Skybone

I umm-ed and ahh-ed about whether to go FRFR or not for ages, and came up with similar conclusions (without the maths bit though). If you want to go FRFR for bass, then I would say that you should look at: https://barefacedbass.com/product-range/FR800.htm

I remember lusting after an SB1000 for years, especially after having a few low end, bolt neck & passive SB's. Even in the late 90's, they felt superb, well built and extremely playable. Unfortunately for me, I didn't find it sounded that good, whichever settings I used, talk about gutted. I bought it as a "downgrgade" from a late 80's StingRay, chopped it in for a mid-90's StingRay which was a huge mistake (looked great, played great, sounded awful). Still lust after the pinnacle for me, an SB Elite II.

You could always try doing Alex James impressions...

You could always try looking at the Ashdown AMP300 2x10 combo from Musik Produktiv in Germany. It's a MAG300 Evo III amp, comes with a warranty that can be extended to 5 years if you register it with Ashdown. Not the lightest rig out there, and only punts out the full 300w with an extension cab (4 Ohm load), but it does put out over 200w from the internal speakers (8 Ohms), which frankly is loud enough for a heavy rock band. Bloody good VFM, and they'll deliver it cheaper than most UK suppliers.

Which part of your teens though? 3 Epic songs from when I was growing up, though not necessarily from the time that I was growing up: The Pre-Teen Years: Hawkwind: Lord of Light (the Space Ritual version) My older brother was into Hawkwind, so I heard this late 70's/early 80's. Blown away by the clarity and the driving nature of the bass line. Black Sabbath: A Spiral Architect. Again, thanks to my older brother, I was introduced to Sabbath around the same time, but this song is just superb. Rush: Jacobs Ladder / Natural Science: OK, 2 songs off the same album. The first Rush album I bought when it came out, played it to death. Simply excellent songs off an underrated album. The Teen Years: Celtic Frost: The Usurper Voivod: Ravenous Medicine Discharge: Possibility of Life's Destruction Could be here all day listing songs...

Great. People actually came to see us. OK, they came for the headline band, but they saw us as well.

Iconic, and ingrained in the minds of a lot of people. And still a fantastic album.

They sorted it anyway... They discontinued the Midnight Blue.

It's an Ibanez... Or maybe not... No idea what make it is, but it looks great, so enjoy it for what it is... a bass that needs to be played.

If you open the control cavity, and look at the back of the pots, you'll see a small notch in the case. Spray some Servisol in there, then turn the knob back and forth, spray some more in, turn the knob, repeat a few more times, then try plugging it in. Repeat until not scratchy.

It is possibly one of the better 4003's I've seen in a long time. Most of the Mapleglo's seem to be non-descript in terms of timber selection.

The neck pickup is an ideal thumbrest, or you could try adding one of those "Zero Mod" thumbrests.

Sweet.

Been toying with the idea of ordering a Jaydee. Can't make up my mind though, torn between a Roadie II (passive) or a passive Supernatural, or a mix of the two... One day maybe...

Cue Supergrass - Caught by the Fuzz...

"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"

Always loved the Jaydee basses, and that one looks like a fine example. Enjoy.

Agree with @Maude about twisting them when you've put them back on. Whenever I work on mine, for whatever reason, I restring it with the one's I've removed for the work, but I always leave them in the bridge, and just curl them out of the way while I'm working. Never had any issues when retightening them (there's always a first time of course! ).

The serial number is November 1983, but it does look like someone's buggered about with the headstock. Got to agree, looks like a Blazer.

Etymotic ER20s from Amazon.

"Probably is not the word that I'd use!

First gig I did with one band was supporting Cathedral (2nd album?), Sleep (Holy Mountain tour) & Penance. Cathedral's rider was a 24 can slab of cheap bitter. They let us drink it for them!

Bizarrely enough, I saw Mastodon supporting High on Fire, around 2000, and Mastodon just blew High on Fire off the stage. Saw Metallica on the Justice for All tour with Danzig as support. Metallica were boring, Danzig were superb. Slayer's South of Heaven tour, went for Nuclear Assault, left the Slayer set after the first 3 songs. The Wonder Stuff 1987/88 ish. To be fair, TWS were really, really good, but the support band were just superb... Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction.