BigRedX

Posted this in the other neck relief/shimming thread when I meant to post here:

Whether you shim the whole neck pocket or just one end makes no real difference to being able the get the action lower provided that you use enough material in the shim. The only difference will be where the angle of the headstock in relation to the body. And adding shim material to just one end of the neck pocket will give you more room for adjustment at the bridge for less material added.

Have a look at the diagram I made in [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18034&view=findpost&p=184507"]post #27 of this thread[/url] and all will become clear.

You might also want to check ou the diagram about neck relief in relation to action in [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=13342&view=findpost&p=138864"]post #6 of this thread[/url].

HTH

However since it sounds like the bass is new and under warranty, the shop should fix it or replace it with one that plays properly if they don't have the ability to sort it out.

Whether you shim the whole neck pocket or just one end makes no real difference to being able the get the action lower provided that you use enough material in the shim. The only difference will be where the angle of the headstock in relation to the body. And adding shim material to just one end of the neck pocket will give you more room for adjustment at the bridge for less material added.

Have a look at the diagram I made in [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18034&view=findpost&p=184507"]post #27 of this thread[/url] and all will become clear.

You might also want to check ou the diagram about neck relief in relation to action in [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=13342&view=findpost&p=138864"]post #6 of this thread[/url].

HTH

[quote name='dr.funk' post='329239' date='Nov 14 2008, 04:45 PM']The problem with having an outboard unit is that everyone will be using different guitars with it and so there is no reference starting point from which to create a model. I think the idea behind the variax is that the tone is predictable and can then be altered to produce known results by the electronics inside.

I can see what you mean though the basses are pretty average and don't feel as good as they should for the price.[/quote]

It should be possible to compensate for the individual instruments and create an outboard Variax processor. The technology exists that enables you to 'sample' a room space and then create a reverb patch that can be used on any sound source to make it sound as though it was recorded in that space.

You're right about the quality of the Variax instruments. Most of the people interested in that sort of technology want it on a better instrument than one that would have cost less than £200 without all the modelling electronics,

Why Shuker?

1. He's in the UK - we're a UK forum and most of us aren't ready or have the need to start looking abroad for a custom-built bass.

2. He builds a variety of models so unless you have a hankering after something particularly unusual or simply just don't see eye-eye artistically with his designs they'll be something for you.

3. For what you get the prices are very good indeed.

However if you are in the market for a personalised custom-built bass, I'd also check out ACG and RIM before making any decisions.

My take on choosing a builder for your instrument is to find someone who's already doing something very close to what you have in mind. There are luthiers out there who say they'll build you anything, but I feel more comfortable picking someone who's done roughly what I'm after before and just making minor changes. Also don't expect anyone to make you a copy of someone else's work (unless it's a Fender-based design), if you want a particular style of instrument go to the luthier who makes them.

As for wait times, the whole point of a custom built is that it's tailored to your spec. I'd be wary of anyone who claimed they could make me a custom bass in less than 12 weeks, unless mine was the only one in production at that time. As luthiers get more popular (and more busy) the build times will get longer. It took 15 months from initial discussions with Martin to picking up my finished Sei bass, but I know that nothing had been rushed and it shows in the quality of the instrument. Besides a long build times gives you plenty of time to save the money for the balance of the payment!

I have to admit I was interested in getting one of those, however your photos are the first decent ones I've seen and I'm really not impressed by the (lack of) bridge.

However if there was a bass version of [url="http://playawayguitars.co.uk/play_away_guitars_shop.php?itemID=509"]this[/url] then I'd be thinking again.

I played a couple that were at Music Live last week.

Nice, but nothing any better or worse than any other custom bass at this price. Personally, at the price these cost I'd rather have something custom-built by either ACG or Shuker that was exactly what I wanted.

Pre-grooved is fine just as long as the grooves are where you want them, and you're happy with the preset string spacing and if you're replacing a Fender Bridge it was in the right place to start off with.

It was a less than 15 minute job to carefully file the grooves when I used one on a VMJ and I simply did them just deep enough to stop the string moving about on the saddle when I plucked as hard as I could. Also I was able to set the strings exactly in the right places with regard to the pickup pole pieces and the edge of the neck.

