MoonBassAlpha

Might be worth getting it re wound. Shouldn't cost too much, and they are great sounding pickups!

Dan Armstrong bass too, and that Gibson one, to a lesser extent.

Thanks chaps, kinda what I thought initially, but then had a moment of doubt. I just hate keeping guitars in a case as it's yet another barrier to picking up and playing, so I guess it's the price you pay with older instruments.

Have you tried bypassing the preamp section, plugging straight into the effects return? I'm thinking the valvein the preamp is a likely candidate. Did your tech try swapping it out?

My 74 SG Special which was a lovely deep red wine colour in its youth is now entirely brown. Is this because the clear lacquer has turned yellow, or the stain itself has faded?

Any news @Baloney Balderdash on this problem? I'm intrigued to find out what it was.

I finally caved in to my shortscale curiosity. I'd had a Bronco staying with me for a week and couldn't put it down, so I went for a limited edition Mustang PJ from @jezzaboy of this very parish. I absolutely love an ebony fingerboard! Other purchases have been the ubiquitous BC straplocks (a bit too tight for my taste tbh ) and 48 bottles of Coral beer, from Madeira, as it reminds me of my holidays there most years!

Loving the attention to detail in all aspects! I've never been a fan of the surface mounted Jack socket plates you see on instrument edges, even on some of the most expensive instruments. Being recessed flush is so much nicer. Actually, thinking about it, flush recessed front control plates and scratch plates would be rather cool too! Does this exist?

I'm generally more of a fan of more wood showing and the controls routed from the back, especially on a body with nice generous round over on the front.

By that reasoning, maybe a high alcohol hand - sanitizer would work well. At least that's widely available these days! !

Did you enter this in the December cover challenge ? I think it meets the criteria

That's interesting - a few years ago I got a lady at work to photoshop another Bronco white pickup at the bridge position. I thought it looked great! This was the red Bronco.

Dare I ask what the body is made from?

That's odd, I remembered the pickup spacing on the 302 wrong, I thought the bridge pickup was nearer the bridge. On my 301, I moved it right up near the bridge.

Yes, I can't imagine the manufacturer would make a bridge out of a soft aluminium alloy.

Is the fuzz circuit beforeor after the volume control? Just wondering if you can change the amount of clipping with the volume or if you have to use your playing dynamics?

Well, the Status flats and half rounds arrived today, 10 days after being posted first class letter post. I put the half rounds on. Initial impressions are pretty good, the feel is very close to flats. They are smoother than I remember half rounds being but that may have been 40 years ago. Sound is flatwound ish with a bit of zing easily tamed with tone pot. Not sure if the zing will persist or die off like rounds. Looks like they could be quite versatile. Haven't played loud yet but I feel they might growl nicely.

Very well made solid instruments, but my 301 fretless had the most appalling dead spot around C on the G-string. Not uncommon on basses but this was worse than most.

My Mrs used to hate me boiling my strings in her pans. I went over to soaking strings in meths to clean them. The whole issue goes away when you move to flatwound. ..

Specifically your Sei, perchance?

Yes, consider hard anodised aluminium saucepans, they stay looking good under far harsher treatment than the average bass bridge.

I've got some half rounds and flats incoming from Status for my recent Mustang acquisition. I'll report back when they eventually arrive . If I remember. I have the old Status flats on my long scale bass, but gather they have changed manufacturer. Hope they're as nice.

Aluminium can be anodised and stained black.

I find sour cheese and chive Pringles give a better tone!

Nice one! ok, I'll spill the beans. The wiring was wrong from the factory. The pickup hot was wired to the wiper and the output to the non-ground end tag of the volume pot. The tone control was wired correctly. Swapped the pickup hot and the output wire over and it now works normally. I've sketched both schemes out and I still can't work out why it was working oddly. Anyone care to chip in now?