mcnach

I broke my G string last night playing Black Eyed Blonde... No, I did not have a back up this time (first time ever breaking a string, and one of the times I do not have a back up!), but I did have a set of strings. I fitted the new one while the rest of the band launched into a RHCP-esque jam with improvised lyrics around the "he bust a G string" subject. Now... about strings. I bought this MM SUB a year ago, used, and I left the strings it came on as I really liked them. No idea what they are 'though. Steel? NIckel? Who knows. They sounded great at first, and although they lost the zing, they still sounded great now, I just turned up the treble when I needed bright sounds. They had a very powerful low midrange, lots of bottom end, and my SUB still sounded great. The G string I used last night was a D'Addario, nickel, gauge 45, from an EXL170 set. I use these strings a lot and I like them... but this G string was very imbalanced. Very wimpy sounding next to the three remaining strings. What strings do I have? I want more of them! I measured the gauges: 105, 80, 65... and presumably 45 (I threw the old string away). NO silks, brass ends... no particular distinctive features... Here are some pictures... Bridge end. A bit coarser winding than the G string (D'Addario): Brass ends: No silk at the headstock end. You can see the taper on the E string... maybe that helps? full headstock... excuse poor winding job on the G... it was a rushed job and I did not have wire cutters so had to wind the whole length: any ideas??? I would love to string this bass with the same strings. It was my favourite bass, and I think these strings contributed significantly to why I loved it so much.

I don't know what Andrew's plans are yet. He is arriving on Thursday, and my gig is on Thursday night, so that night is sure for beverages. Friday I'm busy, but Saturday is likely to incorporate some beer and bass. It depends on what he and his gf do regarding sightseeing etc. I can keep you informed and if you can, great! hmmm... and I would move further communication to PM, I suppose

[quote name='Blademan_98' timestamp='1358709558' post='1943838'] I just got them out and checked as it could have been that They all report A=440 (Apart from the one built into my Orange practice amp as that has no other option). They are all slightly different. Two of them are Korg units and one is a cheapy I got from eBay (the forth being the one in the amp). [/quote] INteresting. I would have thought they are all accurate enough, otherwise we'd be hearing mayhem from half of the bands we see live. Oh, wait!!!

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1358708678' post='1943804'] That looks really, really good. Definitely go with the white. I'm really impressed with the job so far---I really want an orange bass, suspect at somepoint I may ask for a "tutorial" [/quote] Thanks! Yeah, I think the white one is probably the best... and it's teh best fit, as it's the original pickguard! I can tell you all the mistakes I made, then you will discover new ones I'm not an expert, this is the first time I attempt anything like this! I suspect getting the right spray helps a lot. I don't know others, but these cans produce a very fine mist, which can be a pain in that the dust gets everywhere! But it makes getting thin uniform coats very easy.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1358708804' post='1943810'] Looks great. Can I call "dibs" if you sell it? [/quote] You can indeed But it's unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon Are you in Edinburgh at all this week? Andrew (aka 'apa') is visiting (coming to a Sea Bass Kid gig on the 24th too ) and we will be sharing a few beers and checking basses out etc... if you want to join?

[quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1358692399' post='1943404'] I think I'm secretly a lead guitarist in a bassists body, I like plenty of mid/treble so I can kid myself my jazz sounds like Geddy Lee and every now and then do sick lead fills that don't turn into mush. More generally speaking, most music these days is mixed for those tinny phone speakers you hear kids playing music through on the bus, so for the bass to be heard it has to be pretty trebley to cut through... especially for the likes of all this bass-lead indie-ish stuff, Two Door Cinema Club spring to mind... [/quote] eh? this bass sounds pretty deep to me [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKyK1Mme9Sc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKyK1Mme9Sc[/url]

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1358692214' post='1943400'] So, my suggestion: [i]'Why not spend the money that you [i]would[/i] spend on gear on decent lessons. You may find that the problem isn't your gear afterall.'[/i] wasn't really what you wanted to hear. Okay, so you're more interested in spending money than furthering yourself as a bass player. I must admit that there is something in your posts that doesn't sit very well with me. [/quote] bit harsh?