I bought another Badass II for a bass where the string spacing is going to be somewhere between 17 and 18 mm. Un grooved was the only way to go in this case.

Older circuits are definitely less kind to batteries than the newer designs. When I was regularly rehearsing and gigging with my Overwater Original bass, it's 80s active electronics would get through a battery every couple of months (approx 1-2 hours use per day). In all of my basses with pre-amps made since the mid 90s the batteries last well over a year.

Thanks for the link. It's a bit tricky picking colours from web pages as everyone's screen is set up differently...

If you can find a link for metallic colours that would be most appreciated.

The error bit is really just a nuisance, you're unlikely to break anything. It a bind when you have to remove the neck again to adjust the shim.

Just be careful with the neck bolts/screws and you should be fine.

Pretty much echoes my feeling for the Future of Music Live from [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=27982&view=findpost&p=327560"]this post[/url] in the Bass Day thread.

The people I know in the industry prefer the London show which is a trade show with some public access (like Frankfurt) rather than Music Live which can degenerate into a bit of a 'car-boot sale' at times.

I'd certainly welcome a return to a show where the smaller (and normally more interesting) luthiers were able to afford to exhibit.

Unless either PMT or Reverb take up the organisation I don't think we'll see a Music Live next year - or at least not on the scale it's been recently. Having said that, a return to a show of the scale and diversity of the "Mad About Guitars" shows that grew into Music Live might not be a bad thing.

However from the people I know in the industry the feeling is that they would prefer just to do the London show as a means of showing off their products without having to deal with sales (to the public) and haggling that events like Music Live brought.

Remember that no matter how bad you thought this year's Music Live was the only way it could have been worse than the London Guitar Show of 2007 would have been for there to be no basses at all!

BTW were Electric Babes at the show on Saturday or Sunday? There's stand was in the exhibitors list but nothing actually in that location in the hall on the Friday.

The cheapest decent 5-string fretless I've come across is the Ibanez GW35 but that's a bit more than your budget.

Maybe if you have the skill and the time get a fretted 5-string that fits your budget and sound and take the frets out?

My first 'proper' fretless was the VMJ. Absolutely brilliant value for the money. At the time I'd spent about a year trying pretty much every fretless I came across and this was the best that was under £1000! I tried the Fender Jaco Signature model (non-relic'd) and while it was a better bass IMO it wasn't £1000 better by a long shot.

I fitted a Badass II bridge to mine - an improvement for me, YMMV and a J-Retro Pre-amp, not essential sound-wise but I prefer volume/blend rather than volume/volume.

I sold mine in the end because I don't really get on with Fender shapes - they hang wrong on my body and make '1st fret' access difficult and I find the bolt-on neck/heel too awkward for upper fret access, plus I got a good deal on a Pedulla Buzz which is much more 'me' both in feel and sound.

For the money you can't go far wrong, but I'd try before you buy. Some of the bodies aren't made from particularly nice pieces of wood (I saw a spectacularly ugly example recently) so make sure you get one with no more than 3 pieces of wood in the body. As far as upgrades go play it for a while and think about changing the pickups and if you get on with volume/volume/tone maybe upgrade the pots and the cap but leave it passive.

Thanks - looking forward to seeing what colours are available.

With all the BassDay stuff, it's easy to forget that it was Music Live last weekend as well.

Managed to get to Birmingham on the Friday which being schools day has the advantage of nearly empty stands by 4.00pm so you can actually try stuff.

Enfield Basses. Had my second play of these including the new 5 strings. Fantastic concept and the pickup/pre-amp combo is IMO a real winner. Still don't know if I can get on with the very V-shaped neck, but full marks to Martin Sims for following his own vision.

Mayones. Looks nice but for me uninspiring in both feel and sound, and certainly when for the same sort of money you can get a custom bass from ACG or Shuker, not really very tempting.

Blacki Distribution/Woodview had basses from Spear, Fox, and D'Alegria, but nothing that I hadn't seen at LGS earlier in the year. TBH I was more interested in the Fox electro-acoustic guitars than any of their bass offerings.

