TRBboy

Axesrus have got quite a handy little guide to pots and caps down the right hand side of this page. [url="http://www.axesrus.com/axeknobs.htm"]http://www.axesrus.com/axeknobs.htm[/url] Can't get link to work properly so copy and paste.

I used to have one of these, and it was ok for the money, but I later had a Yamaha BB614 fretless which was a much much better bass for not much more money IMO.

As well as changing the cap, you could always try swapping the existing tone pot out for a linear pot. Most passive basses have audio taper (logarithmic) pots which don't really do much from about 1 - 5, so effectively they go straight from 0% to 60 or 70%. This results in all the control being at one end. Linear pots are proportional so 3 on the dial will give you 30% and 8 would give you 80%. These pots are fine for volume or tone and are more commonly used on audio equipment, although logarithmic are more common on passive basses. I'm not big on electronics, but I'm sure if I'm talking complete nonsense someone will correct me pretty quickly.

I agree that couriers are generally crap, but I would still kick up a fuss with Thomann about it, especially considering how long this has dragged on and what a series of cock-ups there has been. Tell them that you had to take a day off work to wait in for it and no courier came, and now you're gonna have to take another day off to wait for it again! Lay it on thick and make them feel as bad as possible. At the end of the day, you've chosen to buy from them because they're a reputable supplier that you expect a certain level of service from. At the moment they're failing to deliver the level of service that you're paying them for, and failing to live up to their reputation. It might be worth asking them to verify the delivery address and ask them to check which address the courier attempted to deliver to, because they might have tried to deliver it today, but to the wrong house!

I always take two basses, and all of my basses are different, but I like the way that all of them play and sound so it's fine. I guess they've all got fairly slim necks.

It is all down to personal preference really, one man's chicken in a basket is another man's coq au vin........... I think the Yamaha is a good choice if you want more of a traditional sound, and still pretty versatile, but the Ibanez's are really comfortable and probably lighter and more versatile (they do a great 'growl' if that's what floats your boat!).

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1175143' date='Mar 24 2011, 07:49 PM']You don't take a spare car though [/quote] Or do I............ [attachment=75643:carcarcar.jpg]

I've found that the best way to bring them back to life is to mask off the fretboard with masking tape and use metal polish (I use Autosol) to polish them up. Works a treat! You only really need a re-fret if they are badly worn and have dirty great grooves in them. Before [attachment=75638:IMG_0610.JPG] During [attachment=75640:IMG_0616.JPG] After [attachment=75642:IMG_0621.JPG] It's important to mask off very tight to the frets so that you don't get any of the polish in the grain of your fretboard. Hope this helps.

I'm sure you all know this already, but there's GHS Fast Fret and Dunlop 65 String Cleaner and Conditioner which work well and are designed for the job. You can clean your strings in about 30 seconds or less.

It sounds to me like the pickup balance is more biased toward the bridge pickup, and he hs the low mids boosted a little.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1174555' date='Mar 24 2011, 01:13 PM']It's a simple matter of necessity, convenience against the ability to cope with the situation differently. Tuners go on the fritz too (arguable more frequently than you snap strings at gigs) yet I doubt anyone on here would look down their nose at you for not taking 2 tuners to a gig. The concept of a backup bass is good and if it works for you then fine but the implication that you are not doing all you can by not taking a backup is IMO not so good.[/quote] I don't think it's fair to make the assumption that just because I take a backup bass, I don't know how to look after my gear! I've always really looked after my instruments and I make sure that they're well serviced, set-up and gig ready but I like to take a spare just for that added peace of mind. I always take strings and tools anyway, and touch wood, I've never had a catastrophic failure during a gig but I figure it doesn't take up much more space in the car to take a spare bass. I always want to appear professional, even if it's just a local pub gig, and make sure that we'll get asked back again, and having a disastrous breakdown mid-set could leave a bad impression. I'm more worried about unpredictable, freak gear failures instead of broken strings etc. If something does go catastrophically wrong and you've only got one bass, you're up s@#t creek. Just because you look after your car and service it, does that mean you shouldn't bother carrying a spare tyre?

BCer Nugget is from Worcester, and I asked him the other day about Luthiers in our area. It turns out that he builds basses and does setups and stuff, so I'm gonna let him have a go at my jazz, which needs some work doing. I'll let you know how it goes.

I always take a backup just in case of unforeseen occurrences or string breakage. Sure, it's fairly quick to change a string, but it's much quicker just to pick up another bass! The main question I'm asking myself reading this thread is; If you own more than one bass anyway, why wouldn't you take a backup?

I LOVE my Sandberg Basic 4, and now I'm kinda eyeing up the Ken Taylor....... I like the idea of two Humbuckers and the fact that you can spilt them to single coil, so in theory you should have a massive choice of sounds. Just wondered really if anyone's got any opinions on them?

