henry norton

[quote name='kennyrodg' post='676266' date='Dec 6 2009, 11:54 PM']Hey Folks, What's the best way to age your hardware.... ooer missus. I've got some incredibly shiny gold tuners on one of my basses,is it do-able ?? Thanks in advance. [/quote] Give your hardware a good hard polish...... Actually gold hardware is just chrome with a bit of gold plate over the top so it's not that easy to make it look aged unless you start scratching the finish off. I always found dirty fingermarks gave my chrome tuners and bridge a rather patinated look - all you've got to do is not ever clean it!

[quote name='oldslapper' post='673948' date='Dec 4 2009, 10:48 AM']I have a Fortress Masterman 5 string, 1999. I have played the bass without any problems and had the action set to my liking, but not new strings/truss rod tweak etc, as I was in a hurry and the multi adjustments on warwicks with justanut, bridge, sadlles, etc meant that could be done. However, it transpires it has a twist in the neck and the truss rod is stiff to the point that to move it more would risk some damage. I don't know what to do, I have contacted Warwick who want me to send the neck back and they'll put a new one on...can't afford that. Could take it to luthier and get neck sorted....can't afford that. Could take it to luthier and get defret.....can't afford that. I could live with the bass as it is, but knowing that I couldn't tweak it anymore means I'll end up hating it...bit emotional I know, but the rest of the guitar is immaculate and electronics sound as a pound. I've just lost a bit of money on a deal and am seriously broke. Could I sell this as is and see what I get, as there seem to be a lot of self-tech guys here who could sort, or defret. Should I sell just the body fully loaded? Should I pay for defret and sell as a fretless? I need to sell to raise much needed funds and am gutted about this beautiful bass having a fault. Any thoughts (other than get a life). I am no tech head, I only just about play the damn things. Thanks for any advice guys & gals Sincerely upset Oldslapper, John[/quote] Hmmm, I'm curious about the twist in the neck. Did you look (or get it checked out by someone else) because you started having problems with it? If so, how bad are the probs? - if not, I would get on and get using it. If a neck's really twisted a defret won't do anything for its' playability either. If you've never adjusted the truss rod and you keep the same basic setup, string gauge, don't spend excessive amounts of time in rain forests etc. you really shouldn't need to adjust it now. I'll probably be shot down for this but I think quite a few truss rod breakages are down to people messing around with them too much - finding reasons to 'give it a tweak' when they don't need to. This comes from bitter experience - if you love the bass and it still works, keep it!

The truss rod's installed now and I've stuck the fillet in and planed it all down ready to carve. I'm quite pleased with the stripe although I've since figured out a better way to fit a 2 way rod without stressing the fillet by installing it via a hole in the headstock, a-la standard Fender.... Hey Ho. Anyway, here's a picture of the neck so far next to a JV Precision neck for comparison.

I want a Wal. A 5 or 6 string would be perfect but a 4 will do. I'd need the actual bass, not the money 'cos that would just get spent on electricity bills and Nintendo games (for my kids, not me!) Oh, and I want it delivered in person by Golchen's girls....

I'm on it today and cut the truss rod channel, followed by the basic neck shape. I had a flat, 2 way truss rod kicking around so decided to fit that instead of the normal curved style. As it would end up pushing directly on the fillet I was a bit concerned it could push it out so I've cut a wider channel for a double width one (12.5mm). It'll look like a bigger version of the normal Fender skunk stripe so I'll just have to wait and see if it looks good in a Delano P pickup, oversized sort of way or, eh.... not. The nut will be at the body end but it won't need an anchor at the headstock end so it won't have the almond plug. Anyway, it's now roughed out and basically shaped so I'll fit the rod, glue in the fillet and get on with carving the profile in the next few days.

