dmckee

Rather nice custom 2 pickup Fallout from the G&L Custom Shop just popped up on Facebook. I wonder when USA Fallouts will appear in the UK again…..

They have settled down and evened out, as was suggested. I like them. I went back to my other P bass last night actually - it has cobalt flats on it, and the difference in tone between the 2 sets is massive. I like them both but they are very different strings, in feel and tone. 

760FS on my short scale are even, which is what made me wonder about this new set in the first place. Hoping they even out (tonally, not in length!) over time. 

22 hours ago, MungoBass said:

My experience of La Bella flats and the dull E has been the same, but after a few weeks they will all even out.  I honestly thought I had wrecked the E when cutting it!  Great strings, just be prepared to play them in.

That’s good to know, cheers!

I've just put a set of these strings on my bass. I've got a set of 760fs on my short scale but it's the first time I've tried any gauge of 760s on a long scale.

D, A and G strings sound good, but the E sounds strangely dead in comparison. Is that normal or should I send them back? (The standard gauge short scale ones don't seem to have this issue). 

I've also noticed that the length to the silk is quite different on the E compared to the others. See pic. Not sure if that's significant at all but never had strings like that before.  

Anyone any thoughts? 

Just took this off a bass I picked up recently, to replace with a KickAss. I don’t have the Allen key for it but could probably find one if it’s needed!  They seem to sell for £132 online, which seems a lot. Price dropped to £50. 

New to me recently, this Wilcock MM. Picked it up in a trade. Just got it back from my tech, who did a setup with new Labella flats, changed the bridge to the Hipshot Kickass, and (more superficially) made me a new scratchplate. It’s a nice bass. 

Only issue I have is the lack of a smooth taper on the volume control. When I first got it, it seemed to do very little for the majority of its travel. Tech said it was a 250k pot and we should try a 500k instead, which apparently is more common for humbuckers. So he installed one and it’s even worse. Almost completely binary. Anyone any ideas on how to fix that? 

I managed to get my hands on a Wilcock MM that was floating about here, through a trade. I have to say, while I do like it, there are a few things that aren’t quite at the standard I would have expected for a handmade bass of this value. Just little things but the route for the pickup isn’t especially accurate, nor is the scratchplate actually. Also, the neck felt oddly unfinished.  

I’ll see how it goes but I have to say, if I’d waited 11 months and paid £2k for it I think I’d have been quite disappointed.  It does explain why it has passed though a few folk’s hands recently…. Anyway, just sharing another perspective…. 

Great short scale bass, huge range of tones via the MFD pickup with switch for parallel, single coil and OMG modes.

A few upgrades done - now has Hipshot tuners which lowered weight to 8.7lbs and means it now balances perfectly. Also has Dunlop strap locks, and has had a full setup by Chris McIntyre, including a new aluminium nut and a new set of D'Addario Chromes.

Only selling because I've bought a more expensive short scale and one short scale is enough!

Full spec here: https://glguitars.com/product/tribute-series-fallout-shortscale-bass/

Pretty immaculate USA Dimension. Pro lever Fender. One of the nicest necks I’ve ever played - oil finish, asymmetric, compound radius etc - just feels lovely. Fantastic range of sounds across the 5 pickup positions and active EQ.  Weight is 9lb 1oz. Currently strung with EB Cobalt Flats. 

This was a lockdown purchase that has never left the house (and rarely if ever for the previous owner either I imagine – the case is perfect) other than for 1 recording session. Only selling because I’ve got some serious short scale GAS though that I need to deal with. 🙂 

All stock apart from Dunlop Straplocks, plus short extension fitted to front strap button that you’ll see in the pics. Basically, I’m incredibly picky about balance. I think because this is a lighter than usual Dimension, there was a TINY amount of neck bias (that I imagine most folk wouldn't even notice), but I had my local Tech add this little extension and it balances perfectly now. Very easily removed if desired, of course. 

Local pickup preferred of course but can ship at buyer's expense if necessary. 

