Beedster

[quote name='Magnolia' post='9710' date='May 31 2007, 09:07 AM']He'd prob go lower too.....[/quote]

Your mate won't thank you for telling him that

[quote name='BB2000' post='9343' date='May 30 2007, 05:21 PM']Would amplifiers and cabinets be classed as instruments?[/quote]

With PF the answer's 'no' if you're insuring them at an additional premium and 'yes' if you're making a claim. Evidently!
Chris

Oh, forgot to add, the Parcelforce guy who delivered a bass to me a few months back said, and I quote, "You're bloody brave sending something like that with Parcelforce"
The prosecution rests I think!
Chris

Mmmm...., with apologies to anyone who's got stuff in transit at the moment.....
About 6 months ago I paid PF to collect a cab from Yorkshire. I tracked it online and when it hadn't moved from the depot three days later (it was booked on 24 hour) I called the depot to be told that it was too heavy to deliver. They said it weighed 42kg, which was odd as the manufacturer spec said 32kg, which is what it subsequently turned out to be. Anyway, I went to the depot to collect the cab and pay for the excess and, as it was sooooooooo heavy, the lady suggested/required that I went around the back and picked it up myself (I guess not wanting to damage the fragile backs of the 18 stone men who get paid to do the job in question). Anyway, I walked into the 'behind the scenes' depot area to see a guy quite literally drop - and I suspect it was done with an equal measure of disdain and sheer incompetence - a large box marked 'Fragile' from the top of a stack of crates, probably about 8 feet all in all. What did he and his fat mates do? They laughed about it. For a few seconds my blood boiled as I thought it might have been mine but it wasn't, luckily. Anyway, I picked up the allegedly 42kg cab with one hand and walked out, vowing not to use PF again.
I strongly suspect that the best advice is that in the post above. Don't send basses via courier. I won't anymore unless it's with the explicit understanding that the buyer sorts insurance, which as we've seen, is a non-starter in the real world.
Until the cab incident I'd sent over 10 basses via Parcelforce, all of them insured. Each time the guy behind the counter at the PO both knew thay were basses and sold me the insurance. He's actually a really nice bloke and very helpful so I'm gonna feel a bit bad, but I'm going to go in tomorrow and ask him to explain why - as the small print says musical instruments can't be insured above £150 - he has on numerous occasions sold me up to £1500's worth at a combined cost I'd imagine of well over £200?
I won't be holding my breath for the refund.
Chris

Well, what an interesting discussion, just like the old BW days eh!

I've recently bought a Roland Cube 100 as a stopgap having had to sell my Warwick rig for hopefully short-term space-saving reasons. I'm not a hugely experienced bass player and am still searching for 'my sound' I guess. I have a lovely Fender Precision, Fender Jazz, Modulus Flea and a Shergold Marathon, and I love them all. The Cube's modelling capabilities have allowed me to really play with the sounds in a way that having only one rig never permitted. Specifically it's really opened my eyes to the fact that the amp is an instrument as much as the guitar - there are riffs I can play well on one model which I simply cannot play on another (i.e., they sound poorly defined or weak), there are models on which the Flea might sound awesome and the Precision sh*t and vice versa (the Precision on Flip Top is to die for and the Flea and the Jazz on the Studio model likewise), there are models which sound great in a solo situation but not live and vice versa. I know I'm not really addressing the original question relating to the authenticity of the models, but certainly as an educational/instructional tool the verious models have been extremely useful, in fact I dread to think how many basses might have remained at Beedster Towers rather than being sent to the 'bay had I been able to make them sound like I expected them to sound when I bought them. In the short term, and despite having just bought a new Trace head, I'm certainly going to run this thing through the PA, giving myself as much flexibility and scope for exploring my sound as possible. Like all of us I guess, I'd really like to have one bass and one setting that works really well most of the time. I think the amp modelling I'm using will certainly speed up that process, allowing me in future to have, prior to the session or gig, a clearer idea of the characteristics of the sound I need with any one bass in any one number. The playing around with models I'm doing currently will no doubt inform my future selection of amplification.

I read the post above about the guy with the classic Stingray sound that worked on only two of twently songs and thought "sh*t, I think that might have been me". I cannot see how anyone could argue that amp models are a bad thing any more than variation in amps and cabs is a bad thing. They're just another tool really, and like any tool, if you use it badly, to f**k up the job.

Good discussion above though, enjoyed reading it
Chris

[quote name='Freuds_Cat' post='8932' date='May 30 2007, 12:56 AM']For brightness, punch, attack and sustain, nothing beats them in my opinion.[/quote]

I guess if you sink a bridge into the body you have a greater area of surface contact between metal and wood which is probably no bad thing sound-wise - I'd hate to do it to a 1970's Fender though.
Does anyone know whether when using it with a Fender one can simply shim the neck with a Badass 1 or, given its height, is that not really an option?
Chris

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='8908' date='May 29 2007, 11:55 PM']Well not really a jazz and not really pink....[/quote]

Along with condom string mutes that also brought a smile to my face!