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1358688764' post='1943328'] The answer to that is definitely ...... "not enough band activity". My band has been rather dormant over recent months. For me, my GAS and my band activity are inversly proportional. the more I play, the less I obesess about gear ! [/quote] That too! when there's music to be played, I rarely feel " *need* something. And when I feel that way it's because I identified something I would like different, and I change it. Other than that, I only buy stuff if I see something that I fancy, but I don't think about it actively. When things become slow... that's when I can go crazy about amps, cabs and a million pedals I could get...

[quote name='Blademan_98' timestamp='1358702531' post='1943645'] I have four electronic tuners. None of them agree with each other and only one agrees with my ears! [/quote] how odd. are they calibrated to the same frequency? I had a tuner once, can't recall which, a Korg, and it just did not tune right... until I realised that somehow I had it calibrated A=441... all it needed was a couple of taps of a tiny button on the back (one to engage calibration, another to go up to 441... two would have meant 442...) It happened by accident and I was very frustrated by it for a while as I was not tuned right when using it... other than that, every tuner has worked alright for me. Some are more sensitive, some take a while to get a stable reading, but they all worked for me, and my ears are not exactly covered by cloth, before someone suggests that

[quote name='DarkHeart' timestamp='1358629230' post='1942630'] I am totally gobsmacked how the builds have turned out, granted all ive done apart from the first one was put things together but ive managed to source 2 identically finished bodies in identical wood from across the pond not knowing who the original supplier was, both the cherry burst basses have identical hardware . All i need now is an ash P/Bass body coss on it way from japan is a maple/maple neck! i need a cheap ash body to fulfill the range, :-) [/quote] what a collection of beauties!

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1358687306' post='1943275'] I hadn't realised the Squier did not have the Badass. There's mixed opinions about these anyway, I doubt it makes a huge difference anyway. [/quote] I'm not a fan of the Badass anyway. I find them unsightly and clunky and the standard bridges work for me. I bought a japanese 75RI Fender Jazz that was "upgraded" with a badass bridge. I wish it had the original. When a bass does not feel or sound the way you'd like... I can think of many thinks I'd change before I look into changing the bridge.

Stay away from the FOR SALE section of this forum for a bit. It works for me Although I still check it from time to time and... whoa, was that an Audere preamp? (still uninstalled... I just painted the bass this weekend... so maybe next!)

[quote name='DaveFry' timestamp='1358637753' post='1942779'] Some New Agers claim that tuning to A = 432 Hz is better for us than 440 Hz Of course they have dug up all sorts of ancient evidence to support their claim . There is loads about it on the 'net if you search for 432 hz tuning . Stuff like this ; [url="http://www.omega432.com/music.html"]http://www.omega432.com/music.html[/url] and [url="http://www.carnaval.com/music432/"]http://www.carnaval.com/music432/[/url] - Can't find a " shrugs shoulders " emotcion - [/quote] some people also claim drinking urine is good for you and they find many arguments for that, on the net. I think that's just taking the piss.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1358633257' post='1942702'] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]This question was asked during an interview with the producer Tony Platt which I thought may be interesting:[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=2][b]What piece of technology do you think has been the most detrimental in the evolution of the recording realm?[/b][/size][/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=2]'It would be the digital guitar tuner. When I first started, there were no guitar tuners, guitarists would tune to the piano, as the piano was always in tune in the studio. And so the guitar players always had the capacity to hold a guitar in tune. If they heard a string going out, they’d pull it a little bit to bring it back in. So things weren’t absolutely perfectly in tune but there wasn’t this focus of attention on the tuning so much. People were focusing on getting the feel right and getting it to where it was exciting. Now what happens is one string goes out of tune, everything stops, guitarist plugs into his tuner, tunes his guitar and then starts off again, but it has broken the momentum of the session so much. And again what happens is we have this overabundance of guitar players who have this overriding reliance on this piece of technology. They’re not thinking of tuning in their head, they’re not hearing the tuning in there, they’re looking at it, on the scale on the tuner.'[/size][/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]...I hadn't considered the effect a digital tuner may have on the momentum of a recording session. [/font][/color] [/quote] I am not a famous producer, but I think the above is bollocks. People today still have ears. We use tuners. They make life easier, so why not? But you still have the ability to adjust on the fly! It comes with experience, with practice. I have listened to a lot of old records where guitars were out of tune, ugh (listened to the Rolling Stones much?). I see many bands still playing live out of tune... No excuse for either, back then or today. But especially today. Recording momentum? If your guitar goes out of tune while you play a song... then ditch it, it's clearly a tool not fit for purpose. Fix it. Do something. I don't believe in that "magical take", I guess. If you can play something, you can play it again and again. Sure, some takes may be a bit nicer than others, because of the way we don't exactly play the same thing twice... but it's hardly a make or break issue. An instrument (or several) out of tune is a make or break issue for me. You still need ears. If you play guitar,, some chords work a bit better if you alter ever so slightly the tuning of one or two of your strings... so you would deviate from what the tuner says, but you would know exactly by how much, from practice. The ability to tune in a noisy environment without anybody hearing your adjustments... that's something very nice too. Big fan of the electric tuner here, and of the modern computer, central heating in house, indoor plumbing and internal combustion engine

