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I had some more time to tweak, play and compare the new Hils HN5B with my EHB1005SMS at the weekend. Soundwise, the Hils is so much closer to the sound I have in my head, even in passive mode with the eq bypassed. There's a lot more high end detail and clarity and less subby/boomy mud in the low end. I haven't compared it with my JB2 yet, but I think it will be a better match. I introduced a little more relief into the neck as it was very flat, and there are a couple of high frets around frets 3-5 that will eventually need addressing. I got the action down to a respectable 1.75mm to 2.5mm at the last fret, but I could feel the B and G string saddle bottom out, so I can't get the action as low as the EHB. But it's quite playable. It is heavier than the EHB, but it balances well on a strap, as expected. My only real gripe at the moment is the placement of the top strap button. They've attached it to the back of the horn - I assume due to the pointy shape of the horn. Unfortunately, this puts it in line with the 15th fret, rather than the 12th, which I prefer, meaning the nut feels quite a long way to reach. I could already feel the effort required in my left arm after 20mins or so of playing. I don't plan on playing this bass for an entire set, but it does concern me that it could be a potential problem. I've illustrated where the existing strap button line up below, and where a theoretical strap button would move the alignment to. But I'm concerned that the shape of the top horn would be too weak to support this relocation. Perhaps this is why they put it on the back? PS, I've just notice that the newer HBZ4 bass has the strap button in the more traditional spot, and the top horn has a bit more meat to support it.

surely as they seem fairly customisable, you could order one without the Fender logo? Jonny

There are some luthiers who do metal aging too. You might be able to buy a new version of the right part and get it aged to match. There's a couple of big facebook groups all about relics - both home and pro work - and I'm sure they'd be able to point you in the right direction.

When AI creates a form of music that is genuinely new, that's when we need to start worrying.

We did Fender Custom Shop for a while, and it may be something that is on our horizon again for this year

Isn't the advantage of the Technics direct drive decks that they have a near instantaneous full-speed start which you need for mixing? I remember from my student radio days that we would have to wind the record back about 1/3 of a turn from the cue point so that it would be up to the required speed by the time the music started and you wouldn't get an audible pitch change at the start of the track.

These are great when used like a Sansamp.

I'm going to get me one of these.

I think it's just a different flavour of that, or it can be. People said similar with sampling, synths (memories of my Dad's distain at 80's '1 finger keyboard players'), drum machines, DJs, Laptop music etc. Granted, they did all need people to a certain extent (but lazy people could just use drum machine presets and a synth arp preset), but it depends how people use AI to how much input they have - could be anything from just mastering a track all the way up to making it all via a prompt (and isn't that a bit like the non-musician producers that just tell musicians how to play?).

I have an ancient Pioneer PL11, predecessor to the PL12D mentioned earlier, that uses an idler wheel drive - neither belt nor direct drive. Other than fitting a newer Audio Technica cartridge when styli for the original Pioneer cartridge got hard to find, it's just worked for years without having to think about it much.

This.

Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band

Always remember watching Sheryl on various TV appearances with her playing a blond P bass, and being very impressed with her playing.

Hmm.. not sure of the relevance as punk didn't try to do what the conservatories were doing, but cheaper, it produced a new form of music. whereas the AI thing is to produce the music without needing the people of the punk and the conservatories at least on recorded materials.

As @dmccombe7 has said it could have been ordered new with a multitude of pups and preamps (if I'm honest, less so the pre). In the 80's, especially pre 88-89, Warwick would take modifications from their distributors and tweak basses to suit customer orders. This was pre Custom Shop and literally a person in the factory would have picked up what you wanted. Around 86-87 I was going to order a Streamer but I liked the Jazz pups that I'd seen in an advert for the new 'Stage II' bass, the local distrubutor said they could get me a Stage I bass (visible neck) with the SSII pups... and I could have the Yin/Yan inlays at NO extra cost. They really wanted to have a share of the market! Warwick offered their first basses with EMG, Bartolini, Seymour Duncan and even Alembic pups (and I bet I've missed a couple! Saying all of that, owners sometimes buy an instrument and make mods on day 1 of owning, so there's no guarantee that didn't happen. Pics would help.

I find that's really good for controlling my GAS urges too - if I don't want to take a day to go and get something then I clearly don't want it enough. It's saved me quite a few quid!

Far more likely that Fender just can't be bothered for an outfit as small as Mark's. But this sort of thing might bite him in other ways - if he has business insurance to cover lost instruments and so on, that just won't pay out on counterfeit items. So a customer buys one - knowing it's not a real Fender. It gets lost on the way to the customer. Mark then replaces it and cannot claim from his own insurers because it was illegal to sell in the first place. Or if he refuses to replace it - the customer can't sue him for non-delivery of a purchased counterfeit item because no contract can make an illegal item legal. The silly thing is - his instruments are well loved. He should just put his own logo on them and have done with it.

Hopefully this is case closed and the bass get returned to either Mark or it's rightful owner - but such a massive hassle. Makes you think driving (if you can) to collect things like this might be easier, even if it is a couple of hundred miles all in.

Sorry - but that's not what the law says. Disclaimers are specifically not allowed. The mere use of a Fender logo on a non-Fender item makes it counterfeit. The fact that there is also a Limelight name and number doesn't matter as the illegal act is to sell it with Fender logo on it at all. it is NOT illegal to own, but it is illegal to sell and is subject to confiscation and destruction with no compensation. The rationale is that while the first seller might be entirely honest about the origin, the buyer/next seller may not be. This falls into "Strict liability" - in other words intent is irrelevant. The mere act of selling it is enough to be an offence. There are quite a few offences that are Strict Liability. Speeding is another one. You'll find confirmation of this on all Trading Standards websites and information sheets from around the country. https://services.southwark.gov.uk/assets/attach/10444/Counterfeit-goods-2019.pdf

agreed and it's so easy for anybody to apply a fender logo to anything my chinese necks come from ebay fully logoed (is that even a word)

Also Limelight have been doing the Fender decal thing for years, long enough that Fender must be aware of it by now. If it was Gibson I'm sure there would have been a 'cease and desist' years ago but for whatever reason Fender must be OK with it.