AndyTravis

Ah yes. Vintage strings - you need to find some.

Played a Fylde acoustic made from whiskey barrels. Smelled lovely. Didn’t sound lovely, and I think it was the thick end of £3000...

I’ve seen tweed fenders reliced up. thing is you don’t walk around carrying your amp do you, so the aesthetic is secondary.

Wasn’t hidden 😂 It was heavy, and a bit lifeless. Too much going on to get much feedback into the hand. The same with Alembics and a few others I’ve played. Not a connected experience. For me. Preferred the NE-1 to the NE-2. I wanted one and the other was “oh, nice...”

I’ve played the original Nathan East model with the flamed top while setting one up (nice instrument) and then played a V2 at the Milton Keynes HQ and again at a trade show in Germany. I was at the launch for the bb2024/25/x and wasn’t actually bowled over, set all of them up on the stand while discussing features and then the punters got to play them. Also was sorting a dicky pot on an at2 in Lava Red while BS wandered past. Was angling for a job with Yamaha at the time, they were clueless/couldn’t be a*sed - a real shame. I’ve owned a TRB5Pii, which was remarkably similar bass in over all feel to the bbne2 There’s something about smaller bodied neck through basses, it just doesn’t work for me. obviously works for others - Spector seem to sell a lot. But I’ve owned warwicks and spectors which I’ve sold as they don’t work for me. Ibanez never get a look in with me - I’ve sold 1000’s and I get why they’re popular. But I’ve owned 1, and I got that in a trade.

@Al Krow could you not just shove a preamp in this?

“Better” is subjective. How do you quantify “better” - I could certainly spot the difference blindfolded. The decay of the notes, the feel of the harmonic ring, loads of ways to spot the difference. What’s “better” for you might be “absolutely useless” to me. Hence the fact I only use passive basses and you seem to favour active ones, for example. I’d have the 3000 for a different job to the 1024 or 414 - my modded 414 does things differently to my 1024, so they both come along...and there are 3 tracks I always use the 414 for, and in some instances it does the other tunes when I can’t be bothered swapping between the two. I was talking to a mate the other day about eq and fx, compression etc - I really don’t apply much thought to it. He labours over it. And he plays predominantly at home. Makes no sense to me. But it seemingly matters to him. Does that make him “better” or “worse” than me? Nah - just different. Worries me when music or instruments are turned into objects of sport - “not for me” is my favourite phrase with gear.

Jack from the Smashing Pumpkins has a white one 🤷🏻‍♂️ The new ones do nowt for me at all, thought I wanted a 434 for a while, but that notion soon passed. I started 22 years ago on an old one, think the 414-424/1024/2024 era suits me. Then again, the attitude bug has a hold. We’ll see...the 1024x might be sacrificial lamb for the 2nd attitude or bb714bs

There’s also a variety of shapes and sizes of pickguard, even for a fender jazz, there can be all sorts of differences between region and era of manufacture. So modifying the existing one to change the aesthetic...makes a lot of sense.

They’re a different thing, I’d have the 3000 and the 1024, I’d never own a 2024 and a 1024. The 3000 is neck through for starters. The 3000 is what a lot of BB “purists” aim for. for a grand? Debating speaking to the guy and offering my 1024 and some cash.

Gods sake that’s perfect and I’m not ready to buy. Swine.

Agree with all of that. I don’t comment on threads about Ibanez basses spouting how they’re not for me... I was about to comment boot polish or leather stains are the free used In relic work. but someone’s already said they’ve done it x

I always thought they were these. Not that I know much 😉

https://tsptr.com/products/peanuts-comic-strip-shirt https://m.shop.nordstrom.com/s/gitman-peanuts-print-short-sleeve-sport-shirt-limited-edition-nordstrom-exclusive/4931569

https://www.farfetch.com/uk/shopping/men/jc-de-castelbajac-vintage-mafalda-comic-strip-shirt-item-11256296.aspx something like this. Then get a pink and turquoise pen and highlight appropriately

Schaller

Well, since I last posted in February - I went back to PMT today and the sunburst JB was still there (assume it’s the same one). I tried it out, was really well put together, felt ok - needed a setup really badly (I used to check basses when I worked in a shop, maybe that’s not a thing anymore). Did it feel like a £1500 bass, well...no. I’d probably spend some time trying Fender 60’s Classic lacquer or Roadworn basses and chuck some CS pickups in. the thing that bothered me was the saddles didn’t look like they had much travel left in them, and the action up at the top frets was higher than I would’ve liked, and from frets 1-7 Felt “ok” - a tweak of the truss rod might introduce buzzing down near the nut, and then there wouldn’t be much to go at for the body end. i didn’t ask if I could set it up. I then tried a CS precision which was more expensive but felt a lot more special. But also in dire need of a tweak. The PA lad was nice and helpful, although he did that plug in and slap thing...🙄

Where do you keep finding these crazy old rustic basses?!

Now that would work. Needs that nicer brown shell pickguard, but it’s lovely. ¥135k isn’t cheap though, then factor another 25% ish for shipping and duty 🤔

If it’s any use at all, I’m 99% sure Barnes and Mullins was the UK distributor in the early 2000’s.