neepheid

Seems like a lot of effort to go to when you could just say "I'm buying/I've bought a bass".

If you haven't already done so, you should look into how to do setups on the bass - it's free, lots of videos show you what to do, but you'd be amazed how a tweak of the truss rod or an adjustment of the action can transform how a bass plays. And as long as you have the simple tools (allen keys 4/5mm generally for truss rod, 1.5mm frequently for bridge saddles, phillips screwdriver) to hand, it's free apart from your time.

Thanks for the followup - every day's a school day. I guess my perception is that I've only seen wenge widely used in expensive instruments where it is used as a marketing tool/flex.

Are you sure? My sources say otherwise: https://www.wood-database.com/wenge/ - "Pricing/Availability: Available in wide boards and veneer sheets. Prices are high, and are likely to remain so as supplies dwindle." https://www.timbersource.co.uk/hardwood/other-hardwood-range/west-african-wenge-timber - "High price point: It is generally more expensive than many other hardwoods due to its unique properties and limited availability." https://www.branchingoutwood.com/blog/whats-the-most-expensive-wood - hint, wenge is in the "expensive" section - OK, this article is 5 years old and maybe there has been a major wenge reforestation project in that time...

Aw man, I just cleaned out my slush on my car's MOT and the bridge. Rotten timing!

Currently debating which tuning machines to use. I do not like or rate press fit bushings, I think they're stupid and I will not fit them to a bass where I have a choice. But it's 17mm holes, and I know the majority of tuners with screw in bushings are mini sized, like 14-15mm tuner holes. Don't want to fill and redrill the holes, so what's out there for 16-17mm headstock holes? Hipshot (Licenced) Ultralite 1/2" Schaller BM Light Grover Titan Schaller M4S Gotoh GB528 All of these are rather expensive (currently leaning towards the Schaller BM Light) - do none of the "good, but cheaper" type suppliers (Wilkinson and the likes) do a full size tuner with screw fit bushings?

Big boost (and hope I don't jinx it by announcing it) but I managed to score a Hipshot A Style bridge in the States on ebag for a very agreeable price. Fingers crossed it is as described (as in the correct string spacing). Fingers crossed it gets here. Still gonna leave my wanted thread open for now... Still got a neck pocket to clean up then probably build up, so plenty to do before then...

It looks like it, but I struggle to believe that it was deliberately infilled with wenge on a neck this cheap. I'm going to assume it's a happy accident - someone picked up the wrong bit of wood...

You do know that they label the controls the other way these days, yes?

No-one was complaining because it was a six string - merely commenting on how said six string was used.

I scored a neck on Amazon and got some discount for... reasons, meaning it was less than £40 posted. It arrived yesterday and it's... surprisingly good. No ratty fret ends, truss rod works, it's a bass neck. LOL, what's going on with that stripey skunk stripe? I like it! Also over the weekend, I made a new cavity cover (or at least a template for one) Made by hand only with hand saw, surform and sandpaper. Took a while, but it fits pretty well - better than some factory made basses I've seen in my time.

My Markbass combo has top mounted controls, but I don't find it bothersome - mostly because it's stacked on top of a New York 121, so the controls are elevated to easily used territory - high enough so I don't have to bend down but not so high that I can't see the controls. But my rig is sitting flat on the deck, so I'm clearly from an irrelevant, bygone era

How big is this hall?

Funny story about that. That came about because back when I originally put this bass together, I was test fitting the tuners, got distracted then lifted the bass up. All the tuners came flying out of the holes and one of them dinged the back of the body near the cavity. So I turned the ding into a lifting hole. When life gives you lemons and all that...

Getting away from the doom and gloom of the neck pocket, I decided to do something productive instead of destructive. The old control cavity had not enjoyed life in the shed, it had warped and was rotting at one of the screw holes. So I made a new one - or at least a template out of hardwood ply if I decide to make one out of another material... Still to do screw holes etc, but I'm pretty pleased with the shape, it fits better than the old one did!

Well, that does answer the question. I still think it's stupid though.

Would it, though?

The chances of any gear list I write now being the same in November are about nil All I will say is that when it comes to travelling hundreds of miles to attend a bass bash, my motto is "go big, or go home"...

Easily solved...

Change of plan. Who TF glues in a bolt on neck? Decided to detach the neck, mostly in a fit of pique. I'm knackered. 2 hours of... persuasion using a Japanese saw, a chisel, a Stanley knife, a blow torch (to heat up the Japanese saw once I sawed as deep as I could) and raw brute force and ignorance. What a fscking mess Gonna have to clean that neck pocket out with the router, then probably build it back with veneer. Also, I think the neck's had it - it's too springy - the string change pitch if it leans on something under its own weight. This does not bode well for future tuning stability. On the plus side, I managed not to damage the top wood of the body

8th/9th Nov works for me

Get your stock one cloned. Either Brian Pillans (earlpilanz on eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/earlpilanz) or TinyTone - https://tinytone.co.uk/ will do this for you - you remove the pickguard from the bass, send the pickguard to them, they copy it in whatever material you want then send both of them back to you.

Still working the neck into shape, it's getting there. I wired a single pickup straight to the jack last night, so it made an electrical sound for the first time in many years! But what will delight some readers is that the extended stay outside has broken the Neutrik locking jack in the best way possible - it doesn't lock any more. Button still depresses and returns, but the jack is not held in place.

September 5th at Krakatoa...