Jean-Luc Pickguard

Or if you like gambling with your safety: http://makeprojects.com/Project/Custom-Fit-Earbuds/199/

For a short-lived feeling of gratification followed by guilt & self-loathing, there's nothing like buying a new bass when skint. Even though its not an expensive one, I hope I'm not going to regret this. I could sell one of the old ones I s'pose. I don't need a new bass and it doesn't really do anything my others don't already do, but it's a bit of a looker. Anyone who has noticed my taste in basses should be able to guess quite easily what I have incoming.

It looks like the chromes are for up to 32" scale length, so like the Thomastik TI JF 324 there *may* the risk that they'll be too long for a musicmaster - unless anyone knows better. The GHS brite flats are ground-down roundwounds (ugh!), so it looks like I'll have to see what the GHS 3020 L set are like.

Don't the hofners have a bit of a gap between the bridge & tailpiece - I always thought they would suit 32" strings like the mustang. Anyone know about Daddario chromes or GHS Flats or Brite Flats? Any good?

The mustang is string-thru, the musicmaster isn't, so the mustang can use 32" strings but they'd be too long for the musicmaster and will break at the tuner. If I could use 32" strings I'd just bung on my spare set of TIs, but I need 30" ones.

Obviously from a squier telebass with a fake logo added.

I'm sure we all love a nice thread about flatwounds, so here's another one, but specifically short scale ones. I love my thomastik flatties on my precisions (TI JF344) & mustang (TI JF324), but the 32" 324 set is too long for my 30" scale musicmaster or similar basses. In the past I've had rotosound flats on it but they were rubbish - the individual strings didn't sound or feel like they were part of the same set, so I'm not interested in them. LaBella were better, but I think I had to use the G from a long scale set as the short scale one wasn't long enough - which was odd. a bit of a shame as the Danelectro-specific LaBellas I have on my longhorn are great. It looks like my main options (looking at Thomann) are Chromes or GHS - 3070 / 3020, so what are they like? Daddario ECB81S Chromes @ £23.90 045-065-080-100 GHS 3070 R Brite Flats @ £18.13 049-062-084-108 GHS 3020 @ £19.70 045-060-075-095 Any experiences of these or other flatwound strings suitable for a 30" scale Fender musicmaster bass?

get whichever one is right for you

Someone has pointed out Vic gets a round of applause for no obvious reason in the first video. It all becomes clear if you find the video of the same event taken from another angle. He was actually providing background music for a monkey juggling on a unicycle.

Are they the ones with the headstock that looks a bit like a foot?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1325979797' post='1490771'] And why does it have [i]two [/i]string trees? [/quote] Often when I've seen an extra one added, it was an ill-advised fix for a problem caused by the owner not knowing how to put strings on properly where the string exits nearer the top of post rather than the bottom, the angle over the nut is to shallow & the string doesn't sit so tight over it.

I must admit I took one look at the pic and thought 'that'll never work'. it looks like someone tried to solve the wrong problem - if you want a loop to anchor the plec to your finger, the loop should be solidy attached to the plec. Perhaps the designer should have come up with a plec with the Heath Robinson / rube Goldberg bits integral to it - like a thumbpick or a variation of one. This contraption looks daft. doesn't the bassist in the hamsters use a thumbpick as he has a hand problem?

A genuine 1978 - 81 would have a 'big F' Neckplate & black plastic neckplate cushion thingy. The body would have holes for a chrome bridge cover. The pickguard would not have the truss rod cutaway - just a small crescent & it would have pickup cover & finger rest screwholes. That is a colour I've never seen on a Precison of that period. Decal looks similar to my '81. If the neck is genuine I suspect that it may be the only bit that is.

[quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1325778798' post='1487542'] ...and here is the Photographic evidence... [/quote] I think I saw this on the "what I found in the canal' thread. Between the shredded lorry tyre and the tesco trolley

Discovered the punchy sound and easy-playing short-scalyness of Fender mustangs?

Is it a fender, but in a slightly different shade of sunburst?

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1325357205' post='1482539'] [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]...[/font][/color][/size][size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]but Nordstrand pickups seem to be the ones generating the buzz these days.[/font][/color][/size] [/quote] Probably need shielding (sorry - couldn't resist!)

Three options:[list=1] [*]Get a keyboard player [*]Do your own version of the song with an arrangement that doesn't need keyboards [*]just put the CD on & mime to it as once you use a backing track it becomes karaoke anyway. [/list]

Is it worth putting a custom-made neck on a (probably) plywood body?

[quote name='pantherairsoft' timestamp='1325266829' post='1481572'] Yup. Over the back gate or in the bin have both happened to me, then the driver was kind enough to sign for it on my behalf - how kind. [/quote] I've had both of those as well. One package was delivered into the bin on bin day, just before the truck came around and another was lobbed over the gate and only discovered in a soggy state after three days of torrential rain.

You don't need to go to a pro for a good set up. Its definitely worth learning how as you can experiment with your ideal setup and make seasonal adjustments. There is probably a basschatter near you who does their own setups (probably a lot better than some shops) who would be happy to sort you bass out & show you how to do it for a pint or two.

The cash converters website currently lists a 1975 Thinline Tele for £600, but is an obvious fake. They've reduced it from £1000, and £600 would be very cheap for a real one, so I wonder whether they know it's fishy.

reminds me of the '1970s musicmaster bass' I saw for sale in denmark street not long ago which was mostly squier bronco. The neck was the only bit that was from a 70s musicmaster but that had been smashed & glued together badly.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1324938970' post='1478676'] I'm sure the Ernie Ball forum would give you all the advice you need on upgrading their bridges [/quote] +1 definitely worth asking there they'll know

I received a les-paul type guitar from an ebay seller wrapped in not much more than clingfilm. I was convinced the headstock would be dangling when I unwrapped it, but surprisingly it was intact.