PlungerModerno

Promising - There will always be some internal stresses in the wood - hence wood will always tend to shift when dimensioned / redimensioned. With solid glue joins like the ones you've put on those surfaces you should be golden for the forseeable future. You'll know pretty quickly (or as soon as it is strung up & tuned)

+1 to it looking enormous! I thought it was going to be a standard body blank with a huge ply panel or plastic sheet on the front. The reality is much, much worse. I guess this means one can play it like an upright - It doesn't need a end pin with that length of body. Probably the only way to play it without a second person supporting the end (or chaining the headstock to the stage).

Strange - a mix of what looks like careful inlay work, good quality joinery, and a minging design makes it all worthless - well worth less than a more attractive design! I think the tuners are fine, it's just the 1st string is wrapped around the tuner backwards (G string will tune backwards with the same tuner as the D string - unless one is a reverse thread!).

Yowza! That's quite a selection of long grain with gentle curves (in the fingerboard particularly).

I thought that flame maple tended to be softer & less dense than most non-figured planks? Can't remember where I picked that up from though! At any rate the neck wood grain is fairly sensible (not obviously deviating from roughly straight grain from what I can see) so the bass will probably be as good in another 30+ years if it's taken care of. Not sure if it represents decent value at that price considering what's out there on the used market.

[quote name='roman_sub' timestamp='1461856178' post='3038265'] maybe he does have the bass but came to it via "unusual" circumstances. [/quote] +1 a real possibility. Perhaps the "former" owner is not active on the internet, or not able to "attract attention" to the sale lest "attention" fall onto himself!

Aren't the Lakland 5er's 35" scale? The Sire's are all 34" scale according to the sire website. Also most of the Sire offerings feature a pair of single coil pickups - 55-01's come with soapbars if I'm not mistaken, probably dual coils.

I like the sides - and the binding is alright! Not so keen on the inlays but I can appreciate all the detailed work on them.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1461686392' post='3036768'] Never seen tuners in this configuration before - I quite like this. [/quote] +1 to it being unusual - It's a 2L 2R arrangement but instead of placing them symmetrically like a guild: The holes are drilled like a classic Stingray: But a lefty: But the A tuner is on the wrong side: The bass still looks decent however!

[quote name='Jebo1' timestamp='1461662536' post='3036473'] I'd suggest buying a genuine vintage instrument, not a limited edition reissue. Personally, I have about the same amount of money in my instrument collection as I do in my personal pension (work one is slightly different). [/quote] +1 - buy a vintage instrument, all original if possible, and get the paperwork to back it up (including pictures of all stamps and serials and emails etc. with someone who can authenticate the overall instrument and the components). [quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1461708406' post='3037090'] The thing with vintage instruments is most people listen with their eyes and not their ears... [/quote] So true. I'd say a guitar or bass will be worth more with an attractive grain pattern in the wood or a really well aged paint job than one with perfect playabiltiy or a set of "perfect" pickups or electronics but with less lovely looking woods or badly preserved finish. For an example think an old alembic with noisy but functional electronics vs. one of a similar vintage with great electronics but much less exquisite wood facings.

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1451249042' post='2939114'] The copies all come and go and are fashionable for a while but Fender remains as the standard pro instrument. [/quote] +1 - It was and is the standard, but given the diversity within the fender precision range over the years it's hardly a single thing - more like rough outline. With the exception of a very few instruments that have a distinctly different voicing - e.g. the fender precision elite from the 80's - the "Precision" name and concept for bassists has more to do with the sound IMO than the actual brand or even the pickups, setup etc used to achieve it. Hence why a fan fret 6 string with active electronics can sound very much "like a P bass" in the right hands.

That looks very promising!

Not Terrible - but is very much "Person who likes basses & woodworking, but never learned guitar setup or guitar building - or how to play bass before building one". It's got a number of issues, assuming the truss rod & other hardware is on right, and the wood grain is good (looks like quarter sawn or almost quarter sawn maple in the neck for example) - it could be put right. +1 to you Luulox - the headstock is just messy - needs to be stripped back, holes filled, and done right from scratch. I'm not sure spectoremg, I think given the choice of pickups, the flat or near flat fretboard radius, and extremely awkward tuner arrangement (like the Sandberg 5er's G tuners, see below) I think it was a 4 from the start - but without the knowledge to execute it properly. I agree The neck is too wide or the strings are too close together. P.S. I hate tuners that angle away from the player! I can cope with it on fender 4 in-line style headstocks because I'm used to it now.

[quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1460935244' post='3030004'] You have plenty of Basses, buy a synth instead [/quote] +1 this is not a bad idea. Look at your whole setup - from fingers to speakers (everything from lessons to speaker cabinets should be considered when pouring money into the bass playing thingy in my opinion). When it comes to actual basses on their own: I'd try playing basses - ones you'd normally not look at, or consider playing (e.g. those well outside your typical tastes, or price range). You may surprise yourself! I'd also consider a custom build - with a £1,500 budget you could get quite a few features (e.g. a fan fret with Stinray like electronics?). Personally I'd look at ACG, Status Graphite and some others with great reputations.

Not my personal favourite finish (I'm not a fan of the team in question, so no surprises there!) - but it's a big improvement on the stock finish. It would have been nicer left flat black than covered in that "glitter" finish.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1460935558' post='3030007'] I do like that - too bad it's on such a dull guitar. [/quote] +1 - It would suit a V or an Explorer shape a lot more. They also should have gone with something more "unique" with the pickup covers. EDIT: Just took another look - those control knobs look 'orrible against the stained wood top.

Come on guys! This is a steal! And for an investment - you don't get surer than cash on collection!

Those pictures are a little painful to look at. Gonna need a lot of glue and some prizing time! I hope the glue used reacts well to steam - that could make the preparation for regluing a LOT less labour intensive. Could have a very nice bass at the end. Possibly even worth throwing in a set of "Alembic" style electronics (Or Hi-Fi sounding pickups and a parametric mid control at least!)

Oh my! That's coming along exquisitly!

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1460297763' post='3024429'] Could the E string be broken somehow inside the winding? [/quote] +1 - the only other thought - very unlikely with a .105 gauge E string, - is that you've somehow tuned it an octave lower (much more likely with thicker strings).

[quote name='DBerriff' timestamp='1460217941' post='3023770'] At least it should be possible to remove the bullet nut although it will probably be sacrificed in the process. It is likely that the nut had just locked onto the thread over time. It is sometimes necessary to remove the nut and grease the thread, although with care as you do not want grease (or oil) soaking into the wood. So the bass is not lost but you need expert advice on where to go from here. Over to the experts... [/quote] +1 get it to a repair person with a suitable tool (like the stu-mac rescue one) and more importantly - the appropriate experience. The good news is - the bass is barely damaged - when the truss rod nut is replaced there's a 95% it'll be plain sailing from then on with a G&L (tribute or USA).

Are you sticking with the big single size? By which I mean do you want a direct replacement with no large gaps or routing needed? Unfortunately that means a lot less options than say a regular J bridge pup. Still a good few options if I'm not mistaken. I'd be looking at something less overwound or "hot" I've never had a set of big singles as they seem on the hot side - The opposite of my current taste.

C-3PU EDIT: After watching the vid - it's pretty impressive sounding - unsurpisingly it reminds me of the old fender urge Stu Hamm sig basses.

[quote name='umpdv5000' timestamp='1459791238' post='3019682'] Truss rods just shouldn't snap and if they do, they've been poorly made. You should be able to over adjust a neck curve long before a truss rod comes under the stress needed to break. However, as a luthier I can tell you that not all snapping is necessarily due to a break in the truss rod. Depending on the type of truss rod and how it is fitted, I have come across a few that manage to pull themselves through the wood where they are anchored. This can give the impression that the truss rod has broken but in actual fact its the wood at the anchor point. The cure is still the same... fretboard off and fix the problem. [/quote] It's funny you should mention that . . . the truss rod coming free from it's anchor as opposed to snapping inside the neck. This thread is a bit of an eye opener: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/275110-warwick-and-their-new-pricing-system/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/275110-warwick-and-their-new-pricing-system/[/url]

[quote name='Ghost Rider' timestamp='1459841081' post='3020065'] What will eBay do? [/quote] Probably nothing as the seller is merely presenting the facts in a fairly simple way, which while slightly misleading in my opinion is really not deceptive given it's saying "warwick corvette" not "made in germany warwick corvette" and clearly says "[font="Arial"]upgraded German Ovankol neck[/font]" which in my view suggests the rest isn't made in Germany. Could definately be described better!