HowieBass

Like the green glowing displays with HH gear but hate the plasticky shiny knobs they sport... and yes they'll both weigh a ton. I'll get me coat.

Am trying to get my head round how an Alembic might be considered flashy but a Fodera YYS isn't LOL. Can't help you on the Stingray or Bongo experience but hopefully you can either get to a local store with one in stock, go to a local bass bash or ask nicely to try a local BC member's?

Really good to see this generosity, it'd be great for the amp and cab to go to a new player or maybe some type of musicians' collective (I used to be involved with one some years ago and we ran gigs a couple of times every week at the height of our powers). Well done that man!

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1397895230' post='2428258'] I actually like the look of them - I'd much rather have a Westone Thunder 1A and a few hundred quid in the bank than a bass with a fancy name on the headstock made of exotic woods. I was really sad to let mine go when I damaged my back as the models I owned then were too heavy to wear for any length of time. To my surprise and delight I recently discovered that the 1A version 3 weighs under 8.5lbs and now have a matching pair of fretted and fretless and a big smile. The version 3 also has Magnabass pickup, which is voiced differently to the split coil P style, and I prefer it. 22 frets, better high mass bridge, slightly simplified controls - win all round. [/quote] +1 on the look from me also; I think the body shape's quite appealing. I've always wondered how different the Magnabass P style pickup sounds compared to the conventional split design - interesting that you prefer it (my Spectrum LX has a Magnabass II and a Magnabass IV on it).

That bridge cover doesn't belong on the bass; as the seller says "[font="Calibri"]The only non-standard part that I have added is a black J-Bass cover over the bridge and its pickup[/font]"

Yeah I also agree that sometimes a break from playing allows something to sink in and mature and you can come back fired with enthusiasm and you certainly won't have lost your touch and might well see some kind of improvement.

I just hope Fender don't cotton on to how much we love/rate Squiers and inflate the prices!

Once you've come to love the Thunder I, you'll then obviously have to think about adding the other members of the family (the neck-thru Thunders are highly sought after). The GAS (Gear/Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) starts here...

I'm now trying to think of totally unsuitable bassist with band combinations.... er Mark King with Count Basie supporting Frank Sinatra...

Regarding a cab with a tweeter... yes, this might be where you're lacking some bite. I replaced a separate head and 2x12 cab (old gear from the late 70s) with a Genz Benz Contour 500 combo sporting a 2x10 plus tweeter driver arrangement and the tonal palette has improved enormously for me.

Well as already said if you like the bass and treble boosted and lots of mid scoop and you can hear yourself well and others like your sound then stick with it - it just seems to be received knowledge that where a bass cuts through and sits well in a mix is all with the mids (but clearly that's a generalisation and maybe wouldn't be right for a dub or reggae vibe). I don't know what constitutes 'flat' on your amp but since you now have a photo to refer back to you can play around to your heart's content.

I'm no expert at all but the 'traditional' smiley EQ isn't that well regarded - many bassists seem to advocate a slight 'frowny' EQ if anything, so slight cut of bass and treble and a slight mid hump... however, with the graphic EQ level control set at 0dB the amount of tonal shaping from that might not have much impact (I don't know SVT gear). As it is you've also got a lot of bass (close to 10) and cutting a lot of midrange on the simple tone stack which again I've read/heard that if anything slight bass cut and mid boost BUT it's down to what you like and what works for you... The one thing you might experiment with is boost the gain and reduce the master volume (though again you're using a lot of drive so gain + drive might have you close to lighting the peak LED already).

... plus to me there's a bit of faux HDR or tonal contrast post processing going on with the image...

Impressed with the sound then?

3 photographs showing effectively the same view - really helpful. It looks like no Fender Precision I've ever seen... and therefore unique! Worth thousands!

These are cracking instruments, made in Japan to a high standard by Matsumoku (I have a Westone Spectrum LX bass). The Thunder I is a passive Precision type bass so about the simplest type of instrument. Have a look at this great website http://www.westone.info/

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1397680494' post='2426505'] Does anyone know if these J&D basses will take a standard Fender replacement neck ? If not, could someone measure their J&D bass's maximum neck heel width please. [/quote] The J&D basses pictured have 21 fret necks (Fender/Squier usually have 20 frets) so I'd suspect not.

It's possible that any shop after your custom will price match or even better an online price - you're able to talk directly to the person selling the amp; it might need to be the manager but you might get a really good deal (having seen this done with electronics gear on The Gadget Show).

I have to say I'm not keen on the thick varnish

I use raw linseed oil for natural wood finishes (rosewood boards and open pore swamp ash body); I've used metal cleaner on painted surfaces to remove light scratches and then a car dash cleaner aerosol for a polish. I've even used the Back To Black type spray to polish painted bodies and also on ebonol boards.

I really, really, really want to tell him he's clueless when it comes to what constitutes a single Precision bass pickup, but it'd probably come across as me being a smartarse

I know what you mean about more choice not necessarily being a good thing; TV channels come to mind in particular! You might like to put a shout out to other MM SUB owners and ask what gauges are they using, in particular what's the heaviest gauge they've tried and have suited the instrument. I know some people hate having to adjust the truss rod to balance the changes in string tension when changing sets but I just see it as part of the fun in owning a bass. You should be able to put a heavier set of roundwounds on than the current gauge flats and the tension will probably be similar.

From a BBC news report "The bass crashed into you like a steam train. I had a pain in my chest." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-27042893 Well, I didn't know that UB40 liked it that loud?! Heaviest bass I ever heard was in Manchester once from a street sound system!

Can you get a small diameter nail punch and use that to flatten the sharp tip of the sheared screw?

If you paid for it with a credit card they can also assist with refunds (item not of merchantable quality - one does not expect a new electrical item to go wrong just days after purchase).