Beedster

[quote name='thebassist' timestamp='1456856309' post='2992950'] " We had the guitar inspected and we can confirm, in our opinion, it is all original!" This line is amusing. Saying it's been inspected and then stating it's all original "in our opinion". [/quote] He's not the first and he won't be the last. When I was looking for a pre-CBS Precision as few years back, I was amazed/shocked at how many 'respected' dealers in Denmark St and the like would use phrases such as 'in our opinion', and when pushed would always pull back from using terms such as 'certain'. What he's indicating above is probably as much legalese as anything else, but it's just further evidence of the problems of buying and selling old basses.

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1456877248' post='2993240'] I bet Macca's ownership of a Wal had much less impact on their sales than the fleet of 80's pop bass gods playing them. [/quote] Yep, at the time of Wal's ascendency Macca was not really considered an iconic bassist in the way players like Mick Karn were. Funny thing is that those 80's Wal playing popsters probably set the vibe for Wal in the same way as Geddy Lee and Chris Squire did for Ricks, and both brands still suffer from being too strongly associated with a specific sound. Macca of course played both Wals and Ricks and sounded nothing like 80's popsters or 70 prog rockers. He probably did both brands a lot of good.

[quote name='Manton Customs' timestamp='1456754048' post='2991904'] I don't want to sound like I'm condoning his attitude in any way as it sounds like even forgetting the state of the bass it was not a pleasant experience and the setup issues should have course been mentioned. However, I would say that if you find yourself in a similar situation again that the setup and fret condition is not really a big deal when looking at a bass of this price, both can be addressed very easily and it would not cost much to do so. Looking at the Ebay listing the frets seem to have plenty of life left in them and could stand a level and re crown easily if necessary. So it could have been a case of negotiating a setup fee and fretwork into the deal. When looking at basses like this, it's the originality and condition that are key and not the fact if it's a good player or not....any bass can be made to play well as long as there is not something like a twisted neck and even this can be addressed. Obviously though if the weight or neck profile did not suit you then it's not for you, it also sounds like there could have been originality issues too, such as the lacquer on the neck, which again should have been mentioned. I'm not debating on the side of the seller, just thought the info may perhaps be useful, if not tell me to shut up . [/quote] [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1456756173' post='2991915'] Spot on, basses are rarely inherently bad players, just very often badly set up and/or maintained. Buying basses from the era in question or earlier requires as much the eye of the antique dealer as that of a musician. If you're spending that much on a vintage instrument the reality is that authenticity and originality and not playability are your first concerns, as neither can be easily/cheaply corrected. Playability is 99% of the time an easy fix, and even in the 1% in which is isn't - and assuming the purchase price for the bass in question justifies it - even a warped neck can be sorted. [/quote] Ha ha, just re-read my post and realised that I didn't simply support the previous one, I plagiarised it completely

[quote name='Manton Customs' timestamp='1456754048' post='2991904'] I don't want to sound like I'm condoning his attitude in any way as it sounds like even forgetting the state of the bass it was not a pleasant experience and the setup issues should have course been mentioned. However, I would say that if you find yourself in a similar situation again that the setup and fret condition is not really a big deal when looking at a bass of this price, both can be addressed very easily and it would not cost much to do so. Looking at the Ebay listing the frets seem to have plenty of life left in them and could stand a level and re crown easily if necessary. So it could have been a case of negotiating a setup fee and fretwork into the deal. When looking at basses like this, it's the originality and condition that are key and not the fact if it's a good player or not....any bass can be made to play well as long as there is not something like a twisted neck and even this can be addressed. Obviously though if the weight or neck profile did not suit you then it's not for you, it also sounds like there could have been originality issues too, such as the lacquer on the neck, which again should have been mentioned. I'm not debating on the side of the seller, just thought the info may perhaps be useful, if not tell me to shut up . [/quote] Spot on, basses are rarely inherently bad players, just very often badly set up and/or maintained. Buying basses from the era in question or earlier requires as much the eye of the antique dealer as that of a musician. If you're spending that much on a vintage instrument the reality is that authenticity and originality and not playability are your first concerns, as neither can be easily/cheaply corrected. Playability is 99% of the time an easy fix, and even in the 1% in which is isn't - and assuming the purchase price for the bass in question justifies it - even a warped neck can be sorted.

