LukeFRC

[quote name='funkypenguin' timestamp='1347148427' post='1797515'] Tell that to string players that use Stradivarius violins worth millions day in day out including flying all over the world. I buy an instrument to play it, irrespective of age (not that i have 20k to spend on a fodera, to my regret) [/quote] How many violin players play Stradivarius every day? Isn't this the same as a handful of top pros, Guy Pratt, Flea for a while etc gigging their early stack knob Jazz basses?

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1347146081' post='1797498'] Exactly, but it would appear to some, that i should be playing my £20k P down the Frog & Fiddler, otherwise I'm offending the bass community, kept me amused for 5 mins anyway Luke! Oh, and you tearing down the road on a pushbike, with your JV in a bag on your back, still concerns me, you should let me keep it safe for you!! [/quote] I've stopped since you pointed out how daft it was for me! Not getting played as much now though, well thinking about it that may also have something to do with moving to a new city and not being in any bands. anyway, you're moving your JV's on. mine would feel left out!

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1347145770' post='1797494'] Same thing as i said to funkypenguin. I don't think[i] your [/i]attitude is very real at all. You obviously don't own a £20k bass. [/quote] no but he's got a pretty tasty looking red jazz bass

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1347143369' post='1797466'] People can do what they want with their stuff, I'm sure they have others they play. If, by keeping them, it means others can play these vintage gems in another 20 years time, then its fine with me. If someone had a rare, historical instrument, worth £15k, and played it at the dog and duck on jam night,that could get irreversibly damaged at any moment, then that would be a bigger crime to me. [/quote] but equally if I had £x thousand to pay and had to choose between an instrument sat in a hard case for 20 years in a loft, or one of yours sat in your house and played everyso often I know your one would be looked after and playable. Mind you when you get above a certain point playability isn't the point is it? you wouldn't buy a '50's fender to gig regularly (baring in mind for the last few years i've been carrying my bass in a gig bag while cycling.....

[quote name='wishface' timestamp='1347092826' post='1796828'] Thanks. I was under the impression that the break angle off the nut has to be as little as possible and that each successive string wind goes under the last so the string comes off the neck with as little bend or angle as possible into the tuning peg. the gapp between the 12th fret and the E, with the 1st and 24th fretted is about 1mm at most. [/quote] nah, it's the other way, a bigger angle at headstock and bridge is better. you want as much winding down as possible. so as you wind it on wind it down- as Mcnach says it stops ratteling and also helps with the string tension. Try winding the E string with the wrappings going down- my guess is it will sort out your flappy E string a fair bit. To set the intonation.... when the strings are at tension they push down on the saddles - thats why they don't move easily. I always find loosening the string makes it easier to move without toomuch force when setting the tension. I would recomend loosening the tension, moving the saddle then tuning up, repeating till it's spot on. If you look online you can get a computer based tuner for free somewhere to help you set it correctly. Don't forget everytime you move the saddle you'll have to retune the string!

24 is sometimes nice. I think it more effects the slap tone than anything doesn't it? (may be wrong there)

[quote name='mushers' timestamp='1347040063' post='1796389'] luke just made what sometimes sounds complex into possibly the beginings of one of the best step by step set ups guides ive seen now wheres that Kudos button ! [/quote] aww thanks When I started playing I borrowed a bass that had been used in a school tech project. I had to learn how to dismantle and set up a bass before I could ever play it!

do you know who is supposed to have made the body?

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1347049405' post='1796544'] that's amazing!!! and only £20?? IT has such a beautiful grain, and nice routing for the neck pickup so you can use it without pickguard... I have been wanting something like that for a while, but never saw anything, and when it's painted you never know what you will find underneath! I'm glad you will leave it natural. Natural and maple... if you ever want to let it go talk to me! [/quote] +1 (well not the talking to me first bit, Jose would kill me!)

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1347033524' post='1796297'] Regarding the comment about the Wal increasing in value, I would disagree, a wal bought in 1986 for £800, now worth £2500, in real terms is still a loss, I mean £800 in 1986 is alot more than £2500 is today. [/quote] according to the online inflation calculators £800 in 1986 would be £2012 today. While somethings like houses have shot up, other things, like mass produced bass guitars are way more affordable now. I can't think of something you could be sure would keep it's value. My warwick I bought cheap, so that will keep it's value- but you could apply that to anything that goes out of fashion at some point. I think buying to try and make an investment isn't really going to work for most people - but what you going to go for? Rick's two JV's wouldn't be a bad shout though, (ask nicely you can add mine for the entire collection!) but then you need other people wanting them for them to be desirable- and then you get into 'collectors' territory and.... well, my JV was bought by accident- not cos I thought it would be worth anything- at the time I thought I had over payed but got an amazing bass (thanks stevie) now the price seems to be going up... and suddenly I'm more precious about playing it- and for me that looses a bit of the fun.

