iconic

😎Great choice of guitar. I've two first generation VMJs in Maple/Maple/blocks n bound, but owned three, stupidly selling my first on here as it happens years ago. 

Those first generation VMJs with DD pups are fantastic, super racy necks too. 👌

On 13/04/2023 at 10:35, Mnw said:

Hi Folks. New here and about to attempt my first ever mods. Just got a Mb-4 SBK and would like to upgrade the pick ups and tuners. Has anyone used the Seymour Duncan SMB-4D? would this be the most 'sting ray' pick up? I could do with advice on wiring if it's not just a case of swapping like for like, on this or the warman pickup. Thanks for the help.

 

I think, from a personal view the OE pup is very good indeed, but it's sensitive to strings, in much the same way as my 2000 MM-4H was.

Be worth slinging a set of new strings on the bass first before heart surgery. 😎

18 hours ago, Damnthatlazlo said:

£300 in the sale. I’m in 2 minds due to online reviews questioning QC. Anyone got one? Had one? Really don’t know if I should but the bullet. Been looking for a P bass for months and this might scratch the itch. 
 

Beautiful looking bass that, and blocks too.....was so close to whipping the credit card out but luckily a 'sure got your moneys worth' 44.5 mm nut (1.75 inches).....wipes brow. 

Quality wise: It's made by Cor-Tek so will be fine😎

On 13/04/2023 at 08:25, nekomatic said:

Before playing a Freds song I assume you’ve also reviewed the ‘problematic creators and their music’ thread… 

Yes, and? 

13 minutes ago, 40hz said:

Having looked at the sales/launch bumf, it seems only the Rio colourway is limited to 82 pieces? And that the seafoam, white and black ones will be general production? (Unless I'm mistaken).

What is it about 80 ish limited runs, very Ernie Ball😉

38 minutes ago, Ralf1e said:

Cost cutting in the workplace doesn't have to be replacing people with machines.

Example.

Cut out the unofficial coffee breaks, cigarette breaks, unnecessary phone and texting breaks, talking breaks and here I mean people who do very little but talk ALL day long and think that is work when in fact they are not putting in any effort to do even a scrap of the physical part of their job. i.e. making product.

Wastage by not doing the job properly the first time so it has to be done again (no money in doing it twice)

Teams of overpaid parasitic idiots stood around presentation boards talking testicleese while claiming to be part of 5 or 6 s groups.

Clear away that little lot and you could get over twice as much quality product out the door for less cost.

I remember when taking a personal call during working hours was a privilege, not a right.....or reading 'letters' in worktime. 

I used to employ and oversee as many as 20 and the use of personal phones, was one of my biggest headaches and irritations, being big on manners. 

Rant over and relax...anyway basses...

On 13/05/2013 at 13:40, MiltyG565 said:

Since Leo Fender was an electrical engineer, and not a guitar player or luthier, I wonder who designed the neck profiles and body shapes of his instruments, or did he just build something he liked, then refine it when players gave their criticisms?

Very late to the party😉 but Freddie Tavares mainly, with help from local Double Bass players.

Mr Tavares was also an incredibly talented musician. 

The P profile n bits n bobs look very similar to a Glarry, even the colours....?

That's a 2015 model year, Cor-Tek build as you probably already know, simple, efficient and very pretty indeed, particularly that neck wood. 😎

never was so much owed, by so many, to so few.... notes. 

How he can make one note sound so funky defies me. 

So is JT no longer endorsed by Peavey?

He has had a decades long relationship with them......although many still think of him as an Aria man. 

Many thanks for your help guys, some interesting points.

I usually try play a choon by ear if possible, then if chords are available, use these to check how good or bad 😉my ear is. Then, pad it out with fills n stuff over the chords. 

Wouldn't be the first time the dots haven't been as accurate as they could be. 

Again, thanks for the help. 😎

Beautiful 😎

11 hours ago, warwickhunt said:

 

 

Where the heck the scrubbing of Fender decals and selling Fenders comes from I have no idea... that's a new one on me!    

And a Gibson Flying V. 😊

Wilfers debut Frankfurt trade fair in the early 80s, plus a proper Warwick bass, a Nobby Meidel headless model. He sold zero guitars, but took orders for 20 odd Nobbies. 😎

On 06/04/2023 at 21:21, fretmeister said:

Is there a way to make the standard EMG tone control have the same impact on tone as a tone pot on, say a passive P or J bass?

