Bassnut62

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1400511727' post='2454486'] this is something very special from Shuya Okino. this is very cool also. when she starts singing. just WOW. groove central. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyCWKP-MnX8"]http[/url] [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyCWKP-MnX8"]://www.youtube....h?v=tyCWKP-MnX8[/url] [/quote] Badass!

of course, seeing as we're all jazzfunkateers at heart, maybe we should give a shout out to James Mason too and for any of the tracks on the Rhythm of Life LP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE9__9pzr4Q

I guess this thread may lead us to the late great Weldon Irvine too....

always loved Bernard Wright's track Mr Clean.... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPT8GTikkgY[/media] also Don Blackman is indeed a master; his LP Blackman is one that always tell me Summer is here... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe4TGCf1utk[/media]

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1399644296' post='2446252'] Crikey! [/quote] Ooops! Actually they are both women and great luthiers too.

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1399642399' post='2446219'] Thanks, nice pics! Mine looks exactly like that (except it's more worn and discoloured). Yours has more pronounced grain. maybe it's ash? I've researched the MIJ / CIJ thing before regarding various basses, and it's just a change of name - pre 97 is MIJ, post 97 is CIJ, post 2007 is back to MIJ - there is no difference in manufacture as far as I can establish. However they may have tweaked the spec of the 54ri's over the years. Some posts I've read say that Fender stamped saddles indicate a higher spec'd 54ri. I took the pickguard off and it's routed for 3 x single coils as it should be, but nothing written on the PUs to indicate what they are. [/quote] I think mine is ash, it's two piece, but so well matched that it's easy to think it is one piece. yeah, I wasn't sure about the CIJ/MIJ thing; good to know the CIJs weren't assembled/finished elsewhere, as I reckon it's the Japanes craftmanship, tools and attention to detail that puts these guitars a cut above the US Fenders. My techs are big into these guitars and have even gone to trouble of buying all Japanese tools for their work. they showed me their tools and the difference is like that between a master's samurai sword and a cheap blunt instrument from Wal-Mart....hence the better build and finishing.

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1399639834' post='2446162'] as far as i can tell it is a 54ri, made in 1997/98 (CIJ A004620) it has the soft V solid maple neck, vintage frets, 2TSB, fender stamped saddles, single ply white guard, round string tree, 7.25 radius, alder body. could be a 57ri maybe, or some other 50s model, don't know how to tell 100% [/quote] It does sound great and right for a 54 RI - the round string tree is the give away; the 57s have a tree with two wings, rather than a round washer. Here are some pics of mine (which is definitely an MIJ 54 RI) for comparisons (these are the catalogue shots from where I bought mine and this is my actual guitar). I hate to be the bearer of possibly unexpected news, but CIJ is different from MIJ. CIJ is Crafted in Japan, MIJ is Made in Japan. I believe they became CIJ after the ban on export of the Jap (MIJ) 50s RIs. I think CIJ may mean the parts are made in Japan, then sent to America or Mexico for assembly, finishing and distribution. You would have to research this more, as i really am not sure of all the details; but I do know that the CIJ Fenders are also very good instruments indeed and a great alternative to the expensive USA RIs, which I have heard some say are over-valued/rated. How about some pics of yours on here?!

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1399639490' post='2446154'] Thanks for the info, I wondered about the baseplate. They also offer a blender pot which seems a bit like what you're describing: [url="http://www.fralinpickups.com/images/blendschem2.jpg"]http://www.fralinpic...blendschem2.jpg[/url] but i can't get my head round how it works... [/quote] Yes, definitely do the baseplate too. That blender pot sounds a bit similar but different and a lot more complicated than what my techs recommended. All that happens with mine is that you push the bridge tone knob and the neck pup stays on; the 5-way pup selector switch continues to operate as before, except that the neck pup is on all the time. Push the knob again and everything is as standard. At all times the tone and volume controls continue to work the same, controlling the same pups. The only slight disadvantage of the push/push switch is that it can get in the way of the trem arm, depending on how you like it adjusted; but even then it is not a real problem. In hindsight I might have gone for a micro-switch instead of the push/push switch in bridge tone control; but that would probably not have been so easy to switch on the fly. if you want to chat about it, PM me and I'll send you my number.

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1399589784' post='2445772'] Ha! Yes I bought it this afternoon after trying it out for about an hour Actually I went the whole hog and ordered a set of Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot pups which are coming in early next week when it will get a full setup, new strings, etc. Lovely light guitar (6lbs 8oz) 2TSB, soft V neck, just the right amount of wear, the funk was flowing, I couldn't resist. Considering I was thinking of a new USA vintage reissue at the start of this thread I think I should thank you guys for saving me some money??! [/quote] glad to have saved you some money too.....when are you getting the beers in, then?!!!!

