Paul S

... and I would say, look for a Hohner B2B, which is passive with P/J pickups and sounds more 'organic' to me than the EMGs in B2As. They don;'t come up very often but there are a couple on eBay at the moment.

I don't know if that was someone else's experience or mis-remembered from mine? I fitted both licensed and USA Hipshot lightweights to my BB425 (Yes, I know, why twice? ) and licensed ones to a BB5000. Both were the 1/2" size. Both are the same size and neither lined up with a hole from the old tuner. Nearly, but not quite. Without going to the bother of plugging, glueing and re-drilling, I just made new holes far enough away not to crumble into the existing ones - hence the tuners now being at a rakish angle but work perfectly like this. The shaft itself does not fit tightly inside the headstock holes but once the strings are under tension it doesn't really make any difference as it kind of sorts itself out. Well worth it for the weight saving, I would say. Also the balance on the strap is much better.

Not a new thing at all - IIRC didn't early electric basses come fitted with a 'tug bar' - which was effectively a thumb rest but fitted beneath the strings - to facilitate this very style of playing?

My 425 weighed 4.6kg before I butchered it. I had a BB5000 for a while and that weighed 4.3kg. So, yes, you are lucky!

I moved over exclusively. I figured that it was bad enough trying to find my way around a new neck without keep going back to the old one Take away the safety net!

Nice helpful advice, Mick. Sterling Ray would be great. There is also a SUB 5 for sale somewhere in the classifieds and that is a bargain. One of the Yamaha BB 5ers - 415/425/1025 would be what I would look for in your position. Also one of the new series BB235 for sale at the moment https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/316361-yamaha-bb235-5-string-in-black/ I migrated over to 5ers about a year ago and found that, for me, (apart from weight - they are generally hefty buggers) the most important issue was string spacing near the nut end of the neck. Have a look at the 4s you find most comfortable and measure the spacing - then try to find a 5 string that has a similar spacing. At least, that is the approach that worked for me and was the reason I failed at my first couple of goes at playing 5ers.

Here's mine - bought on here a few years ago.

I've had a couple of basses that have formalised this and had a 'micro-tilt' arrangement - an adjustable thingy on the neck plate that raises or lowers the neck at that point. One was a Fender Precision Lyte but I can't remember what the other one was. The Lyte sustained for ages.

We're back to ingunal hernia again....

Just made their first breakthrough!

I've known wise men and I've danced with foolsI was both in my lifeLife's been hardSo have IHad my share of strifeIt's not the things you doIt's what you never get round toThat makes you sad Wouldn't say that changed my view of the world but when I first listened to those lyrics 45 years ago they made me think about what it must be like to be old. Now I am they have a certain poignancy. From John Kongas' eponymous album, the track 'I Would Have Had a Good Time'

I'd get Nile Rodgers to produce it - that seems to work.

Missed it - too subtle Or I am too dense today, more likely.

Enjoyed the link - thank you. I am a man of simple pleasures, like PawelG a JV does it for me. I have never tried a pre-CBS one, mind you!

Maybe they realise I was joking.

More proof, were it needed, that such tasks are left to women. Guitarist in a former band once dislocated his little finger whilst changing the bottom sheet of the bed. I rest my case, m'lud.

I like this version - the way it builds at the start with Mr Etcetera kind of changing the bass line around.

I fear not - I put a set of licensed Ultralites on the BB5000 I had, same issue. Hope yours workout different as it is a bit of a nuisance, especially if you have OCD about the angle of the tuners. Yes, it has. It certainly feels weighty. I used the bass at rehearsal last night and it really has made a massive difference. During a rather enthusiastic bit of playing I managed to flick the toggle switch over to 'mute' as it is now so I need to change the wiring but overall I am pleased with the result.

If Southend is nearer this place is where I take mine: Electronic Music Services

Hah, I know what you mean but I prefer the P solo - different ears... Mind you, the middle position on the toggle sounds just like the front position now!.... Unfortunately the holes don't quite line up. Nearly but not quite. Rather than going to the bother of plugging, glueing, re-drilling new holes I just moved them along a bit with the end result that the tuners sit at a slightly rakish angle. They work just fine and don't actually look that silly. Were it a 1025X I might have done it more carefully, but this was only ever going to be a cheap fix for a cheap bass. The weight thing got me curious so I just stuck the pickup and the old tuners on my kitchen scales. Pickup is 200g, tuners pretty heavy at 500g. But then there is the added weight of the Hipshots, so perhaps my luggage scales aren't quite as accurate as I thought! Anyway, makes a difference. Be quite a few g light once i remove the toggle switch and associated surplus wiring.

I have a Yamaha BB425 that I bought as a backup bass and which, for the money, is an incredibly fab thing. I love the neck and find it immensely playable. It is a P/J - the P pickup is absolutely lovely but I never ever use the J. It is also a bit too heavy at 4.6kg. It has taken me a while but I finally joined these two dots and cut off the J pickup just now. I also have just bought a set of 4 Hipshot Ultralites secondhand and fitted them (yes, I know, one short). Now I have a bass that weighs 3.9kg - SO much better. I didn't realise quite how heavy that pickup would be. There is, of course, a hole but I am not worried bout it - it is already painted black in there and doesn't really show. I may do something with the wiring and remove the 3-way toggle switch completely but that requires a bit more thinking than cutting through the pickup wires Put a smile on my face this afternoon That is all, really.

Good looks and a sunny disposition. OK, maybe not.

Search system doesn't throw up an existing thread, even though there should be one, so it is my pleasure to write the first feedback on this new sparkly site for Gary aka v8bass. I bought a set of Hipshot ULtralite tuners in the simplest of transactions. Good price, posted immediately, arrived well packed and better than I thought. Can't ask for more!