Chairleg

Is that any better? I aint the sharpest when it comes to technomonolgy

Sorry for the delay chaps. I managed to get this finished in January but this is the first opportunity I have had to post the results. I got the kit from DIY Guitar Shop ([url="http://www.diyguitarshop.co.uk"]http://www.diyguitarshop.co.uk[/url]) as a birthday present from my wife. At the time they were £130.00 + £13,00 p+p but they had an offer on and the p+p was free. It's currently the only bass they do and they tend to run out of these regularly. This is what you get: [b]BODY:[/b] Unfinished, unsealed, pre-drilled and pre-routed three piece Ash "Jazz" style with front arm and rear body comfort cuts [b]NECK:[/b] 34" scale 20 Fret Maple w/ Rosewood fingerboard, matched to body, with pre fitted truss rod, pre cut top nut, unshaped headstock with pre-drilled tuning machine holes, pearloid dot markers. 1.625" (41.2mm) top nut width (Not very thin for a 'Jazz. is it?) [b]PICKUPS:[/b] 2x Jazz bass style single coil [b]CONTROLS:[/b] Pre-wired 2x volume and 1x tone controls. Some soldering required. [b]TUNERS:[/b] 4 open type with ferrules and mounting screws [b]SCRATCHPLATE:[/b] Tortoise/W/B/W with mounting screws [b]HARDWARE:[/b] Chrome strap buttons, neck plate with screws,string tree. There is also a set of strings (not very nice at all) and some assembly instructions which benefit from an internet connection and/or advice from someone who knows what they are doing if, like me, you are a novice to guitar assembly and finishing. The kit requires a bit of woodwork (shaping the headstock and preparation for whatever finish you use) but the pre-cut pickup, control routs and neck pocket are accurate FOR THE SUPPLIED PARTS (more on that later). Everything went together well on a trial fit. So, after finding a template on the internet for the headstock shape (and having it cut by someone with the skills to do it) I started off by masking the fretboard and copper shielding the cavities. I used Danish oil ( 8 coats applied over 3 weeks ) and then, after leaving it to cure for another 2 weeks I started to use Carnauba wax to deepen the shine a bit. The headstock decal (and 'Sopwith' the camel) were applied before giving it a couple of very light coats of vintage tint nitrose. 3 more heavier coats were applied later. Final assembly was fairly straightforward but you do have to position and drill the screw holes for the tuners and the string tree, The neck fitted very well and the wiring was pretty easy to do. I hate those pickup adjustment springs so I opted to use foam instead although I realise it may need changing in future. A set of Ernie Balls (45-105) were fitted and I was ready to go. No output from the bridge pup. Bu66er! Checked the wiring but couldn't really find anything amiss. Luckily, I had a spare Wikinson JB bridge pup. Unluckily it didn't fit so, after a little work with the dremel I effected a working solution without too much bother. Bingo! I also had a cream pearloid scratchplate spare so I thought I would try to see if it fitted. No was the answer. The cut-out for the neck pup would need altering and some of the screw holes were not aligned (this was a scratchplate from a new Squier VM Jazz) so I stuck with the tort plate supplied with kit. Pictures: [u]https://picasaweb.google.com/111890033724158302297/JazzBuild[/u] The set up went rather well. The truss rod required adjustment but I only moved it 1/4 turn at a time and gave it a day between turns (no previous experience so caution was used) to settle down. The Intonation is now good and the action is fairly low with no rattles or buzzing at any position on the neck. The supplied neck pup is up to the job as is the Wilkinson at the bridge. The frets are tidy and the tuners seem to be holding very well. I have changed the control knobs as I am not very happy with the chrome knurled type, added an ebony thumb rest, pup covers and Schaller strap locks. Next job (play time/fiddling) is a Gotoh bridge and possibly a brass nut. As a relative newcomer to bass playing (30 year lay-off) I can't really give an informed opinion of it's performance and it's my first build so I may have not done some things in quite the right way. I also only have an Ashdown 100W combo to play through and nowhere to really turn it up for a good listen. I would readily let any local BC'r with the kit/knowledge have a go with it so I/we can find out if a) I have done a reasonable job and it was worth buying the kit in the first place. I have really enjoyed doing this project. The first time I plugged it in and heard it gave a great sense of satisfaction and achievement. If you haven't done one before, I can thoroughly recommend it. Regards, Mark.