Also......if that one at Chandlers was a 54, you did very well indeed. By all the accounts I have heard the MIJ 54 is the best of the 50s RI Strats. In fact I have read somewhere that they were so good that Fender USA banned Fender Japan from exporting any of their high end guitars at all from Japan, which is why these lovely Strats are now so rare and sought after.

Ha! Result for you and great choice to put in the Fralin VH pups. At first I thought the US Custom Shops that these 50s RI MIJs were fitted with were fine; but after a while and in comparison to a few other nice guitars I have, I realised that the sound is not as sweet or defined as I would like and also too cool to push an amp properly when required. The Fralins sound incredible and tightly defined; each pup has its own character and is voiced a bit differently and beautifully for its position. Positions 4 and 2 seem to have a much nicer and fuller quack and the pups are just hot enough at 10 to push a suitably-adjusted valve amp into break-up and they roll back to 7-8 for perfect clean tone. I got the optional LFralin base plate fitted under the bridge pup too, which allegedly gives position 1 a little more fullness - it only cost £5, so no brainer! The other thing I had done on mine at same time was to have the bridge tone pot changed to incorporate a push/push switch that brings the neck pup into play on any setting. This means you can get a Tele-type sound of neck and bridge pup combined or even all three pups on at once, tho that sounds a bit weird to me. I think this extra option only cost me about £15 fitted and I am very glad to have done it.

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1399542418' post='2445114'] I've been doing some browsing on the internet and these MIJ '54 reissues get some very good reviews, I'm trying to track one down to try out. Do you know if they are nitro finish? There is one here, but it's pink not 2TSB so not sure if its a proper '54? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Japan-54-Reissue-Stratocaster-Shell-Pink-/231224554687?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item35d60eb4bf And there is a '50s' reissue here but it seems like it could be the 54, it's not far from here so i could go and see: http://www.chandlerguitars.co.uk/product_Detail.php?ItemID=4382 [/quote] I think the original Japanese ones from 80s and early 90s are nitro; but I am not 100% sure. The finish is v good and thin over beautiful wood. I am not sure about the pink 54....I don't know if they ever came in that colour; only ones I've seen are tobacco 2TSB. To give you idea of quality, I was blown away when I tried one. the owner had just cashed in on his genuine 63 Strat, in part he said because the 90s Jap ST54 was better than his v valuable and good 63! I couldn't find the one at Chandlers....maybe you tried it and bought it already! Anyway, when I got mine it wasn't properly set up, but as soon as I got it sorted it was exactly like the beauty I first tried.

talking of nasty surprises.....you may get tagged for import duties when coming into UK, unless you can somehow prove that you already owned the guitar and took it out with you or maybe that it was a gift (no idea if that would work tho). i think if you can prove that you are exporting the guitar, you shouldn't have to pay the local state sales tax anyway; but I could be wrong about that.

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1399373066' post='2443478'] I play basic funk, usually very clean, a touch of overdrive sometimes - so a 'back to basics' strat appeals to me. [/quote] I play same kinda stuff and have similar tone requirements. It took me ages to find a Strat that felt right and did what I wanted. The ones that do it for me are the '90s Japanese '50s reissues; in particular the 54 (two tone tobacco burst with maple neck and single ply white scratch plate). Lovely vintage V neck and v nice hardware, build, wood, etc; but the pups are standard US Custom 50s, which are a bit too weak and undefined for my tastes. I dropped some Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot pups in there and now this guitar sings. I would hold it up against any US Strat now and reckon it would beat many. Hope that helps.....

Yes, it's not so much a tone issue as a fatness issue, i.e. trying to find a clean sweet spot of gain and master combination, just before break up, but at lower volume.....even though it's only a 15w amp!

[quote name='Bassnut62' timestamp='1399157157' post='2441693'] I am going to try switching first preamp tube from a super low gain 12AY7 to a higher gain 5751, as I think this may give a little more fatness and authority at the lower volume that I am having to use at rehearsal. [/quote] I've switched the first preamp tube for one with more gain and it does sound a bit warmer and more full at lower volumes now. Cleaned up, the BJr is a great amp cranked to above 7 on Gain and Master; but that volume was just too loud for rehearsals and it was sounding a bit thin with Master around 2-3. I reckon it will be better with more Gain on tap at lower volumes; plus I've dialled a bit more Mid in to help with cutting through mix at rehearsals. Hopefully that'll make it do the clean job better at low volumes, without sounding too thin. Now it will have too much gain at gig volumes for my needs! Note to self.....Switch to low gain first preamp tube if gigging with this amp and needing good clean tone.

