mcnach

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1339928807' post='1696297'] Will you not have to finish it with clear lacquer to stop it all rubbing off within the week? I've used this with good results [url="http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_203865_langId_-1_categoryId_165495"]http://www.halfords....tegoryId_165495[/url] You can use the nitro stuff if you're after authenticity [url="http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/shop/category/nitrocellulose-lacquer/clearcoats/"]http://www.mancheste...uer/clearcoats/[/url] [/quote] Yes, a clearcoat would probably be needed (I was going to first see how solid it was without), but I imagine if the paint does not attach solidly enough to the body to start with, I'm just going to easily remove too much of it and make scratches before I even get to the stage of applying the clearcoat. We will see. And yes, that's exactly the coat I had in mind (manchester guitartech) since I bought the paint from him. Your Halfords one looks good, but being inexperienced, I was a bit wary of having trouble adding a non-nitro coat, and also concerned about it maybe taking to long to dry properly.

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1339930448' post='1696327'] I'm with AndyTravis on this one. Don't do it. Makes me regret even more that I didn't buy it when it was up for sale. Besides ruining an unusual and interesting instrument, what you're proposing to do won't work. It will never sound like a traditional fretless jazz bass with those horrible strings on it, whatever pickups you put in it. If you absolutely have to do it, take it to a proper luthier to get it done - I've seen so many original '70s Precisions that have been destroyed by cack-handed routing in a vain quest to make them into something they're not. Oh well. [/quote] I don't understand when people get so precious about instruments Sure, routing made by taking chunks of wood with your teeth will look hideous... but how exactly do you ruin it by adding a pickup! As for the "it won't work"... P/J basses are not exactly a crazy notion, tons of them out there, I owned one at one point. I happen to think it's a nice combination Damn it, now I feel like putting a J and an MM pickup together just to spite you!!! (just joking, alright, please don't shoot me ) Anyway, this idea has been indefinitely postponed as I'm working with a Squier Jazz fretless which is actually very nice. I prefer the Precision in how it feels (and looks, but that's secondary) but the Jazz gets me closer to the sound I prefer most of the time, although the Precision does a lovely thump. Oh, and another thing Those horrible strings are lovely!!! I have them also in a Jazz (fretted) and I really like them. It just sounds like you and I are not twin brothers separated at birth. But that's ok with me.

Well, a shim was put in the neck pocket. First attempt was a bit too much, so another try with a thinner card did the trick. After adjusting the saddles etc, now it plays much better with low action and buzz free. I also replaced the strings with my usual D'Addario EXL170, and now we're talking! Day and night. The other strings were really dead. I was able to get a lovely reggae tone before, and with new strings I don't get that deep tone anymore, but it sounds more like the way I would expect it to sound. Happy enough with the neck pickup, not entirely sure about the bridge one. Definitely the pickups are a bit of a weak point. But I'm liking it much better now. I might even leave the preamp,, which is not very good, but I like what it sounds like when I cut the treble on the bridge pickup. Fat warm growl. My neighbours have been just treated to a full "playalong" session to that St. Germain album from 2001.

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1339882462' post='1695965'] If you are replacing the pickup, may I suggest you rewire the mini-switch to work Down=series, middle= single coil, up = parallel. You may find parallel to your liking, you never know. G. [/quote] This is probably what I would do if I start rewiring it, indeed.

[quote name='jaydentaku' timestamp='1339879380' post='1695918'] It looks like pearl in the fretboard, but it seems faint? [/quote] not sure what your question is I'm sure it's not pearl, but it's that "effect" yes.

[quote name='ash' timestamp='1339879046' post='1695902'] Just measured it and you are correct string spacing is a fraction under 19mms at the bridge. [/quote] well, if you decide to move it on... leave a note here so that I may take a look Not really needing a 5-stringer, I just sold mine in fact... but a 19mm bridge if it sounds like this one would be an attractive proposition

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1339876319' post='1695869'] I would be interested in this bass if you decide to move it on. The low weight appeals to my poor old back and I'm not bothered about a flat sound for my dull thud style - just a deep smooth neck pick up is all I need. [/quote] I'll remember that, cheers.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1339879221' post='1695910'] hmm next time you should tell me where your house is... and when you'll be out! [/quote] Did I tell you about the two lions I keep as pets?

[quote name='ash' timestamp='1339873750' post='1695836'] I'll measure it when I get the opportunity tomorrow and post it, it's a comfy spacing though as I'm used to P basses and it feels 'natural' to me. [/quote] thanks

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1339806156' post='1694884'] like it says, cort gb74 on the ed gumtree at £150- which is a reasonable amount of bass for the money [/quote] When you posted this, the bass was already in my house while I was playing with the Richt Hoat Chillis at Whistle Binkies

[quote name='ash' timestamp='1339872246' post='1695798'] I have a 5 string version and it's a lovely bass for the money but I'm not a fan of active circuits and fiddly switching so I'm probably going to move it on. The balance and playability are excellent for a mid price bass however and I was impressed by the hardware and finishing. [/quote] WAIT!!! you have the 5-string version... you may move it on... what's the string spacing at the bridge? Is it 19mm like the pictures make me think?

