fergs40

This is the preamp from my new-to-me Excess. Being a curious sort I had a look inside, and am a bit puzzled by what I found. Couple of things: I had expected the preamp to be on a custom circuit board shaped like the cavity rather than a discrete unit like this. Certainly the one in my Passion III is like that, and the wiring diagram on the Vigier website suggests that’s what it should be. Although there is a trim pot (presumably for the hum-cancelling circuit, though I haven’t fiddled with it - yet) it doesn’t line up with the little hole in the cavity cover, and it’s not obvious to me how it could do with the components arranged as they are at the moment. So, does anyone have any thoughts? Or pictures of their Excess preamp (the 9v one) they could share? BTW, regardless of whether it’s the original or not it does everything I would want and expect it to do, so no complaints. But enquiring minds… Thanks as ever, collective.

This is quite a long post, so do feel free to skip to the pictures below… So, as I’m sure we often tell ourselves, I really didn’t mean to buy this. No, really. But I’m very pleased I did. I was on the Ishibashi Music website (looking for something completely different) and this presented itself at a very reasonable price. I’ve never bought an instrument from so far flung a seller (I’m in Ireland), so was a bit trepidatious. But I knew many on here had been down this route before, so I pressed ahead and of course it wasn’t really any more complicated than buying from a local seller. A couple of days later I got a shipping notification, and a couple of days after that a text message from An Post asking me to pay the import duty (really just 23% VAT plus a small processing fee). So I paid that and sat back to wait for delivery. And then An Post did a strange thing - they sent the bass back to Japan. We still don’t know why they did that. The best explanation I have had from them is that there must have been something wrong with the import paperwork (in which case, why ask me for the import duties?), but they haven’t said what that was, and neither Ishibashi nor Japan Post (who did investigate on Ishibashi’s behalf) have been able to get to the bottom of it. To their credit, Ishibashi were wonderful, and readily agreed to try sending the bass again (they could just have refunded me and left it at that). They were understandably reluctant to re-send the bass via Japan Post/An Post when we were no wiser about why it had been returned, so this time they sent it by DHL, a more expensive option for them, at no extra charge to me over what I’d already paid. This time it got through (albeit I had to pay a second set of import duties, though I’m still hopeful of getting the first lot back), and it turned up yesterday. And what a great instrument it is. Ishibashi reckon it’s a 2003 model. I know the early Excesses had a pick guard, which obviously this doesn’t, but it does have the single 9v preamp, so I’m wondering if it’s some sort of transition model between the first Excesses and the later 18v models. It’s got some light scratches as you’d expect on a bass of its age, the recess round the jack socket is a bit of a mess (which I guess is just inherent in the design and the result of years of trying to locate the socket with a jack plug) and some of the chrome is looking a bit tired, but no major dings and from a few feet away it looks mint. There was an odd buzz (really more of a ‘zinging’) on the open E and G strings when I first tuned it up which caused a few nervous moments (have I bought a lemon? Is it going back to Japan - again?). I eventually traced it to these strings sitting too high in the nut/string guide and buzzing gently against the zero fret - a couple of minutes work with a file on the slots sorted it out. Never come across that before, and Ishibashi say they put EXL165s on it, which aren’t madly heavy strings, so all a bit odd. All of the grub screws which lock in the intonation on the bridge were also completely backed off, so I guess maybe there was a bit of a rattle from them too. Anyway, all quiet now! I’m not convinced the preamp is the original (I’ll do a thread in technical to ask about that), but the sounds that come out of it are fantastic in their range and quality, and the playability is, of course excellent. The neck is noticeably chunkier than that on my Passion III (to be fair, every other bass I have has a chunkier neck than the Passion…), but very easy to get around. I’d like the action a little lower but the A saddle is bottomed out, so will look at shimming at some point I expect. When I find the luggage scales I’ll tell you what it weighs - somewhere just north of 4kg I’d guess. Anyway, I’m delighted. Some pictures:

I don’t think I’ve got the same strings on any two basses. I can’t claim any great science or skill to my choices, but I think it adds to the distinct character of each bass, though there’s no two of the same model either so maybe I’m kidding myself! It does also, however, provide an excellent additional argument when the ‘why do you have so many basses?’ discussion comes around…

