thebrig

24 minutes ago, badger said:

was  it a real person or  AI/chatbot though?

 

the only thing I can think is that they want a VAT number so they know *not* to charge you VAT on fees if you have one.  if you don't have one then they will need to charge you.  I suspect something's being lost in translation between 'mercan & English.

I spoke to a real person who was answering me in detail to my questions, etc.

Reverb were insisting I give a VAT number, I even went through the online chat for advice, and this is how it went.

Reverb

As of 6 September, Reverb collects the required VAT on fees charged to UK sellers and remitting it to the relevant tax authorities. This policy applies to both individual and business sellers. You can check this article for the reference:

https://help.reverb.com/hc/en-us/articles/15478400563603-How-VAT-and-GST-are-collected-on-fees-charged-to-sellers

Me:

But I don't have a VAT number.

Reverb:

Prior to 6 September, Reverb has been paying for this VAT/GST out of pocket on sellers’ behalf. Given that this isn’t a sustainable solution, we’ve updated our policies. Please check this to your tax authority for the confirmation.

I've just made my first sale on Reverb but before they will pay out the money to me, I have to give them a VAT number for tax purposes.

I've been retired seven years and although my profile on Reverb say's "Brian's Bass Gear", I am not a shop or a business, so I do not have a VAT number.

I only opened my Reverb account a few month's ago but I didn't realise you had to have a VAT number to sell anything, so now I've had to cancel the sale because of this, and I will probably close my account as well.

Am I misunderstanding how Reverb works?

1 minute ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Yes - that matters a lot.  Arthritis is a b****r. 

 

I have it in my hands and, for me, often I actually do use a neck heel button (bit like an acoustic) to tilt the guitar or bass body away from me a touch.  It means I can't see the frets, but it means that my fretting hand isn't twisted as much as in the more conventional body angle.   

 

If you are able to try one out in a shop or a 'return if it doesn't suit' arrangement, I would have a look at some of the Ibanez short scale offerings - I think you would find that they sit quite differently to the types you've had in the past.  And go for a medium weight rather than lightweight - the strain of a light but neck-heavy bass is worse than a heavier well-balanced one... 

 

Totally agree with you on the heavier well-balanced one is better than a lightweight un-balanced one.

I know I said that the Sire Marcus Miller U5 I've just bought felt perfectly balanced, well after playing it standing up for around 30 minutes it put so much strain on my shoulders and neck, I had to stop.

Then after a short break, I returned to my P bass and played for an hour without anywhere near the pain, so I've decided that I'm going to return the Sire, unfortunately.

1 minute ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

I  have two shorties with no issues and can't remember having any problems with a mustang either.

 

 I have a small bodied long scale five string that ought to be a diver, I just fitted a neoprene strap and have never had a problem.

 

That said, I have 17 very varied basses and can't think of any neck dive issues, so maybe my technique avoids it or I am instictively tolerant of neck dive.

I think my main problem is that I suffer from arthritis in my neck, shoulders and back, and whilst some neck-dive is not an issue for most people, for me, I feel I am holding the neck up while I'm playing and this puts extra pressure on my shoulder making it tense up, and is very painful after only a few minutes playing.

Btw, I use wide leather straps.

I think Andyjr1515 has given most of the reasons why some short-scale basses tend to suffer from neck-dive.

Over the years I have owned a Fender US Mustang, a Fender Japan Mustang, a Squier Mustang, a Gibson SG 60th Anniversary SS, a Gibson SG Standard SS, a Chowney SG style SS, and every single one of them had neck-dive, the only short-scale bass I've owned that didn't neck-dive was a Ibanez Micro which was quite well balanced, but the 28" scale was just a bit too small for me.

As for my original post? All I said was, "How do you manage the inevitable neck-dive that you usually get with most short-scale basses?" Not all short-scale basses.

And in my case, it is in most of the short-scale basses that I've tried and owned over the years.

