iiipopes

Not only that, but there are also offerings from Gotoh and Schaller, as well as HipShot, which are light weight as well. If you go with aluminum, as I did with the HipShots, do make sure it is proper milled aircraft-style aluminum of the proper alloy and thickness so they will be durable.

Nothing. The solvent in the marker will have caused the dye in the marker to soak into the wood fibers themselves. It can't be cleaned off. The best thing to do is to take the same dye that classical bass luthiers use to cover the streaks in ebony fingerboards to give them a uniform appearance. Yes, it will be uniformly darker, which may or may not be a good thing depending on how the rest of the guitar is finished, but that is the reason they are called "permanent" markers.

YES! On my main 4-string P-style custom bass, I changed out the traditional large "Elephant Ear" tuners with Hipshot Ultralights. The traditional tuners weighed a total of about a half kilo. the Ultralights weigh about a quarter kilo total. That's a quarter kilo weight savings. It may not sound like much, but it completely cured neck dive, and over the course of a three hour gig, it is very noticable on the shoulder. Caveat: the lightweight tuners may have a different post diameter than stock, so different bushings may need to be installed. But it is worth it. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/174777-and-now-for-something-completely-different-in-a-pj"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/174777-and-now-for-something-completely-different-in-a-pj[/url]

This sounds like a digression, but please let me use it as a starting point: I can't stand Stratocaster bridges being flush to the body. I'm a Gibson-style man, with the bridge up off the body. OK -- application to the current situation: I do like the ergonomic body shape of a Strat. So on a project guitar, I inset a raised block of wood about 3-4 mm to raise the bridge. To get the appropriate pitch to the neck so it would integrate properly, I had to take the neck to a belt sander and induce a pitch to the neck heel so it would effect the proper pitch to match the raised bridge. I say this because since the OP has decided to modify the instrument with a separate neck, shims may help, but I've always found shims to interfere with tone and sustain. If the OP is not adverse to modifying the neck as a one-time-for-all permanent replacement, then sanding the underside of the heel of the neck to the appropriate pitch may be a solution. It's also much less expensive and much less room for error than trying to recontour the neck pocket.

I do use the orange drops, but not because they are a status symbol. It is because they are readily available and less expensive in the .033 value here where I live, and which I prefer to keep a little more mids in the mix when I do turn down my tone knob on my bass. For other applications and other values of capacitors, I also confess to using the "crappy" inexpensive ceramic disc capacitors. Yes, I'm speaking in jest also as it is difficult, even with emoticons, to express satire or irony. I especially use a smaller ceramic disc version when I use a push-pull with a .0047 to emulate the traditional Rickenbacker style high pass circuit on a bridge pickup. Here's the deal: if you have a push-pull switch or other component, sometimes the smaller radial lead ceramic capacitors are easier to install on a switch or potentiometer, and as stated above, they don't look out of place in the control cavity. On the other hand, companies like RIC or older Gibson guitars use axial lead capacitors when using them as a jumper between components. So, again, to sum up, it's not the brand, per se, for tone, that determines what may be the best capacitor, but it is value that determines the tone, the construction or company reputation that may have a bearing on the consistency of the product, and the style or mechanical aspects of the capacitor that may determine its appropriateness for longetivity or physical application. Bottom line: good guitar- or bass-application capacitors are inexpensive. Don't fall for the marketing hype.

Yes, that was Leo Fender's original circuit for just that purpose.

Instead of brand names, I'm going to list some criteria to look for that make for a superior bass: 1) Laminated neck, at least three - piece maple, for stability 2) Mini-tuners, whether Gotoh, Schaller, or Hipshot, in a 2+3 (B&E on one side, ADG on the other) so that there is more room above the nut on the headstock for the leader of the B string to clear the nut and wrap around the tuning machine post so that it doesn't bind 3) To achieve, especially on the B string, the proper balance of fundamental and overtones, position the "neck" or "mid" pickup so it is proportionally where the D-G segment of a Precision bass is, whatever the scale length 4) Longer upper horn to balance the added weight of a wider neck and the extra tuning machine 5) A body wood/neck/fingerboard that achieves a rather neutral tone so that it can be shaped to suit and retain clarity in every register Everyone has their particular preference for style, weight, electronics and ergonomics, so the particular bass should be played before purchase. Unfortunately, many 5-string basses are merely extensions of their 4-string counterparts, and do not retain balance, tone or ease of tuning when extended to 5. The 5-string is its own instrument and should reflect that in its design and execution.

