GreeneKing

I'd vote for pretty much anything by Mick Karn. Unmistakable sound. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vsAvMm22zg&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vsAvMm22zg...feature=related[/url]

Not at all a 'loaded' question then 'Classic' vs 'Strange/Weird' In terms of J/P vs others I'd say the range of the others varies so much that the question is skewed. Conventional vs Unconventional? Why not embrace it all for different reasons would be my response (so I didn't vote).

The friendliest music shop I've been in lately is definitely Promenade Music in Morecambe. I'm lucky in visiting Colchester about once a month and The Bass Merchant is brilliant too. Selling things and establishing good customer relations isn't rocket science. Maybe the management in the Bass Cellar is dire and this is reflected by the staff? One point that Pete A made about letting anyone come in and play an instrument and then having people who don't respect expensive gear come in and make it 2nd hand fairly rapidly. I'm not sure how you tackle this one effectively.

Totally awesome!

I forgot Bass Doc otherwise I'd have given him a mention having seen some of the work he's done.

Doesn't the U-Retro have sweepable mids and a couple of switches that the J-Retro doesn't? Edited to say, no, I'm wrong Re all John's pre's they are really easy to fit with minimum soldering required.

Are you looking for just one set up or 3? Have you thought about doing it yourself, it's not rocket science. Good link here: [url="http://garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html"]http://garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html[/url]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='552888' date='Jul 27 2009, 05:04 PM']Exacty what the shops are like round here. Out of 4 local music shops i have the choice between Ernie Balls and Rotos, both in only one guage and 4 string only. When i need emergency strings now i go to Cash Converters, they've got sets of cheapies in 2 guages for about a fiver. I don't spend £20 on strings unless it's a brand i want I remember having a conversation with a shop owner about a yeaa while ago when i was buying a Squier. He couldn't get any in the shop because they were all going to the big online retailers who put in huge bulk orders. I waited a couple of months and he still couldn't get one so i ended up buying online, not his fault at all and i felt a bit sorry for the bloke. He had a sale but the supplier wouldn't even take him into account[/quote] I think our LMS is struggling and may nosedive. The local boys can rarely compete as the playing field slopes pretty steeply towards their goal. Large internet dealers are selling gear at a price below trade for some of these guys. As time passes I suspect that local music shops will become a thing of the past, like ironmongers. I don't see that as a good thing.

I think that Les Evans is now a past bass manufacturer not present.

I have LP's of riders like that circulating the IoM in the 50's and 60's. I started riding to Brands and Snetterton when Sheene, Smart, Haslam (The older brother who was killed) and Dave Croxford were riding. One of my favourite riders of that time was Peter Williams. I think I saw Minter and Ivy ride but I'm not certain. Was Minter the King of Brands? The Transatlantic Trophy races were fun too with Read, DuHamel, Roberts et al Good times. Mind Rossi is immense nowadays. I remember the Saarinen incident well too, a sad day. Are we a little of track with this?

Bob MacKintyre, a real hero When my new Z750 (4) broke down in North London in 1980 a guy came out in a van to help me put a new clutch cable on - one Graeme Crosby no less

It's a real beaut though. Many (nearly 40 yrs) ogo I had a mate that had a Vincent motor in an Egli frame, it was a dog too

I think that the 08/09 US Fenders are arguably as good as any Fender ever. I'm really impressed with my 09 American Vintage P. Maybe a 75 American Vintage Jazz might be worth a look? Cheaper than a CS but still a lot more than a American Standard.

You could always give this guy a quick email: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROSEWOOD-THUMB-REST-FENDER-MUSTANG-JAZZ--PRECISION-BASS_W0QQitemZ230354773022QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROSEWOOD-THUMB-REST-...2QQcmdZViewItem[/url] I've got 2 of his ebony rests and they are very well made indeed, he'll probably knock you up a custom one I suspect.

I'm loving 'Quite Firm'. If I could play that I'd be more than chuffed!

Sadly it's the nature of eBay in particular that people have learnt, from horror stories like the one's raised on here, to be suspicious of other's motives. I was chatting to a guy who owned a 4001 CS certificate but sadly no bass. Being in the opposite boat and having the bass with no certificate we checked serial numbers but sadly it was for another one. I suggested that I'd buy it from him as the wrong certificate is better than none (misguided thought possibly). He quite fairly said no and that he's give it for free to the owner of the bass if he could find them. I offered to put this on here and all the relative forii but he I think became suspicious that I was trying to obtain it by ulterior means and stopped communicating. Sad that people aren't more trusting I suppose. So if you have a Rickenbacker 4001 Chris Squire and no certificate I may know who has it

Thanks I did but I appreciate the pointer. I need to take the bass apart and see what room is in the cavity. A separate battery box is a neater approach I feel. From previous work with my Bob Glaub I suspect that a side mounted jack is the way to go, unfortunately it probably means a long barrel type that I dislike as they have a greater propensity to fail imo. I'll disassemble the bass and have a gander. Edited to say that I've ordered a 3 hole plate and we'll see how it goes. Looking forward to having a Jazz with a difference, 4 controls and a jack

Having acquired a new Sadowsky Pre with VTC I'm planning how I'm going to put it into the Maruszczck. It's not that I feel the bass particularly needs it, more that I hear so many good things about this pre-amp and I like fiddling. So obvious way ahead is to rout a battery compartment and fit a side mounted jack to give me the 4 holes that I need on the plate. The battery may fit in the main compartment - I haven't checked yet. I'd love to keep the jack where it is, is a 5 hole plate available? Can't find one anywhere. Of course the holes might turn out too close together anyway.

[quote name='rslaing' post='550677' date='Jul 24 2009, 10:55 PM']I'm afraid they wouldn't help me because unless the headphones are six foot six high and 3 feet wide, people would still be able to see I'm a moron.[/quote]