Jono Bolton

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1426365186' post='2717438'] Which Gotoh did you try? The 201 is pretty similar to that style and available in gold if it's just for aesthetic reasons. [/quote] Yep, it was the 201 I tried and I didn't find it was much improvement over the standard BBOT and quickly moved it on.

I'm looking to swap the threaded saddle bridge on my bitsa P Bass for something big, heavy and preferably brass, like the one in the pic (borrowed from a thread in the For Sale section!). I've tried Badass and Gotoh in the past but I don't like the aesthetic, and I couldn't go a Babicz for the same reason; they're just too ugly IMO. Is there anyone who does big brass lumps like they used to make? Or sell second hand ones?

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1424006186' post='2691407'] Have you tried a shim at the side to see if it helps I would think if the neck moves it can't do the intonation any good [/quote] Not yet, but that was my next course of action unless someone else came up with a reason I may not have thought of. My thinking is that the tension of the D'Addarios when tuned to E is higher than that of the Newtones in C# (even though they're meant to be high tension strings). When the D'Addarios are at E the tension is helping to hold the neck firmly in place, this stopping any intonation issues. When the bass is tuned down to C# the lower tension allows the neck to move in the pocket this causing the intonation to be out, although I can't work out why it would just be on one string. A shim on either side of the neck will hopefully sort it out as the Peavey sounds great and suits my band's style better than the P Bass.

I'm having trouble intonating my Peavey Foundation when it's detuned to C# (all 4 strings down 3 semitones). The main issue is the 4th string (low E/C#). Even though the string is in tune, and it's intonated correctly at the 12th fret, it's quite out of tune between the 2nd - 8th frets. The 5th, which should be tuned the same as an open 3rd string, is about a quarter tone sharp. It's very noticeable. I don't have this problem when tuned to E standard. When I had the Peavey tuned to C#, I was using Newtone High Tension strings and when I tuned it to standard I had a set of D'Addarios on that came off my P Bass. The Newtones went on to the P Bass and had no problems with it. I don't know is that means it's down to the strings or not. The only other thing I think it could be is that the neck pocket it slightly too large for the heel of the neck. When I'm tuned to E the neck seems stable enough, but when I'm at C# there's certainly a bit of give and I can wiggle it ever so slightly side-to-side. Is that because of the reduced tension when the strings are tuned down? Any ideas what could be causing the intonation problems?

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1423127094' post='2680983'] Ah no - if you really like Squier basses, then it's not an "average goal" - just cos it doesn't have a big name on the headstock .... it's just that you realise just how good these basses are Me? I've got too many basses, and really love everything I have So I shouldn't be GASing at all at the moment .... But I keep thinking about ordering a Limelight P bass..... And quite fancy the Dee Dee Ramone Fender P signature they've just released Groan...... [/quote] That's true, the Matt Freeman is a great bass, not just "for the price" as a lot of reviews say. It could easily be a couple of hundred more and it'd still be worth it. Save yourself a few quid and get the Matt Freeman in Vintage White instead of the Dee Dee, doesn't look to be much difference between the two

I really want a Squier Matt Freeman in Vintage White to go with my black one. I have pretty average goals in life.

I had a problem with a rattling tuner, and a quick, firm squeeze with a pair of pliers where the clover leaf meets the stem sorted it right out.

A few new pictures of my bitsa P Bass. Not much has changed since the last pictures other than a bridge cover has been added, the Fender tuners have been replaced with Schallers and the scratchplate is black instead of tort (although I may change back). The Telebass neck is from Warmoth and is one of the best necks I've played; Jazz-width nut but very chunky front-to back.

I used a green pan scourer attached to a Black & Decker Mouse to knock back the gloss on my old Epiphone SG.

I've put some relief back in the neck; it's slightly less than business card thickness at the 8th fret but it's still more than I had before I straightened it out, so I guess I didn't have enough in the first place. My issue now is that my saddles are as low as they'll go on the E and G strings, but they are still quite high, and the intonation seems to be out in the middle of the neck. I guess now it's a three-way trade off between relief, string height and angle of the neck get it playing as well as it can.

How much relief is too much? There was quite a bit before I straightened it.

My Peavey Foundation buzzes quite a bit when I fret a note at the first fret. I thought it must be to do with the nut slots being too low, but I placed a couple of shims in under the nut to raise it and I'm still getting the same buzz. I had a slight bit of relief in the neck when I first noticed the buzz and I've just changed the strings and straightened the neck and it's still there. Does this sound like it's the frets that need dressed?