Doctor J

I'd well believe it. I'd go for a STR or Sugi over most brands, but that's just me. There is no reason at all why a Japanese manufacturer cannot make an instrument to the very highest of standards and, in my experience, they're right up there. There's still a stigma out there for some reason, which I find mystifying.

9 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Kinda fair point. But I actually don't think the best luthiers in Japan are necessarily going to better than the best luthiers in the UK or Czechoslovakia etc etc.

FWIW Jon Shuker designs fantastic basses which I would take over a Prestige every day of the week and would cost less than that range. I'd suggest his skills would go toe to toe with his Japanese counterparts and I would get a fantastic choice of pups and preamps thrown in. 

I think my key point is that at the end of the day the form factor is that of mass produced bass. Putting a pretty veneer on it doesn't change that; you're still souping up a Mondeo. 

Who said they're better? Surely they're capable of being equal to the best, though? Again, if not, why not? They build within an established shape, so what? What difference does a shape make to how good or bad an instrument is? The analogy of a souped-up Mondeo is not really accurate though. These aren't after-market parts bolted onto a regular production item, these are custom built from the ground up.

We're living in an age where old production line Fenders, assembled by largely unskilled, cheap labour and cheap parts are worth several times that of a one-off artisan piece made by experienced and skilled luthiers, purely because they're old. Nobody furrows their brow over that. Strange times 🙂

7 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

But at the end of the day it's an Ibanez not a Fodera

Same EQ and same pups(?) as the Prestige range and blind tested I bet no one would hear any difference.

It's a bit like souping up a Ford Mondeo.

Fodera sell incredibly expensive basses with regular cheap EMGs in them so I'm not sure what your point is? Don't you think the best luthiers at Ibanez in Japan are capable of the same level of craftsmanship as the guys at Fodera? If not, why not? They're not regular production pieces.

J-Custom here with flamed maple binding, just a work of art.

Alternatively, they're like masterbuilt customshop pieces. The finest of everything carved by their very best staff with utterly ridiculous attention to detail.

Ninja skillz.

If the JC in the model stands for J-Custom then let me assure you they're a few steps up from Prestige. I've played a couple of Ibanez J-Custom guitars and they are on the highest of high levels, everything about them is exceptional. They are complete craft pieces.

It doesn't mean I'd buy one new but, then again, I wouldn't buy any guitar or bass new. Second hand, though, yeah, I'd be interested for sure.

I don't spend too much brain time on it, either I like it or I don't. I tend to listen to the compositions as people post them - often with a little snippet of their thought process which I like - rather than wait for the voting thread to appear. Usually, I know what I'm going to vote for before the thread comes around and usually just have a final listen to make sure.

Regarding assessing, well, it either works as a piece of music or it doesn't, I never feel the need to analyse beyond that. It's a bit of fun. It's great that so many different approaches to composition can spring from people's reaction to the same image. It's a great format which always yields interesting and diverse results.

As for critical commentary, I dunno, it doesn't feel appropriate to do so as a contributor when I've just rambled down my own very definite path for the image.

Unscrew the neck pickup and use the ruler from the neck by the bridge pickup and see how it aligns to the bridge anyway. The neck isn't on straight, the strings are not centred on the neck. Centre the strings on the bridge then the strings on the neck and see how eveyrthing lines up without the scratchplate and neck pickup. It'll be better, for sure. It's a Fender, there is room for adjustment there.

There's something not quite right about the scratchplate either, sharp right angles on the bridge side of the neck pickup route, rounded on the neck side. It doesn't fit the control plate either and, even though there are no screws it does seem to be lined up with the holes underneath. Did you replace the scratchplate or did it come like that?

The bridge saddles have been changed too, possibly to allow the G string to be moved the far right of centre. I'd pop the scratchplate and see if there are additional holes where the neck pickup has been moved around. It's odd that the pickup route could be so badly askew, given that kind of thing is all done by CNC. Either way, it's the kind of thing which would annoy me every time I looked at it.