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1358675037' post='1942990'] I don't normally like white or white pearl guards, but I think they suit this bass the best followed by black! Tort world look pretty badass too. Always wanted an orange P... might have to try a classic vibe with a Capri orange refin! [/quote] True, tortoiseshell would work. Not a big fan, but it goes well with red, and orange I guess, Capri Orange rules. Let's start a Capri Orange bass club!!! Oh, I forgot we are not in Talk Bass

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1358672806' post='1942956'] 1 or 5 shirley! [/quote] oh, and this... this is how I am leaning too. Funny, at first I was going to go for black, I was very sure... but now... white looks nice, and then the ugly blue makes it... "different"

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1358672806' post='1942956'] 1 or 5 shirley! Thats alot of overspray lol. I used a few old sheets and an old guitar stand in my sprays. It looks quit nice with that SUBesk rough finish effect. Slightly off the subject but whats going on in the control cavity? There seems to be a strip of darker wood. Ply insert? A [/quote] overspraying as in... spraying beyong the body? Oh yes! My technique could be improved, no doubt! I also used that "rotating body" technique I mentioned earlier which results in a lot of paint wasted. That's why I say that if I can manage with one can, everybody else should be alright with one too Despite my technique, these cans give you a really fine mist. It hangs in the air for a while after you finish spraying. You don't really see it, but I took a couple of pictures with flash and that reveals a LOT of dust in the air. It's so light it gets everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I spent some time last night cleaning the kitchen... YOu don't see it, but run a finger over any surface, and you get a bit of powder. You definitely need to enclose the spraying area better with these spraycans: ultra fine mist is great to get good results easily, but you get a lot of ultra light dust. Use of googles advisable, and absolutely wearing masks. And ventilate! If I don't do anything further with it... it's nice. I really like it. BUt there are some "inconsistencies". For example, on the top horn, some areas seemed to have got a bit more paint, and the result is less textured and shinier. There are a handful of tiny splutter marks that show as small dots of shinier complexion. NOthing huge. I mean, it's already a million times better than I thought I was going to make it!!! I was expecting having paint runs all over the place! But if I just try to fine sand it and buff it it can look REALLY good (as long as I don't sand through the orange... a real possibility for me So, I don't know... part of me wants to assemble it in a couple of days and start using it. Another part of me wants to carry on and see just how much nicer I can make it, if anything so that I can have a better idea of the work involved... But then there is that 5-string Stagg Stingray clone I want to paint red, so I might just take my time on that one instead... Agh, I don't know. The darker bit on the control cavity is where a previous owner has routed out about 2-3mm from the bottom. Because of the shape and size, I'd say this bass had some kind of preamp installed in the past (Audere, John East) and that the cavity was just a bit too shallow. I have an Audere preamp for this bass, so I will see if it fits well.

