bassbiscuits

You don't have to unsolder the pickups. If you take the scratchplate off, unscrew the pickups from it, and then attach them back to the new scratchplate, that will do it. I have a 2015 Jap reissue and did just that. I took a pic of the pickups in situ before taking them out just so I knew how to reattach them. No soldering needed, just a screwdriver and a bit of patience. I also found the neck pocket on my Axerus replacement scratchplate wasn't quite right but took maybe less than a milimetre off with some fine sandpaper and job done.

Yeah he’s a very tasty player. I was learning the original Fool For Your Loving a few weeks ago and the bass on it is great. Had the pleasure of making Neil Murray a cup of tea many years ago at the Roland HQ in Swansea where I worked. I said: “You’re Neil Murray aren’t you?” and he said: “Well I’m an older, fatter version of him,” which I thought was quite witty.

I gig quite often with my brother - its somewhere between a dep gig and a job share with his regular bassist. We're both well into our 40s so hopefully past the stage of silly bickering (Liam? Noel? You listening?)

Only that it had a long thin scratch on the surface between the bridge and the bottom of the body thanks to my keyboard player’s stand...! I’m sure there’s a few Peerless ones around from that era. Top bass!

Ah very cool basses - I sold mine (also a Peerless-built goldtop, wearing flats and in that same case - could be my exact bass in fact!) back in 2018 to fund another bass but I've missed it. It always looked super cool on stage (even if i didn't) and sounded way more versatile than I'd expected.

I think there’s good and bad stuff at all price points. If you find a bass that does it for you, that’s what matters. It just feels even better when you know it didn’t break the bank.

Yup - secondhand Yamaha BB604 I got mainly as a backup about four years ago has turned out to be a hugely versatile and great sounding bit of kit. Its not as cool as my old Fender or whatever, but whenever I get it out I can’t put it down. Means I feel free to play the absolutely b@lls off it live without stressing too, which is just how it should be.

List prices seem unrealistically low too, especially for those amps and cabs. Some cool stuff tho.

Yes the stage is a good bit bigger now and the decor is all a lot nicer. It was lovely to get back out and play.

Correct answer! It was their Sunday afternoon regular slot.

I think the guy from The Feeling was using one of these when I saw them live in about 2013. Really nice, warm fat bass tone too. Nice to see something a bit different from the usual suspects too. Well done. Glad it’s a good un.

I had Labella Mustang strings on my Mustang, which were great. I swapped them to some heavier gauge D’addario medium scale nickel round wounds (50-110 I think) which are long enough to string thru the body. They sound great too!

I’m come to short scale basses (a MIJ Mustang) as I’ve got older and it’s a brilliant sounding bit of kit - like a smaller, lighter and more comfortable than a P bass. It does have a sound that’s distinct from a P tho - a tiny bit thinner and more midrangy perhaps, and a tighter low end? - but very comparable and very useful. Mine weighs something like 3.5kg and is nicely balanced so it’s a doddle for long gigs or even longer rehearsals. I’ve not recorded with it (other than some live YouTube things from gigs I’ve done) but I’m very happy that it lets me play and sound like me easily enough. Im not about to swap completely to short scales but they are useful and likeable basses I think.

I’ve had basses with and without thru body stringing. They all sounded good so I’ve got no way of knowing what the thru body stringing contributed. Makes using flatwounds a bit tricky tho as it increases the angle they have to bend.

I had tickets to see him just before lockdown hit but it got pulled.

The truss road adjustment is at the body end of the neck on these basses up until the mid/late 1970s. Not a great design as it involves removing the neck to do it, or at the very least taking off the scratchplate to get access. The action would be adjusted by the bridge saddles, and/or a shim if needed to raise the neck a little in the neck pocket.

Impossible to reach that conclusion without seeing it though, isn't it? We're just speculating.

I suspect that with the restorer not being a bass player, it would need to go straight for a decent set up after leaving Repair Shop....

Definitely - they look cool but are a pain to play with. But they're hardly invasive to install or difficult to remove either.

that was well weird wasn't it!

The neck shaving bit did make me wince, but it depends how badly that big dent on the back affected playing comfort. Apart from that it was a lot less bodged than I’d been led to believe - essentially a neck refin, refret, new logo (not sure why he bothered with that tho) and general clean up. The lad wanted it as a working instrument, rather than a museum piece.

Is that a good thing, or was it a botch job?

There are none that i really struggle without - a few that I miss, but not enough to replace them. I pined a bit for a lovely Sandberg TT4 that I'd sold too hastily, but when it came back up for sale on here a few years ago, I didn't buy it back. I miss my Epi Jack Casady, my PRS Se Bernie Marsden, my old 1980s Charvel Model 1B bass, but i'll live without them easily enough. The ride was fun at the time.