Dr.Dave

Doc B bought my spare Badass - no worries with this dude. Obviously not - you can always trust a Doctor!!

[quote name='Rayman' post='187095' date='Apr 28 2008, 12:02 PM']Are you still with Dr Blue? It'll look smart along side the guitarists blue Les Paul assuming he still has it.[/quote] Since you saw us, Russ, we've aquired a drummer with a blue kit too!! Dr B is still going strong and we do the ZZ trib band too. Websites are in my sig. Sadly Rodders traded his blue Les Paul for a tobacco sunburst one just a couple of weeks ago. You'll remember the P that's in fettled Fender (1) I expect. I recall us sitting out on the grass at Colne with young Homer and having a play about on it. OOps - just looked at the pics from Colne on the webbo and Martyn WAS drumming with us then. Not on his blue drums though - generic kit for the fest.

The history tells us the 'new' Stingray was around in 1976. Which fits perfectly well with my understanding. Then goes on to tell us the first Stingrays were introduced in 1984. In fact it tells us that twice. There's probably more mistakes but the whole site looks like a 6th formers exercise so I shut it down and wonlt be back in a hurry.

Yes , I play bass all the time in our set and sing lead vocals on about a third of it. Which do I concentrate more on??............... Sorry folks but the vocals , always, always ,always. This is like my mantra but a song to me means melody and lyrics , everything else is in support of that. The vocalist has control of the melody and lyrics , the bass player is supporting him/her. If that ruffles feathers....tough. You should have trained to score the goals and not be centre half.

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='185741' date='Apr 26 2008, 09:21 AM']I mean -you wouldn't buy a new car that was scratched to f*ck would you or am I too anal?[/quote] Yes I would , providing the price reflects it - which I think is where you're coming from. Half the trouble these days is bigger shops where the staff aren't in a position to make much of a decision. Let's be fair - a sentence is a challenge to a lot of them. I yearn for the old days when you could see a price tag for £130 on a used item that's £200 new - wave 9 tenners under the owners nose and walk away with it.

Last night was the first gig it's done as a 'complete' project. It sounds excellent. Woody.I was hammering it a bit late on and the sound started to break up a little but not more than what's explainable. I only had one cab too last night so the volumes were up on the amp. The d-tuner I was only brave enough to use once!! Bit fearful of cocking the tunes up. I'll have a bit of a practise before I try it again. Works very well though , esp if you follow the video tips on the Hipshot website. I might put one on the Shuker. I'm looking at my sound quite a bit at the mo. I'm finding it lacking esp playing hard. Think it's a style thing rather than an equipment one but I'm doing more knob twiddling to compensate and making things worse!!

