basexperience

It's a good board, but those synths are all on the same loop... which can make things a little awkward 😄 I also discovered the Future Impact has very fragile knobs - I'll have to take it off and get one of those recases to make it smaller, and then pull it into the board a bit. The FCB1010 I drive it with has the UNO chip mod, which means a single patch can change so much stuff. Right now the C4 is making a good Moog bass patch for me, the chorus is in use on some tracks. I should really make another board without the freeze and the ditto, just for live band work. I really can recommend those Harley Benton ISO10AC Pro PSUs. Excellent piece of equipment. That filter pedal took some sourcing, too. Tricky to find. The extended EQ option you can enable on it through the hidden menu is amazing.

Here's the current board - MIDI enabled, I switch patches on the FI and C4 from a FCB1010, which also gives me a couple of expression pedals. The SYB-5 usually has an expression pedal plugged into it too, and the Soundbox filter can have one too, if needed, to alter the filter sweep. The freeze and ditto are for my own amusement... One thing I have noticed, the FI has really fragile pots on it, so I'm going to have to repair it again and get it miniaturised so I can protect it more. I might even build a cage for the controls to protect them further. PSU is one of the Harley Benton ISO-10AC Pro ones, which I can't recommend enough - great PSU at an amazing price, built like a tank and silent. The HB switcher on here is pretty good, too, and does include midi, although I'm not using it. The cheap Kliq tuner turned out to be really good! Latest addition is the M-VAVE ANNBLACKBOX, which is *way* better than I expected. Really solidly built, the mobile app and PC editor are actually really good, and it can model amps and cabs. The on-device UI is actually quite good! Mono only, this isn't an HX stomp by any means, but the sound quality is good enough to provide occasional spooky reverbs and even some decent overdrive. Board was originally built for a synth / dance project (hence all the synth goodness) but it's proving very flexible. The weight, though... ha

I'm not sure this Elwood is a full custom - the spec does include a couple of changes, I think, but they're electronics: the preamp is a glockenklang (which is amazing) and I believe the pickups are Haussel, but looking at the old listing I posted the link to above (which wasn't for my bass) I think everything else is stock. It doesn't have the clear pick guard though, I've noticed that.

As to this explaining the reverse nature of the rods, I'd defer to @Manton Customs - I also wondered about their relative length, and TBH I'd rather have a rod which did the job properly, and I can't help thinking that if the rod is too short, and not made of strong enough material, both of these will contribute to it eventually failing. I'm not impressed with Maruszczyk's construction here at all, personally. Luckily thanks to the carbon rods going in, the new (and better) rod will have a little less stress on it, so I should have all the adjustment I need from now on. @Woodinblack - I pray your bass continues that way - out of interest, what year was yours made? This one was made in 2014, I'm hoping their newer ones use better neck construction.

@Manton Customs has sent me a couple of pics of the old Maruszczyk truss rod vs the one he’s fitting. to say the least, the old one is… “basic”. I’d call it pitiful for a bass that looks as beautiful, or costs this much new! can’t wait to get my hands on the bass again, and have it flat as a pancake for relief as I like 😁 I mean, it’s rusty, for heaven’s sake - the bass has never been kept in any environment which would encourage rust. Says a lot for the quality of the steel?

Another Update - the fretboard binding is back on, routing for the rod and carbon rods will happen soon. Irony / synchronicity: Robin and I have both have colds / flu at the same time 🤣

F&F has *no* buyer protection. It's essentially the same as bank transfer - probably worse, as at least with modern fraud protection there might be some chance of reversing the bank transfer. PayPal? Forget it. Nightmarish. Don't use F&F on Paypal, ever, unless it's genuinely a member of your family, or a close friend you know is definitely on the other end.

I have an update - Robin reckons put carbon rods in would be a worthy upgrade, so the neck is getting those too. Anything which helps me get that neck flat!

Hey there - could you add Julian Mullen on the list? He’s based in Reading, Berkshire - he does excellent work, he fitted a GK-3 and OBP-3 into a 6 string I have, plus did lovely setup work including shims on a fretless of mine. http://julianmullenguitars.co.uk/Contact.htm

Hey there - could you add Julian Mullen on the list? He’s based in Reading, Berkshire - he does excellent work, he fitted a GK-3 and OBP-3 into a 6 string I have, plus did lovely setup work including shims on a fretless of mine. http://julianmullenguitars.co.uk/Contact.htm

If anyone would like to know how the truss rod repair is going - check this thread:

I think @Manton Customs is going to send me one - perhaps Robin could comment on here directly? I'd like to see a picture of the old rod vs a proper truss rod, too - Robin is ordering something suitable.

I’ve heard back from Robin at @Manton Customs - it’s going really well so far. - fingerboard is off, took a lot of work. Maryszczyk apparently go for serious glue. - truss rod looks like it’s some generic threaded rod which has been fashioned into a truss rod, so my guess is this is why it’s failed - the materials aren’t designed for this purpose. - the binding on the sides of the fretboard is pickguard material (plastic) and didn’t do well with the heat, but it’s already on order along with a suitable proper truss rod. - the good news is the neck is in good shape and with a proper rod, it’ll play nicely. this confirms what others have said about their Maruszczyk when the truss rod broke - that for some reason, they don’t put decent rods in their basses. can’t wait to see and play the result!