[quote name='therealting' timestamp='1456688286' post='2991475'] How does a Precision with a single coil sound compared with, say, the neck pickup of a Jazz? [/quote] Have a read here http://www.talkbass.com/threads/single-coil-p-bass-or-tele-bass-vs-j-bass-neck-pickup-tone.876171/

[quote name='Tee' timestamp='1456655374' post='2991009'] Always loved these basses, but i've not owned one yet. Is that a stacked pickup? What's the general tone difference between these and the typical split P? [/quote] [quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1456677570' post='2991287'] Imagine a P with less mids but more bottom and top. Hard to describe really, but I find they boom and thump more than a regular P when I play them. [/quote] Dan is the expert on these, but if you'll allow a layman's perspective, the single coil is a wolf in sheep's clothing compared to the post '58 Precisions. I've always been a Fender player but it took me years to discover that the tone in my head, low but clear and crisp, punchy yet restrained and effortless, was the single coil Precision. I blame Leo. He replaced this model with new two basses, one with a split coil, the other with two single coils, and I think that decision suggested that one single coil PUP alone wasn't good enough for bass, something he reinforced of course by discontinuing the single coil Precision. I don't think this was helped much by the relatively understated looks and the almost apologetic placement and size of the PUP. Sound? Mine does everything from piano like ring and clarity to deep deep dub, clean slap and finger-style funk to driving gritty southern boogie. All from one passive PUP with a passive circuit. Folks will say a split coil Precision can do the same, perhaps true, I just think the single coils do it better. And Andy, you ever decide to sell that lovely bass, drop me a line mate

Pray that she chooses Uke

Ha ha, just what I was thinking!

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1456608485' post='2990802'] I'll be really honest, I worried at rehearsal how it'd cope/sound. I've been using active 5 strings for about 2 years now and pulling my Precision out for Motown stuff. Our new drummer is a crazy level 42 fan, so when the guitarist is late we usually jam through some "early tapes" type stuff just to blow the cobwebs off. This bass, on paper, shouldn't sound right for that type of playing. Jesus, it's got it. And I've owned Jaydees/Status' just so I could play that kind of stuff. No idea what all that multi laminated wood and Carbon Fibre is For 😆 (I do miss my kingbass though) [/quote] The '55s are versatile, in many ways more so than the split coil Precisions

I like that

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1456428883' post='2989002'] Hi Hugh, Actually I posted a bit prematurely. I only did the truss relaxation shortly before posting. I tried the bass again this morning and the mwahh is now much more manageable. So, I'm a lot happier now. Thanks Hugh and thanks to all others, even the silly answers too, Cheers Rich [/quote] I wasn't being silly when I said fingers, I think it's idiotic to reduce the potential of an instrument when the same effects can be achieved through technique. You'll 'kill' the mwah by either reducing the pressure on the string slightly and/or not sliding or moving - even almost imperceptibly - into notes. It doesn't happen by itself, it takes fingers to produce that effect. Removing the effect by raising action or increasing relief will probably introduce a new set of problems.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1456351099' post='2988269'] Please can someone tell me how you kill the mwahh on a fretless. I've tried relaxing the truss rod on mine, in the hope that it will help, but I still find I get fed up with it sounding like a sittar. I'm playing a fretless Streamer with Chromes. [/quote] Fingers

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1456326057' post='2987885'] Why everyone in the 80s used one on fretless bass, I have no idea! [/quote] Kept 'em in tune Tom, or more correctly, made it harder to identify that they weren't in tune.

It ain't all mwah and chorus, I like this posted on here a few weeks back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFmELh_Kjno

[quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1456319627' post='2987761'] Harsh [/quote] ..but fair

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1456319500' post='2987757'] Using chorus on a fretless should be punishable by death. [/quote] No, it's far more serious than that

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1456318103' post='2987726'] ...it seems that everyone who plays one uses chorus and some also use chorus and a reverb. [/quote] Not true, you're probably just listening to a certain type of music or group of musicians.

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1456234656' post='2986853'] Ah, shame to abandon these Beedster Why not finish just one of them? [/quote] Hi Marc, I'm ging to finish the fretted Jazz for sure as it's heading off to a new home. The problem I have with basses is that they bring out the perfectionist in me, and I spend hours and hours - and a lot of cash - tinkering and refining to get them perfect. And then I sell them anyway, usually not just at a loss in terms of what the parts costs, but also in terms of how much time I've spent on them. It's not a problem because I genuinely love doing it, especially if I'm stripping a bass down to bare wood and oiling/waxing it back to life, but it's a luxury and, given I've less time than used to be the case, one that keeps me from playing the things! I may finish the Precision because it's almost there, setup and playability is prefect, just needs the PUPs and circuit installed. The fretless Jazz is likewise almost there. The CMI is not so much as a project as an improver (it's currently entirely playable but is good enough to warrant the addition of some very nice components to take it to the level I like a bass to be at), and the Ric, well, I think the idea of the filter pre will produce something special for sure, but will I ever use it apart from noodling......?