17 minutes ago, itzing said:

Hi 

Can you posted to Athens GR ?

paypal its ok !!

 

 

Sorry, but I've got someone interested in this and is pending payment.

Just an update on my situation now.

I do own a Gibson SG Standard short-scale bass which I am struggling with in terms of tone, and it does suffer some neck-dive.

This week I've just purchased a Sire U5 short-scale which is by far the best short-scale bass I have ever played, it balances perfectly, I can get a P bass tone which is what I was seeking, and it also has a J pickup near the bridge, so it's a PJ short-scale bass that ticks all the boxes for me.

It has an Alder body with string-thru option, Maple neck with rolled edges and frets, it's lightweight, no neck-dive whatsoever, and the added bonus for me is, I actually like the way it looks.🙂

WENGE Jazz Neck.

£50 Posted.

I'm finally coming to the end of my big clearout of bass parts, and this neck is the second of two wenge necks I purchased recently for projects.

This is still in the box and is unused, and un-drilled.

When it arrived it had a small bit of filler which you have to look hard to see, and I'm sure it could be either stained or blended in if it worries you, but it hardly notices unless you know it's there.

It's a beautiful neck and a real bargain at this price.

The heel is standard Fender dimensions and fits Fender bodies perfectly.

Fender Roasted Maple Jazz Bass Neck + Schaller BM 4L NI Tuners.

£195 Posted.

Purchased in 2023 and was mounted to the bass, but only used a few times at home to test the bass out.

I'm finally coming to the end of my big clearout of bass parts, and this neck is the second of two Fender Roasted Maple replacement necks I purchased for projects that were abandoned before completing them totally.

The neck and tuners are in great condition other than there is a slight scratch which I've tried to highlight in one of the photos, I've priced this neck and tuners accordingly to reflect this, because the total cost of all these parts was £375.

Fender Roasted Maple Jazz Bass Neck
Schaller BM 4L NI Bass Tuners
Gotoh String Tree
Graph Tech TUSQ Nut & The original Fender Nut are both included.

22 hours ago, Schlippy said:

You are not too old for this sort of thing.

 

This is the most ubiquitous bass fuzz for a reason, plug it back in and have another go. Start with the blend at midday, sustain all the way up and tone at the point it starts "biting" (usually around 1-2 o' clock).

 

It's an absolute banger of a pedal.

Having to memorise all the different settings for all the different songs when I'm gigging just frightens the life out of me.

I've always just plugged in and used the controls on my bass, and occasionally on my amp.

And yes I know, it's probably just me, but when you get older, the less things to worry about, the better I find. 😉

£95 Posted.

This arrived on Friday 15th March 2024.

I don't know why I bought it because I just don't like using pedals, I'm a Plug n Play man and I like to keep things simple.

Obviously, I tried it this morning at home for about 10 minutes, but although it's a great pedal, I just thought to myself that I'm too old for all this sort of thing, so I put it back in the box and decided to cut my losses and sell it.

It's not been registered, and is 99% brand new.

Full Description

Improvements have been made to the Bass Big Muff's Volume, Tone and Sustain controls beginning with a pad on the input control which you can switch between odB and -10dB ensuring the pedal is equally effective with both passive and active pickups. Blend allows you to mix the direct and distorted signals. With three outputs; a 1/4" effect out, a 1/4" direct (buffered dry) out and an XLR DI out you have complete control of your output signal and individual sound. A built in noise gate with adjustable threshold eliminates any unwanted hum.

The Bass Big Muff Pi also boasts a foot switchable crossover section with a variable low pass filter on the dry signal and a variable high pass filter on the distorted signal. This gives you the ability to sculpt your own bass sound. This, in conjunction with the Blend, enables you to keep the low end clear and focused with the Low Pass Filter and the high end bright and cutting with the High Pass filter.

This new Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi is housed in a solid die-cast casing and equipped with a 9 volt battery. It can also be powered by an optional standard 9.6 V/DC200mA AC adaptor.