[quote name='Bassassin' post='8848' date='May 29 2007, 10:03 PM']Proper pink:



That, with maple board & matching pink block inlays.

Jon.[/quote]

Is that a condom between the 18th and 20th frets

[quote name='OldGit' post='5667' date='May 24 2007, 12:46 PM']I've got some ashtrays if you want them. A couple that were in the case when I got my original 62 way back in the dark ages .. the are probably the orginals BUT the screw holes are bigger than they should be. No idea why ..
and a I have another set here somewhere that are 80's repro. Ie not fender ..

PM me if you want some pics[/quote]

I've an early 70's Jazz bridge ashtray and the holes seem very big to me also. Perhaps that's how they made 'em?
Chris
PS for the first time in a long time - and since delivery of the FB4 - I'm certified gas free. A jazz, a precision, a Flea, and an ongoing project bass (at present a '76 Shergold Marathon) is all a guy really needs
And an overdraft.....

[quote name='Rumple' post='7735' date='May 27 2007, 06:35 PM']Hi, I had a fretless Marathon many moons ago but it didn't have a switch on it, if I remember correctly when you plugged into one of the sockets it worked like a normal bass but if you put a second cable into the additional socket the E and A string went out one socket and the D and G out the other.

Regard R.[/quote]

Cheers Rumple, somehow missed your post the other day. Yes, as far as I'm aware some models had two mono jacks whilst others had one stereo. I think otherwise they were the same. Did you ever gig or record it in stereo? If so, how was it?
Chris

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='7959' date='May 28 2007, 09:34 AM']After what you did with the paint job on the Sub5, I'm sure the Shergold will look great when you've finished with it Chris! So, do you still like the sound of the bass - seems to me like it's passed Beedster's critical 2 week test, which takes some doing?

Nik[/quote]

Cheers Nik
I'm gonna try and make it look like a Wal
Yes the sound is great, but I think it's the neck that really does it for me, it's like a cross between a good Precision and a Stingray, really solid but fast and a real plasure to play. The sound is pretty tight for a 30 year old bass with original electrics also, and it weighs pretty much nothing so it's potentially a good bass to gig. I'm going to have a word with John East at some stage to see what jiggery pokery we might get up to regarding the electrics, especially the stereo output.
Hope to see you at the planned SE bash Nik. Any luck I'll have a nice Wal-alike with me!
Chris

[quote name='obbm' post='8221' date='May 28 2007, 06:35 PM']All sorted. Shim from old store card and judicious filing seems to have done the trick.

Thanks for all the suggestions.[/quote]

Not every day a pair of penguins solve your bridge problems is it

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='8202' date='May 28 2007, 06:06 PM']Why not talk to john east? His designs have pick up buffer preamps with individual gain trimpots. So not only can you set levels for the instrument but also account for differences in level between pick ups[/quote]

That's certainly the best advice. Keep the instrument you're comfortable and generally happy with and get John to boost the tones for the live work. He did a great job of making by SUB5 sound like a SR on steroids and gave me the flexibility of a mid-sweep that allowed me to cut through at very specific frequencies if needed. He's a wizard with the sort of problem you're describing
Chris

[quote name='bleedproof' post='8119' date='May 28 2007, 03:16 PM']If it's what I think you have, I owned a Jazz around 98/99 if my memory serves me.

They were American Fenders that started life officially in the US, were then finished in Mexico and then sent back to US.

They featured a 1 piece scratchplate, much like the early 80's run of jazz basses, with strat style knobs. However, unlike the Mexican Jazz's of the time, they were better made, featured US pickups etc and in general were better bang for the buck.

I modded mine extensively: Badass, changed the Scratchplate to a black one ( adding a bell plate instead of the 1 piece configuration) fully shielded and setup and a nice set of Dimazio Ultra J's.

Even to this day, it's the best Fender I ever owned, and the bass that started off my Jazz love affair.

I think they're great basses; reagrdless of where they started out, and as I said - at the time much better than the Mexican, and some of the USA J's

Stu[/quote]

Thanks all.
Stu, that's exactly the one mate! One piece pickguard and strat knobs and, as you said about yours, it's lovely! As a few guys on here will testify, I've had some troubles with Fender Jazz's I've owned, just didn't get on with them. This one - which as yet is original - is a real keeper, the slap tone is really something else, and it's soooo growly when I dig in. I'm thinking about a pair of SD's and a Badass II, although it's certainly good enough to leave as is (although the tuning mechs could be better TBH).
Funny old company Fender aren't they, I've owned two US Custom Shop Jazzes, as well as an MIA, an MIJ, and a Geddy Lee (or as my GF called it, "the Geddly"), all of which cost a bloody fortune and none of which sounded or played anything like as good as this one! Not seen them around before, I guess their relative obscurity means either that they didn't make many or that people hang on to them?
Cheers mate
Chris

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='7712' date='May 27 2007, 05:40 PM']+1 on that!

