Happy Jack

Passive tone controls have a very limited effect, little more than rolling off the treble. They are also thoroughly non-linear, i.e. turning the knob through 50% of its travel may have 100% effect or it may have Nil effect ... I've had plenty that were virtually on/off switches. And sometimes, especially on cheaper basses, they may have no effect at all due to the quality of the components used. My solution is simple. I hardly ever touch the tone knob on a passive bass.

Did it contain nuts?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4003-Bass-Guitar/282863166865?hash=item41dbf56591:g:6qcAAOSwAa5alFDo

Yes there is, Bill. The minimum size is nil, nada, no bass amp at all. Just a preamp pedal DI'd into the PA. I suspect that is not what this topic is really about though.

It's ages since I last saw School Of Rock.

Unusually, I have to disagree with Chris. I do notice when strings are more or less compliant (or floppy, if you prefer) and I really hate a floppy low B. On my Thunderbird (Mike Lull T5) I have a 4-string set of LaBella plus a low B by GHS which feels rather tauter. It means four of my skills are red and one is black, but at least I never pick up someone else's T5 at the end of a gig ...

I've had to give that stuff up. I sneezed something rotten when I tried to snort it.

If you could send me a pattern, I'm sure I can find the wool.

Yup, I had that going with Clarky for about five years. There were basses we sold to each other two, and even three, times.

But that colour will either strike you as being hot as mustard, or it will drive you bananas. Personally, I think it's bilious.

I'll see your fake non-Hofner with lousy house-paint refin, and raise you a genuine Hofner with lousy house-paint refin: http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/library/Basses CURRENT/Hofner 500 2 Psychedelic 1968 CURRENT

Ah ... so it's not a 'community' then.

Sheer idle curiosity, but what on earth is BBGM?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/70s-Antoria-Telecaster-Electric-Bass-Guitar-Made-in-JAPAN-Semi-Hollow-Body/232671381124?hash=item362c4b8684:g:qYAAAOSwlFdagDxX

He's more polite than me, anyway. I describe them as flakes and fantasists.

Disappointed to see that being over 60 leads to warnings about falling over.

Is that the usual 34" scale then? I tend to think of Overwater as always being extra long scale.

Which bass would you be fitting them to, Mick?

Please gentlemen, let us not resort to violins.

That photo is dangerously close to being accurate, y'know. It somehow captures my smooth suave man-about-town air, my sense of being a Bond villain just out of his lair, and finally my complete and utter absence of hair.

If you're buying your first fretless, then I definitely recommend this approach. It's been used reasonably widely over the years - 70s and 80s Ibanez basses spring to mind - so there's a fair number out there. Alternatively, any decent luthier will be able to do this as a mod for very little dosh.

I thought I was the only one ...

I was rather hoping to find it written in thick black felt pen ...

And finally, with KING RALPH, the guy who originally got me into playing DB:

With DANI MOLINO: