XylemBassGuitar

Hi Everyone, Check out the new Winterfire album [i]The Beckoning Silence[/i]! It. is. AWESOME! No exaggeration, this is my new favorite metal album, by far! You can get the album and listen to a sample track here - [url="https://winterfire1.bandcamp.com/releases"]https://winterfire1....mp.com/releases[/url] Help support a fellow BassChatter, be sure to check out the album! [center][/center]

[quote name='EskimoBassist' timestamp='1345028220' post='1772449'] You could always just pick up a cheap EQ/ boost pedal and step on that when changing basses. [/quote] I would try this route first, especially because it's easier to walk into a music shop with your bass and plug into an active DI pedal than it is to test-drive new pickups in your bass. I've played some really old, cheap basses through a Fishman BassPro active DI that I have and it made them sound like new instruments.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1344498879' post='1765337'] [/quote] Grey hairs already charic? We should all chip in to send you to a spa, we didn't realize how stressful it was being a mod Novak, what amp/cab/pedals are you playing through? Don't forget, that's half the equation. You could play Flea's own bass through a different amp and not sound like him at all, are you sure you don't need to upgrade some gear before the bass? Also, how low is the action on your current bass? Have you put a lot of effort into working on your technique to sound like Flea too?

[quote name='ken_white' timestamp='1344897875' post='1770955'] I think that's the way to go, try a few different sets and see which one i get with and then make a decision! [/quote] Sounds like a plan Also keep in mind that each string gauge/brand will have its own feel. Flatwound Thomastiks tend to feel really floppy (IME) while Rotosounds generally have a more stiff feel. Watch out for cheap low B strings too...you'd be surprised how many defective ones can slip through QA and make it onto people's basses. I get to try out a lot of strings on a lot of basses and (at the moment) I'd recommend checking out: LaBellas Rotosounds DRs (I've been told that their quality is a little inconsistent, but all the sets I've used have been very good).

[quote name='martfitz' post='1331080' date='Aug 7 2011, 10:14 AM']Must try to resist another custom bass - well at least this year anyway )[/quote] You know you want a new custom bass...give in to the dark side young skywal-...marfitz

[quote name='martfitz' post='1330389' date='Aug 6 2011, 02:57 PM']Nice looking basses you're making there by the way.[/quote] Why thank you! I recently finished a 5 string bass for a guy in Chicago and he wanted it strung up EADGC so I thought I'd get in on this discussion. I played the bass a bit before I sent it to him and found that I really like a 5er tuned EADGC, it's a pretty sweet setup.

In my experience, extra rods (beyond the truss rod) are not necessary in a neck as long as the wood used is dry, well-seasoned and quater sawn; all glue joints in the neck are very good (both surfaces flat to .001" or .0254mm) including the fretboard-neck joint; and the frets are well-installed. [i]Also make sure that the truss rod is very tight in its channel[/i], a truss rod that is loose or comes loose later can rattle or vibrate sympathetically with the strings, a possible cause of dead spots. The truss rod being tight in its channel is [i]very[/i] important. Knock on the neck with your knuckles throughout construction to make sure you don't hear the rod rattle. But, don't listen for rattle unless you have all the tuners and hardware off the neck, and if adjustment nuts or washers are on the rod when you do it, make sure to tighten them a little, all these things will rattle a little and you'll give yourself a heart attack when you mistake them for truss rod rattle after you've put 20 hours into the neck. I've never had a dead spot on [i]any[/i] of the necks I've built this way. However, there are lots of very good luthiers out there that swear by stiffness rods and I'm sure they make them work quite well. Keep in mind that you don't want a stiff-as-concrete neck. You [i]need[/i] at least a little relief to be pulled into the neck by the string tension or you won't be able to get really good, low action. Good luck on the build! Do we get to see some pics?

What's the idea/benefit behind having a graphite body? I know graphite is more stable than wood, but is it lighter too? Do they supposedly change the tone?

[quote name='purpleblob' post='1329596' date='Aug 6 2011, 01:59 AM']Sometimes you can switch from B-G to E-C without any issues (major or otherwise)[/quote] +1. Try it and see what happens. Worst case you have some buzz and the intonation will be a little off, it won't be irreversible. If it were me, and I was sure I wanted to stick with the EADGC tuning, I would change the nut and get a setup. BEADG to EADGC is a big change in gauges and you might get some issues from extra-wide nut slots. Also, keep in mind that the EADGC combo will probably have [i]more[/i] tension than a BEADG setup (B strings are, generally, pretty low-tension).

[quote name='Chris Horton' post='1329262' date='Aug 5 2011, 02:25 PM']Can anyone please tell me if there is much difference in tone between the TRB6 , TRB6p , TRB6 II & TRB6pII ?[/quote] Are they all the same scale length? Have the same pickups? If either of those two aspects are different they will [i]definitely[/i] cause differences in tone between the instruments.

[quote name='Hit&Run' post='1315257' date='Jul 24 2011, 03:50 PM']Does anyone have any experience of how much it would cost to sort something like this out, or would it be prohibitively expensive? As always, I welcome any incoming wisdom.[/quote] If someone came to me with a problem like that I would probably inlay a new piece of rosewood over the dent. I'd probably charge in the neighborhood of $30-50. As long as who ever you took it to did a [i]really[/i] great job, I wouldn't shy away from as much as $90 or so even.

I just had an idea.... You could use blue painter's tape (or some other really low-tack tape), write the notes on several strips, then put them on your bass' fretboard. They might stick a little more reliably than post-its but still shouldn't leave behind too much glue.

I'd have to agree with you Muzz. I've always been of the opinion that tonewoods have a fairly subtle effect on tone. Player style/ability (that's #1 in my book) pickups/electronics and scale length will generally change your tone a lot more than the wood. I'm glad there's one more person who might agree with me!

Nice bass! I really like the white accent on the pickguard too.

How are you going to make sure the post-its stay in place?