wishface

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1347536089' post='1802059'] Sadly, I am coming to that conclusion. [/quote] Is it any wonder why? Someone posts a straw man statement and then someone else goes '+1', as if they were doing arithmetic. A bunch of suggestions were made, all of which I followed, and then was accused of not following them by people who couldn't possibly have known either way that didn't read what I had written.If a set of top quality new strings (are you going to tell me these are duff strings too?) haven't made any difference to the considerable volume difference in the E string then the only rational assumption is that it's the pickup. Why? because it's more likely than not that the manufacturer chose a lower quality pickup for a lower price bass. Do all Spector basses come with this exact brand of pickup? Why not, if they are good enough then surely that would make sense, wouldn't it? Save on costs at least.

[quote name='Adrenochrome' timestamp='1347531141' post='1801985'] Cobblers, there people out there playing pro gigs on basses that cost a fraction of yours. Get your bass set up properly. [/quote] You do realise that's a straw man argument. what is it that's not set up correctly then?

right, i got the strings on yesterday. They are wound correctly and have settled more or less. However the E string is experiencing all the same symptoms it did before. The volume issue is clearly down to the quality of the pickup the quality of which, unsurprisingly, is commensurate with the price of the instrument. Other than being new better strings than were on previously everything is exactly the same. There is fret buzz that only seems to have appeared after I adjusted the truss rod (which isn't easy when the strings are on) on the 1st fret at the E and A strings. This wasn't there before.

thank you.

well until i change strings there's not much more that can be done. however the string didn't buzz before i adjusted the truss rod, so maybe that flattened the neck too much,.

starting to get some nasty fretbuzz on the a string when playing the 1st fret. Can't really take the action high enough without the string being too high.

[quote name='clauster' timestamp='1347094317' post='1796843'] Winding the strings on properly could help!! [/quote]every instruction or guide to stringing the bass has a completely different approach. The E and the A, which are the only strings that look rough (i took them off to clean the bass and boiled them and just put them back on, the problems with the E existed before that), never slipped. The G and D are wound correctly as far as i can tell.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1347094304' post='1796842'] Look it's *impossible* for the screw to thread into the saddle without it moving back, away from the neck So if it does that, it means the screw was not flush against the bridge stop to start with. It's not that common but it can happen than as you change the strings a saddle is pushed back a little and the attached screw may protrude just a bit, but enough to cause the effect you describe. However, that's not the normal operation of this very simple system. Make sure the four screws that thread through the saddles, front to back, one per saddle, are all flush against the bridge stop. If it's resting against the bridge stop, as it should and as shown in 'evildead's images, as you turn the screw clockwise, the screw cannot go anywhere, and the saddle is moved away from the bridge as the screw threads into it. This can be quite hard to do unless you relieve some tension first by detuning that string a little first. When you turn it anticlockwise, however, the head of the screw may move away from the bridge stop, as the saddle may offer some resistance. That's why in this case you push the screw so that it again rests against the bridge stop, moving the saddle with it in the process. [/quote]The screws were tight against the bridge to begin with. They were screwed in as far as they could go. Presumably that's intentional so that the screws don't jut out the back of the bridge. In order to move the saddle away from the bridge I had to unscrew those screws. That didn't move the saddle at all, it just moved the screw. So i had to push the saddle back with my finger and then, holding it in place, re tighten the screw so that it was against the bridge again. That way it can't slip.

