Prosebass

[quote name='OldGit' post='279591' date='Sep 8 2008, 12:01 PM']"oh yeah, I play the bass/the bass plays me/the four-stringed, thick-bellied electrified monster, you know, the one that eats all other noises alive and I've gone walking down these four strings most every hour of every day, of every year and every busted heartbeat, just trying to get along to where the last riff kisses the dark/the subsonic groove, we call it dub culture/midnight's vibration/something to reach for some throat, some bottom, some neck and some deep clutch of riverpulse/gets you hot just strapping yourself into the thing/and the more you play, the hotter it gets, the slicker the slide/and all for nothing much because none of the songs you discover, ever come anywhere near to what you hear in your dreams"[/quote] From this extract I deduce the following... A. He has never played bass or B. Too many drugs...

How could you possibly make playing bass interesting ?

From a quick bit of browsing It is thought that Jim now works for Burns so you may be able to contact him there for some info on the bass before you sell it.

As someone who has imported inexpensive basses (but has now stopped) a few words of caution. This looks very much like a sample I got off one of my suppliers, its exactly the same body shape , same neck even. They play ok for the money, which is like saying a Kia Picanto is a good car "for the money" . The prices are being driven down by the big players to the point where they are making probably about $15.00 a guitar and relying on large sales numbers for their profits. This means the little guys cannot compete making basses and music shops with large overheads cannot stock them as the margins are too small. We will I think in the not too distant future have a situation where only specialist high end guitar shops will be able to survive and your local shop will go under. I have friends who own shops and they are worried ,especially with the so called "credit crunch" affecting sales.Preston no longer has a good guitar shop !, Apoco music in Chorley has had to shut his Lancaster shop. It will be a sad day when all you do is either order a bass over the web or pay a fortune for a high end bass with nothing between them available. I decided just to import parts and hand build "specials" properly built, set-up, shielded and with good quality parts on them Due to prices like this I have had to stop building basses for my main income and find a job elsewhere as I got no support from the bass community for my products as they were 200% more in cost than these imports even though they they sounded 300% better. Eventually when China has cornered the market , they will start to suffer inflation , wages will rise, product prices will go up and the industry will be ruined here at home. Now where have I heard that before ? Other than the moral / social aspect you can't go wrong for the money.....

No Joy all the so called "expensive " pots seem little different to cheap chinese offerings. The stiffest I have are balance pots at 500k with a center detent but they are very deep. I think the felt idea is a good one with the addition of a self adhesive circular pad under it. Something like thick selotape or sticky back plastic to protect the wood / paint in case some grit gets in there.

I am led to believe Thai ones will get you stiff. (I think the brand is Love you long time Jonny) Bargain at $20.00 Seriously though, I'll have a rummage in my workshop for you. oh er misses

[quote name='neepheid' post='277658' date='Sep 5 2008, 10:46 AM']Just snagged one of these from the states for £60 [b]delivered[/b] Looks like a good starting point for a project, there's still a few left - another one went for a fiver less last night! [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360084496713"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=360084496713[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360084957244"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=360084957244[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360085267921"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=360085267921[/url] They seem like good sellers, prompt responses to my questions and +ve feedback received already. Of course, there's still USPS/HM Customs and Excise/ParcelFarce to make it through.[/quote] Looks good to me....and as you say its a risk you decided to take. National Music Supply are massive , just look at the feedback score, I'm sure you will have no problems with them and if you do I'm sure they will rectify it. Even if they don't you've lost the price of a few beers and a curry Do you need some humbuckers for it ?

[quote name='Peaty' post='276936' date='Sep 4 2008, 01:14 PM']That looks very good! Are the pencil lines on the front marking for a scratch plate or are you just going to let that wood speak for its self? all the best Pete[/quote] Hi Pete Unfortunately my wonderful Chinese associate when he made these body/neck blanks for me as prototypes had lost his ruler that day and routed the cavities both in the wrong place , wrong size and cock-eyed... As the aim of this bass is to make it as lightweight as possible (under 6lbs) I will actually be taking more wood out of the top and yes it will have a scratch plate but the lines are only an idea and not the final shape. cheers....Paul

With the demise of Prosebass as a business (had to get a job) I can now join the ranks of "normal" Bass Chatters and show you some madness from my shed. This bass is one of several I had made up by my Chinese associate and is a through body 5 piece mahogany / maple neck with mahogany wings. When I weighed it it was just 5lbs so I had the idea of shaving off all the unnecessary bits and doing a lightweight build to get it under 6lbs total. It will have twin humbuckers and a mix of passive / active electric bits. [attachment=12879:bass02.jpg][attachment=12880:Bass01.jpg]

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='276341' date='Sep 3 2008, 03:55 PM']*I also played a Warwick (Thumb I think you lot would call it??). It was like playing a tiny lump of driftwood with a 2 yard long neck attached. It also had a weird concave slab shape, obviously designed to wrap round the beer bellies of the 50 something, mulleted wannabe 80's session musicians who favour them. I'm joking of course. But lets just say I wasn't a fan![/quote] Thats because you need to develop the "beer belly and mullet" and play it with your thumb. They are much comfier resting on the flab....