 

I love my EMG pickups, but the tone control does not do a lot and I’d like to get the same dramatic LPF effect that an old Fender tone pot would.

 

Any ideas?

Be worth putting a multi meter across your EMG and the older Fender pups you removed, then post back😎

3 minutes ago, Sean said:

They're made with good cuts of wood,  mine is two piece light Ash with fabulous patterns in the wood. The neck is plain but no more so than a standard US Fender. The quality control at that Indonesian factory is very good. With upgrades, mods and fettling they are every bit as good as mass produced high end basses at 30-40% of the price. Pups are US in G&L tributes anyway and if you make the obvious mods then you get a fantastic instrument but without the pedigree. The people dancing to my basslines have never questioned the pedigree of any of my instruments including some very early hand-built US Spectors and custom shop Fenders 😉 

The G&L mongrel is still here, the others are not. I do have an old Valenti and a Jap Yam BB and they are definitely a step up but all get used equally.

Pretty sure Tributes are built by Cor Tek (Cort) which is very a good choice of manufacturer for out sourcing. 

Just to muddy the waters, a Spector?

Sort of similar for some, for others not.

Warwick were sued by Spector after a build agreement ended up in going salty. Serial offenders, they tried to pass off de-decaled Fender guitars as their own early on before selling Spectors as their creation. They, Warwick were started by the son of the defunct Framus owner. 

Only played one Thumb, a customers. Nice thing, lovely build quality but, Jesus H Christ this one had a tone that could cut glass, supremely articulate, incredibly unforgiving, everything one played was heard, including the bits you'd rather not😊

They like, Spectors, always find a home though if not for you. 😎

2 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

The Lada 1200 I had gave me no worries; it was indeed a fretless. 

So always active and never passive? 

I Iove all jazzes and owned far too many too make any sense.

I've had the Fender US and MIM and, nice as they were, both came and went. 

....they were no better or worse than my Squier VMJ, or maybe a case of the VMJ just fitting like a glove as they have ultra racy necks on first gens and, I'm shallow and a sucker for Maple/Maple and blocks. 

I have Yamahas modern lightweight take on a jazz too, that although slightly wider on the neck than the VMJ, is also very shallow indeed and also gels with me. 

Basses to me are like Harry Potters wands, they find you. 

21 minutes ago, Sean said:

I've got a 2010 second hand G&L Tribute L2000 that cost £200. It has a John East SR preamp (£100) and has used US hardware that cost £50. I fitted a Tusk nut and it's had a lot of TLC on the frets and the neck is rolled. It has some custom switching that gives it single coil options. It's effectively a custom bass that is perfect for me. It's been a keeper for the last ten years for me. There are some good instruments out there for peanuts and they can be turned into amazing instruments for very little money without the risk of a custom. You just need to kiss a lot of frogs and have some basic luthier skills.

We have choices.

 

I've noticed a lot of old sweats who've put the hours in, end up with a G&L, those Tributes look like both a great bass and great value😎

On 05/04/2023 at 20:08, Fishfacefour said:

Attempting this classic from melba moore 

 

 

And have been working through this lovely bass line 

 

 

Forgot about that Melba Moore classic, Wayne Braithwaite who made a passive 70s Fender Jazz sound like an active.

Very popular and phenomenal session player.

Great taste sir😎

5 hours ago, Rich said:

Absolutely ripping club gig last night, local to me for a change. Local as in a mile from my front door. Big crowd up and dancing right from the 'Buh' of 'Buster...', they even danced to our sound check now the club desperately want us back later in the year and the local beer festival are dying to book us too.

Gratuitous office shot.

 

Skanking with the crowd

Bass hat: check👍

Bass nerd factor: it's a Spector, so huge check😎

Looks great night out. 

12 hours ago, asingardenof said:

Fortunately being absolutely skint is also a good remedy for GAS 🤣

Full quota of internal organs...?

On 06/01/2023 at 14:08, Dad3353 said:

What a strange question..! What would be your favourite Lada 1200 to drive as your only car (red ones count..!)..? 

Does an FSO count? 

Going thru a Kevin Ayers week, loving the simple lyrics and music. 

Kevin's certainly an interesting character, and reminds me that my brother was into Soft Machine, heard thru the walls from his Fidelity record player.