fun size nick

Definitely try loosening it - it'll be most likely to move if you bend the neck back a bit to take the pressure off. If it doesn't loosen, then it's seized and you'll need to use a tiny bit of WD-40 or something to get it free. If it does loosen, then the nut might be maxed out (i.e. there's no more thread to turn it on). This can be the result of the wood compressing immediately behind the nut - avoiding this is one reason why it's best to move the neck and then tighten the nut to meet it, rather than trying to move the neck with the rod itself. Dan Erlewine's book has a helpful bit of advice for this, which is to take the nut completely off, insert an appropriately sized washer or two in there, and then replace the nut. This will position the nut slightly further back on the thread and give you a few more turns to play with.

I generally wouldn't recommend buying music gear in mainland China as it's far too expensive to buy it (and many other kinds of foreign goods like that) here - the import taxes bump things up pretty significantly. I do my shopping (albeit mostly strings, accessories etc - I'm good for basses at the moment!) in Hong Kong, where there's the giant Tom Lee shop in Tsim Sha Tsui (lots of Fender, Music Man, Warwick too I think) as well as a number of smaller shops that stock some of the high-end US brands. I haven't had experience in Japan or Korea but I've heard good things, and there are a few decent places that I've been to in Bangkok but you'd want to ask someone local for specific shops.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1403798007' post='2486564'] They are smooth and positive. They only [i]look [/i]worn. It sounds like a really good Jazz Bass. What else? [/quote] Fantastic on both counts

Incredible detail work! How do the machine heads feel? I had a set of similar rivet-style tuners on my '74 with half of that corrosion, and they were almost impossible to turn - I shudder to think what they would have been like with that much green on them! I ended up replacing them with late-'70s-style Schallers.

Looks incredible! Fantastic value too. Hugely tempting... I expect that they'll start to get the wrong sort of attention over the use of the Fender trademarks if they're not careful though, sad to say. edit: Sorry, I just noticed that there was already a thread talking about Limelight's chances re: legal action. Nothing to see here, move, on! I'd gladly consider one even with a different headstock & logo though!

Phwoar...gorgeous!

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1402349582' post='2472603'] Edit: I find it helps to use the type of string winder that fits into an electric screwdriver! [/quote] How many times a week do you change them?

Nice to see someone from my time zone! Enjoy

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1401614936' post='2465161'] Let's see. You ride a motorbike, you play guitar, and bass. Sounds cool to me. Now, if you have a beard, icing on the cake! [/quote] Absolutely! I may be biased in all four of those departments, however

Yeah, I agree with skankdelvar - you may as well leave it be and let the buyer decide what to do with it. I kinda like it myself, it's a pretty well done job and it's barely noticeable from a distance.

That's a gorgeous P-bass, sorry to hear about the circumstances under which it came into your possession. My brother has the same 'mod' to the pickguard around the output jack on his old P-copy: a bit of perspex to replace the bit that got cracked when he dropped it with the cable plugged in! I assume yours has a similar story.

[quote name='SubsonicSimpleton' timestamp='1401692971' post='2465783'] Now you need to add either a smokemachine or laser projector to the port. [/quote] Just don't get the smoke machine smoke and the '[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_smoke"]magic smoke[/url]' mixed up...

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1401654081' post='2465612'] Of course this is [i]completely[/i] different from boy racers lighting up the road underneath their hot hatchbacks. [/quote] But of course! This isn't self-indulgent nonsense, its a scientific effort to maximise audience pleasure on both the auditory and visual planes...or something

Now if you could get it to modulate with signal volume...

[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1401379760' post='2463047'] Here's how I did mine. Do I assume that the tension on the neck, etc. is the same regardless how the string is wrapped around the tuning post? Up, through, around, tied together....? [/quote] Yes, the tension will be the same, it's only the length between the bridge & nut, the guage, and the tuning that makes a difference to overall tension. That's an interesting way of putting strings on - I've never seen it done that way! I would usually put the string vertically in the centre hole of the post, then bend it down horizontally and then wind. I try to get 3 or 4 full winds on the post (especially on the A on a Fender, for a sharper break angle at the nut), and I've never had problems with slipping. You should be able to get at least 3 or 4 winds on the D & G, depending on the length of the string. I actually don't even cut my strings before putting them on anymore - it's worked ok for me both with DR strings and Thomastiks. I just have to be a bit careful about making sure the wind starts high on the E.

Just be sure to use foam that is still soft when it's totally dry - I used a dishpad sponge that I [b]thought[/b] was dry (I rinsed it to get rid of any brand-new-sponge reside, wrung it out and left it out for a day), stuck it in my bass and played it, sounded fantastic. I put it in my gig bag, but then when I got to the studio the next day and tried to play with it, all I got was some seriously harsh buzzing! The bone-dry Beijing air had almost petrified the sponge and made it useless as a mute.