[quote name='OldGit' post='74615' date='Oct 15 2007, 03:06 PM']Cheers Do I need flux in a tub?[/quote] I'll send you a really old tub if you like it that much........ [attachment=12874:Flux02.jpg] [attachment=12875:Flux.jpg]

[quote name='ironside1966' post='274818' date='Sep 1 2008, 06:14 PM']Are the USA fenders worth the money, are the Jap ones just as good? I always wanted a USA fender Jazz but after seeing this post, Found an interesting 'finish' quirk on my jazz bass, [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=26434&st=0"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=26434&st=0[/url] this has really put me off fenders, such lazy workmanship in the routing send the wrong signals when they are selling a bass on American craftsmanship, so looking for other alternatives. I know you need to try a load of basses to find the right one this is just a hypothetical question at the moment Lakland skyline, G&L Tribute, Cort GB94 are they on par quality wise as a USA Fender? Also Geedy Lee jazz bass and other Jap fenders how do they compair with a USA Fender.[/quote] In a word "NO" unless you want one and then it doesn't matter what the price is. One review commented on sawdust still in cavities which is well poor for a £750.00 bass. I have played CIJ's that sounded better and worse than American made ones so you cannot generalise on that ! A Sadowski is better built with more attention to detail and I would personally rather have one secondhand than a new Fender. Just try loads of basses with an open mind and you may well find something completely different that suits your style of playing better and with a better sound. And remember its not just the bass that gives you your sound.......its you !

[quote name='BOD2' post='270565' date='Aug 26 2008, 09:07 PM']What ? You have a problem with potentially lethal voltages on the guitar strings ? I would refer you to this article... [url="http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/electrical/safety/index.php"]http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/electr...afety/index.php[/url][/quote] No I agree entirely with the article , what I cannot understand is that basses are still being produced and sold with a ground wire going to the bridge. Not only is this a potential shock problem, (either DC or AC from the amp) but it also turns your strings into an aerial. Its a cheap way of keeping hum levels down rather than shielding the cavities properly. Unfortunately if you use metal knobs the shock problem can still exist and I personally won't put my life in the hands of a capacitor. With all the health and safety requirements these days I am surprised that guitars are not regulated more with regard to this problem.

This one should appeal to the technically minded amongst you. As an electrical engineer by trade I have a very definite view on this practice and I am interested in what other people think as to whether it should be done or not ? and if it is or isn't then the reasons why. I'll not throw my thrupence worth in yet ....just in case someone manages to change my mind .

Item has been relisted And in response to "can I call for the bass and pay cash when it arrives" "unfortunately not as the one in the pic is mine,once i recieve your payment via paypal i then order yours from my supplier in the us which accounts for the 14-21 days delivery! but you can pick it up once it is here but your payment must be paid first within 3 days after auction ends" regards louise louise - lite_bite_catering76 I contacted ebay live security chat to get passed from pillar to post and eventually was sent back to the "email us" link which can take 24-48 hours. Obviously ebay don't give a sh*t about individuals accounts. Anyone got the balls to log into this users account and change the password to stop this abuse..... No wonder people are dubious about using ebay..

I had VS in the 80's but sold it when I got my Orange. I picked one up at a local auction room for £5.00 in about 1996 for which I built a hardwood case (it was a bare chassis) and then sold that a few years later. Sounded really good for fretless especially at low volumes. Would definitely have another if I could find one for a fiver....it could sit on top of my FAL combo glowing....

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='267735' date='Aug 22 2008, 11:37 AM']A hacked account, plain and simple I've absolutely no 'real' PC skills as such but I have a good dollop of common sense and intuition and I managed to get into that account with my 2nd attempt at guessing the users password I feel sorry for the user but what a prat![/quote] Not difficult was it ! 3rd attempt for me...I was tempted to change his password to stop the abuse of his account but that would be naughty....

Whatever you do take the tension off the strings and don't play it otherwise you will have a headstock in pieces, and it will be more difficult to repair. It's probably worse than it looks ! but can be rectified easily with the correct glue and clamps. Don't use superglue ! As with most failures it's usually a combination of several things. Too small a pilot hole would not cause this on its own, the wood has probably dried out more than it should, which is usually caused either by it not being seasoned correctly or the bass living in a room thats too hot and dry. I would contact Status in the first instance with the photos and see what their reaction is. If it was one of my basses I would want to find out why this has happened.