I’ve got a copy of this: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/631443/writing-better-lyrics-by-pat-pattison/ It’s really useful for technique/craft, in much the same way as we need to work on these with our bass playing. It takes you through the whole process, starting with generating ideas in the first place (which I always find the most difficult bit). A lot of the advice isn’t dissimilar to that in Tweedy’s book, which I also have (and which is probably a more entertaining read!), but may be a worthwhile addition nonetheless. Anyway, leaving all that aside, if you’re writing poetry I’d say you’re already most of the way there with lyric writing - you’ve found something that matters to you enough to express it in carefully chosen words. I shall look forward to some uploads to the music sharing part of the forum in the near future!

This very guitar, or one very similar, has just appeared on the BC classifieds: I bought a MIJ Mk3 new in 1987 and still have it - mine only has one toggle switch, the back of the neck is body coloured and the battery compartment cover is completely different, though.

This has been kicking around in the small ads of a certain German bass forum for the past couple of months - if I didn’t have one already I would have had it even before the price dropped to its current (ridiculous!) level. It’s had a bit of surgery to insert a battery compartment, but otherwise looks good. if someone buys it I can stop wondering… PS No relationship to the seller or anything, just passing on a tip. But please delete if inappropriate.

My Westone Thunder 1A (the later one with the big - Magnabass? - pickup) has two 9v batteries - and that dates from 1986…

Wir Sind Helden, meine deutsche Lieblingsband… Just celebrated their 20th anniversary, though sadly no longer touring or making new music. This video has an obvious reference, but adds some cleverness of its own.

You’d have to do an awful lot of work to an Ignition to make it look like a CT. The binding for a start. Can’t see how that would be worth anyone’s while for the sales price difference. Faking a German would make more sense, were one that way inclined…

https://www.sandberg-guitars.de/guitars-2/sandberg-florence-series/ The Florence does already exist as a guitar: with a 3:3 headstock…

PS That is a splendid looking bass. Respect!

Couple of thoughts from another 4003 owner. Firstly on the foam in the bridge. As @Doctor J said, usually you just loosen the two thumb screws and the mute drops away. But I think @Bassassinis right that there looks to be too much stuff in there. When you buy replacement foam for the mute (it rots/loses elasticity eventually) it is oversized - you have to cut a piece the right size to glue to the metal former it sits on. I wonder if someone has bought new foam, not realised this, and shoved the whole lot in there? If so, you’ll need to remove the bridge to get to the underside of the mute mechanism to do a decent job of trimming the foam. Not a difficult job - I’d capo the strings at the first fret then loosen them enough to get the saddle out from under them. In the resulting gap you’ll find the screws you need to remove to get the bridge off. The only thing to be careful about is the earth wire connected to the mute assembly - don’t break it lifting the bridge away from the body or getting the assembly out of the bridge. But just a bit of soldering if it does snap off (or just jam the exposed end of the wire back under the bridge when you replace it - that’s what I did when I replaced the original bridge with a Hipshot…) There are libraries filled with advice on Ric trussrods, but here are my thoughts based on owning a 2011 4003 and a 2003 620/12, which should be relevant to a 97 bass. The really temperamental Ric trussrods were on the 4001 basses and possibly the early 4003 ones - then they came up with something more sensible. Well, a bit. The biggest headache is finding a tool to do the adjustment. You need a 1/4 inch socket (the metric equivalent - I’d guess 6.5mm - might work, but I’ve never tried it). The problem is that the clearance around the nut is so narrow that most sockets don’t fit. I’m lucky enough to have one that came with a set I bought in Halfords (UK auto parts store) years ago that fits perfectly. Others speak of grinding down the outer diameter of a socket to make it slim enough. Or spring for the genuine Ric tool (or a guaranteed copy…). Once you can turn the nuts, the rules are pretty much as for any other bass - don’t do anything too crazy and check the results regularly under full string tension/at whatever pitch you play at. NB you don’t have to loosen the strings to make these adjustments - again, that was only required with the older 4001 system. The idea of having two rods is supposedly to make correcting a twisted neck possible. However, I suspect any Ric with a twisted neck got that way precisely because someone who didn’t know what they were doing used this advanced technology to put the twist into it… Anyway, my approach has always been to do the same thing to both rods. As elsewhere, an eighth or a quarter turn is plenty. I don’t think you need to give time for an adjustment to settle, but equally @ezbass’s advice makes sense. An excuse to make a cup of tea if nothing else 🙂 I might, just might, leave the bass side rod a quarter to a half turn looser than the treble side overall to allow more swinging room for the thicker strings, but only if it feels right/suits your playing style - these things are sooooo subjective. Good luck!

