Dan Dare

I read somewhere that workers at the Fender factory originally wrote dates on the necks/neck pockets of instruments. That was replaced with rubber stamping them when a buyer found a rude message written on one.

Impossible to say without handling it, really. Looks OK, but not possible to see anything in detail in the photos. Have a look inside the upper F hole for the label. Could be cheap because they are not as popular as solid Gibsons. They have limited tonal options - they do the old string bass thump quite well, but clarity is not their forte and they can be prone to feedback if you try to push the volume. I'd be on the lookout for physical issues - neck stability and cracks in the body, especially - given their light construction. If you get it, stick to lighter gauge strings. Some useful info here - The Gibson EB2 bass guitar >> FlyGuitars.

You mention PJB. I like their cabs a lot (I have 5). A C4 would be good for the uses you describe - practice at home and with a musical drummer and the occasional gig in a coffeeshop, church or small other setting. It's a 12 inch cube, although not the lightest cab in the world and capable of surprising volume. I would advise trying them before buying, unless it's really impossible.

Flats may be higher tension, gauge for gauge, than r5ounds, but less likely to cause sore fingers to a youngster and put them off. A light set of flats and low action should ensure that won't be an issue.

I did similarly - got together leading up to and during lockdown with a bunch of other players, all in our 60s, to start a soul/rhythm and blues band, with the idea of playing stuff from the halogen days of our yoof. It's fun to re-live the good old days and there are (or will be hopefully) plenty of places we can play once life returns to some kind of normality. Loads of people out there of our age who like the music we play and have some money to spend on enjoying themselves, with the kids long grown up, mortgages paid off and so on. We have had to be careful about what is known as "mission creep". If anyone wishes to include material that falls outside the agreed aim of the band, our policy is "it may be a good song and we may well enjoy playing it, but it isn't appropriate for this outfit". That way, everyone understands and nobody gets offended when their suggestions are declined.

He has indeed and that is a valid criticism. I'm sure it's not from 1951 and I wouldn't touch it with a 10ft sterilised barge pole. However, it doesn't alter the fact that, as the neck is not being sold, talk of the headstock being the wrong shape is a bit pointless.

Given that the ad is for the body only, the headstock shape is irrelevant. H appears to have used it to make a bitsa. Fair enough and he isn't trying to claim the whole bass is a '51.

Orchid make a nice, modestly priced active DI box. I have a few and they've always worked well for me.

BF Big Baby? Light and clean sounding.

This. It appears the organisers are trying to save money by getting others to donate their gear. Fine in principle, but enforcing it is another matter entirely. .Good idea and the best option if there really has to be only one lot of equipment on stage. Personally, I don't lend my gear apart from at the jam where I'm in the house band. Like only4, I'm ancient and have nice stuff and quite a lot of money tied up in it. It's also lightweight and compact, so the "Sharing will prevent delays between acts" argument doesn't apply. I can be onstage, set up and ready to go in a couple of minutes. Give the engineer a DI and away we go. Everyone is free to decide what they do, of course, but I sense only4 is not happy with the suggestion and is looking for views on whether he would be reasonable to decline. I think he would be.

You're right. It isn't ugly. It's hideous.

I think you're correct. Neck looks kosher and has, according to online Fender serial number checkers, a Corona S/N (although it isn't possible to find whether the number relates to a complete instrument or just a neck). Body, however, appears identical to this Mex Active Jazz - Fender Deluxe Active Jazz Bass, Maple Fingerboard, 3 Colour - Andertons Music Co..

Never had to, which is just as well as I've never taken a backup. I do keep a set of old (and therefore already stretched) strings in the gig bag so if I bust one, the replacement won't be forever going flat. I carry batteries, duplicates of every lead and a spare amp (which I think far more likely to expire than the bass).

I wouldn't waste your money. The material makes little difference. It's the handle, strap and lining that are important, etc...

Agreed, but it's good for a laugh.

Those look like Bill Lawrence pickups. Perhaps someone has replaced them at some point. Very good pickups. Don't get rid of them before trying them. I doubt Toneriders will be an improvement if they are BLs.

You could file the hole to be triangular and straight edged and glue on a little piece of scrap ebony. When it's set, file/sand to shape. Would be a bit of a faff, but cheap.

Great point. Several cabs working well within their capabilities will always sound better - fuller and more authoritative as stated - than one that's being pushed, even at modest volumes.

Did the chunk come out in one piece? If so, if you line it up right and get the grain to re-engage, you should be able to glue and clamp it back. May need smoothing over when set.

Nobody.

How are we "spoiling ourselves"? I've worked for 50 odd years to be able to afford nice things and I'm going to enjoy them. Why not buy a cheapy and try it? Plenty of bargains about at the moment. Or make a Bitsa? I did recently and I like it, but wouldn't sell my better instruments and use it exclusively. Playability is mainly in the set up. I played cheapies when I was starting out (as did almost everyone) and had fun. I could happily play one now if there was nothing else available (and I know a lot more about set up than I did back in the day, so could get it to work better), but I prefer to use what I have now. That's it, really.

Ah well. Should generate a few more sales of I am a Dog on a String (hope I got that right). Look on the bright side Stevie boy.

Don't sell it at the moment, unless you're desperate for funds. Money is tight, few if any have gigs and you won't get the best price. Wait until the world has returned to some semblance of normality. Given that a 2x10 is hardly enormous (and the Rumbles are light), I personally wouldn't sell it. It's handy to have additional resources in the event that you may need to make more noise at some point. I have more cabs than I usually need, but the extra ones come in handy at times. That's just me, of course. Your decision, obvs, but not a good time to sell at the moment.

Replace the tuner with a Hipshot detuner. Adjust to raise/lower the pitch by a semitone. Play with it in the dropped position and tune the instrument normally. When you need that high E, simply crank it to non-dropped position. You may need a friend to help. Or use your teeth. Either way, job done 😁 Do I win a prize?

True. I find that clarity, whilst pleasing in isolation, doesn't always work in a band context. That clean tone that is so enjoyable in the showroom or living room can be a bit gutless when everything else is going on. I learned that a long time ago, when I used to use a long lead and walk out in front of the stage whilst sound checking (pre wireless days). The sound I liked when stood close to the backline disappeared at distance. Boosting the low mids to the point that it sounded a little honky on stage helped the bass project and sit much better in the mix. I think that's why the P bass is so popular. Sure, it lacks clarity and definition when compared with more sophisticated designs, but it just works in a live situation and has that punch in the chest sound that does the job.