uk_lefty

I recently acquired a Hofner 189 body on eBay after a speculative low bid. It's "new old stock" so has never been used, not even neck or bridge holes drilled, but it's quite nicely aged and scuffed up. I need to start adding bits to make it into a functioning bass and wanted to hear from anyone who has or had one any of the pitfalls of this beast? It's a bit of an oddity in that it's a jazz style bass but the pickup routs are MASSIVE. Also wondering if there's anything else I should watch out for? I am definitely not looking to faithfully recreate the 189, far from it, but I'd like to be a little sympathetic to the origins of the body. Thanks!

Awesome photo

Body has arrived! This may take some time as I'm coming out of some expensive months and I want to shift some gear too, but I'm looking forward to making something unique with this!

If I had a gig in Dublin coming up I'd be buying this! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394925054013?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=IpdWCYRCSCi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=XRJhsZSpS5O&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Well, here goes again... I bought a 1970's Hofner 189 body on eBay for a good price. It's new old stock, doesn't even have holes drilled for the bridge or neck, yet it's nicely aged. Sunburst lefty body, two huge pickup routes and controls route. Originally I thought I could finally do the unlined fretless I want... but recently I've been thinking it would be better with Thunderbird style chrome pickups and a right-handed maple fender neck. Tough decisions ahead! I made up a bitsa in the past and learned a lot in the process. While the bitsa previous was a nice bass I just never quite got there with it and think a bit more patience and money thrown at it could have got a better result.

I've been toying with getting the 2x10 for a while... following this with interest!

By massive coincidence the band I'm now in covers this song... and did before I joined so it wasn't me pushing for it!

Most people try to sell over multiple platforms. If it's on Facebook and you're going to go pick it up, great. With Reverb if you pay for it and it's a scam you've got a level of protection. You don't have that with Facebook.

Came down from Hertfordshire to play the Brewhouse in Cardiff last night. Incredible experience, absolutely packed venue in the heart of the city centre where it's just utter carnage around all the bars. Great gig, decent crowd, probably going back next year.

Venue looks good. Wales won in the rugger so the mood is good. If you're remotely near Cardiff tonight we'll rock your socks off.

Jeez my eldest brother had this on 45

The amps my teenage self lusted after!!

How much were you looking at paying for that job, if you don't mind me asking? Just ballpark...

Overrated: Sansamp. I just don't like the sound. I get it, I understand why it's popular, but it's just not for me. Underrated: Fender Bronco modelling bass amp, really good bit of kit and if you can get one secondhand snap it up! Boss GT-10B multi effects, yes it's the size of an aircraft carrier and some guy on Talkbass had to make his own edit software for it but that was one very, very serious bass multi-fx pedal that nobody seems to talk about. I got a Helix Stomp which is more modern and does more, but the Boss had better stock bass sounds.

Our second foreign gig of the year, this time Wales!! The Brewhouse in Cardiff. 9pm on Saturday. Indie rock and pop goes rock

Sorry this has now gone to a new home.

My number 1, the US Stingray 3 band EQ. The pickguard is a custom mirror pickguard by Gig.ink with the band logo. The sticker is a nod to Sir Paul. I'm not one for putting stickers on my basses but for some reason I just really wanted to do this.

I've got the itch again... I really want an unlined fretless but cash is tight at the moment. I've got my eye on a few possibilities: buying a decent bass body and having someone make a neck for me to spec, or buying a good value second hand bass and having it defretted or ideally board ripped off and nice unlined board added. Failing that, just a professional defret. I'm trying to get a rough idea of cost for these options: Make a jazz style neck with an unlined fretless board; Defret a fretted bass and finish nicely; Take the fretboard off a bass and replace with a nice unlined board. Any inputs gratefully received, and may stop me doing something stupid. Thanks!

"Influencers" perhaps? Have to agree with others, it looks lovely but there are a few too many strings for me also.

For my two cents.... the compressor is a bit of a last resort. If you have a compression pedal you like you don't need the amp compressor. If you're going through a desk and have a sound guy they'll likely put some compression on. Personally I don't put it above 9 o'clock which is barely anything, just to leave a level of control in there after the amp EQ and drive. Sounds like the one you tried out was a bit old and tired, the valve drive on mine does its job perfectly though if I was being fussy I'd maybe want to change the tube for something that can make the sound a bit hairier. I play an ABM600 through two Ashdown 15s, I have plenty of clean headroom. For a long while we didn't own subs for the band PA so I just ran the amp for all bass, no problems at all even playing in a tepe out in the country where bass sound can just disappear into the ether.

I didn't end up using them but Bass Bros offered me a good price last time I enquired.

Do it! I went straight to amp for my last few gigs and I didn't miss much because of it. A good tone always sounds good.

Gold.

Donner power pack for pedals... I think only three of the ports are working. Happy to give it away, it's barely been used. Will keep this up for a week, if nobody wants it I'll dispose. Ta