Leon Transaxle

[quote name='BabuHS' timestamp='1327415222' post='1510832'] I have an Edwards Les Paul which I play a lot through my Hartke HyDrive combo, actually sounds great! Has a really dark sound to it, and distortion works very nicely through it. Best not to try playing a bass through a guitar amp though, I've seen damage done that way and it isn't pretty... [/quote]But it sounds really good as the driver starts to break up right up to the point that it splits apart completely.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Dillion-DRKB-04-Electric-4-String-Bass-Guitar-w-Custom-Case-Bag-Classic-/220948606361?pt=Guitar&hash=item3371902d99#ht_1011wt_952"]http://www.ebay.co.u...9#ht_1011wt_952[/url] and the seller is in the US. I'm sure the headstock will fool no one.

I'd like to resurrect this thread to say that my first bass was the short scale Satellite as well, probably from late '80 (The first thing I learnt to play was Enola Gay). And our guitarist had a Kay Black Les Paul, which he later [i]upgraded [/i]to a Hondo II Strat. Haven't managed to find a picture of the bass but it was effectively the bass version of this (minus the whammy arm). Above all I remember the slidey pickup selectors which a) got turned off bloody hurt when hit during periods of inexpert and over enthusiastic pick action.

[quote name='Mokl' timestamp='1328533148' post='1528522'] I think I might start a thread questioning the ethics of Squier pricing. I mean, come on, how can they sell them for so little? [/quote] You may or not be saying this in jest but above all other areas [b]this[/b] is where ethics coem into play.

Go used! I was that close (imagine gesture with finger and thumb) from getting a Modern Player then ended up buying an almost immaculate MIM deluxe P Special for about the same as the Jag and fifty notes less than the MP T or J. And its a P with a J neck for my little hands! Still want the MP Tele though.

[quote name='leftyhook' timestamp='1327799640' post='1517105'] true...... the thread is getting a response. My flippancy probably stems from days gone by when coming across a left-handed bass was as rare as hen's teeth, so we had to take anything, or play upside down etc. as you were chaps! [/quote][quote name='leftyhook' timestamp='1327799640' post='1517105'] My flippancy probably stems from days gone by when coming across a left-handed bass was as rare as hen's teeth, so we had to take anything, or play upside down etc. [/quote] I just taught myself to play right-handed. Did a couple of 'unplugged' gigs with two other lefties on guitars. One had a left-handed guitar, one played a right-handed guitar upside down but still strung as a right hander (ie with the thinnest string nearest the ceiling) and the strap button on the smaller horn (al la Hendrix) and I played normally. Despite all being lefties none of us could play each others instruments standing up..

I suppose someone, somewhere wants a wammy arm on their bass! [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aria-Pro-2-BASS-guitar-customised-tremolo-arm-/110818114918?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item19cd463d66#ht_500wt_1202"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aria-Pro-2-BASS-guitar-customised-tremolo-arm-/110818114918?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item19cd463d66#ht_500wt_1202[/url]

Hi, I'm new to this thread. There are a Fireglo and Jetglo Rockinbetter on the Cash Coverters auction site at the moment supposedly in 'Brand new' condition for three hundred quid each. Is this a reasonable price?

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1319636247' post='1416700'] I bought a jetglo as it was the one I thought best out of the common finishes. I ideally wanted a white one (well actually a Chris Squire sig model but my financial common sense wouldn't allow it ). Come to think of it is there a proper name for white in ricspeak? Love it if it was 'albinoglo'. [/quote] You could simply get a Jetglo then invert all photographs taken in photoshop before viewing - Instantly white (although admittedly with an interesting cyan skin tone)

Hi, I recently bought a Deluxe P Special from a fellow BCer the other day so now I need to thin down my collection to make space and raise the necessary funds. My original thinking was to get rid of three and then possibly go for one of the Retrovibe Rickenfakers knocking around on BC at the moment. So, last night, I got the condemned three together to weigh and photograph prior to putting them on BC and realised that one of them must stay. The one in question being a Vnitage EST96 Stingray-a-like. I bought it form ebay from someone getting rid of stuff on behalf of a relative but didn't really know much about it. I only really got it because it was the Born to Run Telecaster of the bass world - Natural body, black plate and maple board. The black marks that defaced it on the original ebay photographs turned out to be marker pen and came off with isopropyl injection swabs. The strings were rubbish; old and actually rusty in place so I fitted a set of Elixer I had kicking about that I got free in some magazine promotion a little while before. There was a blog of blu-tack on one of the machine head which buzzed horrendously when removed. This was sorted with a minor blob of epoxy - no buzz now, and they hold tune beautifully. The action is fantastic. Really low. No sign of buzz. Apart from a couple of exceedingly minor dings the body is great too. But I was never really happy with the sound. It seemed rather quiet when compared to my trusty old westone Thunder 1. The Westone is passive the Vintage is active so I was expecting more. As the mid EQ pot was crackly I decided to take the plate of and give the contacts a clean. Inside it looks like a new volume pot has been added at some point (the pot is bigger than the others and the cavity looks like it has been roughly filed out to fit it in). Despite my best efforts with Supersol the pot remained crackly so I have decided to replace the whole EQ/volume section lock, stock etc. So for starters at a princely sum of £9 I shall try a 3 band EQ from flea-bay and se what transpires. Not sure how good the pickup is as I don't know whether the disapointing sound was related to the electronics of the pickup. I'm not sure the age of the bass (but I don't imagine its a spring chicken) so I don't know if the spec has changed in recent years. Recent models have 'Wilkinson' printed on the pickup; this doesn't. SO what do you modders out there reckon I could do to this? I was thinking of a serial/parallel/single coil microswitch. I have circuit diagrams but does anyone have any advice or pitfalls to look out for? Bearing in mind I don't have unlimited resources where could I go with the EQ and pickups? What I was thinking was I have the P bass special newly fitted with Picato flats, I have Fender flats on the Westone but am thinking of trying the Status half wounds. So really this will be fitted with rounds for the brighter stuff that needs a bit of zing. Musically I play a mixed bag of stuff but no slapping. I tend to use a pick more often than not (dexterity issues - I am cack handed but lefties were like hens teeth and hideously expensive when I started to play so I taught myself to play right handed). Over to you and thanks.

