miles'tone

Ooo, never seen a white one before. V.Nice! Glad it all worked out ok for you.

[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1431367025' post='2770583'] Part of the issue with standard VVT wiring is that when both pups are fully 'on' the pickup impedances interact with each other. As you back one pup off this introduces a resistance between the pups and the interaction/loading stops. This all happens in the first few degrees of turning the pot and the overall effect is that the sound seems to 'switch' to the dominant pickup with very little blend in between. However, there ARE loads of useful blended sounds in this very small area. Once you get used to the idea that you just need to move the pot a tiny amount you will start hearing lots of different tones. This is where the 'sweet spots' are. Here's a trick worth trying - instead of having both vols fully open, back them both off very slightly. This introduces some resistance between them and stops them interacting. Use this as your start point and you should find that backing each vol off further will result in a slightly more smooth change in tone. Another way of preventing the pickup impedances interacting is to wire a small resistor (eg. 25k) in series between the hot wire from each pickup and their respective pots. This effectively does the same thing as backing both vols off a touch. If all that sounds too fiddly and doesn't do what you expect then go active and get a buffered blend! Personally I like the subtleties and slight quirkiness of a VVT configuration. It lets the full character of each pickup come through. A blend pot can sound a bit bland in comparison. But in the end, as with everything to do with tone, it's very personal and down to what works for you. [/quote] Excellent post there, nice one 👍. I will try this next time I have a go on a Jazz (sold mine a long time ago).

I had the same problem. It's got to be a myth. The answer would be to install linear taper pots and ditch the standard audio taper. Linears give a clean sweep of volume for the entire turn of the knob. God knows why Fender don't use them, it's not like they cost anymore.

If I were you I'd take a leaf out of Ed Friedland's book. Cake AND eat it . http://www.edfriedland.com/equipment/1/65

My P bass came with passive batteries which must be the best ever as they last for AGES. 5 years old now and never had to change them yet! 😯

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1431252278' post='2769145'] +1 This. The basses you already have are likely to be way more than good enough for 99% of bass players. You say you don't want to be endlessly trading basses, so don't. Concentrate instead on your playing. Over the last few years I've been distracted by GAS and gear and ultimately I've learnt that most gear is really pretty good when it comes down to playing in the real world and any difference in 'tone' or 'quality' promoted by various manufacturers is basically down to marketing and is largely subjective, so don't get hung up over it. Having said that I do like seeing what's available and occasionally flip basses and rigs, but you have to enjoy the process and enter into it with your eyes open, or it just becomes a tedious ordeal where you end up back at square one a few thousand quid lighter! [/quote] Ain't that the truth!

[quote name='GregBass' timestamp='1430473132' post='2761704'] One further consideration is whether you use a Hipshot Xtender for drop tunings. I have found that standard Fender plastic nuts reliably change to the correct pitch, brass nuts don't. [/quote] A good scribble in the nut slots with a soft graphite pencil should lube that nicely for you. Fnarr.

It certainly ticks all my boxes, congrats man. Best colour ever.

[quote name='darren' timestamp='1430250001' post='2759578'] This guy is not convinced about the whole tone wood thing. Interesting video. http://youtu.be/mVmFlzksMCE [/quote] Very interesting video. I like that guy, found his weariness of it all pretty funny in a weird kind of Bill Hicks way. He just multiplied my Squier smugness by about tenfold too

I would write about the player you personally feel the most passionate about, whoever that may be . I'd imagine your writing will be at it's most engaging that way.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1430077816' post='2757812'] Thanks, I'll suggest it. Don't see why not! Thanks Lozz! This is only leaving my possession when I've shuffled off this mortal coil and joined the choir invisible! Makes you think though, doesn't it? This bass will outlive me. I wonder if it will become hundreds of years old, like an orchestral instrument? [/quote] Interesting thought! Considering how fragile carved orchestral instruments are, I would imagine that a good solid Fender could last alot longer. Wowzers...

