6feet7

Thanks. I think I've found someone literally 20 minutes from me. I've just messaged them so will hopefully find out next week. Photos to follow.

Ever since selling my Alusonic Django bass I've had severe regrets, and, unfortunately, I just can't afford to get another one, so I've been looking around for a cheaper way of getting something made out of metal. I found Paul Miller of Molindar Ltd in Scotland who makes aluminium bodies for guitars and basses at a very fair price. My second thought was that I didn't wan't a Fender shaped bass (I play a Ricky 4004L and Gibson non-reverse T'bird - both converted to 5 string), so it had to fit in with these. Paul makes a Gretsch Billy Bo Thunderbird shaped guitar body, so I've asked him to make a 5 string bass this shape instead. First things first was to source the parts needed, so I found a 2002 Epiphone (Korea) thunderbird neck, an extra schaller tuner to convert to 5 string (I already had four). A 5 string Ibanez AGB2005 tun-o-matic bridge, a Lace Alumitone pickup, a Kiogan wiring loom and a couple of Gretsch metal knobs. These have all been sent up to Paul so he could fit the body to the neck and pickup. I'm not sure what finish I'm going to go with though. Should I just leave the body rough? Polish it to a shine? Get it chrome plated? Get it chrome plated then acid etched to look rusted up? Any help gratefully received. Photos below and I'll post more when it's finished.

I used to have a Retromatic B2. Stupidly sold it. If anyone hears of one going for sale do let me know

Don’t need new pickups. Even if they were separate pole pieces (which apparently they arnt - thanks JLP) the string spacing is close enough to not make any difference (thankfully).

I've just bought a 'secondhand' one like yours in red. Having it converted to a 5 stringer at the moment (it'll be about 14mm string spacing, but as my Rickenbacker 4004L 5 string conversion is 14.5mm I'm used to that and actually hate anything over 16mm anyway). Also, I had an old Epi T'bird scratch plate in faded white lying around that I'm having cut out for the truss rod cover so that the Thunderbird is on the headstock as well. Photos posted when I've got it back from it's 'conversion'.

I've never had a problem with customer attitude. In fact they've always been very friendly and welcoming.

Can't make it now. Sorry. Wife has to have a medical check.

Totally. Blues/rock - yes. Some pop - sometimes. Anything else I am unable to even listen too.

I've just bought a beautiful red 4004 Laredo and converted it to a 5 stringer. It's so much lighter and more comfortable than the 4003 and just as cool looking

Met Dave in a dodgy layby off the M23 to do the deal. Great guy and many thanks for buying the Ibanez EHB1505 bass.

