Marc S

Welcome to Basschat Talent is not as important as sheer enjoyment!

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1494328650' post='3294974'] Hi Marc, No, OBBM is a founder member of Basschat..... [/quote] Ooops! Sorry, I probably should have known that And yes please, report with photos on that tailpiece.... good luck with it

[quote name='planer' timestamp='1494334246' post='3295052'] ....1. When we start playing..... It's difficult to imagine any teenage guitar legend stood, legs akimbo, in front of his cranked amp thinking to himself, 'Marshall stack - check, Flying V - check, AC/DC T-shirt - check, earplugs - check'. It just ain't gonna happen. That becomes the norm, mostly until it's too late.... 2. It's hard not to feel at least a little isolated from the music wearing earplugs and unless everyone does it, it's just not cool. [/quote] Yes, I think you've got a point here. When you're young, you also tend to feel at least a bit invincible... Or at least like, it's never going to happen to you! Much like when most of us took up smoking (I don't anymore) but you can see all the warnings, ads and posters, or hear about others who became ill because of it... ... but it's not going to happen to me, and anyway, heck, I'll be old then, so who cares?

Very nice! Enjoy

So sorry to hear of your problem itsmedunc. Even sadder to hear of Craig Gill's suicide Inspiral Carpets remain one of the best live bands I ever saw - Reading festival (forget which year) they blew me away, and I wasn't particularly a fan at the time - they were just brilliant.... I've not started using in-ear monitors, and can't see that happening, as I'm in several bands - they'd all have to completely change. However, I do use earplugs, after years of not having done so. I've not really suffered from Tinnitus. I get a bit of "ringing" now & again but it always goes away, and it's usually months before I get it again. I suppose I've been very lucky, also given the loud gigs I've been to as punter? I now carry a set of earplugs in my gigbag. Some of the bands I'm in aren't loud - so I don't use them then, just for the louder bands, or where I'm right next to a PA speaker. I'm surprised at just how well I can hear everything, even with the plugs in. I'd recommend every musician carries a set...

I was going to say Mike Oldfield and Sting too.... And Paul McCartney.... although he played bass in the early Beatles stuff - did he also learn guitar at the time? I seem to recall hearing that he did, as that's how he and John wrote some of the early songs, with them both on acoustic guitar?

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1494243290' post='3294218'] I'm running the mag pickup and a pair of J-Tone Red wing pickups. OBBM made me up a stereo lead with two mono jacks on one end and I use this with a Headway EDB-1 preamp to blend the mag and the piezo's together. Regarding protection in the gig bag, the metal hoop does indeed protect the bridge to some extent, but be careful of the tailpiece. Mine took a whack and it cracked around the bolt hole. Opening the gig bag and the bridge dropping out is not a pleasant feeling I can tell you. I've managed a glue repair to the tailpiece which is holding fine for now, but as this is quite exposed, I'm thinking of making up an aluminium tailpiece to prevent further accidents. [/quote] Thanks for that info JPJ, Is OBBM the guy who sells the J-Tone pickups? Your set-up sounds like something I'd like to try. I've got a K&K preamp with inputs for both a piezo and a mic. I think it could work with a piezo and a clicky? - It's always worth exploring options, I think.... Cheers for the heads up re the potential damage to the tailpiece too - sorry to hear this happened to you An aluminium plate should do the trick in protecting and strengthening it though, good idea, so I'd go for that if I were you Cheers again

[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1494006482' post='3292607'] My first bass was a Columbus Jazz, bought in an electrical retailer (Laskys?) in the Four Seasons shopping centre in Mansfield in '76; it used to be there in the window next to some fridges & suchlike. It was a decent bass and certainly a lot better than the Kay, Top Twenty and other rubbish of the day (which seem to be going for hundreds of pounds at the moment!). I must be having a retro half-hour, as I'm just listening to Force It, by UFO; we used to play Shoot Shoot in the band I was in at the time. [/quote] Ah, I remember Lasky's - what ever happened to them? I bought some of my old hi-fi from them. A Sansui amp, and Mission speakers, which are still both going stong after 30+ years Didn't realise they sold guitars or basses though. Don't think I ever saw such things in the Cardiff branch. My first bass was a Kay (Rick copy) and it was truly, absolutely, utterly dreadful. My pals Columbus was certainly streets ahead of that - maybe it seemed like a Fender, when you compared it with a Kay

