Dan Dare

Is anything shorting inside the body cavity? When I used a J Retro, it was quite deep and could short against the screening if it touched.

Difficult to answer. It's worth whatever a willing buyer is prepared to pay.

You'll need to check the minimum impedance external speaker yours can drive (especially if the existing speaker is 4 ohm). I'd suggest trying to match the existing driver as closely as possible for consistency (assuming you like the sound it makes and just want more of it). Would be worth taking it to a decent shop and trying a few with it, rather than buying on spec' or recommendation.

A 210 or 115 won't be a lot smaller than what you have and (in view of your comment about the VDK, which is bound to be recommended) may not weigh any or much less or take up very much less space. Why not invest in a decent trolley for the 212 so it's an easier carry and save some money?

Yep. Straightforward job. You can get self adhesive copper screening tape off Amazon or eBay quite cheaply. RS Components do a decent sized roll for not too much money, too, if you want a bit more. You just need to unscrew and lift the scratchplate and stick it all over the inside of the body cavity (one layer is fine - no need to use yards of the stuff). Make sure it doesn't short against the jack terminals or any of the wiring. Remove the pots from the scratchplate and put a layer over the inside of the plate where it covers the body cavity. Then poke a hole for the pots and replace them. That will earth the pot bodies to the screening tape. It sounds as if your bridge is grounded already if the hum quietens when you touch the strings

Through neck? And some quite decent woodwork and finishing from the look of it. Far too well built for my taste.

Mine too.

Leave the bridge ground wire in situ' and just add a ground wire to connect the shielding to one of the pot bodies. You only need to put tape over the underside of the p/g where it covers the body cavities.

Which is what most of us said, but he wouldn't have it.

14x10? Are you the bass player with Hotblack Desiato?

Yep. More fun for us.

If the existing one fits OK, Jack's Instrument Services (Google them) in Manchester will make you one using it as a template. Not cheap, but good quality and swift service.

You took the words out of my mouth, Tubster. My meter broke...

I just give mine a clip round the ear if it misbehaves.

They are rare. They were horrible and few people bought them, so there are virtually none about.