The Bass Doc

Yes certainly looks a nice joint round about the shoulders - got a feeling though it may sound a bit woolly.

Possibly, but being Welsh he was always a bit sheepish about any involvement

I think this was designed by that renowned Welsh luthier name of Barry Island.

[quote]It's a shame the word 'thud' is always used[/quote] The word I use is THUNK.

It's a good idea to make your choice of fretless bass as close as possible to the fretted one you use so that the only difference is.....you guessed it! I would advocate an unlined board with the occasional side dots - when I tried a lined version I was drawn to what looked like a fret and was inclined to play in behind it. Just my experience mind - we're all different.

Strangely enough you need a neck on first. When you say you have, the guys will chip in with certain formulae.

There you go - unless you're going to re-string using more wraps, simply slacken the string to the point whre you can push the wrap right down and hold it there while you re-tighten. Glad to help.

Just on open A? Can you establish if the buzz is eminating from behind the nut by depressing the string between nut and machine - if so, the likely explanation is too little wrap on the A-string post giving insufficient break angle. See what happens and report back.

[quote name='rslaing' post='503347' date='Jun 1 2009, 10:05 PM']See....I knew you knew everything.[/quote] Whisper it....I even understand women (oh dear, what have I said?)

[quote name='rslaing' post='503246' date='Jun 1 2009, 08:06 PM']have a word with the Bass Doc- he knows everything about things like this.[/quote] Thanks for the compliment rs. but I think the distance between lee4 and myself precludes any practical help. Super glue can be successful but I would suggest a replacement nut is the best way forward. I've always found Yamaha's spares dept to be helpful - ring them and quote the model bass and they should be able to supply a nut to fit at nominal cost.

New one costs around £70 so he's obviously allowed for depreciation and the fact it doesn't suit Fenders - then added £100.

I've experienced quite a few MIM basses that guys have gradually modded - usual upgrades are pickups, bridge and machine heads - work out that cost then compare it to choosing your own neck and body combination plus such hardware. Either way you're never going to get back what you spend so if you go ahead try and envisage it as a keeper.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='502075' date='May 31 2009, 08:05 AM']Looks spot-on to me.[/quote] Me two - so many pics but I'd like to have seen bridge and pickup detail. Worth a punt in my view.

Top one - not sure about the scratchplate shape. Could you try a version whereby the plate travels further up the top horn(towards '51 style P-bass) and have it wrap round the P-bass pickup leaving the MM type 'in the wood'. Might not work - just a thought - I'm no good at graphics of the photoshop kind.

[quote name='EBS_freak' date='May 27 2009, 03:46 PM' post='498911 OK- the fitting of the bridge making the bass sound better unplugged - did it sound better plugged in or did you not get to try it out. And I guess it sounded "better" is open to question because it's all down to taste I guess. [/quote] Yes, the bass in question sounded distinctly 'tinny' and thin until the Badass was fitted then you could sense more resonance as in 'feeling' it through the body when it was held (accoustically). Plugging in would simply confirm what was then known - if you have a bass that's say 'dead' accoustically, plugging it in results in a dead bass sounding louder. If you have a bass that is lively and resonant, plugging it in gives you a lively resonant bass only louder. I did plug in the bass in question which simply confirmed the above.

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='498824' date='May 27 2009, 02:47 PM']The piece of tin - is that why they put the huge ash tray over it? Covers a multitude of sins right? So, people are with me then? The BadAss doesn't really offer anything over the standard bridge unless you are certain that the larger mass improves sustain. Has anybody actually *proven* this to be true? As for the Schaller 3Ds - yup, they have their issues on a restring but they are still a nice bridge. Hipshot A are still my fave though. The thing that bothers me about the filing of the bridge- it's just a bit too limiting for my liking. What about if you were to change string gauge... or make your bass a piccolo bass? That's an expensive bridge to become unusuable. OK, granted, the nut would probably have to be replaced, but the cost of a new nut is a lot less that that of a new bridge. Can you buy spares for the BadAss for such circumstances? Or is is new bridge time?[/quote] The ash tray was originally called a hand rest - Leo's idea was that you would position your hand over the chrome cover in the pickup position to play ahead of it for a relatively deep sound and over the bridge position cover for a more trebly response. As for 'proven' to improve the sound I have heard a poor 'tinny' sounding cheaper-end bass sound better (accoutically) after fitting a Badass but I wouldn't rush to fit one to a perfectly OK Fender - the difference (if any) would be minimal and in many cases it robs from it's originality. Badass do now supply replacement saddles for the occasions you mention above.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='498786' date='May 27 2009, 02:29 PM']FWIW - I get on with the bent tin just fine, as do thousands of others. I wouldn't describe them as unusable or anything...[/quote] Yup the bent tin on my '63 hasn't moved in the twenty-odd years I've owned it.

Yes, definitely clever marketing and being 'first'. It's a bit like EMGs being first to mass produce active pickups - many more followed (I remember being a fan of Reflex but they were BRITISH therefore couldn't possibly any good?). On your point of adjustability, if the Badass is cut correctly on day one I can't think why anyone would want to vary it - indeed Schaller 3Ds have a habit of losing the preferred spacing every time you re-string. There's now some healthy competition for Badass but it's going to be hard to shift them from 'Top spot'.

[quote name='Beedster' post='498677' date='May 27 2009, 12:44 PM']I don't have any brass plates, is it going to make a significant difference to simply earthing the bridge through the strip to a wire and then to the case of one of the earthed pots?[/quote] No real difference - that sounds fine.

Mainly the fact that it prohibits any sideways movement of the saddles. It also has greater mass and enhances the potential sustain. It's important to have the slots properly - I've seen examples where the string is just allowed to sit on the saddle and this negates the first point.

[quote name='Beedster' post='498658' date='May 27 2009, 12:29 PM']Cheers Doc, I take it I simply attach that strip to the common earth one way or another?[/quote] The correct way would be to solder it to a brass plate which would also carry the sponge strip supporting the bridge pickup and then an ordinary piece of wire soldered onto that plate goes out to the control cavity along with your 'hot' and 'cold' pickup leads.

[quote name='Beedster' post='498634' date='May 27 2009, 12:06 PM']I'm currently putting together a Jazz Bass and have the opposite problem, that is I need an earth strip as it's a 62' RI body and there's no way I'm gonna take a drill to the control cavity! However, as I'm installing a J-Retro, I'm getting the idea from the abovge posts that I can do so without needing to earth the bridge, is that the case? Cheers Chris[/quote] I don't think so - it's the fact that the pickups are passive that will dictate that an earth connection is required - EMGs are normally the only ones to get round this. A strip of shim brass can easily be installed 'top-side' to replicate the 62 style.