CMSbass67

That's a cool looking bass, and you've gone down a very similar route to me. I had a VM Precision and upgraded it with a Gotoh 201 initially, and then a 203 for a more 'vintage' look. I also had a 'Thumper', CTS pots, Switchcraft jack, Orange Drop cap, cloth-covered wiring, full 3M copper shielding to all cavities and back of pickguard and a set of silky-smooth Grover 142 tuners. It was a lovely bass and sounded great but I wanted to try something else so built a Mk II. This has a Squier VM Jaguar neck on a Westfield P-copy body and is fitted with a Bare Knuckle '58 pattern pickup and a Tusq nut. Otherwise all the hardware and electrics were transplanted from the Mk I. The body and neck were stripped down and refinished in genuine nitrocellulose lacquer, and I fitted Fender reissue bridge and pickup covers and a 'tug bar' for a totally vintage vibe. I modelled it on a Fender Custom Shop '62 reissue (photo 1) and it represents five years of teaching myself guitar building on possibly a dozen different instruments. It plays as good as any bass I've ever tried (including Custom Shops) and for a total cost of about £400! With regard to your too-high nut (they all have them) my solution was to gently tap the nut out sideways and then run the bottom face across some #400 wet & dry, being careful to keep it level and apply even pressure. I just did a bit at a time and checked progress by slipping the nut back into the slot and retuning until it was just right. A couple of drops of superglue to finish and the playability was transformed, more so than by fret-levelling or any other mod I've made. It's an easy DIY job and if you fit a new nut and f*** it up you can always try again with another one or revert to the original... they're cheap as chips. You may find my FB page useful: https://www.facebook.com/howtoruinaperfectlygoodguitar/

Focusrite interface, ProTools that's bundled with it, Focusrite Red 2 EQ and Red 3 compressor plug-ins (also bundled) and away you go!

... and if you do play a well-worn 'classic', try putting a different spin on it and make it your own rather than just copy. That's what the pro's do, after all!

Not just you by a long way... if you only play what your audience knows and wants to hear, you're doomed to a life of Summer Of '69, Highway To Hell and Sweet Home bleedin' Alabama. Try educating them by introducing lesser-known but better tracks. You'll get known for being different (and better) than the run-of-the-mill covers bands and have more fun too. Takes some work but it's worth it.

Tell it like it is... facts 1) & 2) are certainly connected and your BL needs to recognise this as his belief is obviously wrong. If the guys in the band get on well together, then there is hope for a new direction and a mutually pleasing outcome. Guitarists can be a bit 'centre-of-the-universe' and if you're an instrumental-only band then you need to feature the other instruments just as much as the guitar in order to have any hope of making it an appealing act.

Consider new band members...

You'll know not to listen to other's opinions in the future then... if she looks good and can play, you need her in your band.