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='673978' date='Dec 4 2009, 11:21 AM']HI there. Like the sound of the proposed P bass. My old '72 was maple / maple as you intend. the scratchplate was white, which made it look dead sexy. have you considered body width for overall weight issues ? similarly, there is always the body wieght vs. neck weight thing to think about. a heavier neck may want to nosedive. Again, another one is the height of the board relative to the top of the body. Get it wrong here and there will be a need for some creative solutions on the height of the bridge i.e. need to gain or lose height outside of that available from the adjusters. I only mention these as it's a topic I've been considering myself for some time. I hope this helps save you tears at bedtime. Be interested to hear how you're getting on , thoughts etc good luck with that Tom[/quote] Sounds nice, although a hard maple body will be very heavy it'll sound nice & bright, especially with the maple neck - an interesting mix of bright woods and warm humbuckers. You might be able to get a soft maple body which'll be a fair bit lighter, or chambering the body will help with weight reduction. Bridges like the Schaller 3D can be built up with specially made shims if you find you need a bit more height, or you can alter the neck pocket. Get out there and do it, just make sure you let everyone here how you're getting on.

Go for it! Then you can let us all know how the new position sounds

That's the rub, most everyone uses a Jazz for a single coil bridge pickup, and as the single coil P gives a thicker, more raw sound I just wondered what it would sound like. You could be right Chris, it might not sound too good but you see plenty of split coils at the bridge and I'll bet the single coil is better suited than that. As for the angle, I really don't know why I drew it like that (kind of like a Moserite/Warwick Thumb mix). I expect most players would fail the Pepsi Challenge when it comes to the difference in sound.

Huge apologies to anyone who thought I'd just unearthed an ultra-rare predecessor to the Jazz, the mother of all modern basses. This is just an idea I had; I'm guessing it would sound beefier than a Jazz but with more versatility than a split P. Oh my life what a terrible picture, I didn't realise how blurred it was 'til I saw it posted.

Right - I've had a half an hour this evening to look at my headstock again and have come up with this; Anyway, I'll make a start maybe this weekend so will probably change another couple of times before chickening out and going the '57 Fender route...

[quote name='Buzz' post='669682' date='Nov 30 2009, 01:45 AM']Hmmm, "3 piece ash body". The top shot on the listing looks like a one piece, so I'd discount that. I suspect you might have to paint it as I reckon it won't be bookmatched, but still, cheap for a good preshaped ash body anyway.[/quote] If it's a solid ash body the chances of it being bookmatched are close to zero for just about any guitar. That shouldn't mean it'll look bad, although if it really does offend you a mid-dark tinted finish often gives you the best of both worlds.

Ahem.... Back on topic, every bass player should own a MusicMan at some point during their lives - preferably a Stingray. It's a right of passage for us all.

[quote name='Beedster' post='669410' date='Nov 29 2009, 09:03 PM']Looking forward to seeing this progress mate, although I'd stick with a Fender headstock [/quote] The problem is the late 50s-on Fender headstock is kind of like the diamond bicycle frame in that it's near perfect. Any attempt to change it virtually always looks worse than the original. I tried to come up with a cross between a 51 and a 57 but I have to admit it looks a bit 'frilly'. It could do with a bit more thought but I figured if I didn't like it once it was done it's only one cut away from a 51!

Oops - nearly 100 views for a few empty promises... My wife's been out of the country with the camera - that's my miserable excuse. Anyway, without further adieu, My neck blank is a bog standard slab sawn bit of hard maple. It's got no grubby looking figure or poxed looking birdseye. As it's to be unadorned with dots or frets I wanted it as plain as possible from a distance, but has got a nice interesting grain to it close up. The waney offcut of cherry will be turned into my skunk stripe as I don't have any walnut at the moment and the cherry seems to offer a nice contrast. I haven't included a picture of the whole neck drawing (we all know what a 20 fret Fender looks like after all), but I've stuck in the best close up I could get of the headstock from the rather faint drawing. It's close enough I think to not look out of place on a stock Precision without being just another ripoff.... Let me know what y'all think.

Touchstone Tonewoods sell similar kits to these but they're allot more money. You can't go far wrong for 125 quid but don't expect scatter wound Seymour Duncans & Hipshot hardware

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='668520' date='Nov 28 2009, 06:40 PM']You have to accept a certain amount of noise when playing P-basses through valve amps (my setup too). Have you got an earthing problem on the bass? If when you touch the strings / bridge / tone knob it goes quieter than copper tape is the answer. Otherwise it may just e that this is a noisy set up. You can learn to love the hum. Sorry was typing mine as Luke typed the same[/quote] If it's just a split Precision pickup the coils [i]can[/i] be wired 'in phase by mistake', which will lead to single coil-esque humming with no apparent change to the tone or output. It's a peculiarity of split coils. I use my Precision through a valve amp and it's no noisier than my humbucker equipped, fully screened EB......