Interesting suggestion - from the name I would have expected this case to be designed to fit a violin bass, but if you can get a mustang into it then a Club may well fit. Thanks - I’ll have a look.

As per the title, really - I know I can get the Höfner branded hard case, but I’m interested to hear if anyone has any experience of using a semi-rigid case or well padded gig bag with one of these. Thank you!

My relatively modest list: Hondo II (Ric copy) —GAP— Westone —LOOOOOONG GAP— Rickenbacker Squier Warwick Sandberg Höfner Vigier Squier Still got them all except the Hondo (loaned to a friend, never to be seen again) and the first Squier (a SS Jaguar I just didn’t get on with).

String ends as therapeutic aids - unexpected, but rather excellent! Supplementary question: do different colours have different meanings when used like this?

Tru Bass 88s - if they’re what you’re after they’re very good at it

Some excellent suggestions here. Thank you! So far I am liking the door chimes and the eye-poker best. Not a beard person (sounds like that’s just as well, mind) and gave up smoking - pipes or otherwise - some years ago. The charity craft group wins the prize for most community-minded suggestion. More welcomed!

I had to look up epiphytic. But you knew that…

I always feel a bit sad throwing cut silk-wrapped string ends into the bin - they’re very pretty. Has anyone come up with any uses for them, practical or otherwise?

I'm not sure this needs a lot of pimping...but perhaps I lack ambition!

Quick update on this a couple of weeks in. Firstly, I’m still delighted with this bass overall, particularly for the €322/£295 I paid for it. As others have noted, there is some neck dive, particularly with a narrow strap. However, this is easily counteracted with some light pressure from your right forearm when playing, which fits OK with my playing style. A thicker strap would sort it - I have a three inch wide padded leather Right On! strap fitted with straplocks that I use, but need to get some suitable (gold!) strap buttons for this bass before I can use it. I changed the strings for Roto 88s and am very pleased with the result - thumpitty thump thump thump. I wondered if the nut slots might need a tiny bit of widening, but the strings certainly aren’t sitting high enough for it to be a problem and there’s no obvious gap under them where they sit in the slots. The tapered part of the E string isn’t quite long enough, so there’s a half wind of the thick part on the tuner, but that’s more an aesthetic issue (for me…) than a problem per se. And still on the subject of aesthetics, the gold silks do go rather well with the hardware! I found one slightly high fret causing a buzz on the high D on the A string but a) that’s not a note I use terribly often and b) a couple of taps with a hammer on frets 18 to 20 seems to have sorted it (don’t judge me, luthiers…). I’m still playing with the pickup height to see what pleases me best, but that’s about this being my first precision and wanting to experiment, not because the pickup is lacking in any way. The tone control has a useful range - completely off is as dark as you’d expect, and I’m running it about half way most of the time as fully open is a little brighter than I want, even with the Rotos. So there we are - in a collection which includes such luminaries as a 4003, a Sandberg California and a Vigier Passion, the Squier has carved itself out a spot and is holding its own. Some pictures below of the silks on the headstock, the wrap on the E tuner, and the E string in its nut slot, FYI. PS I hadn't realised before I changed the strings that this bass has a bone nut as standard - quality! 🙂

I very much want to succeed in this year's Gear Abstinence challenge - but that pink Bass VI could spoil it all less than a month in...

Those are Fender strings rather than D'Addario (I see why you say that, but the ball ends are slightly different colours). Fender lists the gauge as being 045-105: https://www.fender.com/en-DE/40th-anniversary-precision-bass-gold-edition/0379430502.html