Doctor J

There's a lot of love for Serek basses at the moment and they seem to keep it basic and quirky.

There's a lot of variety there. What kind of bass are you actually looking for, what are the things you like and dislike?

I haven't played Moon (yet) but have owned (and still own) quite a few other niche Japanese brands and, in my experience, they're generally a substantial improvement on your average big F (USA, MIJ, old and new ones which I no longer own) in every aspect. Forget the name on the headstock, trust your hands and your ears.

A used bass is a lot like a beautiful woman...

What was dead should have stayed dead.

At the very bottom, this?

A bridge with Kubicki style wheels around which you spool fresh string. Instead of removing strings to change them, you just spool more out of the bridge and clamp the fresh section behind the nut, then snip off the excess of old string.

I've only ever owned a Sarzo but it was a very nice piece of kit, just couldn't abide the lack of a forearm contour. I always wanted to try a T-40 but missed out on them during the time they were less than 400 quid, so it's a dream which will go unfulfilled, now.

To bring this train-wreck somewhat back on topic

Jaco Pastaurius

Pizza Butler

Veal Murray

Gravy504

Farls Berthoud

Adam Filet-on

This is one of the new ones with the single truss rod? Make sure the relief is correct before you do anything. Hold the string down at the first and last fret, you should have no more than the width of a business card between the bottom of the string and the top of frets 8 & 9. Then, check that the relief is the same on both sides, that the neck is not starting to warp to one side. If you bought it recently, you'll be covered by warranty so check this now, don't leave it.

For me, the action at the nut should be about the same over fret 1 - with the string open -as it is over fret 2 when you hold down the string at fret 1. The action the first fret on the G string looks good but looks terrible on the E string. Having to file the nut is not unusual, I can think of only a couple of instruments over the years where I haven't had to do this. It's an easy-enough job but it's very easy to take off too much. If you're unsure, bring it to a pro.

So, 1 check the relief is correct which will show you 2, that the neck is straight before 3, get that nut filed.

If this thread was a bassist, the keyboardist's left hand would be getting a promotion.

I believe our ability to make basses has improved quite substantially in my time and the 70's were a low ebb for manufacturing so no thanks 😉

I don't see a photo, but red is usually connected to the battery in active basses which would explain the bass being totally dead. Follow the wiring from the battery terminal, make sure that is connected to the PCB. From there, you should be able to follow the tracks in the PCB. Also, try emailing Yamaha to see if they have a schematic.

Yeah, anything goes. Thanks for listening.

"Greatness" is not a diarrhoea splatter of notes and no greatness was illustrated in the video so, yes, if a root note showed their musical ability better then it would have been more appropriate.

Thankfully, we are blessed to have kind souls among us who will quote us, make a minor edit to our text and say "Fixed!" in a patronising way which is never, ever as irritating as a painful rectal itch.

I went through the first view and the clips he selected are everything I dislike about electric bass. Impressive.

I will compile a list of my top 25 greatest of all time "greatest bassist of all time" lists.

I see what you did there 

It's utterly stupid.

If he had the treble pickup sided closer to the neck, instead of the bass side pickup, he'd have a much more even tonal palette.

I got some nachos and went to the main stage to see Twisted Sister.

I bought a set of pickups from Quent. Despite the unforeseen extra grief involved in posting abroad, Quent was a gent to deal with throughout with excellent communication and the pickups arrived superbly packaged. An all-round top man. Thanks!

I thought the Metro Express had some generic EQ and not an actual Sadowsky unit?

He should... take it easy

Get some aluminium tape from screwfix and run a thin strip around the bit of the ferrule which isn't quite snug enough.