Absolutely gorgeous...that walnut/unlined maple combination is killer! Way too beautiful to hide with a scratchplate... There's no feeling quite like getting your hands dirty and doing your own work on your bass, casting fear of breaking something to the wind. Hope you feel inspired by the experience!

Great writeup. Terrible for my GAS! I've been eyeing a couple of Squier VMs, including a fiver, and it's awful to have another confirmation that they're worth every penny...

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1400149849' post='2451170'] I think a deeper head would probably be ok, as long as it's not (much) taller. I carry my heads in a separate case, anyway. The hip belt is good, as on a decent rucksack. I don't normally use it because I don't walk any long distance with it really, but I did test it when I got it and it felt very comfortable with and without the belt on, but clearly the belt makes it a lot nicer to carry, especially if you start stuffing the pockets with things (which is the temptation when you have so much storage space! ) [/quote] Great to know about the belt! Sorry, I don't think I communicated that question about depth etc very well...I was thinking of pocket 'depth' as in front to back depth (if the gig bag is upright against a wall), and conflated that with what really should be called the 'height' of the amp. So when you say that the head shouldn't be much taller, I assume that that's what you meant - how tall the amp is when it's sitting flat on top of a cabinet. So therefore, you're saying that with the shuttle in there, there's not much room to spare front to back, but there is top to bottom? I hope that makes sense!

Thanks everyone! I'm looking forward to [s]wasting time here[/s] being a part of this community! [quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1400157565' post='2451276'] Welcome Nick and welcome to Basschat. I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd be fascinated to hear about the gigging scene in China. I reckon playing in a worship band over there might be a bit dangerous Len [/quote] Not as dangerous as you might think...it's complicated! The gov tends to put a good face on things in Beijing as far as religious freedom goes, but things in the provinces are quite variable. I'd be happy to share some suitably bizarre stories if there's somewhere appropriate to do so...do we have a gig report/stories forum here?

Mcnach, thanks for the comprehensive look at the F1! It looks like an amazing bag, and I think it might be just what I'm looking for. I've got a couple of questions about it for you or anyone else who has one. Firstly, how is the hip belt for carrying it long distances? I'd love to have a bag that can transfer some of that weight off my shoulders, and I haven't seen anything like it since incase stopped making their bass bag. Secondly, you mentioned that the pocket could probably fit a Shuttle head in it. How about something slightly deeper, like a Tone Hammer 350/500 or even an Acoustic Image Clarus? I know that Fusion have the extra bags that can clip onto the F1, but I'd be interested to know if the inbuilt pockets are big enough on their own. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm Nick, I'm a transplanted Aussie who has been living in Beijing, China for the last 5 years or so. I've been an occasional poster on Talkbass for many years, and was on The Bottom Line before that, if anyone remembers it! I've lurked on here from time to time to glean info about certain brands of gear that are sometimes overlooked by our American brethren. There really is some great stuff being designed & made in the UK. I started out on piano as a kid, then switched to flute so that I could play in my primary school band, then started sneaking into my brother's room to play his bass when I was 15 and forgot all about the flute! I lived & gigged in Australia until I was 25, playing soul, pop, rock, punk, ska, blues-rock & jazz and bringing those styles with me into church as a worship band musician. I then, on the advice of a friend who had done so already, made the move to Beijing in search of opportunties to play full-time...and because it seemed like a good idea at the time! It's been a fun few years and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Right now I'm playing with folk-rock/reggae band Eluvia (http://www.facebook.com/eluviatheband), we just released our debut album 'The Space Between {the beginning and the end}' last weekend so I'm feeling both excited and relieved to have completed that project! I also do freelance gigs as a bass player and do solo acoustic guitar covers around the place as well. I play a 1974 Fender Jazz, and until recently also played a 1981 Fender Precision - I loved it, but I didn't play it enough to justify keeping it around. I still wonder if I made the right decision sometimes! Back in Australia, I had an Ashdown ABM 500 evo 2 (one of the last of the UK made ones) and a Mesa/Boogie Powerhouse 610. Now that I'm in Beijing and don't have a big car (or any car at all), I get about with an Acoustic Image Focus 1 and an Epifani UL series 2 112. Now, I may be antipodean, but my Mum's from Liverpool and my wife is English too...hope that gets me a pass oh, and I love Hiscox cases - extra points? Just don't bring up the cricket... Anyway, thanks for having me around. Cheers! Nick