Bigguy2017

A long story... scratching my itch for a semi-acoustic bass I got my mitts on a Hagstrom Viking in natty sunburst. After a good clean and a setup I slapped on some GHS medium Scale flats and got down to playing. The good - some nice plunky '60s tones. The bad - neck dive (OK with grippy strap), odd ergonomics - the brige is up near the centre of the body (20 frets to body neck) which means your right hand falls over the bridge - you have to shove everything to the right to get anywhere near the neck pickup. The worst selector switch - a rotary six way (A / A+B / B and same with coil splits) with chicken head knob - a right flimsy crackly mess. Replaced with a Switchcraft short toggle (binned the meh coil splits) - so much better. Didn't play it a lot TBH, but when bro came round for a soul jam it seemed appropriate - out came the Hagstrom showing a big ding at the lower body edge. Closer inspection shows the top coming away from the side - hmmm... I did not knock it, it's been safe in the rack - and I live alone with no pets... looks like the glue gave out under pressure? Out with the G cramps and leather pads but no way will the gap close without totally crushing the thing... So any ideas for a fix? Drip in CA glue to stabilise? Sand down the high part and attempt a finish touch up?

Don't worry about it... people can ask any stupid price - it's what people will pay that counts.

Yes, this is an annoying 'feature' - at practice volume in the house, the DI output is very low level - the Master Vol should be at the input of the Power Amp not before the EQs

If you have a bass preamp or amp with a line level out you only need a headphone amp with two inputs Behringer Miniamp 800 V2 - Andertons Music Co.

Here's inside one I had open a few years back...

I have done a few bridge swaps and never noticed a big change in tone as such... There is a change in the envelope of notes with usually an increase in sustain. The really big change was on my Rickenbacker 4003 - this developed the common 'tail lift' , plus the equally common 'folding' of the body at the neck pickup route, which made it unplayable due to a very high action (even with saddles at max low and extra deep string grooves). I swapped it for the Hipshot replacement bridge (brass version to help with neck dive). This is a straight swap using the same screw holes. I flattened the uneven base with emery on a glass plate beforehand and it was a ten minute swap. The lower Hipshot allowed me to drop the action a lot. The difference was quite noticeable - ridiculous sustain - notes ceased to have a 'plucked' envelope and became almost constant like a bass pedal. Result, a massive improvement in playability, not really better 'tone' but certainly a different sound... (a chunk of foam under the strings helped return sustain to something useful). With 'classic' Jazz and P basses I think the BBOT gives a more traditional look and sound - with modern basses I like the Fender 007-000-5124 American Standard 2007 HMV Bass Bridge for ergonomics and function. I never got on with the huge Badass style bridges - mostly as they look crap. 😉 YMMV.

Loose earth somewhere or dead smoothing cap?

'kin 'ell, that's a beaut

So, the speaker output jack works into an external cab? Therefore signal must be present at the jack socket. Take a close look at the speaker out jack socket - if it's the switching type make sure the contacts are closing without a jack in place - push down on the contacts. Pull off the red + blk speaker spade connectors at the PCB end (LS1 + LS2) - with a DVM check for continuity to the speaker. If no DVM then put a AA battery across these terminals - speaker should click... I can't find a schematic for this combo - Ashdown will supply one I'm assume...

Short scale ?

Fender 7250 ?

Remove the valve and check the voltages on the valve socket - carefully... You're looking for +15 VDC on 6+8 (heaters) and +40 to +150 VDC (HT) on pin 4. You have tried another (known good?) valve... If voltages are there, clean and tighten the valve socket contacts (obvs. with power off and drained!) and have a good look for a cracked PCB trace around the valve socket. Measure the values of R2, R12, R13 and C6 - anything open circuit?

The knob is a collet knob. To remove the knob you have to spin the outer brass ring anticlockwise - use a pair of needle nose pliers in the two slots to get it loose. Once the collet is loose the knob will pull off. Then it's a normal pot with a nut + washer - use a spanner...

Nice... matching + contrasting.