Got my ticket for tonight in Brum....should be a cracker by all accounts. Here's a preview from earlier in this tour.....check out the P-Funk nod at 4.00..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH8CqPWAj00

[quote name='lou24d53' timestamp='1399056413' post='2440614'] Anyone else get tickets in the ticket scramble today? Will be my first time seeing Prince, and in the Hydro, can't wait. [/quote] Yup, got them for Birmingham; it took nearly an hour to get them. Can't wait to see him again. I've been a fan of his since the early days of Dirty Mind; but only first got to see him at the O2. That was the best big arena gig I've ever seen and obviously a lot different from the 3rd Eye Girl set up......looking forward to seeing the purple one rock out. At O2 he started gig just coming on alone with his Hohner Tele, just noodling, like any of us might at home. The difference was Prince was noodling through sketches of some of the most innovatively crafted pop songs of the last 20-30 years, all of which he wrote. It was a great and very intimate way to start a giant arena gig and he somehow managed to maintain that intimacy throughout the 3 hour set, which indulged us in every configuration of his bands you can imagine. He even did a piano duet with Elton John!!!! Now I'm not a big fan of Elton, but Prince made it v cool. Prince is probably the best musician, composer, arranger, producer in the pop field of the last 30 years IMO.....and as a guitarist he is frightening; I would so love to be able to play even a tenth as good as him.

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1399140627' post='2441487'] I used a CS Princeton reverb on stage which sounded fantastic and is only a 15W amp, does the Blues Junior have a 10" speaker? That may be the reason it is lacking authority and presence.....I had my Princeton converted to a 12" Vintage 30 it made the world of difference [/quote] Yes 12" in a BJr, but I think the cabinet maybe smaller than a Princeton, which maybe restricts resonance in some way? I am going to try switching first preamp tube from a super low gain 12AY7 to a higher gain 5751, as I think this may give a little more fatness and authority at the lower volume that I am having to use at rehearsal.

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1399035864' post='2440290'] It might also be about speaker design, but is just as likely to be about how the output stages handle bass frequencies. I've found smaller amps around, say, 5watts or so simply can't deliver the energy needed to generate a bit of a thump from a speaker capable of delivering it. Get up to the 12-18 watt level and with the right speaker the thump & rich mids can be there, but they tend to drop away as volume goes up and saturation increases. It's only really 50watts + (and some would say 200watts+) that things really fatten out, even if you don't use the volume. As for the BJ you're using, does it have a Jensen-type speaker (eminence 105?)? That might be a big part of the thin tone, and I've found them particularly lacking in bass response. Last year I migrated from a 45 watt amp using a 10" Ragin Cajun (really efficient and LOUD) to a 30 watt amp using a softer and less efficient 12" speaker in order to get a 'bigger' sound instead of cutting through. Generally I like a softer-toned speaker, and all my favourites are well played in. [/quote] Yes thump and rich mids is where it's at for me too...mind you a thump that wears a velvet glove! Re speaker; yes been down that road and tried numerous speakers including ceramic and alnico Jensens (NOS my arse!!). In the end I settled on the relatively cheap Eminence Cannibis Rex; which is a great softer-toned speaker that can also handle as much gain as you could want without flubbing out. I think the truth is small 15w valve amps sound best when cranked up a fair bit; but they can't really do big clean tones there, though they're fine if you want a cranked blues tone....so my BJr is mostly a compromise that I can live with and save my back. PS. I have however done good tube and mid tone control tweaks that make it stay as clean as it can at higher volume and give what velvety thump it can; but ironically once I've finally got some good clean thump out of it, it becomes too loud for rehearsals!.....Makes me think I could have saved myself a few hundreds and stuck with the bigger amps in the first place!

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1399036658' post='2440305'] Probably a little late, but have you owned a guitar with a '59? They came as stock in my Heritage H150, and were both thin AND muddy sounding - I really could not recommend them. Replaced them with a Gibson patent number in the bridge and a T top in the neck, and they provided an authentic vintage tone. Some like the '59s, but not me. There's lots of suggestions in the thread so I'll not add more, but if it's not too late…… avoid. [/quote] thanks for sharing your experience....and I am still wondering about those P-Rails; but I have done a live comparison of SD 59/JB combo against BK Mules and thought the SDs had it hands down. I guess truth is that until I've lived with them in my guitar for a few months, I won't really know what's best for me; so I figured I would start fairly traditional and take it from there.........Fingers crossed!

Can't wait to see the Snarky Pups in Brum on Sunday great clip of earlier in tour here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH8CqPWAj00 ...nice nod to P-Funk at 4.00 mins!