3below

This needs the 'in service' measurements - not the manufacturer's claimed ([s]emissions[/s]) consumption figures. I do not suspect Markbass have a software switch that detects bedroom use and lowers energy usage though . As suggested earlier a smart plug / Plug In Power Meter Energy Monitor (£12, search the well known internet auction site) will provide answers relating to reality At a push you could get the measurements from your electric meter, just stop any additional appliances being used during practice.

Neck pocket (and other routing in body) looks 'rough' / 'torn out'. My Fender experience from that era did not encounter routing that 'rough'. This is only a limited experience though.

Quite an impressive neck split

Looks like a modified DMZ 4001 which had the single DiMarzio P type pickup. The addition of J pickup to P type basses was very popular late 70s early 80s. Two lower volume knobs and jack socket plus furthest mini toggle look right for DMZ 4001. Great basses, if my 4001 was not in such good original condition the J bass pickup addition would be on the cards.

Neck, bridge and via some Fender push switch, both neck and bridge together. It does other variants but the 3 seem enough for me.

Should you want to, the satin finish has really responded really well (imo) to briwax / fiddes wax on my brown one. The neck is just sublime with the nitro / wax polish combo finish.

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1443600878' post='2876005'] Another neat idea! This may be considered a bit more "brute force" but could work well A neat method would be to drill a pilot hole for the screw, then a slightly wider, shallower hole to countersink the screw.... Once everything was in place, and glue has had time to set you could then fill the countersunk space with some sawdust and PVA, or suitably coloured wood filler [/quote] Pilot(s) and countersink(s) are a given If a deep enough countersink is possible, 2 - 3mm+ you might even be able to insert a maple plug made using a plug cutter (£5-7 for a cheapie - 6mm? 8mm?). Virtually invisible if the colouring of the laquer can be matched. The challenge is now how invisible for how little money?

+1 very thin superglue. The brute force repair additional method would also involve inserting a screw from the G side, pulling the two parts together. Not elegant but effective. Body looks nice grain from front.

Tantalising image, as Passinwind notes, it is a 553?..... Looking at the stripboard back, I suggest taking a close look (magnifying glass) between pins 7 and 8 (pin 7 has the brown wire, pin 8 above on LHS of image). Is there a clear gap between the pins (no solder bridge / whiskers)? It is not clear in the image but the solder from pin 8 looks 'blobby' towards pin 7, however this could just be a camera angle artifact

[quote name='Chimike' timestamp='1443384272' post='2874323'] ....Post results, and we can take it from there. Mike [/quote] +1 What to do next depends on what you want. Accurate vintage performance or vintage look with modern performance (drivers, port size and cab size optimised).

In theory the speaker should have an EIA number which will help identify manufacturer, year and week. [url="http://www.recycledsound.net/8_Speaker_EIA_codes.pdf"]http://www.recycledsound.net/8_Speaker_EIA_codes.pdf[/url] Are there any other identifying numbers or markings on the speaker?

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1443119691' post='2872458'] .................... This is due to impending royal visit of my 83 year old mother. And this 57 year old having a few days of being treated like a 5 year old....... [/quote] A very familiar situation, replace mother with MIL.... Rusty polepieces, why are you worrying? there is a long way to go [attachment=201489:Rory-Gallagher-Against-The-Grain.jpg]

[quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1442696586' post='2868889'] For what its worth my take on Fender is that they make nice basses but charge over the odds for them. At the end of the day even the MIA stuff is still just production line factory made and it's selling for over £1200 for a pretty basic passive bass. You're coughing up a lot of money for the name on the head-stock. On the other hand, that same name on the head stock will mean they retain value well so its not as clear cut as it seems at first. [/quote] This +1, they (Fender and many others) are mass produced CNC machined products. Compare them to laptops, washing machines, mobile phones,TVs, or X boxes etc. Look at the amount of technology and manufacturing processes involved and then reflect on what we get for the money. I have two basses that are broadly directly comparable: Alder body, maple neck, humbucker pickup, rosewood board, large tuners 4 a side. Both have comparable action and sound pretty similar. It must be the decal on the headstock that makes one worth approx 10x the other s/h?.

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1442690155' post='2868826'] At the end of the day I suppose its horses for courses [/quote] Very much so I suspect. These days I just enjoy playing any reasonable bass, be it £100 to £OMG and enjoy the differences. There are good and bad examples of all, most of which can be sorted with good setup. I am still not taken by the Columbus, Kay (Woolworths?), Jedson and Avon basses of my youth - yet.

Changed strings recently or need a change of strings?

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1442402262' post='2866638'] There's also the £108 Harley Benton one. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_jb_40fl_sb.htm"]http://www.thomann.d..._jb_40fl_sb.htm[/url] If it sounds and plays like their JB-75 You're on a winner. [/quote] Having just looked, the specification is just amazing for the money basses are becoming like bic razors, no need for refrets, adjustments etc, just disposable at this price.

Not at all usual in my experience, however I do live in Wales. Does your bass have a dual action truss rod with the walnut (?) access plug at the nut end. My Telecaster developed a loose plug (glue failure) which resulted in subtle truss rod issues. This was spotted when I admitted defeat and got a professional setup. Solved with some glue Some truss rods end up crushing neck wood due to inadequate size washer behind adjuster.

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1442261055' post='2865631'] ive got a satin sg bass , is it a simple job mate? [/quote] yes And so far (1 year later) not destructive at all. I used Liberon dark oak wax (my bass was chocolate brown) and just rubbed in with cloth. Allow to soak / dry and polish off (shoe brush is good). Have given it several goes over the year. You will get a better result by slackening strings and removing knobs the first time, makes it easier in those areas. The neck is super with this finish - if I ever get round to building myself a bass this is what I will use. I also use the same wax on my Warwicks and all is good. Disclaimer - it worked for me, YMMV.

Route 66

Simple low cost solution - pull jack plug partially out of amplifier input. Switch to active or passive. Push jack plug in. Works every time but not ideal if you are doing this mid tune.

How exact a copy do you want the guitar(s) to be, to the nearest 0.5mm, a few mm? Broadly right to within 5mm (obviously critical dimensions e.g. neck pockets must be spot on, but these will be done with router templates I am assuming)

[quote name='JJW' timestamp='1441724290' post='2861224'] I wanted to do it from other specific guitar, i wanted to take a picture of a guitar I like and be able to make a template like the template in the picture (just the outline) I dont mind having them on mulitple sheets but they are now printing the correct size. [/quote] One issue you will probably encounter with taking a picture and then producing a template is the perspective distortion introduced by camera position relative to the object