Rayman

Yes I was never a fan of the colour on these historically, so working in the joinery coatings industry, I’m sure I can make it more palatable. It’s not even really the colour, it’s just the way someone has just brush applied some fence paint to it with no care at all. Any road, we’ll see where it goes.

The neck is lovely, but the body wood, Mahogany I assume is very light with everything stripped off, and feels, frankly, like a bit of driftwood. Not exactly grade A timber.

The neck is already undergoing treatment

So I bought an SR506 for a very reasonable price from Gumtree, way less than the normal asking price…… thought I had a bargain…. However on picking it up, the reason for the low price became evident….. It’s been brush painted with some god awful wood stain, something akin to Cuprinol. The pickups and hardware all show traces of the stuff, so it wasn’t even masked up 🤦🏻‍♂️ Needless to say, challenge accepted and it’s already in bits…. No idea what those crazy compression marks are? Looks like someone went at it with a sander at some point…. The fun begins Watch this space

I loved the first one, we all did, because we’ve all been in situations that are relatable…… but the trailer alone has put me off this one….. I don’t hold out much hope either. I do know that the actors didn’t do well financially from the first one, so maybe this is the payback?

I love that….. great story, great bass. I Absolutely do not want my first bass back, a Columbus Jazz…. it was rubbish.

Another crack converters purchase, this thing was in a sorry state, the electrics were goosed, and it was absolutely filthy. The LEDs still worked on the front, but that’s all gone now…. It’s passive, and I’m not arsed about pretty lights on the dials, so out it all came, and in went new CTS pots, oil filled cap and a new barrel jack…. It’s covered in a rash of scratches, but I can live with that. This thing’s had a life. Had to use 3 black telecast jack cups in the empty control holes where the LEDs were, so that I could mount the pots. Pretty ingenious if I say so myself, they fit perfectly. 3 Ashdown control knobs from an old ABM500 provide the finishing touch. It plays fab, with a freshly oiled fretboard and a new set of Hi Beams. Sounds fantastic too, very pleased with the result, it’ll be gigged asap.

I started in 1980 at 15 I think. I was learning guitar, but then I heard the Stranglers and everything changed. I just wanted to be the guy that made that bass sound. I was into heavy rock at the time, the NWOBHM was in full swing, but after I’d heard the Stranglers I started to diversify, and soon after heard Tina Weymouth on Once In A Lifetime…. and I was hooked. My musical tastes have always been diverse since then, and playing bass has opened up many doors with regards to that. I basically love pretty much all genres….. but rock is still primary in terms of playing live. I’ve had every bass…… like ALL of them over the last 40yrs! So it I guess my taste in basses has also been pretty diverse, and I never get attached to them, they’re tools to me, nothing more really, although, I do love my Thunderbirds these days. First bass was a Columbus Jazz and this morning an old, tired and very dirty Yamaha RBX A2 5 string arrived via crack converters as my next project. I absolutely love “doing up” old basses.

This journey, into bass playing? What made you pick up that first bass at the start of this long and winding road? Do you still have the same fire and enthusiasm? Do you still love it? What has changed along the way? Your taste in music, taste in basses? What was the first bass? And what’s the latest? No answers are wrong as long as they’re honest.

Wow, you’re going to get a lot of answers! That’s a great budget, and there’s a lot to recommend. I guess it’s in the ear of the beholder, and my 5ers are all well below that budget, my go to 5er is a Sire V7 that cost me peanuts, and sounds amazing, especially nice B. That said, my absolute favourite 5er that I had was a Kinal MK5, Aero pickups, absolutely stunning….. but if I was looking now, I’d be after another Spector Euro 5. Absolutely outstanding low B, EMGs, totally fabulous. I personally would start there.

Personally I’d be looking at a Sire. Absolutely stellar basses at any price.

First gig back for 7 months for various reasons….. Good warm up, bit rusty, but a fun one.. Then the following night, a hot one, but I had a great on stage sound, full Ashdown rig on full tilt, a lot of fun…..

So it’s basically a B2 now.

This project was a real struggle. It’s been here a couple of months, in bits mostly, and it put up a fight all the way through. I got it for peanuts, probably because the guy knew it was goosed. So, I ripped out all the knackered active electronics and binned them. I spent WAY too long trying to get them to work. Today, I turned it passive…. CTS pots, orange drop cap etc…. and now those EMGs absolutely sing. Piano like tone when played with a pick, lovely neck, very nice to play and well balanced on a strap. Maybe it’ll make an appearance at the next gig? A bit 80s like, but f*** it! 😉

With the jack lead plugged into the bass and connected to the amp (turned off), the red LED light now comes on. Turn the amp on, and the red light goes off again. Turn the amp off again snd the red LED comes back on….. 🤦🏻‍♂️. There’s something in the wrong place, I just can’t figure it out. I think someone who knows more about active electronics than me needs to have a look. I can wire passive looms all day long, but this active stuff is doing my nut in.

That’s where I’m up to, unless I’m missing something that should be right

Yep, I did, and I have had the red wire connect into the corner, as per the photos, but that didn’t work either.

Yeah, I’ve bypassed the battery box, and connected a clip on battery terminal, and yep, lead plugged in etc, and no joy at all.

I fear this thing could be jiggered, but I’m not giving up yet.

And the preamp wiring… the red wire that was loose (next to the white) looks like it should go to there, so I attached it… does that look right?

A couple of questions…. Because I’m not having much joy here. Is this stereo jack wired correctly?