All capacitors do the same thing. I have tinkered with electric guitars and basses since I got my first mail-order electric guitar in 1975. There is no difference in tone from brand-to-brand for the same value. What does make a difference is that some manufacturers have tighter tolerances, so there is more consistency from unit to unit. However, even this is not an issue with one-time purchase for a bass guitar circuit. The only reason to pay a premium price for a particular brand or model of capacitor is if there is an historical reason for restoration of a particular vintage instrument that has demonstrated its value to factory original. What makes more difference is the value: .022 is the "standard" value for a guitar tone capacitor, and is the brightest when rolled down. .033 is a mid-value that I prefer to retain more mids as I roll off my tone control on my bass. .047 is the "standard" value for most bass guitar circuits, and .1 really darkens up a neck pickup for a dub tone.

EMG makes a reasonably priced passive T-bird replacement pickup in their HZ pickup line. I have a pair of the soapbar 40 HZ pickups in my 5-string, a pickup in the same family of pickups, and in my opinion they are well worth the money with good expanded frequency response and presence.

The Electro-Harmonix 12AX7EH/ECC83 is one of the best gutar and bass preamp tubes out there. My only complaint about it is that it is a little larger diameter than most tubes of this type, so I can't use it everywhere I want to due to the configuration of various amplifiers' tube socket shields. More about tubes, from the folks who know tubes: [url="http://www.thetubestore.com/Resources/Product-Reviews/12AX7-Tube-Review#eh12ax7"]http://www.thetubestore.com/Resources/Product-Reviews/12AX7-Tube-Review#eh12ax7[/url] [url="http://tubedepot.com/12ax7reviews.html"]http://tubedepot.com/12ax7reviews.html[/url]

Yes! Exactly! Indeed! this is what I'm referring to with the 2+3 tuner arrangement on a 5-string bass with lightweight tuners (in this case, Gotohs). I never considered the triangle tuner buttons; not knowing they are available. Where do these come from, and where does a player get a set? I think I'd like to do that for my Ibanez SRA305, which has the same tuner layout. [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1364061194' post='2021530'] I like a split, side by side arrangement as I find it aids balance. As to actual design I really like the ones on my Gary Willis, not the most attractive things, but really slick to use and don't get knocked out of tune on stray mic boom stands or in gig bags [/quote]

Yes. There is a wider coil on segment of the P pickup, so it picks up more of the wider string excursion over the P pickup, hence more output. There is less string excursion near the bridge, so there is not as much interaction of the vibrating string with the magnetic field of the pickup, hence less signal generated. Moreover, (assuming, like vintage Fender pickups, they are both wound with the same type of wire) there is about 10 to 11 kohms' worth of wire on a P pickup, and only about 7 to 8 kohms' worth of wire on a Jazz pickup, so there is less wire in the coil to generate a signal.

Irrespective of the tuner layout, I do have some preferences for the tuners themselves. Now, looking from history forward, using the original "elephant ears" tuners was done simply because that is all that was available. Now, with Gotoh, Schaller, Hipshot, etc., there are top quality light weight tuners (I have three electric basses, one with each set). Irrespective of the tuner arrangement on the headstock, the lighter weight tuners should be used to prevent neck dive and ease up on the shoulder. For example, a set of four large elephant-ear traditional tuners weighs a little less than a half kilo. A set of the Hipshot Ultralights weighs a little less than a quarter kilo. That's a quarter kilo of unnecessary weight, and at least on my bass it is enough to cure neck dive, and it makes a three hour gig go much easier. As far as the tuner arrangement on the headstock: I definitely have an opinion on 5-string basses: 2+3 (B&E on one side, ADG on the other) as opposed to the more common 3+2 (BEA on one side, D&G on the other). The 2+3 arrangement puts the B tuner up the headstock farther from the nut so there is more room for the string leader to wrap around the post, so the string does not bind either around the tuner or over the nut, and the G string, usually being @ 45, doesn't need the room. Remember a standard guitar low E string is @ 46, and it is wound over a small standard guitar tuner, so there is no problem with binding the G string around the post or over the nut as with the larger strings. Rickenbacker were ahead of their time in this regard offsetting the E string on the headstock for the same reason, starting with the original 4000 series basses.

It's not butchering. It's proper setup. That's why all the components on electric basses have screws to adjust them. The nail polish? Yes, it will work, but it will wear off over time, especially if you keep the pickups that close to the strings, and the strings keep hitting the pole pieces. Then you're back to where you started from. As stated above: start with taking an appropriate screwdriver and lowering the pickup a turn on each screw. You will relieve the popping and get better tone.

Neck to body screws are one thing, since they have been engineered that way. But this is a train wreck waiting to happen. With such small screws on thin wood under tension, it will let go, and at the worst time (middle of a gig). Please take it to a qualified luthier and have it repaired professionally, for your peace of mind.

