3below

I took the hard way, I had not thought of looking on YouTube, showing my age and 'old' Physicist approach.

Obviously you can't check the the valves fully with a multimeter but there are some simple checks which might be informative (or not). Between Pins 4 - 9 & 5 - 9 you should get some resistance, I have never measured one but from some googling I get figures of 20, 16 or 6 Ohms. If your meter shows 0 or continuity there is a heater problem. More likely is that the meter will show 1 (i.e. no circuit continuity) which means the heaters have faulted and then melted. This could be one cause of transformer failure. Between pins 6 -8 and 1 - 3 the data sheets suggest you should get about (Anode resistance) 62.5 kΩ I would also measure 1 - 9, 2 - 9, 3 - 9 and 6 - 9, 7 -9, 8 - 9 If you get a 0 Ohms connection there is a fault in the valve that may have taken the transformer out with it. None of the above will give definitive answers but may provide pointers to what to investigate next.

I hope this as simple as a failed fuse. They sometimes fail for no explicable reason (or underlying fault) but this in my experience is very rare.

Always liked the look of the Starcaster bass until this one.

Never got in afaik. At Leeds Crown Court (February 2012) both got suspended sentences.

At these prices soon to become like sunburst 59 Les Pauls "Gibson made around 1,500 sunburst Les Pauls between 1958 and 1960, but today, only 2,000 survive".

That puts a different perspective on the prices. Obvious now you have mentioned it

I look at professional level double basses and have the same thoughts. How on earth would you earn that back unless you become a prolific player commanding eye watering money.

Is it good for metal?

I will make this brief, there's always someone who has to be unreasonable and do it differently!, why have you done this? We have a "200-year-old harmonic concept" with "four master patterns hidden on the bass fretboard." and you have now undone the hidden bass ninja masonic mastery that we have kept guarded. I do not know how many "gruelling months of trial and error" you undertook to "learn it for free", however giving away "Guild of Master Bass Player" secrets will result in excommunication or worse (have you seen the effects of having your machine heads removed!). Finally I must warn you in no uncertain terms that disclosing the TS "master patterns hidden on the bass fretboard" - I, IIX, V, III and bIII in all keys is strictly forbidden unless authorised by the Grand Master Wizard of the Guild.

Just had rehearsal this morning with full kit. The first gig of new 5 piece prog jazz rock lineup is in two weeks. Corvette fretless > Sansamp RB1> Crown XLS 1502 > Barefaced Dubster. TI flats and just straight in, no effects whatsoever. Result - stonkingly good tone (even though I say it myself).

The wires on the DiMarzio pickup pictured were/are very short, checking the obvious, when you extended the wires you will have covered the joins with heat shrink or insulation tape? If you have a multimeter, check that there is not continuity (or low resistance) between the green wire connections and the ground connections. Next check that the there is continuity between the case solder joins on the blend control and the solid bridge ground wire on the tone control. If there is not continuity, resolder them. If you haven't got a multimeter, look at the ground wire solder joints on the blend pot. Smooth, shiny = good, lumpy, porous, dull gray looking = bad. If the latter, resolder them. When resoldering be bold, let them get sufficiently hot so that the solder flows well - puddles. When I recently fitted Ultra Jazz pickups to my Warwick Corvette (active) I found it more susceptible to noise (e.g. from PC) than the original MEC pickups which have screened cables (where we rehearse is electrically very noisy, it was not just my kit having problems). I eventually fitted some EMGs I had bought many years ago on BC and screened the cavity, including a soldered connection to the cover (not shown). DiMarzio model Js I have in another bass have never shown this issue in the same location. Full metal jacket plus EMGs - "it's not my kit making the noise chaps"

Solder the green Dimarzio wires (both pickups) to the case of the blend control. Solder the red Dimarzio cables to the slots in the blend control where the two thin wires are in the photo. Solder sucker or desolder braid is useful with those connections to prevent solder blob build up One thing to watch for is the position of the wires under the pickup and the two springs. Tape the wires to the sides of the magnets so that the springs do not press against the wires.

Roto TruBass, Labella 760Ns and TI flats on various basses. The Roto TruBass on my (now 42 yr old) EKO BA/4 lasted about 40 years and were still very good in my view. Replaced with some more through BC . Woody, thumpy and a pleasure to play.

An Interesting and useful piece of knowledge

Relative of Mrs 3below, Cliff Crocket was still drumming at 100. At 64 I am 2nd youngest in my prog jazz rock originals band. Enthusiasm abounds, however I would say we have discovered that full day (7 hour) rehearsals are a little demanding.

Following on from @Kitsto, you could donate to your local high school, from my experience (former teacher) instruments and kit are always welcome.

Your last sentence shows you have realised the major part of the solution to q2 , I am trying to gain similar clarity for a thinning out.

Ditto, thanks to my father's efforts Luckily a clean neck detachment and a super repair / setup by Tim Phillips - https://www.timsviolins.co.uk/ Amazingly £90 for the whole job (10 years ago).

Embrace and enjoy the lightweight With advancing years lighter basses have become essential.

This, plus the truss rod cover and I admire you for doing the truss rod channel with a chisel. The latter is skill (and persistence) above and beyond my level these days, although recently I do more and more with hand tools - rediscovering woodwork of my youth.

If you can't find a flatwound B that works well at this scale length (and I am still very undecided on flatwound B strings with a 34" 5er - I tolerate my TI flat B string) then you could go flatwounds E -> G and a round wound B. YMMV.