Obrienp
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Everything posted by Obrienp
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Yes, good point. The baseplate looks as though it may be thicker but the saddles are not very deep, so I hope it will be OK. Otherwise it’s going to be a bit of credit card under the neck and then I’ve got the problem of the Maruszczyk stainless cheese screws, as articulated by @Woodinblack. 🤞
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Thanks for the tip. I’ve got the saddles to move a bit now but I was really struggling with the intonation adjustment. The locking screw seems to be hidden behind the string and once you loosen it, the string pulls the saddle forward. It’s not easy to keep it in place while tightening the locking screw. Anyway, as per my post above, I have got hold of a Gotoh bridge that I think will work and I have new strings on the way as well. I saw some of your earlier posts about the quality of Maruszczyk screws, so I was very nervous when I first removed the standard bridge but it seems somebody may have waxed the threads on mine. Perhaps the previous owner had put on a different bridge. Anyway, to my surprise the screws came out cleanly and the heads are intact. I put plenty more wax on when I replaced them. The neck screws will be a different story though, so I will be very careful if I ever have to tackle them. It puts me in mind of the screw bolts they used on Japanese motorbikes in the 70s. They were made out of a special vegan cheese!
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Wow! Yes, at least mine is roughly in the right place, although I am struggling a bit to get the intonation right. E string wants to go further back than the bridge will let it but I think the strings may have something to do with that. After a lot of online research, I think I may have found a drop in replacement: Gotoh 510BO. Not cheap for a fairly basic design, at £69. It arrived today and an initial look suggests the screw holes line up. I am still a little concerned that it might not have enough travel in the saddles to get the intonation correct but at least it has conventional adjustment. I’ll post the results once I have fitted it.
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You will be fine with a Hercules stand: they do one, two, three guitar stands. I have had three basses of various heft hanging on a 3 guitar stand and it is absolutely rock solid.
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OK folks, I now have my lovely Elwood 4a medium scale but the honeymoon is wearing off a bit. I want to lower the action a bit and adjust the intonation slightly. That standard bridge is a bit naff isn’t it? Rather than repeat myself, here is the post in the Maru bridge topic: Can anybody help with either the method to do the bridge adjustments, or even better a drop in replacement bridge recommendation?
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Reviving this thread because I just bought a secondhand Maruszczyk Elwood and it has one of these standard bridges. I was looking to lower the action a bit but loosening the top grub screws on the bridge saddles doesn’t seem to cause any reduction in height. I can’t quite make out if there is a little locking screw accessed from the front of the bridge saddle? Also intonation adjustment looks hit and miss. It’s a pretty horrible bridge TBH and somewhat disappointing given the quality of the rest of the instrument. Has anybody worked out which decent after market bridges are a straightforward replacement for the standard Maru bridge? What 4 hole bridges are a direct fit without drilling? If they were wanting to save costs, why didn’t they go for a standard Fender fit 5 hole bridge? There are so many of them on the market for virtually nothing. Viewed from a distance this looks pretty good but close up you realise the deficiencies.
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I just had a rush of blood to the head and bought a Maruszczyk medium scale off eBay, which means I need to sell my Jaguar H. I am going to be listing it pretty soon, just need to get a moment to take the photos and write the blurb. I have had the pickup rewired to give 4 conductors and potted to cut the noise. I wired it up with a 3 way switch to give series/single coil/parallel switching. That gives you two less bassy options than the standard series wiring. Also shielded and Fender high mass bridge.
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So my NBD was yesterday, when the Elwood 4a medium scale i bought off eBay arrived, just in time for a band practice. I am very pleased with it. It is in as new condition, having been completed on 31 August last year and it doesn’t look as though it has had a lot of use. I love the translucent matte finish. The grain shows through nicely. Build quality is excellent and all the screw heads are intact. This one has a 38mm nut, 12” radius and a slim neck all the way up, which suits me perfectly. It looks as though the C neck profile gets a bit flatter towards the top of the neck, which means that it only gets a few mm deeper. It has the standard Maruszczyk jazz pickups and a two band preamp. The build sheet doesn’t say the manufacturer of the preamp. It is fitted with 45-105 flats, which look as though they might be D’Addario but the build sheet gives a Maru reference no, so maybe they just have the same ball ends and blue silk windings. I am not sure whether they are ideal for me. I think I am going to try some D’Addario round wound nickels for a bit more growl. I’m a bit nervous about that because the standard Maru bridge looks a bit complicated to adjust and there is not much scope for fore and aft movement in the base plate. It weighs in at around 3.9 kilos (approx 8lbs 9oz), which is a bit more than I was hoping for, without being grossly heavy. There is a little neck dive on a strap but quite a lot when seated with it on your knee. At some stage I might consider lightweight tuners but I don’t want to have unsightly screw holes at the back of the immaculate headstock. Here is the obligatory pic. The lighting is a bit warm, which is making it look more cream than it is. The bass alongside is short scale.
