XylemBassGuitar

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[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?

Is there a ground (earth) wire running from the pickups to the strings? I'm pretty sure that all EMG's are internally shielded and you actually aren't supposed to run a string ground with them. If you [i]have[/i] a string ground that could be what is causing the problem. Is the entire control cavity shielded (with either shielding paint or copper tape)? Are all the earth connections well-made and do they all end up going to the ground on the jack?

[quote name='Adrenochrome' post='1307142' date='Jul 17 2011, 03:07 PM']Sorry! I'm sure someone with a few [i]useful[/i] tips on technique will be along shortly...[/quote] I actually thought it really [i]was[/i] a pretty genius idea. I wasn't sure that thepurpleblob was being sarcastic by calling it that either. Er, were you being facetious Adrenochrome? Maybe I should just have a little more coffee early before posting on BassChat But really, I do think this is a great idea. You'll focus more on the slide/hammer/pull-off techniques and it will also probably help you keep things more mellow and laid back. Plus, if you get really good at playing with your fret-hand only, you're halfway to having really good double-tapping technique.

In my experience, laminated necks don't impart any additional strength or rigidity and they are less predictable than single-piece necks. I [i]do[/i] occasionally put thin stringers down the sides of a neck, but that's along with a single, wide core piece. You also have to make sure that your glue joints in the neck are [i]very[/i] good, you don't want any voids in the joints, especially if you are doing a multiple laminate. I would also [i]highly[/i] recommend that you use quarter sawn wood for all of your laminates (and really any neck no matter what). Sure, Fender can make some flat sawn necks work, but just because something works a little doesn't mean that's the way you should do it. Quarter sawn wood will be a little stiffer and more stable, especially over time. Having said all that, there are definitely other very accomplished luthiers that will disagree with me, and the above are just my opinions based on my experience. So, I would orient your laminates so that the grain is quarter sawn in each piece. That is, if you look at the butt-ends of the neck blank pieces with the fretboard face oriented towards the ceiling, the end-grain should be almost perfectly vertical. Do a Google search for "quarter sawn wood" if you need better examples. Good luck on your build Harry!

Weird...maybe try hitting the tone pot with some pot cleaner? There might be some corrosion at its lower end causing buzz.

[quote name='Randy_Marsh' post='1233785' date='May 16 2011, 03:58 PM']Recently changed some strings (D'addario Pro Steels) as they sounded pretty dead and dull on my Corvette. I put them on my old Ibanez as they needed some newer strings on them and lo and behold they sound bright and new! So i tried it with some Ernie Balls I'd taken off the corvette previously and they sound like they have plenty of life left too! Could this be a problem with my Warwick? Struggling to think why this might be...[/quote] Have you tried a brand new set on the Warwick yet? If a new set that has yet to touch a bass also sounds dead you might have a problem with the Warwick.

[quote name='el borracho' post='1234446' date='May 17 2011, 08:40 AM']If you look on the back of a packet of D'Addario strings they give you the tension of each string. eg on a EXL170-5SL set for 36" scale G 48.5lbs D 55.7lbs A 46.5lbs E 40.5lbs B 39.0lbs I'm no expert but looking at that I would guess that swapping a G for a B means less tension on the neck.[/quote] +1 B strings are, generally speaking, fairly low-tension.

It seems to me like the height-adjustability feature is dangerous. As long as the height of the nut was set correctly to begin with, leaving about .01" - .005" (.25mm - .13mm) between the first fret and string when the third fret is pressed, you will probably never have to change its height again, even if you change your string gauges. It seems to me that a more useful feature would be adjustable slot widths (though I'm not sure how you'd do this). Also keep in mind that you aren't really getting and special tonal effects from a nut during any time that you are fretting a note; you only really hear the nut on the open strings. I would spend the extra money on a standard nut [i]blank[/i] of your choice material and have a good tech or luthier cut it to fit your bass really well.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1231157' date='May 14 2011, 10:53 AM']Is the buzz really in the nut slot? If you are fretting a note then the nut slot doesn't really come into it.[/quote] +1, generally speaking, the nut is no longer contributing to the sound of the bass as soon as you press a fret. If the bass only buzzes on open strings then I would probably guess it was a problem with the nut, but if it buzzes on fretted notes too you might want to take icastle's suggestion...

[quote name='Robert Manning' post='1234086' date='May 17 2011, 04:09 AM']true true... i was also thinking.. i don't own any basses that don't neck dive! [/quote] This is, in my opinion, a major pitfall of many older [i]and[/i] modern basses. I agree that a bass, by itself, won't improve your playing. However, if you have a bass that balances in standing & sitting positions, has the right action for you, offers easy access to the upper registers and is LIGHT (imagine that) you might feel more motivated to practice for longer if your hands/back/shoulders don't fatigue as easily. Those little added bits of comfort can also help you perfect that solo you've been working on for a long time. If it were me and I really wanted to find a better bass, I would focus less on modern vs. vintage style basses and begin to focus on finding the most playable, comfortable bass for my particular playing style and preferences. You could probably find a couple of vintage basses [i]and[/i] a couple of modern basses that at least come very close to your cosmetic and functional preferences.

You might even want to solder those wires together rather than just crimping them...you should get a better connection that way. Also, I've seen a few instruments that had similar issues due to defective or almost-dead batteries, when did you last put a fresh one in there?