williams* * I remember hearing a version of "Robbie's" song with this lyric in a biker pub in Swansea. Twas filthy and tickled me just so...

Because shockingly it seems no-one on this partiucular site could care less. Brian Wilson along with Elvis, The Beatles, Motown etc and a few others from the dim and distant literally shaped the musical world we inhabit today. And whether you beleive it or not he's that important.

I've picked up the bass now. After seeing it in person and checking a few things I'm really happy with it. First thing was the neck. Stamped 103-1655 so that checks out for 1975. Also stamped R BUSH which I've seen on images of others. With the pick guard and bridge remoed, the overall shape of the routing was consistent for that era, based on this thread: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/128339-70s-fender-precision-timeline/. Also good to see the through-hole holes were quite small and tidy and the original bridge holes there as you'd expect. The EMG pick up is active with a battery hiding in the main cavity - no scary routing for it thankfully. Battery was dated 2012 😀 The neck pocket isn't quite what I expected. Fully painted, some black and no stamps visible - does this suggest a refin? There's also a odd circular patch - could it have been originally made as for a 3-bolt neck? There no signs on the back of it ever having being 3 holes instead of 4. The cavities are mostly a similar shade to the main colour, maybe some black and white paint visible although the pickups seem to have tar-like black adhesive underneath. Paint under the pickguard has more of a red-shade - I don't know if the colour changes under the pickguard or only fades on the uncovered part. There's also what looks like a paint imperfection which I'm guessing Fender wouldn't have allowed. There are no date markings on the pots that I recognised. The pickups have no stamps or markings on the back. Did EMG produce a fully wired set with pots back then? Pick guard has pencil writing on the back - swirly hand-writing, probably L, LBR, and upper case JMD. The covered hole that might have had a switch has been patched with epoxy or similar on the back. Frets are quite worn but I used it with the band last night and it felt great. Heavier than my early 80s bass and maybe it bit punchier. I'm even coming round to the bridge and controls now I see them in real life. I'll probably leave it alone for a while at least. The first thing might be putting in a passive pickup. I've never had an active bass and the battery isn't easy to change in a hurry.