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The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!
Obrienp replied to Baloney Balderdash's topic in Bass Guitars
The problem with the two saddle bridge is it compromises intonation but if you never go beyond the 11th fret it shouldn’t be too noticeable. The lovely Ibanez EHB1000S has 24 frets, lightweight and very good dusty end access. It also allows you to use full scale strings, giving you much more choice and reduced cost (compared to short scale strings). Why did I sell mine? -
The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!
Obrienp replied to Baloney Balderdash's topic in Bass Guitars
Interesting: no mention of it on the official Fender UK website. It looks like this one would be easier to mod. I wonder what the string spacing is. -
That’s what I understand. Bridge and machine heads by Hipshot.
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Ah right. Sorry, not very helpful then. Could you try Hipshot regarding the bridge?
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Try a PM to SoniaMara on TalkBass. She works for Nordstrand and has answered other contributors’ questions on that forum. P.S. I can tell you that their answer to other owners with the dropping bridge saddle problem has been to use Loctite. Not very popular with some of the owners it has to be said. I think a replacement saddle and adjustment screw is the least they could do.
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I just cut pieces of fibreboard to size to fit the pedals I want to mount. Drill holes to take long cable ties to hold the pedals (and power supply) on: Velcro always comes unstuck from the back of pedals but you can use that if preferred; just staple it on. One cable tie will hold your average pedal. Then cover it with that non-slip perforated rubber matting (the type you put on outside wooden steps) held on with staples. That stops it from sliding around on the floor, prevents the fibreboard edges from flaking and makes it look less naff. Obviously, if you are using Velcro, then put the rubber matting on first. The resultant pedalboard is very light and really cheap to make. I have made several for different configurations of pedals.
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Yes Keith. Rush of blood to the head! The Squier Jaguar H was the proof of concept for medium scale, so that will have to go. I am still working out what else I’m going to sell to cover the Maru 😏. I will definitely bring it along to the next NBS jam. See you there.
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I hope so; I just bought an Elwood 4a off eBay that is in trans white. Complete rush of blood to the head but I had been looking for a nice medium scale and the one on eBay seemed reasonably priced. Might not arrive until the 14th though. The free postage is obviously by camel train! BTW I get the Jake and Elwood thing but shouldn’t it be Donald and Duck? After all Jake and Elwood didn’t play bass 😀.
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Just in case you want an alternative supplier, the Bass Gallery also carry Acinonyx. I got my V1 from them last year and it was marginally less than Bass Direct at the time. Mine is from the second batch and has not suffered from the issues that some of the first batch had: noise, sticking or non-functioning buttons and bridge saddles dropping. I guess they must have sorted any QC issues for the second batch. There is a very active Acininoyx thread over on TalkBass. A few people across the pond have already got fretless and the V2 versions and are giving their feedback. Might be worth checking out, if you are interested in one. For what it is worth, I love my V1 but I agree that the tonal options are not subtle: basically heavy treble roll off, full dub and the mid-scoop also seems to roll-off a lot of treble. I do like the press button, instant predictable tone change and the options work for me in conjunction with the pickup selector but won’t for everyone. The bridge pickup really works well solo: it retains plenty of bass and with the first tone roll-off produces a really nice burpey vibe. It’s really difficult to select the “all in” serial mode but worth it when you do. I would happily swap the mute button for a single button “all in”. It is also a bass that you can play for those 3 hour, Sunday afternoon pub gigs without feeling totally wrecked at the end. Perhaps this V2 is going to have a wider and more subtle tonal palette. As everything is mounted on the scratch plate, they could just flog existing owners a loaded plate to do the conversion. My favoured first variant would have been a medium scale version but I don’t even think they have thought about that one. It would probably mess up the balance as well to have a longer neck.
