Leaderboard

Here’s mine - a 2013 MIJ Mustang. I swapped the dark tort plate for a plain white one. It’s the first and only short scale I’ve owned. Initially I got it due to a shoulder injury, but it’s got a sound and attitude all of its own which made it a keeper. With flats it has a smooth, almost acoustic bass sound. With rounds it’s got a midrange snarl and punch. I still love my long scale basses (especially for drop D tuning etc) but my Mustang adds a very usable, quite distinct flavour of its own which is well worth having.

I believe this is now oookph in the metric era? 😃

It's a good point. I've advertised this on the forums you suggest and was given an ebay offer, so I chose to list it there. It's a low value item. What's worse, is the guy here lives fairly close (an hour away), and as several members here would attest, I'm happy to drive out and meet people. In this instance, the guy read the description, knew what was happening, and ignored it which wasted my time, cost me money, and annoyed me. Am I petty for getting annoyed? Yes. But if the internet isn't a place for privileged white men to get angry and moan about pointless things, then what is it for?

I have to disagree with this. I've sold lots of stuff through eBay as collection only. eBay has a filter that can sort by distance, it's a platform that has all types of sales on it, from delivery to collection. It's the sellers own prerogative. If you don't like collection only, then, as you have, find someone who does deliver. The platform caters for all. I also live in the relative sticks, and be it through eBay or Basschat (or god forbid, FB marketplace *shudders*) if it's an item I really want, then I absolutely don't mind going to collect it. In fact, I prefer it, as I get to see the item and there can be very little room for surprises. I know I'm likely in the minority, but the thought of buying, for example, a high value bass, from abroad, on eBay, is anathema. I want to see the bass first when that type of money is involved. And, especially so, given eBay is populated by, in my experience, a fair few melts and chancers, (although not to the degree Gumtree and FB marketplace are).

Santa has come early to Ez Towers. I’ve wanted a DB for absolutely ages, but none ever came up for sale that suited. Then I moved 500+ miles north and suddenly a good number of proper uprights and EUBs appeared back down south where I could’ve gone and tried/collected. Harrumph! 😤 I decided that an EUB would be the most sensible way forward, but didn’t want to spend a fortune. I saw a Stagg EUB 2nd hand at a well known bass purveyor, phoned up but sold. However, “We have KK Baby Bass,” they said. Hmm, 3 times more than the Stagg, thought required. Thought about it for a day or 2 and then phoned up to buy it; sold! Then, a few days later, they had a 2nd hand NS WAV advertised on FB, phoned the next morning; sold again! I could’ve gone down the Harley Benton route, but opinions varied and the strings would have to be replaced to get closer to that DB sound in my head. That was it, for the extra few quid (still way more than I started off wanting to spend) than 2nd hand or a lesser instrument, I decided to buy new from the distributor. Phoned up, “We’ve just had an NS delivery,” they say and I wait for the negative report about that delivery. But no, they have the very one I want (NS WAV 4 in honeyburst). Trigger pulled straight away (I didn’t want to be stung for a 4th time). UPS delivery info received, scheduled for tomorrow, but no, it arrived at 5:30 today! Happy days. Needs a bit adjustment action wise (for me anyway) but I’ll leave that for tomorrow once it’s warmed up properly (poor thing has been in vans and warehouses since it arrived down south only to go through it all again to get to me). However, had to test it just to make sure it was working and as I use Phil Jones gear, it should be just the ticket and it is. Sounds properly fine straight into the amp, but put it through my Sadowsky preamp pedal and it sounds even better (I understand the more expensive NS EUBs have active circuitry, but are really way above my budget, so the addition of a preamp makes sense). Now to learn to play the bugger! Ooh, I almost forgot. Thanks and blame must go to the folk who unknowingly influenced me in the final hurdle of this venture, namely, our own @NancyJohnson, David Swift and Tony Levin. And props to Barry at The Bass Centre for making it happen so quickly and easily.

