Jean-Luc Pickguard

Only Women Bleed — Alice Cooper

That's a bit of a bargain. I though I got a bargain recently with a Mex Fender replacement neck from amazon at over five times this price. If only the Sire headstock wasn't such a munter.

In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) — Zager & Evans

These only work with tuners that have screw-in bushings as opposed to push-in bushings don't they? I'd probably try one if I had a bass thay'd work with, but I believe the issue they fix can also be resolved by leaving the cut string long enough to ensure that the number of winds around the post is sufficient to push the last wind as close to the wood of the headstock as possible.

I can see the point of a new mix/master if tracks were mastered for vinyl and the remastering improves how it sounds keeping the vibe of the original. For me, the PF's Animals '18 remix sounds more detailed as if it was painted with smaller brush strokes. Nothing has been made too prominent at the expense of anything else, but the '25 RL Trouble master sounds like every instrument is trying to be more upfront than everything else making it sound cluttered and fatiguing to listen to. One album that genuinely baffles me though is the stooges' raw power. I have a few versions of this album and all sound a bit like they were mixed/mastered by someone with cotton wool in their ears. The original mix sounds like there's a blanket over the speakers, the 1997 mix sounds like its being played too loud through speakers with ripped cones, and there's a 'legacy' version which sounds like the guitars are in another room with the door closed.

Just tried listening to the new 20th anniverary remaster (was it really released that long ago?) of Trouble by Ray Lamontagne. The only way I can describe it compared to the original CD is that if it was a photo, it has had the colour saturation turned up to make it resemble a cartoon version of the original with all the instruments clumsily fighting for attention. Some things should be left alone. Its not that I don't like change — I really like the 2018 remix of Pink Floyd's Animals which is a joy to listen to.

My Ding-a-Ling — Dave Bartholomew

The Burning of The Midnight Lamb — The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Dirty Work — Steely Dan

It arrived earlier. I didn't notice it at the time but it looks like a Jazz bass neck with a precision decal from the front, but does actually turn into a telecaster guitar neck when I observe it from the back. I don't know how it does this, but I think it is warping spacetime — It gets several inches shorter and the number of holes in the headstock changes. I'm afraid to fit it now.

Getting Alder — Billie Eilish

Rocket Man — Reg

It has mounting screw holes in the heel & tuner screw holes but doesn't have a hole for the string tree. Weird When I take off the fretless neck, before storing it should I do anything like adjust the truss rod to ensure it is dead straight or doesn't it matter?

Yep - its just a Jazz neck with a Fender Precision Decal. It has just arrived and looks perfect. I'm not going to be able to fit it for a while though.

You Take Me For Granite — Betty Davis

'A' Bomb In Sesame Street — The Jam

Amazon is currently selling the Fender maple Precision to Jazz conversion neck for £211. At that price it was rude not to take advantage and buy one to convert my 20+ year old bitzer from a beautiful unlined fretless into something I could actually play without causing people to grimace. The neck is coming tomorrow, but I wondered if anyone knows what tuners it is drilled for? I think I have a spare set of the hipshot lollipops that come with JMJ & vintera 1 mustangs, plus a set of big 70's style hipshot lollipops — I hope either of those sets will fit without needing to redrill as it will save me tens of minutes. The bass currently has an unbranded generic alnico pickup in it which sounds fine, but I know I'm likely to want to get an EMG Geezer for it. Do the frets typically need much fettling with these replacement necks? If so I can take it to the Gallery (or more locally, Feline in Croydon) but it would be nice if it is fine out of the box.

One Of My Turns — Pink Floyd

Cold And Ugly — Tool

Debaser — Pixies

Naughty Boy — Jackie Day

Pizza Pie Man — Roosevelt Grier

I have it. A lot of the time I don't notice it, but it is always there. When I'm particularly stressed it can get pretty bad which makes a kind of feedback loop with my stress levels.

I'm not sure which of my basses is 'the best' but I tend to take a couple of my JMJ mustangs to gigs as they sound great, are easy & comfy to play, and I probably wouldn't notice if they picked up a ding or two. My Ric 4003 and Gibson non-reverse thunderbird would probably be considered better basses by some, but I'd be gutted to get either one dinged.