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Price drop: £135 ono. Also possibility of delivery. I’m selling an Affinity Precision Bass on behalf of a guitarist mate. I checked the serial number on Squier Wiki and it suggests it was made in 2000-1 at the Yako factory in Taiwan. The full spec on Squier Wiki can be seen here: http://www.squierwiki.com/Affinity-Precision-Bass. The highlights are Alder body, rosewood fingerboard, nut width 41.3mm (supposedly, 40.4mm according to my gauge), C shape neck. It weighs 3.7 Kg (a tadge over 8lbs 2oz) and it balances nicely. The pickup is really pretty good; not red hot but not as feeble as recent Squier Ps I have tried. It produces a satisfying P bass thump and growl. The action is not bad either and I think could be lowered a bit more. I didn’t play with the set up too much, because I am sure the new owner will want to change the strings (which I think are the original 45-105) and adjust the intonation. I lifted the pickguard out of curiosity and was surprised to find full size pots and pretty neat soldering (see pic). No shielding though, so there is a bit of hum when you let go of the strings. This a 23 year old guitar and has a few dings on the body, which I have tried to capture in the photos and a number of light scratches. A few dings around the bottom edge near the jack socket have been touched up by a previous owner. Surprisingly the back is pretty devoid of buckle rash. There are signs that the poly finish may be on its way to cracking but it hasn’t happened yet. There are some light marks on the back of the neck, which I have tried to photograph unsuccessfully. Frets show little wear and there are no significant marks in the fretboard. TBH I get the feeling it hasn’t been played that much: certainly not since my mate has owned it. I gave it a little clean and oiled the board with lemon oil. The pickguard has a few hairline cracks on the edges and has obviously had stickers on it. Plus a previous owner obviously used a pick. I started cleaning the residual glue off but ran out of lighter fluid. TBH I would change it for a tort or black guard but it serves its function OK. I have never got on with full scale P basses before and have moved pretty much to short scale these days but I found this example pretty comfortable and easy to play. I guess that is partly because the nut is a little narrower than some, while not being as narrow as a Jazz. The C neck profile is quite shallow as well. It is also lighter than some of my shorties and balances nicely on a strap, or when seated. It would make an excellent modding platform as well. For not very much cash it could be made into a very nice bass: I am thinking Fender high mass bridge, Tone Rider or similar pickup, Wilkinson lightweight tuners, replacement pickguard of your choosing, decent strings, perhaps a bit of mild distressing for that road worn look; job done. In fact please buy it, or I might be tempted to buy it myself! It comes with a very nice but dusty Warwick Rockbag gig bag, with pretty thick padding (25mm according to my gauge). The current equivalent costs about £50. You are welcome to try and buy in Fakenham, Norfolk. I am sure we can find a box to courier it at buyers expense. I can also meet up within about 30 miles or so for a handover. We can accept payment by PayPal, bank transfer, or cash on collection/handover.- 1 reply
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The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!