[quote name='TRBboy' post='1155187' date='Mar 9 2011, 12:40 PM']I would never sell my Jazz bass unless I absolutely had to. Other basses have come and gone, but it has been my mainstay for the last 14 years or so and has never let me down.[/quote] I know I made the above statement a couple of weeks ago, but since then I have been glued to my Sandberg and it has ruined all of my other basses for me! Right now, I feel like selling everything else just to buy another Sandberg.........

[quote]date type description remarks 21.03.2011 Invoice Receipt # 10928212 issued for 554.24 EUR. 21.03.2011 15:31 Shipping Parcel shipped (23.08kg by Post/DHL International) contents: 1x 147145 SWR LA15 parcel number: 166616761741 21.03.2011 15:34 Shipping Parcel shipped (2.14kg by Post/DHL International) contents: 1x 128550 THE SSSNAKE IPP1060 1x 104761 GHS FAST FRET 1x 255947 HERCULES STANDS GS302B E-Guitar/Bass parcel number: 166616761987[/quote] Is this what the delivery note says? If you haven't signed for it then it's not your problem. I would keep on at them until they either promise you that it will arrive soon (and fix a date), or give you a refund for it.

I know there's Kim Seabourne in Worcester on the recommended Luthier list, but it looks as though the Bassurgery website has been gone for years so I don't know if he's still going. Any suggestions?

Ah, I see...... Personally, I would kick up a fuss about it. You have confirmation email, etc. from when you ordered right? Ask whether they do have stock or not. If yes, ask why your bass has not been delivered and demand it to be shipped tomorrow on the fastest delivery service. If they don't have stock, ask why was their website incorrect. Tell them that you ordered from them because the website said they had it in stock, and you needed it in a hurry. Tell them that if they can't tell you when it will be with you, you would like a full refund immediately and will buy from elsewhere. If they say it's going to be weeks, it's up to you to make a decision on what you want to do. I think if their website was wrong, you'd be quite within your rights to ask for a refund.

Might be worth checking out Sandberg too. I bought one recently after being blown away by them. The Basic series is more original I suppose, and the California's are more traditional, but they're all great. All hand built (apart from cutting rough body shape), quality materials and great electronics with a variety of pickup options and finishes. I'm pretty sure most models are comfortably within your budget too.

I agree with what others have said; as long as you enjoy playing it, that's all that matters. Apart from the fact I can't afford expensive boutique basses, I don't feel that I could ever justify spending megabucks on a bass unless I was filthy rich, or making a good living out of playing bass (both highly unlikely!). I've always felt that there is only so good a bass can get. Of course a handbuilt bass will usually feel nicer to play than something mass produced, but the bass is a pretty simple instrument as instruments go. At what point do you stop paying for the functionality of a bass and start paying purely for looks? I also agree with what other people have said in that perhaps there is a certain placebo effect with boutique basses. Perhaps we just perceive them to be much better because we want them to be better and we feel they should be for the money they cost. Who knows..... I like redstripers suggestion of testing some back to back. All that said, if I dropped the lottery next week, I would go out and buy some expensive basses!

Very, very, very nice! I'd love to hear some clips if poss.

Fair enough, if Thomann pay for all the costs and organise collection there's nothing to lose really!

[quote name='redstriper' post='1167320' date='Mar 18 2011, 03:55 PM']Every single bass is unique and buying anything blind is always a gamble, but I do not consider the price of this bass to be a huge risk, especially when there is the option to return it.[/quote] I think I would think twice about it, just because of the hassle of sending it back, and because the cost to ship it back might cost about 50% of the value of the instrument. I think that it's very important with 'unknown' brands that you're able to try the one you're going to buy. In my experience you're much more likely to get variation in quality between models from these sort of budget brands.

For that sort of budget, I would definitely want to try before I buy. I've had a couple of Warwicks (a thumb and a corvette), and they sound awesome and are very well put together. Although..... in the end, I parted with both of mine because there was just something not right. There wasn't anything wrong with either of the basses, there was just something slightly incompatible between me and them. I can't put my finger on what it was, but when it came down to it, they just didn't quite suit me I guess. You've got loads of options for your budget, so play as many as you can!

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='1166442' date='Mar 17 2011, 11:04 PM']S/H Squier VMJ from Basschat Marketplace? £180-200 + Plastikote Krystal gloss for neck @ £7. Depreciation - zero?[/quote] If the Squier VMJ goes for that price used, with zero further depreciation then there's something seriously wrong with the world! I know everyone loves the look of them, but are they a quality, value-for-money instrument? I've played quite a few of them, and all of them have not felt good for the money; awkward and uncomfortable and not as well finished as some other basses for the same price. I guess it depends what's more important to you; looks or feel and quality. With regard to returns and warranty claims, most companies have it written into their terms and conditions that you have to pay the shipping costs to return the item, no matter what reason. It's pretty standard.