[quote name='tom1946' timestamp='1358671009' post='1942948'] Nice job Mac, Same as the colour I'm planning. number 1 pickguard or better still white pearloid You say you got all your paint from manchester? [/quote] white pearloid, like gold hardware, is too "bling" for me I'm also afraid it would make me play country and western Yes, I got the primer and capri orange (both nitrocellulose) from Steve Robinson (Manchester Guitar Tech). He says one can each should be enough, and if my inexperienced hands could manage with one can, then it's right. The nozzle is pretty good, you get a very fine mist and it's easy to lay thin coats one after another without overspraying.

ok, on my not exactly precision bathroom scales, it weighs exactly 4Kg, or 8.8lbs for those of you who are more familiar with stranger units of measure (whops, I may be in the minority here )

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1358680324' post='1943101'] Cool. What does she weigh? [/quote] You don't ask a lady that...

so, help me choose a pickguard: from left to right: 1) original white. I really like this one. 2) mint. meh 3) cream. meh 4) black, 3-ply. I think this one is a contender. 5) blue pearloid. Not really... 6) cyan/turquoise metal pickguard. Funky combination. So ugly that it's pretty. This bass is probably going to see a fair bit of action in the new project I'm involved in, funk with a decent amount of effects... octavers, synth/distortion and envelope filters... So I kind of like option 6. But the white or black pickguards would be my first choices, normally. What do you think? Oh, I also found an orange pickguard, pretty much the same shade as the body... that's another option.

ok, some pictures at last... I can't find pictures at the moment of the bass, how it was... I know I have some somewhere so I will update this when I find them. But the body is what Fender calls "shoreline gold", and the neck pocket had a date, september 2002. I put a bit of tape over it so that it stays. Anyway, here is my "Dexter" set up, with the golden body hanging... after several white primer coats: and the last one: then I started with the orange, here is a first thin coat. I decided to apply many thin coats rather than fewer thicker ones, to avoid overspraying. it's already much brighter than it looked without the white primer underneath. Without it, the shoreline gold was too dark and the orange looked dull. And after a few more coats: I have not yet sanded it or buffed it or anything, this is straight from spraying. I quite like the texture. Much finer than that of the original MusicMan SUBs, that's for sure. THis is a quick mock reassembling, with the original white pickguard: pretty, eh?

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1358627190' post='1942576'] Pics or you didn't buy it! [/quote] Ah, you know the rules! well, so here it is, next to the CV50s Precision: and no routing under the pickguard:

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1358623998' post='1942496'] You know what Im going to say dont you.................. WOOD. Nice bit of Burr veneer would set that orange off nicely. Oh and I wouldnt work too hard on the cleaning up - she'll know and find it anyway. Fine wine, Belgian chocolates and a big bunch of flowers is the price you pay Im afraid. Oh and a few years of reminders when she needs to A [/quote] ha ha, sorry, no fancy wood or gold on this bass She knows, she gave me permission... she wants to paint the kitchen and the deal was if I sprayed the wall and made a mess... I´d have to paint the kitchen by myself. I was ok there... but the fine dust flying everywhere caught me by surprise...

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1358604224' post='1942050'] halfords has a set of fine finishing wet and dry papers- i took that from 800 down to 2000, then T-cut on the top. Let it cure first before doing the fine sanding and buffing though have a fun weekend cleaning the gf's kitchen btw! [/quote] aha, "T-cut" is what I was wanting to know, thanks! I hope it gets shiny enough quickly, as I am not known for my patience, and I really want to play this thing soon. yeah, cleaning is going to be fun. That dust got everywhere!!! You don´t see it, it looks clean... but you run your finger over the counter and you get a bit of orange dust on your fingertip. I was careful to not spray on walls or floor... but I did not think the dust would be sooooo fine. Ah, lesson learnt! Next time I need to enclose the spraying area.