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Start with pickup adjustment or simply turn more gain from the amp. Make a trial with different strings to find the set you like the most with this bass. tapewound - flatwound - groundwound - nickel RW - SS RW ...and of course try different gauges.

The Grainger part has been dispatched so hopefully all will be well soon.

In fairness, he did say it was internet-only "I'm in the US so I never met Lorne, knew him about 10yrs online, we were Facebook friends,", so I guess it's entirely possible that he only got the "manipulated" (ref. your Christmas presents comment) view. I'm just trying to rationalise, not contradict; I'm really hoping that @impathological will drop in and close the loop.

I've heard them referred to as "Fartolinis" - very mature. Honestly I think they're the three point bridge of the pickup world...

Nothing wrong with the MK-1s, they just have a flat output rather than any particular peaks and troughs. It's fashionable to criticise them though. So, appropriately for this thread, people buy or acquire replacements for them because they think they ought to.

Oh. Look at the hat…

oh excellent, thanks for the info, much appreciated

You didn't even notice I was wearing a hat, did you?

Hey all, I’ve rehearsed a few times with the Squier Affinity PJ bass and it’s a thing of beauty, the PJ pickups, the maple neck and black body, as well as the proper precision shape and neck size (I bought a sonic precision previously which had a jazz neck - I don’t mind a thin neck but wider works better for my sausage-like digits) only caveat is the pickups are very… mild? Very thin and not as overpowering although I am influenced by my Harley Benton pbass which has fitted SPB-1 pick ups among other little bits. I plan on having the below done for performance & aesthetic reasons. Would you recommend anything else be done that’ll improve the bass for gigging? SPB3 pickups & pots upgrade matte black S/plate gotoh multitonal bridge schaller lightweight tuning heads string retainer for A D & G (plenty of break angle on E string) Cheers! I don’t get on here enough it’s awesome!

So it's been cleaned up, which took a lot more work than anticipated. The cab was caked with some kind of mud or sludge, and the preamp module was taken apart and gone through methodically. I almost didn't want to know what went on in the life of the guy who owned it previously... Anyway it's working, but it's not putting out nearly the power it ought to be. The tech has it back again, and is going through the op amps that get signal from the power supply. It's got a surprisingly small power amp I'm told, did to the structure of this thing. It send the 250 through the 500 models used 5 the same transformer and caps, but the number of power transistors was the difference in the final product. But it sounds like I expected it to, great... Hopefully the output comes up to spec, and I'll install it into the sleeve. Pix to prove it happened!

I love to play to or listen to tapping being it on bass or Chapman stick. When you listen to the likes of Michael Manring (who is my favourite and a fretless player), Tony Levin, Nick Beggs, or even what Stuart Hamm did on his three first albums, it can be really musical and entertaining, and not simply showing off.

That’s SUCH a cool Thunderbird though…

The Zep tribute played at the Nightrain in Bradford on Friday night, a hometown gig for 60% of the band these days and the only one we're playing anywhere near locally all year. We hadn't played (or rehearsed) together for a month, so it a bit rusty but a pretty good performance overall. A few people reckoned it was a bit loud at the start of the set, although a muso mate of mine who was near the back reckoned it sounded awesome! First gig since the drummer got his driving ban, so the logistics were a bit of a challenge! I think the reality of the situation has started to affect him and he even managed to forget his bass drum pedal! Fortunately, there was one there we could borrow, so no harm done. Same rig as normal (Fender Jazz / Handbox amp / Berg cab) and the new Vans pigskin hitops got an outing! Before and after show pics:

I'm 5' 9" and I don't give a monkeys what anyone thinks about me playing a T-bird.