Fat Rich

I guess the best years for Fender are the pre CBS years, maybe even the slab fingerboard up to about mid 62. Which means extremely expensive! People talk about how terrible the CBS years were but a few really great instruments escaped the factory despite most of the tools and jigs being knackered. Things have improved dramatically now but I'd still recommend trying before you buy, there are plenty of alright basses but few really exceptional ones. Just play as many P basses and derivatives as you can get your hands on irrespective of age, country of manufacture or logo on the headstock and one of them will feel right for you.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1365260741' post='2037363'] What is it to do with you? Are you the internet Police or something? [/quote] Exactly, it's a crime to impersonate an Internet Police Officer!

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1364900770' post='2032278'] It's called the Top Nut actually. And like you, I've no idea, but then I've never asked. The question has never seemed as important as others, like where can you get condoms in 1980s Carmarthen at 1.37am?, why do the prawn cocktails in The Harvester smell like faeces?, why do all the schoolchildren in Acton sound like Yardies? etc. [/quote] It's called the top nut to avoid confusion with bottom nuts, the less said about them the better.

For that classic Fender sound there's nothing like using a simple unmodified Fender bass. But for everything else I use Status basses.... amazing instruments. Congratulations!

[quote name='ziggydolphinboy' timestamp='1364748257' post='2030368'] id love to bring all my basses and my full stack , but id be soo embarrased as i always am having awesoem players play my stuff that i just dont do justice:-( but then dont think bass players are that competitive as its all about the groove:-) [/quote] I always feel the same but I've been to a few bass bashes and it's a relaxed, easy going atmosphere. There's people of all kinds of skill levels with all kinds of exotic gear.... I certainly can't justify any of my gear with my playing skills. And people seem to take care of the stuff on display and treat it with respect. So, as has been said before if you don't mind people trying your stuff then bring it along.

I played my first gig within a few weeks of learning bass, to about 1000 people at Middlesex Polytechnic. I think the audience enjoyed the gig more than I did, I was terrified! As has been said, it very much depends what kind of music you're playing, for me it was simple rock covers with very simple basslines so it actually went really well. I think when it comes to music the more you learn, you realise the more there is to learn. It's very easy to think you're not ready, then after a few years think you'll actually never be ready. Also the older you get, the more risk averse you probably become. I would say play with other musicians as soon as possible and bash out a few simple tunes, as long as you don't mislead people about your skills and remain humble and ready to take criticism, and learn from your mistakes you'll make faster progress than if you just practice on your own.

[quote name='gapiro' timestamp='1364587024' post='2028631'] at 35 quid a set (average) its a bit hard to do experimenting! [/quote] I'd say £35 quid is on the high side, but yes if you do a proper back to back comparison it can cost a fortune. But there are plenty of people recommending strings here on Basschat which helps narrows it down a bit.

I have a rule that if a bass is on a wall hanger or on a stand then it doesn't count. If you can afford it, go for it. It's a hobby, even if you don't play one of them very often but enjoy it when you do, isn't that what it's all about?

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1364547399' post='2027899'] for something liek 36 years ive always used rotosound swing bass steels so yesterday i bought my first set of nickels arent they lovely [/quote] 36 years without trying anything different? Wow! Strings are probably the single biggest thing that affects your tone, your bass will sound completely different with D'addario Chromes compared to Status Hotwires for example. Or Fat Beams to Ernie Ball Slinkys. Do some experimenting, you'll be amazed.

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1364472533' post='2026891'] ......... With a hole in it. Right through multiple packaging layers and almost right through the ply. Quite how the couriers had managed to mistreat a well-packed item that badly,is, frankly, beyond me.... [/quote] [quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1364474128' post='2026932'] ........The forklift truck drivers who move the items about are under so much pressure that if they drop anything or damage stuff, they will leave it or stick it on the vehicle and it becomes another person`s problem...... [/quote] I reckon that's your answer, it probably got pronged by a fork lift truck.

[u][b]Who's bringing what list[/b][/u] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]EBS HD350+ EBS cab -The Greek[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Roscoe Century 3005/ Overwater J4 - The Greek[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Markbass Mini CMD121P & NY121 cab - Lozz196[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Some form of Precision - Lozz196 (very predictable there)[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Ebay double neck kit finished - irvined[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Alpher Custom Bass - StephenYork[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]70s Fenders, Status S2s - Fat Rich[/font][/color]

I tried both left and right handed basses for a few weeks, right handed felt best despite me being lefty. Likewise on drums, I play right handed setup but don't play crossed.... left hand for the hi hat, right hand for the ride, whichever other hand for the snare. The advantage is that both hands get the same workout whereas most drummers have a weak hand. And yes, for fills around the kit I mostly have to lead with my right hand, although leading with the left results in some interesting fills.

[quote name='mckendrick' timestamp='1364263989' post='2024142'] Like you need it aged by when, precisely...? Just wear it out, GregHughes, if it dosn't 'roadwear' so it dosn't roadwear. I don't get it meself.... My best Jazz I've played more or less every gig for that last thirty years, I've never mollycoddled it, never cleaned it, it's had a load of rough treatment.... .... and it still isn't as messed-up as those silly looking roadworn things. I wear belts and sometimes zip-cuffed leather jackets but there isn't any 'belt rash' or that silly looking forearm-worn top bout. Whoever wore out a finish with their forearm? What are you blokes made of? Sand paper? . [/quote] Poly finishes are tough as old boots because they still have some flexibility when they dry, you might take a few chips out of the finish but that's probably about it. However the older nitro finishes dry out completely and become very brittle, they're also usually very thin so they wear relatively easily. Fender deliberately use an extra thin nitro finish on their Highway One instruments so that they will look tatty and worn within a few years of heavy use.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1364212999' post='2023178'] I always thought the Fender 3 bolt was prone to this... If it is just the bolts need tightening, then ok..but otherwise, just not good enough, IMO. for a decent priced instrument. [/quote] I've three Jazzes with 3 bolt micro-tilts. Two are rock solid and have nice snug neck pockets. The other, a '78, is a little prone to movement due to the worst neck joint of any instrument I've ever seen.