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1347050635' post='1796580'] Hope this helps a bit at least. [/quote] Thanks. I was under the impression that the break angle off the nut has to be as little as possible and that each successive string wind goes under the last so the string comes off the neck with as little bend or angle as possible into the tuning peg. the gapp between the 12th fret and the E, with the 1st and 24th fretted is about 1mm at most.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1347049154' post='1796535'] Imagine you want to move the saddle farther from the neck. Then you turn the screw clockwise, so it threads into the saddle, and the saddle moves away from the neck. No handling necessary. [/quote] It doesn't though, that's what I'm saying. When I wanted to move teh saddle turning the screw just wound it through the saddle and out the back of the bridge. I had to then push the saddle with my fingers to get it to move back toward the bridge. Turning the screw just had it move and not the saddle.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1347034793' post='1796321'] that seems a lot to me... is this between bottom of the string to fingerboard, or bottom of the string to top of 12th fret?[/quote] string to fingerboard. Measured with a ruler. I don't have a specific measuring tool. [quote]it would be very useful if you could post a clear picture how you put the strings, how they are wound around the post.[/quote] They are wound so that the string is on the inside lessening the amount it has to bend from the nut to the peg. I don't have the camera to hand right now. [quote]When I do it, the tuning is stable from the start, and I rarely go more than 1-2 turns. Right now, in fact, I have one bass where one string does not even have a full turn! (I cut it too short by mistake)... it works just fine. If you put the string through the hole, all the way down into the post, then a sharp turn out, and sharp again to wind around the post... those kinks will hold the string tightly... add a couple of turns and that thing wil not slip.[/quote] Yes that's what I usually do. [quote]I tend to move them with my fingers, or pushing with a screw driver. It's normal. If you loosen the strings a bit, then turn the screw as required to make the saddle moe forward or backward... push with your finger if you have to to make the sadde sit in the new location, retighten string and measure tuning... repeat as needed.[/quote]the point about using fingers is that it's not terribly precise and we are dealing in small increments.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1347033254' post='1796290'] (if a truss rod nut is tight, don't insist on forcing it at all costs, etc) [/quote]Bit late for that. Anyway, i'm not going to adjust it anymore. The neck is fairly straight and the action is low enough that before changing strings it would be counter productive to continue. I can't lower the strings much more anyway as doing so induces some very slight fretbuzz around the 12th fret on the D and the A.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1347022847' post='1796123'] reading through the thread, catching up... by your previous posts, your being reluctant to remove the pickup in the first place and having done so, saying it was not easy... I reach the conclusion that you don't particularly enjoy fiddling with these things nor are particularly adpet if you need to. No problem. Hey, some people enjoy this, some don't, we're not equal. At this stage I'd say what others have already: take it to a tech. You'd be amazed at what someone who does these things for a living can do to a bass, in little time and for little money... it'll be like getting an entirely new instrument. Believe me! [/quote]I'm sure a qualified reputable techie could make some improvements. But i'm not one and I don't know any. If I took the guitar into a shop they'd probably charge me the earth, assuming a shop that's available has repair facilities. Their used to be a luthier that owned a shop (I won't name them) in a town near me, but he was a bit of a pisshead. I live in a rural area there aren't shops nor luthiers here. Big cities have shops but i've never been much enamoured with them as they are often full of people with egos who like to charge lots of money to people that they know don't know as much as them.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347015065' post='1795978'] Back to the bass... Questions to answer: 1) Hold down the string at the first and last fret. What is the gap under the string at the 12th fret? 2) You said the strings slipped when you took them off, can I ask how many times they go around the posts of the tuners? 3) how low are the saddles on the bridge? - whats the downward angle like? 4) Can I ask what else you have been reading/watching in terms of setup, there is the possibility we are telling you things you already know and it seems patronising. [/quote] 1.about 3mm 2. I didn't take the strings off to get to the pickup i loosened them. the strings slip when i put them on the first place. It takes a while to get them to stay in tune. Most of the strings go around a couple of times. 3. the saddles vary in height, not by much, but the highest is about a mm up. They don't have an angle as they are round shaped. 4. nothing, though i knew roughly about intonation before. the only problem is moving the saddles without using my fingers.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1347016568' post='1796003'] I thought we were trying to calm things down and get back to the problem in hand? This has become a very bizarre thread. There have been selfless offers of personal assistance and petty abuse in the space of a few pages. Very odd. [/quote]And, [i]again, [/i]all of those offers have been politely declined for valid reasons with appropriate gratitude.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1347016041' post='1795992'] The title of your thread is "MY CRAP BASS" - if that's not saying your bass isn't any good then I'd like to know what is. There are lots of people on here genuinely trying to help you out & I've got to say that your attitude towards them stinks. I've given you the benefit of the doubt until now but I honestly think you're just trolling. Please don't bother posting another one of your "I'm terribly hurt & nobody understands me" responses to this - I've read enough of them already. [/quote]I'm saying that i've had problems with it because it's a low cost instrument. Low cost relative the price of instruments in general, that is. I'll post as I please. If you don't like it then don't respond. Certainly don't post just to say that you think someone is trolling because that's exactly what you're doing.

