DocTrucker

Thanks. Don't mind active that come with recomendations! Yes, thos units look only a little more pricy than a decent CTD or Bournes audio pot! From memory I think I had access to more than just hot and ground from the coils. Is it worth thinking about switches to change the wiring of each pickup, or is that only really useful/distinguishable for the most acutwly trained ear?

Great. Think that is the best way forward then. Not worth trying to fault find in that bird's nest! I did sketch out the the loom at one point but long since lost that! Link to model: https://harleybenton.com/product/b-650-bk/

Terminology not likely to be on point! There is a pre amp in the cavity. Is it anyones guess what a double humbucker is likely to sound like in the double volume tone setup? Is it something that lends itself to a specific style or are setup changes like this more subtle? Edit: Yeah, needs a clean! Been sat on thw side for a few months!

I should clarify as I imagine most are not familiar with this beginner 6 string. This has a volume knob that when pulled out the active system is used and when pushed in it works as passive. Guess I've answered my own question on if passive can be used, so the question remains. Would you: Use existing pickups and rewire for pure passive. Or Look at alternative active electronics and either use a jack controlled power, add a switch somewhere, or simply remove battery as habit.

Morning All, Disclaimer: Early stage player with an urge to tinker with most things! Appreciate a 6 string wouldn't be most people's pick for me, and to reasure I have a trusty squire vintage modified which is my default rehersal bass! Earlier last year I bought a Harley Benton 6 string to experiment with. I enjoy playing it (after a comprehensive setup by Luither which corrected intonation issues) and am begining to use the extra strings a little more. There are however gremlins in the electronics. The sound out of the amp sometimes drops right down or becomes dull, doesn't appear to be down to my active pedal pre amp as my squire has so far been immune. I also find the push in volume knob switch to activate the active pickups infuriating as it has nearly always been knocked and flat by the time I need it! So at least a soldering iron job and at most a brain & pickup transplant! A few options... 1) Jack plug power cut for active pickups:- I think you can get jack plugs that control the power and use that to cut the power feed from the battery, or failing that add a switch somewhere. 2) Convert to plain passive:- Are the pick ups likely to be usable for conversion to passive? If so swap to a double tone and volume setup? 3) Alternative pickup & active:- Due to the neiche market for 6 string basses I'm assuming an alternative active pickups (or any pickups for that matter) are expensive? I've no issue with passive electronics as my squire sounds great to me. I appreciate the Harley Benton won't be the best advert for active, so won't judge active vs passive purely on this one! What are your thoughts on these options? I'm leaning to conversion to passive if people think that is likely to be feasible.

I've set my string height with a depth gauge to the top of the string rather than using this ruler as I find it more consistent.

It is difficult to get a decent photo of action but that first one was just trying to show the angle of the fret board. I'll try and post another for action on B shortly. Any lower and I get buzz on first 2-3 frets but the action is plenty low enough for me I think! My skills are not near the session musician end just yet! This was a little compensation for knuckling down to some more dull time with scales. Gap under the 7th fret with the first and 24th held down is about 0.25-0.5mm. Photo of action to follow...

2.7mm at B string 12th fret.

It'd be more useful if you suggest what action you believe to be correct between an open B string and the top of the 12th and the same for the C.

Think the saddles are high to cope with the neck angle. I'm going through setting up the action. To be honest action at the 12th fret was in the right ball park as pictured. Bridge pickup was high as I was part way through experimenting with improving passive mode tone. Pickup was moved toward strings, not strings up from pickup. I'll see what the saddles are like with the action set right.

Thanks @Doctor J relieved to hear it's not a fail straight away. Will run through a setup and see how things go. This is the guide that I have followed in the past for - but not specific to - my Squire Jazz Bass: https://www.jerzydrozdbasses.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-perfect-bass-guitar-setup

Hi all, I was half expecting issues with this because of the price. Return this bass? The finger board isn't parrallel to the body. Looks like the action has had to be set very high.

So thinking something like: Intro 1 2 3 Verse 1 2 3 4 Giving the ability move about a bit it somrone comes in a bar or two too late for a solo, or singing a verse?

Yeah, I know I've been too hard on myself this time. Need to change my mindset for gigs vs practice.

