Cato

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1484780040' post='3218487'] Yep you got that wrong a wee bit. The stack is bottom is bass boost / cut with top stack being treble boost and cut. The end pot is a mid boost / cut but i think it has a greater level of boost or cut. Have to admit the one in the shop did feel very natural too and just right balanc an tone wise. Looking forward to it arriving now. Just for info to help load pics. Select the "MORE REPLY OPTIONS" button at the bottom of your comment reply box and it will open up to more choice. At the bottom there's a CHOOSE FILE button that will take you to your own PC files or photographs. Select the photo you want to load and click OPEN. Then select the ATTACH THIS FILE button and the link will appear on your comment page. When you save post the pic should appear in the comment box. Hope that helps as i would like some pics of your bass posted. You have no excuse now Enjoy the bass Dave [/quote] Cheers for the info on the controls. I've had a quick go at taking and uploading some pictures, but, to be honest it's been a bit of a disaster. I'm going to try again later when I've got more time.

First off apologies for the P poor photos, it's the first time I've ever tried photographing anything with my tablet, and it's not gone well. I might have another go later with my phone to see if that goes any better. Anyhoo after playing jazz type basses for the last few years I recently started gassing for a Precision, but I knew I'd miss the bridge pickup. Fender didn't have a PJ in my price range so I was mainly looking at either a Yamaha BB1024x or an Ibanez SR750. However, a couple of months ago I became aware of the Fender Deluxe Precision Special, the more I researched it, the more I became convinced that it was more or less exactly what I was looking for - a bass that could do the classic Precision sound but also a whole lot more. Not being able to find one to try locally I took a punt and ordered one blind from Guitar Guitar.(Truly excellent service from them by the way, the bass arrived well packaged and within minutes of the start of the 1 hour window they had promised). The bass itself has exceeded my expectations. Normally I'd expect it to take a while to adjust to a new bass, but with this I just clicked instantly, probably because of the Jazz width neck. It's just so easy to play. I can't work out what the x factor is because it's not like I was struggling with my other basses, but everything on this just seems effortless. The construction quality is great and the bass arrived set up more or less perfectly for me (though I should point out that I'm not someone who likes a fag paper action at the first fret, medium low is fine for me). I even like the stock strings. Plugged in it's an awesome beast. In passive mode it does the classic Precision tone beautifully, roll in the Jazz pickup and it becomes sharper, less thump, more clarity. In active mode it sings, there's no other word for it. I've found it simple to dial in my preferred tones from a nasally Jaco type growl to a full blooded Stuart Zenderish funk. The harmonics are astonishingly clear and loud. The bad points? There's nothing bad as such, but the preamp is aggressive to the point where I had to dial back the volume on the bass slightly to avoid it distorting when I dig in. It's also not light, it's well balanced and I initially thought it was slightly lighter than my Jazz, but on the bathroom scales it weighed in at 10lbs, a whole pound heavier than the Jazz. Overall though I'm extremely chuffed and I can't see myself needing another bass for quite some time.(At least until the urge to complete Leo's trinity with a Stingray becomes overpowering)

Learn open chords first. Once you've got those sorted start on barre chords. It'll be a struggle at first, but once you've developed the capability to bar your first finger across all the strings the world will be your Mollusc. Disclaimer: It may take quite a long time between being able to play open chords to being able to play any barre chord you like. The solo stuff is just scales.

[quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1484764495' post='3218273'] I can sing and play it and have done so at a jam! [/quote] All 20 odd minutes of it? Hat doffed.

I've literally only had mine a few hours and I'm still getting to grips with the controls but I would say if it does have a tone control on passive it's very subtle as no matter how much I fiddle with various pots, I'm not hearing any difference. Having said that you can get a similar effect to a tone control in passive mode by panning between the two pickups.

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1484755987' post='3218158'] Decided to go for the Surf Pearl Deluxe precision. On order due next week. [attachment=236133:fender-deluxe-active-precision-bass-special-surf-pearl-379780.jpg] [/quote] Mine arrived today. I might do proper NBD if I ever learn how to post pictures but suffice to say I couldn't be more chuffed with it. Great range of sounds from modern to classic and weirdly (because I didn't feel like I was struggling with my other basses) it feels really easy to play, I was expecting the usual period of adjustment I normally experience when playing a new bass, but it just clicked instantly. I hope you are similarly delighted with yours. Edit: Mine didn't come with any instructions and I couldn't find the manual online, in case you have the same experience, as far as I can tell from my experiments, from left to right the controls are volume, pan, bottom stacked knob is bass, topped stacked knob is mids and the last knob is treble. I reserve the right to be completely wrong about any/all of those deductions.

I feel slightly snubbed that I haven't received said email.

It's a fantastic song and historically quite important (as pretty much the perfect protest song), but... http://youtu.be/m57gzA2JCcM ... probably won't go down that well at your average jam night.