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1347006495' post='1795816'] OK I think this is getting a bit out of hand. I appreciate you just want some help, and lots of people are chipping in and trying to help, but perhaps it is not the help that you need. Wishface, it seems the two issues at play (besides the cheapness of the bass) are that you don't have the money to get this sorted by somebody else, and you don't have the knowledge/time to sort it yourself, is that right? It looks like the thing to try at this stage is a new set of strings before we go any further, its a simple job to replace the strings, but as you say you can't afford them. PM me your address Wishface (click on my name and send me a private message), I will send you a brand new set of Rotosound strings I have here on the shelf. That way, you can rule out the strings being the issue and we can go from there, step by step until we help you get your bass working the way you want it. Trust us when we say you CAN approximate a silk purse out of a sow's ear with the right knowledge and tools, and we are all here to help you do that, really. [/quote]Thank you, i'll send the details. What guage are the strings? [quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1347011159' post='1795896'] I am in the middle of Devon if that's anywhere near you, I will fix your bass up and make you a cup of tea if you can get over here. A £300 odd quid spector is not a cheap bass by my very cheap standards, and we can make it play just fine. [/quote] It's about the next step up from a beginner or entry level isntrument. Whether it can be made fine remains to be seen, but there's being playable and there's having a decent tone and no problems that inhibit play. That doesn't mean you need to have the msot e4xpensive top brand parts endorsed by the current top players. It means having an instrument where the limitations are those born by the player not the bass. I'm afraid i live nowhere near Devon, but thanks anyway. [quote name='razze06' timestamp='1347011579' post='1795907'] Sticking to the technical aspect of the matter, I also believe that the strings are the problem here. I have had the same problem with some of my basses, and invariably the too loud (or too quite) string was entirely due to the type/make/material of the strings i was using. I have found rotosounds to have weaker E than others, and EB slinkies to have the opposite effect. If you're not taking up the offer of a set of strings, I recommend you just replace the single E string to verify that indeed that is the root of the problem. [/quote]It could be down to all sorts of reasons, it seems likely that the quality of the pickup may be the case. Perhaps it has worn out over use. I don't remember the sound levels when i first played it, i've had it for ten years. However as i play over the pickup it maybe the accumulated gunk having an effect on it's ability to hear the higher frequencies more clearly.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1346976384' post='1795696'] wishface, I was on this thread this morning and somehow since it seems to have dissolved into you calling people rude and berating them for not reading posts "correctly" [/quote] I haven't berated anyone. Your choice of words is very poor. I have been perfectly polite and reasonable, but i certainly will not tolerate people continuing to misrepresent what I have said. And I did not call anyone rude for misreading my post until they continued to do so after I had corrected them. I think it's grossly unfair to treat people in that way especially when they are looking for advice. In my opinion that is completely out of order. [quote]can I suggest you have been given a lot of advice, and that, combined with research we would presume you are doing on the internet would have solved all the problems you have with your bass. The fact you say your bass still isn't any good gives the impression that maybe you're not understanding or following the advice correctly. Setting up a bass isn't just doing x, y and z - it's reacting to what is in front of you to make it work - from some of your responces it is pretty clear to folk who regularly set instruments up you're not doing this.