... it'd be a "Wongo". I've always wanted a Wal, but I'm not prepared to wait three years for one, nor do I have a spare £6,000 knocking about. However, I have four MM Bongos. Yes, I know they look like bog seats, but I love them and they sound immense. So I came up with the idea of "Project Wongo" a little bit Wal, a little bit Bongo. I ordered a pair of Martin Herrick's fantastic multicoil pickups and a Lusithand filter preamp, and they're in the process of being fitted to one of my Bongos. The Herricks are a bit thicker in dimensions than the stock MM pickups, so a little bit of routing was required, but they're in, and the preamp is mounted but not yet wired up. Here's the progress so far: S The bass should hopefully be wired up and back together over the weekend - full report coming then. I might even make a video!

If you ask me it's based more off this

I see no problem with people not wanting to post, when they clearly state so. EBay gives you more exposure, even locally, than Gumtree etc, purely because more people use eBay. Regardless, it's the seller's choice. People have different priorities/preferences, there's little to understand.

Do you look at it and every time think - I wish this looked smarter? if so get it refinished. If you look at it and think about all the good times you've together and the missing bits don't even enter your head unless it is the small hours - then don't. FWIW I woudln't, but it isn't my bass.

Looks fine IMO, leave it as is.

I have recently given it away now to a local council run music service for young people. So it will be well used and i feel good. 👍🏾🎵🎶🔉🔊

I get all of this ^^^^^ It’s the “releases them” bit that I have to work on personally!!

Hasn't it been out of production since Trace Elliot moved to The States?

I`m sure we can manage a 2023 relay - I`m J8 on M1 (20 miles north of London) I could get it up to the start of the M6 as part of it.

Yes, the point I have already made a few times in this very thread.

from her to eternity - nick cave

Your mate needs to get out more. 😄

My story is a little similar but with different outcome. I've tried 5-string basses on and off over the years. Didn't gel with any. The MB-5 was cheap enough and I like the Stingray type of sound... but I never like 5-string basses, do I? I hesitated and my girlfriend bought it for me. I loved it. It was well balanced, reasonably light, and I loved that neck. Of course, it had to sound good, and it did. I considered putting a preamp in there to make it more like a 5-string version of my main bass... but I enjoyed the passive controls. So much, that I just kept playing it and I finally 'clicked' with the 5-string and now I am "ambidextrous" 😝 The MB-5 led to a couple more Harley Benton 5-stringers, a JJ and a PJ (JJ55OP and JP55OP), and more recently a Ray35, so I get the versatility of the preamp for when I want that stuff, and the MB-5 for others. Aaanyway, I sound like grandpa and his stories... To answer the OP, I've kept mine stock. I'm not shy when it comes to mod instruments, most of my guitars aren't stock. But sometimes an instrument just fills a niche as it is and I don't want to change a thing. The MB-5 is one of them. The one thing I'm tempted to change is the bridge. Not that there's anything too wrong with the existing one, I just would like a slightly wider spacing and the fingerboard is wide enough to allow that... but I'm not in a hurry. Oh, I lied! It's not stock... I didn't like he tortoise-shell effect type pickguard and had a matt black one made:

This guide to how a whole range of effects work from the now, sad.y defunct “Monkey FX” is brilliant and hilarious - well worth a read… http://www.monkeyfx.co.uk/fxguide.html How a compressor works explained through the medium of tiny monkeys.. Compression Picture the scene. Sicily, 1947. A monkey. With a volume pedal. He has tinnitus, so he doesn't like loud noises, but needs things to be a certain volume level in order to hear them, poor little mite. He is wearing headphones. When you play, if it's too loud, he turns the volume down a little. If it's too quiet, he turns it up. He can do this quite quickly if he wants, but there's a big dial in front of him, telling him how fast he's allowed to turn the volume control. There's another control that determines how loud his headphones are compared to your guitar. Pop the little chap in a box and paint it (traditionally) blue and off you go. Oh, it might be a good idea to replace him with some sort of electronics gubbins, to save his poor hearing. Some compressors allow you to have a little effect loop in between your guitar and his headphones, so that you could (for instance) have him only listen to the bass part of your guitar sound, but work the volume control according to that.