[quote name='wishface' timestamp='1347033131' post='1796289'] 1.about 3mm 2. I didn't take the strings off to get to the pickup i loosened them. the strings slip when i put them on the first place. It takes a while to get them to stay in tune. Most of the strings go around a couple of times. 3. the saddles vary in height, not by much, but the highest is about a mm up. They don't have an angle as they are round shaped. 4. nothing, though i knew roughly about intonation before. the only problem is moving the saddles without using my fingers. [/quote] cheers. If that is 3mm from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string we've identified probably the main problem. Your neck has too much relief on it- which isn't that unusual. So this bent neck is making the action seem high, you've compensated for this by lowering the bridge which makes the whole thing not work quite as well as it could. So how to solve it.... well one thing at a time. (I'm going to presume the strings are ok.) If you do a number of things, and correctly in the right order then you'll sort it out- but don't expect it to work perfectly first time first lets get that neck straighter. To do this we need to tighten the truss rod. The "give it half a turn" advice is only half helpful. What you are aiming for is about 1mm. First things first some rules.... (1) if it doesn't move - don't force it. (2) don't turn it without taking the tension off it first. The strings are one spring pulling one way, and the truss rod is pulling the other. So when you tighten it do it in half turns and leave it for a bit. As you turn it, take the strain off it, either by slackening all the strings (you'll have to tighten them again though) or by my preferred method, by holding the bass body with your knees and pulling the headstock backward yourself and then tightening it. (does that make sense) Once that's down to 1mm or so we can do the rest. The saddles will probably need raising up from where they are now later. Oh and using your fingers to move the saddles is fine and dandy.

which one did you go for?

How did you do that mate? Ask around for a replacement MEC one. they do come up time to time and when they do they don't cost too much. New ones are silly expensive. Bart preamps seem to be stuck in warwicks a fair bit, aguilar for more agressive tone. IMO, and IME Glockenklang doesn't work well.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347015065' post='1795978'] Back to the bass... Questions to answer: 1) Hold down the string at the first and last fret. What is the gap under the string at the 12th fret? 2) You said the strings slipped when you took them off, can I ask how many times they go around the posts of the tuners? 3) how low are the saddles on the bridge? - whats the downward angle like? 4) Can I ask what else you have been reading/watching in terms of setup, there is the possibility we are telling you things you already know and it seems patronising. [/quote] can you answer these please?

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1347014088' post='1795951'] Basically yes. The Tanglewood & Hudson stuff are definitely related (Tanglewood were a brand owned by the guy that owns Cranes in Cardiff & so are Hudson) & I think they (and many other cheap import lines) are built in the Cort factory [/quote] though so is Lakland, Squier and Fender built in Cort factories so Cort doesn't necessarily mean cheap

Back to the bass... Questions to answer: 1) Hold down the string at the first and last fret. What is the gap under the string at the 12th fret? 2) You said the strings slipped when you took them off, can I ask how many times they go around the posts of the tuners? 3) how low are the saddles on the bridge? - whats the downward angle like? 4) Can I ask what else you have been reading/watching in terms of setup, there is the possibility we are telling you things you already know and it seems patronising.

wishface, I was on this thread this morning and somehow since it seems to have dissolved into you calling people rude and berating them for not reading posts "correctly" can I suggest you have been given a lot of advice, and that, combined with research we would presume you are doing on the internet would have solved all the problems you have with your bass. The fact you say your bass still isn't any good gives the impression that maybe you're not understanding or following the advice correctly. Setting up a bass isn't just doing x, y and z - it's reacting to what is in front of you to make it work - from some of your responces it is pretty clear to folk who regularly set instruments up you're not doing this. For example tightening the truss rod - it's not a case of just tightening it, it's tightening it correctly. You were asked a few times by people for measurements that would help people advise you which you didn't do, maybe you didn't understand why they were asking or why it was important- which suggests again you need to go read something on how to set up a guitar. Fender have a guide I think on their website or google or your local library may be able to help you. Again when you said you couldn't lower your pickup further you were told why, the bit of foam. And I remember reading someone say that if needed you could trim it down a bit. You chose to read that as "take it out". Ultimatly pickup height is unimportant if the earlier stages of set up havn't been done correctly. The key word there is correctly. You're asking a bunch of people who know what they are doing to use their skills to help you out and save you £20 set up costs. May I suggest if you go away and research yourself what to do, and then come here to check that you've done something correctly or not it would produce an environment more conducive to it being set up correctly. Failing that if you would like to be taken out of your misery ill give you £50 for it.

wood pickup covers = more fidelity ???