Hutton

The auction came to an end yesterday because "the item is no longer available".

Thanks for the replies everybody. Very helpful and much appreciated. I think I can now cancel the order for the truss!

I've contacted him to ask if he typed the starting price incorrectly.

I've got a new PA which has powered speakers, monitors, and bass bins. All this has to be lugged on gig night along with the usual paraphenalia of amps, cabs etc. Can anyone recommend a decent wheeled trolley for loading gear into venues before this old man kills himself. I've looked at a few online but wondered if anyone had found one that was just the ticket.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1332083476' post='1582912'] Far from it man. There are no shortage of 'rays on the market for us to choose from. It wasn't so long ago that the prices plummeted to a staggering £550 for a perfectly decent bog standard 'ray... a year later average prices had risen to £750. The worst of it is that many other brands in the same price bracket do not depreciate in the same way as 'rays do. Maybe due to the fact that they are so Marmitey - those who love them (myself included) really love them and those that don't really don't... making it a buyers market for 'rays. [/quote] I see your point Rich. Why spend £900 on a nearly new Ray when you can get one in as good a condition for a good few hundred quid less even although the bass is practically new. Shame though.

OK. I hear what you're saying about the market and I accept that. It is obviously not a good time to buy a new instrument unless you plan to keep it for a long time. If you do buy and then want to sell quickly you have to expect to take a massive hit. I just hope some folk buy new instruments and hold on to them or we won't have any to buy second hand.

[quote name='Toasted' timestamp='1332067747' post='1582651'] Well rays normally seem to go for £600-£750 on this forum depending on which shade of ugly they are. So £900 is above market rate. [/quote] But this Ray is new. There are probably some sold as new which have been played more in the shop. It's only my opinion but to expect to pay half of the new price on a bass like this is disgusting.

This is a bass that is about £1300 new. It's only been played once or twice and it's the colour you want. You've been offered it for £900. I don't understand what price you are going to put on it.

My trusty Fender book shows the three screw bridge as per my pic above as being introduced on Jazzes in 1983. As both Jazzes and Precisions seem always to get the same bridges then I would expect three screw bridges to appear on Precisions of the same time. These machine heads on the ebay bass are also correctas they were introduced on American Standard instruments from 1983 on. The elites had similar mchine heads but can be differentiated by a thicker style of button.

Everything looks fine to me. If it didn't have a three screw bridge I would be suspicious. Here's mine:-

I didn't know that you wanted photos as well. Here's my Corvette strung with TI Flats.

When I put together a precision for my son I installed the Fender Original Pickup as I believe it is the same pickup that is in my 62 reissue and that sounds great. The pickup sounded marvellous in the 'bitsa' bass - very old school. Hope it helps Michael.

I recently acquired a Warwick Corvette fretless after quite some time of wondering how on earth you play fretless. Anyway, after some great advice from Linus27 (Michael) I have started to get to grips with the beastie. It's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I'm a happy camper.

Who knows? These VMJ Squiers may be commanding large prices in 30 years time. If the logo has been changed it may devalue the bass. The market is a strange thing at the best of times. On the other hand it's your bass so I say do what you like with it. Mind you they do say you should play your Squier with pride. I just don't know. If it was mine I would leave it the way it is. But it's not mine so go ahead and change it with all the blessings of the decal gods. I should get the prize for the most unhelpful post ever!

Dusty Hill is great as are ZZ Top. I just don't like this bass and certainly not its price tag. I just don't get the upside down headstock thing!

God bless you for getting my day off to a great start!

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1329834222' post='1548113'] As Ed_S says, it's very simple. Except if it's the Dunlop flushmounted straplocks. Those would need a bit more woodworking (e.g. a bit of dowel or something to block up the hole, then maybe a very long screw to go through the dowel and actually engage in the body). I've never replaced Dunlop flushmounts, and I wouldn't want to! [/quote] Thanks for this. I think that is what we are talking about. When I looked at the basses in question I couldn't see a strap button just a flush mount and my suspicions were aroused. I don't fancy bits of dowel and all that carry on so I'll just give these basses a body swerve.

Thanks Ed. I've done that plenty of times in the past with basses and guitars. I just wondered if the hole caused by the Dunlop system was going to be too big to perform that operation. Many thanks for your response.

There have been a couple of basses in which I have been interested in the 'for sale' forum. These basses have been fitted with the Dunlop straplock system. Can anyone tell me if the Dunlop arrangement can be removed and the schaller system installed without too much fuss? I'm not criticising the Dunlop system, it's just that everything I've got is schaller and I would want to keep it that way.

As always my fellow chatters come up trumps. Many thanks!

After having just acquired my first fretless bass I was wondering if there are any differences from a fretted bass in setting the action and intonation?

[quote name='Linus27' timestamp='1329580515' post='1544495'] Here are my two Warwicks. Warwick Streamer LX4 2011 Warwick Streamer Jazzman LX Fretless 2006 [/quote] Let me return the compliment and raise you a WOW!