Bass hacks on a budget

[lemmywinks]

20 minutes ago, stewblack said:

I don't do any of the above boiling, or soaking as I am lazy. However buying something isn't really much of a hack for people on a tight budget so the meths guy wins that round 

Depends what value you put on your time really. Taking strings off a bass, going to the shops to buy meths, soaking strings overnight, drying them off, restringing, washing the meths off your pots and pans, being moaned at by your significant other for using the kitchen as your own personal bass laboratory, doing it all again when your strings sound dead after a couple of hours.............

 

There's being on a tight budget and then there's just being tight! A pack of Warwick Red labels is £9.68...........

[Burns-bass]

Cut old credit cards and plastic into picks.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pickmaster-Plectrum-Punch-Make-Your-Picks/dp/B004SHGBDG

[stewblack]

9 hours ago, lemmywinks said:

Depends what value you put on your time really. Taking strings off a bass, going to the shops to buy meths, soaking strings overnight, drying them off, restringing, washing the meths off your pots and pans, being moaned at by your significant other for using the kitchen as your own personal bass laboratory, doing it all again when your strings sound dead after a couple of hours.............

 

There's being on a tight budget and then there's just being tight! A pack of Warwick Red labels is £9.68...........

Good point. If you're earning then your time does literally mean money. Otherwise the meths hack would only work if you didn't have to buy the meths I suppose.

Edited February 14, 2019 by stewblack

[FinnDave]

Soaking your manky strings in meths spoils the taste of it when you fancy a drink later.

 

 

 

Just in case anyone thinks drinking meths is a good idea - it isn't!! Not at all.

[danbowskill]

 

[stewblack]

13 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

 in case anyone thinks drinking meths is a good idea - it isn't!! Not at all.

I've done this (back in my drinking days) and I can confirm it's not a great idea. Had to throw the wine glass away in the end. Could not get the taste out of it.*

 

*Sadly this is actually a true story

[Newfoundfreedom]

2 minutes ago, stewblack said:

I've done this (back in my drinking days) and I can confirm it's not a great idea. Had to throw the wine glass away in the end. Could not get the taste out of it.*

 

*Sadly this is actually a true story

Meths in a wine glass?

Snob!

[Teebs]

2 minutes ago, stewblack said:

I've done this (back in my drinking days) and I can confirm it's not a great idea. Had to throw the wine glass away in the end. Could not get the taste out of it.*

 

*Sadly this is actually a true story

It's okay as long as you don't mix your drinks*

*Withnail & I reference

[Teebs]

1 minute ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

Meths in a wine glass?

Snob!

Meths is always drunk from finest Royal Doulton bone china in our house.

It's important to have standards 🎩

[stewblack]

Just now, Teebs said:

Meths is always drunk from finest Royal Doulton bone china in our house.

It's important to have standards 🎩

God, I bet you move the dishes aside before taking a leak as well.

[Teebs]

Just now, stewblack said:

God, I bet you move the dishes aside before taking a leak as well.

No - I get Mrs. Teebs to do that!

(if she finds out I said that, I'm toast! )

 

[bazzbass]

an electric toothbrush and warm water will clean the dankiest fretboard

[EliasMooseblaster]

11 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

(Unless you live in the South of England, then it's probably cheaper to just buy a new amp)

I do live in the South of England, and I suspect it won't be long before this isn't an exaggeration.

[DaveFry]

NS Design EUBs have no cover over the truss rod adjuster at the headstock . Left out on the stand , dust can collect in the hole because it is upright . An expanding foam type earplug works to plug the hole .

[Stub Mandrel]

Tie your bass to the back of your car and drive around town, save £££s on getting it professionally relicked*

 

*Is taht how you spell it?

[Stub Mandrel]

On 14/02/2019 at 08:58, bazzbass said:

an electric toothbrush and warm water will clean the dankiest fretboard

Tip #2 - don't use the SO's toothbrush...

