Grahambythesea

A Rebop and a Spectorcore 5 are my arsenal. I think the Spectorcore is particularly good, great ebony board and action, I think more people should play these they are great value and quality.

I think the Danelectros mentioned here don't count as they are short scale. Marusczyzk Elwood L is a chambered body at around 3.5kg and my Spector Rebop also weighs in at 3.5 kg. I've read that Mike Lull makes some of his at a similar weight or less.

Back problems are common particularly as we all get older. Several solutions: 1. Sit down to play. 2. Get a lightweight bass - super lightweights like the Hofner Violin or Danelectro; Spector NS shape has small body and weighs in around 3.5kg as do some MikeLull's or Marusczyk Elwood is made with a chambered body which reduces a Jazz bass clone to around 3.5 kg depending on the woods chosen. 3. Play a so called electro acoustic, they're not very acoustic but generally pretty light, but watch out for neck dive. You can hurt your back and shoulder if you have to hold the neck up at the same time as playing.

That's a really nice looking bass. As a matter of interest how heavy is it? Sorry to hear about your poor experience with BaCH. Both my brother and I have BaCH basses and have been very pleased with them.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1493506115' post='3288882'] I'm back here again as I don't feel the smiley quite conveyed my astonishment that an instrument this unattractive actually exists... Somebody designed this... with its beautiful lines and ergonomic aesthetic... the way the scratch plate seemlessly flows with the body shape... the headstock complimenting the body in perfectly harmony. Could this perhaps have been the first single cut? Weren't Burns a respectable brand at the time? I've seen basses from this era that were manufactured behind the iron curtain from old tank parts that are easier on the eye. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that but this truly is a shocker... I wish I hadn't looked at it again right before bed. [/quote] If you check out early pictures of the late Jet Harris you'll fine he had one of these. There's one of him with this bass on "BassID- Jet Harris" on this forum.

No one's mentioned Spectors which are light or the Maruszcyk Elwood's with chambered bodies both around 3.5kg depending on the woods.

I like my Rebop Dlx 4 traded on this forum. Nice and light and I don't get neck dive! Never tried the 5 but I have a Spectorcore 5 fretless that plays like a dream.

If the paper works you don't have to change to heavier strings. Take the string off and carefully line the offending nut notch with super glue. May be as well to put masking tape either side to catch dribbles. Let it set and try the strong again if too tight, ease the notch open a bit with a fine file. Should do the trick.

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1493228212' post='3286761'] Just jammed a piece of paper in the nut slot (ouch!) and the problem is resolved. I'll have a think about getting heavier strings, although it seems a shame as I thought these were would be on for life! Thanks for the help everybody. Harry [/quote]see below

I dropped down to one, a Jazz 5 string, for a few years, but at the time I was probably playing more guitar. However I missed having a fretless, so that got added and now I' back up to 3 again having bought a semi recently, just 'cause I love the look of them!

Prime Bass is right. G &. L MJ bass is precisely that.

My direct answer to your specific question is horrible! Having looked on the website there is absolutely nothing there I would give house room. He may be a very good/clever luthier but they all look like style over substance to me and I bet they're expensive.

I don't think any 35 ins scale basses with only 21/22 frets exist! It's sounds to me as though you want a custom build, everyone hear says Maruszczyk will build you anything you want for a reasonable price, though I have no direct experience.

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1490797911' post='3268124'] I use an Epiphone Jack Casady in a blues rock band, it's a semi-acoustic and 34" scale. [/quote]Good choice, sorry I forgot to mention them!

I had a spell of about a year of only fretless, just because my 5 string F. Jazz was to heavy for a damaged shoulder and the fretless was lighter. I don't think anyone noticed other than it was not a Fender. If you don't slide around and finger accurately it's very hard to tell often. I remember a gig with Robben Ford after he had parted company with Roscoe Beck, and his bass player was on a fretless Jazz for the whole gig. Play what you like and don't be intimidated by others.

If it's blues and you want an alternative to a precision it has to be a semi ala Gibson EB2/ Epiphone Rivioli. That's what many of the British blues bands of the sixties used, think Animals, Yardbirds etc. If you don't like short scale and I don't, Warwick do a good one the Star bass (which I think is 32ins scale) Ibanez used to a long scale semi (although I think they have now dropped it for a short) Dean make one currently finished in Yellow cab style complete with checker side and I got a long scale from BaCH which does the job well.

My brother recently bought the black and white 5 string version and says the quality is good. Needed a tweek on the action but plays ok. I have the BaCH semi and can only say that for the money it's brilliant. I reckon your conversion job would work better starting with the painted model and then getting the vinyl you put on cars printed with your Paisley pattern. That way if it does work you at least have a reasonable black bass you can use/sell.

Thank you, the 'sh' is a surprise but I guessed the chick bit!! May be their sales profile might have been helped had they adopted a more western sounding name like the chinese do. Adrian guitars would have been pretty good.

I know this is a dumb question but as I have never seen one of these in the flesh or in a shop I have no idea how to pronounce Maruszcyzk. I'd like to be enlightened.

Is Mac plying one in this photo of wings?

That would be really interesting to do. However won't there be a problem of the Starcaster body being designed for a short scale neck and a jazz neck being long scale? The bridge position need to be different and don't the Fender bodies come drilled for a bridge?