Beedster

100% spot on. I was going to switch instruments in our band a while back, so the singer and guitarist auditioned new bassists. I'm a pretty ordinary bass player and apparently most of the auditionees were outstanding technicians, but every single one of them overplayed, and to the singer's ear (he writes the songs) in doing so they ruined the feel of the music. As a bassist, if you're bored playing the line the song needs, go find another band, or another hobby

And not only that, he still sounds like him, plenty of ageing rockers can still sing, but their voices are unrecognisable from the voice that made them famous, this recording is 100% classic Winwood

I just ignore people who put in offers via message on eBay rather than block them, but you just have to accept that s/he is doing it their way, and their way is likely a response to previous experience of other people did the same thing, in my case I dealt with a guy who contacted me via eBay via the same approach as the OP here, agreed the sale and price, then started to haggle, then when I refused to move on price became very hostile and aggressive and threatened to report me to eBay for dealing outside of eBay!!!!!!!!! Either way, personally I'd be looking for a similar unit elsewhere, as strange behaviour on the part of a seller before you've even bought the item doesn't bode well for when you do buy it and there's a problem

I get the impression, especially from TB, that when it comes to new Ampeg gear, you either get a 100% trouble free unit, or one that is going to give you problems on an ongoing basis (or until you decide to sell it)

That was great advice BRX, many thanks. My main issue over and above the tech is a somewhat restricted budget, which is pretty much the cash I pulled in by selling my PJB Bighead and Beat Buddy recently (around £400), which limits the functionality to a degree. DrumBrute is still looking like the best option at present?

Or pretty much any bass strung with flats played with a pick

Lucky you’re tall Jack

They are amazing on fretless

People search for words such as 'project' or 'parts only' on exactly that basis, and sometimes forget to search for the same item in good working order! I get it, fixing up a bass (or anything really) can be great fun/therapy, and there's real sense of achievement when a no-hope mongrel is transformed into a closet classic. The flip side is that there's also a lot of people searching for gear they can buy cheap and move on at a profit, keep an eye on this same bass under 'rare', 'vintage' 'relic' etc in about a week

Reason I posted this is that, to my mind, not only is Clapton’s vocal delivery bland as hell, but Robertson’s guitar playing sounds so much more alive (overdubs acknowledged). And this was 45 years ago

Clapton had also largely broken up by the end of the 60’s

Ouch

Post of the day

Lengthy jail terms for murder, at least the two surviving members would have done

Springsteen has also done some of his better music in the second half of his career. I think there's a fine line between edgy, best and out there however. Neil Young perhaps still has an edge, Springsteen perhaps great music but not edgy, Tom Waits has just gone out there Clapton's an odd one, up against the blues guitarists that he 'borrowed' heavily from, would people have described Muddy Waters, BB King etc as mediocre or no longer relevant when they were at the same stage of life as Clapton? I know what I think

And of course, 6-screw holes makes for far better tone than 5

You can have this for free TRBboy but I think it might be closer to 17mm spacing? It's a decent bridge

Story of my music life mate

Which is of course the key point here. I imagine in about 18 months time she'll be cancelled when her mutterings about Clapton are scrutinised in the context of the emergent 'Ageing Rock Stars Feelings Matter' movement

Bridges are funny things, nearly everyone I know who understands engineering tells me that all of the alleged improvements over the basic BBOT design and materials should make very little if any difference to tone, sustain in the grand scheme of things (all other things being equal in terms of structural integrity and dimensions). But I agonise over bridges, whilst my cognitive/executive brain tells me I shouldn't, my emotional brain appears to believe firmly that the magic bullet of tone is the bridge. Call it cognitive dissonance or a placebo effect, but I'd buy the Gotoh. Unless I could find something more expensive

Failure to anticipate the likely consequences of your actions is no defence