Full spec is: 

Colour Black

Body    Ash

Body Finish     Gloss Polyester

Body Shape     Dimension™ Bass

Neck Material Maple

Neck Finish      Hand-Rubbed Oil Finish with Gloss Urethane Headstock Face

Neck Shape     Asymmetrical “C”

Scale Length    34″ (86.36 cm)

Fingerboard    Maple

Fingerboard Radius     9.5″ to 14″ Compound Radius (241 mm-355.6 mm)

Number of Frets         21

Frets Size         Medium Jumbo

String Nut        Bone

Nut Width       1.625″ (41.3 mm)

Position Inlays Black Dot

Truss Rods       Posiflex™; Graphite Neck Support Rods

Bridge Pickup  Dimension™ Humbucking

Middle Pickup Dimension™ Humbucking

Controls          Master Volume, Three-Band Active EQ with Treble Boost/Cut, Bass Boost/Cut and Mid Boost/Cut

Pickup Switching         5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Inner Coils of Bridge and Middle Pickup, Position 3. Full Middle and Bridge, Position 4. Outer Coils of Bridge and Middle Pickup, Position 5. Middle Pickup

Pickup Configuration  HH

Bridge  Fender HiMass™ with Chrome-Plated Brass Saddles

Hardware Finish          Chrome/Nickel-Plated Steel

Tuning Machines         Fender® “F” Light-Weight Vintage-Paddle Keys with Tapered Shafts

Pickguard        3-Ply Black

Control Knobs Knurled Flat-Top

Unique Features         Asymmetrical Neck Heel, Stealth “A” String Retainer, Heel-Mounted Spoke Wheel Truss Rod Adjustment, Vintage-Style Knurled Control Knobs, 5-Bolt Neckplate

Argh. Really fancy a USA Fallout, but just not sure about the colour/stripe…..maybe at the right price I could also afford a refinish.... 

11 hours ago, BCH said:

Thats a classic, what scale?

34”. It’s a Maruszczyk Jake.  Chambered body, 71 profile neck (originally bought/specc’d by @wateroftyne I think). Lovely lightweight bass, although I have a GAS problem with a Wilcock Mullarkey right now so may sell it, if that doesn’t pass. 🙄

1 hour ago, dmc79 said:

 

Played my SS Jag the other week and found it ok dialled in with mostly P. . . the J is notoriously weak but I found the P ok. . . that is until I A/B'd it with my newly acquired used Squier VM PJ. That bass's pickups smoked those of the jag, even using P only on both, the Jag pickups were seriously lacking, to the point where I'm not sure I want to play it until I've replaced them with a P/J pickup set. 

 

Looking at the specs for both of the discontinued Squiers I have, the pickups are:

 

Squier VM Jaguar short scale:

Neck: Split single coil Precision bass 

Bridge: Single coil Jazz bass 

 

Squier VM Precision PJ:

Neck: Fender-Designed Split single coil Precision bass 

Bridge: Fender-Designed Single coil Jazz bass 

 

I accept that the SS Jag was a very cheap bass, and as such I guess the stock pickups are about as basic as it gets. Did anyone change out the pickups on their SS Jag for a full upgraded P/J set, and if so what for? I believe the EMG Geezers & DiMarzio DP126 sets are popular. Not sure how much money I want to throw at it, as I'm still on the fence with short scale, but I want to give it a fair crack, and feel I can only do that with better pickups in it. Thanks. 

 

 

 

 

I put the DiMarzio set on my (full size) PJ and love them. Great colour too. 🙂 

1 hour ago, martthebass said:

dimensionally it feels more of a full sized bass than my Mustangs.

I think that’s one of the reasons I like it -  that it doesn’t feel THAT different from a regular 34”. 

Anyone seen a sunburst G&L Fallout Fullerton Deluxe on sale anywhere? Been enjoying my Tribute Fallout a lot so thinking about upgrading. Can’t find one anywhere though….

My 2001 Stingray now has a Nordy MM4.2 pickup, a John East MMSR preamp and a series/parallel/single switch. A lot of tinkering, but it sounds great. (I especially like series mode on the Nordy and a little low mid bump from the John East). 