I haven't played a CS Pino, but reading your previous post about favouring late 60s/ early 70's P Basses( my favourite era too), I would draw your attention to the much wider nut width on the Pino, and earlier P Bass reissues in general. If, like me, the primary reason you favour late 60s/ early 70s Precision Basses is because of the narrower nut widths Fender started to offer as an alternative to the 1 3/4 inch that was previously standard then you might well struggle with a bass with a wider nut. I don't particularly enjoy playing 4 string basses with a 1 3/4 inch nut, and if you are the same then I would steer clear of any P Bass with that dimension. If you're spending that kind of money make sure you get something you like, not something you have to adjust to, because you probably won't, if you see what I mean. Most decent P Basses sound fairly similar, in my experience, ie like a good P Bass. Boutique examples offer a better playing experience rather than a radically different tone to a fairly standard Fender. In terms of tone I have never heard a Custom Shop Fender that was incontrovertibly better than or particularly different to a regular USA- made Fender, so I wouldn't stress too much about the sound. Find a decent CS P Bass bass that suits you and chances are it will sound Ok.

Who the Cap Fit - Bob Marley too slow, again!

Oi!.. who you calling a Teenage Bottlerocket?

Small update. Fretboard glued in place (remembered the truss rod, just in time), fretted, tidied up the body shape (and routed for the pickup). Lots and lots of sanding to go, as well as hardware to fit and electronics to sort, but getting there!

I feel like the bass equivalent of a someone that saves wounded animals from death, heals them and releases them back into the wild.

Hello, Dolly - Louis Armstrong

Greet The Sacred Cow Primus

Barrel jacks are the Bar Steward spawn of Beelzebub.

Looks like you’re going for a refin instead then @Stub Mandrel 🤣 But seriously as per @Reggaebass as the mojo is mostly/all yours I’d keep it as it is.

Is it not measured in 'trouser flaps'? As in 'trouser flapping goodness'?

Heft... i think its like Torque... and i think Peak with the SI unit of ooomph. So 'x' amount of 'Heft Ooomphs Peak'... (HOP) I seem to remember reading it in a Trace Elliot Brochure back in the 80's...

What I’m hoping for when I reply to “drummer and bassist wanted for Blues trio” ad. Reality…..

Must admit Bargain Hunt is a real favourite of mine, Christina Trevanion makes me come over all unnecessary !! 😛 John 😎

It looks brilliant as it is, good honest wear and clearly you've a long history with it, I wouldn't dream of changing it... IMHO of course

Forever more - dub syndicate

A large chunk of the saturation and dirt, to my ear comes from driving some kind of outboard gear, possibly even the channel on a high end Neve desk, but I have read a few articles that state he recorded the whole album using his GK rig. Sad thing is, I doubt even Flea will remember, it was a fairly wild time on the Chilli's career...

The MOSFET preaamp version appears to be based around Ampeg products, I'll let you guys determine the basis of the tube preamp model...

Again, I have no issue with people asking before bidding, it's the people who ask after they've won the auction that irk me.

Agreed , I'm from the same vintage. When everyone is clicking on all cylinders you get the same buzz you got when you were a kid. I think it's the same buzz. At my age it's hard to tell. 😀 Blue

Stingray 5 Special seems to have cured my love late relationship with Stingrays. The new pickup/preamp combination is a great upgrade. I feel like it is going to complement my Precision really nicely…

Slappa de baysszS

To compound my sickness, I absolutely mourn for every single bass I've ever sold as well.

It seems likea lot of effort when a simple no would suffice :shrug:

Psychology of collecting basses is much the same as the psychology of collecting anything, all collectors justify the need for multiple items ranging from "I need this one because it'd different to that one" to "It'll be worth a fortune one day" but ultimately it's all driven by that little circuit in our brain that drives us to seek out and accumulate resources. It was a very helpful circuit throughout millions of years of evolution, it's often quite expensive these days