Tokalo

One of the best feelings I know is hitting an open E for the final chord of a song. No need to dampen. The whole room shakes, and I win that particular chord in my battle with keyboard, guitar and even drums.

I think Danish oil is ok as long as it is based on tung oil (which this is). Is tapping frets something I should be able to do (if I'm careful)? It certainly sounds preferable to explaining to Mrs T why I'm taking my new bass into the bathroom with me!!

I've just acquired a used Squire Jaguar VM (the long scale version with active boost; I don't think it had been looked after too well - I had to straighten the neck and do the intonation). It arrived via post, so I don't know how it's been stored. But on first inspection the rosewood fretboard looked pale and dry. I applied a little Danish oil I had left over from a table restoration project, and the colour has come back to the rosewood. But. I can't play the bass because the frets are cutting my fingers. It's not that they haven't been smoothed - they are fine if you run your finger over them in a direction from the strings towards the back of the neck. But in the other direction there are tiny edges which are causing my cuts. There's lots of love out there for these Squier Jags, so is it possible I just got a bad one? Or is there a chance the rosewood had dried out too much at the previous owner's and exposed tiny corners of the frets? If so, can I avoid having to file them by re-hydrating the wood? Would my problem in fact be solved if I stand the guitar I a humid atmosphere, like a sauna or a bathroom when the shower is running?!

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1485158260' post='3221517'] As above. Don't add a scratch plate. If you want to do anything get some decent strings and a set-up. [/quote] I must admit that, just to get playing, I did initially get some cheap strings off ebay, but they felt a bit rough and I was worried about wearing down the frets. I've come across several threads promoting flats recently, so this month I've tried out Fender 073s. I prefer the softness of flatwound strings and the deeper, fatter tone when I'm playing as support to the rest of the band, but I can't help feeling the guitar's lost some sparkle and brashiness when I try to play anything a bit more adventurous. I suspect I should get a second bass that's more suited to flats and put (quality) roundwounds back on the Spector!

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1485032981' post='3220646'] DO NOT put a scratchplate on a Spector! [/quote] Thanks for the tip. I'll carry on playing it as it is!

This took 14 months to put together, since I started playing again. It fits inside an old laptop case, and the board is the lid of an olive oil crate (long story). I have no budget for music, so I've had to buy cheap and when my Beloved wasn't looking. Anyway, pedals and power cost just £182 in total, which seems cheap, but it's proportionate to my ability! The plan is to upgrade my bass before I start tinkering with this. But sometimes it's like an itch you can't scratch 😦

My brother had this in his loft for about 10 years. It's only an entry level NS2000 made in Korea or somewhere. But for £50 I'm pleased (I'm afraid I have no budget for music). I love the pickups, the weight and the colour. There were a couple of serious holes in the body, which I've filled. But I can't hide the repairs so I'm thinking of adding a scratch plate that I'll need to cut myself.