Chiliwailer

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1421999565' post='2667486'] Thanks, CW - I am reading and am potentially interested but I suspect the CS price will be prohibitive - bet it comes out at £2.5-3k [/quote] Right you are mate, but if it's half as good as my 2013 Ltd Ed 55 Precision then it's worth bouncing off some 0% credit cards for 2-3 years, £70 a month should do it. Hehe, I'll stop being a devil now....

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1421962153' post='2667264'] I'm trying to work out what the Journeyman P's have that previous CS P's haven't...? [/quote] Yeah. I was a little disappointed as even though they look great, it's more Relics for 2015! The Precision is a 59 but with a 60's shape neck, rather then the regular big 59 neck, so you can get an anodised guard but C shape oval neck. I guess the faded 3 tone SB is to again give it that 50's 2 tone SB look but 60's feel. The Jazz has special designed pickups to match the style of the first ones. What is also cool is that the necks seem heavily Reliced to feel worn in but the finishes aren't too Reliced, like a cross between a Closet Classic and Relic? They are the differences that jumped out to me, The Ltd Ed 55 Precision looks great. Available in dirty white too.....Clarky, if you're reading this, look out!

For what it's worth, speaking about passive I'm a big fan of Lindy Fralin Jazz Bass pickups.

I find some of this Denmark St bashing quite bizarre and short sighted at times. Here is a thread praising a new shop which has 3 ex Denmark St guys, each with well over 10 years experience of working there - go figure. Sure, there are, have been and always will be some tossers working there, even the odd dodgy shop from time to time. There are also guys who aren't born with customer service instinct, awareness or skills and therefore need time to develop them or move on. But there are plenty of good guys and good businesses there that don't deserve to be unfairly and damagingly tarnished with the same brush. There is big love here for Wunjo Bass, and rightly so, it's a shame they are caught up in this. To let one bad apple spoil the bunch is quite petty indeed. I spent many years in MI - retail and on the road working for Fender. From my exeprience, there is no perfect shop - all will have a bad day or a bad guy working there from time to time. I could tell you a horror story or two about many shops that are mentioned here with praise - aside from Bass Direct too. Unless of course I consider that Mark isn't too fond on Fender Custom Shop, though with all those lovely boutique basses there who am I to argue?

Ooh, very nice! Great necks on those 59's, chunky and sounding fat

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1421694563' post='2664079'] Thanks for this info. Yep, can confirm the shop is very cool! [/quote] I can't wait to stop by, cheers for the thread!

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1421689968' post='2664007'] Really !! From where? Is Martin the older geezer with the beard? Or the younger one with the beard? [/quote] Yeah, as said before, Martin is older and ex V&R, but he certainly ain't no Chris Trigg. Martin is a wonderful man, honest, well natured and a great musician. Steve would be the younger one with the beard I pressume. I haven't seen him in years, he was at Hanks, though he left a long time ago and was in bands after that, Justin was with Chris Bryant for years, until Chris did a runner overnight. That is if it's the Justin I think it is. Really glad good to know that these guys are in a cool new shop.

Ex Denmark Street guys, and all very nice chaps too, especially Martin. You'd be in very good hands

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1421619607' post='2663431'] I have the Strat! Took me an hour and a Genesis album to make. The neck was the worst bit. I've superglued the back to keep it in one piece. [/quote] Yeah, I still can't work out where the truss rod goes....

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1421583716' post='2662856'] Might be a good idea for Andy Baxter to take your mate's bass off eBay then Chiliwailer! If someone places a bid where does that leave him? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1957-FENDER-PRECISION-BASS-2-TONE-SUNBURST-ANDY-BAXTER-BASS-/181622698939?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a498e73bb [/quote] The devil in me wants to find out....:-)

