neepheid

[quote name='fluffo' post='364898' date='Dec 28 2008, 03:43 PM']I have just fitted a Badass V to my U.S deluxe, the problem I am having is that in order for the strings to go through the holes at the end of the bridge and line up I am unable to get the low B through the hole at the back. There is another set of holes positioned slightly higher on the end of the bridge but this then puts the string out of line. Before anyone asks the bridge is on 100% cymetrical in the correct position with the neck and pickups. Someone help[/quote] I have found this to be problematic with the Badass V. Thicker B strings (135s and above?) do not fit through the stringing hole, made worse by any silk wrapping. Not much I can suggest except 1) get a thinner B string (130?) or 2) ream out the hole with a drill. Drill press recommended for this I would say. I will probably end up doing this to mine.

This year I have discovered the joys of short scale. I got hold of a Squier Bronco and have spent some time upgrading it and am waiting for a DeArmond Starfire to appear (I was supposed to get it at Christmas but it ended up locked in a cupboard in Manchester and the only guy with the key off to Ireland, oops!) I guess the perception of short scale is "toy" (the fact that short scales tend to be budget instruments with iffy hardware - borne out with the need to improve my Bronco by replacing most of the guts - bridge, tuners, pickup, apply copper shielding) but I'd like to think that with some quality components, nice woods and attention to detail that a short scale can punch above its weight. And another thing, Squier - why can't you people drill straight? I had to pare back the wood around where a pickguard screw had gone in squint and burst through then glue on a half dowel to make a new screw position. I'd be happy to try out a prototype for you. I feel that this is a relatively untapped market and if you produce a good quality product then you will do well.

Try [url="http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/"]http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/[/url] - it'll have some of the tabs you're looking for

+1 on cocktail sticks here too

Welcome to the forum Far be it from me to dissuade you from your choice but I should warn you (from experience) that the Epi EB-3 is rather neck heavy so you have to keep the neck up as you play. As a beginner it might make initial learning that bit more difficult. It did for me.

These workarounds that you are proposing do nothing to address the root of the problem. Seeing as you don't seem to be willing/able to take steps necessary to address the root of the problem, your playing will always be compromised. Example (and please don't tell me to go boil my head because it isn't what you want to hear or feel that I am simplifying your (from your perspective) huge problems and therefore coming across as belittling you) - you're carving a piece of wood and your chisel is blunt. Do you 1) go and find a different tool which is less efficient but may give you an approximation of what you want or 2) go sharpen your chisel?

No, buy mine!

Welcome to the forum

I've got no problem with Squier gear. It's perfectly functional and is a great starting point for modding projects. The main wood of my Fecker Imprecision is a Squier Affinity P (and the only reason it got rebadged is that it had a rather naff looking silver painted headstock which I wanted to remove) and my Squier Bronco has been modded significantly with different bridge, tuners, pickup and pickguard but I'm not going to scrub the logo off the headstock. I WANT people to see that it's a Squier and go "hmm, that's better than I expected". I wholeheartedly disapprove of people putting Fender logos on Squiers. What's the point? It's just a fraudulent expression of insecurity from one's inner gear snob.

[quote name='Andyalfa' post='357956' date='Dec 18 2008, 02:55 PM']I was thinking of changing/updrading the hardware on my old Hohner Professional JJ bass, partly as an experiment and partly to use as a backup/alternative to my main Precision. Currently, it has two active jazz style pickups which are powered by a 9v preamp. This has two volume controls and a stacked bass/treble knob. There’s also a handy toggle switch for active/passive and a little light to tell me if it’s on. I had a close look at the pickups the other night, and the faint writing on them seemed to say Select design (which I thought was by EMG, but maybe not). Anyway, I’d like to replace all of the electronics with something newer, which gives a nice warm, clean sound as opposed to the dirtier, rockier tone of my precision. Any thoughts would be welcome. At the moment, I have my eye on an EMG J set for around £160. I’d also like to swap the tatty old bridge with something that looks better, has more adjustment and gives better sustain (without going the through body route, I don’t want to do too much drilling). One in matt black would be nice too, but isn’t essential. Once again, any hints or tips would be useful. I’ve seen a sexy looking Leo Quan badass bridge which looks like it might fit the bill and a similar one by Schaller. Any recommendations?[/quote] It really depends upon whether the bass is a keeper. If you're happy with the neck and the general all round feel and construction of it and you're not intending selling it on then modding is valid. However, the amount of money you could spend on mods (those EMGs you mention plus a BA) and you're well on the way to the cost of a decent used bass off here. If you want to get experience with modding then that's fine too, just remember that you're on a hiding to nothing, financially speaking. You will not get your money back whether you try to sell the modded bass as a whole or returning the bass to stock and selling the upgrade parts seperately.

Welcome to the forum Advice? Don't worry about mistakes as much as I do!

This may serve to simply increment my post count seeing as Aberdeen is a frozen wasteland full of nothing but chain shops and chewing gum strewn pavements ever since the eBay scammers found it too busy and cosmopolitan for their tastes/needs and upped sticks to Orkney and Shetland, but I'll ask anyway. Can anyone recommend a friendly, competent bass tutor in Aberdeen or the near vicinity? I have decided that my playing (if you can call it that) is severely hampered by a lack of theoretical knowledge and technical ability. It's monkey see, monkey do - I'll learn a set of songs and churn them out but I can't help feel that there's much more to it than that. It's purely repetition, not musicianship. With that in mind I would like to learn more theory, perhaps do my grades and know what people mean when they say "it's in A" and everyone else just nods (or says nothing at all and just plays).

I can't improvise to save my life. I need to know how every song goes before I even remotely consider playing it in front of other musicians, never mind Joe Public. I also prefer to know [i]why[/i] I am playing a certain note. I'm hoping that once I build up my theory then I'll know the right things to do. Right now if someone said "this is in the key of A" I just go "err, that's nice" and not have a clue how this information helps me. I think I need lessons. Either that or sell my basses and get a triangle. Basically I can't seem to let go and just have fun with the bass without fear of what the results will be. I've always been the sort of person who prefers to make his mistakes in private.

[quote name='beerdragon' post='357366' date='Dec 17 2008, 09:54 PM']Looks like a lot of thought went into the bridge, and those tuners!. I would love to hear it though.Is that one bolt holding the neck on or a strap holder? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370129851389&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&viewitem=&salenotsupported"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...alenotsupported[/url][/quote] Very early EB-0s were based upon the Les Paul double cut body shape. Only made in small numbers from 1959-61 according to my sources. Yes, the bridge is a little lacking in finesse (and adjustability). The tuners are banjo style tuners, also used on the EB-1 (Gibson's violin bass) and guitars such as the Firebird. It is a set neck and that is indeed a strap button.

Welcome to the forum

[quote name='Cantdosleepy' post='357109' date='Dec 17 2008, 04:15 PM']Is there somewhere on this site where we've got 'promoter feedback'? Would it be worth doing? It would be a good resource for somewhere like London, with the same old faces and lots of us playing there.[/quote] It sounds like a libel case waiting to happen. People (in general) can't be relied upon to keep their cool and stick to facts when they've just been mucked about by some promoter or other.

Welcome to the forum

Don't forget differences in neck width, with the (traditional) P neck being wider at the nut than the (traditional) J. Of course with bolt on necks you can replace one with your preferred neck shape/size quite easily.