The Badderer Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) I've never had the time / energy / brain power / motivation, to have a look at a couple of little niggles on a couple of the basses I own. Today i had a day off with nothing i needed to do.... and i thought TODAY IS THE DAY!!!! Turns out my fear / laziness was completely misplaced. My assumption with the two basses was that I was going to need to replace / resolder the output jacks and had assumed i lacked the skill to do it. But..... On my very 1st bass that i had been lending out to kids at the youth music project I help with, the Jack had worked loose internally and so was hanging out the bottom of the bass. I fixed it back in place and made sure it was rotated round the right way.... low and behold it was still working fine. On my joint favourite playing bass (Lakland Skyline, AMAZING NECK), again the jack had been giving me issues as when i played, it would just slightly crackle. Again i found when i looked inside that all the electrics were in great condition, there was just one black wire that connects onto the Output Jack, that had just a bit too much spare so when i moved the bass the wire moved into contact to the Jack. All i'm going to need to do is get some decent tape and just tidy up the spare cable. It got me thinking, how many electronically unskilled bass owners there are out there terrified of touching the delicate innards of their bass? I had let myself think that i couldn't fix my Lakland and not touched it for about a year aside from to play without plugging in. I have other basses so just never bothered to give it 10-15 mins of my time and am now kicking myself! If you have basses with niggles i just wanted to encourage you to give it a go (and obviously ask for help and don't just dismantle your bass if you have no idea what you're doing). I was worried about the amount of p*ss taking that is now about to occur, but thought i'd just be brave and post it anyway. Edited January 30, 2015 by The Badderer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Even more fun when you start cranking truss rods, shimming necks, moving bridges and sawing bits off intonation screws. Get stuck in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natjag Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I once tried to solider wire to a tweeter in a speaker, I proceeded to blow the tweeter by having the soldering iron on it for too long. At least that is what I was told. I never tried to solder any again after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Badderer Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 the thing that gave me the confidence to try to fix them was doing a session on setting up my bass with my teacher. he charged me way less than it would have cost to have 1 of my basses set up, and i know how to adjust my truss rods and the relief i'm looking for, adjusting the pick up heights, the action and intonation (i could do that already but good to have his input). I know i could have found all the info on Youtube, but nothing like someone showing you how to give you confidence. I been doing a couple of truss rods today, some pick up height. next i might be doing intonation! feeling much more comfortable with basses and getting a decent toolkit together. in a few months i might see if there's a basic electronics course that i can do as i fancy upgrading the pickups in my 2 beginner basses to see what that'll do, but really need to know how to understand circuit diagrams etc and how to properly solder before i take that on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 There is very little delicate in a bass - they are big clunky 1950s electronics by the most part, apart from the ones with electronics in them, where they get to the 80s! But it is nice to be able to do your own thing. I have done the frets and necks of guitars since the bass setup day at crimson in Dorchester, which is nothing I would have dreamed of attempting before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) [quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1422657018' post='2675423'] Even more fun when you start cranking truss rods, shimming necks, moving bridges and sawing bits off intonation screws. Get stuck in! [/quote] I've done all of the above (and more) and can confirm that this is indeed the case. Get stuck in people! Edited January 30, 2015 by paul_5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 (edited) I've been messing about with electronics since I was a kid, so that doesn't phase me. I love having the excuse to fiddle with my basses innards, but there's only so much you can do. If you can learn to solder and follow instructions, then you can do basic electronics. I build my own pedals and my wife thinks it's magic, but she's bright enough that I bet I could teach her to do it in an afternoon. It's the other stuff that bothers me. Truss rods, shimming necks and adjusting nuts, argh! I do it because I am too cheap to pay anyone else to do it, and I have been doing it since I worked in a guitar shop when I was 15. But I still have no confidence and always feel like it would be better if I got someone else to do it. I put a new set of strings on my five string yesterday (thank you very much Elixir. Loving them so far.) and it threw everything out and I panicked. It took me a while, once I had calmed down, to realise the problem with the B and E strings was that the old set were tapered. I also had to bugger about with the truss rod today, it now looks, plays and sounds just right, and I still feel like I must have done something wrong. Oh, and to be able to dress frets... That would be amazing. I've never had that done on any of my basses and I have a feeling that could be the thing to turn a couple of good basses into really good basses, but I shall probably never know. Edited January 31, 2015 by KingBollock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratman Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I took the plunge a few years ago and replaced the pick ups and wiring on my bass. It really wasn't hard, it just took a while as I didn't want to rush it and mess it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnm93 Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1422657018' post='2675423'] Even more fun when you start cranking truss rods, shimming necks, moving bridges and sawing bits off intonation screws. Get stuck in! [/quote] Umm, the other bits I know, but what's an intonation screw ...