Sue Ryder Bass Arrived

[mcnach]

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='1114538' date='Feb 3 2011, 09:15 PM']Guys

The strings are totally awful. Change the strings and it will make a HUGE difference believe me.

With respect to the action. I had real problems with a neck that had no stability and a trussrod that rather than reduce the relief to address the action issue actually started to come out of the back of the neck

Maybe I was unlucky (try applying pressure to the headstock and see how much the strings move away from the fretboard) but personally I found the neck to be the weak point of the bass and then again anyone can make a body and fit bits to it but making a decent neck takes a lot more skill.

Hence:



Peter[/quote]


yum!

[Dave Vader]

Okay, more on the 6-stringers, plugged the tele in. Oh dear... weak and crappy pickups, crank them and they feedback in totally the wrong way. String change might help the weak sound, as it came with girls strings on (9s).
Also, took some bits off to have a look, and the assembly was a shock, to say the least. Each of the holes on the p/g had 2 corresponding ones in the body. It had been shunted up after the control plate had been moved up, cos the bit of wood it should have been screwed to had broken off. This left the neck pup at an angle as the p/g was pushing it. Explaining why it was so much weaker than the bridge one.
On the bright side, looked like a decent lump of wood. Maybe not alder, but certainly not ply, looks a bit like the alder body of my old Ibby SB70, and feels decently chunky and solid.
New nut, new strings and new bridge are first on my list of to dos, then pups if that doesn't help. Might change the neck eventually though.
Advice, tom was right, these are dogs. If you don't feel the compulsive need to rebuild every instrument you own (like me, often described as an obsessive turd-polisher, but not in THAT sense) then don't buy one. Actually, even if you are, don't buy one.
However, if you have, be nice, don't send it back to a charity shop and demand your money back, just skip it, trash it on stage in a townsend style, or burn it to keep warm. Don't sell it to some poor kid and put him off the instrument for life.

[Musicman20]

Wow, the guitars must be pretty poor then. The bass I tried was pretty alright for a £60 backup to throw around on stage and not worry about.

I showed a picture to a bandmate and he thought it was some boutique Fender copy! Then I explained they are £60 and obviously he thought it was a silly low price.

Let's hope my replacement works properly...then I don't need to spend £300 on a Squier.

[apa]

Im realy getting a soft spot for my white one (And when I say White I mean its WHITE!!) Fresh strings are in so she's in for a treat. The Dark Blue one should be in on monday. Ill have a fiddle and decide which one to bling. The other one I'll lay down in the cellar to appreciate. Im convinced these will be worth a fortune in a few years time

I actually like the neck! Im never bothered by particular neck shapes and its always nice to try something new, never had a P before. So they need a bit of a set up for an hour or so to sort them out. What new bass out the box doesnt?

The only things that realy need sorting are:

1. Through body isnt much use since the ferrels are too small and the bridge goes passed the holes to get the intonation right.
2. The action is still high so a skim of the neck at the pocket may be needed.
3. The fixing and cut outs of the pups are poor but thats realy just cosmetic.

Good points:

1. Perfect balance.
2. Smooth neck and easy to play.
3. Solid Bridge.
4. Nice weight, not too light.
5. Pups are ok

Everything else, like paint finish is all cosmetics.

Sue Ryder RP-1's are Offically COOOOOOOOL.................

A

[allighatt0r]

[quote name='apa' post='1114965' date='Feb 4 2011, 09:37 AM']1. Through body isnt much use since the ferrels are too small and the bridge goes passed the holes to get the intonation right.[/quote]

I can't get my E and A strings to intonate. The open string will be perfectly in tune, I'll then fret the 12th fret and it's far too high. Not sure how much further back i can move the saddles back so this could be a problem!

[apa]

[quote name='allighatt0r' post='1114980' date='Feb 4 2011, 09:49 AM']I can't get my E and A strings to intonate. The open string will be perfectly in tune, I'll then fret the 12th fret and it's far too high. Not sure how much further back i can move the saddles back so this could be a problem! [/quote]

My A and E are still just a little sharp because I cant take the bridges back any more since the through holes are half way along the travel! Once the new strings are in (in about 2 hours time) it should be ok. The strings that come with it are dogs so a change of those may sort it out!

A

[GreeneKing]

[quote name='apa' post='1114965' date='Feb 4 2011, 09:37 AM']Im realy getting a soft spot for my white one (And when I say White I mean its WHITE!!) Fresh strings are in so she's in for a treat. The Dark Blue one should be in on monday. Ill have a fiddle and decide which one to bling. The other one I'll lay down in the cellar to appreciate. Im convinced these will be worth a fortune in a few years time

A[/quote]

You really are the optimist

[mcnach]

[quote name='allighatt0r' post='1114980' date='Feb 4 2011, 09:49 AM']I can't get my E and A strings to intonate. The open string will be perfectly in tune, I'll then fret the 12th fret and it's far too high. Not sure how much further back i can move the saddles back so this could be a problem! [/quote]


try new strings, seriously.

[mcnach]

well, I got my bass this morning:





and look at that, there's a bag too, cool:





I like the handle. I'm unlikely to use this bag, but I'm touched by the fact someone thought of making the handle comfortable:





Another useless accessory: cable and strap included. The keys would be handy, although I have I don't know how many sets by now.





And here's the baby. Plastic sheet still on. The finsih is pretty good. Not as creamy as I thought, definitely white. Very white. Pickguard has a slight blue tinge. Less than this picture suggests, but it's there.





Full body. I think it's pretty. I enjoy the headstock shape and the logo, actually.





I tuned it up and had a quick try. I like it.
It has a good sound overall, although I have to adjust the pickups. The neck is slimmer than I expected, really smooth, no sharp fret ends or anything. The rosewood has a close grain and it's beautiful. I will have to set it up properly but first impressions are really very good. I would not be surprised to get this for £199... so I'm happy (so far) for £60.

The only negative point I found so far is the nut. It's been inadvertently "buzzfeitenised":



But hey, £60.

I actually *liked* playing this. More than any P-bass I've tried. Played it with my thumb whilst palm muting and that was a righteous deep thud I was getting.

The strings are way too thin 'though. And a bit rubbish.

This weekend is going to be an interesting one. Watch this space

[setekh]

[quote name='Dave Vader' post='1114949' date='Feb 4 2011, 09:19 AM']Okay, more on the 6-stringers, plugged the tele in. Oh dear... weak and crappy pickups, crank them and they feedback in totally the wrong way. String change might help the weak sound, as it came with girls strings on (9s).
Also, took some bits off to have a look, and the assembly was a shock, to say the least. Each of the holes on the p/g had 2 corresponding ones in the body. It had been shunted up after the control plate had been moved up, cos the bit of wood it should have been screwed to had broken off. This left the neck pup at an angle as the p/g was pushing it. Explaining why it was so much weaker than the bridge one.
On the bright side, looked like a decent lump of wood. Maybe not alder, but certainly not ply, looks a bit like the alder body of my old Ibby SB70, and feels decently chunky and solid.
New nut, new strings and new bridge are first on my list of to dos, then pups if that doesn't help. Might change the neck eventually though.
Advice, tom was right, these are dogs. If you don't feel the compulsive need to rebuild every instrument you own (like me, often described as an obsessive turd-polisher, but not in THAT sense) then don't buy one. Actually, even if you are, don't buy one.
However, if you have, be nice, don't send it back to a charity shop and demand your money back, just skip it, trash it on stage in a townsend style, or burn it to keep warm. Don't sell it to some poor kid and put him off the instrument for life.
[/quote]
Wow, I feel really lucky. My strat is pretty spot on. All holes line up and even the cavity is better than I expected. The action is nice and low, good intonation and the neck is pretty straight (and it doesn't bend). Actually, even the R is less shabby than in the P pickguard.

Still, I'm worried about the pickups. They sounded bad, but I assumed it was just because it was being played through the bass pod. I'll have to wait for a couple of weeks for my loaned guitar combo to come back home to have an opinion.

[allighatt0r]

[quote name='mcnach' post='1115057' date='Feb 4 2011, 11:02 AM']try new strings, seriously.[/quote]

I'll try that. La Bella flatwounds I think.

[sjohns]

Received my pick ups this morning, spb 3 Quarter Pounders, and put them in, along with a new set of strings, and it sounds like something you would pay a good few hundred notes for before putting decent pick ups in.

Edit: Some photo's





Please Excuse the poor posters

Edited February 4, 2011 by sjohns

[ras52]

"Damn you Basschatters!" Or, "I've just made a charitable donation".

The website only had Navy Blue ones left, so that made the choice easier! However it's being delivered to my home address, so it'll probably languish in a delivery depot for quite some time before I get my hands on it.

The masterplan is to put flats and foam on it. I've got TI Jazz Flats on my fretless, but they cost more that 1/2 the price of the bass!

[Musicman20]

I'd like a USA Fender Precision P pickup...

[allighatt0r]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1115271' date='Feb 4 2011, 01:47 PM']I'd like a USA Fender Precision P pickup...[/quote]

The pickups costs more than the bass!

[url="http://www.dv247.com/guitars/fender-original-vintage-p-bass-pickup--47773"]http://www.dv247.com/guitars/fender-origin...s-pickup--47773[/url]

[sjohns]

[quote name='allighatt0r' post='1115283' date='Feb 4 2011, 01:54 PM']The pickups costs more than the bass!

[url="http://www.dv247.com/guitars/fender-original-vintage-p-bass-pickup--47773"]http://www.dv247.com/guitars/fender-origin...s-pickup--47773[/url][/quote]

the strings and pickups i put it cost more than the bass

[setekh]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1115271' date='Feb 4 2011, 01:47 PM']I'd like a USA Fender Precision P pickup...[/quote]
I see we thought of the same thing Mine's on the way, too (though it's a Highway1 pup, which I'm not sure is exactly the same as the am standard).

EDIT: And I definitely didn't pay more than the bass for it. That's something I couldn't make sense of.

Edited February 4, 2011 by setekh

[apa]

Just put some roto 66's on and.................... BLOODY HELL!! Now Im no P lover and so dont realy know the 'true' sound but BLOODY HELL! Totally different world to the ones it came with. Strung through the bridge the intonation is spot on.

All I can say is for a pure white innocent looking little £60 Bass from a charity shop its got an evil dark sound that is lush!!

A

[allighatt0r]

I think i might get these to put in it!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Original-Vintage-1965-Fender-Precision-Bass-Pickups-/140504921568?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item20b6bef5e0"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Original-Vintage-196...=item20b6bef5e0[/url]


EDIT: Anyone else thinking of going down the ashtray route?

Edited February 4, 2011 by allighatt0r

[Bass_Guardian]

Im hoping to put a gold anodised pickguard on. Bridge and pup chrome covers and ive got american standard pups on the way soon.

Gonna look and sound sweet.

[mcnach]

[quote name='ras52' post='1115265' date='Feb 4 2011, 01:46 PM']"Damn you Basschatters!" Or, "I've just made a charitable donation".

The website only had Navy Blue ones left, so that made the choice easier! However it's being delivered to my home address, so it'll probably languish in a delivery depot for quite some time before I get my hands on it.

The masterplan is to put flats and foam on it. I've got TI Jazz Flats on my fretless, but they cost more that 1/2 the price of the bass![/quote]


Mine was left at my local Post Office rather than an out of town depot... you may be lucky too

[mcnach]

[quote name='setekh' post='1115372' date='Feb 4 2011, 02:45 PM']I see we thought of the same thing Mine's on the way, too (though it's a Highway1 pup, which I'm not sure is exactly the same as the am standard).

EDIT: And I definitely didn't pay more than the bass for it. That's something I couldn't make sense of.[/quote]


why not?

it's the *total* that matters surely.
If the total cost results in a good instrument for teh money invested... why not?

I paid £40 for a used Westfield Jazz that felt and sounded great. I was amazed by how good it was. I eventually spent £135 on a used J-Retro01 preamp for it... and it's a killer bass. £175 sounds like a bargain for the amount of bass I got in teh end. No?

[Musicman20]

My replacement arrived! Much much better. Better paintwork, nice medium weight, string match the pole pieces better, string through holes line up with bridge, and all accessories present!

Best bargain I've found for a long time. No more Squier searching for me.

I notice the nut ain't so hot so if I have to I'll change that.

[setekh]

[quote name='mcnach' post='1115572' date='Feb 4 2011, 04:43 PM']why not?

it's the *total* that matters surely.
If the total cost results in a good instrument for teh money invested... why not?

I paid £40 for a used Westfield Jazz that felt and sounded great. I was amazed by how good it was. I eventually spent £135 on a used J-Retro01 preamp for it... and it's a killer bass. £175 sounds like a bargain for the amount of bass I got in teh end. No?[/quote]
Because I just don't get that attached to instruments. They're tools, as far as I'm concerned. As so, it will problably see a new owner if (when?) I decide I want something different, and I am not looking forward to having the value of the components depreciate that much (I have seen a few basses here shift for about a third of the street price of the individual components, which is something that puzzles me).

Besides, I try to spend as little as possible doing what are, in the grand scheme of things, small changes.

[Mrs Tinman]

Me and my big mouth!