Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[GwenOnBass]

 

[beans-on-toast]

I don't think I have any photos of my V63, but here is a photo of the back of a 1965 500/1's headstock.

View attachment 3585670

Here is mine. I changed the tuners out with ones that I bought from Hofner, about 35 years ago. The neck is one piece except for what I believe are two tiny wings at the top of the headstock.

 

[beans-on-toast]

View attachment 3585739​

It's an age thing I think.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Intonation up the neck can be a problem with any short scale bass. It has to be set up with an attention to detail.

Yeah, I repositioned the bridge on mine to minimize that issue, but it still wasn't perfect given the non-movable fretwire "saddles".

The neck is one piece except for what I believe are two tiny wings at the top of the headstock.

View attachment 3585741

Cool, something special there, perhaps (the one-piece neck?).

Here is the Cort

View attachment 3585709

Did Geddy Lee make that, too?

(former vintage '60s Precision Bass)

 

[beans-on-toast]

Did Geddy Lee make that, too?

View attachment 3585789
(former vintage '60s Precision Bass)

These are things you do when you are sitting around needing to kill some time.

There was a trend years ago of removing finishes so that the instrument vibrates better. The Cort originally had a thick black polyester finish on it. So I started sanding. Before long, the finish was entirely removed. I then added coats of linseed oil. It’s been like that since the 80’s. The neck hasn’t had problems due to the lack of a real finish.

 

[GonePlaid]

Here is the Cort

View attachment 3585709

Are you certain that's not a Thunderbird with the HS missing?

 

[GonePlaid]

And while we're at it, never really followed the P/J thing. What it appears to me is most use only the P pickup. If any are using only the J pickup regularly, it's eluded me.

Every once in awhile I'll turn up the J pup on my Squire VM Jag SS........Then I turn it back off.

 

[GonePlaid]

Those that want high frequency pickup at bridge sounds might prefer a PJ. I don't pop and always want to use a neck pickup (or as close as I can get to it).

 

[GonePlaid]

Yeah, I repositioned the bridge on mine to minimize that issue, but it still wasn't perfect given the non-movable fretwire "saddles".


Cool, something special there, perhaps (the one-piece neck?).


Did Geddy Lee make that, too?

View attachment 3585789
(former vintage '60s Precision Bass)

Weird.

 

[beans-on-toast]

If you like a good story, check out the Behind The Vinyl series.

Song after hit song so often comes across as a fluke. Andy says “you can’t take credit for inspiration”. I truly believe this. The very best stuff, be it songwriting, writing in general, design, or any creative endeavor seems to magically pour out of nowhere.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I wish I had pics of my two primary basses. Ibanez SR500L and SR300EL. Both solid players. I really don't know how to describe the pickups. They aren't P or J pickups. But they really sound great. The SR500L has Barts and the SR300EL has Nordy OEMs by Ibanez. Both are active basses. I leave the tone controls flat, but they still sound better at flat than my passives, to my ears.

Thanks to @beans-on-toast recommending that I keep them in their cases and taking them out when needed, the necks aren't so cranky about adjustments. But for economical basses they sure perform. The black SR300EL has become my go-to bass as it has a nice agressive tone for rock. The SR500L is great for blues and acoustic gigs. Here's a couple stock pictures:

SR500L:

SR300EL

If you click on the pictures you'll get a better shot of the finishes, which are really nice.

 

[Fat Freddy]

I wish I had pics of my two primary basses. Ibanez SR500L and SR300EL. Both solid players. I really don't know how to describe the pickups. They aren't P or J pickups. But they really sound great. The SR500L has Barts and the SR300EL has Nordy OEMs by Ibanez. Both are active basses. I leave the tone controls flat, but they still sound better at flat than my passives, to my ears.

Thanks to @beans-on-toast recommending that I keep them in their cases and taking them out when needed, the necks aren't so cranky about adjustments. But for economical basses they sure perform. The black SR300EL has become my go-to bass as it has a nice agressive tone for rock. The SR500L is great for blues and acoustic gigs. Here's a couple stock pictures:

SR500L:

View attachment 3586040

SR300EL

View attachment 3586041

If you click on the pictures you'll get a better shot of the finishes, which are really nice.

Love that peel off by the controls....VERY handy until you get the feel for what's where without looking...

