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Update: I sourced a replacement switch and soldered it in. It switches between serial and parallel mode aka 'Dual Tone' as people here have kindly pointed out already.

UPPDATE: I have gotten the truss rod working. Quite simple technique actually -- loosen the strings and then bow the neck across your knee so there is no tension on the rod at all, and it comes undone easily. Gave it a clean and set it as I thought best, gave it a general action setup as well, so it is all good to go ...

Love how the fingerboard dots/leds are slightly offset and so not hidden by the D string as they are on almost all 5 strings I have ever seen ... also the body wings are lovely bare ?ash I presume, lovely sounding tonewood of course. Not for me, but almost worth learning how to play southpaw for ... 😃

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Thanks for your question. The saddles can adjust for width. This photo is from when it was strung EADGC and shows about 19mm string centre to string centre. I ended up with the G and C strings are a little closer together than that. (I quite like variable/compound spacing so the acutal air gap / finger space between the strings is about the same) The bass now has the original Marleaux BEADG set back on. I have adjusted the spacing to be 19mm across the board. They could go down to perhaps 18 and maybe up to 20; not sure.

Heh, if only it was a four (ducks) ... I loved the Lundgren pickup on my 8 string guitar, BTW I believe they are based in Sweden ... GLWTS ...

I purchased this lovely little 1968 bass from The Starving Musician, Santa Clara, California in 1986. It had obviously had a colourful life before I met it -- one wildy mismatched replacement tuning head, another one a little dodgy but which hangs in there once set. The bridge can't be original either, with hacksawed notches to keep the strings vaguely in line. Be careful not to bend higher up the E string as you will fall off the side of the neck ... Yeah, the truss rod doesn't turn but I only tried for the first time today so the neck is perfectly playable. There are probably luthier tricks to loosen up a truss rod if you really need to. The pots are little crackly sometimes but only when you are actually turning them. There used to be a pickguard as you can see from the screwholes and the original catalogue entry that I found. Oh, and it has that vintage instrument 'aura' (OK, it smells old ...) Despite all this, it's been one of my favourite basses to play. Currrently strung with Chromes (flatwounds) so smooth and slinky. The shortscale also makes it easy to play, and semi acoustic so no need for an amp -- just grab it and write a song on it. Soundwise, it doesn't seem as plunky-thumpy as a Hofner, it's a bit more zingy, more towards a Mustang sort of sound, but not that either -- it is its own thing really. Winston basses were made in Japan during the 60's at the Kawai Teisco factory which was known for high quality instruments and competed with the American market with their copies (known as the lawsuit era). Winston basses were a trading brand from the American importer Buegeleisen&Jacobson. This Kawai made model is one of the rare Klira copies, according to the 'cat's eyes' f hole which is quite unique and stylish. I would be surpised if there was another Winston 435 in the UK, so this is a chance to grab a unique looking and feeling bass. Just like a Hofner it is fully hollow with a 30" scale. Unlike a 1968 Hofner, this is not for sale at upwards of £1500 ... 2.4 kg according to my kitchen scales. Yup, you have to tie it down otherwise it floats away ... The rosewood fingerboard has 22 frets, including a zero fret and cool string tee/retainer thing. Tatty original case as is de rigeur for a 56 year-old instrument. Cash on Collection from Caterham, Surrey or willing to meet up up to an hour away.

£300 including hard case Fantastic solid bass with great Japanese craftsmanship, 9-piece ash/maple/walnut body, three-piece maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. Active circuit has a centre detent. Turn one way to boost bass, turn the other to boost treble. The passive tone keeps working during this, allowing for everything from Dub Reggae to the Stranglers. Passive / Active switch. This also works as a kill switch if you take out the battery and use it passive for thirty years like I did. One final toggle switch has broken off. I never knew what it did (not much) but it could easily be replaced with a switchcraft replacement and a little soldering. One small chip on the body (repaired) by the electronics cavity, and one little ding on the side of the fretboard -- useful for finding the third fret by feel on a dark stage 🙂 Not bad for a 44 year old ... Currently strung with Rotosound Swing Bass 66 which have been on for about 23 years so just starting to settle in. Another few years and they will be bedded in nicely. I have never touched the action, intonation or truss rod as it is always just right. It's been tuned once a year, whether it needed it or not. I just checked and gave the truss rod a quarter turn one way and then back again and it was very stiff but it does move. 4.3kg 19mm string spacing One owner since new -- I bought this from Kingfisher Music in 1983 for £155 with the case which according to the Bank of England is £636.78 in today's money ... however feels much better quality than £600 instruments are today ... outstanding value ... Cash on Collection from Caterham, Surrey or willing to meet up up to an hour away.

Wow! Just look at it! Lush ebony fingerboard, smooth and sensual matt neck-through, great pickups, gentle fan frets which take about one nanosecond to get used to, all hand crafted in Germany with master-grade precision and attention to detail by Gerald Marleaux. When you see video of their workshop, there's no computers or CNC in sight, just an old bandsaw and a lot of chisels and rasps ... serious, high quality German chisels and rasps of course ... I love the grain of the maple neck and the ash wings, don't you? The way it just .flows. ... This fine bass has to find a new owner as I'm reverting back to 4 strings (having been on a very happy decade-long journey through 8, 6, and 5 string basses). Purchased new from Thomann in 2023, I am obviously taking a major hit on this but hey ho I went in with my eyes open. Snap up a bargain while you can. Body: Brushed Ash Neck: Maple Fretboard: Ebony Controls: Vol, Pan, Active Bass Mid Treble, singlecoil/serial/parallel switches, passive/active switch Neck: Multiscale 34-35" Construction: Neck Through Bridge: ETS Tuners: Schaller Case: Gig Bag (I know, WTF? But many high-end makers are only suppling gig bags these days, and it is a very nice one ...) Colour: Satin Blackburst Current List Price: £4694 (See options pricelist image) Condition: Like New Cash on Collection from Caterham, Surrey or willing to meet up up to an hour away.

So is this lined? The pictures are too small for me to see ... Thanks,