Dazed

Why did East stop making the P Retro?

I remember some time ago seeing some videos someone made with a Warwick Starbass fitted with a Tonestyler and that worked really well but like you said I think they were solo bass and not with any track behind it. The P retro does sound like a great idea, did I read somewhere they stopped making it? I suppose I’m just looking for ‘more’ from the P bass. I like the sound of it as it is now, I should have but didn’t check the tone pot value as it doesn’t have a huge affect on the sound when rotated either way. It certainly doesn’t add or subtract lots of high end like some passive basses I’ve had before so it maybe just that I need to change. I think I suffer from ( whatever it’s called) the thing of if I’m playing a P bass I want it to occasionally sound more like a twin humbucking active bass and vice versa….. impossible I know and also why I have far too many basses.

I’ve been thinking of adding a pre amp to one of my p basses. I’ve been looking at Tonestyler type things, anything else out there I should consider? I don’t really want to add any holes to the pickguard and I’m ok with stack knobs. There’s quite a bit of space under the pickguard and within the existing routing. Not sure if I’d want to go to the trouble of having a battery and the faff of removing the guard to replace it, or adding a separate new cavity for battery box.

I listen to a lot of Cardiacs Thumpermonkey and the like. Have a go at this beauty

I think is is where my appreciation of odd time signatures may have started as a youngling drinking Vimto and Coke cocktails

Having had an acoustic that came with rounds and then tried and swiftly removed a set of Ernie Ball bronze strings have you tried tapewounds? Much improved my acoustic experience.

Oh and if you haven’t already, find some Bobby Vega videos, fantastic pick (and finger style) player

Just to add the obvious that unless you’re in the eu you’ll also get the pleasure of added vat and import duties too

I didn’t use a pick for all my time in bands, 10 + years and then another 15 after that, eventually wanted to get some of that tone you can only get from a pick or nail. It’s taken me a while to get comfortable with it and I’m still in practice mode with a pick. It helps if you can try different sizes, thicknesses and material picks and find what suits you. Or, just get used to the first one you find and persevere. All I can say is don’t grip it too tightly.

I listen to a lot of music with unusual and often varying time signatures in the same piece. Is there a trick to identifying them and counting them? I tend to have learnt them through lots of repetition and a kind of memory as opposed to technically being able to work them out.

I’ve been watching a few live videos over the weekend and have seen him with a Spector a couple of times.

Like someone wrote above, if the bridge saddles are raised that high something strange is happening. Have you any pictures of that? Is it all original ie - the body and neck?

What’s an acceptable gap that you can get away with? What I mean is how much gap will still work and what is not worth trying to fill?

As said above, never seen one looking like that before. I’ve copied some of the photos here for simplicity. Strangely cant see a serial number anywhere and curious what the small screws on the body are doing? If it is an early/ rare/ prototype usually the seller shouts this kind of thing in the advert. Have you asked the seller any of your questions?

Dunno if it’s any help but Elixir do a bronze acoustic string, their coating helps with string noise.

Intriguing. Can you tell me what’s going on with this one?

Small world! Seems to play mainly Warwick’s now including a lovely Dolphin Broadneck 5 string.

Anything Thumpermonkey currently. Think sumfink is broken in me, this gets me all leaky eyed and emotional. It’s beautiful it is

What size are the tuner holes? My Hofner 192 - from what I can see identical to yours but right handed and cut for a precision split coil, think they used the same body for both versions, has small diameter tuners. …….. and I just realised it’s an aftermarket neck not the Hofner one 😂 oh my brain needs a holiday.

Maude gave my answer, nylon tapewounds were for me the best strings for acoustic bass. Mine came with random rounds, I bought some Ernie Ball bronze acoustic strings and really disliked them, scratchy finger noise was the biggest issue with them. Had an old set of nylon tapewounds and never looked back. No idea what gauge they are but I generally don’t use very heavy gauge strings. If it appeals to you there may well be a set for sale in the Accessories forum.

Thanks @tauzero I’ve looked at those but I wouldn’t get on with the narrow string spacing. I think the reality is all metal string strings will be too flubby in scales under 30”. I’m happy with Thunderbrowns and there seems to be a few metal wrapped 21-26” strings available now although I don’t know how well they would work with magnetic pickups. I’m still having trouble just finding a 23-26” scale fiver.

Yes I am talking about 5 strings only. I was reading some info here earlier after searching, comparing cv’s and vm’s. Annoyingly I can’t find it again now.

There’s one for sale in Scotland on marketplace

Would any of you know if the necks of the CV Precision are interchangeable with any of the other CV or VM Jazz 5 strings? Prefer a narrower nut if possible. Thanks