LeftyJ

I have two lefty bolt-on S2 Classics, a 4-string and a 5-string. I love them!

This is an interesting point, as this appears to be more or less the strategy embraced by Warwick. Their German-made instruments were split into a "teambuilt" German Pro Series, and a "masterbuilt" Custom Shop line with eye-watering prices that quickly rise in excess of €10.000 even when you don't go nuts on exotic woods, solid brass hardware and other exclusive options. They introduced a "Rockbass" series of cheap Chinese basses which had none of THE famous Warwick features other than the same basic shapes and electronics. They then introduced a Korean-made "Pro Series" line, and quickly dissolved it again only to cease production of the first Rockbass line, and replace the Pro Series with a higher-end Rockbass line that does share some iconic Warwick features but not the typical wood species associated with the brand. They barely have a European dealer network anymore, aside from the big internet names like Thomann, and exclusivity of the German basses has only gone up it seems. Pricing is insane, but people still seem willing to pay them even when many a skilled luthier will build you something similar at half of what Warwick charges. I don't understand I'm not saying Wal should do something similar, I think they're a niche brand that serve a very specific market (80s music lovers and Tool fans ) but the outsourcing approach seems to work for some manufacturers.

If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning

Well, then don't use your Mustang! Where's the fun in that?

They do a Contemporary version too, which starts at €699, and an Ignition which starts at about €350 I've never tried one, but some of the bass lines on Air's "Moon Safari" were recorded with one if I'm not mistaken and sound great!

Cool, makes much more sense now! I appreciate how the original control plate was an extension of the pickup, very unusual!

Ha, interesting to see this thread at the top again! Because this response by me: ...didn't take long to get fulfilled It's still an irrational purchase, because I have no use for it outside my home whatsoever, but it's so much fun and easy to play, so well-made and just so cute! I've been playing this almost exclusively since it arrived.

I love that, but not the control plate. Weird mix of well thought-out design and afterthought. Otherwise that's one beautiful bass!

These look so tasty! They really picked some gorgeous finishes for them, that pair really well with the cream pickups and roasted maple neck. Simply lovely! I'm a sucker for reverse PJ too. Slight GAS

Whoa, that's wild. Like @BigRedX, my first impression was that it's a modded 8-string too, especially since that bridge appears to have 8 intonation screws! Supercool, despite its (IMO) ugliness.

Wow, I've never seen that Condor before. I only knew the more symmetrical models from the Wings series like the Eagle Bass but that Condor looks seriously cool. Some pretty obvious Rickenbacker influences there!

Aye, you can be a different Beatle every day!

Don't worry, I wasn't offended. My "confused" reaction was aimed at the Jackson. I wasn't aware of that model, let alone how close of a copy it is!

Since this thread is now resurrected anyway, might as well join in Washburn allegedly took notes (and measurements!) at the Jerzy Drozd stand at NAMM when they "designed" these.

This came out in 1996! There is a shorter single version, but I love the build-up in this longer version. I was 13 when this came out, and this song will always have a special place in my heart. The man sadly passed away in 2017 at only 47 years old.

Not my cup of tea in terms of design, but I love the craftsmanship and that blue finish looks beautiful! I usually prefer a "hidden" neck through, where the neck wood isn't visible at the front, but I really enjoy the contrast with the solid finish!

After the first half of that sentence I was totally expecting a Randy Rhoads reference. I would never have thought of the MSP

I've mostly been in bands where I really liked the music. If I don't connect with the music, it's not for me. The exception was a pop cover band I've been a part of for a couple of years. They mostly played covers of 80s and 90s hits and a few more recent songs. I didn't really connect, but I learned a lot from that experience and from playing with a phenomenal drummer and keyboardist (and a very poor guitarist) and they were great guys and gals. I don't really have a band of my own anymore, since our lead singer had 4 kids (5 now) and little time outside of her family life at the time, and our lead guitarist went abroad to Oxford to do a postdoc at Oxford University for 3 years. Having finished that, he's now in Barcelona with his Spanish girlfriend with plans to come back and work as a chemistry professor but no job yet. That said, two and a half years ago I was asked, with the other remaining guitarist and drummer of said band, to be part of the live band of a one-man doom metal project of a friend of ours (and the drummer's brother). I wasn't really familiar with the genre, and still don't know many other bands, but I feel right at home in their slow, melancholic, incredibly heavy and low (5-string tuned down to A) music. I've become a fan! I was just listening to the latest EP in my car on my way to work to familiarize myself with the new songs, and I'm completely in love with it.

They're always too far away from the strings to my taste, and never in the spot where I want to pluck. I really should get more acquainted with the floating thumb technique.

I love them on my Status basses. There's just one thing I don't like about it: the claw that holds the ball end slides freely over the finish of your bass body. The saddles lay on a brass base plate, but below the claws. I wasn't aware of this until I had to remove one because the spring between the claw and the tuning wheel had an annoying resonance I wanted to get rid of.

Nice! I don't think those are the stock pots (my E-series Strat surely didn't come with CTS pots) but that's a very nice and useful upgrade. The electronics were most definitely the weak spot of my Strat. Otherwise build quality, hardware and finish are excellent.

I've had many kinds of tuners, and to be honest I've never felt the need to replace any and just rolled with what was on the instrument. With one exception: on my Fender Japan JB75-US I replaced the stock tuners with matching Hipshots when I mounted a D-tuner, because the patina of the stock tuners really didn't match the shiny new chrome plating of the D-tuner. Based on my experience with various tuners, I would just get what my luthier recommends or what matches best with the overall appearance and the other hardware on the bass. On a bass with vintage looks I would want nothing other than clover leaves, but I don't mind what they look like on the back of the headstock (i.e. vintage tuners or ultralights).

It is not. The interval between the frets is exactly the same as on an instrument with parallel frets. The sole benefit of multiscale basses is the evenness of tone and string tension across the neck. The Buzz Feiten system addresses intonation by placing the nut closer to the 1st fret, and putting the open strings slightly out of tune so that intonation is more accurate higher up the fingerboard. Some electronic tuners have a special setting for "Buzz Feiten tuning" for this. On a Dingwall, all the intervals and the tuning are exactly the same as on any parallel fret bass with regular tuning.

Fender Japan has a finish called "Old Lake Placid Blue" (OLP) that also has the greenish hue you're describing - but I don't know if that finish was around already in the 80s! It could just be naturally aged Lake Placid Blue. It has been known to turn quite green with age and exposure to UV light. For example, this 1969 Mustang Bass was once Lake Placid Blue, but now more closely resembles Ocean Turquoise Metallic:

That orange one is stunning! I love it.