1. @cetera - Charvel 3B, ESP Surveyor '87, Fender FSR PJ Precision, Hamer Impact, Italia Imola, Spector NS2, Spector Euro, Spector EuroX (Spectorbird), Spector Pulse II, Spector Dimension 4HP, Gallien Krueger 400RB & Legacy800 heads, GenzBenz Neox 2x12 cab 2. @TheGreek - All short scale this year - a @Jabba_the_gut scale 5er, Mini Ray, Short scale P bass 3. @Harlequin74 - Zoot Performer, Status Shark, Spector QV4 , Markbass TTE501 and Matching CAB. Maybe the Lehle Basswitch… 4. @Frank Blank - @Jabba_the_gut short scale fretted and fretless, JMJ Mustang, QSC K12.2, Grace Design Alix 5. @TrevorR - Mk 1 Wal, Wal Pro IIE, Aria SB700, Frankenjazz, pedals and MarkBass LMII & Traveler 2x10 6. @bnt - travelling light, probably a couple of pedals such as T-Rex Diva Drive, Orange KongPressor 7. @bass_dinger - 1999 Washburn XB500, 1994 Washburn XB500, Washburn XB925 in zebrawood, Washburn XB925 in bits, Boulder Creek 5 string (likely to be for sale), SWR Workingmans 12. 8. @greentext- 2008 Spector NS4-H2, 2015 Sandberg VS4, 2000 Trace Elliot T-Bass, my pedalboard and my tin of picks 😈 9. @prowla - Probably a couple of Rickenbackers and some interesting oddities. Amp-wise a Markbass EVO and a 1x12 (last year I bought some others to try and never switched them on, as the EVO sounded spot-on). 10. @SuperSeagull - Status S2, Feline P Bass, Modded Fender Lyte, Flea Jazz, MB Combo 11. @Merton - various short and medium scale ACGs, Zoots and Conway basses, Barefaced cabs, modern Trace Elliot amps 12. @MacDaddy - Shuker (probably no3), Snapdragon Folding Bass, possibly a Rob Allen Mouse. 13. @neilp - matching pair of fretted and fretless 1980 Aria SB1000s, possibly my fretless Wal mk1, Ashdown ABM500/Ampeg 4x10, Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig 14. @NickD - Strunal Schonbach 5 String DB, and whatever else I can shoehorn in the car around it... hopefully a MD CMD121 H, Zoom B6, and maybe a Maruszczyk Jake and a Shuker Series 2. 15. @WalMan - converted Wal Pro, Zon Legacy Elite, Status S2, G&L L2500 fretless, McMillen 12Step & DSI MoPho, Two Notes Bass Revolt, Trondheim Audio SkarBassOne, BackBeat2 (and my BackBeat1 will probably be available for sale). 16. Darkglass Microtubes500 and one of the Barefaced cabs. All depends how late I leave and what will fit in the new car 🚙 😁 16. @Smanth - With my small, light, battery powered gear (mostly) ... IBBY-Ibanez GSRM25 5 str sub short scale, 'ELIMA - Kala California 5 str fretless ubass, QUINN- HB 5 Str Fretless, MOD Dwarf based pedalboard, Boss Dual Cube Bass LX. (Also some toys to sell) 17. @Jean-Luc Pickguard - NS Design CR5M, Squier Bass VI, Roland MicroCube Bass RX and some pedals. 18. @tauzero - the basses that @TheGreek made me buy (handmade 6-string headless, Pedulla 6 fretless), Roland GR-55, one or two Seis, anything else that occurs to me, Mrs Zero (probably) 19. @Stingray5 - EBMM Stingray 5, a trio of Tunes i.e. TWB-6, TWB-4z, SWV4-BB, Boss GT-6B, Eden EC180 combo. 20. @rumblefish - Reverend Rumblefish, GB basses, Mesa Walkabout amp, Vanderkley 112 MNT. 21. @Paul S - might be space for a shorty? If not never mind. I have nothing of interest 22. @bassace97 - Musicman stingray basses, Fender Mustang bass, Pedalboard and my Mesa TT800 + SL112 cabs 23. @BillyBass - Reverend Decision P, Gallien-Krueger Fusion S1200 and Barefaced Midget 24. @silverfoxnik - some basses and noise amplifying boxes. 25. @Simon C : G&L L2000 Tribute, Sire V7 Fretless, Ibanez EHB1000S Headless Shortscale. Various pedals (switch, tuner, Hypergravity compressor, Laney 85 Bass Octave, Bass Clone Chorus, Spectradrive, Ditto+ looper pedal and a Bluetooth page turner). Carlsboro Colt Keyboard Amp. 26. @Wolverinebass - Hamer Chaparral B12L, Tech 21 Dug Pinnick. Sideburns. Sarcasm. 27. @GoodShowSir - Cake, lots of. 28. @vz7 - ACG (tbc) (as mentioned by @BillyBass) 29. @6feet7 - Ibanez EHB1505MS, Rickenbacker 4004L5, Stagg 5 string electric upright, 5 string 'proper' double bass, Markbass CMD121P, Ibanez EWB205WNE-NT 5 string electro-acoustic (for sale).

It all depends on whether they sell on here first: Ibanez EWB205WNE-NT 5 string electro-acoustic bass 1 brand new 5 string Schaller bridge 1 4 string Rickenbacker 4004/Schaller bridge Schaller 4 in line nickel bass tuners Rickenbacker 4003S5 Black Pickguard Can't make it now. Sorry

It was a few years ago and I don't really remember, but it can't have been a boat anchor because I've never gone for anything that was heavy.

I had one. Loved everything about it except the pickups. To me they sounded sterile and 'boring'. My extremely amateur opinion though, so take it with a pinch of salt.