Andyjr1515

D'Addario Chromes - sound like round wound, feel line flatwound. I use them on fretted and fretless basses and personally wouldn't use anything else. Just my preference, of course.

Hi The problem generally isn't the stain, it's the poly or nitro varnish. The good news for most of us is that it's as tough as old boots. The bad news is that it is an absolute beggar to get off. For my refurbs, I quite often resort to a paint-stripping heatgun (and then a hell of a lot of sanding)!!

I'm sure 120 members will come down on me like the proverbial pile of bricks, but I don't think the truss rod does anything to prevent warps - it just adjusts the neck relief. As such, I reckon if your action is OK then leave well alone. The neck is not likely to warp - if it was going to it already would have done and I doubt a truss trod would be able to do anything about it. I bow to the greater knowledge of the 120 piles of bricks but that's my own experience, anyway.

Hi Have a peep at my website - www.ajrguitarmods.co.uk then pm me if you want to discuss some options and costs - no obligations either way. I am happy to consider sorting it out and clearcoat or doing a top veneer job, depending on what kind of body it is. Andy

Entering the fray, have a look at my website ajrguitarmods.co.uk (and no - I'm not a dealer, I'm just an enthusiastic improver who tends to keep most of the the basses and 6 strings I do because I like them too much!) You have to go into this with your eyes open:[list] [*]Entry level guitars from high end suppliers (Epiphone; Squier; Ibanez) are generally SUPERBLY made compared with how things used to be and compared with cheap guitar manufacturers who do not deal in high end. Reason - they sell entry level to catch a lifetime future obsession; they cannot afford their reputations to be damaged with association with poor quality [*]The economy is usually with the pups, the hardware, the strings, etc [*]Thus, an upgraded one of these will be a great great guitar or bass [*]The Jaguar Bass (mine) is one in point - underneath it is a bog standard Squier [/list] BUT [list] [*]Good hardware, pups, etc bought retail costs much more than the same items incorporated into a new, bulk-bought major brand guitar [*]Therefore, you can build a guitar that is very giggable and exactly how you want it but it will cost pretty much the same as the next level up of a new one. [/list] Having said that, I have some people I've done guitars for who are delighted with something that cost significantly less than they could have imagined and looked and sounded a million dollars. The ESP/LTD 6 string on the website is a bog standard with upgraded trem and fancy pickups and wiring. It cost me about £450 all told and I guarantee it would knocks spots off guitars £2000+....but i'd probably not get even the £450 if I tried to sell it. So, as they always say, it depends what you are trying to achieve. Most satisfying thing to do, mind...

Hi, Shep Is it passive or active? Andy

+1 for D'Addario Chromes - feel like flatwounds, sound like round wounds. Great, great strings

[quote name='christhammer666' timestamp='1326313489' post='1495426'] i know a few scales stuff like that and i do love the learning part it just fries my brain lol [/quote] If you like learning, then learning theory will open many new horizons, not only for playing but for listening too. Real fluency in scales - real unconscious fluency - will do almost nothing for your listening enjoyment, but will transform your playing. Sounds to me that you may wish to do both :-D If so,then watch out, Harris, there's competition on the way :-)

No drummer can keep time - it's one of the great paradoxes of the natural world :-)

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1326312685' post='1495412'] Hi To be the first to enter the no doubt an inevitable fray of differing opinions, [/quote] While writing this, the fray already started - so I wasn't first after all :-)

Hi To be the first to enter the no doubt an inevitable fray of differing opinions, I would say a fluent working knowledge of the scales is more important for many players. It means that your fingers instinctively know which notes are going to work and which are not - wherever you are on the fretboard and whatever key the number is in. All the great jazz players and all the great blues players know their scales, regardless of whether just by ear or written down on a stave. Just my own view, you understand...

Hi Hope you are well Stored in a hard case will be fine - OK for years if necessary! I think a number of us will be doing the same - nothing much seems to be shifting at the moment The 5 string sounds great (and I'm sure it does, if you excuse the dreaful pun)! Andy

For cutting perspex, I would use a simple coping saw (much cheaper than a router, less melt, and easier to control) then file or sand to a smooth finish. Important to leave the cellophane covering in place until completely finished... Andy