[quote name='LITTLEWING' timestamp='1364125582' post='2022072'] At the end of the day, how often if ever is anyone going to find the need to remove their neck? Why not just glue the thing in once and for all? End result, one solid guitar. [/quote] You can't access the truss rod on older Fenders (and some reissues) without taking the neck off, maybe twice a year. After 40 years or more the threads start to go

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1364084336' post='2021872'] And Fat Rich might be along shortly. He has just done a comparison of the Stealth with other Statii. He liked it so much he ordered one. Certainly go to Statii.com and have a look through the Show your Basses threads. Lots of gorgeous examples there. [/quote] Here's what I wrote on the Statii forum: [color=#000000][font=Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif][size=2]OK I've tried a couple of Stealths and directly compared them to my favourite S2.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif][size=2]I need to clarify that my S2 is an alder body with graphite skin like the Chris Wolstenholme bass, but with standard pickup placement and electrics. I also chose a one piece bridge which I think results in tighter more focussed tone generally than an S2 with monorails.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif][size=2]First thing that struck me about the Stealth is that it's nice and lightweight and resonates really well, my graphite S2 is also pretty light but doesn't feel quite as alive acoustically as the Stealth. The tone of the Stealth is a bit rounder (partly because of the monorail bridge) and has a clarity that you just can't get from a wooden body, I was worried it might sound a bit bland but it has a nice musical quality to it I liked.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif][size=2]Both basses felt identical to play and balance perfectly, however the curved top on the Stealth proved to be a bit more comfortable where I rest my arm than the S2. I didn't get to try the standard Stealth preamp, both had the 300 series board you find in the S2 which I find is really useful with three slightly different sounds at the flick of a switch, combined with bass, treble, mid sweep and pickup blend.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif][size=2]It's difficult to say which is better, they both sound great. I think the tone is a little more complex on the S2, plus different wood combinations have a slight effect on the sound (and the weight) of the bass. But I liked the Stealth enough that I um, sort of placed an order [/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif][size=2]So that's probably not going to help you make a decision, but with so much scope with the EQs on these basses I don't think you'll won't go far wrong with either of them[/size][/font][/color]

[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1364066063' post='2021599'] Well i've tightened the neck bolts very slightly, literally a millimetre of a turn, and it seems to have fixed it. No idea how its happened, so hopefully nothing comes of it. I wouldnt have thought the bolts would loosen through time. Really, I was probably worrying over nothing! [/quote] It'll probably be OK now. The bolts probably didn't come loose but maybe they compressed the wood of the body enough to allow a bit of movement. The problem starts when you've got some neck movement but the bolts have been overtightened and the threads in the neck are weak and close to stripping. Even that can be fixed by plugging and redrilling the holes.

Sad news, the X Factor was one of the most innovative instruments ever.

First thing to do is knock down the front wall and rebuild it at an angle or you'll get all sorts of standing waves and it won't sound right. But as others have said, plenty of wall hangers, plenty of plug sockets and those extension leads that protect your gear from spikes, comfy chair and maybe a few folding ones for when you've people over to jam. I'm planning on putting some iconic album covers on the walls to liven the place up, just haven't got round to it yet.

Be careful! It's very easy to damage the windings on a Jazz bass, although they may be damaged already if they're not working well. Rewinding the pickups will probably knock some value off the bass unless they're been unsoldered already, are you absolutely certain they're not working properly? I've heard good things about Wizard pickups, I've a couple of duff ones I'm going to send him soon.

I don't even know what day of the week it is. Learning the note names is super important if you want to get any theory down, if you're hunting around trying to work out what note you're playing or where a note is on the board you'll struggle with theory and reading. However if you work everything out by ear, or from tabs / youtube then maybe it's less important. There are plenty of good players whose fingers now find the right note but don't know what they're playing.

As far as I know most double ball end strings are standard 34" scale length, I'm assuming the Hohner Jack bass it the same.

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1363443757' post='2012804'] ..... but I will be bricking it as I drill through. ..... [/quote] Better get some rawl plugs while you're at it.

You just need an extra long wood drill bit. As stingraypete pointed out you'll need a hole from the pickup to the cavity, plus another hole from the bridge to the cavity to earth the bridge (unless you use active EMG pickups or similar that don't require an earth. It's not going to be particularly easy to judge the correct angle to drill through, might be a bit nerve wracking!

Can't see anything wrong with it from the photos. It has the thumb rest over the E string which is a 73 to 74 change, the older ones had it below the G. But the 4 bolt and truss rod adjustment at the heel are like a 73 or earlier. So it's probably what they call a 'transition' Jazz which would date it 73 /74, and the neck plate number backs that up. It looks like it has the same dodgy routing under the bridge pickup just like my 72, as if the jig slipped when they were making it! It looks like it's in great condition, if it's nice and lightweight it should be a really great bass.