[knirirr]

On 14/02/2019 at 08:13, stewblack said:

I've done this (back in my drinking days) and I can confirm it's not a great idea. Had to throw the wine glass away in the end. Could not get the taste out of it.*

 

*Sadly this is actually a true story

Years ago, an ex-colleague was in the habit of taking a swig from the lab ethanol bottle. One afternoon he mixed it up with the meths - a mistake he never repeated, because it was fatal. 

[uk_lefty]

I use a dish sponge as a string mute on my P bass occasionally. Now I just have nylon coated strings. They last forever. 

Save money on effects pedals and all that paraphernalia by buying a decent multi and learning how to use it. I learned that a few months back. Made a profit on my old gear and have far more possible effects combos at the end of my toes. The excellent multi effect unit cost me just £100 on BC market place.

Save your strings by cleaning them at the end of practice/ gigs. Of you like a bright sound this is a must. If you want a muddy, thuddy sound, and there's nothing wrong with that, then save on vintage amps/ pickups and basses by just never, ever cleaning your strings.

Save loads more money by never going in to guitar shops. Ever. Especially if you've just had an unexpected tax rebate. You might end up with a brand new stingray. They ain't cheap.

[Bigwan]

2 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

Save loads more money by never going in to guitar shops. Ever.

There's a flaw with this thinking... Basschat is worse than any guitar shop I've ever been in... Except The Bass Gallery...

[Barking Spiders]

On 13/02/2019 at 15:56, Bigwan said:

Don't boil your strings. Steep them in meths overnight to clean them then hang them up to dry. Works a treat!

Plus once you've finished steeping you have the added bonus of a drink

[Unknown_User]

1 hour ago, uk_lefty said:

Save your strings by cleaning them at the end of practice/ gigs. Of you like a bright sound this is a must. If you want a muddy, thuddy sound, and there's nothing wrong with that, then save on vintage amps/ pickups and basses by just never, ever cleaning your strings. 

What's the method of cleaning?  Do you use any particular product or just wipe them down with a dry cloth?

[uk_lefty]

28 minutes ago, Unknown_User said:

What's the method of cleaning?  Do you use any particular product or just wipe them down with a dry cloth?

A wipe down with a dry cloth before going in the case then a cleaning solution when I get home or the next day. I have an alcohol rub type thingy, might be planet waves. I bought it when I was at Uni so it's been going well over ten years. Probably 12 or 13 now I think about it. A few drops on a cloth, rub down the strings and you're sorted.

[TheGreek]

Get expensive basses by waiting near the stage door of gigs and wait for daft musicians with no common sense to start loading their gear into their cars/vans.

You will of course need to stash said item in "your Uncles loft" before selling it on ebay or Crack converters at virtually nothing so that you can get your £10 bag of Smack/Crack/weed.

Sound familiar??

[Maude]

Right, all these money saving tips are all well and good but shall we cut to the chase? It's a sad fact and 'The Management' ain't gonna like it, but just delete your Basschat account and never visit the site again. You all know deep down that before you joined here you got by in life with one, or possibly two if you were feeling particularly extravagant, basses and an amp, and maybe a multi or a handful of individual pedals. Now you're not really sure where to put all the basses you've bought, let alone all the other 'essential' gear. Justify it all you want but you don't need all that gear and nobody else can hear, or care about the subtle differences. Now be gone with you you money saving, little bass soldier, play that one bass and play it proudly 😂. 

 

[Teebs]

2 minutes ago, Maude said:

Right, all these money saving tips are all well and good but shall we cut to the chase? It's a sad fact and 'The Management' ain't gonna like it, but just delete your Basschat account and never visit the site again. You all know deep down that before you joined here you got by in life with one, or possibly two if you were feeling particularly extravagant, basses and an amp, and maybe a multi or a handful of individual pedals. Now you're not really sure where to put all the basses you've bought, let alone all the other 'essential' gear. Justify it all you want but you don't need all that gear and nobody else can hear, or care about the subtle differences. Now be gone with you you money saving, little bass soldier, play that one bass and play it proudly 😂. 

 

Maude for president!