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I bought David's EBS ValveDrive - couldn't have been easier; the pedal arrived well packed within days. A top guy; both to talk to and do business with - highly recommended. Like many BC-ers (I suspect) I have a strong aversion to getting involved with deals abroad - was greatly reassured by this feedback thread, which just shows how useful they are, and all of the postive comments of course borne out. Thanks David!

Pete bought my P/J Nordstrand pickups - easy deal, fast payment, great comms, thanks mate! Looking forwards to seeing the finished bass.....

For the price I reckon that's not a bad effort - IMHO pickups on this and the originals should have been big chrome 'buckers (as they were on the guitar version) but that's just my chrome fetish - Gibson should have kept it on the T'birds too. And the 2 + 2 paddle headstock is just plain wrong. As much as I love ny RD Artist ('77 fireburst / ebony) an authentic re-issue would have been pointless as it was so much "of its time", from the sheer weight of the bloody thing to the wacky Moog electrics. The FA Delogada is tasty, but if Mike Lull made a version that would really be something - plus you know there'd be a 5-er version.....

Awesome - looks in reasonable nick, I'd def have it if it were closer. Wasn't someone here selling the 8 x 10 version recently?

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1338887922' post='1680429'] I like basses, ergo I own multiple ones. I play whichever one takes my fancy at the time but I do make sure that they all get a run out (even my office bass gets out into the real world sometimes) and it's not a chore because I like playing all of them. I have no time for agonising about "which bass sounds right" - they all sound like basses - so I just pick one up and get on with it. In short, I don't worry about it at all. [/quote] This For 25 years I had one bass and one amp. With the coming of the internet and finally a bit of spare cash this crept up to four basses, which rather horrified me, so I made a massive effort to get down to two (one fretted, one fretless). My success in this can be measured by my current number of basses; 15 (and three amps) - which represent every bass I've ever felt significant GAS for since starting playing bass in a band at 16, and a couple of other "oddball" basses that I couldn't resist. They all get played, a fair few get gigged, but realistically I have to acknowledge that I've become a collector which is something that I never wanted to be. But what the hell - to me they aren't just tools but deeply sexy objects in their own right - I also make basses so the whole notion of design and ergonomics fascinates me. The missus moans about them now and again, but on the whole has supported my sad obsession. (and this is apart from the 3 electric guitars, 2 flamenco guitars, 1 classical guitar, 1 steel-string acoustic guitar, 3 violins, 3 mandolins, 2 lutes, 1 theorbo, and 1 tenor banjo.....)

The P-retro is a good call, but if it was me I'd fit a piezo bridge (I know there's a Fender-fit one cos I used to have one, I think they can be had around the £50 mark now....). Gives you that nice, woody acoustic-y sound perfect for fretless, that can be EQ-ed to sound quite "Jazz nasal", and usefully different to the P p/up. There may be a way to do without having to route a battery compartment, but if unavoidable I'd far rather route the back than the front - don't touch that!!!

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1338479642' post='1675225'] Try Fender Original/Vintage pickups, if wanting to retain authentic Fender sound. I say this, as I`ve just done exactly that with my 77 (as the pickup was on the way out, and didn`t want to get it re-wound, want to keep it in original condition). They sound great, nice and rich, and the highs whilst clear, are never at all shrill. They are apparently the model that Fender put in the 62 Reissue Precisions. [/quote] +1 - I put a set of '62 RI's in my '65 P and they're just about perfect; surprisingly hot for a "vintage" p/up too. Easily my favourite of ones I've tried (SD Antiquity, Fralin, DiMarzio, Barts), but I've got a set of Norstrands currently in a custom build, and they're probably on a par.

Bought Bob's custom Fender / Warmoth Fenderbird at a hot and sunny Carmarthen Tesco's today. Great guy to deal with - very patient whilst the deal was temporarily off a couple of times as I was raising funds, but eventually smooth and hassle free. Lovely bass - thanks mate! Hope to do business again

Flamenco has been a passion of mine since I was a kid, mainly as my Dad was an enthusiastic player. I've inherited his guitar since he stopped playing - a 1960's Manuel Contreras, which is way too good for my limited abilty. Having said which, one of the great things about the genre is that a simple piece can sound just as thrilling as a virtuoso piece; and much of the skills transpose well to bass - rhythm and "feel" are paramount; the right hand technique is incredibly physical, but totally fluid when you see an expert play. I've seen a few of the greats - Paco Pena is one of the best known of course - but to me the absolute master of flamenco was actually a Brit; Phillip John Lee, who unfortunately passed away a couple of years ago. Utterly sublime playing....I don't know how to post clips, sorry