Whoops! Got a bit waylaid with the update. I will take some photo's this week and put them up. There are a couple in my sig but I will endevour to do some decent ones. Mark.

Just met Scott and bought his OLP. Lovely bass and a thoroughly nice chap to do business with. He has also converted me to flatwounds. Thanks Scott.

Just bought a VM Jazz today. Well worth the money.

After going through my wallet and pockets and then having a damned good rummage down the sides of the sofa, I finally realised that I was still £1200 quid short of affording a new Fender VM Jazz. My GAS was so bad I seriously considered either selling my prized Miroku shotgun or offering my daughter up for medical experimentation. Then I realised that one of those choices was highly immoral......so I'm keeping the shotgun. This is not a review as I haven't even had it for 2 hours yet but my initial impression of this bass is positive, It's well put together, the finish is good (I got the natural version) and the just-out-of-the-box set up isn't very far from where I want it to be. I am letting it warm up a bit before I start fiddling with the intonation (the A string is just a tiny bit flat at the 12th) but the action is spot on for me. Being an inveterate tamperer though, I will be fitting a Babicz bridge, a thumb rest and black Jazz-style control knobs at a later date. Thanks to other BC'rs who have previously commented on the Squier VM models. Due to your helpful and honest views, I have now got a decent bass to carry on learning with, saved £1200 of hard-earned and my daughter is now safe from being sold (until I want an Alembic anyway). All the best, Mark.

Here's the Milan Ciz website: [url="http://www.cizguitars.com/?str=ofirme&lang=en"]Milan Ciz[/url]

Subscribed and added a couple of Jam tracks and 'Mr Jones' from Counting Crows. Very good idea this. Some stuff on the list that I hadn't even thought about trying. I think I am going to be busy for quite some time.

Some on here @ £9.00 + £2.00 p+p: http://www.chguitars.co.uk/

It started off pretty dire but got much, much better after 2:05.

I had one of these as my first bass in the 70's. Not bad as a starter bass. Streets ahead of the Sattelites amd Kays that were around then. The last one I saw for sale was up for £200.

I just read one of the supplier's description of goods/terms of sale and found this: [b][b]"In our factory, we made most of the guitar with mahogany. There are also some guitars are made maple. Other parts and small trucks have been imported from South Korea[/b][/b]"

I enjoyed that. All the best for the awards. I might even catch you at the Maze in February. Mark.

Could it be an early 'Roberts'? http://www.shop.roberts-guitars.co.uk/ Regards, Mark.

I bought Richards Ashdown 515 combo. Really nice piece of equipment and a thoroughly decent chap to do business with. Very happy with the transaction. Thanks Richard, Mark.

The one that started it all: http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx160/Wombatchops/General/Bass/Status/ I had to borrow the pictures from the web so, if they are yours, let me know if you want them taking down. No idea if it's been sold yet but it's up for £225. Mine cost me £65 in 1977 second hand. I believe it was made by Matsumoko (sp?). A really nice first bass.

My first deal on Basschat and my first meeting with a fellow BC'r. Will is a really nice chap and, apart from me almost having a major panic attack this morning after finding a loose tuner on the Bass I was handing over to him, everything went well. Thanks Will, I would definitley do another deal with you without hesitation. All the best, Mark.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1323874666' post='1468102'] Can we have a ban on slapping in general and Nigel Clutterbuck in particular? But keep it in London. At least if the show turns out to be crap there's still plenty of other things to see and do. Something that can't be said for the NEC. [/quote] Oh I Say! Steady on! Birmingham has some of the best..erm....finest.....most popular.......erm....well it's got the best 'Bull Ring' shopping centre in the whole of the UK. And, so I am lead to believe, the district known as Handsworth is one of the finest places in the world to be scared of on a Saturday night.

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1323856191' post='1467730'] I would love to go to this, but I'm well out of London - it just wouldn't work - can it go on tour? G. [/quote] Same here. Just priced up the mainline train travel, parking at the station, tube tickets, entrance tickets and factored in a very conservative budget of £20 for dinner/refreshments. I can't get it any lower than £176.90 for the wife and myself and that's without spending anything on gear. Stuff that, I will be ordering a set of Quarter pounders and a Gotoh 201 for my build project and still be a few quid better off (and have something to show for the outlay at the end). It may have been a different decision had it been held at the Birmingham NEC.