Obrienp replied to Baloney Balderdash's topic in Bass Guitars
I’m repeating myself but I would go for two stacked vol/tone pots on the HB myself. Yes a little pricey but it will give a lot of flexibility. Of course, an alternative would be a stacked vol/tone and a blend pot. -
A recent acquisition means I need to sell some gear and this lovely little amp is one that has to go. It has been used in conjunction with a Barefaced One10 (which I am also selling), to make a fantastic little, lightweight but surprisingly loud rig for practice, rehearsals and small gigs. The full spec can be found here on the Warwick website: https://shop.warwick.de/en/amplifier/bass-amps/bass-amp-heads/23458/warwick-gnome-pocket-bass-amp-head-200-watt. The highlights are: Class D; 200 watts @4 ohms, 130 watts @ 8 ohms; 3 band EQ +/-15 db cut/boost; gain and master vol; 1/4 headphone socket; DI out with switchable ground lift. All in a package that will fit in the back pocket of your jeans and easily into the pocket of most gig bags. It is also reassuringly solidly built, with a metal chassis and brushed aluminium cladding top and bottom. All this while only weighing just under a kilo. I am told that the fan is quieter than the TE Elf’s. I haven’t had an opportunity to do an A/B but I can say that I don’t find the Gnome’s fan intrusive while playing. I have used this for practice at home, band rehearsals and 2 gigs. Apart from that, it has been my backup amp for my full scale rig. It is in excellent condition IMO. There is one tiny, hardly visible scratch on the aluminium top. Apart from that I can’t find any blemishes. Everything functions as expected. You are welcome to try and buy in Fakenham, Norfolk (£85). I can meet up for a handover within about 50 miles, or post to the UK only for £90 all in. If you are interested in buying both this amp and my BF One10 cab I can do a package deal. PM me to discuss. Payment via bank transfer, PayPal, or cash on collection/handover. I am not looking for trades on this one.- 1 reply
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Thank you for your interest. I’m sorry but I have had really bad experiences sending stuff to Europe. It has been enough to put me off. I should have mentioned this specifically in the listing. -
-AF5B-40FE-8F2C-E5C9B3A9760A.heicA recent acquisition means that I have to part with this excellent Barefaced speaker cabinet. As you are looking, you probably know the capabilities of these amazing cabs but the basics are: 10" driver; 250 watts @ 8 ohms (up to 500 clean); weight 7.5 kg; max SPL 119DB; only 15" (38CM) high. The full specs and general write up can be found here: https://barefacedbass.com/product-range/one10.htm. This cabinet has been used for practice in my studio, the odd band rehearsal and two gigs only. It is in excellent condition IMO. I can only find one small ding that has not gone through the tolex. I noticed one small white mark in one of the photos and a dark patch which I will clean off before handover. There are a couple of light abrasions on the metal corner plates where they have done their job. The tolex has not peeled, unlike many other examples but you can see the join between the sheets of tolex in some places: I don't know whether this is the early signs but so far, so good. It has never been subjected to anything like 250 watts, as I have used it with a Warwick Gnome running at no more than 1/4 volume (0.25 x 130 watts @ 8 ohms). Incidentally I am selling that as well if you are interested (they make an excellent and powerful little rig together). The One10 is plenty loud enough at small amp volumes due to its high sensitivity. The Roqsolid cover is the foam padded type and has done its job well. It is a little dusty in places but there are no rips, or pulls and the seams are all intact. The current price of the One10 is £449 and the lead time is 4-6 weeks. The Roqsolid cover costs £61 posted and takes about 3 weeks. Save yourself 40% off the new price and get them without having to wait over a month. You are welcome to try and buy in Fakenham, Norfolk. I can meet up within about 50 miles for a handover. I have the original box and can post/courier at buyers expense to the UK only. As an illustration, Parcel Force express24 would be about £20 to UK mainland with full insurance. Other couriers would be a bit more I suspect. That would be according to your preference. If you are interested in buying both the One10 and Gnome, I can do a package deal discount. PM me to discuss. I can accept a bank transfer, PayPal, or cash on collection/handover. I am not looking for trades on this. Thanks for looking.
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Yes, I’m going to take it easy, despite what Alex advises. I am hoping lock washers, or Loctite will make up for less torque. I’ll post the results when I have road tested my fix for a while.
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I’ve had an email exchange with Alex at BF and he said he wasn’t aware of woofers coming loose. If it was happening it was rare, so I guess they are still using the same fixings. He said to really put a lot of torque on the retaining bolts, making sure to use a good PZ2 screwdriver (they use torque drivers at the factory). I asked why they didn’t use Allen bolts and he said they had looked into it but it cost a lot more and slowed down assembly speed. He didn’t comment on my suggestion to use lock washers, or Loctite. He also said that they could sell me replacement fixings, if the ones on my cab are worn. I think I might look into replacing the bolts with stainless Allen bolts and using a drop of Loctite for good measure.
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@DGBassInteresting. I wonder if this is a general BF issue, or just with a particular series/build time. Unfortunately, the serial number is missing from my Two10, because it was converted to an S (4-12 ohm switch) at some stage, so I can’t tell if it was made around the same time as your cab. I might contact BF to find out if they came up with a fix. I’m thinking spring washers, or some kind of Nyloc captive nut.