Ernie Ball. Every so often I try a Stingray, because they seem to have a good reputation, and after a few minutes put it down deciding that it's really not for me. This year I decided to see what all the fuss was about the Bongo. For me really uninspiring, just couldn't get to grips with the feel and that was having tried several of the examples on the stand, so I didn't even bother with the sound.

More fun on the Bass Merchant/Overwater stand where I met Nick (doctor of the bass) and was blinded by the lightshow on the new King Bass, and had a very interesting conversation with Chris May of Overwater about a 5-string fretless Original I recently bought that turns out to have been perhaps the very first 5-string Overwater ever made and is apparently featured on some rather famous recordings!

A quick look at the Bass Direct stand confirmed that the stuff I was most interested in was going to be at BassDay and I'm still waiting for Vigier to make a new fretless bass with the Delta-Metal board though...

Lurking on the PRS stand was a selection of Lakland Skylines. Had a great time trying the Hollowbody with the new Chi-Sonic pickups. Still want to compare it with a Dark-Starred US model before making a decision though!

Finally spent far too long looking for the non-existent Electric Babes stand. I seem to remember that last year they only turned up for the Saturday and Sunday, did anyone see them on the other days?

And having told everyone that since the arrival of my fretless Sei and the refinished Gus I was GAS-free, I found myself unable to resist the lure of a Stagg EUB especially since they were actually available to buy. Just got to figure out how to play the thing now!

7string, On reflection I think I might have been spoiled by nicer basses (Sei, Gus etc...), but wasn't just the Bongos that disappointed on Friday. I also tried a really cool looking Sandberg Custom Thinline and a Mayones 4-string and neither felt particularly inspiring.

However on Sunday at BassDay I had a great time playing basses by ACG and RIM, so make of that what you will...

I've only ever tried the Sadowsky pre-amp as fitted to the current NYC basses. There are two bands (bass and treble) and boost only. IMO these basses didn't need any active help and I found my favourite sound was with the amp flat and the passive tone rolled off very slightly. TBH unless the chosen frequencies are missing from your amps controls and they happened to emphasise the character of the bass that you wanted I wouldn't bother. Definitely you'll need to try before you buy.

chrisAngryman, I'm certainly interested in more details. I have a bass which I've stripped back to the wood, and I'm wondering whether to have a go at spraying it myself. I think for this bass though I might want something a bit more 'bling' than the Fender-type colours that Manchester Guitartech does. What metallic colours can you get and what filler and base coat will I need?

As you may have guessed I quite like it although that bass is a bit of an oddity when you look at the rest of the Prestige range which is your standard slight variations on classic models from other manufacturers...

Also I tried some Bongos for the very first time on the Ernie Ball stand at Music Live on Friday. Not at all impressed. I thought to counteract the 'Marmite' looks it would be an amazing playing bass but none of the example I tried were. All felt lumpy and awkward, fine maybe for a £300-400 bass but not at the prices EB wants.

The big selling point as I remember it was the adjustable nut that let set the intonation there as well, so it's interesting to see that the green bass on the left of the group pictures has a fairly standard nut.

There was at least one of these seemingly in every music shop in the mid 70s so I wonder where they all went?

Great day!

Good to be able to put some more faces to avatars and screen names. Urb's Sei was outstanding as were Alan (ACG) and Robbie's (RIM) basses. I have severe gas for an ACG and the RIM upright now.

TM Stevens was totally awesome and I'll be buying some of his CDs ASAP!

Had to miss the last two acts due to amount of time it takes to get back to Nottingham on the train. Maybe next year I'll get a hotel room so I can stay until the end.

Add me to the growing list of Stagg EUB owners.

They've got some for sale on the Stagg stand at Music Live this weekend at £299 in Red only....

A few questions:

1. How do you fit the smaller of the two bits of bent metal? It doesn't seem to be the right shape for the angle of the holes.

2. What's the optimum height to set it at?

3. Where does the larger piece of bent metal go in relation to your body?

4. Finally anyone know of a good tutor in Nottingham?

It's like someone took a Kramer Duke and beat it to death with a bling'd out ugly stick...