skankdelvar

Welcome! And sorry to hear about the aching hands [quote]I'll be looking at trying out some new amps[/quote] It's the slippery slope!

Welcome [quote]I would settle for shops with a decent supply of Fender basses as a starting point![/quote] Not many of those round Oxford - tried PMT or guitar gallery? You're prob better off buying from people on this forum or down in London or worst case, off the bay. Prob not worth spending bundles on a 70's vintage and US standards are quite pricey if it's just the look that appeals. As Musky says, should be straightforward enuff to find a black p with a maple f'board. Black plates are available everywhere... PM me before you lash out on paying someone in a shop to fit a scratchplate for you.

JP-90's - the new Marmite.

...and wrong Fender logo for the period. But it's still quite pretty.

Perm a combo of: Hard case, Bass Instructional DVD, New pick-ups, Stomp Box (comp / dist / modulation), new strap, four-pack of nice strings off the bay, guitar cleaning pack, snazzy Hawaiian shirt (so people know you're the bass player), Leather pork pie hat (ditto), T-shirt with slogan such as 'I'm the bass player - I go Dum Dum Dum'. Or maybe she's just waiting for [i]you[/i] to say: "What do I want for Xmas, sweety-pie? I want you to marry me so we can buy the old MacGregor place and grow old together and watch our kids play in the meadow behind the barn...." Man smart, woman smarter.

At first I thought it was a cake.

First off, try contacting the manufacturer and seeing if they do a replacement bridge of the same kind, only in black. Buy it, unscrew the old one, screw on the new one. Buying a different mfr's bridge and fitting it may involve re-drilling. If the strings pass over the bridge and then go through the body of the bass, those holes also may need re-drilling to match the bridge - this is much more tricky than just screwing a new bridge onto the face of the bass. You also need to take into account the string spread of the existing bridge, so the new one lines the strings up over the pick-up poles in the same way. If the intricacies of this don't appeal, you could always try taking the bridge off and removing the saddles and saddle screws, springs whatever. Get the bridge plate, rub it down a bit and try painting it with hammerite black metal paint, then reassemble. If you really want to paint the saddles too, remove the adjustment screws and plug the holes so the paint doesn't get in there and clog the thread. Won't look brilliant, won't last long, but it will be black. (Try experimenting first on the face of the bridge that screws to the guitar so it looks really awful, no harm done.) All in all, a fair bit of effort for cosmetics that probably only you will notice. But modding is fun, and you've got to start somewhere.

I play both and I honestly can't remember which one I started with. It's all a bit confusing really...

As far as anarcho-socialism goes, this is an interesting speculative piece: www.anti-state.com/preston/preston5.html ...and as far as I can see, any form of party or political grouping requires an inherent compromise. The more members, the greater the compromise. In achieving consensus among larger groupings, certain individuals may have to subordinate their views on certain issues to those of the majority. Should they continue to disagree, they may be 'coerced' into agreement or expelled from the party. Sound familiar and acceptable so far? So what happens when 'the party' is the whole of society? You get Gulags and Killing Fields. Imposed totalitarian political systems kill. Compromise, tolerance and accommodation form the basis for any successful social grouping. In answer to your OP, I think your band is a better exemplar of progress through compromise than any political nostrum. If you're uncomfortable with the possible outcome - that is, getting a deal - it's maybe unfair to contemplate removing your skills at the point when the others achieve what may be, for them, a key objective . Perhaps you should leave the band and join one with ambitions more closely aligned with your own.

Either way, the serial number suggests 77-78, and the block, non-serifed italic 'JAZZ BASS' might indicate the middle - latter end of that period, when they switched the type face. So, maybe late 77, early 78? It's just unfortunate that the (probably genuine but a bit excessive) headstock wear includes the area round the logo, which might imply 'forgery' to some. The headstock faces (but not the sides or back) of this period were nitro'd, the neck poly'd (and I've got a similarly two-toned Tele). His camera may be exaggerating the 'David Dickinson-esque' hue of the headstock face. I need to get out more.

Paging Dr Claber...

Logo a bit on the small side. And the whole thing exudes a hint of crap-ness...NOI

For a six month old neck, strung at normal tension to go bandy implies a manufacturing fault. If the retailer has had it for a month and can't fix it, it would be interesting to know [i]exactly[/i] what they've been doing with it during that time. I'd be (very politely) asking for specific details about their proposed remedies - because I can't think of many, short of a serious bit of neck clamping, hump-shaving or a fat re-fret. And even if it's fixed now, the problem could recur later. Without knowing all the details, it's difficult to suggest possible courses of action, but if this was my bass, I'd be after a replacement or a refund flaming pronto. A quiet but firm meeting with a senior person in a back room is certainly in order - no informal chatting over the counter - and take a notepad. Banana neck is a banana neck. And this on a [i]new £900.00 bass[/i]? It's not their fault, but the Retailer should definitely take this one on the chin - their beef should be with Fender. Send for Shockwave - the punter's friend!