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestar Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 (edited) Fixing stuff is great. Managed to replace the brushes on our washing machine last week ! Basses are much simpler and you dont get covered in carbon. Its very satisfying to fix ones own, especially electrics. However i managed to burn between my middle and ring finger by dripping hot gun glue on it last night night trying to mend the new Vox bass amp plug thingy i got for christmas,having carelessly snapped off the jack plug. Jeez never mind lit cigarette ends; use a hot glue gun on someone and they'll sing like a canary ! It hurt like hell and i today have two blisters so be careful out there. Intonation screw: the ones at the back of the bridge that move the saddles back and forward to fine tune string length and the intonation. Edited January 31, 2015 by lonestar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottle Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I think it's great that you've tackled the confidence issue regarding getting stuck in. I have that with everything new. Take the re-mixing challenge on here. Until you get stuck in, you've no idea on what you are potentially missing out on. I don't have any major issues with basses I'm not willing to tackle. Having an electronics background is a bonus, as is an inquisitive mind - I like to know how things work and would happily take a bass apart and put it back together again (and I have done - my Ibanez has been modded from stock). I think if you're relatively inexperienced it would help to start on an inexpensive bass to help build confidence, but what you learn can be translated to more confidence when confronted with either a bigger issue or a more expensive instrument. Put another way - some people see a years warranty on a product and go "oh, goodness what will I do when it runs out?", others look at the warranty running out and go "great, I can't wait to dive in with my screwdriver!" etc Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestar Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Plus there is a welth of information on here if advice is needed. I recommend the Haynes Bass Manual for anyone wanting to learn how to work on their own bass. If not you can find out how to fix most things on Youtube Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Badderer Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 some really great pointers there, cheers guys. i'm just about to have quite a lot spare time, so gonna have plenty of time to learn, where as up until now i've had no spare time to spend on anything, so i've not bothered starting any projects etc. as they'd just end up discarded with no time to finish them off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Most things on bass / guitar are DIY. I can mostly get my kit setup to how I like it, including fret levelling, re profiling etc, however I am not chasing super low actions. I have resorted to a professional setup on one guitar that I could just not get right. Money well spent in that case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I already knew how to solder when I got my first bass, so that wouldn't have been an issue. As I bought it as effectively a kit of parts (Fender Soundhouse had had a fire and Hayman had just got bust, so they were flogging off all the parts one needed to make a 40/40 - other instruments were available), I probably did more work on a bass before I got to play my first note on it than most bassists would do in a lifetime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestar Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Id like to be able to do nuts but the files are a bit prcicey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='lonestar' timestamp='1422743298' post='2676455'] Id like to be able to do nuts but the files are a bit prcicey [/quote] Adjustable nuts from Thomann are a lot cheaper. Of course, you'll then get lots of BCers telling you not to use them, but it's worth it. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/abm_6240_webster_nut_bass.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/abm_6240_webster_nut_bass.htm[/url] If it was good enough for Warwick, it's good enough for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurksalot Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 A selection of needle files will often throw the right one for the job, with added advantage that they are not massively strong and demand you approach the task with a little finesse . Some of those you tube nut filing vids I have seen seem positively brutal . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I agree with Lurksalot. The expensive, bespoke files make the job simpler and quicker, but in the end they all do the same thing. Just take your time and watch what you're doing. Even the shaft of a screwdriver, some dowel or a nail and some very fine grit sandpaper will do it if you take the time to get it right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestar Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Ive heard somewhere on here that welding nozzle files are guaged and can work for thi and are pretty cheap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earhook Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I second the get stuck in approach. Its the best way to learn. My tips (for what its worth) are as follows: Start on a low value item if possible... not your new Ric. Try to use appropriate tools. Remove wood as a last resort. If you get stuck go for a brew and do a bit of research. Dont start working on a bass an hour before a gig or rehearsal. Get all the parts before you start. Find a suitable place to do the work. Dont take on too much.. know your limits. Do it! Fettling you own gear is very satisfying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HengistPod Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I got hold of a Tokai Thunderbird that a bloke had "relic-ed" a while ago. He'd made a proper arse of it - so I've removed all the hardware, stripped the paint and sanded the top edge so it's chamfered rather than a square edge. I've satin-varnished the neck, and am now waiting for better weather to spray the body out in the garage. No hurry. EMG pickups have been purchased cheap off eBay, too. Having done various small fixings on basses in the past, I thought I might as well go the whole hog and effectively start from scratch. I've been through the fear of fixing anything on my car many years ago, and ended up changing stuff like head gaskets myself. So I reckon I can do the same with a bass ... fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnm93 Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 [quote name='lonestar' timestamp='1422715011' post='2675952'] Fixing stuff is great. Managed to replace the brushes on our washing machine last week ! Basses are much simpler and you dont get covered in carbon. Its very satisfying to fix ones own, especially electrics. However i managed to burn between my middle and ring finger by dripping hot gun glue on it last night night trying to mend the new Vox bass amp plug thingy i got for christmas,having carelessly snapped off the jack plug. Jeez never mind lit cigarette ends; use a hot glue gun on someone and they'll sing like a canary ! It hurt like hell and i today have two blisters so be careful out there. Intonation screw: the ones at the back of the bridge that move the saddles back and forward to fine tune string length and the intonation. [/quote] Aha! Ta very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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