anzoid

It looks as though the matching 2x8 cab is going to come in around £150 - https://www.thomann.de/gb/tc_electronic_bc208_bass_cab.htm Mini rig of BAM200 + 2 cabs for under £450 😮

Depending on space (hitching a lift with BreadBin) I'll be bringing a Trace Elliot "Elf" with Ampeg SVT210AV and a cheapo "Red Sub" (Gear4Music) fan-fret 5-string. Maybe also a 2018 bright yellow Steinberger XT2 just to dazzle everyone

Concrete... gives it heft.

Wonder, as in, I wonder what he's covering up... presumably that it's a cheap bass off of AliExpress that really isn't worth the BIN price... Truth in advertising and all that. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Headless-Electric-Bass-Guitar/183667873422

So, any ideas what the base bass (sorry :D) might have been for this relicing attempt? The thing that got my attention was that some of the dents on the body look like what you get when (if) you hit a poly finish with something...

My first thought on looking at that was that looks more like damage on a thick poly finish than wear to a nitro finish... And how did the headstock get so gross? Burid in a peat bog since sometime in the 80s...

Thank you Funnily enough, I wonder whether fan fret may make better sense at the cheap end of the 5-string market where cheap basses seem to often suffer from floppy and indistinct B strings. The extra scale length that comes built-in on multi-scale works to their advantage and, as this bass proves, can be done for bargain bucket prices. As the strings on this have mellowed slightly from a week of playing I would say that the tone across all five strings has evened out more. As mentioned in what I said above, this isn't Dingwall quality, but it's get definite mod potential as everything seems to use standard size parts (though I'm going to have to enlarge the pot holes to put in anything other than cheap min-pots like it has now. And above all, the neck is really good, and that's what counts, at least for me, to make this worth putting a bit more money into.

I have three basses that all need little tweaks and adustments beyond just tweaking the truss rod or adjusting intonation. On one (or two, or three...) of them I also would like to do some modding... I'm quite happy doing a very basic setup - truss rod and intonation as mentioned, wiring stuff up when needed, swapping parts that are basically drop-in replacements (Fender bridges, Gotoh machineheads, that kind of thing), but I would like to do more and I'm seeking advice on putting together a basic toolkit (and maybe some tips...) for doing the following: Cleaning up sharp fret ends. Levelling frets where there's buzzing going on on just a handful of frets. Adjusting the nut - nut files?? Widening holes for larger pots, without destroying the finish... Possibly enlargening pickup holes (without destroying the finish)... but that may fall into "Advanced Setups" I've looked at eBay and other places that sell guitar related tools, but to be honest, I don't have a clue what I need to buy to get under way, and what kind of quality I should be looking at. I'm not about to turn this into a job, once these three basses are done that may even be me done - GAS is at an all time low So, don't want to spend too much on stuff... So, advice greatly received (including reliable sources for budget tools) - willing to learn but would also like to minimise damage, so if the answer is "pay someone else to do this stuff" then that's OK. None of the basses in question are that precious to me (apart from maybe my Steinberger Spirit XT2).

Oh yeah, and seriously the most comfortable 5-string I've owned to date...

Just upgraded the machineheads with a set of Gotoh GB707s that I had sitting around from another 5-string project that went nowhere. Quite an improvement on tuning - smoother and hold tune better than the stock machineheads (which weren't too bad). Holes were the correct size - the reason these never went on the other 5-string was that the headstock holes were under-sized (and those machineheads were real cheapo jobs... and I couldn't be bothered to enlarge the holes.) Whilst all the strings were off I lemon-oiled the fretboard, the grain is rather nice. Also took out one of the pups and measured it up - an EMG 40 series should be a straight drop in replacement, so just need to decide what to try. Anyone had any experience with the 40TWs? Single-coil and humbucker in one package with a pull-pot to switch. They look good but can't work out from the EMG site how to wire up a pair of them (VVTT, rather than the VVT on the site...), and apparently they don't play nice with any of the EMG EQ systems because of the pull-pot switching - so only an active tone available per pickup... what are those like?

Count me in too - happy to pay in advance

Been on the look out for a cheapish Jazz to serve as something to mod and muck around with. Wasn't having much luck finding anything with a plain maple fretboard until this showed up: It's a 2013 Squier VM Jazz Factory Special Run in Candy Apple Red. Never seen one anywhere before but it pretty much was what I was looking for... apart from the pickup cover and tug-bar. Haven't been able ti find much about these online at all so if anyone knows about Squier Factory Specials and where this fits with the rest of the Squier range I'd be interested to learn more. Quality is pretty good, fret-ends are a little sharp but action is good, no fret buzz and low action. Sounds like a Jazz bass, not particularly high-output pickups. And it's now officially my heaviest bass - 4.1kg. Let the modding commence... A couple more photos:

Shame to hear that as I was thinking about getting one of these but if they can't even be bothered to sort out the problem... what's the point. Though that is presuming you've got a first-gen model... maybe they've not sold through the first run...

