mcnach Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 (edited) [quote name='wishface' timestamp='1347550966' post='1802359'] i have done exactly what i was instructed to do on this thread and you accuse me of being stubborn? You are either trying to take the piss or you can't read. [/quote] fine you win, you're even more stubborn than me yes, your bass is crap. Obviously. Edited September 13, 2012 by mcnach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 (edited) Ok, my time to chip in again. Most users won't agree with my way of doing things but is up to you if you follow them or not. First thing, let's straighten your neck properly: FIRST STEP: What we need to do here is first to get your neck as straight as it can be. First you need to be aware of wich side the neck bends acording to wich side you turn the trussrod. After you know that (a few tweaks on the truss could be in order so you can find that out) tune your bass and look at the neck from the bridge side - we want to look at the neck's profile on it's edge. If it's curved in any way start turning the trussrod slowly and for each quarter turn repeat tuning the bass. IMPORTANT - i don't give much importance on letting the neck rest between quarter turns, it would take a severely bent neck to cause any damage to the wood wqhile adjusting trussrod! THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RESPONSABILITY! After you get your neck straight as a ruler and tuned then give the trussrod one quarter turn (or a bit less) in the direction that makes your neck curve to the string side making it looking like a very slight bow. Repeat tuning. SECOND STEP: It's time to check the accion. Set your bridge saddles as low as you can get them without any fret buzz, RETUNE AFTER EVERY MOVEMENT, i believe that by now you already are getting the hang of doing this. For every saddle movement struck the loosse string and then try all frets from top to bottom and keep raising/lowering until you get zero fret buzz in your neck and, again, with your bass perfectly tuned. THIRD STEP: Intonation: What we need to do here is to set the saddles correctly in a way that your loose string hits the same pich that if it is fretted on the 12th and on it's 12th harmonic. Start by comparing loose string with fretted 12th, RETUNE AFTER EACH SADDLE MOVEMENT, after that's as close as you can get it then start comparing 12th fretted with 12th harmonic (exactly on top of the fret). IMPORTANT: you need to use a cromatic tuner to help you trough this step, if you don't own one then find a online one (you need tu connect the bass to the PC), there's some free ones out there. FOURTH STEP: Pickup height, it shouldn't be too far or too close from the strings, you were already given some good reference mesurements, if the bass sounds more strong on the treble side instead of the bass side then you need to reduce distance to strings on the bass side and/or increase distance on the treble on. If the oposite than proceed in the opposite way. If you have some foam at hand it's useful to place some underneath your pickup or use some springs on the screws to held the picup pushed up. If you follow all this steps wou'll end up with a playable bass, not with a pro setup but a playable and gigable bass that'll keep you making music for a lot of time. If you find any of this instructions confusing then my best advice is to serach professional help for your bass. (sorry for the english) Good luck Edited September 13, 2012 by Ghost_Bass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wishface Posted September 13, 2012 Author Share Posted September 13, 2012 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1347446660' post='1800826'] nobody asked for an address, or a name. A town, an area is enough. I find it strange, amusing and a little sad at the same time. It must be terrible to live with so much fear of... of I can't imagine what, really. [/quote]I live in north somerset. I don't care to be judged by others as well and I choose not to reveal every portion of my personal details online. I happen to think that's eminently sensible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wishface Posted September 13, 2012 Author Share Posted September 13, 2012 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347535964' post='1802055'] E string not loud... just a thought.... what amp and cab are you using here? [/quote]You've got it the wrong way around. I don't play through an amp/cab. I play directly into the computer I have. The problem with the E string isn't just it's disproportionate volume. It's that the entire string just feels disproportionate: heavier, harder to play, higher than the action allows. I can't explain why this is other than the symptoms of a cheap bass. Playing on the low E is uncomfortable, possibly because the bass is heavy (it is) and perhaps unergonomic (ymmv), but even with it slung high (i don't like it that way, but it's impossible to play slung low), my hand is in an uncomfortable position when playing around and beyond the 12th fret on the E. No problem with the A, D or G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nottswarwick Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 To be fair, and I know this is not gospel, but I don't often play up beyond the 12th on the low E. I does sound a bit weird, and your hand will feel uncomfortable that high up on the low E. And please everyone, I know it is possible to play up there, but I have no idea of the OP's playing ability. I just know that I am a bass teacher, and that while I can do it, I know it takes alot of practice and experience for it to be natural. I would be interested to know how it feels between 3rd and, say, 7th fret. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 [quote name='wishface' timestamp='1347562254' post='1802536'] You've got it the wrong way around. I don't play through an amp/cab. I play directly into the computer I have. The problem with the E string isn't just it's disproportionate volume. It's that the entire string just feels disproportionate: heavier, harder to play, higher than the action allows. I can't explain why this is other than the symptoms of a cheap bass. Playing on the low E is uncomfortable, possibly because the bass is heavy (it is) and perhaps unergonomic (ymmv), but even with it slung high (i don't like it that way, but it's impossible to play slung low), my hand is in an uncomfortable position when playing around and beyond the 12th fret on the E. No problem with the A, D or G. [/quote] Maybe I have got it the "wrong way around" but you have before said that it's not loud enough compared to the other strings. If I remember you claimed that it was down to the pickup being cheap. I don't believe this is the reason. There is logic behind asking what you are playing through in terms of how it recreates low frequencies, but I'll let you do your own reading as to why I might have asked that as I'm the wrong way around. You say the bass is too heavy and uncomfortable for you. No amount of setup, cack handed as you're doing it now or proffesional will make it lighter or change the body shape. Why do you not just sell the thing and pick up something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Undead Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 [quote name='wishface' timestamp='1347562254' post='1802536'] You've got it the wrong way around. I don't play through an amp/cab. I play directly into the computer I have. The problem with the E string isn't just it's disproportionate volume. It's that the entire string just feels disproportionate: heavier, harder to play, higher than the action allows. I can't explain why this is other than the symptoms of a cheap bass. Playing on the low E is uncomfortable, possibly because the bass is heavy (it is) and perhaps unergonomic (ymmv), but even with it slung high (i don't like it that way, but it's impossible to play slung low), my hand is in an uncomfortable position when playing around and beyond the 12th fret on the E. No problem with the A, D or G. [/quote] Maybe your technique needs looking at? But to be honest, it's not that comfortable for anyone to play that high up on the E string without wearing the bass like a scarf. As said before (which you seem to be ignoring) your bass is not what most people would call cheap, and I've never played a low quality Spector from any price range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347563808' post='1802566'] Why do you not just sell the thing and pick up something else? [/quote] And for the sake of our sanity get the shop to set it up for you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 [quote name='wishface' timestamp='1347562254' post='1802536'] The problem with the E string isn't just it's disproportionate volume. It's that the entire string just feels disproportionate: heavier, harder to play, higher than the action allows. I can't explain why this is other than the symptoms of a cheap bass.[/quote] You put some photos of you fretting the strings in very early on in this thread. Is that actually how you fret them when playing? I ask because you fret actually on the frets, rather than between them, which is a rather odd technique when playing a fretted bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerstodge Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 You lot have the patience of saints Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nottswarwick Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 [quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1347566194' post='1802606'] You lot have the patience of saints [/quote] Absolutely. Mods, lock it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 I just noticed the signature of tauzero... Discovering that made up for everything else. I'm so going to use that at some point!!! (I hope that's ok... or maybe you'll quote that signature to me at this very point ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Undead Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 [quote name='nottswarwick' timestamp='1347567939' post='1802644'] Absolutely. Mods, lock it. [/quote] I'm sure they would have already if they thought it necessary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 [quote name='wishface' timestamp='1347562254' post='1802536'] You've got it the wrong way around. I don't play through an amp/cab. I play directly into the computer I have. The problem with the E string isn't just it's disproportionate volume. It's that the entire string just feels disproportionate: heavier, harder to play, higher than the action allows. I can't explain why this is other than the symptoms of a cheap bass. [/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1347569408' post='1802670'] I just noticed the signature of tauzero... [/quote] WHAT! You didn't read my post about it a few weeks back? Sacrilege if I ever sawrit. That said, Tauzero's sig must be one of the best [b]ever[/b]. At some point, somebody needs to explain it to the lucky ones who did not have Latin in secondary school. D*mmit, I just remember they even taught us Latin in music college because of the Gregorian chant. Never taught us this though. I may have to write a Gregorian chant on these lyrics. With added fretbuzz for cheap Spector. OK then, for the lucky ones: (look away if you don't wanna see the spoiler) Coitum = the act of copulation volatilum = state of being airy, up in the air, flying non = not dono = I give Cool or what? best, bert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrig Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 This has got to be one of the most captivating threads for a long time, I just can't help coming back to it. It starts of with a fellow Basschatter asking for help and advice, nothing unusual in that, and in true Basschatter's fashion, the