[quote name='ironside1966' post='268851' date='Aug 24 2008, 01:03 PM']Well done Prose for bringing out good value for money guitars, keep up the good work. I was looking in to bass around your price range and did consider one of yours, Two things put me off your basses. 1 wanted a Jazz 2 I had no idea what they sounded like, Maybe some sound clips or a video of your basses will help sales, or at least a good review from someone in this forum. I bought some Irongear guitar pickups from a new company called Axtec starting and still happy with them because I liked what I heard from the sound clips. The clips where nothing flash no grate playing with nothing added to give a false impression, when I fitted the pickups to a Stagg cheap Les Paul the guitar did not sound a million miles away from the sound clips[/quote] Hi thanks for the encouragement. I am having a re-think on the direction that I am taking with the basses. I was hoping to have 3-4 basses in my range , a Precision, a Jazz , a Jazz / Precision hybrid and a fretless model. The forum moderators have kindly offered to review the humbucker Jazz but I have not supplied them with one for the following reason. Unfortunately the margins at the "budget" end of the market mean this type of bass is uneconomical to build / assemble by hand also it is difficult trying to bridge the gap between say the "SX" basses and a Fender, so I will be concentrating on something a little different from the mainstream My new models will hopefully be featured here on the forum along with sound clips.

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='268705' date='Aug 24 2008, 01:47 AM']Alo! For the money, they look very good - if it were me, I'd say `assembled' in the UK as 'hand-built' suggests that they are actually built by you from scratch from raw materials here as opposed to being crafted in China etc. You can of course argue that `hand-built' is not the same as `hand-made' but to many punters, the terms are interchangeable! Good luck with what you are doing; I've been there (bass company - E Basses) and its tough! I recall both Rob Green and Chris May telling Ian Hancock and myself to `treat it as a paid hobby' - on reflection, they were right. At that time, we sold around 19 completely hand-built custom basses over a period of two years which was commendable given that we were just working at weekends etc but to compete with established marques is nigh-on impossible.[/quote] Thanks for the encouragement it is very welcome. I take it you are no longer running your enterprise ? I agree with the "paid hobby" tag as that is what it is at the moment. My original idea was to be a box seller (ready made items) but having done that previously with other goods it is not very satisfying, needs large premises and high capitalisation. This model is more than just "assembled" here as all the machining of the body is also done so it is difficult to label. Other basses I make have Mighty Mite or All-parts necks and the rest is completely hand made. [attachment=12592:hum_fretless.jpg] It is difficult to get across the quality of my budget basses as people just think they are a cheap import. I have done a few commissions though as nobody else offers a Jazz with humbuckers like this. Maybe they too cheap and I am stuck in the "price = quality" perception problem. If I offer them at £299.00 people would expect them to be good because of the price tag. If offered at £199.00 then the quality is perceived as lower !!!! its a problem when you do not have a recognized name. Look at the new American Jazz models .....£750.00 ? what for ? it can only be the name. I personally wouldn't pay more than £300 for one, the parts alone are worth about £200 so all we are doing is making a corporation even richer. A review in Bass Magazine noted that their test model still had sawdust in the cavities !!! thats poor on a £750 bass. I have learned enough to realize that if I am going to be successful I need to offer something different so I am currently working on a sub 6 lb bass and a short scale headless travel bass.

[quote name='pete.young' post='268349' date='Aug 23 2008, 10:26 AM']The guy is a member on basschat, why don't you ask him?[/quote] Cheers Pete and yes I am indeed a member on here ........for my sins I sometimes think. In response to the points raised. 1. Bodies and necks on this model are manufactured in China to my specification. 2. I "build" as opposed to "make" this model, would anyone expect a totally hand-made bass for that price ? 3. It has a musicman style bridge for a change to my usual fender style one's Everyone I make is slightly different , bridge, controls, hardware color etc. 4. The slight misalignment can be rectified Just ask if you need anymore info. cheers...Paul

[quote name='Prosebass' post='267330' date='Aug 21 2008, 08:07 PM']Bloody Hell.....200,000 customers a year .....600+ customers a day , thats about 1.1 every minute they are open, or am I missing something ?[/quote] Ah 200,000 since they opened ......!

[quote name='bassman100' post='267223' date='Aug 21 2008, 05:33 PM']We would like to invite everyone who has posted a comment here to a real conversation regarding the issues they have raised. Our opening hours are 10am - 7pm monday to saturday and 11am - 5pm on sunday. We will be happy to dicuss these matters with you all and explain in detail the reasoning behind each of our policies. We are sorry to see a small proportion of our 200,000 plus customers each year feel they have received bad customer service, we welcome all feedback both negative and positive. Yours sincerely, The Bass Cellar.[/quote] Bloody Hell.....200,000 customers a year .....600+ customers a day , thats about 1.1 every minute they are open, or am I missing something ?

[quote name='Geek99' post='258451' date='Aug 8 2008, 07:53 PM']I'm really hankering for a jazz bass (probably a Squier VMJ) - I dont have the longest fingers in the world though. I've read that Rickenbackers have a shorter scale, does anyone know if that extra inch makes them that much easier to play? I want to know if the extra money is worth it for the comfort! thanks[/quote] A simple answer is probably not....and what do you call short ? (my index fingers are only 105mm from mid knuckle to tip) A lot depends on exactly what you are trying to achieve and what you want out of a bass. I have short (sausage ) fingers but with the styles I like to play scale length is never an issue. You can overcome lack of reach to a point, if you have fast , strong hands. If you want to emulate Jaco or Stanley (he has hands like shovels) then stubbies may be a problem. Its a case of horses for courses but certainly try a Ricky out before you buy or go the whole hog and try an old short scale Gibson.