Maude

I'm stumped. The way I see it is if there was anything between the sliding part and a tube to earth it then it would leave a mark eventually, whether it be a ball, braid, carbon brush etc. Maybe they just weren't earthed. Part of my brain keeps saying if the sliding part contains all the electrics and is isolated from the bridge, strings, tuners, etc then it shouldn't need earthing. But we know on a standard bass those two halfs of the 'circuit' are only connected by wood (an insulator) and needs earthing. Intriguing.

When you mentioned the aluminium backbone I thought similar could be done here, but by the time the neck, bridge and rails are anchored in an ally block there's not really much point in printing a 'skin' to cover them. I now thinking three ally billets machined to make the three main parts, polished and connected with stainless or titanium rails would look fantastic.

I made a ramp for my 4005 for different reasons. First disclaimer, I have a strange style of playing. Is it right? No. Do I care? No. I like anchor my thumb on a pickup (or the strings depending which string I'm playing) and the 4005 pickups are at extreme ends of the playing area not making them ideal for this. Also the strings are a long way from the body due to construction methods, making string anchoring feel very odd as there is no body in contact with my thumb tip. In the heat of the battle I could accidentally lose my thumb through the strings, the depth of the gap is that much. The answer was a pickup height ramp, not to stop me digging in, I dig in a lot, but to give me a full length 'pickup' to anchor on. The other weird bit of my style is that I tend to hook the edge of my pinky on the side of the pickup, I think it gives me a reference point and helps keep my hand in place as I can get quite active playing live. So I carved a 'pinky point' in the end of the ramp. I didn't want a huge lump of wood spoiling the look of the front of my bass so I made it out of perspex, but then couldn't double side tape it on so it's screwed on. Does it add weight to an already heavy bass? Yep. Do I care? Nope. Told you I was weird. 😁

What are the two body parts of the originals made of, wood? If so, and the rails are just pushed in like giant dowels(?), then the thickness of walls around the rails makes me think there's not a huge amount of strength there anyway. Presumably the rails sit deep enough into the body to somewhat counteract the leverage of the strings trying to lift the tail end. What strength has 3D printed material compared to wood? I realise there's a lot of variables here too.

Would burning it and just posting the ashes cut down on courier costs? If so I think I might drop them a message.

Meh 🤷 Sorry 😁

Sod AI, I think someone's hacked into my home CCTV. 😬

The Warman 'Stingray' pickup is a very good pickup, and very well priced. Whether it'll give you the balance you're after, who knows. As suggested, the pickup heights may be the issue there. https://www.warmanguitars.co.uk/product/mm4-4-string-bass-humbucker-13-09kohm-4-wire-overwound/

I know you took a weird little shine to it 😁. If/when I decide to move it along you'll be the first to know 😉

Right then, enough of these lovely basses, let's have something pretty much universally hated. The kind of bass a lot of folks had as their first bass, and ceremoniously destroyed when they got their first 'proper' bass. A Kay KJB-1B. I was bored so bought this little survivor and treated it to a refinish inspired by those terrible plastic fan operated organs of the 70's. A lesson in just because you can, doesn't mean you should. All the above is in jest, this Kay is now a funky little bass that plays well (after some intense adjustments) and sounds surprisingly good.

Anyone would think you've got a thing for tripple pickup basses 😉

If anyone in the Southwest is after a cheap BB, there's a black BB425 on Facebook Marketplace in Bodmin for £180. Condition looks OK. Nothing to do with me but too good a deal with not to share.

I'll Rip Your Spine Out - Gillan

Not neck, but I shaved the headstock on a later P style head to the profile of the slimmer early P style (Telebass) head and gave myself a new dead spot on the 5th fret of the G string. Obviously changing neck mass doesn't always do this but unwanted results can happen.

One down, eleven to go. No problem, nothing to it 😬. I think this is the best I've ever done, certainly better than the year I failed roughly ten minutes after stating I was in. 😂

I like that Billy Sheehan is/was actively involved in creating the Attitude basses, and uses them pretty much exclusively because they are what he wanted. He's also very enthusiastic about them. A lot of signature models are just pretty stock basses in a different colour or a certain pickup. The same can be said for Jack Casady as Mr. Sheehan.

That Smell - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Sleeping Bag - ZZ Top

The Pushbike Song - The Mixtures

That's lovely 😍. "I don't need a new bass so I won't visit their website. I don't need a new bass so I won't visit their website. I don't need a new bass so I won't visit their website... I'm off to their website".

Mine had a bit of tail lift, not too bad but it was only heading one way and I like heavy strings, so I figured if the tailpiece is essentially knackered then butchering it won't matter. I drilled two holes through the rear flat bit, counter sunk them, then put in two big stainless steel screws. This pulled it back down flush to the body and has stayed that way for five years with heavy strings on. Might not look the best but I've a feeling RIC started doing the same with the new redesigned tailpiece. BTW, the tailpiece is straight, it's the angle of the photo makes it look wonky.

My personal opinion, no different. The 70s Japanese copies were mainly faithful replicas, apart from the bolt on neck ones, even incorporating the things that turned out to be flawed, the rediculous intonation adjustment and tailpiece that lifts for example. Mine is a 4001 (I think) and our guitarist has a 4003 Rick and I can't tell the difference in sound, apart from them having different strings. The classic Rick tone is certainly there and in a band situation I don't think anyone could tell them apart.

The bolt on necks are less desirable than neck throughs due to not being true to real Ricks, but like you I was happy with a bolt on as it makes a decent set up easier if neck issues were to arise. This is my Matsumoku faker, apparently an Aria but as the seller had lost the TRC it now has no identity, just a Matsumoku build.

32Red Balloons - Nena

I'd say it's not from the Matsumoku factory, but I'm no expert. My reasoning is, it hasn't got the "Made in Japan, steel adjustable neck plate" neck plate, the bridge pickup isn't the 'staple' type, and it's very hard to see in these pictures but I can't see the little dimple markers by each control knob. As far as I'm aware these are all markers of a Matsumoku build, but again I'm no expert, @Bassassin is your man. Also I don't think Ibanez, as mentioned earlier, were ever built in the Matsumoku factory.