replies come flooding in, all offering sound advice, and even offers of going to the OP's residence to fix the bass personally. And yet we find that twelve pages later, the bass is still [b]unplayable[/b], it has a [b]cheap[/b] and [b]nasty pickup[/b], it has [b]fret buzz[/b], the[b] bridge [/b]can't be adjusted properly, the [b]truss rod[/b] can't be adjusted properly either, the bass is [b]too heavy[/b], the neck is [b]too wide[/b], [i](I've copied and pasted the next line, just so I don't get accused, like so many others have, of misquoting him)[/i], [b]E string isn't just it's disproportionate volume. It's that the entire string just feels disproportionate: heavier, harder to play, higher than the action allow[/b] At first, some thought that maybe he had a duff E string (which does occasionally happen), but he's now fitted a new E string, ([i]which was kindly donated to him[/i]), and yet he still thinks it's not right. If I had a bass that bad,[i] (although we all know that it's not really, and can easily be fixed)[/i], I would sell it, buy a ready made replacement for less money than he would get for the [b]"cheap"[/b] Spector, and get on with actually playing the thing! Sorry WishFace, I know that you probably feel that we are all against you, but you couldn't be more wrong, this a great forum, and I think that you just aren't appreciating the fact that everyone on here, really wants to help you sort your bass out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 [quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1347573799' post='1802753'] WHAT! You didn't read my post about it a few weeks back? Sacrilege if I ever sawrit. [/quote] I apologise profusely, oh master Bert I hated Latin in high school... and it was the subject in which I got the highest mark ever. IN one exam, marked between 0-5, I was awarded a 5.15 because the teacher liked my translation so much. I actually think she knew I hated Latin and she just wanted to annoy me. My usual top mark class would be Maths, or Physics or Chemistry... but she ensured that my best, for the record, was Latin. And I don't remember any of it. But I can still make sense of a lot of it, as I speak Spanish and Italian. I had a gig at midnight tonight... and I managed to use the latin expression. They did not get it... which brings it back... oh no, I'm trapped in a loop!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1347592601' post='1802866'] I hated Latin in high school... .[/quote] But.... quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 [quote name='wishface' timestamp='1347562254' post='1802536'] [b]I don't play through an amp/cab. I play directly into the computer I have.[/b] The problem with the E string isn't just it's disproportionate volume. [/quote] What are you listening through? What speakers or headphones? This may have something to do with the [i]perceived[/i] volume of the string. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 (edited) [quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1347607671' post='1802914'] But.... quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur [/quote] nice one During my first year at university in this country, I had some coursework for the Ecology class that involved writing short essays a couple of pages long, as the answer to a number of points. These were done over a period of several weeks, so usually I'd do one at a time. I submitted the whole thing when asked, and when it came back, section 8 had a note from my teacher written at the top in red: "wrong language, I'm afraid, but I'm sure you are right anyway!" I had written that section in Spanish... and he still gave me full marks for it. Edited September 14, 2012 by mcnach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 [quote name='charic' timestamp='1347611608' post='1802959'] What are you listening through? What speakers or headphones? This may have something to do with the [i]perceived[/i] volume of the string. [/quote] I tried that one. Apparently I was wrong to ask the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1347617760' post='1803046'] nice one During my first year at university in this country, I had some coursework for the Ecology class that involved writing short essays a couple of pages long, as the answer to a number of points. These were done over a period of several weeks, so usually I'd do one at a time. I submitted the whole thing when asked, and when it came back, section 8 had a note from my teacher written at the top in red: "wrong language, I'm afraid, but I'm sure you are right anyway!" I had written that section in Spanish... and he still gave me full marks for it. [/quote] By the way Jose, I was thinking last night, did you ever get that pickup fixed? I think I had half a dream of you and loads and loads of wire everywhere. Why I was dreaming that I don't know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 It's normal that a bass doesn't sound like it should when connected to a PC. The hardware and the PC speakers are not suited to take the signal and freqs that a bass throws in! If that was that simple there would be no need for amplifier manufacturers to make specific bass/guitar/keybpard/etc. amps! you should try to get your hands on a bass amp, even a 15W practise amp that you can find cheap, or try to borrow one from a friend. That's the only way to tell if there's anything wrong with your E string. Don't rely on the PC to judge your bass's sound. [b]Maybe this is the root of all your bass problems[/b], i say it again, PC's are sh*t for reproducing bass unless you have a very good professional sound card and great monitors (speakers) and i don't think this is the case because this gear is expensive, a lot more than a bass amp! cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1347622497' post='1803128'] [/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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