kodiakblair Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Having just moved from a few years of almost free accommodation to fully legit premises I swore off any purchases. The future looks grim Is heating,hot water and cooking facilities and the bills they entail a fair trade ? Anyway yesterday I'm in Glasgow teetotally helping a friend celebrate his birthday,they're not drinking much as visits to Guitar Guitar,Merchant City and Strung Out etc are planned.To be honest I never saw anything I fancied apart from a MIJ P-bass I've been informed has Foto Flame (cheers Twincam) and a freebie Squier Katana neck (chances of finding the rest zero I think).I was also meeting up with a fella about a bass As the bank sold off my house a couple of years back any YOB would be a modest affair. This fits the bill. 68? Wilson Sapphire. Neck's a bit too straight,it's a refin I'm sure and it needs a new nut. Apart from that all in working order,S/N is 15736 so puts it from 68 or thereabouts. [attachment=211145:Wilson Bass (1).jpg][attachment=211146:Wilson Bass (2).jpg] Quite why somebody felt the need to do this is beyond me [attachment=211147:Wilson Bass (3).jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Ah, fond memories. Bought one of these new in 68 along with a Wem ER40 and a Starfinder cabinet. My first ever 'new' bass and amp. Bought from Bells' catalogue. Nice bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 Thanks bertbass. I'd enlisted the help of Len_derby for a Kay Tulip bass project and boy am I glad that fell through Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 A [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Kay Tulip bass? That's more rubbish than a rubbish thing that's really rubbish. The [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Wilson Sapphire is a great and very playable bass with a slim, fast neck, pickups might be a bit on the low output side though.[/font][/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1454259198' post='2967931'] A [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Kay Tulip bass? That's more rubbish than a rubbish thing that's really rubbish. The [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Wilson Sapphire is a great and very playable bass with a slim, fast neck, pickups might be a bit on the low output side though.[/font][/color] [/quote]Absolutely 100% correct That damned quirk in my personality told me it was a good idea,the one I had was put on the bonfire but the neck still came back to haunt me They were responsible for more folk giving up than starting up Should be forced upon anyone saying today's beginner basses are naff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grayn Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Congrats on the Wilson. That's a bit of history, I reckon. I got a Wilson Mercury bass from Bells, way back when. Cool bass. I wonder what happened to it? Good luck with yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 Thanks grayn. I don't foresee any real problems with it but need to ask those in the know about the nut. The action's fairly low already but it's not using the zero fret so a bit jiggery-pokery is required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 Holy smokes a Watkins/Wem from a few years before just sold for £200 more than I paid Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 An incredible £67 new!! Mine was £74 because I'm left handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 @bertbass Discrimination against lefties has always been there ,but I was a bit surprised they offered them in the first place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 In 1972 my first and only P cost me an extra 10% for left handed. They wanted another 10% if I wanted a solid colour, I did but couldn't afford it so ended up with a sunburst and I hate sunburst! How could they justify that? Actually, when I'd got the Fender I wondered if I'd made a serious mistake as the Sapphire seemed a bit better made and more playable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 20% is a bit steep and they could have hid plenty filler under the solid coat. Still it was 72 and there wasn't a great deal of competition. 10% must be the standard mark up for lefties,was the same on the Sapphire. I'd been playing a shop brand Japanese P for about 5 year when I went for my 1st Fender,after trying 6 or 7 I realised they weren't doing anything more than I already had. Not saying they can't be good basses just so can plenty other brands. I heard from Alan Exley at project guitars about a decal,most photos show a blank headstock and he advised going with that. Only one photo shows a logo and it's not a great photo to work from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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