joe_bass Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Hey guys need your help Just received my thumb bass off American Ebay, ordered it about a month ago. It's a 2003 BO 5 string. In great condition and sounds great!! (Will get some photos up in gear porn later) There's just a couple of problems though... Firstly the low B string rattles a bit when played open, however this isn't a problem when going through an amp so I'm not too bothered about it. Secondly all the strings feel slightly slack, I haven't come across this problem before so aren't too sure what to do. Could it be a case that the strings on it are too long? I'm going to adjust the action tonight because it's pretty high. I'm just wondering if there are any tips to deal with the above problems though. Cheers Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 get some new strings on it, set it up as best you can if your confident enough, and see what its like then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_bass Posted August 6, 2008 Author Share Posted August 6, 2008 [quote name='BassManKev' post='256049' date='Aug 6 2008, 10:06 AM']get some new strings on it, set it up as best you can if your confident enough, and see what its like then[/quote] Cheers Kev it's looking that way. Do you reckon it is a case of it being strung with 35" or more scale strings then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 It could be psychological, other people have said that it helps, but making sure that you don't have too much slack around the tuning pegs can improve string tension. On my Thumb BO 4 I snip my strings about 2 inches past the tuning peg and end up with about a turn and a half around the peg when they are up to pitch. Did the vendor tell you what gauge strings are on there? It could be that they've used a light gauge and that is causing the tension issues. Be careful if you are going to go to heavier strings as I believe that anything except the most rescent Warwicks need to have a tapered B string to fit the bridge. You can download the manuals for Warwick basses from [url="http://www.warwick.de"]http://www.warwick.de[/url] and they have very good instructions on how to adjust their 2-part bridge and do a setup. Are you using alternative tunings or concert pitch (BEADG)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_bass Posted August 6, 2008 Author Share Posted August 6, 2008 Cheers mate I will be following that manual when I get home tonight! Will take the strings off tonight & cut them down a bit. No he didn't say, didn't even cross my mind to ask Using BEADG. Never really bothered playing around with other tunings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 I got my Warrick 4 String BO a couple of weeks ago and at first thought it sounded weired especially open E. The strings where pretty heavey gauge too. I put on new strings and fiddled with the settings and it now sounds brilliant. Took a bit of time to set it up, but I guess everyone plays differently Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_bass Posted August 6, 2008 Author Share Posted August 6, 2008 Will have to find a decent set up instruction guide, will also email the seller asking if he knows what gauge the strings are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Most rattly strings I have seen have been down to a worn nut. It's the string slapping against the sides - as it were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_bass Posted August 7, 2008 Author Share Posted August 7, 2008 [quote name='thepurpleblob' post='256403' date='Aug 6 2008, 03:46 PM']Most rattly strings I have seen have been down to a worn nut. It's the string slapping against the sides - as it were.[/quote] Mate you are unfortunately correct. I took the strings off last night to find the nut very worn under the B string. The bass was described as near mint condition and I am now stuck as I left positive feedback for the guy yesterday morning. I've learnt the lesson to [b]thoroughly[/b] check over an item next time. Looks like I'll be ordering a nut from Warwick, does anyone know if I have any ground to stand on demanding the seller to say refund me the cost for a new one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyf Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 [quote name='joe_bass' post='257201' date='Aug 7 2008, 01:51 PM']Mate you are unfortunately correct. I took the strings off last night to find the nut very worn under the B string. The bass was described as near mint condition and I am now stuck as I left positive feedback for the guy yesterday morning. I've learnt the lesson to [b]thoroughly[/b] check over an item next time. Looks like I'll be ordering a nut from Warwick, does anyone know if I have any ground to stand on demanding the seller to say refund me the cost for a new one?[/quote] Probably being a thicko but will ask anyway. From recollection of the two Thumbs (1990 4 and 1991 5 NT's) I've owned in the past, the nuts should be the "Just-A-Nut" types that should be adjustable up and down. Is the slot two deep or too wide for the string? If it's the former, should it just be a case of adjusting it up a bit? If it's the latter and I've not read the thread closely, I'll get me coat! T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_bass Posted August 7, 2008 Author Share Posted August 7, 2008 (edited) Yeah has a Just A Nut 2. It's worn width wise, if you imagine it looks like this... l / l l l l l l l l It's not quite that bad a slant! But literally looks like someone's got at it with a file though *Hmm diagram didn't quite look how it did in editing. Each l l is meant to be a string groove! Edited August 7, 2008 by joe_bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galilee Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Just get a JAN3 from Warwick. The JAN2 is rubbish anyway, because the retaining pegs snap off and leave you with nasty sharp edges at the edge of the nut. The JAN3 is cheap, Warwick send it quickly, and the swap out is a piece of cake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_bass Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 [quote name='Galilee' post='257917' date='Aug 8 2008, 11:15 AM']Just get a JAN3 from Warwick. The JAN2 is rubbish anyway, because the retaining pegs snap off and leave you with nasty sharp edges at the edge of the nut. The JAN3 is cheap, Warwick send it quickly, and the swap out is a piece of cake.[/quote] Cheers Galilee I think I will be doing that, was looking on Warwick & prices are reasonable. Might as well get some beeswax while I'm on it. One thing though is I came across some stuff on Google debating if Just A Nut 1 or 3 is better. Argument with JAN1 is that the tone is better because the brass nut goes with the brass frets yadda yadda yadda. What do you think?? Or am I deff best off with the JAN3 full stop lol? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galilee Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 I'm no expert to be honest, but I have made the JAN2 to JAN3 change on my Thumb. I did consider a JAN1, mostly for the look of it rather than the sound. What put me off is that you have to take the strings off to adjust the nut height on a JAN1. It seemed to me that you'd have to de-string, adjust the height, re-string, test the height, de-string again, etc. It just seemed like a pain to me. Also, I've heard it said that people have had to take a file to their headstocks to get a JAN1 into the space previously occupied by the JAN2, and there was no way that I was going to do that. The JAN3 just slots right in there (if you take the truss rod cover thingy off first). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_bass Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 No sanding the headstock is not some thing I'd be willing to do either so Just A Nut 3 it is then!! So it's just a case of removing the original nut, taking the "Thumb" cover off and gluing the new nut in, then just putting the cover back on?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galilee Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Here you go chap. [url="http://www.warwick.de/media/manuals/JustANut/Upgrade_JAN%20III_en.pdf"]Cleeeek![/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_bass Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 Legend! Cheers mate I shall be ordering it tomorrow most likely! Haven't heard anything back from the seller, haven't even been able to raise an issue with him yet, before I found out about the nut I emailed him asking what gauge the strings are but no response. No feedback for me either!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galilee Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Groovy. One word of warning. Warwick send you all the usual order processing emails, but they're all in German, so I had no idea what was going on at any stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_bass Posted August 9, 2008 Author Share Posted August 9, 2008 Should be alright there lol, my parents lived in Germany for a few years before I was born. Going to order the stuff later tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 If it fills you with more confidence, I changed my Thumb BO 4 nut from a JAN2 to a JAN3 and it's an easy direct replacement. I went through 2 JAN2s since I bought the bass as the ends did indeed keep snapping off. The art with a JAN2 is to remove the outer strings (E & G on a 4) first and then loosen the A & D strings simultaneously. Far too much faffing around for me so the JAN3 was a definite improvement. Be warned that the JAN3 is designed to stay in place using the tension of the strings - so take all the strings off and the nut will fall off! I don't have a JAN1 to compare, but I do have a brass nut on another bass and there isn't a huge amount of difference in the sound of an open and fretted note. Especially when the bass is buried in the mix of a band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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