[quote name='ROConnell' timestamp='1484673731' post='3217400'] One commenter: [i][b]"[color=#000000]I think people like this are killing the live music venue where people love seeing bands, getting sweaty, singing out in solidarity with our heroes on the stage! And they’re replacing it with CRAFT BEER and cocktails served IN CAMPBELLS SOUP TINS.[/color][/b][/i] [i][b][color=#000000]RIP London.[/color] [color=#000000]RIP EVERYTHING WE LOVE."[/color][/b][/i] [color=#000000]Aw bless they really don't like craft beer [/color] [/quote] -Thread derail- Well to be fair it is a bit "Emperor's new clothes". First we had Real Ale snobs , when Real Ale become commonplace they moved on to micro breweries and now micro breweries aren't exclusive enough it's all about craft beer, which as far as I can tell is all about putting something suspiciously cloudy in a tiny can then charging punters more than the price of a pint of draught for it. If I still drank I'd be starting the 'Campaign for Cheap Sh*te Lager'. -Thread derail-

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1484648277' post='3217077'] Yes that is the very beast only in sunburst with maple neck. Let me know what you think or have you already tried one. Dave [/quote] Nor tried one yet,I'm (perhaps foolishly) buying blind as a I couldn't find one in stock anywhere near me. Fingers crossed it should be with me some time tomorrow. I'd have preferred a maple fretboard but I'm not keen on sunburst. I'll let you know how I get on.

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1484645980' post='3217050'] I'm really looking for a PJ active set up for all round tonal possibilities and the Deluxe Fender altho being Mex seems to have all that altho its down to indivivual bass as to whether its gonna be a good un or a bad un. [/quote] If your'e talking about one of these... http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Fender-Deluxe-Active-P-Bass-Special-RW-Olympic-White/1N4K?utm_campaign=bEngine%20-%20Fender&utm_medium=paid_search&network=google&adgroup=31445970137&matchtype=b&utm_term=%2Bdeluxe%20%2Bactive%20%2Bp%20%2Bbass&device=t&creative=169962388796&adposition=1t1&gclid=Cj0KEQiAnvfDBRCXrabLl6-6t-0BEiQAW4SRUGPmlbHCBI4oegbNaPcWXVHLvnj-XfeMOKPzq2eOntQaAujF8P8HAQ ...Then as coincidence would have it, I'll be finding out whether it's a goodun or a baddun within the next couple of days.

As above. For a charity gig your only job is to turn up and play. If you want to mention it to a few mates, that's fine. But any pressure from the organisers for you to try and sell tickets is bang out of order.

My only problem with them is that it encourages fiddling with the equaliser rather than proper practising. Also when used in conjunction with whatever tone shaping section you have on your amp it can over complicate things when trying to get 'that' tone, just by giving you almost infinite parameters. Having said that, tomorrow I'm planning on ordering a new bass that will have both active and passive options, so hopefully the best of both worlds.

The other great thing about Squiers, the more modern ones anyway, is that all their vital measurements on things like pick ups, bridges , necks etc are standard Fender sizes, which makes them dead easy to mod. I changed the pickups, bridge and wiring loom on my VM Jazz in the space of about an hour.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1484327608' post='3214784'] Also I didn't know Rocco wasn't performing with them. Blue [/quote] I think he still does on occasion. I seem to recall that he was very ill a couple of years ago and I'm not sure if he made a full recovery.

[quote name='nash' timestamp='1484307544' post='3214516'] Why the gripes about it being passive? [/quote] I think at that price point people expect all the whistles and bells. Also there's a preamp cavity fitted to the bass, just no actual preamp.

Just noticed Snarky Puppy are playing later in the evening on the same day as Meshell. Only seem to be balcony seats left though. Still, that weekend in Cheltenham is growing more and more attractive.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1484227655' post='3213708'] That's exactly it, pick and chose carefully! There is some free stuff in the Montpellier gardens, and lots of food stands etc. but didn't offer any proper ales iirc. I mean, ffs, it's a jazz festival, isn't their target audience real ale drinking beard stroking old blokes? [/quote] Cheers, I'm going to wait to see who else is playing before I make a decision. If any of the assorted West Coast Get Down collective are invited then I'll almost certainly be getting some tickets.

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1484162768' post='3213222'] I'm not a fan. Might be easier to just buy s replacement pup cover for a few quid. [/quote] You can't really go wrong with this.

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1484158006' post='3213167'] How on earth did this information get out? Was it some kind of leak? [/quote] Apparently it trickled down from a high up source.

How does the Cheltenham Jazz Festival work? Do you just buy tickets for every act you want to see, or is there some sort of multiple gig ticket available? If I was going to go I reckon I'd need to book into a hotel, so I'd like to see as many acts as possible, but not at £20 per act.

Apparently he enjoys something called a 'golden shower'. So bringing along a bucket in case the opportunity arises to collect some of this gold might be a smart move.

[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1484092443' post='3212704'] So anyway, I've always had this hankering to have a headless Ricky. A bit of crude cut'n'paste for a rough idea... Whaddya reckon - might work? Heck, maybe a donor Ricky with a broken head might make a good base. I could otherwise experiment with body shapes or base it on a more modern Ricky where the neck pickup is further down, so the body could be shortened a bit.,. [/quote] If you do a Google search on 'headless Rickenbacker' you'll find a few examples, most of them home builds but there's at least one luthier that says they can build them.

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1484083404' post='3212605'] Or this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=9m7tPikH0UA [/quote] Perfect.

You should open with this one... http://youtu.be/rmaXiuIFaN0