Headless, with 'normal' strings = potential GBH?

[Bassworm]

Hi All,

I play a headless five string which uses only standard strings, not double ball end. Trouble is, the nipped off ends of the strings are a deadly weapon in waiting (See pic)



Any suggestions for making the sharp ends less dangerous? Tape looks terrible and when I trimmed the strings right down to the block that was enough to start one of them unravelling. All ideas welcome, not least because if I don't fix this then sooner or later the keyboard player is going to end up with a lacerated ear'ole.

Cheers All.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

How do you get on with mr.drums? What bass is that anyway? Maybe you could get a small rubber toy like kermit or something.

[Bassworm]

The drummer's far too good to slice up! Like the cuddly toy idea, must start looking around for something suitable. Oh, and it's one of these;



An MPU five headless. Sort of a Wal-alike in some ways but with a definite character of it's own. Love it.

[HowieBass]

I'm curious to see what the tuners look like and how you take the ball ends around those - I guess you can't take the ball ends from the top of the neck instead can you?

EDIT: Ah you beat me to it - hmmmm 'interesting'

Edited May 8, 2014 by HowieBass

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

You may need to send it down to me to have a look at it. Getting it back may be a problem tho'.

[Bassworm]

It's an appealing idea....

...but on second thoughts...

[HowieBass]

Ok how about getting hold of some clear acrylic tube and supergluing 5 short pieces (say 1cm long to the top) that the strings pass through and you snip up to the end of those? Use something like this? http://www.homecrafts.co.uk/buy-clear-acrylic-tubes-m824i?gclid=CI6ar6Chnb4CFdLHtAodnUEA0A

[mybass]

[quote name='Bassworm' timestamp='1399581224' post='2445678']
Hi All,

I play a headless five string which uses only standard strings, not double ball end. Trouble is, the nipped off ends of the strings are a deadly weapon in waiting (See pic)



Any suggestions for making the sharp ends less dangerous? Tape looks terrible and when I trimmed the strings right down to the block that was enough to start one of them unravelling. All ideas welcome, not least because if I don't fix this then sooner or later the keyboard player is going to end up with a lacerated ear'ole.
Some clear stuff that acts like bluetack?


Cheers All.
[/quote]

[sifi2112]

Little rubber ends electrician uses to insulate wires, I saw him heat em up so they 'shrink'

[Bassworm]

Oo! Heatshrink tubing. Good call, I've got some in my garage. Ta!

[tauzero]

What aboutr trimming them down and soldering the end to hold the winding in place?

[BassBod]

I do up the grub screw just enough to mark the string, then undo it again, take the string out and re-cut as close as I dare to the mark, plus a few mm's. If I can still feel a pointy bit I bend it down with pliers so it isn't quite so spikey.