Oh, and regarding weight... using my not so accurate bathroom scales and weighing myself with/without the bass, this thing comes to 7.3 lbs. Light indeed. Not sure if they were all this light, but if light basses are your thing, it may be worth checking these out.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1339868199' post='1695695'] ahhh, glad someone on here got it. I played the 5 string they had in scayles a while back when I was jazz bass shopping- the way I was looking at it was this was the almost top of the line made by the same folk that make lakland skyline- at not so much money. The whole humbucker/single coil thing intreaged me too. The one I played was ok. I came away thinking that with a bit of a set up, the neck edges rolled a bit it would play better. I also was trying it through one of those Fender TV amps, which have a certain amount of colour to them.... and it still sounded flat. I thought of getting it and sticking new pups and pre in it... but in the end never got one. The one you picked up was tempting me for a bit mind! [/quote] A bit flat is how I would describe it too, right now. Maybe it *is* flat sounding. I plugged in my Squier VM Jazz and it was much more alive... but then the strings are much more alive too. I'm not a big fan of bound fingerboards, but this one feels ok. No sharp edges here. It seems like a lot of bass for the cash, even if it ends up needing a new pickup or two, especially since I already have a good MM type in my parts drawer.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1339868121' post='1695690'] Nice one min. I used to fancy one of these back in the day. Was it the one Luke spotted on Gumtree? [/quote] Probably. I have a Gumtree alert thing setup for all kinds bass, and it came up on my Friday search. I called the guy in the morning and picked it up in the evening. I told myself that I didn't need it, so I would only try to see it one time, on Friday evening before my night time gig, and if the guy weren't available I'd pass on it. BUt he responded straight away and was available

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1339867424' post='1695668'] Be interesting to see how the finish stands up without any sanding prep! If you chicken out then 1200 grit followed by a good clean will gently rough it up without creating a ton of work after the nitro's on. If the shoreline gold is nitro already then it should just burn straight on and adhere well as the solvent eats into the current finish. Good luck! [/quote] No, the original finish is not nitro. I have just decided it WILL need some prep. I sprayed last night a tiny bit on the cap of the can, to check colour. And it flakes off extremely easily. Really, just gently scratched with my nail and the orange paint flaked off. It would be a relic finish before I have time to finish it!!! So... some fine sanding will be done initially. But that's as far as I'm willing to go with this!!! If it lasts two days, at least I'll have proof of it for future generations!!!

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1339201357' post='1685413'] no surgery required. Jazz bass fretless rules, soundwise. Although the "thump" of the Precision is really very nice too. Surgery not totally averted And this has brought another problem for me. I want the Jazz to be orange. Very orange (it is shoreline gold right now). Oh, first world problems indeed [/quote] The ghost of surgery is still there... but meanwhile, the VM Jazz is distracting me enough. and, about the body colour... well, see a new thread here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/179199-refinishing-amateurishly-a-jazz-bass-body/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/179199-refinishing-amateurishly-a-jazz-bass-body/[/url]

So, a couple of weeks ago I tried a Squier VM Jazz fretless from a local BC member, which happened to be for sale too. Just to find out how they felt. And I fell in love with it. So it's now mine. Now, this BC member (Hi haimesy ) dislikes sunbursts. So in addition to changing the pickups to some Basslines of some description (sound great!) he sourced a shoreline gold body and swapped it. I don't like shoreline gold. So I thought of changing the body etc... but, nah, I always wondered how horrible a job I could do at re-spraying a body. I would not like to try with something precious. So this seems like a good canvas to try. The worst that can happen is I have to plug in my orbital sander and remove all finish and just oil it. From reading other threads, I know there's other people that sometime think about this. Like me, most seem put off by the amount of work required to get a truly good finish. Yes, to do what a pro shop would do, you will have to spend a LOT of time, and even then, being inexperienced, nothing guarantees you will have a good enough result. But what about "half-arsed finishes"? well, that's me. That's what I'm going to try, and I will tell you all about it, how it all works horribly bad. Or not. Like I said, I don't need a £300 quality finish on this one. So I just went and bought a nitrocellulose laquer in a rattle can. Capri Orange. Subtle... not. It arrived yesterday. My plan is to make it really easy on me. The existing finish is in good shape. Nothing but the tiniest of imperfections. I can live with that. I was going to light sand the body with very very very fine sandpaper to create a slightly rougher base. However I have decided to try and see what happens if I don't. It's bound to become a "relic" finish rather soon... but how soon? I'll find out. It can look cool. Or not. The only way to know is to try. It's only £20 delivered for one can... how wrong can it all go? So, I'm just going to clean the body very well, remove all traces of finger grease etc... and spray over it. Watch this space. [color=#ff0000][b]Edit: pictures on page three![/b][/color]

[quote name='phil.i.stein' timestamp='1339846111' post='1695271'] this thread is useless without picks. [/quote] give this man a round of applause, please!!!