[quote name='gsgbass' timestamp='1494211347' post='3294003'] It's a Mexican made, the D'Addario Nylons play well on it. I use the ETB92's on my Ric 4003W also. [/quote] Thanks for that. It's good to know whether the MIM versions of a bass can stand up alongside US made versions. It is of course, so often the case, but we don't always hear how good they are or how they compare..... If I was looking for a short scale bass atm, I'd really be considering one of these, especially as I'm a fan of P/J's. Cheers

Whilst many 78's may not have much monetary value, and yes, they were mass produced. It's worth remembering the delicate nature of the medium - I'm sure that a very high percentage of each mass produced 78 have been broken, or got left near a radiator / sunny window and have warped... My Dad has quite a few 78's. Most of them worthless, but some of them are now quite rare, and yes, there are collectors around. Do you live anywhere near an antique dealer / centre? Are any similar titles advertised on ebay? As has been said though - don't chuck them just yet..... see if you can find a collector

[quote name='Fred Leicester' timestamp='1493900706' post='3291652'] Get yourself one ordered, Marc ;-) [/quote] Ah, I'm already at "bass capacity, plus one" sadly Fred And I love all the basses I have so much, I can't bear to part with any of them either Oh the pain, the pain!

[quote name='Jabba_the_gut' timestamp='1493837972' post='3291197'] Always good to keep a clear final assembly workspace (or 'dining room table' as I've heard my wife refer to it before....) [/quote] I genuinely laughed out loud when I read that There's no way on this earth I'd get away with using the dining room table for such things! lol

Well, that's a nice freebie I think these were made in the Matsumoko factory? Someone may know better, of course Yes, the truss-rod adjustment on these is at the heel of the neck. I think you'll find that's a replacement scratchplate - as I'm sure I've seen this model of bass with a cut-out at the heel, allowing easier adjustment without removing the neck or scratchplate... An old mate / colleague of mine (and incidentally, the 1st person to show me how to play some bass) used to have a Columbus Jazz. He loved it, and I recall it being rather nice. He bought himself a nice US Jazz, which he also liked. However, I recall him saying that the Columbus was not bad, in comparison, and great quality, given the relatively low cost of it I'd take a look at adapting that scratchplate (looking again, the shape of it is slightly "out" on the lower horn - so maybe it is a replacement) maybe consider giving access to the truss-rod. Perhaps get those frets dressed, and set the bass up nicely... maybe you'll want to keep it then? Nice freebie though in any case - very nice

Looks great Fred I played one just like it a few years back. It had a slimmer, narrower neck than most other P's And it was just awesome. It was also for sale at that time, and I needed to sell another before buying... ... I'm still sorely disappointed I let that one go! I'm jealous now lol

Oh my word! What utter loveliness

This is looking really, really gorgeous! Your work is so neat Jez, heck, even your workbench is tidier than anything I do Great progress, and as others have said, it looks nowt like a "budget bass" - looks like a top-end custom build

Not owned either a HB or a J&D, but enough BC members seem to like both, and heck, they're very reasonably priced... I must say, I do really like the look of the J&D Jazz, in surf green, with maple & blocks - looks amazing

I'm in several bands at the moment (and always seems to be the case!) With a recently formed band, in which I play double bass, and we play a bit of Bluegrass, Cajun, 30's / 40's Jazz and some blues.... We had named ourselves "The Soggy Mountain Boys" - as we all like "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" and were trying to sound a bit like the music of that film. Another reason for the name, was the fact that 2 of us live one side of Caerphilly mountain, and the other 2 live the other side... and it's often raining in South Wales.... Unfortunately, there was already a band with that name, albeit in the US - we decided to find a new name. It took a while and there were several suggestions from each of us, but driving over said mountain, we were discussing how, in our advancing years, 3 of us had fairly recently discovered the merits of Whisky, I had an idea - and now we are called "The Old Grey Whisky Testers"

Congrats on the new role Sounds like you really enjoy what they do - so that makes it easier to learn new material But get cracking with it anyway! It is do-able, I've done it with cover bands I've depped for (mind you, I knew some of the covers beforehand) Best of luck with it

Wow, that does indeed look a stunner Paul Bet it sounds great too..... But is it your "ideal" bass? You seem to flit from one to another lol BTW. It looks even funkier on that zebra striped rug - funkay!