Hi I agree with all of the above As you can see on my website, I have done many mods of all sorts on 6 strings and basses. The last series / parallel / reverse phase I did was on a 6 string strat for a top player. I did the James Tyler mod for him which gives series / parallel / reverse on each of the three pickups. Tyler publish their witring diagrams (I think it was a Custom Elite) that can easily be adapted for two four-wire humbuckers as each on-on-on switch operates for each pickup in turn. While my 'customer' (I actually did it for free) was delighted and now has his 'dream tone' on two settings - it IS only two settings he uses. Also I agree with the others - phase reversal really doesn't seem to add anything of value to a bass. In fact, by definition, it dumps the bass and you are left with weak, tinny treble - sometimes interesting and different for a 6 string but usually pretty rubbish for a bass. Series / parallel, on the other hand - like the rest of the basschatters state - is great and can be achieved with standard push-pull pots so no extra switches are needed. Hope this helps Andy

Got something that will probably do that were off either an AC30 or Hughes & Kettner Statesman (can't remember which). PM me and I'll happily post them to you for free Andy

I agree with all of the above If it fits, swop it - you are unlikely to regret it, and it might transform the feel of the bass. While it (may or) may not make a huge change to the actual tone, it certainly is most unlikely to reduce it and, if you feel better with it, your playing will improve which will improve the sound in any case. While you're at it, pop a set of D'Addario Chromes on - smooth as flats but bright as rounds... Andy

With different basses (and six-string double humbuckers), I've had the mid position sometimes drop the perceived volume and sometime raise it. Some of it is often the tonal difference but there is probably something else going on with paths and treble bleed etc etc. In practice, however, you can usually get the volume balance you want with small adjustments (1/4 turn for starters) of the neck and / or bridge pickups until you have it where you want it, both from tone or volume.

I agree with leftyhook about the D'Addario Chromes - they stun every bass player who tries my Jaguar. Flat wound in feel but bright as roundwounds. Fabulous! Ref the fretboard - don't epoxy at this stage. Try it first - probably ( with the above strings) perfectly fine with just a good fine sanding and a good lemon-oil treatment

Hi, Jason There are a number of ways of going about this, but I find the alcohol, water or ink-based stains the best. The biggest challenge, though, is usually getting the old coating off! I've done a couple of threads if you want to have a peep. Ref the results of stain, have a look at my website - ajrguitarmods.co.uk .The Hank Marvin strat 6 string used red calligraphy ink (any colour will do just as well and there are some great colours around if you search on the internet). The AJR Custom Built strat 6 string in teal used Dylon fabric dye (navy blue and amazon green). The former was finished in Tru-oil (with 4-5 coats it finishes in a gloss varnish effect, not like a traditional oiled finish). The latter had 20-30 coats of Halfords clear cellulose varnish. Either brings the colour and sheen of the wood out a treat. The basses on the site have all been veneered and then finished with Tru-oil. You can get wood coloured stains also from DIY shops, but go for the small 'lighter fluid' type of tins - not the paintcan-style tins of, eg, acrylic stain - they are a complete pain! The great thing is that, if you don't like the result, just sand it down and start again! Andy

Just being pragamatic, the other option is to let the buyer know and leave it be! The reality is that almost certainly the extra screw is not needed for either strength or tone (many similar bridges use 4 screws) and the probability is that a screwed out job will leave a bigger hole that means that the screw (even a slightly larger one) probably won't be doing much anyway. Just a thought...

Hi I'm sure there will be many learned opinions on this but, in my own experience, the tone is affected as much by the wood, the pickups, the strings, etc, etc as much as it is by the pots. Having 250's when you need 500's can be a problem because you simply can't achieve the brightness for some setups. 500's instead of 250's has never given me a problem and I've fitted and changed dozens.

Cellulose thinners from Halfords (in the car paint spray section) and enamel thinners from a shop that sells plastic aircraft model kits (Humbrol enamel paints). I'm sure there are wiser folk on the site than me but I would get the smallest bottle of one and, if no good, get the smallest bottle of the other. If neither shifted it, I would then probably shout at something or someone...most probably the p**t that suggested it on Basschat!

[quote name='soopercrip' timestamp='1321282944' post='1437293'] Andy, it's more reply options bottom right, then browse and attach files, then add to post. [/quote] Thanks - you've reminded me I forget every time...

Couldn't work out how to do it, so I've pasted a copy onto a page of my website! [url="http://www.ajrguitarmods.co.uk/#Rear%20View"]http://www.ajrguitarmods.co.uk/#Rear%20View[/url]

Hi This is the back of a Strat I did for someone - also a three part Ash body. I stained it with red calligraphy ink (but any colour fountain pen ink would do and there is a pretty vast range if you start looking on the internet) and then finished it with Tru Oil. Staining like this softens the differences in colour and cut (Sorry - have forgotten how to past a photo I will try again soon!!!!)