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='667970' date='Nov 28 2009, 05:32 AM']Greetings, The full thread on my defret experience is here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5094&hl=aria"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5094&hl=aria[/url] & shows what I chose to do in respect of a lined board. I've been taking it to local jams & gigging it for about 6 months now & a few things have become evident... 1: The rosewood board is starting to tramline - I use roundwounds & I like to bend 'em. I phoned the Bass Gallery to get their advice & to enqquire about getting an ebony board at some point. Their reply: New fingerboard will cost around £300, but don't worry about tramlining too much as it's part of the bedding-in process & can be taken out with a re-shoot when it gets too much. I'm inclined to agree with the "bedding in" statement, as it seems to me that I'm now definitely taking a fretless to the gig - it's starting to sing & growl and do all that good stuff (admittedly part of this is that I've learned how to do it!). 2: Lines. Don't bother, just fill 'em in. When was the last time you actually looked at the frets while you were playing? I mean square on, direclty at 'em? Come On, be honest now. Exactly. You probably haven't for ages - I haven't. What I DO look at is the edge of the board - the dots & the fret ends. This is where markers are invaluable until your ear is good enough to know when you're out (I doubt mine ever will be, plus there's always a gig when you can't hear yourself properly & you end up playing in Braille!). I've "enhanced" mine with Tippex (coz I had some) & varnished it in. A strong contrast is useful as stage lighting can vary. 3: Beware! It can take over your life! Have fun with it Pete.[/quote] My ebony board did the same thing and after some initial worries my Elites were scratching it to shreds I realised they're kind of polishing little lines onto the surface rather than digging trenches - if you run your fingernail down them it should feel pretty smooth, almost like they're not there. 300 quid for a new board though I'd do it for 250..... Nice job on the bass BTW - lovely workshop too I might add, or do you work for Catford Timber????

[quote name='jmsjabb' post='667768' date='Nov 27 2009, 10:03 PM']Blo0dy typical. I have been after a little mark 250 for a while, placing wanteds on here, and finally bought one from GAK. It arrived yesterday, and today on Ebay, one comes up, a few miles down the road at a bargain price. Hmmmmm.[/quote] That sounds like the story of my life that does.... Never mind, there's nothing quite like new gear - yours and yours alone, not to mention a nice guarantee, although I'd hope a MarkBass wouldn't need one.

My pre EB 'Ray in candy apple red. I part exchanged it in 1990 for a 'new fangled' Stingray 5.

At least it's a bolt on, which will make it easier than on a set or thru neck. You will be adding a half or more to the cost of the bass - it might be worth looking at another range or even another make before you take the plunge.

[quote name='danny-79' post='665594' date='Nov 25 2009, 09:59 PM']I did originaly order a chrome but an black one turnd up an kind of like the look of it, just the disadvantage of the straight post is its slightly fiddlt changing strings, have to make sure that the string is pushed al the way to the bottom of the post in order to get a nice angle on it the back of the nut (its almost like its to long or the slot isnt deep enough), ive tryed swapping the posts over but but thay dont fit. (ant thank Mr Foxen for the offer)[/quote] I measured the hole in my straight post reverse Kluson and it goes down about 10mm, which works fine. If you've got a leccy drill you could drill the hole a bit deeper....

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='667366' date='Nov 27 2009, 03:00 PM']+2. S1 mod is the way forward. Dirt cheap, reversible, and the old tones still available should you need them.[/quote] If you're handy with a soldering iron you can try wiring the pickups in series first before you lay your cash on the table for a switched pot a-la S1. I've heard switching from paralell to series makes quite a difference.

TBH I don't think it looks bad because it's got a straight post, it would hardly stand out at all but for the fact that it's not chrome. Maybe there's somebody out there who'd want to swap a chrome for a black chrome D tuner.

After being convinced by my compatriots on the forum [i]not[/i] to plane off the top my JV Precision neck in order to fit a fretless board, I've decided to make one to the same profile in one piece maple with an epoxy coated board. I've designed a different headstock so I don't feel like it's a total ripoff. It's years since I've built anything musical so once I'm sure of the shape I'll post a couple of pictures. Watch this space....

How about the East built ACG filter preamp - probably give you all the sounds you'll ever need and some...