But I think what I like about it, probably even more than the sound, is the body shape. I just find it super comfortable - it really ‘fits’ me. Ditto the neck profile actually. 

My current probably-daft-but-still-tempted idea is to get a (lightweight!) Stingray-shaped body made and have the neck and electrics from my Fender Dimension HH fitted to it. I really like the Dimension pickups/EQ (which might be a relatively unusual opinion), and it has a great pro level Fender neck, but I can’t seem to bond with the body…. 

On 13/01/2022 at 09:20, BassAgent said:

What about stuff like Serek, Wilcock?

This is my exact irrational GAS problem right now. I bought a cheap Fallout and quite like it, but remain unconvinced that short scale is for me at all…. And yet I’m having real trouble with this, despite it being (a) really expensive and (b) an 11 month wait to get one. 

 

Yeah, I’ve moved away from the Levys nylon ones I’d used forever in the last few years. Old age I guess. 😞 Tried a few different ones - including his one - but I think I found it a bit stretchy. Maybe not this one, but I really didn’t like ones that had a bit of a feeling of your bass being on a thick piece of elastic. 🙂.  

I eventually settled on these: https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/accessories-c2/straps-c54/mono-m80-the-betty-sharkskin-guitar-strap-black-long-47-56-p7422 No stretch, but very comfy. 

PMd. 

Hi. Is this still for sale? 
 

I tried Tidal for a while - great sound quality, but not as comprehensive a range as Apple Music, nor (and this is what killed it for me) did it really work at all via CarPlay. Ended up using Apple Music in the car and Tidal at home for a while. Maintaining 2 was too much bother. Cancelled Tidal. 

On 03/01/2022 at 14:01, shoulderpet said:

And I have decided the Fallout tribute is going back, I wanted to love it but it just felt a bit cheap, my Ibanez Mezzo is just as good quality wise and is half the price so I cant justify keeping the Fallout, to further add to the cheap feel (and what really sealed my decision to return it) there is a chip in the finish by the pickup that I did not initially notice, a black mark on the neck near the headstock and the nut has plastic sanding dust where they have cut the nut.

My Fender Mustang that I had to move on due to the slab body being uncomfortable for my arm was in a different league compared to this, was just a much better instrument, real shame as for £349 reduced down from the usual pricing of around £500 this seemed to be a bargain but imo this is £300 bass not a £500 bass

I had similar thoughts with the one I got too, to be honest. 3 or 4 little things that added up to overall dissatisfaction, but I had a chat with Andertons and they offered me a £50 refund if I kept it, taking it down to £300, so I decided to keep it. Gave the neck a bit of a light sanding, polished the frets, put on some Ultralites, a set of Status flats, and I’m pretty happy with it now (other than nut probably needs replaced). Ultralites have taken the weight down to 8.7lbs and totally sorted the minor neck dive it had. 

I think Ed Friedland’s custom USA Fallout is pine. He asked for lightweight and that’s what G&L chose. So, you’ll hopefully be fine! 

2 hours ago, solo4652 said:

 

I like flats or halves on my basses. I've been trying different strings on my Fallout Tribute. Best so far seem to be Labella black tapewounds, followed by Status halves. What do you have on yours, please? Any intonation issues?

I have Cobalt flats on my other basses but you can’t get them in short scale, so….. to save a bit of money I’ve ordered a set of Status flats. Just waiting on them to arrive. The other ones I’d really like to try are the Labella 760s, as recommended by Ed Friedland. 

I had Labella white nylon tapewounds on a bass for a while. Really liked them but worried they’d be too loose for me on a short scale. 

12 hours ago, Ramirez said:

That must be the one I’ve just ordered!

 

Did you get your lighter one for £349 too?

Well, when they did weight them, they told me they all weighed 9.2lbs. Mine arrived yesterday. Not weighed it yet, but that seems about right. Enjoying it so far - it’s been a while since I had a short scale so enjoying the slight weirdness! Waiting on some flats arriving and have ordered Ultralites to reduce weight a bit and hopefully sort the mild neck dive. Here it is, next to a couple of its big brothers. 😃