[quote name='norvegicusbass' timestamp='1325087639' post='1479685'] Well my first set of flats came (Fender Stainless Steel 9050CL .45-.105 ) and I fitted them right away. Happy with the feel under the fingers but still a tad zingy. Does this fade with time? I am sure strings like this must mellow over a few weeks. [/quote] Certainly no zing left in my Fenders! But I suppose two years down the road that's not unexpected.

Or as my daughter recently worked out. Order various sizes or order three very similar items to try on. This then takes you over the minimum price for free delivery then return the unwanted items. Tried out in the comfort of home and free delivery. Doesn't work all the time but works ore times than it doesn't. I'll also give a belated vote for Strings Direct. Ordered my Picato flats twenty past two yesterday and they were waiting on the mat when I got in from work tonight - which is particularly excellent when Hereford post usually runs a couple of days behind the rest of the civilised world. ... and only £17.95 with free delivery. I'll still give Staus half wounds a go soon though

Hi, I have skim read a lot, but not all, of this thread so apologies for any repetition. There is a fundamental disconnect between ethics and the cost of what constitutes luxury items. You can associate ethics with cost for essential items such as bread, milk, water, electricity; anything where an inflated price, be it arfificial or real, would cause genuine hardship for those most in need. A high end bass guitar does not fall into this category. In a fair society basic staples should be available for everyone; this does not etend to the right to a meal in a MIchelin star restaurant. And really this is where ethics end with relation to these high end instruments. As has been said several times before ethics is a far more pertinent thing to consider in relation to the work conditions of low cost instruments. As for all other high end goods the market will decide what it wants to pay. If something is genuinely overpriced it will not sell. Ocasionally someone with more money than sense will come along but sooner or later reality bites. Basically to buy from a one=man band luthier is the most ethical way to purchase a bass. The lower the price point the poorer those manufacturing the instrument will have been paid and possibly the poorer they will have been treated. You need to look no further than the cost stratification of Fender products to demonstrate this. From Custom shop to MIA to MIM to the latest China made Modern Players. Although not specifically talking about basses I read an article today in a gutiar magazine that Guild acoustic requires 30 man hours in actual manufacture alone. This is on top of drying time etc. So lets say a skilled worker gets paid ten quid an hour. That's £300 in labour costs alone. Now the wood used is aged on site for two years so that means significant square footage dedicated to a huge pile of wood alone. The time taken is reduced to 30 hours by utilising highly specialist and very expensive equipment like CNC machines, laser cutters etc. There is a balance here. You could dispense with the expensive equipment and spend more time making the instrument. One way or another it is money going out either in wages or paying of the loan to buy or lease the equipment. Maybe the OP should take a trip through the build diaries affiliates market to get an idea of the work involved. I found RIM basses highly informative.

Just bought Pete's MIM P-Bass special. Very nice bass. Excellent communication. Very helpful. Thoroughly recommended.

Had I not been in the process of buying Xzodar's P based special and had a bit more time I would have given them both a try. The review I read was a little different. The P has a dirtier sound than usual. The J is quite jazz but with a bit of precision thrown in.

[quote name='mckendrick' timestamp='1327279168' post='1508891'] It'll be one of these... it's close... [/quote] So which are correct for a jazz bass? Blocks or dots? Personally I think five strings are wrong too.

So what about this one? [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pickguard-Fender-P-Precision-Bass-Belt-Chains-New-/320824849661?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item4ab2a6b4fd#ht_1783wt_952"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pickguard-Fender-P-Precision-Bass-Belt-Chains-New-/320824849661?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item4ab2a6b4fd#ht_1783wt_952[/url]

Hi, If anyone is looking for a Blacktop I was in Trevor Durrant's guitar shop in Colchester today and hanging on the wall is a new but slightly marked Blacktop Jazz and a similar condition Blacktop Precision for £419 each (as well as a new Squier 70;s Jazz in natural for £249)

Tidy! (Well someone had to do it!)

Another vote for Reaper. Cost me £38 the other week at current exchange rates. Minor updates are released all the time. Its gone from 4.12 to 4.15 since I've been using it. There is however quite a learning curve (even if you're used to Cubase). It probably does it, but it just does it slightly differently sometimes.

Any left now?