So - following on from the Precision post here's the Jazz I bought only a few weeks ago. If you read that you'll get some idea of why I've done what I've done on this Jazz so here's a link.... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=17846"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=17846[/url] I joked at the time about the 'Midnight Blue' looking more like half ten but in these pics it looks even earlier - about like the adverts in Coronation Street at this time of year. Must get a decent camera. I bought this knowing great changes would ensue - mostly based on my reasoning/experiences with the 73P - so thinking only the wooden bits would be staying I didn't see much point in shelling out more coin for a US Jazz , only to chuck half of it away. This was £150 off the bay. Same as I paid for the Precision 30 years ago. There's irony. Set of Dunlops went straight on , before I even tried it with a strap , and away went the plain white scratch plate to be replaced by this pearly white fella. The knobs were of the placcy stratty variety and went off to Silverfoxnik for his Roscoe. These chrome/mop top jobbies (to sort of mirror what I've done with the 73P) came from Axes R Us - as did the Dunnys and the scratchplate. And so to Mr Badass - a last minute steal (from the 73P where it had lain undisturbed for many years) half an hour before the gig I wanted to try the bass out at. Never had the saddles filed. Dropped straight in , being a II , and though I checked the intonation at the gig through my korg rack tuner and poked at the saddle screws with the point of a Lee Enfield bayonet (because the allen key got nicked a while back) there was bugger all to do in terms of adjustment. I'm sure in this day and age there'a a dozen products that give as much improvement over the stock baked bean tin that Fender use but I like Badass , and I'm always right , so that's that. Not much I can tell you about the Wizzard 84's that hasn't been raved about elsewhere on the forums. I'm really pleased with the sound ,and with the help and service Wizzard offered. The stock Mex ones were OK , just a little weedy and probably the single most useful upgrade to a Mex is the PUPs......or the bridge , but they're rubbish on all Fenders wherever they're made. Don't forget , playmates , that upgrade J sets are likely to be 2 different sizes (for neck and bridge routing) but this Mex body was 2 routings the same - both bridge size. As the scratchplate was a replacement 'proper' size the neck pup wasn't a prob. but , weirdly, the bridge was. 2 coats of laquer too tight. The cheapest bit is the pup cover so I went at it with a kitchen knife til it slid into place. The pared off bits are below the level of the body so you can't see a thing. Painless. There's that second string guide again - see Fettled Fender 1 for explanation. The Fender logo was half coming off this one - sure that's part of the reason for the cheapish price. Think the dude must have been trying to erase the Mex serial number with a hammer or something. Whatever. I had this 70's one kicking about. Easy to put on and then a few coats of spray laquer , nothing spesh - just the stuff they sell in Wilkinson. The sharper eyed amongst you will have seen a lump of metal sticking out. That's a Hipshot BT4 Bass extender key. 'But Doc , you dozy Northern monkey' I hear you exclaim 'that's the wrong model number for a Mex J'. Fair comment - so let's turn it over and see why. I was going to hawk around for a set of Schaller M4S tuners - a la 73P - but I saw these fancy Fendery fellas of very similar design for sale singley at Bass Parts Resource. So I bought 3. The matching Hipshot was from a US ebay shop. The old tuners went off to Sir Rich of Bristoltown for his old Squier Jazz that he's done up for his son while I got the Black and Decker out and drilled the 2 holes per tuner into the headstock to accept the pins that are part of this M/C design. I could lie and say I made some fancy template or tell the truth and say I blagged it but whatever - they're near enough spot on. You can't see the old screw holes at all. The front ferrule just screws on helped by a 19mm spanner. Never used or installed a de-tuner before. Pretty easy to do though the printed instructions were the wrong ones for this model and crap anyway. The litlte video demo on the Hipshot website is all you'll need. Have to get used to the bottom string going out of step now - playing by numbers etc - bloody useful thing to have though and it works very well. Final touch which you can't see. The nice shiny 70's Fender neck plate complete with big F and the number 384915. Had that in a drawer for years and knew I'd find a use for it. There you have it. 2 Fenders fettled by my own fair hands - I hope you can see some method in my madness and if I've encouraged anybody to think about making practical changes to their tools of their trade I'll be well pleased.

Here you go.. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=15660"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=15660[/url] Since the pics the Badass II is now on , and the Detuner is on it's way as we speak. BTW I have a Badass II going begging if you're interested. Like a prat I ended up with 2 !! Used ebay purchase , saddles are filed.

[quote name='Muppet' post='182425' date='Apr 22 2008, 12:07 AM']I use one of [url="http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9371874&fh_view_size=6&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB&fh_search=case&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_refview=search&ts=1208819146899&isSearch=true"]these.[/url] Cheap, and durable. Someone from here told me about them, I think it was Homer, IIRC....[/quote] Me too - except the current one belonged to a sales rep. who threw it in a skip so it didn't cost me anything. Never be afraid to root in skips - our band has loads of quality bags/cases etc , all of which I found in skips outside shops within a hundred yards of where I work.

