neepheid

Shouldn't you reprobates be playing bass or something?

Is this one of those "long term road test" type things? I was bored the other day, so I decided to change my Z7 to through body stringing. Because I'm a tightwad, I first tried this with the stock strings it came with. The tightwad in me is delighted - the recesses that the strings sit in are so deep in the body that choosing through body stringing only costs you about 1cm of string length versus top loading. Such that the regular D'addario XLs that the Sire appears to ship with don't care which way you use them - there's more than enough string before the tapering kicks in to make it over the nut full size. Did it change anything? I wouldn't like to say, as I am a 100% biased witness. Maybe? Maybe the strings feel a smidge tauter? Maybe that's my brain saying "you went to the trouble, there had better be a payoff of some kind". Eh, TL:DR - stringing a Z7 (and presumably a Z3 also) through the body only requires about 1cm of extra string length versus top loading. So you might not need to get super long strings, depending on the brand you use. Measure it first.

Hmm, these look a little too fancy/monitor-y to be considered simply consumer electronics. It's not as if they're a set of passive hi-fi bookshelf speakers (which is what I envisaged when this was first discussed). Tier 2 fail for me.

I was about to chastise you for pulling the equivalent move of cracking open a beer at an AA meeting, then I saw the price

Yes

A wee headphone amp wouldn't break the bank...

This is an awesome idea. Reminds me of my 40th birthday - I put on a gig, we played first (obvs, I'd be ratarsed later!), then one of my former bands played (and got me up for the obligatory number). Finally, one of my favourite local bands at the time took to the stage and unbenownst to me had decided to learn the entirety of Weezer's debut album (the "Blue" album - one of my favourites) and play it start to finish! And they got me up to play along for Buddy Holly, awesome! Also saw a Pink Floyd tribute band play the entirety of Dark Side from start to finish. That was epic.

A fair few people hate the licenced Bartolinis. I've heard people refer to them as "Fartolinis", lol. FWIW I don't have a horse in this race. I don't think pre-judging the Nordstrands is worth your time. I don't even think it's worth watching demos of them on YouTube - get one in your hands and its output in your ears. If you like it, you're not wrong. If you don't like it, you're also not wrong

This one. Went on a bit of a black and gold trip after Squier released those anniversary black and gold Precisions...

As I said, consumer electronics fall outwith the scope as far as I'm concerned. Even though I made sure I got the purchases in before the end of last year (because I was in that mindset), I don't think my purchasing of a set of headphones, or a bluetooth transmitter/receiver would constitute an infraction. I probably wouldn't even have brought it up, and I would have slept soundly going forward.

And you get to eat the cakes that issue forth from that oven, I fail to see the problem here...

Well that was silly, because I'm pretty sure consumer electronics is outwith the scope of this challenge...

I hate it, fug it, I'm selling up.

Geezo - 10 days in and already I'm playing chicken with Facebook Marketplace - what's wrong with me? I've been trying to channel it though - I've started a 2026 want list instead. Because if you think I'm doing back to back years of abstinence, you're sorely mistaken!

I'd say that depends upon your usage. I only change my rounds when I realise that they sound like flats. They're usually utterly shagged when I change them, because I'm a skinflint. Old ones go straight in the bin.

And the moral of this story is... you need more medium scale basses, duh!

Heh, just snuck in before you

The tuners' tensions can be adjusted - see those little holes just below the buttons? I'd be amazed if you got the proper tool lumped in with the bass because they always seem to get lost. I'm sure it's been discussed here, but I can't find it so here's a TB thread all about it (as well as ideas for what to do if you don't have the official tool) - https://www.talkbass.com/threads/yamaha-bb-tuner-wrench-anyone-know-where-to-buy.718816/ EDIT - had another search and found it - https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/470267-old-adjustable-machine-heads-tuners/

Nice score! I think this is a good bass for £499. They're frankly taking the piddle at north of £900 new though. It's easy to point at the fixed pickup. If it sounds good to me, I could have overlooked it because if I remember correctly, it was more of a gimmick than anything else on the original Grabber (ie. didn't do a lot to the tone whether it was forward or back). Maybe as a former Gibson G-3 and Ripper owner I'm a bit pickier than some, but for me the main concern for me is the shape of the pickguard. It's less obvious on the black one, but the way it doesn't follow the edge of the body is criminal to me, particularly galling as they've managed to do it better in the past with previous Grabber/G-3/Ripper shaped confections... So they do a bang up job of the body shape and the headstock, then fluff their lines with the pickguard (specifically the area where the controls are)? I just can't see past it, it would irritate the devil out of me at any price point (especially £900+) but like I said, as a former owner of cousins of these basses, I'm perhaps more picky than some. Sounds like you're enjoying your newest acquisition though, so I'm chuffed for you and I don't want to yuck your yum too much. Keep on enjoying it and to hell with what anyone else (especially this grizzled grump) has to say about it!

Beware the hype (or anti-hype) machine. Most of them will be grizzling about the lack of moveable pickup, or the price, I reckon. EDIT: SNAP! (kinda)

Heh, the 'Spoons do that too! To answer the OP's question, in the rock covers yes the guitarist brings two guitars. And it has been needed occasionally - potentiometer gremlins got him one time that I remember at least.

I know, but you'd be surprised sometimes - I have a friend whose name is Saara. She told me a story that one time she spelled her name out to some customer service type over the phone and they asked her if she was sure that's how it's spelled! Her own effing name! Still makes me chuckle when I think about it to this day.

From this: To this: And another thing - if your truss rod adjusts at the headstock, wouldn't the bar frustrate that, if placed to catch all strings?

That's a colloquial expression of surprise, right? But in case you're serious, yes, that genuinely happened, I did not make it up.

These are my weapon of choice these days. Yes, it does mean that one string is not quick release, but the way it's made means it's compact. There's no need for anything on the lowest string - it's close enough to the nut that if you put enough winds on the tuner post it will make a fine break angle without assistance. Also, these units have the added benefit that if the original 2 string round tree is in a place where it's not in line with one of the tuners, then you can re-use the existing hole for one of the screws in the new retainer, so no holes to fill, and you can screw it down, make sure it's straight then use the retainer itself as its own guide/template for the second pilot hole.