 

[LBS-bass]

I have two P/J's that I rarely play anymore, neither are Fenders. The Schecter has EMG pickups in it which are darker in tone, and I do blend them when I play it because it doesn't cut through so well, otherwise. This is probably because I am very used to playing my jazz with the bridge favored and I like that nasally twang it gives me, as well as the ability to get all kinds of gnarly goodness from digging in at the bridge pickup when desired.

The other one is the Sire P7 fiver that I bought a few months ago. I wanted it as a cheap(er) alternative to my AmElite Jazz fiver, but the band I needed the fives for has broken up and I'm thinking I might sell it. I've never had it to a gig and I've found that the fingerboard radius doesn't really suit me. Since I don't play that material, I have no real reason to try to get used to it. Sounds great, though.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I have two P/J's that I rarely play anymore, neither are Fenders. The Schecter has EMG pickups in it which are darker in tone, and I do blend them when I play it because it doesn't cut through so well, otherwise. This is probably because I am very used to playing my jazz with the bridge favored and I like that nasally twang it gives me, as well as the ability to get all kinds of gnarly goodness from digging in at the bridge pickup when desired.

The other one is the Sire P7 fiver that I bought a few months ago. I wanted it as a cheap(er) alternative to my AmElite Jazz fiver, but the band I needed the fives for has broken up and I'm thinking I might sell it. I've never had it to a gig and I've found that the fingerboard radius doesn't really suit me. Since I don't play that material, I have no real reason to try to get used to it. Sounds great, though.

Very good points! Been playing closer to the neck myself, yet really enjoy digging in at the pickup on the Stingray. Just two different things!

@alaskaleftybass are those the Bart Mk 1 pickups? From all I gather here at TB the only possible replacements (without excavation) are the Bart Mk 4 or 5, I forget? Heard you play upthread and sure sounds solid to my ears.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Very good points! Been playing closer to the neck myself, yet really enjoy digging in at the pickup on the Stingray. Just two different things!

@alaskaleftybass are those the Bart Mk 1 pickups? From all I gather here at TB the only possible replacements (without excavation) are the Bart Mk 4 or 5, I forget? Heard you play upthread and sure sounds solid to my ears.

Hey @Morrighan ! Thanks for the compliment (on the bass). I went to the Nordstrand bass pickup website and they actually have replacement Ibanez pickups! You're right, the pickups sound pretty solid and having two different sets of pickups gives me a lot of variety. I'm kind of second-guessing myself about replacing the Barts. When I play them out I realize I like them but I get itchy fingers and want to spend money LOL.

 

[Al Kraft]

Isn't it funny how we often seem to like what we have, but are certian there is something better out there? Is it just something about people in general, or are the product marketing departments really that good, or a little of both?

 

[GwenOnBass]

Or, it could be just by design. The entire aim of maximizing profits requires minimizing expenses. Same thing true up the line to the point of no [reasonable] expense spared. The price of going from no [reasonable] expense spared to absolutely no expense spared gets pretty steep pretty fast. The Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound comes to mind.

Definitely worth trying.

 

[LBS-bass]

Isn't it funny how we often seem to like what we have, but are certian there is something better out there? Is it just something about people in general, or are the product marketing departments really that good, or a little of both?

I usually have practical reasons for buying what I buy, but those reasons sometimes don't remain in place. I like having (relatively) inexpensive instruments that I can drag to places where I might feel a little overprotective of my nicer gear, and my nicer basses are both Jazzes, so adding some versatility by going with the P/J for the cheaper ones seemed to make sense. Now that I don't really have much use for the fivers, owning two is overkill, especially since I'm not likely to ever play the Sire without a good reason. Sigh. I really liked that band, too.

 

[GonePlaid]

I usually have practical reasons for buying what I buy, but those reasons sometimes don't remain in place. I like having (relatively) inexpensive instruments that I can drag to places where I might feel a little overprotective of my nicer gear, and my nicer basses are both Jazzes, so adding some versatility by going with the P/J for the cheaper ones seemed to make sense. Now that I don't really have much use for the fivers, owning two is overkill, especially since I'm not likely to ever play the Sire without a good reason. Sigh. I really liked that band, too.

Naturally.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Isn't it funny how we often seem to like what we have, but are certian there is something better out there? Is it just something about people in general, or are the product marketing departments really that good, or a little of both?

Ha ha. I went on a journey for a new bass and after traveling in a very large circle was led back to my two old standbys!