It's not just the UK - US websites are also full of bad news about doggy Gibsons. Been that way for years and no one at Gibson seems to care... too busy coming up with Robot guitars (shudder)

[quote name='AndyMartin' post='341241' date='Nov 30 2008, 05:09 PM']It's a 2008 US standard. The latest model. I've only played one other that was hanging in a shop and that had a neck like a banana. Reading the thread about overpriced American gear, maybe I've been lumbered with one of Fender's "export" basses [/quote] I read about the banana neck fenders on Harmony-Central - and these were American-bought Precisions. Maybe there are issues with rushing the wood to production before it's seasoned properly. Some similar issues with wood shrinkage and exposed fret-ends on the less expensive Gibson six strings - the "faded" jobs...

[quote]Nay!!!! I defy thee SKANKDEVIL.[/quote] Nice return, Sir. [quote name='Mrs Tinman' post='341224' date='Nov 30 2008, 04:37 PM']And another thing One mention of the word 'crevice' and I may need to resort to physical violence [/quote] Errr - sorry mate - didn't mean to cause a domestic - just start a global religious war. (Phew! - good job she didn't notice the fiery bush....) Sorry to the OP for dragging this seriously OT I reckon basses are just stacking up in peoples' houses and rotating periodically through ebay. When d'ya last see a decent stash of s/h gear in a bass / guitar shop? Years, mate, years. Cos we've all got 'collections' these days....or 'harems' as the Mild-ster so aptly puts it.

Maybe it's just me, but I think £436 for a Squier - even a JV - is a bit daft. But it looks nice.

You know what I do? I larf. That's what I do. Larf

[quote name='thebeat' post='341027' date='Nov 30 2008, 12:15 PM']You'll be lucky...they all seem to think we're a bunch of dicks across there especially Argghh, who should perhaps change his change his user name to 'Vitriol' [/quote] Two nations separated by a common language...and a differing sense of humour.

+ 1 on the legals. Although you've had it six months, it's already been back twice, so they can't say it's a new problem. As regards the practicalities - well, they've tried in good faith to fix it but no joy. Your choice as noted above should be refund or replacement. re: Replacement - If you only ask for a new neck, they may have to send the old one back to the MFR, leaving you with half a bass and a long wait. And it's the [i]whole bass [/i] that's unplayable, because of the neck. Easier for everyone if they send the whole thing back and give you a new one off the wall. Saves them having to get money out of the till. And, subject to the legals above, I can't imagine you'd have to wait for a refund from the retailer while the mfr identifies the problem - doesn't matter [i]why[/i] it doesn't work properly - it just doesn't work. Or you might want to get the cash back and buy a secondhand item that's been played in and is known to have no issues. Have seen a number of comments recently about Fender neck bows - which Precision was it?

[quote name='Tinman' post='341011' date='Nov 30 2008, 11:52 AM']I do hope not. That certainly wasn't my intention. I was merely commenting on the statement about God taking a Fender player to sit at his right hand. Certainly no insult intended[/quote] No, that's it! I'm so deeply offended reason hath deserted me!! The name of the Lord ith being taken in vain!!! The doors of Heavenly Paradise are henceforth shut to all humanity until you, [i]SINMAN[/i] repenteth and go forth into the wilderness and pluck for me from the fiery bush a Mojo-laden yet somehow entirely pristine NOS '55 Precision and send it to: Pastor Billy Bob Spittoon Latterday Church of Non-Believers 15, The Council Houses Cemetary Crescent Littlehampton And this just in from God - as with dogs, [i]all[/i] basses go to heaven - even Hondos.

Sorry - that was about the crappiest pun [i]ever[/i] . I'll get me coat... (But it's still a brilliant tattoo. Totally different from the usual stuff. And it is very nice to have you among us once more)

[quote name='SJA' post='340454' date='Nov 29 2008, 01:53 PM']check out the pink custom shop 55 reissue in this thread- [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5527695"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5527695[/url][/quote] I went through that thread and GAS-ed on every one of them. Thank you so much for posting that link. A 54-56. It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine.

There's a [i]G[/i] string?!?