[/quote] What am I not reacting to? If you want me to react to something when I do it, then explain it to me. I'm no mindreader. I have followed all the advice that has been given. All of it. I said so at the time but some people chose to ignore that and accuse me of making excuses. I do not understand at all how that even makes sense. To criticise someone that has never tinkered with pickups and truss rods before for being hesitant is in my opinion equally out of order. That isn't making excuses at all. I've said it before and I'll say it now: this is the only bass I have, if i screw it up then it won't be the people on here that will lose out. I also didn't say the bass wasn't any good. I said it was a cheap bass, which it is. it has limitations on what can be done with it. It plays the way it plays. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Do you understand that expression? Certainly improvements can be made, but within limitations. It's not going to turn into the bass guitar equivalent of cindarella. I have, again as I have said, made some improvements. I can't do anymore until I can find a replacement E string of a suitably different guage to see if that makes a difference and being criticised for not immediately doing so when i don't live near a bass guitar shop nor have the money to currently spare right now and it's 10pm is ridiculous. I will replace the string when I get the opportunity and I don't care to be called lazy defeatist or to be accused of making excuses in the meantime. [quote]For example tightening the truss rod - it's not a case of just tightening it, it's tightening it correctly. You were asked a few times by people for measurements that would help people advise you which you didn't do, maybe you didn't understand why they were asking or why it was important- which suggests again you need to go read something on how to set up a guitar. Fender have a guide I think on their website or google or your local library may be able to help you. Again when you said you couldn't lower your pickup further you were told why, the bit of foam. And I remember reading someone say that if needed you could trim it down a bit. You chose to read that as "take it out". Ultimatly pickup height is unimportant if the earlier stages of set up havn't been done correctly. The key word there is correctly.[/quote] I was never asked for measurements, i have no idea what measurements you would even be referring to nor how to take them. I was told merely to turn the truss rod a small amount and then leave it for a day. That's what I have done. The adjustment made no appreciable difference. The most improvement has come from me fiddling with the saddles, which has improved the intonation. I also explained that fiddling with the saddles was awkward and clumsy (ie i could just as easily push them too hard) because just manipulating the screw wasn't enough to make the saddle move. I had to get in there with my finger and push it. Fortunately it has made a noticeable improvement. It's not 100% perfect but I'm not about to risk changing it if it means making it worse or pushing too hard and going the other way. I can also see that you have also not read what I have written either: i did take the pickup out and it was a mistake to remove that foam. Something that noone here was correct to observe (until after the fact, I might add). That foam is there for a reason, and removing it has not made any difference at all. There was no way to trim that foam down at all. It was not made clear that there was a narrow strip of foam glued to the udnerside of the pickup. It's no good now saying 'well we didn't say there wasn't' or words to that affect while still accusing me of doing nothing. I have done everything that was asked. You did not ask me to measure anything. If pickup height was not important you should have said to leave it alone and not started talking about removing foam or some attempt at trimming it, you certainly did not say "don't remove it, only trim it". I think it's borderling disgusting to accuse me of making excuses when I have done everything that was asked. To be accused of making excuses when I showed quite reasonable hesitance out of frear or making a potentially costly error, and to then say 'oh we didn't say that' or some such when I explain what happened. You did not ask for measurements and you did not explain how either. I think you are completely and utterly bang out of order and to use the 'we were trying to help because we're the experts and you're not' attitude is outrageous. As is: [quote]Failing that if you would like to be taken out of your misery ill give you £50 for it. [/quote] If you think that's funny you're very mistaken.

