Musky

Welcome to the forum. The good news is that the prices on late 70's Fenders seem to be falling. Though I suspect you still might have quite a wait on your hands to find one exactly like you want. If it were me I keep an eye out for a black/maple jap 70's reissue or a more recent US model - changing the pickguard is dead easy and you could do it yourself for about £15.

Hi Darren. Bit off topic here, but I was looking on your site the other day and couldn't find any reference to the Zoot cabs. Are you still doing them?

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='344969' date='Dec 4 2008, 12:01 AM']They are awesome, the original black ones at least. Also, can replace 2 caps and make them even more awesome (credit to Umph for this suggestion). They lose some bass, unless you make this change, but the eq can kind of compensate, I'm talking about losing some of the absolute bottom when tuned down to A. Also,might be selling one of mine, don't want to though[/quote] Have you got details of that mod? I used to use a Guvnor with my Rick and loved it, but found when I started using a Status I lost some bottom end. I've used a Nobels Bass Overdrive since which to my ears sounds great, but the build quality is so shoddy I'd have hard time recommending it.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='342214' date='Dec 1 2008, 06:42 PM']As a sometime dismantler of my own Trace gear (for cleaning/servicing, etc.) I can happily inform you that the circular rings are nothing but cosmetic trim. They DO cover the sharp points of the expanded grille, though. The foam backing on the said trim rings is just to stop the grille from clattering against them when playing at high volumes etc. The rings also conceal the fact that the port tubes themselves are nothing more that what looks like drain pipe cut to the correct length. In my 1153, 2103h & 1048h, the port tubes are all securely glued into the front baffle (the face that the drivers screw into!) Why didn't Trace put the ports [i]behind[/i] the grille? I have a sneaking feeling that the ports are too long and have to stand proud of the baffle to prevent the rear being blocked by having it shoved up against the inside of the rear of the cabinet. It's a pain if you ask me, as small felines have a tendency to climb up the green mouse fur covering and in through the exposed ports...[/quote] Didn't the Trace ports have a short thread so caps could be used to seal the ports (on later cabs at least)? It might explain why the tubing extends to the front of the grill as well.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='343703' date='Dec 3 2008, 12:04 AM']Seems to me there's a fundamental conflict/incompatibility between moral ideals and economic realities maybe?[/quote] True. You'll not find me an apologist for flaw in left wing ideology. However it's worth bearing in mind that despite the persistent championing of competition as the cornerstone of human activity, the overwhelming mark of humanity is cooperation.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='343529' date='Dec 2 2008, 09:20 PM']Competitiveness wouldn't exist without inequality. Without inequality, species wouldn't adapt and we wouldn't have evolution. Therefore a non-competitive society wouldn't survive for very long (and by that I don't mean the society would die, but its state of non-competitiveness wouldn't perpetuate.)[/quote] I think you've rather mistaken the left's antipathy to competition Kiwi. It's not competition per se that most groups are against, but competition as the basis for economic activity.

[quote name='MB1' post='341986' date='Dec 1 2008, 03:49 PM']MB1. Was at the merseyside guitar show yesterday and was suprised by the amount of basses resembling a rickenbacker. P.M.T had 2 Schecter 40s at £195 similarly styled but (active,through body stringing) Shine now do one too... show price was £450. They seem to be becoming very popular Fakes![/quote] This one? I wonder if that is close enough to the trademark shape to get Mr. Hall's knickers in a twist?

FWIW I seem to remember the preferred form of music of the Communist Party (GB) was folk music - that's as a form of production, not the genre. Curiously it's also the BNP's favoured type of music. So until money is abolished it's probably best to stick to busking. Just leave the hat at home.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='342074' date='Dec 1 2008, 04:48 PM']That guy must work 24/7 on fake Ric's to unearth so many.[/quote] Ah yes, Mr Digits. This was originally flagged up here a month ago and I remember it going to him - he pipped a mate to post, so I knew it would only be a matter of time before it appeared again. I reckon he must be half the reason why the market in 'fakers is so buoyant... Edit: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320311848161"]original auction.[/url]

Just to throw another option into the mix - buy sensibly secondhand. You never really know how you're going to get on with something (particularly sound-wise) until you've lived with it a little while and tried it in a band situation. Someone posted recently about how they'd bought and sold 10-odd used basses before they found one that really hit the spot. It cost them about £100 extra because they didn't feel like passing on postage charges, but if you buy carefully you need not lose out anything. Buying new means that should you find it doesn't really nail the sound you want or cut through in a band, you'll immediately take a hit by selling it on.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='342291' date='Dec 1 2008, 07:33 PM']Whereas the one depicted is a "copy" of the Scorpion, itself a cut-up Bison... I [i]think[/i] the original Scorpion had the 3 single-coils like the Bison, not that P/J lash-up.[/quote] The one in the picture at the top is one of the original production Scorpions, though the early/protoype ones might have been a bit different. I remember an article and brochure in IM&RW when these first appeared which, as far as I recall, had brass rather than chromed plates on. Maybe there were other differences as well.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='342346' date='Dec 1 2008, 08:40 PM']Were the serial numbers always done in such an amateurish fashion? Not having a pop - just curious.[/quote] I've seen a few variations on the 76xxxxx serials. Some have the 76 much bolder than the following numbers, some have the following numbers in a different typeface. Some yeah, I guess so.

I ain't no expert - I'll bow down to WoT , Beedster, etc. The pictures aren't great but it seems to be ok - tuners seem to be the older nickel type, which ties in with a 76XXXXX serial.

And I've never seen a sunburst Fender with the forearm and rear cutaways sprayed in black like that. Cheapo plywood planks turn up painted like that all the time though...

[quote name='ironside1966' post='341591' date='Dec 1 2008, 12:49 AM']Just asked because on eBay a couple of Jap squires, serial beginning with P (1995-96) have had sold, or left with no bids even though the price was well below 200 pound[/quote] Those were most likely Silver Series Squiers - not at all the same thing as the JVs that people shell out good cash for. Should have a 'silver series' decal on the ball of the headstock, though some people occasionally make mistakes with these - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=32564"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=32564[/url]

With £35 shipping that would have to sell at 99p to be considered a bargain.

No worries Wayne. Didn't make it down as her indoors wanted to stay in (naturally ) and I didn't fancy going on my own. Still, I'm sure you're going to be up this neck of the woods again.

You're best off using vector based graphics for this - use live trace on a photo/logo if you've got CS2 or above, and then clean it up and make any changes to the logo as needed.

A few years back I went round the West End with a friend who was looking to buy a Les Paul, and he must have tried 25 of the things. None were very good and some were complete dogs. He ended up walking away with a Hamer. I thought Gibson might have upped their game a bit over the last couple of years, but it would seem not.

Hey Wayne - what time are you on at the Wilmington? I'll see if I can talk the other half into coming along.

Not usually, but I suppose some manufacturers might reserve serial numbers for just one model. It's more usual for serial numbers to be applied to various models across a brand. It's easier to use the serial to tell you what it's not rather than what it is - if something has a 5 digit number it doesn't necessarily make it a pre CBS Fender, whereas an E+ 6 digits will tell you that it's not pre CBS. If you've got any pictures why don't you stick them up?

[quote name='BassManKev' post='339879' date='Nov 28 2008, 05:08 PM']But yeah, Ban him, and recommend that warwick forums do the same.[/quote] It can't be done Kev. We can ban his user name, and his IP (though this could possibly interfere with others access), but it's easy to get around both.