lowregisterhead

For some reason I quite like the curves and finish on this, despite the usual mount-pickups-in-huge-bit-of-metal-and-stick-on-top-of-sctratchplate-with-old-cooker-switches approach that you see all too often with 'custom' basses. Is the neck even original? [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wem-Sapphire-Custom-Bass-Guitar-Watkins-Wem-Wilson-Rapier-Bass-Guitar/251967214475"]http://www.ebay.co.u...ar/251967214475[/url]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1434190344' post='2797446'] Yes I know... only yesterday I was reading a thread somewhere about the possibility of making a clone... very interesting. I'm sure I've got a link to it somewhere... *rummages around* ...er, I think this is it... [url="http://music-electronics-forum.com/t15437/"]http://music-electro...rum.com/t15437/[/url] Looks like each string has two single-coil pickups contra-wound on separate bobbins to essentially create a humbucker for each string. No wonder Wal basses sound good. Though I think it has a lot to do with the tone circuit, too. [/quote] Looks complicated, but that's one way to preserve the electronics from being copied wholesale, I suppose. There was a Wal on eBay a while back that had been butchered and the pickups and circuitry and pickups replaced. If you're going to do that, why buy a Wal??

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1434189630' post='2797431'] Ahh... it looks fantastic! Choices, choices... some are inconsequential, yet others resonate through the years... Just thinking, a Ray with a Wal pickup?? That would be something. [/quote] It could well be, if you could find a Wal pickup. Wal certainly won't sell them separately!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1434186325' post='2797380'] I'd want that back, too. Is that a Wal pickup? [/quote] No, it's the original MM pickup, only I had the scratchplate removed and a surrounding ring made out of mirror arylic fitted when it was refinished from its original sunburst. When I found the bass in a run down music shop in Edinburgh in 1981, the original bridge was way out of alignment and it was virtually unplayable. To this day I don't know how it found its way out of the Musicman factory and over here in that condition - the neck, body and pocket were all fine, just the bridge was about 5mm south of where it should have been. The shop owner wanted rid of it, so he let me have it for £250 IIRC. As part of the refinish, I had a Schaller bridge and a brass nut fitted. It was an amazing bass, but I couldn't pay the rent one month, and I had to let it go. I regret it to this day!

I keep a detailed list of all the basses I've owned over the last 40 years of playing (jeez, is it really [i]that[/i] long??) and I'm amazed/ashamed to admit it's just hit triple figures... not showing off, as I clearly have a bit of an issue with buying instruments, but despite being a complete bass tart, one that's stuck with me is an early Lakland DJ5 I picked up second hand about 5 years ago. It was comfy, played beautifully, and everything was in the right place, so I fitted a John East J-Retro and Delano pickups, and it's just fabulous. I still continue to buy basses and move them on, but keeping and going back to one bass for this long is exceptional, for me anyway! The one I wish I still had is this - I sold to a guy called Phil Winter in 1985. If anyone knows him or its whereabouts, please do let me know! [URL=http://s1141.photobucket.com/user/lowwregisterhead/media/WhitePEBStingray2_zpsfdx9ybah.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n588/lowwregisterhead/WhitePEBStingray2_zpsfdx9ybah.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1433227506' post='2788982'] You could rest the head of your bass on your music stand [/quote] ...or on the drummer's head...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1432466234' post='2781671'] That's what I said to the current mrs discreet. [/quote] I thought Trolls lived under brid... oh, I see.

I don't have a particular problem with relicing in itself, as long as there's some logic to it. The top horn, fair enough. The centre and end top edges, OK. Behind the pickups, fine. But WTF happened under the bridge??

Despite the spelling mistakes, it's a lovely bass, and I like his patter! Somebody should buy this. The bus fare home for me could be rather expensive, so I'll do him a favour and pass... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kieth-Roskoe-5-string-bass-/291473882762?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

Someone will love them. My first ever amp and cab were re-covered with yellow padded vinyl, and they were ace! For a while, anyway...

That's always the chance you take... lend some gear out, and it comes back sounding better. Result!

Sorry, but that is utterly grotesque! Real blood? I wonder if he had to get a special import licence for animal products??

Nice clear photographs - but why didn't he take 5 minutes to give it a quick clean??

Thanks for all the input, folks. Perhaps the nut material isn't such a big issue after all! I personally like the look of brass, but what do I know?

As a follow-up to my recent thread about dead spots, what do the BC readership think is the difference, if any, of different types of nut material? Does it matter if its plastic, bone, brass, aluminium or graphite? Does it affect the tone, sustain etc., and if so how? Does it affect just the open strings, or does it go further than that? I'd appreciate any input!