3 hours ago, jazzyvee said:

Steohen Jay has an interesting solution.

 

What a great idea.

5 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

New set of Hipshot Ultralites installed on one of my JMJs this morning, does make a difference, this is my lightest one so the neck dive, whilst not massive was more noticeable than on the others, much more balanced now. They’re a doddle to install too, straight fit, I’d  def recommend them for the JMJ.

That's what I was hoping.👍

12 minutes ago, shoulderpet said:

Actually you are much more likely to have neck dive on a long scale bass as the neck is longer

You would think so, but I haven't found that to be the case. 🤔

48 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Over the past 45 years I have played basses with all sorts of scale lengths from 27" to 36" and have no problem switching. However I also play guitar, mandolin and balalaika so I'm used to stringed instruments with massively different scale lengths. My first bass was a short scale and my second was a 36" scale. At the moment I play a 34" scale 5-string bass in one band and a 30" Bass VI in another. I think it helps that I play different songs and slightly different styles of music on each type of bass so there is no confusion. If you are struggling with muscle memory, my advice would be, that if you really want to play short scale bass, put your other basses away and only play the short scale or at least don't play the songs that you are using the short scale bass for on basses with different scale lengths.

 

Also I can't say I have noticed any problems with neck dive playing short scales basses apart from a Kramer with a V-shaped body. What basses have you tried that exhibited those problems?

I've owned a couple of Fender Mustangs which are pretty close to a Fender P bass sound wise, but the ones I had USA and CIJ both suffered considerable neck-dive which I put down to the standard heavy tuners that you get on most Fender basses.

I've now got a Gibson SG short-scale and again, neck-dive is a bit of a problem, and I find the tone very "muddy" compared to my P basses.

The other thing I find strange is when I'm playing up the "dusty" end, moving my left arm inwards towards my body just feels so awkward.

I'm the wrong side of seventy, I have back and neck problems, plus I have arthritis in my hands, so I do think that changing to short-scale might help.

I have a couple of questions I would like to ask you guys and gals who play, or have played, short-scale basses.

I play mainly P basses but I've tried a couple of short-scales in the past and given up after a few weeks because they just don't feel right, they also sound very different, and I also struggle with the neck-dive.

So my questions are:

1. How long does it take to adjust to going from long-scale to short-scale?

2. How do you manage the inevitable neck-dive that you usually get with most short-scale basses, would changing the tuners to lightweight tuners make any noticeable difference?

15 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

Tonerider £35ish... KA VPB £55ish...

Both Great Pickups for the €£$

KA for Tonerider Monies? = Be daft not to!

 

Ah Posting Cock-Up...

If replacing a ceramic pup in ya conventional Squier type affair, you may need thicker foam to keep the pressure for coil in the cover as no bar magnet...

Got ya! It was the bit about the bar magnet that confused me.😉

36 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

Toneriders are the 'Bang for Buck' Go-To... Got one in my Ibby.

KA at Same price point...

I've a KA PJ pair in my J PJ bitsa and a P in my Squier P...

£35 Posted, No as no bar magnet on the bottom

It's probably me, but I'm a bit confused by this comment.🤔

I've been using them for years and they are just as good as the Fender CS pickups imo.

It is an exact fit for a Fender body because I tried it on two of my Fender P basses.

Wenge Jazz Neck

£50 Posted.

I purchased this neck along with a number of other parts for a couple of projects that never happened, they were fitted but never used.

The neck is really nice and feels great, it was fitted with a triple string retainer which I will include.

The heel is an exact fit for Fender P and J basses.

Tonerider TRP1 Precision Plus Bass Pickup

£25 Posted

I purchased this pickup along with a number of other parts for a couple of projects that never happened, they were fitted but never used.

Kent Armstrong Hot Vintage P Bass Pickup Alnico

£35 Posted.

I purchased this pickup along with a number of other parts for a couple of projects that never happened, they were fitted but never used.