Mrs Chiliwailer wanted to buy me a bass for Xmas, however she couldn't quite afford a Mike Lull. [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image7_zpsd0d519d8.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image7_zpsd0d519d8.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image6_zps98fcdf2e.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image6_zps98fcdf2e.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image5_zps207a4c96.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image5_zps207a4c96.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image4_zps87ce4512.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image4_zps87ce4512.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image3_zps9cef1f50.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image3_zps9cef1f50.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image1_zps2c03b4cb.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image1_zps2c03b4cb.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image2_zpsb520a16a.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image2_zpsb520a16a.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1421579782' post='2662801'] Andy Baxter has a rather more relic'd (but still v nice) '57 for just over £7k. The NKR price is absurd! http://andybaxterbass.com/details.php?id=774 [/quote] Thats my mates, he's keeping it now and like Happy Jack, it'll get gigged too, much respect to that. Andy is in Goa right now it may a while to come off the website, but I managed to talk my mate into keeping it, it's a very, very, very nice bass..... Funnily enough, it was bought from NKR for 8k last year. The Andy Baxter price was cheap as my mate initially wanted a quick turn around. Like is said earlier, quite often the owner of the guitar dictates the price. At least to begin with.

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1421521912' post='2662283'] I've read that heating a neck and then clamping it straight can work - but I don't know how luthiers apply the heat - do they use heat guns? That neck's pretty badly twisted though [/quote] Halogen lights usually, left all day and over night, though it often works in the short term, apparently there is no guarantee it'll last. I had a 70's Strat done years back, it had a massive chunky neck. I informed the guy who's bought it from me but never got to find out if it lasted, it was in 10/10 condition otherwise so I don't think he was playing it anyway.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1421496518' post='2661960'] Fender have always had a somewhat eccentric approach to finishes on their instruments. Anyone remember the semi-transparent white from the late 70s? The first time I opened the box containing one of those I thought it was a mistake and the finishers had simply not sprayed a dense enough colour coat, but seeing the same finish applied to the whole range of instruments in the shop made me realise that it had to be deliberate. It always seemed to be applied to the most horrible grained wood as well and you could easily see the joins between the various pieces of wood used for the body. A friend of mine has a Strat in this finish. It's now completely covered in postage stamps to disguise the fact. [/quote] Absolutely, thought it was an awful refin from a sold colour bass first time I saw one! How about the mid 70's Rhinestone Strat that Arbitor UK had permission to make...if you fancy a laugh Google those! Let's not even start the Antigua debate either....

I reckon the term 'investment' is as dead as disco in the vintage guitar world. So many prices have dropped since 2007 on the guitars that were touted as sure fire investments. The gold rush is over. Rich boys toys now.

Perfect. I got some strings from Matt, very fast to post and all round nice guy, cheers.

What I'd love to see Fender CS doing for 2015, and not because I want one, but for a nice change, would be a regular P and J, not reliced, not vintage based, but a regular modern style with CS features like quarter sawn neck, hand selected light woods etc. Nowt against Relics, just saying.

That sandblast is close to the bone! In my years selling fenders in MI, I saw some real shocking finishes and models, but the thing is, people bough them as much as other people hated them! Fender have been doing this stuff oddball stuff for years, for those who want to be different or find beauty in our ugly, why change it? I like the idea of the current Proto though, TV Jones make amazing pickups, that suit the look of an old school P Bass. my only problem with the Proto's is that the resale could be hard and low value, due to how different and off track they are. But isn't that the point of a Proto?

[quote name='Opticaleye' timestamp='1421441845' post='2661404'] According to the article he has an employee who went to luthier school and it just states that he assembles each one himself. [/quote] It also states "they're full on repair guys". A good repair guy most often comes from Luthier school Assemble can also mean manufacture, or in the above case, whatever you deem it to mean. I couldn't give two hoots about defending Lull, I care even less if anyone helps him. Benefit of the doubt may be better perhaps and I'll Always defend that when a good mans reputation and honesty is at stake, and he really was a cool guy when I met him last year. From the Lull website... Hands-On To this day, Mike continues to hand build and test each and every bass and guitar that leaves his shop. He works with each customer creating a custom instrument to fit their individual needs and desires.