[quote name='uptonmark' post='182054' date='Apr 21 2008, 05:51 PM']looking for lots of bottom end play mainly fingerstyle but do slap plenty which would suit best.........64`s or 84`s ........ i`m guessing 84`s but correct me if i`m wrong[/quote] I put 84's in my Mex Jazz. Lots of bottom end , plenty of output and nothing extreme in the middle to annoy me. Mellow and useful sound. The 64's I haven't heard but are more of a trad sound - give them a ring , you'll find them very helpful folk.

I can't remember now if it was a Jazz or a Precision , I was just interested in the graphite neck. Now I think of it wasn't there a blue one going too , maybe not quite so long back. I've since bought another Status so I wouldn't be in the market now anyway. In the address book for my old email there's a Greek guy's email address. I don't like giving folks emails out but if you like I'll pass a message on for him to have a look at this thread. Course it might be a bloke I met on holiday or something but could be worth a try.

[quote name='uptonmark' post='181982' date='Apr 21 2008, 04:49 PM']just ordered a SX jazz bass and i expect i will more than likely change the pick ups. any recommendations on a decent pair of [b]PASSIVE[/b] jazz pups? dont wanna break the bank as this will be a back up bass, i also want passive as my other bass is active. i have only recently started playing again after a ten year break. when i was playing, EMG and seymour duncan were quite popular.[/quote] More a case of 'witch' passive J pups at the mo!! Try these [url="http://www.wizardpickups.co.uk/shop.asp?category=Bass"]http://www.wizardpickups.co.uk/shop.asp?category=Bass[/url] And if you look around the site more you'll find a bunch of us raving about them.

Was it fiesta red? If so it was a Greek guy who was trying to raise funds for a (I think) Rickenbacker. I tried to buy it but for some reason he ceased contact during the deal. Can't think of his username at the Mo. I'll try and forget it then it'll come to me while I'm having my tea or something.

Loads of Fender interest at the mo so thought I'd offer this - some of you will have seen it before , one or two of you have even had a play on it. It's a 1973 Precision which I bought in 1978 and have used ever since , though I am precious about it and it's sort of semi-retired. Cost me £150,private sale. Consider that my wages as a new starter were £33 a week though. What's 5 weeks pay for a youngster today?? You'll see there are many non-original parts , rather than just list them I'll tell you why I did it. Let me say first that from day one I had no interest in keeping it original for valuation purposes. I'd never sell it so it has no monetery value to me. Zero. I figured that if something went wrong, or could be significantly improved , I'd always look for the best on the market. So - here it be.. Every bit of mojo courtesy of it's travels with me around the toilets of Northern England. The bridge is the newest bit although it's yonks old I think. I had a Badass II on it for many years after the original saddle screws coroded and the G saddle collapsed mid gig. This Badass '1' I bought from Beedster only a couple of weeks back. I like the brass saddles , they match with the brass nut. It's set as low as it will go and the deep grooves in the saddles mean it's exactly like it was with the II on in terms of string height (where I left the saddles unfiled), but it won't lower any further. Not the ideal 'drop in' job a II is and please read the excellent sticky in the repairs forum if you're considering any Badass. The PUP is a Duncan quarter pounder. The original just stopped working about 5 years ago. A mate of mine put me a Di Marzio in which I didn't like , I tried an ebayed (probably broken) Bart which I couldn't make work properly and gave it to BW member 'Telebass'. This went in maybe 4 years ago. If the PUP had gone tits up today I'd probably have put a Wizard in - in fact I might do anyway. The original scratch plate I cut into a weird shape to be flash then got bored with it - this is non-Fender from WD. I had to mimic the tin earthing panel with kitchen tin foil! The strap pins take Dunlop straplocks - the Schallers I used for years dumped my Status on my foot , hence the change. The Jack socket is a replacement , the springy bit on the original snapped inside. The washer on this is oversize which relieves the strain around that bit of the scratch plate. The pots are original but the knobs aren't. I flogged the 2 scratched and pitted originals for 50 brick on the bay and these cost a fifth of that. Q parts with T/shell tops to match the scratch plate. Lets have a look up the head end. See the ding behind the 3rd fret? Did that the first week I had it at a rehearsel. I know where I am when my thumb feels it now so no point in having it filled. 2nd 'worse' ding is right by the back of the bridge , top side. Guitarist did that with the head of a Les Paul while we were posing away in Stalybridge 25 years ago. Playing the Colne Blues fest about 18 years ago I came off stage and the gear wheel from the E M/C was still in the case!! Never even went out of tune but I thought maybe it was time to upgrade the M/C's. I read every mag going and the concencus seemed to be the Schaller M4S was the best available. I had to drill 2 small holes in the back of the headstock for each and filled the original holes with polyfilla mixed with coffee instead of water. Nescafe , 1 sugar. I started life playing with a pick and was even more heavy handed than I am now. I probably didn't know how to string up properly either back then. Result was a rattly A string. The second string guide cured it and I've done that to Fender type instruments ever since as a matter of routine. The first 5 frets are newish (well - not new at all really!) - by 2001 ago they were nearly flush with the rosewood so I had a partial re-fret done. The guy used the top 5 frets from the 'dusty end' (which had hardly any wear ) and put new fret wire up there. I only get up that far on Bank Holidays and even then I get vertigo. See the brass nut. 28 years old. My dad made it for me out of a lock from a building site bog door. That's probably the most precious bit on it for me. He's 94 now and wouldn't be able to make me another. He'd probably have a go but if he couldn't it would upset him - and me too. Round the back... The buckle rash blends into 'rib cage rub'. Better these days now I'm a fat bastard!! I do recommend chips to all of you with buckle rash problems. The serial says 412347 That's 1973 everywhere I've looked it up but if any of you Fender heads care to enlighten me I'd be really interested. You might have seen I've just bought a Mex Jazz which I'm tarting up a bit. Just waiting for the M/C's to arrive from the US of A then I'll do a similar blow by blow account on it to this one - I should then be able to finally bore to death any of you that have got this far !!! UPDATE - the M/Cs are here and on so here's a link to the Mex Jazz post. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18056"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18056[/url]

