W1_Pro

Thanks Big Red. Thats a handsome looking machine I must say.

Hello all, I have a rather nice Ovation Magnum. The bridge and pickup surround are showing their age. The powder coating is largely stripped and there is some pitting/oxidization. I would like to have these parts ( in the attached picture), sandblasted and refinished in black powder coat. My question is, does anyone know of someone that will do this (for a fee of course)? I travel to mainland Europe quite regularly so if any colleagues know of a person that does this in the EU, thats not a big problem. Many thanks in advance for your help (I hope)! Stuart ...and if this post is in the wrong forum- I did think of putting it in repairs but I thought it might get more views here- then mod's please do move it with my apologies.

That makes a lot of sense actually. Thanks JPJ.

So how would you get a signal to your amp (assuming the XLR is for the PA)?

So Big Red, I've never had a bass with a DI out. I guess it would have an XR out and a jack out? Does that mean you'd need to use two cables from the bass?

If memory serves, into the UK you'll pay purchase price+ carrriage+ VAT +4% duty. Happy to be corrected if anyone knows better!

I used to do a similar thing when I was playing a shortbass in my skiffle band- thats where I came up with the idea. I had a 112 Achat sub knocking about and I was using a Schertler Unico as an amp. The sub has a threaded M20 fitting in the top and the Schertler has a top hat in the underside, so I used a d&b stubby pole we had in work as a distance rod. Ran the sub off the aux of the Schertler which meant I just had to remember to turn the sub off on the songs I played guitar or Uke. Worked like a dream. The issue with the Markbass kit, as I realised when I was looking at the box yesterday, is that the handle is in the middle of the top of the box, and its one of those recessed ones. That would mean I'd need to put an M20 fitting plate in the side, which would mean the logo is sideways...😬. Plus its a lot of chopping about. Ahh what tangled webs we weave, maybe I would be better off just using a platform or beer crates...its the tried and tested solution after all. It did occur to me at the time that probably the most expensive part of this setu was the d&b distance rod. They charge silly money for everything and their metalwork is no exception* *I am exaggerating slightly about the price of the d&b distance rod, but not that much...

Great idea Pete. I like the multi use aspect of it, but it is another fairly bulky (albeit light) piece of kit. Hence my distance rod thinking (see the elaboration of my grand plan in my post above to Bill F).

Its a great idea Bill, it must be said, but I'm pushing sixty and flightcased boxes (for amateur band usage at any rate) are very much something for my younger self. Also, I don't know what vehicle you use to gig in, but as you'll know flightcases (or roadcases in American) can be a pain when you try to put them in a car. They are always too big, monstrously heavy and have many very hard metal edges and extrusions that can do untold damage to the interior of a car. Hence my idea about a (short) distance rod. I'd need to put an M20 threaded top hat in the lower 15" box, a standard speaker top hat in the bottom of the cab, 250mm rod, job done, very little extra kit required....

Hello everyone, I'd appreciate a bit of feedback /advice. I did some gigs at the weekend and I was having some trouble hearing the top end of what I was playing. In our practice room my stack ( a markbass 115 box and a 115 combo are stacked behind me on a riser, with a handy audio compensator (an old distortion pedal) placed sideways underneath the front of the stack so the whole thing is angled up. The stack then is more or less pointing at my ears. Result: Happiness. At the gigs the stack was on the ground behind me pointing at my knees/waist. So I thought, why not use a distance rod (rather like a sub and a box on a stick PA system) to get the combo elevated off the 115 box. Does anyone already do this and does anyone know of a manufacturer that builds boxes with top hats in them? Thanks Stuart

Forty one Spectors. I thought I had a problem...😆. Thanks Cetera, thats good information from a man with some considerable experience of the subject.

Thanks for the responses folks. All very useful. I think then, what I need to do is try an EU Wimbush and go from there. They are not exactly easy to find though!😆

I'm thinking of getting a Spector. I don't know much about them so I'd be interested to hear from folks who do: Is it worth shelling out for a US bass over a Czech one? I'm not that keen on thick necks and I think I'm correct in saying that Spector necks are of a chunkier cut, but iirc there is a signature model which has a very slim and shallow neck profile. First of all, am I correct in this assumption or is it just wishful thinking on my part? If I am correct, what is the bass I'm after? Anything else worth considering? Thanks all, for your help. Stuart.

Hello Andy, I hope you are well. Its weird isn't it? Looks like a sheet of plastic and a fretsaw might be the way forward...

I have had a bit of a rummage on the usuals: Ebay; Amazon etc. There are single hole ones but they are significantly shorter than this one so no good. I suppose if the worse comes to the worse I could just buy a sheet of plastic and make some....

Thats lovely. Really interesting and unusual bass. Enjoy it!

Hello folks, I'm looking for truss rod covers per the pick below. Single hole, not really bothered whether they are wood or plastic. Can anyone reccomend a source please?

I could only find a picture of my B20 in a rack with a bunch of other basses- in fact you can see the corner of it (black with white purfling) on the right of this pic of the Scavenger as it came to me. Plus a close up of the neck plate. For some reason it makes me think of Motley Crüe...

Thats very pretty..

Thank you Nik. As regards Neal, I'm honestly not sure . The website (nealmoserguitars.com) is still active so I would guess so.

Would it be fair to say that are few brands of bass as under appreciated (this thread being the honourable exception) as Washburn? The Japanese ones are exceptional instruments, beautifully built and a joy to play. Still avaiable (in spite of relative scarcity in the UK) for very reasonable money. Here are my two. The Scavenger came to me for £110 in a fantastic hair metal black and white zebra stripe. The neck plate is marked 'reject' apparently becasuse of bleed in the paint job. I stripped it, to reveal this beautiful ash & mahogany body. I was intending to paint it a solid colur but seeing the quality of the wood, I oiled it. If this is Washburns idea of a reject, I'll take them all. My other Washburn- an even more hair metal black B20 which I can't find a decent picture of at present- I found on ebay in a pretty sorry state. My old mate Graham Parker (Lewisham luthier) undertook the daunting task of routing out the skunk stripe (the old one had sort of erupted from the neck, the truss rod having been over cranked), and replacing said truss rod and skunk stripe. The operation went very well and was a testament to Grahams skill and patience. The bass is now a joy to play and such a great shape. You have to love a bass with prongs...

That is glorious Nik. What a lovely bass.

Mine is a double reverse P. The pickups- dimarzio blades- are not original but they sound phenomenal. The bass was black when I boought it, so I stripped and oiled it and put the new circuit in. Really great bass. I