Looking at the third pic, you could loosen the neck screws and move the headstock more to the treble side which would do a better job of centring the strings on the neck and bringing it more in line with the bridge pickup. I'm speculating that the neck pickup has been moved, if I recall correcly, these basses have an oversized route so there's lots of scope to move the neck pickup around.

I suspect whoever put the scratchplate on moved the neck pickup to the bass side to accommodate that crap scratchplate, hence these misalignments

What I would do is:

1. remove the strings and scratchplate and see if the neck pickup has been moved.

2. run a straight edge from the end of the neck to the bridge pickup,  checking the gap to both sides of the bridge, seeing if the bridge pickup really is badly aligned

3. loosen the neck screws and re-align the neck so the strings are centred on the neck, this will definitely help with alignment over the bridge pickup

4. get an OEM scratchplate and relocate the neck pickup where it should be - the neck pickup is the one thing which is not in a fixed position here, don't use it to base alignment on

Is this it?

Proof a solid P bass is all that bass player needs

A pre-lawsuit model? Nice! 😁

Just now, bartelby said:

Those knobs look like they need to be scrubbed with bleach!

Yeah, by somebody else's hands too 😁

The thud sound which I thought was the door of the van closing was more likely the bass being lobbed over the gate. No notification from the driver, just left there in the elements. Just as well I heard it and had a look out the window. Great job, UPS!

Anyway, compulsory courier woe aside, initial impression: this neck is a great shape. It's pure J but a little slimmer front to back. I like it a lot. The pickups are indeed in the 60's position. The pots need a bit of a clean, (in fact the whole thing desperately needs a thorough clean, look at the biocrud on the knobs ffs), the blend is a bit scratchy but everything works. The strings are remarkably dead and, of course, disgusting and need to go.

Snapped with a standard size Jazz body to show the size difference. I need to strip it and clean it and set it up but I have a good feeling.
 

Thanks, Frank, yeah out for delivery now. Nice. I am quite excited to finally play one of these 😁

It's in the country. I'm optimistic, but no more than that, of receiving it tomorrow 😂

Trebles for show, doubles for dough.

Great story, great deal and a great bass!

When Paul McCartney (the original one) was training his replacement (the current one) and teaching him their repertoire, Paul (the current one) was prone to wandering up the fretboard which frustrated Paul (the original one), who worried that his plans to abscond and live a normal life in Milton Keynes could be scuppered if Paul (the current one) didn't get everything just right. Things came to a head during one song when Paul (the original one) erupted and shouted at Paul (the current one) "MONEY? NEVER ABOVE THE FIFTH FRET!"

James Jamerson happened to be outside walking past the slightly ajar window of the rehearsal room at that very moment and, even though he wasn't fluent in Liverpudlian, understood enough to get the gist, but interpreted it as "There is no money beyond the fifth fret." 

He told the story to his friend Carol Kaye who has since claimed credit for it.

"One! One good mix! Ahhh Aaaaahhhh Aaaaaaaaahhhh!"

😉

Nice! As a recent addition to the Hamer club too, the joy of discovering that neck is fresh in memory. 

What a terrible mix, almost as bad as the BBC trying to mix hard rock and metal. It's almost as if the sound engineer's mind just wasn't on the job at all.

25 minutes ago, lurksalot said:

Well f**k me furiously, I've had a good run through these now and that is a proper collection of most excellent toonage of the highest order, fair play 

Furiously? I have never heard that expression before. I may use that 🤣

2 hours ago, lurksalot said:

I am going to post it up , but I'm still hopeful of some lyrics and a bit of guitar to add from a couple of guests , but I'll have to wait and see about that 

Your buddy Ryan Adams? 
 

No, I didn't understand it either 🙂

Bandcamp.com, no doubt about it.

On Friday the 5th of February they are waiving their fees again so bands get even more from sales on that day.