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[quote name='Clarky' post='1352673' date='Aug 26 2011, 04:16 PM']Its a year-of-birth bass and I have no intention of selling (unless a disaster scenario hits the Clarky houehold, heaven forfend). I intend to grow old (OK, even older) with it so I do want it play-able above being seen as an investment[/quote] No question then. If it were me, I would have it refretted bu Martin Petersen, and a full healthcheck at the same time. My heart would be pumping at pick up time, it should come back to you playing like a dream!

[quote name='chris_b' post='1352645' date='Aug 26 2011, 03:55 PM']I take a different view. If you want to chop and change a bass I'd go for modding a non vintage instrument. After a certain point in time the main purpose of a 60's Fender bass is to appear on the Antiques Road show in as original condition as they can.[/quote] A refret is not really a mod, it's maintenance IMO. However, there are idiots out there who would prefer to buy an 63P with knack frets, rather than one that works (providing it's a superb fret job with vintage correct frets). They are probably not players though.

[quote name='Old Horse Murphy' post='1352608' date='Aug 26 2011, 03:40 PM']+1. If it's a keeper Clarky and they way it is currently set up and sounds impedes your pleasure to play it, then get it sorted mate. No point in having it otherwise [/quote] Absolutely. Or flog the damn thing as is, buy a bass that works, a treat for the family, and have some fun with the rest.

[quote name='paul h' post='1352652' date='Aug 26 2011, 04:00 PM']+1 on the Ginex system. I use it on all my basses now. But this looks like an advance on the same idea. Very tempting.[/quote] I reckon you get a perfect level with the Technofret, then a light dress with the Ginex would be good for most normal situations. I've done a refret before, fret dressing is a skill that takes practice and patience, so I'd stick with the Ginex for that, a light dress is probably all that's need after levelling anyway.

[quote name='bremen' post='1351318' date='Aug 25 2011, 01:51 PM'][url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TECHNOFRET-Advanced-Fret-Leveling-System-/180677811948?_trksid=p4340.m8&_trkparms=algo%3DMW%26its%3DC%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D6%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D2310229183993886361"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TECHNOFRET-Advan...229183993886361[/url][/quote] Never seen it before but I like the look of that! I have used the Ginex system with good results.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1352613' date='Aug 26 2011, 03:41 PM']Alan (ACG) once told me he'd seen a whole neck ruined by a single sliver of veneer which wouldn't behave. Laminates are no more immune to warping than a one piece.[/quote] My thought too. I think people assume laminates are more stable, when actually, they could be quite the opposite in some cases.

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='1352543' date='Aug 26 2011, 03:09 PM']^ This. My Tanglewater and Hondo have both shifted a fair bit over the last few weeks, while the rest of the family have been stable. The Tanglewater and Hondo are the only ones with one-piece maple necks. EDIT: This is, of course, irrelevant to Nigel's OP, given his 3-piece neck, but it's interesting all the same. [/quote] The neck is very light though. Which gives credence to Martin's low density theory. The fact it is three pieces may be a cost cutting thing.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1352485' date='Aug 26 2011, 02:35 PM']Yeah if it keeps happening then it's a dud. Like anything it can be fixed... but at a price.[/quote] Basically what Martin said. He could take the fretboard off and insert carbon rods. But he said it isn't really worth the expense. He recommended someone who could make me a neck of the right dimensions to fit, probably about £250 opposed to £400 for Martin to make me one.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1352523' date='Aug 26 2011, 02:55 PM']One of my old Sadowskys used to need tweaks whenever I moved from one location to another, not to the point where it backbowed and bottomed out but the action would vary massively with a small increase/decrease in temperature. An Overwater that I had pass through several moths ago had a neck that would flex with normal playing pressure, it could literally be put 'way' out of tune just with hard fretting and the action varied depending on if the bass was on edge on your lap or laid flat! I've noticed that it seems more prevalent with one piece maple necks which I assume are of lighter density maple.[/quote] Scary! Especially if it's on an expensive instrument, unacceptable really.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1352356' date='Aug 26 2011, 01:15 PM']The big test is to re-set and see if it happens again.[/quote] Thanks mate, I have a few times and it gets worse over time. I just had a chat with Martin Petersen and his thinking is the neck wood is low density and more susceptible to change. New neck time. Or I may part it out and just buy a good, reliable bass. I have a little Hohner headless as back up, but I need a good main bass. I should never have sold my Corvette $$.

