ezbass

Marathon - Rush

Diamonds Are Forever - Shirley Bassey

Weasels Ripped My Flesh - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention

Too slow! Shoot Shoot - UFO

I once fitted an extender to a Rickenbacker 4003. Hipshot didn't make one as a direct replacement at the time, but suggested one that would match aesthetically, but might need some fettling - it did. I had to ream out the hole a tiny bit, which I did by wrapping a suitably sized dowel with sandpaper and kept adding more layers of sandpaper until it was just right. In terms of your current dilemma, the supplier shouldn't be asking you to contact Hipshot anyway, your 'contract' is with them, so it's down to them to do the contacting/resolving.

First of all, I'm surprised that you say that Hipshot never reply to emails, I've emailed them plenty of times and have always had timely and helpful replies, perhaps I caught them on good days. Speaking of whom, when I asked them about packing out holes for a slightly sloppy fit, they recommended HVAC tape. However, I'm a lazy tightwad and used masking instead, worked a treat.

I think you've nailed it with the neck off with headless trick. However, I'd make sure I took some sort of proof of ownership with me, in case UK customs think you're trying to pull a fast one on your return.

Except the Explorer.

What have you bought?

Red Sector A - Rush

Best Friend’s Girl - The Cars

Julia Hofer nailing Rocco’s lines! She is just so good.

Banned after repeated breaching of the no politics/religion rule.

I started with the action as low as it would go on my WAV, but I'm now increasing it a little as my playing adapts.

I’m struggling a bit for structure in my learning, but having acquired a tutorial DVD from these very pages, that should change. In the meantime, I’ve been playing along to some tunes that I’m very familiar with on electric bass and trying them on the EUB in lower positions, using open strings whenever possible and trying to stick to Simandl fingering technique (that pesky ring finger still wants to play though, but I’m getting there). I’m getting better, slowly and new band on electric bass is making sure that I don’t overdo it on the EUB. Some days are better than others, but it’s not as disheartening as the first week when I was asking myself if I’d done the right thing.

As others have said, new pots have most likely been fitted because the old ones were knackered. Things wear out on basses: strings, pots, frets, even nuts can just split and break. Repair or chuck out? You know the answer to that. Another thought, if things have worn out, it means it’s been played - a lot, which means it’s a good one, otherwise it would be a case queen. Enjoy your new acquisition and don’t let the little things bother you.

Just bought a DVD from Adrian. All sweet as a nut, great comms, great packaging.

See Emily Play - Floyd

It did OK. After 3 years of home playing, I’m going to have to learn to embrace more midrange again. I had plenty of low end, but the rather loud organ based keyboards in the PA at the rehearsal space rather swamped my definition, even after I got them to turn down the low end on their channel after a standing wave incident. I could’ve turned up more, but didn’t want to be ‘that guy’ on our first meeting. Anyway, they all seemed well pleased and I’m in!

It is very much the done thing to go on about gear, especially if there are pictures involved, we even have an emoji dedicated to it: Basschat is littered with gearaholics who love to live vicariously through other’s equipment, not that applies to me of course, I don’t have a problem with gear, I really don’t .

I’m not keen on Jools as a presenter, but some of the programs he’s fronted have had good, and occasionally, great acts on. The Tube wasn’t a bad program and really had some belting acts on, despite JH and Paula Yates hosting it and Later has had some terrific stuff too (sadly outweighed by stuff that doesn’t float my boat, but that’s on me). One of the moments from later that really sticks with me is seeing Green Day, who were marvellous, and then watching them wide eyed in awe as Jools interviewed Mick Jones and Paul Simenon of The Clash. However, The Hootenanny is a tired old thing and needs updating/replacing, but I guess it gets the viewing figures to warrant carrying on with it, certainly plenty of folk here watched it. NYE TV is always poor (maybe that should be TV is mostly poor, every single day ) no matter what channel is on, anything ‘live’ always has a forced element to it, ‘we’re having a good time, see how jolly we are’ and it’s often that forced, over the top element that makes it so cheesy and bad. Look out for 31/12/23’s Hootenanny thread, where there will be another thread decrying it (with good reason).

Land of Confusion - Genesis

No, it’s just whether I can get to the rehearsal studio, the roads hereabouts are, let’s say, variable.