neepheid

[quote name='Shire' post='455681' date='Apr 6 2009, 05:26 PM']Ok, I just purchased the following parts. I'll let you know how I get on Switchcraft SWITCHCRAFT JACK 1/4'' Sprague 'Orange Drop' 0.047 Capacitor CTS CTS Premium 250k Solid Shaft Pot x 2 Vintage Wire White - 2 Ft. Here is the wiring diagram that I'm going to use (fig 1b) [url="http://www.kentarmstrong.com/KA_Wiring_Instructions.pdf"]http://www.kentarmstrong.com/KA_Wiring_Instructions.pdf[/url] Thanks in advance, Matt[/quote] Oops, it doesn't look like anyone mentioned the different tapers pots can have. I hope you've bought Audio (Log) taper pots, or your volume control will be rather on/off instead of a smooth progression through the available volume range.

I'd just like to add +1 to the chorus of approval for the Hartke HA3500. I picked one up which needed a little work around this time last year for £140. A resistor had burned out, probably due to a dodgy cap in the power rectification stage for the valve preamp. Replaced the nearby caps and the burned out resistor and it's been great ever since. Was sharing it with some other bands at a gig on Friday and the bass player in one of other bands came to thank me for sharing it and complimented me on my rig, so I guess this is technically a +2 to the chorus of approval

Welcome to the forum

Welcome to the forum Bass a little broken - how? A quick post in the Technical Forum with your problem may help...

Also I believe WD Music have a custom pickguard service where they can generate one from an accurate tracing of your existing one.

Just for everyone's info, I went for the D'addario XL medium scale and they fit very well, even on the E string, with the wraps tapering off between the nut and the E tuner with room to spare - just what I was looking for. According to the Rotosound website, at 35.25" ball end to silks I was worried that their definition of medium scale was maybe just half an inch to an inch too long for my needs (2" between tailpiece and bridge, 31" scale length, leaving approximately 2.25" before the silks, I feared I would be winding full width E string on the post again.)

[quote name='Pookus' post='454223' date='Apr 4 2009, 05:20 PM']Its not really the distance between the strings / pickup thats bothering me. Its the height I've had to adjust the bridge to compensate for the shims I needed to put in the neck pocket to get the angle right (now my neck only has a tiny amount of relief and the action is good with no buzzes etc.) I just feel the whole lot could come down a bit. I want it flatter - its a feel thing.[/quote] Fair enough then. I wasn't trying to be argumentative or anything, just making sure you weren't going to unnecessary lengths to achieve something

[quote name='Pookus' post='454165' date='Apr 4 2009, 03:26 PM']I'm keen on getting the finger board nearer the body. I can then lower the bridge. There is about a cm gap between strings and pole pieces at the moment - which seems too big to me.[/quote] I'm really sorry (my head is all fuzzy with post gig comedown) but I am struggling to understand why you feel you have to make this rather drastic change when you can raise the pole pieces to meet the strings and you state that your beef is with the gap between the pole pieces and the strings. Plus if it doesn't make a difference, you won't have lost anything other than a few moments of your time.

[quote name='Pookus' post='454155' date='Apr 4 2009, 03:11 PM']I think I'll route a couple of mm out of the neck pocket... (carefully!)[/quote] I would advise against it when there's a non-destructive thing you can try first, but it's your call.

The pole pieces of the Model One are adjustable. You can raise/lower them individually with the appropriate allen key.

I survived!

If you didn't get charged then it slipped through the net. Count yourself lucky, but don't count on it.

[quote name='Skybone' post='453318' date='Apr 3 2009, 01:10 PM']If the sale is from a private individual, and not a shop, like you said, you can get them to send it as a gift. If the item is sent as a gift, you should get around the customs charges. There's always getting them to send it as a lower value package (but insure it for what it's worth).[/quote] Wrong. As explained above.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='453183' date='Apr 3 2009, 11:51 AM']You don't always pay import duty as there's a threshold below which HMR&C don't bother, but if you allow for it then there's no nasty surprises.[/quote] +1 Correct - as explained in the wiki article - "Customs duty will be waived if the amount (of Customs Duty) is less than £7."

