Maude

Ting New Oder (I know it's spelt wrong but it sounds good/bad) Ex Pistols The Damed The Lash

Tube it is then if you've already got some. I do like the idea of an old crate/cage being a cab. Definitely do a little build thread if/when you build it. 🙂👍

If weight isn't an issue then go for solid bars if you're worried about them being hollow, I can't imagine hollow would cause a problem though. Solid bars are quite possibly cheaper than pipe due to being less involved to make.

The nut looks to be wider than most on the Musicvox, it might not be but the neck doesn't appear to taper hardly at all. I'd imagine that would make it harder to play if the three stings in each course are spaced wider.

The string courses are reversed from most 12s aren't they? It's hard to tell in the photo but it looks like Eee rather than eeE.

Right, last attempt.😁 Cut the top of the headstock off just above the tuners, glue on a pair of triangles and cover the entire face with a black pickguard to get the Hamer headstock shape. Cut both body wings off to leave a cricket bat style bass, glue two new oversize wings on and shape to a Hamer(ish) shape but with enough top horn to balance. The important central part of the Musicvox with all the hardware will be completely unchanged.

Ah, that won't work then 😁. Does that Musicvox neck taper at all? It looks huge at the nut.

Get @Andyjr1515to rework the Antoria neck pocket to take the Musicvox neck, mount the Musicvox hardware further back on the Antoria body to get correct scale length and achieve better balance. Simples 😉.

I've just managed to delete a lengthy reply. 🙄 Short version, Variax, glitchy, Aesthetics, I agree, Schecter DP looks decent, but wrong. 😁

Buy a Variax and use the 12 string setting. 😁

Yes, looking at pictures, there's probably not a common 5 string that has a long enough headstock.

I really like the look of of that, kind of an Aerodyne vibe going on. I don't know what the standard of finish is like, but it would be an excellent base to mod, if needed. Tuners, bridge and a pickup wouldn't cost much, and then give it a fret level and dress and roll the fingerboard edges. You would have a seriously nice bass for very little outlay. As I say, if it even needs it.

I know not really related to this but I picked up a second hand Harley Benton telecaster as I need the body for a project. The neck which I don't need is a lovely roasted maple one like the P bass above. The HB is only around £170 I think. Crazy! The above bass looks great.

She's Crafty - Beastie Boys

My, frankly unconventional, brain is starting to make stupid noises again. If you want to commission, and are happy to fund, a proper 'tribute' bass then I totally get that. But if keeping costs down come into play, could an existing bass be converted? I don't know the kind of neck dimensions a 12 string has but if bigger than your average four string could a five string become a doner? Plug the machine head holes with dowel, veneer the headstock and re-drill for 12 tuners. Replace the nut and bridge and Bob's your proverbial. You could then take it as far as you want. Pickups could be replaced with rail/blade types if pole pieces are an issue, even fill the pickup cavities with wood blocks and fit a suitable pickguard, or veneer the entire body face, then route for your chosen pickup type/placement. The body could be chambered under the new top for weight saving although would probably upset balance. Basically there's allsorts that could be done to an existing bass to save costs. Or it's a stupid idea and you can ignore me 😁.

Maybe I've misunderstood but I'm struggling to see a problem here. Has a seller listed a bass on Basschat for sale and got it for sale through a shop? If so then there will likely be two different prices to reflect the prices incurred in either transaction. I've currently got some things for sale on the both Facebook marketplace and eBay. The price on eBay is higher to reflect the cost and time involved in packing and posting the item and ebays fees, against someone from Facebook just turning up, paying and taking the item. The only other two scenarios I can see in the OP is that either the shop is lifting the sale post from here and re-advertising in their shop, hoping to buy the bass from here if they get a sale in their shop. Pretty risky and probably unlikely. Or they've bought a bass from here and are selling it through their shop at an increased price. That's just how a shop works.

Monkey Man - Toots

Pop black in eleven years, he might've replied. 😉

I do actually agree with everything in your post. I spent a summer gigging an Aria P bass I picked up for £40 because it played so nicely. I'd happily spend the rest of my days gigging cheap, well set up instruments but the luxury of disposable income means I can gig higher cost ones as well, if wanted. I'm at both ends of the spectrum, by that I mean I see no reason to not gig an expensive bass, but at the same time I see no reason not to gig a budget bass. Just make sure that whatever you gig it's well set up to your needs. There's good budget and expensive basses, but there's also budget and expensive basses that play like dogs.

Although I championship the budget bass I'll just as happily play an expensive one. My main gigging bass would be well into four figures to replace, for me that's expensive. But it sounds, plays and looks right for the band so why wouldn't I play it?

Boring old fart alert! Make sure you can get the neck straightened enough to cope with the (generally) extra tension of flats before spending out on strings. I've got Fender tapewounds on my fretless and fretted acoustics. They seem quite different to 'normal' tapewounds as they're relatively zingy. They feel like a roundwound with a slippery tape wrap rather than flat feeling like most tapes. I really like them.

Rightly or wrongly, brand name aspirations.

Love Potion Number 9 - Tygers of Pan Tang Edit: What the hell, this needs sharing! 😎

I bought an Epiphone Embassy as it's an VP T'bird in all but shape. Can't remember exact price but I was considering one and then a black Friday deal came up last year, well under £300, absolutely cracking bass. T'birds do look exceptionally cool though.

It's sometimes just trial and error to find what works best. Slow and steady wins the race. 🙂👍