Clarky

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='961456' date='Sep 19 2010, 07:26 PM']I've never got blisters doing that. [/quote] Maybe she meant Anne Widdicombe

[quote name='Beedster' post='961171' date='Sep 19 2010, 01:42 PM']interestingly I picked up a Jazz gig? i think some of the punters mistook my poor timing and errant tuning as mastery of that genre[/quote] Ha ha - I so hope Bilbo reads that!

[quote name='Jigster' post='961143' date='Sep 19 2010, 01:20 PM']what sort of impact will a re-fin have on any re-sale value? I like it as it is, but I tend to like natural/wood finishes[/quote] A re-fin will almost certainly be detrimental - although there is a hard core of Metallica fans out there that are after Burton/Newsted-alike basses should I have to sell. For example I keep getting messages from the Alembic Club from people after my black Spoiler (the same model Burton played). I tried (and failed) to track down a black Elan or Europa 5 as I would rather buy one that was ready-made rather than have re-finned (you will see me nagging Jazzyvee above to sell me his black Elan/Europa 5 but he sensibly doesn't want to part with his!)

Here's a pic of my new Elan 5, taken this morning. [attachment=59178:001.JPG] Now do I leave it as is (other than get a replacement truss rod cover in brass, which is on order) or do I get it re-finned in deep gloss black (like Jason Newsted and Jazzyvee's Elan/Europa 5) or in a see-through black that shows the flame of the wood through it? Examples below. Decisions ..... [attachment=59186:EuropaFive_2.jpg][attachment=59185:Black_elan.jpg]

Congratulations Chris. Out of interest could you tell us a few of the non-original songs you played, just so we can place the style better? Oh and - referring to you r babe magnet thread yesterday - did you get mobbed by the laydeez afterwards?

Well, I tried meths this morning and no joy at all. Then purely as a punt I tried some of Mrs Clarky's brass/copper cleaner (Goddards Long term Brass & Copper Polish) and its taken at least 90% of the crud/oxidation off. I then gave the string a wash with soap and water. There's still some dark marks where the corrosion was but thats hardly surprising and they don't show at all from a distance. It now looks like the string will be playable and not visually disgusting. Thereby saving me dosh

I used to reserve my '72 Precision for decent gigs and my (now sold) punky, beat-up CIJ P bass 'Sid' for any gig where I thought the bass might get bashed or where there wasn't a secure storage area for gear. In practice this meant I almost always took 'Sid'. Thats why I sold it, so I could play my 72P a great deal more. Only then I bought an Alembic (and played that at our last gig) and then our drummer quit so no gigs for foreseeable future ..... Ho hum

[quote name='tino' post='960378' date='Sep 18 2010, 01:44 PM']I have had the problem I know you will be refering to...I solved it with further instruments by use of chamois leather .I cut it into strips the width of the foam rolled it round and superglued in place putting the join at the bottom so its nowhere near the instrument....works fine as far as I can see.......wheres the CS gone?????[/quote] Thanks Tony. The CS is withdrawn from sale for the time being as I think I may regret selling it. It's damn nice! Edit: of course, me being Clarky, it was back on sale again a few hours after posting this

Further to my post yesterday about the resilience of nitro finishes, are any bass stands safe for use with a nitro finish or is the foam on all of them liable to stain? PS, I know I could put some old T-shirt material over my Warwick Rockstand (which is next to my bed ) but Mrs Clarky, being house-proud, might object to that

I guess you can give the dalmation puppy and small baby back to their owners now, Beedster I just wear a Johnny Depp mask

[quote name='tino' post='960282' date='Sep 18 2010, 11:36 AM']I am OK with the bass itself ....just looks so drab....the refin I would do myself other than the defret....just wondering how far I could go obtaining used parts from here & there.....so really looking for ideas [/quote] In which case I would just do a 'fireglo' re-fin. The classiest finish for a 4000 series IMHO. I wouldn't change the pick guard or defret.

I have always liked the sunburst ('fireglo') finish best on Ricks - that maple is a bit bland looking, agreed. But a re- fin will be pretty pricey compared to the value of the bass - Sims would charge about £400. Why not flog it for what you can get ( or trade) and get a bass you want? Probably end up costing you less in the long run

Any pics of the bass, Tony, so We can all chime in with suggestions?

I can't speak for the Who, but distortion is used by Metallica's bassists (Burton, Newsted, Trujillo) pretty sparingly. In over 20 years of output, i can think of only a couple of recorded songs with distortion (for whom the bells toll, Orion; and only in discrete sections of the song) ... other than when they did some Motorhead covers. Jason Newsted used pedals to show off in his solo piece as per the clip you showed (and I agree it sounds rubbish!) But the vast majority of their bass is straight from the instrument to the amp. When they use distortion ( that live solo apart) it's because it adds a different texture.

[quote name='jazzyvee' post='960145' date='Sep 18 2010, 08:37 AM']Hi Clarky, how you getting on with the new bass? Jazzyvee[/quote] Hey Jazzyvee! The new Elan 5 is very nice. Very fast, flat/shallow neck (I have taken the action down pretty low although I need to get some new strings) and it really could pass for a new bass if you don't inspect too close up (amazing for an 18 year old bass). It sounds similar to my Spoiler ( not surprising given it has the same pickups and similar electronics) and very Alembic! Weighs 10.5 lb which is completely manageable and half a pound less than my Spoiler despite being a bigger bodied bass and with a wider neck. The flame walnut top is beautiful but I think I would prefer it in black. I will probably send it off to Sims in the next week or two to get it re-finned and keep the back of neck as is - unless of course you want to sell me your bass (OK, I know the answer is no!)

Again thanks gents. In fact the nitro finish on my now-departed Alleva Coppolo Willie Weeks was very robust and felt like it could withstand normal wear and tear. By contrast the Fender Highways seem to shed finish when you so much as look at them. I guess BB2000 answered this - there must be something different in the way the nitro is composed or applied in this case. It was the Highways that had me worried.