ikay

Thanks for reply re the issue of balance. I guess that depends on having quite a dense body then. Out of interest what does your custom SWB-1 weigh? On the question of reach though, with so much neck to the left of the upper strap button doesn't it feel much the same as a 34" for the left hand? Sorry to labour the point, I'm not trying to be awkward. I really like the idea of the SWB-1 but one of the things that attracts me to a short scale is having to stretch less for the lower frets.

Scott, like everyone else I'm interested in the SWB-1 but I'm a bit curious about how it balances on a strap. With such a short top horn the strap pin looks to be around the 17th fret compared with the 12th fret on a regular jazz type. Doesn't this make it a bit neck heavy and mean the reach to the lower frets feels much the same as playing a long scale? Will the production model have exactly the same body shape or do you have any thoughts to extend the top horn a bit? It looks great as it is, just wondering about the ergonomics.

The import duty rate for importing Musical instrument into United Kingdom is 3.7%, the import VAT is 20%. Adding 25% is a good rule of thumb. Remember that duty and VAT is also applied to shipping costs. There's a useful import duty calculator here - [url="http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/"]http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/[/url]

My '72 P is the same at the first fret (21mm) but a little deeper at the 12th fret (25mm). Measured using digital calipers.

The VIP 3 is a modelling amp and the EQ is modelled to each amp. It only has 3-bands (low, mid, high) and no indication of frequency centres. The only thing to do is probably just mess around with the various amp models and find one with a mid EQ that is closest to what you have in mind. If that doesn't work then looks like an EQ pedal is your best bet.

This one is close to the dimensions you need - [url="http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/graph-tech-tusq-nut-slotted-martin-style-2645-p.asp"]http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/graph-tech-tusq-nut-slotted-martin-style-2645-p.asp[/url]

Some comments about the OBP-and Sadowsky pre here - [url="http://www.talkbass.com/threads/sadowsky-pre-vs-aguilar-obp-1.545444/"]http://www.talkbass.com/threads/sadowsky-pre-vs-aguilar-obp-1.545444/[/url]

Only vey slight oddity is the black Fender logo, other 83's generally seem to have a silver with black outline. Otherwise looks good to me. There's an '83 P for sale on BC for comparison here - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/254005-fender-1983-us-standard-precision-bass/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/254005-fender-1983-us-standard-precision-bass/[/url]

"I would have said the exact opposite..." What I mean by dynamic range is the sensitivity of the pickup to respond from the very lightest touch through to really digging in (ie. the range of its output from lowest to highest in terms of volume and harmonic content). This is generally greater with a passive pickup as active circuitry compresses the signal at various stages along the signal path (compression = less dynamic range). I can see what you're saying though. Active pickups often have an extended frequency range so you can hear more harmonic detail. These extended frequencies can make them sound/feel more 'sensitive'. In a technical sense though the dynamic range of an active pickup will generally be somewhat compressed compared with passive.

Active doesn't (necessarily) = better. Passive pickups have greater dynamic range and are more responsive to playing touch. After years of playing active basses I've recently rediscovered the simple joys of my old passive Fenders. They just sound more open and expressive to me. But then I am getting old and steadily regressing to my 60s roots when of course everything sounded better

Wind the treble down a bit on your amp, turn down any tweeters in your cabs?

Just bought an SM58 from Stu. Pleasant chap to deal with, responded quickly to messages and posted the following day. Very pleased with the mic. Many thanks! Ian

It does however appear to be a rather nice BB1000. Probably a genuine mistake as the owners manual covers the 800-1200 series.

What you need is one of these - [url="http://www.simscustom.com/pickups/4string.html"]http://www.simscustom.com/pickups/4string.html[/url]

This article on setup by Sadowsky gives some examples of string heights - [url="http://img.guitarchina.com/img2010/0901gc/01.pdf"]http://img.guitarchina.com/img2010/0901gc/01.pdf[/url]. In the end though it's all down to personal preference and what works for you. Neck relief, levelness of frets, string height, string type/gauge, height of pickups, how you play (finger, pick slap, light touch/digging in etc) all work together when setting up. Every bass responds differently and finessing each of these elements is the trick to finding the optimum setup for your particular bass.

The Korean license adjustment screw takes a 2mm hex wench, the US version takes a 1/16".