I had Rotosound Swing 66 110-50 on a jazz bass for DGCF. Did the job fantastically. No rattles or buzzes. They seemed to last longer downtuned than normal too.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1429826604' post='2755449'] Go to 4:50 [media]http://youtu.be/NsDbh0buYHE[/media] [/quote] That really is excellent advice.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Official-Sony-MDR-NC31E-Black-Digital-Noise-Cancelling-Ear-Headphones-Earphones-/271648358791 I use these and they sound great. Good for you because they cut out background noise well so you can look after your ears by not needing the volume cranked to get a good listening experience. Good for them for the same reasons. These buds work a bit like studio closed back cans. They do work with other mp3 devices by the way.

I love a happy ending It's a beautiful bass, love how the colour has aged. Congratulations!

I bought a Tony Butler pickguard from my local jhs dealer to go on my oldblack Vintage V4.. It didn't fit. At all. Screw holes, neck pocket, nothing!

Roll back the bass a bit on the amp, boost the mids a bit more, adjust master volume accordingly and play with a pick near to the bridge. Boom! 💥

A series/parallel switch mod. That's what the S1 switch was on some noughties Fender Jazzes. Cheap mod that when in series will give you the oomph of a P bass.

I've never had a noisy P bass at all. As long as the earth wire from the bridge to the back of a pot is soldered effectively, that should be all that's required. (I was told this by Sims Customs actually when I was ordering a '64 P body and asked what they recommend for shielding. They said they don't, even on their own builds as it doesn't matter on a passive bass. As long as said bridge to pot wire is connected.. It did surprise me at the time but so far no probs on my last two P's, one of which I put together myself).

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1429522121' post='2752138'] I think so... type of pickups, electronics and pickup placement. And strings. If you really want to change the sound of an existing bass, just fit different strings. I think a lot of perceived problems with 'tone' are down to string choice. [/quote] Yup.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1429219732' post='2749496'] Thank you, sir... [url="http://www.mediafire.com/listen/2etec8s3kxniqi2/Civilisation.mp3"]here[/url] is a recording of our opening number taken from the desk at last night's gig - it's a bit rough all round, but hopefully you can hear the lovely warm bounce it has... I wasn't sure it would be suitable for rock/indie/blues-type music, but it is, in my opinion. Though you can't quite EQ out the very last of Marcus, so it still has a trace of that Jazz growl in it! [/quote] Nicely done! Great to hear it in a true gigging context. Held it's place in the mix with authority there. Very Marcus the bass may be but I can hear the tone you have there would be killer for a Led Zep Heartbreaker kinda vibe also. I'm just going to have to sit this out until later on this year and see how the Sire story unfolds. If the second batch matches up to this first run and the price stays the same then it's looking pretty inevitable that I'll be having one of the fivers. (Just having a career change, looking for work, blah blah blah..)

Stop it, all of you! I really have to stop reading this thread.. 🙈🙉🙊

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1429135610' post='2748504'] I've almost always favoured J's over P's and a few years back acquired my 'dream' bass - a '63J in sea foam green. All original apart from being Refinished in the 70's but my local luthier thinks it was originally sea foam. It now has dings, cigarette burn marks, fading where stickers have been on it etc. Very dark rosewood board and a neck to die for, certain the nicest Fender J neck I've ever played. The day it arrived a certain Paul Turner happened to pop round to drop something off and promptly borrowed it for a week He proclaimed it might just have a better slap tone than his beloved '66 J! I've gigged it a few times, rehearsed it a lot but never recorded it. The sad thing is that a long term neck problem means I'm regularly struggling to play 34" scale basses so it may well have to go at some point. It's increased in value a little each year that I've owned it which kinda justifies keeping it but it just seems a shame that it's not out gigging regularly so maybe it'll finally go this year [/quote] Wow she's a beaut! 👍

Looks like Sonic blue to me. Paler than Daphne.

Used to have Elites flats on my '80s Stingray with mutes. Sounded amazing and the tension was just right for playing over the pickup.