Recently jumped at the chance to join a band pieced together from our local music school. Up until around early 2019 I'd been learning bass at the school but had lost enthusiasm. This band is the first time I've played with others - aside from a tutor - and required many big steps for me such as comitting songs to memory and ditching my tab comfort blanket. Playing with others has given me back the spark for playing that I had lost. Our first set was a short 25min one Saturday just gone and the amount information and experience gathered from that is mountain like, and I am now slowly chipping through it in order to get the most from it. Two big question areas. How you folks structure the songs in your heads to learn them? How do you balance self critique? Learning songs to play in their entirety without tab to refer to was new to me. I took the approach of tabbing it out (with a few tweaks or simplifications) on my computer so I could hear an isolated 'perfect' bass line to help get the muscle memory sorted. Next step was playing over and over against album tracks of the originals - including versions of songs that I hacked to suit changes we had made. On the later rehersals where we all 'knew' the songs it fell apart in the abscence of the singer. We were relying on the vocals to guide us through the song stucture. The gig also highlighted an issue with practicing against original tracks and dealing with not bring able to hear everyone clearly on stage. While playing at the gig it all felt odd, almost deja vu like as I suspect key parts or sounds I had subconciuosly anchored my song structure to were either missing or lost in the mix. What methods do you use to structure songs in your head? Sure no one size fits all, but can you simply play your bass parts in their entirety with nothing to guide you? I found that most tricky on the simplest bass lines where a 2 or 4 bar pattern is repeated to death before a suden change. Do you learn the lyrics to the songs word perfect and have an internal monologue singing them out or think more interms of intro - verse 1 - verse 2 - chorus - bridge etc? Practice the complete songs in isolation against a metronome/click track? And now the big one, managing you mindset! There's no subsitute for experience. For a newbee to gigging the stress levels were up in the beams as I juggled with many new to me experiences and challanges. I'm sure gig 2 will be more enjoyable for me. For this gig though while on stage I felt like I was playing chicken with a dump truck at night. I was mentally cooked when I came off stage and rather than enjoying the posative vibes and feedback I had already begun to over analyse my mistakes and spiralled, taking the best part of a day after to sort my head out. How best to manage a healthy balance of self critique for continual improvement and enjoying the moment? Deep questions really, and things many of you manage with little thought. Not quite asking how do I be a bassist, but not far from!

Think I've been given green light from my missus for this! I'll be picking up the Harley Benton. Looking at the reviews it's aproaching the quality of the ~£350 pound models, or at least close enough for a student, so fine for me! Oposite end of the spectrum on spacing from what I originally thought would be good - thanks for the advice on that. So, plan to get the songs down on this that I have recently learnt on the Squire Jazz and move onto learning the extended patterns. I'll be aiming for BEADGC tuning to start. The squire is definitly not being retired, the 6 will likely be a stay at home for a good few months at least.

Yeah, hearing protection is a big thing for me. I've a collection of ear issues including asymetric hearing loss with a big drop in high frequency loss on my right side with associated tinitus, and a fluctuating mid-high loss on the same side. Can't wear in-ears, but sport drum isolation headphones. I'm using these as my monitor for the first time this evening.

Scouting options so I can spend my hard earned as efficiently as possible. Never considered stage amplification in any great detail so this is largely all new to me. I've only got a 65W practice amp and a pair of loud guitarists in the band, so some spend required.

Ok, hadn't even considered that as a possibility! Without climbing into premium ranges (Not saying Barefaced is, or isn't premium - not got that far down my research line yet) what would your suggestion be for a jack-of-all-trades style rig which will see me through up until I perhaps begin to favour a specific playing style or music genre? Needless to say we'd be aiming for volumes appropriate for the venue, so unless we land in something like a labour club then the amps aren't likely to be running close to full capacity. Perhaps 2 cheaper 4x10 cabs at an angle granting the option for some stereo effects?

It's getting clearer thanks! I'll aim for 500W solid state power amp (or one with a solid state/tube pre amp where the tube can be wound back) and 4x10 cab. Reliable budget ranges and used sections will be searched thoroughly!

Good info there thanks. I'll rephrase a little as I think I confused things. New band, playing covers for the foreseeable. First step for us is building up a set list for pub gigs. Unlikely to have house PA. What do I need on stage for this? I currently have my Laney RB3 65W 12" and horn practice amp that will be woefully under powered. I'm lost on terminology. A 'backline' 4x10 or similar size cabinet - this is mainly for the audience right? Judging on above aiming for 400W to 500W power amp. Is the general rule to have speaker capacity above the amps rated power? Do these rigs become redundant when the bass is put through PA systems, or do they then become huge monitors? My hearing is bad. Asymetric and high frequency loss, and can't wear in ear plugs/phones, or hearing aids. Despite the odd appearance I'm likely to be sporting drum isolation headphones. I plan to use these as my monitor, so where we have no room PA I will kind of have my own PA on my head with mini mixer desk beside me somewhere! I've seen a beringher 1002 mixer thay may just suit my needs.

Hi all, Playing in a band that has been put together by my local music school (I'm an 40yr old learner...) and we play a few covers. Looking to get set up to play small venues later in the year. Solid state bass amps and large speaker cabinets can be played at low volume with no detriment to sound quality right? I've got a digbeth preamp that does tone shaping and amp modelling so looking to put that straight into a power amp via mixer. Best look for a cheap 4x10 and 13 cabinet, or rely on a practice amp as a monitor and look at a single PA for the band? Worry about mix levels going forward. I felt I thoroughly stuffed a song last night in rehersal but the others were oblivious because the guitars were too loud! This side of things is all new to me!

Great feedback, thanks. Was begining to see there was very little at the large spacing, less so affordable. I guess playing on the 6 will tidy my fingerstyle on the 4 quite a bit!