hubrad

Also, have you tried fresh batteries? Active circuits usually distort when the battery is low.

[quote name='anzoid' timestamp='1444640056' post='2884626'] If it's a de-fret - i.e. where someone has at some point taken the frets off an "ordinary" bass, then make sure that whatever they've used to fill the gaps is level with the rest of the fingerboard. Best thing is that the gaps are filled with wood - which should (hopefully, all being well, etc) move with any other shifts in the fingerboard. Some people use plastic wood filer and, personally, I'm not a fan. Also, having wasted time on a buying a de-fretted bass - make sure a good job has been done and that where the frets have been taken out no (or very little) fingerboard wood has gone (and been filled...). The tangs of the frets sometimes rip the wood if the job wasn't done well and if nothing else it's plain ugly. [/quote] All of this! I've done a few defrets, being predominantly a fretless player myself. Don't just assume a factory fretless will be right, though. I got a Squier VM Jazz FL a couple of years back, just for the experiment you understand! A decent enough piece of kit in general, but the fingerboard was crap! Every fret line was in its own dip. I had to sand the whole fingerboard to make it usable. Sold it on in far better fettle than I bought it. :-)

True, plus probably less fiddly than just tweaking around trying to get the existing ones balanced. New stuff. Yaaayy!

If the shafts are bent, surely they'd wobble already?

Either that or make up some uneven washer, so they get pulled back into a straight aspect.

Are the pot shafts at an angle to the plate or body surface, so the knobs stay at the same angle all the time, or are the knobs at an angle on the shafts so they kinda wobble as you turn them?

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1444995910' post='2887970'] WAL, FODERA, FBASS, ENFIELD, GUS! [/quote] Dirty, dirty dirty.. oooh!

I still love my AH250SMX, but felt the need for a little extra 'something' without losing that Trace clarity. Started off looking a little higher up the TE range, but they don't seem to be either around much or that well reputed since they left these shores. Ended up settling on a GK Fusion 550 from Phill at Bassgear of Twyford.. totally blown away with it, in fact it's become my main amp with the SMX now being the backup!

I think that's the thing, David - you were initially nervous but then 'completely blown away' by a particular maker. I've experienced the same thing myself with Overwater. Plenty of folks go for such as Fender 'cos they know what they'll get; a bit like eating in Wetherspoons in a strange town. Reliable, but if you hit lucky there are most likely far batter eateries, depending on what you fancy. It's another endless debate!

[quote name='DavidMcKay' timestamp='1444846689' post='2886698'] I was too at the start but it is all going wrong for me! [/quote] Ah, the biter, bit! See what you started. . [size=4] [/size]

Bleeding over from a FB forum, could we introduce a trigger warning?

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1444297290' post='2881924'] Fodera on the other hand is one of the largest can of worms you can open on here [/quote] I thought that was Fender! [runs for cover]

[url="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=abs+flightcase+handle&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAmoVChMIzrDB16yryAIVBdMUCh31LgtJ&biw=960&bih=617"]https://www.google.c...biw=960&bih=617[/url] Reveals quite a few with the same looking handle.. contacting one or more of those companies could find the handle as a replacement part. Have exact dimensions to hand.

Another Ebay shop.. I've had various cabinet handles and fittings from him.. http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/mlc-audio?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2754

My GK head has a Deep switch.. at front room volumes and through a small cab it adds a really nice fatness to the sound. At gigging volumes there's so much power available that it's really quite unnecessary and, as has been said above, can make everything too bassy if you're not careful. Maybe it's there for use with a particularly twangy lightweight bass..

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1443184310' post='2872899'] This 15-second version is OK! [media]http://youtu.be/BJSmgPeDWbg[/media] [/quote] I think the falsetto has gone so high, Bill Oddie stlye, that you can't quite catch the vocal any more..

If it's 'not going to get played to death' then i wouldn't worry about it.. see Brensabre79's comment.

[quote name='redbandit599' timestamp='1443169020' post='2872717'] Ah. But what type of metal? Heavy, thrash, black, death, glam, hair, nu, metalcore, butt....I'm afraid the quest continues [/quote] Well, being more specific, no.8 appears to be the one for cheap metal. . I'll get me coat!

I've not used this model, but I have used Bartolini before and I'd say their reputation for top-notch pickups is well justified. The quad-coil design appeals, as you can switch for a variety of types: http://www.bartolini.net/product/xxp25c-b/

I think it probably works in a similar way to basses.. if you go from a £100 bass to a £200 you prob won't notice much difference, whereas going up to 500 is generally a right lift. Going from that one to, say, £1000 is probably subtle.. and so on! Enjoy the ride! If you're around the W.Yorks area you're welcome to a go on my Coda. :-)

Talking to people in bowed instrument world, consensus seems to be that your bow should ideally be about 1/3-1/2 the value of your instrument. I certainly noticed a mahoosive difference going from the sub-£100 level to the £3-400 level, then moved beyond but went second hand. Dunno if you'd notice as much on the ones you mentioned. I got a used Coda Metropolitan from a mate at a mate's rate price(!), which is a serious quality carbon fibre bow.. as good as my wooden one in a different way. If you're looking at wooden bows, ask your local dealer if they deal with Stentor Bowline - that way they can get interesting bows in for you to try, without being lumbered with expensive stock.

Excellent!

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1441484642' post='2859231'] ... Fantastic bit of gear snobbery regarding cheap basses, though. .. [/quote] [quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1441314369' post='2857932'] ... Ped wouldn't have any money to buy nice cakey things from Greggs... [/quote] Veering slightly OT, but kinda still very much following on there, Ped uses Greggs? Shocking! Never set foot in the place myself, unless there's nowt else!

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1442404009' post='2866660'] Nice photo, I got the JD from the shop next to the pub, was it called the Princess of Wales? [/quote] The pub was The Duchess of York, otherwise just The Duchess.. one of the top venues in the region for decades! I remember that shop - they did 'that' question on the bassist in the pro band I was in at the time. He said the usual 'how do I know unless..' and being met with a dumb gaze he just walked out without spending several hundred pounds on whatever P bass it was. [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1442404575' post='2866668'] I didn't play anything in my younger days but was briefly a singer in a school rock band and I recall our guitarist taking me to some mythical music shop in Bingley that people used to rate, can't remember the name. Would have been around 1980. [/quote] JSG Music, later Spectre Sound. Used to be pretty much THE shop in the county.. really laid back - 'you want to try a bass? Cables are there, and amps are there. Have a play.' and great selection of new and used gear so worthy of a day out for the whole band. One of the first discounters, they ended up getting undercut themselves with the advent of internet shopping. No longer there.