Weird. I built this last year [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=94028&view=findpost&p=1015394"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...t&p=1015394[/url] It has a Warwick Rock Bass Streamer neck, three piece maple. I put new strings on about a month ago, re-set the truss rod, rehearsed with it then put it on a stand in my studio, which is cool with normal humidity. Played my other bass for a couple of weeks and went back to this one. The relief had backbowed to the extent that the first 4-5 frets were unplayable, totally chocked the strings. I've noticed this happen in the past, forward and back bow slightly, but not to this extreme. I can't understand how a neck can back bow that dramatically, or at all. Is it taking a week to settle after truss rod adjustment? I have never had that problem before with any instrument. Any ideas?

[quote name='abrightonband' post='1350031' date='Aug 24 2011, 10:42 AM']As we have not told the current bassist of their (hopefully imminent) departure we can't give further details of who we are but [b]naturally this will be provided on request.[/b][/quote] I request details of who you are.

[quote name='blackmn90' post='1349733' date='Aug 23 2011, 11:57 PM']i was excited to try out the new shop in epsom. I know a basschatter works there and i dont think he was there when i was today. Firstly i had always been desperate to try a sadowsky, secondly i wasnt going to buy one today but they wouldnt have known. I asked to try a UV70 4 string which for a start was marked up as an M5-24 and as a result had the wrong price on it, about £400 more than it should have been. The bass was ok but i was keen to try out another UV70 and a RV4 to get a better idea of the differences. The guy helped get the basses and put me in a very nice booth with a decent TC stack. This UV70 was over £700 cheeper than the wrongly marked one even though it was exactly the same apart from the rosewood board and colour. The RV4 was not set up propperly. Silly low action and as a result buzzing on the upper frets making it difficult to play properly. I told them of the mix up and the guy said he had no idea about the basses but would look into it. Then i asked the simple question of what colours are the RV4's avaliable in? He had a 20 second look and replied saying he couldnt find a way to find out. It could be a really good shop but when people might be spending near £2000 on a bass these issues need to be sorted. I think if i get a sadowsky it'd be better from here or the gallery. I did like the sadowsky's but i think i might look inot just installing the pickups and pre on my tokai. Anyone else had much experience with Guitar Guitar?[/quote] Bought a gorgeous Breedlove acoustic guitar a month ago. The kid put it in wrongly at the till necessitating a call from the manager the following week to me asking what I had actually bought due to a stock count issue. My guitar was also priced wrongly leading me to believe they had discounted me better than in reality by £49.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1349479' date='Aug 23 2011, 08:58 PM']For all the gear I have most the time at home I just use the acoustic and imagine what it will sound like in the real world it's easier for reading and makes the electrics feel easy to play. I don't really fuss over tone and the finer points these days and put more effort into playing instead Welcome back Nigel, How's your reading coming along with the time off from here? That bass clef YTS thread has gone verrrrrrrry slow of late.[/quote] That's another thing I realised. I don't need to read to do what I am currently very happy doing. I need more theory. I have realised my ears are good. I used to improvise guitar solos (something I've had to return to with an Indian classical vibe, hence the need for more theory, albeit Indian classical theory), and I can use that approach to write bass lines as I can often sing what I want to play, then play it (not at the nanosecond rate Jake can of course!). I am finally reflecting my personality I think. I got so f***ing confused being on here, and a month out has worked wonders. I play what pleases me now, I hear beautiful things in my head sometimes and try to make them real, when it happens it's a country mile more thrilling than nailing an exercise. One massive lesson was a couple of weeks ago camping with a bunch of musicians including Sheema, the fabulous sitarist I'm working with. She taught me a sitar melody which has most of the notes on the off beat, the fifth is not played in the melody until it hits the on beat. It is without doubt the most beautiful fifth I've ever heard, it thrills me to the core when she plays it! The trick is to understand why, but a lot of it is in the very subtle articulation of each note, the dynamics. Your heart rate quickens when you get it. It's these questions that have always interested me, the theory is purely support for enabling expression. Theory is a language, but I'm fairly happy that my own language, despite its huge limitations, may be the key to my musical happiness. If we approached being a human in the same way as many of us approach music, a bland exercise in technicality, we would not get much attention at the party.

