The Bass Doc

Beware, the neck has 21 frets on the 'upside down' one. Or it may even be 22? Edit - 'tis 22.

More winding on the post would help. If you've already cut it short, try forcing down what wrap you have and hold it down as you re-tighten up to tension.

Careful photography - not showing the (to be expected) neck break. Emphasising it's authenticity, it's got to be a Hondo

Bottom, I think you've used your dress-making material tape measure and it stretched a bit.

Another welcome from a North-Easterner. When I first saw your 'handle' I thought.....'bottle'....Northumberland - maybe he lives in Shilbottle. Further north are we?

I think it's fairly well known that the Fleetwood Mac rhythm section combines Mick Fleetwood playing slightly ahead of the beat and John McVie playing behind. May not be everyone's mug of cocoa, but I happen to rate them as a damn fine pairing.

Yup, 121mm + the width of a human hair (see I did know the answer off the top of my head). Taken from 1962 & 1963 Precisions. No changes over the years that I know of.

[quote name='TimHo' post='739896' date='Feb 9 2010, 12:44 PM']Hi Beedster, I too have an '81 Precision Special and I have a problem with the treble tone pot. If I turn it up it creates what sounds like feedback (high pitched squealing). Would you be able to forward me a copy of the circuit? [email protected] Thanks, Tim[/quote] Hi there, I'll E-mail you a copy when I get to my own computer tonight.

Sorry, I assumed the bass was active - if there's only two wires connected to it, a mono jack will do. It's available from Allparts UK - part no. EP-0151-000.

New jack socket required - Swichcraft stereo 'barrel' jack. Loads of firms stock them - I get mine from Allparts.

Ones that got away...... Very early EB3 (1961?) - the neck pickup cover is 'chromed' black plastic. Sold the bass a while ago to an 'agent' who has since told me it now belongs to Angus Young. [attachment=42049:gibbo.jpg] If USA Epiphones qualify as Gibsons in theory, here's the ultra rare Embassy De Luxe - basically a T-bird with a more conventional body. Why the hell did I sell that? [attachment=42050:EPI.jpg]

[quote name='BossHog' post='737004' date='Feb 6 2010, 11:03 AM']Yeah I know, I'll have it....dont let it go anywhere.[/quote] It's not going anywhere but the price is.........you see it's all down to the pound-v-dollar. I posted it to a friend in California so that he could send it back with the consequential rise in value.

I may just drive past Air Guitars later tonight to spot Charla and WoT vying for deck-chair positions on the pavement.

And I've still got a '66 machine head for you boss.

My experience of 70s Jazz basses (and I've owned and worked on many) is that the majority of the ones in the latter part of the decade were unduly heavy and suffered from poor quality control as the jigs were wearing out and neck fit in particular was a source of concern. Just recently I worked on one that could take two plectra in the gap between neck and body to stop the thing moving sideways! You can still get good ones though so the theory that there's good and bad in all eras holds up - I just think that there were more baddies in the period mentioned. The 3-bolt system itself was still a good idea (Leo carried it over the the early Musicman Stingray) it's just that at the time it was introduced the woodwork generally was getting distinctly iffy.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='734950' date='Feb 4 2010, 12:33 PM']The neck shifted so much, you had to jerk it straight after every song.[/quote] Quite, and the Jazz bass you were referring to?

Welcome indeed - please explain the bass in your avatar.

Here you go. Allparts - in the section for Mojo amp parts. Fender style ones, part no. 9000003 £16.94 per set. Marshall ones, part no.2255250 £19.98.

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='731922' date='Feb 1 2010, 05:04 PM']Can you get those invisible strings with silk wraps?[/quote] Depends what colour you want.

Yup, that'll be a Di Marzio P - the pole pieces were indeed adjustable. Some Oriental manufacturers cloned the design for their models soon after but I'll bet yours was the original USA Di M as it was one of the first after-market, readily available parts to set folks on the road to 'modding'.

[quote name='Sibob' post='731570' date='Feb 1 2010, 12:28 PM']The pickups......did early Jazzes not have staggered pole-pieces? Si[/quote] Nope, my '62 doesn't. H.

For early ones (and period re-issues) 0.05. (0.047 will do). For 70s types 0.022.