Hello all! I purchased this a while back on Basschat, a beautiful blue burst Maruszczyk (I was attracted by the finish, if I'm honest, but the bass is a wonderful recording bass, being completely and eerily silent with the Glockenklang preamp it has). All was pretty good for a while, but I never quite got the neck as flat as I wanted it (relief). I knew about the reverse truss rod, so no worries there. I also always had some trouble getting the Allen key into the rod, seemed like it was too far into the neck (it's mounted at the body end). Last year, as Winter came in, I kicked off the humidifier in the studio, and set about mitigating any relief issues I saw on the basses (I monitor humidity in the office to keep it above 45% or so) - Rikkers, Warwicks, Tobias, SRAS7 (twin rod!) etc - then I get to the Maruszczyk, and I decide this year I'm going to get that relief where I want it (I love a very, very straight neck). I run out of adjustment. WTF? I try slackening it off, taking the strings off, putting them back on, etc, nothing gives me any more adjustment. I turn a little more, and... SNAP - there goes the head of the rod! I take the neck off and confirm my suspicions. Yep. Then I spot posts over here on BC about it, so I get in touch with @Andyjr1515 (IIRC) and he directs me to Robin Manton over at @Manton Customs, who tells me he's really busy and he could look at it sometime in March 2025, so I stash the bass (which isn't getting any worse) and wait. Well, it's been interesting so far - I've been introduced to Lenspeed Logistics, who are EXACTLY who you want if you want to courier instruments and gear around the UK - don't use anybody else, guys, these guys are musicians and they know how to transport gear, from what I see. Even chatted to the courier who did the pickup about venues, gigs, the state of live music etc. Great company. The bass should get some attention this week. Robin reckons the usual hot iron treatment should get the neck off - the bass is rather heavily ornamented, shall we say - there's binding around the entire thing, including the neck, so I'm interested to see what Robin can do. Given the discussions I've seen on getting Maruszczyk to engage with this issue, I decided to go straight to a UK luthier to fix, negating issues with shipping a neck (or even sourcing one...). Robin's been great with communications, very patient 😉 Here's a droolsome listing for the same bass on Bass Direct. You can see why I want this thing to work properly, it's gorgeous. https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product/maruszczyk-elwood-absolution-5a-gloss-blueburst/

Nice one. I have a bass with the same saddle type, but the saddles were way too tall. IIRC I got a set from Thomann and got free shipping because I ordered other stuff. I'll fail away your bass direct solution though.

Hey again! The bass is with @Manton Customs now - thanks for recommending, @Andyjr1515 - Robin’s a busy man and now has some time to look at it next week. My bass showed the same sunken truss rod nut behaviour a different Maruszczyk was showing in another thread on here as well, I think. Hopefully Robin can do the replacement and she’ll be a stellar bass.

I played Elites for a while: still string my 1986 Aria Pro II JTB-2J with them! these days, though, after using Warwick strings for a while (they’re awful btw, I just didn’t realise it!) I use D’addario XL nickels. They’re amazing. btw washing strings in methylated spirit / denatured alcohol works wonders. 4-5 uses out of one set, come out sparkly and played in. Lovely.

I was lucky enough to spend some time in the Bass Centre, too: they repaired a Warwick Pro Tube IX for me (which I brought in on the train!) which a courier company had banjaxed, and I bought a Trace 2x10 monolith which I then had to get from Wapping to Ealing Broadway where the car was parked. if you saw a nutjob hailing a cab around london and using it as a seat that day, it was me. That thing was *heavy*. I remember my wife throwing me the car keys over a barrier in a jubilee line station somewhere - she was off doing other stuff with friends 😁 every time I’m down that way in London, I remember BC. Always an anticipation about visiting. The gallery is great though, at least the local pubs are fun 🤣👍🏻👍🏻

Nice bass - have just spotted one come up for sale, and at a really good price, too. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BgrXwtU6t/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Dude, I’m stoked for you! I’ve been gigging since I was 19, now I’m 54 and still gigging, and it’s a rush, isn’t it? Nothing better. Enjoy mate.

An update on this bass: the (reverse, I knew while adjusting!) truss rod snapped at the adjuster. The bass is now with Robin Manton to fit a decent rod. This isn’t unknown on these basses, apparently. Btw I can recommend Lenspeed Logistics for shipping basses. Excellent service from people who know how to transport something fragile and expensive.

Resurrecting this thread - my 2014 Elwood 5 absolution has just done exactly the same thing. Neck wouldn’t go flat this winter, couldn’t get the neck to adjust, ran out of adjustment (anticlockwise trying to get the flat neck I like), head snapped off. My other basses are all fine. I’m hoping a truss rod replacement with something of better quality will do the job, as it’s a gorgeous bass - https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product/maruszczyk-elwood-absolution-5a-gloss-blueburst/ sadly @Andyjr1515 can’t fix it as his arthritis is still flaring, but he recommended Robin at Manton guitars - impressive looking luthier. He’s already replied so we’ll see how the repair goes. should I start another thread on this?

This gig was fun! Band called "Delorean" who I depend for a short while back - flat out rock. The drummer's a friend and invited me in, and we all had a total blast. Great players and the vocalist has a hell of a range! att.t04Yv-Fv5ALPUeaMd6s6QN5IXCiigh5fRZp7Hv42vNw.mp4

I'm really lucky. My other half lets me gig when I need to, she's happy to let me take a room for a studio, so my stuff stays out of the way - which is how I like it. I do have a PA system which keeps wandering around various corners though. She's great, although she doesn't come to gigs often as she doesn't like being places where she doesn't know anyone. The irony is, it's one of the reasons I started playing - as a way to get myself more confident to meet people!

We've got a Macro card, and the music they play in there is a mixture of terrible covers of contemporary pop stuff, but done by what sound like poor tribute acts. Drives me nuts - Dua Lipa sung by what sounds like a bag of angry cats, Tom Jones sounding like his balls haven't dropped, that kind of thing. Awful 😄