I was lucky enough to spend 3 years working there, they do get some very good stock in that shop. It's amazing how many excellent condition Fenders are actually out there. They were high ticket price instruments back in the day, I reckon a lot of people had more cash than talent and wouldn't have needed to sell the instrument when it stopped being used. I'm not even amazed or excited anymore at seeing mint old Fenders, i guess the novelty has worn off somewhat over time, especially when you just keep seeing them pop up. But of course as far as musical instrument history goes, if you got the cash to tie up in one, knock yourself out and have some fun with it. I have a Maritn guitar from circa 1870, complete with original hard case, it gives me hours of pleasure playing it and an immeasurable buzz out of owning it. As for the price, that's the down side of a business that is 90% commission sale and the owners demands are the basis for the price. Many a time I've seen stuff advertised there high but then sell at the current 'vintage seller' going rate.

[quote name='Jazzjames' timestamp='1421411805' post='2660861'] Yeah fair enough, I take your point. I am in no way calling Mike Lull a liar, I have the upmost faith in his work and the instruments that he produces- hence I own one. I read the 300 instruments a year thing here: [url="http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2011/12/15/custom-shop-an-interview-with-mike-lull/"]http://www.notreble....with-mike-lull/[/url] And have since reread it and indeed he does do the work himself. I guess I assumed that he must have help at 1 bass a day! [/quote] I was as shocked as you mate!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1421408456' post='2660808'] That almost 1 bass every day. When you look at it like that I think you'll agree that it isn't a feasible number for a single custom builder working on his own. Simon Farmer who makes Gus basses says that a standard instrument build (with no custom features) takes him 100 working hours to complete. At 10 hours a day, 6 days a week that's only about 30 instruments a year. While I imagine that a Lull bass won't take quite so long to build I doubt they are 10 times as quick to make! [/quote] But these are Fender style instruments, simply designs that machines can easily knock out for simple finishing. Plus PLEK machines do time consuming work on the frets. I see you point of course, and it's easy to say he's a liar and has help. Personally, having been there, met him, seen the set up and read alot of web content, I'd prefer to believe him than make accusations. EDIT - but it's not a bass a day - if i wanted to make 6 x P4's I wouldn't do one, then another, then another etc. I'd do the bodies, then the necks, then the hardware, soldering etc etc. 6 done by the end of the week. Hard work? Yes. Impossible? Perhaps not if you;re experienced and skilled.

[quote name='Jazzjames' timestamp='1421404716' post='2660752'] I think you'll find that Mike Lull puts out about 300 instruments a year. Good luck doing that on your own. He does work on every bass but not on his own. [/quote] I'm genuinely interesetd to know how you know that as a fact? I'm aware he makes that number per year. I've been to his workshop, it's just him on the basses as far as I could see, and he stated that to me too. He has two guys that work on the repair side of his business. If you make bodies and necks etc in sets and with machine help then of course it's possible. Plus he said he often works 6-7 day weeks and long hours. Lest say he works 48 weeks a year, that's just over 6 basses a week.

A bit of everything mate, I worked in the industry for a long long time and have taken apart more Fenders than I've had hot dinners! This website is good, I think the link is a proxy as the original link has disappeared. It's used by all the top UK vintage dealers http://guitarhq.com Looking at the pics clearer ( not on phone!), and your description now, I think yours is a 1982 57 or 62 reissue pickup, the wires are a give away as Fender used plastic through the 70's and I think they were no longer using the brass plate by then. Then again. Strat pickups were going black by 79 so if Fender were using up old stock they may have had some spare cloth wire too? You just never know with Fender, in 68 the cloth wire was green and orange as they were using up old amp stock! Edit - I'm not always right though!

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1421346063' post='2660240'] [size=5][b]Uses[/b] [color=#000000]. [b]The astringent bark is used to treat diarrhoea[/b].[/color][/size] [/quote] [quote name='skej21' timestamp='1421348119' post='2660270'] It's so 'side seaming' looks like a luxury feature on the more expensive models like American Vintage and custom shop lol [/quote] I've worked it out, it's a detachable feature in case you've got the runs during your gig.