Gifted a 4/4 UB, needs love, clueless!

[PaulKing]

We need to see a pic of the neck joint. from the side and from the back.

[hubrad]

If it's been used for rockabilly/psychobilly the action could well have been set extra high for slappity stuff. I knew a guy 20 years back who had mad high action on both dB and guitar so he could really hammer the playing in gypsy jazz. Far higher than needed, imo, but it worked well for him which was the main thing. 

Quite probably not the original bridge if so, so less likely to be a neck joint problem. Basses do flex a little with atmospheric change,but not usually so much without completely coming apart. Unless you've got at least finish cracking around the neck joint I wouldn't be too concerned there.

As above, one string at a time for now! 👍

[Misowaki]

5 hours ago, PaulKing said:

 

 

You have a proper old school 'Demented Are Go' sticker. Psychobilly kudos. That explains the knackered fingerboard. 

 

Yeah, the thing was covered in them and I've gradually been removing them 😄
There's a cheap piezo installed under the fingerboard, too. Amplifies nothing but the slap so was clearly owned by a dude that was all about that!

[Misowaki]

1 hour ago, hubrad said:

If it's been used for rockabilly/psychobilly the action could well have been set extra high for slappity stuff. I knew a guy 20 years back who had mad high action on both dB and guitar so he could really hammer the playing in gypsy jazz. Far higher than needed, imo, but it worked well for him which was the main thing. 

Quite probably not the original bridge if so, so less likely to be a neck joint problem. Basses do flex a little with atmospheric change,but not usually so much without completely coming apart. Unless you've got at least finish cracking around the neck joint I wouldn't be too concerned there.

As above, one string at a time for now! 👍

I figured it was just because it was a cheapo bass but yeah, also makes sense that the bridge was swapped out. I borrowed a friends DB once and I don't remember it feeling anywhere near as high as this. I'm certain the neck joint is fine, surely I'd have seen or heard cracking of some kind if it was going, right?

[Misowaki]

22 hours ago, Rosie C said:

 

After my local bass guy retired, he recommended "Martyn Bailey Luthier Ltd" (https://mjbl.co.uk) 

who can add adjusters to an existing bridge by mail order. It was about £120 from memory and the results were good. 

 

This sounds like an idea! Thanks