I used my job interview mindset - it's not an interview, I'm just going for a yap with someone about a job. I've got almost every job I've interviewed for and I've auditioned for one band and they said yes. Relaxation is the key.

[quote name='solo4652' post='453003' date='Apr 3 2009, 09:42 AM']If I buy a used bass off ebay from the USA from a private individual (not a shop), will I need to pay VAT and/or import duties, please? If so, aproximately how much is this likely to be? Steve[/quote] Yes, you will need to pay VAT and/or Customs Duty depending on the value of the item. See [url="http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:buying:importing_gear"]http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:buying:importing_gear[/url]

I'm looking for strings to put on the Hagstrom. It's a short scale bass, but normal short scale strings don't fit - the wraps kick in far too soon. The scale length appears to be around 31", and there's just over 2" between the bridge and the end of the tailpiece. Therefore I need strings that need to be at least 33" before the silks kick in or the wraps taper off. Does anyone use any of the following: Rotosound RS66M Standard - Medium Scale 40 50 75 90 D'addario EXL220M Medium scale - Super Light 40 60 75 95 Can someone check if they are at least 33" from ball end to the beginning of silks/end of wraps? Cheers

Welcome to the forum

It depends how "period correct" you want to be. The Musicmaster was factory fitted with a 6 pole piece Strat pickup under a plastic cover. If you're not bothered about that then the usual upgrade is to put in any alternative Strat sized pickup, like a dual rail humbucker, or a lipstick one. The pics are a little small but it looks like you have some kind of dual rail thing in there already? Anything else and you'll likely have to do some routing and/or pickguard cutting. If you want it back to before, I have a white cover for a Strat pickup from my Bronco if you want it. For the rewiring, probably get some nice CTS pots and a Sprague (sp?) Orange Drop capacitor. To give you some ideas, here is my pimped Squier Bronco - Full size tuners (I wouldn't mess with the ones in your '71 unless they're not working very well) BWB pickguard Lipstick pickup 4 saddle bridge with through body stringing

[quote name='BigRedX' post='452692' date='Apr 2 2009, 07:49 PM']Looks stunning! Brilliant job! What colour is the actual body going to be? However make sure that you get some proper medium-scale (32") strings next time...[/quote] It's going to be white - like the guitar counterpart earlier in the thread: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5233&view=findpost&p=283240"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...st&p=283240[/url] Yeah, I know, the one length of strings most people don't have just lying around. I will get hold of a set before the bassbash.

Now, the story: Yesterday I took the Haggy (as it is becoming affectionately known) across to my mate Rich (Ou7shined on here) to knock our heads together to rewire this badboy. To be fair, Rich did most of it - he's a lot better at electronics than me Still took us two goes to get it right though - first time only the bridge pickup was working. I put everything into the spare body that I had lying around, strung her up (what a weird length - short scale strings are too short by about an inch - the wraps start too soon and I had to use long ones, hence the mess of the E string. What a sound! I knew that these pickups were surprisingly hot for their age - 13K resistance noted on multimeter and it was like they were angry at being dormant for so long! That neck is so fast it's unbelievable. This is going to be so hard to give back once I'm done The wiring is very peculiar, the switch near the neck is a kill switch (on/off for everything) and then the switches left to right from the player's point of view are - neck pickup on/off bridge pickup on/off tone (switches in a treble bleed capacitor) mute (switches in a resistor which has a nominal muting quality on the sound) and obviously master volume for the pot. All that's left to do is refinish the body, and the weather finally seems to be taking a turn for the better. For those of you going to the Scotland/North England bassbash in Moffat, I will be taking this venerable beast with me.

Oh, ye of little faith:

Breaking news: it lives! More soon.