A new venue for us last night - had to cross passport control into Lancashire to play the Hark to Towler , at Tottington nr Bury. House PA (adequate) lights (good) interested, 'character' landlord and a good, knowledgeable, scumbag free crowd. The pub's modern in many respects but retains it's original features like the tiled bar etc. In the old 'ladies' snug they still have the little wall mounted bells to call the barmaid. Anyway we did a double header - being an hours Eliminator (ZZ Top trib) preceeded by 45mins of Dr Blue (blues and knob gags) and had as good a time as I remember having at a gig this year which up to press , has been pretty grim in terms of punter numbers.

Even my grotty laptop speakers couldn't ruin your efforts and those of the mixing guy. The band , and your bass , sound great and you've got to be 'made up' with the quality of the filming. Nice one.

[quote name='thedarxide' post='180363' date='Apr 19 2008, 10:29 AM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Billy-Sheehan-Attitude_W0QQitemZ220224846044QQihZ012QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Billy-Sheehan-Attitu...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url] Number 2 on my list of always wanted....[/quote] OK - if nobody else will , I'll ask the the question. So what's ...etc etc ??

My '69 Jazz was previously owned by a bloke who toured with Tom Jones/Humperdinck - folk of that gendre - and ended up joining the house band at a Las Vegas hotel which at some point had some sort of telethon appeal. During camera rehearsels Frank Sinatra got bored, wandered over , sat next to Robbie and had a play on the Jazz. It's also on a few 70's albums by pop artists like Gilbert O Sullivan that Robbie did session work for. It was , however , a piece of s**t , which is why I sold it for vast profit!!

It's still in the for sales - I guess nobody wants to either do the work on it that I can't find time to do or pay to have it done. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=14422&hl=shuker"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...2&hl=shuker[/url] Shame , as it will probably suit someone just as it is. Fair price I think - the bridge is a black one now.