Two thoughts: 1) If you put too much money into a modded inexpensive bass, you will never get the return out of it should you have to sell it; and 2) Two sides of the same coin: 1) you might like it so much that it becomes your main bass, to which you will start to be too concerned about it as you are your current bass, or 2) it will never be as you desire compared to the feel or tone of your main bass, and you will eventually regret spending the money on it. My advice: play it. That's why you bought it. Get a stand that has a latch on it so if somebody tries to nick it they can't do it without either taking the stand with them, or at least it takes an extra few seconds to unlatch it so by that time it's not a quick getaway, and any would-be thief is deterred. Or get strap locks of the screw-in type and not the clip-on type and wrap the strap around the guitar stand. Again, the goal is deterrance. No "lock" will keep a thief away who really wants the item desired, but a good lock or other security measure will provide enough deterrance that a thief will look elsewhere. Finally, I never leave the stage unless I can keep a good eye on my instrument, and we take turns watching when each of the players in turn needs to excuse himself.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1363548454' post='2013996'] The TB thread tends towards thinking that if some other company makes the strings then they must be the same as some string made by that other company. That's not correct because the string companies will be making whatever is ordered from them. So, in this example, Sandberg could be using GHS without them strictly being Super Steels.[/quote] Indeed. This is the case with Ken Smith bass strings.

It is getting into dangerous territory to speculate who manufacturers the strings. Here's why: it is not that much of a leap to go from, "Who makes the strings?" to "Same strings." Case in point: there is a huge urban myth on Talk Bass that Fender flats are the same as D'Addario Chromes. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Fenders are grey, have different width tape wrap, and have a resonant peak at @ 600 Hz., while Chromes have the obvious shiny chrome wide tape wrap and have a resonant peak at @ 200 Hz.

Why not! Oh - BTW: It's not a "balanced" set per se, but GHS has made their 45-105 Boomers set in short scale as actually a 45-107 for, well, decades. Using the same math, that would make a low B string at @ 142 for those who care about such things.

All strings go through an initial break-in "zingy" phase. For the nylons, it is short and by the time you've played the first set they will have settled in for an indefinite time. What causes strings to go "dull" is when gunk and grime work into the windings damping the tone down. On flats and nylons this is less of a concern, and the strings last longer, because the outer windings or sleevings are tight enough around the core to prevent, or at least delay, the amount of gunk accumulating around the core between the windings. When bass strings were not as easy to purchase or had to be ordered if the player was far from a retailer, some players would take their strings off and boil them in water or soak them in isopropyl alcohol or methylated spirits to loosen and clean out the gunk in efforts to make the strings last longer. But all this did was to put more stress on the string from taking it on and off, weakening the core. For nylons, the way you can tell it is time to change strings is not from the tone, but from the sustain. When they get to the point they don't sustain as significantly as when installed, then it's time.

[quote name='Stacker' timestamp='1362788037' post='2004973'] I reckon it's either the switch - crap design - or the cap after it has gone. Very much doubt it's the pup. Have you metered the pup? [/quote] I must absolutely disagree. The switches on Rickenbackers are the highest quality Switchcraft brand out there and available. It is exactly the same switch that is in countless thousands of both guitars and basses since Gibson put two pickups on guitars in the early 1950's, and has been adopted at one time or another by every serious manufacturer of guitars and basses since. That said, rough handling can bend the prongs, and occasionally the control plate will need to be taken off to adjust the prongs with small pliers, but that goes for any instrument that is treated like a rabid dog instead of a fine musical instrument.

A player will feel it most over time with the D and A strings being a gauge lighter, 60 and 80 instead of 65 and 85. I did starting over twenty years ago when I first started ordering customs, and still do. I agree that the difference between 105 and 107 is not really the issue.

I also prefer the 9050CL set of 45-60-80-105. To me they have a more "balanced" feel and consistent tonality, both string to string and up the neck. This is the set of strings, after having tried literally everything since I started playing in 1976, which has converted me from a round wound player to a flat wound player.

There is relatively no fundamental content at that point, anyway, just overtones.

100kohms? That is an odd value. Is the bass active or passive? Passive volume controls are usually 250kohm or 500kohms. If you can't find a 100kohm, and it is passive conventional wiring, a 250kohm will work just fine, and may be less expensive since it is a standard part. If it is active, which I read your bass is because of your saying you pulled the "bass" control, then you have to stick with what is there. If it is a boost/cut control, then yes, the "B" linear taper is appropriate, and the center detent will be helpful to set it to flat, no boost or gain, and navigate from there.