For mine, I knew which neck I wanted - an American Special Jazz neck. One trip to ebay store The Stratosphere later, it was on its way. But it probably cost as much as an American Standard by the time it got to me...
However, it's one of my two dream basses, and the other is a Squier bitsa!
If budget is tight, do what I did. Get Squier VM Fretless Precision and sell neck. Get Precision neck of choice and fit.
The fretless Ps seem to be made of fresh air, still sound fine.
[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1427826225' post='2734792']
Hearing permanently damaged and it's hearing aids now for the rest of my life.
Younger BCers please take heed.
[/quote]
This.
The single biggest difference between the two methods: one clamps the bridge on, the other tries to tear it off.
Having said that, I'm rather fond of the Yamaha angled thru-body idea - seems logical, and is probably entirely ok for LaBellas.
There's almost no day I miss logging on here.
It's changed, inevitably. It went frim a few hundred to in excess of 10,000 members - hardly a static situation.
But as someone who was here when BW was new, and then became this forum, I'd have to say it is still one of the nicer internet forums on any subject.
My backup was a Samson Q7. I did get it trade at the time, though. These days I use an AKG D5 as my main and only mic. Shop around for these, they are good, tough, and lots cheaper than a 58. If I needed a spare, I'd buy a second D5.