[quote name='leschirons' post='1349710' date='Aug 23 2011, 11:30 PM']If you're going to gig whatever you buy, you're better off with the Epiphone as a Gibon would probably just run around and cause havoc in the pub and steal bananas.[/quote]

[quote name='sk8' post='1348971' date='Aug 23 2011, 01:22 PM']They did but hearing loss still happened. At least i got a hearing check every year to see the damage![/quote] They did not look after you! Otherwise you would still have your hearing. Sorry, I'm on my soapbox

[quote name='sk8' post='1348971' date='Aug 23 2011, 01:22 PM']They did but hearing loss still happened. At least i got a hearing check every year to see the damage![/quote] They did not look after you! Otherwise you would still have your hearing. Sorry, I'm on my soapbox

+ 822 OBBM is the king of connection. His cables are peerless, he is also a lovely gentleman.

[quote name='sk8' post='1348680' date='Aug 23 2011, 08:32 AM']I ended up with the ER25's as the 15's didn't take the volume down enough for me to to prevent tinitus. Expensive but not looked back. Really comfy and i don't get tinitus now. My hearing was shot from working in a riveting bay for 5 years but i don't want to loose anymore![/quote] Nice to see that your riveting company looked after your health, safety and welfare

[quote name='Spike Vincent' post='1348587' date='Aug 22 2011, 11:56 PM']And a good amp.[/quote] No. A good POD X3 LIVE

[quote name='Clarky' post='1348460' date='Aug 22 2011, 09:48 PM']But Nige, when have you EVER talked about bass on BassChat? [size=1]PS, I am sure you are right about having a useable bass and the rest being down to the player, by the way[/size][/quote] You haven't seen me on the Theory & Technique section have you

.. that this quest for the perfect bass bullshit, is BULLSHIT! Being on basschat has somewhat corrupted my thinking, that I need a bass that's perfect for me. I don't. I need a good bass, good strings, and my brain. That is all. I've been playing, not talking, and I have found out that all I need is a decent bass. There is little difference between any of the basses I have had, only practical things. Playing and thinking about music has shown me that any decent bass will do. I've talked about bass far too long. When you actually PLAY, you start getting a more real connection with yourself, and the instrument itself becomes less and less important. Your LIFE is what is important. Live it and you will speak though your bass.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1320529' date='Jul 29 2011, 03:08 PM']For me I find the opposite to be true. Mainly because the examples used in favour of these arguments do little to float my boat musically.[/quote] That's fine but you know your mind. I for instance don't, so I have tried learning various things because I'm told I should, but to no avail because I just don't use them in the real world. So this is part of my sculpting process. I certainly know what you mean about the examples used

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='1303461' date='Jul 14 2011, 12:52 PM']Alain Caron - Humble genius.[/quote] Stop it!

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1319638' date='Jul 28 2011, 07:03 PM']Working in a music shop, I find the most annoying thing that bassists and drummers do is play as fast as they can. I always feel like saying, 'But what if someone asks you to play a slow blues or a groove?' [b]Why the need for speed? [/b] [/quote] Because a lot of kids probably feel if they can't display some playing ability, the shop staff won't take them seriously or perhaps sneer at them. I think people understimate the courage it takes some people to go into a music shop. Remember when jewellers used to have blacked out windows and an air of exclusivity in the 1970s? I would not have dared set foot in one at the time. But then Ratners came along with an air of inclusiveness and openess, so people took the leap. Same with old pubs with stained glass windows above eye level. Many now have huge clear windows so you can see in, that was to encourage women to feel safer and go into the pub. A lot of music shops still have staff with bad attitudes, I sometimes feel like I've walked into their house.