pineweasel

This doc explains the controls, on page 5. https://www.fmicassets.com/Damroot/Original/10001/014361_Deluxe Jazz Bass V Active Service Manual.pdf It seems that none of the tone controls will work unless you put batteries in, although I find that a little surprising. The active basses I’ve owned have always had some sort of passive tone control.

Often these are guitar songs (Sweet Child O Mine, The Boys are Back In Town, etc) where the original band detuned a semitone. In these cases my band just plays them in regular tuning, as long as the singer is happy with it.

I've been playing covers for years using a Precision fitted with a drop tuner, and I've been really happy with it. The Hipshot drop tuner is a marvellous thing, and I've never found it too confusing to use, as I would employ it only for specific songs that I'd learnt in drop D. The only issue is forgetting to reset the E string for the next song! For Uptown Funk I used an Aguilar Octamiser, which can produce a fat, organic sub-octave. I have other octave pedals but that was the best one for that job, and it was OK playing it like that. However... with lockdown scuppering all foreseeable gigs, I took the opportunity to buy a decent 5-string and I have to say that I really like it for playing the typical covers repertoire. No need to mess about with tuning or pedals, and the ability to play some songs more efficiently thanks to the extra fingering choices is useful. I've learnt quite a few new songs on the 5 now and plan to use it when I start gigging again. It helps that my 5 is a high quality instrument which is a pleasure to play. The caveat to this is that I have yet to do any serious rehearsal or any gigs with the 5. It might all go wrong, and I'll go back to the trusty Precision. Hopefully I'll find out later in the year.

Seems to be a lot more activity on the Shergold Facebook group these days

Same thing. They changed the name a while back, before the body shape changed.

I wasn't a big fan of the heavier stuff, but I remember being impressed by this on the Friday Rock Show. Sadly they never went anywhere.

There's also the original Fender Musicmaster bass, which had a 6 pole guitar pickup.

Hopefully EBMM will recommend a suitable adhesive for you to fix it yourself. Annoying but at least you won't have to return it in that case.

You could just unscrew the pickup and take a look?

I think I've improved. I play almost every day, having switched to a 5-string and enrolled in an SBL course. Have also done some demos and videos with my bandmates, and learnt a few songs I'd always wanted to play but never had the time to study before.

I wouldn't buy one but I think they look quite good. Something's going on though, Fender are doing lime green and orange basses, EBMM have crazy new colours...

I've found this with a few long scale length sets I've tried, e.g Dunlop, TI. I think they are made a bit longer to accommodate through body fitment.

Like it says, it’s a Hohner copy.

It’s Tim Lefevbre on Hanging On, isn’t it?

That’s odd, I’ve just been able to do a Cali VM5. I know the configurator has just has a refresh but it’s all working for me.

I like their website. Straightforward, easy to navigate, with good photography of the instruments and decent info including weight. Some of the other pages are a bit skimpy with information cut and pasted from manufacturers, sometimes out of date, but that’s not really a problem if it’s an item you have researched. I’ve bought accessories from them with good service and rapid delivery. On the one occasion when something went wrong it was rectified as speedily as possible.

Covid 19 is placing restrictions on EBMM's factory staff levels, and those of their suppliers too, hence the current lower output.

There's another well known company mass producing guitars and basses in southern California, using the same materials and techniques, and subject to the same Covid related issues, and their prices haven't skyrocketed.

I've had no problems stringing Chromes, Dunlops and TIs through body. Not tried Cobalts though.

Piano

Here’s mine with the strings at 18.5mm centre to centre. I’ve not tried it, but it looks as if you could probably get away with 19mm, although the strings would be pretty close to the edge of the board.

This is also the reason there's no natural finish offered, and why almost all the new colours are opaque.

Either will work, so it depends on convenience and which you prefer the sound of. Using your amp DI will give you the characteristic tone of the amp and let you use its controls for EQ, distortion, etc, assuming the DI output is post preamp.

Worth noting this is not true of the latest Double Four, it’s AC only

The original Olympic White was a bright white, but it yellowed with age. So you'll see all sorts of whites advertised as Olympic, depending on whether they are going for an aged look. Here's the Olympic White CIJ Fender I used to own.