Thought I'd bump this topic back to the top so we don't lose sight of it! I'm still interested in doing this if anyone else is??

Nik[/quote]

+1, although the point above about power supply etc is worth considering before we commit to a venue, especially if it's a school. No point having 30 rigs if there's only two power sockets, and schools these days are nightmares re health and safety so multiple extension cables might be out
A well placed rehearsal studio (near a pub) certainly sounds like the best bet to me?
Cheers
Chris

[quote name='jase00' post='7847' date='May 27 2007, 10:01 PM']What sort of info you looking for Beedster?, they are the ones made in Corona California which I think is where the Fender custom shop now is.[/quote]

Hi Jase
They were, I think, a series manufactured in the late 90's. I have a Jazz from the series in question and - despite the fact I think it's a budget model - it's the first jazz I've found that has some real oomph and I'm really starting to like it! Wondering really if anyone's played one, modded one, has any opinions etc?
Cheers
Chris

[quote name='obbm' post='7343' date='May 26 2007, 09:50 PM']The bridge is on but it needs to come down to get a nice low action. Problem is the bridge saddles are already at the bottom of their adjustment. How do you get it right?[/quote]

I had this problem and shimming the neck is the only solution. Once you start filing you start to compromise the integrity of the bridge
Chris

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='7783' date='May 27 2007, 07:59 PM']I guess the first place to check is a separate connection for stereo from the E-A pickup (assuming it exists) with a multimeter. You'll have to make sense of the wiring though and then you'll need to test the solder joints. The only way to really wrestle with this kind of problem is to be very methodical and logical about the process you're following. Or take it to someone qualified [/quote]

Cheers CK, I think I'm going to take the advice in the last sentence!
Nik, trust me, if you saw the finish close up, you'd change your mind. No joking, I think it was a Primary School project!
Chris

Hi all
I'm about to strip and refinish the old Shergold Marathon I bought a few weeks back (if you take a look at the current finish below you might realise why). It has one PUP, tone and volume controls, single stereo O/P jack, and a two way mono/stereo selector switch. When using a mono lead with the switch in mono position all strings sound. When using a mono lead in the stereo position only the G and D strings play and the A and E are literally not audible at all. I assumed that with a stereo lead all strings would sound and through two channels, that is G and D into one and A and E into the other. However, using a stereo cable appears to make no difference, that is, with the switch in stereo mode only the G and D sound whilst in mono all sound but only through one channel. As all strings sound in mono I assume the PUP is functional but that there's a dodgy connection somewhere? However, I took off the control plate a few minutes ago and it looks like a bowl of spaghetti in there, also, I can't get to the jack socket as the paint is so thick on the plate. So, before I start doing potentially terminal things with soldering irons, can anyone offer any advice on any further diagnostics I could (or comment on whether I'm doing something daft like, for example, using the wrong type of lead)?
Cheers all
Chris

[attachment=305:AUT_7208.JPG]

Anyone know anything about the above late 90's basses?
Cheers
Chris

[quote name='paul, the' post='6229' date='May 25 2007, 01:49 AM']Beedster, for someone who professes such disdain for collecting instruments, why do you hold such an intimate eye to vintage basses?
Or are you just a guardian angel to prospective Fender buyers? If so, good on ya![/quote]

I guess I'm just a guardian angel I looked at that bass and it just didn't look right, a bit like a girl who's had her nose and cheekbones done if that makes any sense?
Chris
PS I have no disdain for collecting basses at all, if you're referring to my comments in the recent discussion of the dubious CAR '72 Jazz, it's more that if you're a collector you have to know what you're doing. As a player, if I play a bass and like it I'm happy, even if the pickguard isn't original! Collectors I guess don't have that luxury, but perhaps can't complain if their lack of expertise leads them to a dodgy bass

Hey Chris
How you doing? Looking at geting some tuition. Would you come to Canterbury and how much do you charge?
Chris

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' post='1972' date='May 19 2007, 01:11 AM']Hi guys,

I'm a fulltime tutor living in Gravesend, Kent.

I teach all kinds of styles - Blues, Jazz, Rock, Metal, Gospel,............. as well as theory (traditional and Jazz), and have expertise in recording, musical direction, writing and arranging, using and building large PA systems, and extensive live experience.

I'm normally available for people to visit me, or i can come to you (within reason!)

any enquiries, drop me a PM, and i'll be in touch

Cheers

Chris[/quote]

[quote name='ped' post='6151' date='May 24 2007, 11:15 PM']Can't see sod all my son. How are you though mate, nice to see you.[/quote]

Good thanks Ped, you? Glad to see things have finally sorted with BW/BT/BC? Thanks very much for all the work you've put in.
Do you not think the Precision in question looks a little dubious?
Chris

What do you reckon? Top horn looks wrong (short), and headstock....?

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