The only disappointment was when I removed the pickguard. Big big big routing hole for the neck pickup. Ah, I was hoping I could use it without a pickguard. BUt anyway, it looks good that way too.

After buying the Squier VMJ fretless from another member of this forum I was not supposed to indulge again anytime soon. However, it's been a busier period than usual with gigs, and I had a bit of extra "toy cash" in hand when I found one of those basses. Anybody who knows me knows I'm a sucker for natural/maple... and I did not resist much when I saw a GB74 for sale, after hearing great things about them. Do I need another bass? Of course not. Agh. Shut up now. My bass looks like this one, only with slightly less pronounced grain: It's very much some kind of "superJazz" attempt. The neck is similar to a Jazz bass, but the body is much smaller. It's an extremely light bass, but no neck dive thanks to a reasonable body design that puts the top horn in a good position. It has a couple of nice hardware touches. Hipshot light tuners. Cool. Neutrick locking jack socket. Cool. Wait, is it cool? I mean... if my bass is plugged in and somebody yanks the cable... I'd rather it becomes unplugged than having the whole bass go with it! I am not a fan of locking sockets, but it's a good tight one, so that is good. And I never leave my bass plugged in anyway. The alnico pickups are adequate. Hard to tell right now as the strings have seen better days, so I'll wait to make a full statement after I change the strings, right now I am not certain. The sound is very much Jazz-inspired. The neck sounds... like a Jazz neck. The bridge sounds... well, it depends. You see, there is a 3-way switch. You can use it to select one coil only, the other coil only, or full humbucker (which sounds like it's wired in series to me). I like the sound of the single coil closest to the neck. Nice and growly. Makes a reasonably Jazz bass type of noise. Not a big difference between the coils, but you hear it. However, I think it's a bit pointless for live work,, those small nuances will not get heard. Still, nice to have the single coil option, whichever you may prefer. The full humbucker is meaty, and not at all Stingray like. Which is not surprising since it seems to be mounted not where it would go in a Stingray, but more where a bridge Jazz bass pickup would. So this is not Stingray + Jazz neck, this is definitely Jazz territory, with the option to make that bridge pickup solo sound a bit more meaty if you like. Promising, but I'll wait till I put some new strings. The other toggle switch is some kind of "slap switch", it changes the mids, it's either a mids boost or a bass/treble boost, depending how you want to look at it. Personally, I'd rather leave it neutral. And yes, I know what neutral sounds like as the volume knob can be pulled engaging a bypass switch. And I prefer the passive sounds on this bass. The 2-band EQ is... uninspiring. Again, I'll wait to have new strings on, but it's not sounding good to me. I had briefly another Cort with a 3-band preamp and felt the same way about it. Sweet bass to play, utterly uninspiring. It was an Artisan A4 or B4 or something like that. The GB74 seems nicer to me 'though, but the preamp is not a great one. This bass was a good deal. I see that new went for £400-500, but they are not made anymore. I think that for that price they have many rivals. But second hand are much more attractive, if you want a Jazz with that little extra, and don't mind that it doesn't sound exactly like a Jazz -but close enough. I tend to use the bridge pickup alone most of the time on Jazz basses, so this is nice for me. It also looks great The electronics in mine are a bit noisy... need some contact cleaner sprayed, not a big deal. And new strings. The action is a bit higher than I prefer. Just a bit. No buzz, plays well all over the fretboard... but I'll try to make it a bit lower later. Looking at the neck curvature and seeing the saddles quite low on the bridge, I think adding the tiniest of shims in the neck pocket might just be what makes the difference. I'll give it a try later today... I had a beach gig but it's been cancelled because of the rain. I'm not brokenhearted. This is the coldest June in my life, it's ridiculous!!! I'm happy not to play outdoors today And I have some time for myself as the gf is away. Perfect timing. I have a Seymour Duncan SMB4A pickup in my drawer. I was going to sell it... but let's see, after I change the strings I may decide to replace the pickup. The SMB4A is a great pickup. I'm not that impressed by the preamp, like I said. Tempting to put something nicer in there if I decide to keep it long enough. But it's also tempting to remove the preamp entirely and put some passive tone control. We will see. If this one stays, my red Squier Jazz might be on its way soon. It's funny how different instruments make you play different things. Like they have a life of their own. I got up this morning and grabbed it... and if I didn't come up with 6 different cool funky basslines, I don't know what happened. Maybe I'll call it "funk machine". Oh, what? You say somebody else already named their bass that? Nah, I don't believe it, it's so original! I recorded them all. Let's see if I still think they are good when I listen to them tomorrow Apart from that, I'm really impressed with how the bass was put together. Really well built. Then again, if it was selling for £400-500, it'd better be well made. Very light too, I must weigh it. Light yet balanced.

Nurse!! Grandpa is going on again!! (who cares about pick/fingers/ears? if it sounds good, it is good)