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1346968300' post='1795604'] My claim of you not reading things properly is nicely backed up here firstly by you calling me sir, when just to the left here it clearly states that I'm female. And secondly because if you bother to go back and read my posts you will see that the suggestion to take out the foam was not mine. I wouldn't have told you that because I wouldn't do that myself. [/quote] At this point I can only assume that you are trying to provoke an argument. I don't really understand why. It was an honest oversight to assume you are male. I see no reason for that to warrant more unpleasantness. I read the posts people make (and I have read ALL of them, including yours), not their user profiles or the bits and bobs under their user name (which is also written in a very light font anyway). I also didn't say that it was you that advised me to remove the foam, though I certainly don't recall you saying not to do it either. If you thought that was bad advice you might well have spoken up.

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1346967702' post='1795595'] I think it's time to bail out, as it seems that the majority of us, are not getting what the OP really means when he writes something. I would like to apologise for any misreading/interpretation of your posts by me. [/quote] And that would be perfectly fine were it not for the fact that you are still doing it right here: you are again misrepresenting what I said even as you offer an apology for doing so. You are telling me that I have said the majority of people posting here are not getting what I said. Please do not speak for other people, certainly not in this kind of adversarial fashion. I'm afraid I cannot accept an apology offerened under those terms. If you don't wish to continue, having pushed me into a course of action that was not, shall we say, particularly helpful, well that's your choice. Consequently I would recommend you use whatever ignore fucntion this forum has and place me on it. I certainly don't need to be told multiple times about how ungrateful I apparently am, and how you don't intend to respond to me.

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1346967269' post='1795588'] You're not making yourself any friends or earning any respect here. This is a fantastic community, and we treat each other well. You're not reading posts properly, you're being excessively defensive, and you're accusing people of being rude, provocative and out of order when they are trying to do their best to help you. As another poster said before, as far as I'm concerned you're on your own. Cheers. [/quote] And, again, I have been nothing but polite and friendly in response. And for the third time i THANKED you for your offer. Yet this is now the second time you've decided to throw that back in my face and tell me how much you don't want to help me.Never mind the fact that my understandable and reaosnable reluctance to tinker with something as delicate as a pickup on the only bass I own is met with derision and accusations of being ungrateful.Never mind the fact that following that advice was not successful, any follow up on the result of that advice will not be forthcoming because you and your friend have decided to chuck your toys out the pram. I don't particularly regard that as helpful at all, sir. The foam at the base of the pickup is glued to the thing and is placed there for a very good reason that I'm surprised you both chose not to mention. It's there to stop the pickup wire getting crushed by the pickup when it's screwd in place, which is now what's going to happen if i tighten it.

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1346966753' post='1795575'] What??? I made no comment about your health. In fact I queried the person who did! EDIT - thank you for realising that wasn't me and editing it out... please be more careful in future. [/quote] Likewise do not assume that I was not grateful for your offer. It is no less rude.

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1346966714' post='1795574'] Yeah, I noticed that the two offers of help from people relatively nearby, were quickly turned down by saying you are too far away, without even waiting to hear what you had to offer, for all the OP knows, you might be in OP's neck of the woods regularly, and could drop by to help sort out the bass. [/quote] You didn't notice, because you in particularly have not accurately read what I wrote. You earlier made the assumption that I hadn't tried any of the suggestions and had to correct you before. I see you are doing the same thing again. The first suggestion was made by someone that is currently unavailable to which I said that I didn't live in the city he did and that perhaps we could work something out. I don't have any transport and I don't even own a gig bag. It isn't a simple matter of just walking up the road to buy a newspaper for heaven's sake, please actually read the posts you are misrepresenting.The second was made by someone that lives, unfortunately, nowhere near me. What would you have me do, strap on a pair of wings and flap? Summon shadowfax? Again, the offer was met with gratitude and politness and I most certainly do NOT appreciate being traduced in this way. Your are out of order here, very much so.And if that person is in my neck of the woods for some reason then it is for him to say so. I'm not in the business of reading minds. I responded saying I live nowhere near him. Am I then meant to play a guessing game?

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1346966281' post='1795566'] If it was, then I'm truly sorry and apologise. I certainly only intended to be considerate to you and clear to other posters. As a Dutchman, I'm fully aware that we have a different set of values and sensibilities than people in the UK have, and I try to be aware of this also whilst writing on a UK based forum. I'm aware I'm not always successful in this. I felt a huge wave of harshness towards you was to be expected any minute, and I tried to make people think twice before posting. best, bert [/quote] No problem.

<p>[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1346965844' post='1795554'] Meh. I've tried to help, offered to set the bass up for free, and for my trouble been told that I'm rude. I'm out. [/quote] I see.You made an offer, I thanked you for it and explained that I can't get to Gloucester. I'm not sure how you think that's being rude or unreasonable.