Just watched the bass one, based on a recommendation from @BreadBin, enjoyed it but mentally wandered off a bit in the Pete Hook and Dizzee Rascal stuff. However, love Herbie Flowers and have now, for the first time in my life been listening to Lou Reed's "Transformer" - so that's a good result

It's got extras!!! A case *with leaflets*, a set of Rotosounds (worth... um...£25?), SD pickups and a GOTOH bridge 😮 And don't forget... the same strap as Mani from Stone Roses used at a gig once... will make you sound and play just like him... guaranteed /sarcasm Worth every penny

Well, it has arrived and I've done a first impressions review:

Spotted yesterday morning, ordered yesterday afteroon, arrived this morning. Cheap 5-string fan fret with passive humbuckers. Not spent a huge amount of time with it so far but thought I'd do some first impressions. Paid under £170 for this so, to be honest, didn't have amazingly high expectations. My experience of 5-strings has been everything from grotty 90s Westfield to Status Streamline with a Yamaha, two MTD Kingstons, an Aria and some other stuff in between. I have also briefly owned a Dingwall ABZ 4 so have at least tried the fan fret thing. First thing - this thing is light. Weighs just 3.65kg, which for a fiver isn't bad at all. On a strap it's well balanced with no neck dive and everything is nicely within reach. Scale length is 34.5" to 35.5" (apparently, not measured it...) and the longish top horn means it doesn't feel like a huge reach down to the end. Pickups are vey generic looking humbuckers, it's passive and the controls are VVTT from the neck end. Volumes are progressive, tones - feel pretty "on/off" with not a lot inbetween. Neck isn't too chunky, but not as slim as 5-string Ibanez. Depth is about 23mm at the nut, with the nut being 45mm (not quite sure whether you measure along the nut or perpendicular to the neck on a fan fret...?) Neck is also about 23mm at the 12th fret and 61mm wide. Shape is a gentle C and quite comfortable. Spacing at the bridge is 18mm so doesn't feel too cramped. The monorail bridge pieces are about what you would expect and seem sturdy enough with a good finish. Tuners seem to be good quality - quite smooth and hold tuning fine. I've got a set of Gotoh tuners I might put on it, but not a vital instant upgrade. Overall, the finish is probably an 8.5 out of 10. Paintework on the front is good, but there are scratches near the strap button (rough handling somewhere?) and the finish on the back is smooth but has a weird pattern to it - that may buff out though. Otherwise not much to complain about really. The headstock is good, couple of globs of hardened glue(?) that will probably come off quite easily. Frets and action: frets are all good, a bit dull but no particularly sharp ends and minimal fret buzzing. The action is pretty low. Fretboard wood is, apparently, "Thermally Treated Maple Ply" and you can just about make out the ply if you look real close. Otherwise looks like a decent bit of rosewood, not heavily figured or anything but quite consistent. The only minus neck-wise is the nut. It's not great, when your hand bumps against it it's got a sharp edge on the G side. It's kinda scuffed and is slightly too wide for the fretboard. How does it sound you ask... well, not too bad actually. The multiscale definitely works to this guitar's advantage. Sound is clear and even across the top four strings and the B is pretty close behind - it's slightly, fractionally, more muffled, but that's being pretty picky, and could also be down to only being able to try it through my TCE BG250-208. With a bit of tweaking of pickup heights and maybe a decent set of strings (can't imagine the ones on it are the best available) I think you'd be hard pressed to notice any variation. Sound is typical, modern humbucker sound - with clear highs but not single coil like highs, kept wanting to dial in a bit more treble, but it wasn't there Low end is quite growly and I could see using this at a gig quite happily (if I ever get one...) This is definitely a bass I would be happy to pour some money into for a couple of upgrades. Tuners - yeah probably, as mentioned above. Pickups - they're 38 x 100mm so I think there are off-the-shelf soapbars that might fit (EMG?). A nice three band pre would be a good addition too. OK - it's not a Dingwall!!! But for a tenth the price it's a very nice bass indeed. If you're looking for a cheap way into fan fret and/or 5-strings this really is worth a look. I'll probably keep this one around at least for a while. And to finish... without pictures it didn't happen, etc...

OK... have ordered a 5-string. Should arrive tomorrow and will put up some comments and pictures

Better tension on the B-string I think - though this is only 35.5" compared to Dingwall's 37" on stuff like the AB and NG series. I've owned a Dingwall and didn't get on with it for a number of reasons - but the fanned fret thing was no problem, barely even registered once you start playing. Very tempted to try one and report back

Just showed up on the Gear4Music website at £170 - https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/RedSub-INF5-Fan-Fret-Multi-Scale-5-String-Bass-Guitar/2NQW Worth a punt?

Status Hotwires are worth a look from http://www.status-graphite.com They're just over £16 a set and they have a range of gauges. When ever I've replaced whatever strings came on the current "headless-de-jour" (I've been through a few :D) it's tended to be Hotwires. I like 'em and they seem to last well. (Just noticed you said you prefer flats... Current Hotwires are roundwound, but I have had flats on a headless... I'll have a dig around when I get home to see if I can find what they were... Status used to make flatwounds so it could have been I had an old set of those. The only other thing I can find is La Bella flats: https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/strings-c1/sets-c865/bass-guitar-c34/la-bella-s500l-double-ball-end-flatwound-bass-strings-43-104-stainless-steel-p13529) As for preamps... I've got a Steinberger Spirit XT-2 that uses the same size humbucker style pickups and I'm thinking of dropping in a couple of EMG HB series pickups, using the volume pots they come with and adding an EMG BTC control stacked bass/treble pot for tone control. Apparently it's a direct drop in for the three controls that our respective basses share, though there's more room for manoeuvre in the Jack bass. An alternative would be the BTC System which has volume, blend and a bass/treble stack.

Good grief, there's a Jazz version too: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Headless-Jazz-Bass-Guitar/163501116718

This was not what I was expecting: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163501094450 Interesting design decisions... From the Description: "Headless Precision Bass Guitar. Colour: Brown. Full working order. Any questions, let me know." My question: "Why?"

I'm in if there's still space

£520, which isn't too bad I guess.