ikay

This may sound a bit daft but try reversing the saddle (move G end to E) and see if that makes a difference to the E output. If the E sounds better it proves that adjusting the geometry of the saddle in some way is part of the solution. It's just a diagnostic exercise, put it back afterwards! Having said that, I had a piezo bass that arrived with the saddle in backwards which completely messed up the string balance. Flipped it round and that fixed the problem.

First thing I'd do is remove the screw and see if the thread on the screw itself is stripped or if it's the threads inside the hole. If the screw is buggered it's probably easier to replace that than having to tap a new thread in the hole.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1374858909' post='2154199'] They look like TI (Thomastik/Infeld) jazz flats to me. [/quote] TIs have red silk at the ball end and don't have a tapered B. That's probably the biggest clue - which flats.have a tapered B? Re Status strings, my halfwounds had black silk at both ends but not sure about their flats.

This is a '69 P (pic from andy baxters inventory) with the D tuner also closer to the edge than usual so that's not necessarily a warning sign. The strap button looks way out to me though. I've seen slight variations in positioning but not this extreme. If everything else checks out then this may be a later addition. The strap button was discontinued sometime in 1969 according to the Fender Bass book. [attachment=139633:69 P bass.jpg]

Hi Drakers, The correct Fender (USA) bridge screw is a #5 x 1" which is consistent with the replacement screw in your pic. I've also checked this against the screws for a spare Fender bridge that I've got. The MIJ screw for some reason looks to be the next size up (#6) but is slightly shorter than 1" which is a bit odd. If you definitely only want to replace one screw then my best guess for the screw spec that you need is #6 x 1" oval countersunk phillips head. Finding these screws won't be easy though (I've had a quick look) and if you do they almost certainly won't be an exact match for the original screws. They'll be from a different supplier and there.are usually small variations in how the oval head and phillips slot look. My advice would be the same as grissle above - replace all five - either with new #6 x 1" (if you can find them) or with the Fender replacements. If the hole is slightly oversized for the Fender screws then just use a trimmed down cocktail stick or something similar to make it a tighter fit. That will work fine. If you want to check the screw sizes for yourself then this chart will help - http://hingedummy.info/screwinfopage2.htm Good luck!

The unanswerable question - to summarise: Inherent 'tone' of bass - Neck and body woods/construction - Pickup type/construction - Position of pickups Strings - Winding type - Material - Gauge - Age Playing technique - Fingers/pick - Plucking position - Touch Onboard tone shaping - Active EQ - Passive tone control - Pickup blend/balance Outboard effects - EQ - Compression - Distortion - Delay/modulation - Pitch shifting - Envelope shaping Amp - EQ - Compression - Speakers PA/Desk - EQ - Compression - Speakers Venue - Acoustics Aka everything. What have I missed?

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1373995483' post='2144046'] what is the best bass metal to convert to gold [/quote] To be honest I'd be more interested in that

[quote name='operative451' timestamp='1373988053' post='2143906'] There must be some rules of thumb? [/quote] This 'glossary of bass tone' (bark, bite, throaty, thuddy, thick, transparent etc) describes each tone and may be a useful starting point for building some rules of thumb: - [url="http://wiki.talkbass.com/index.php?title=Bass_Tone_Glossary"]http://wiki.talkbass...s_Tone_Glossary[/url]

The OP's question is really about 'timbre' not about 'tone'. This wikipedia entry outlines the various components of timbre pretty well - [url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbre"]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbre[/url] This article goes into more technical depth on digital synthesis of timbre - [url="http://articles.ircam.fr/textes/Wessel78a/"]http://articles.ircam.fr/textes/Wessel78a/[/url]

Shining a light/torch behind the gauge can help to show up whether it's a fit or not (same as using a straight edge to check flatness of a fingerboard)

Can you post a pic of the screw your trying to replace alongside the Fender ones with a ruler (millimetres) for scale? MIJ hardware is usually metric whereas MIA Fender is imperial so that might be part of the problem.

Search for Yamaha SB600 and you'll find some bits and pieces on the internet. Couple of links to Yamaha archive and 1978 catalogue page below: http://www.yamaha.co.jp/product/guitar/archive/sb600/index.html http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/yamaha/1978-06/en_07.html

Lakland JO/44-60 also has a slimmer neck than a US jazz.

Looks like a Highway One to me. Made in the US but a cheaper model than the US Standard - no through-body stringing, satin nitro finish, truss rod at headstock end, different tuners.

Vintage style square covers area available here - [url="http://www.grguitars.com/parts_5bass.htm"]http://www.grguitars.com/parts_5bass.htm[/url] [attachment=138261:Vintage P pickup cover.jpg]

Bartolini also make a filter based preamp - [url="http://www.bestbassgear.com/bartolini-ezq.htm"]http://www.bestbassg...rtolini-ezq.htm[/url] I use an ACG EQ01 (dual filter). Great preamp although I don't know how it sounds compared to a Wal or Alembic. The ACG is available in the US from bestbassgear.com - [url="http://www.bestbassgear.com/acg-eq-02-preamp.htm"]http://www.bestbassg...q-02-preamp.htm[/url]

Can you post a pic of the pot you're looking for? From your original description, the closest I've found so far is this one but it's the wrong value (50k): [url="http://www.wilderdavoli.it/app/prodotto.jsp?tipo=2&IdC=321&IdS=0&prod=p&id_prodotto=1043&id_categoria=71&prod=p&css="]http://www.wilderdavoli.it/app/prodotto.jsp?tipo=2&IdC=321&IdS=0&prod=p&id_prodotto=1043&id_categoria=71&prod=p&css=[/url]

Wierd, nylons usually reduce string squeak. Was your bass amp mic'd up and was the feedback coming from your amp or through the pa? If through the pa then did you try tweaking the eq on the desk to notch out the feedback?

The D'Addario string tension guide is a useful reference to get an idea of overall load on the neck with particular gauges and tunings: [url="http://daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf"]http://daddario.com/...chart_13934.pdf[/url] See page 10, right hand column for XL nickel roundwound tensions at various tunings. This gives the following loadings: 40-60-80-100 at standard tuning - total string tension = 155.1 lbs 40-60-80-100 at drop D tuning - total string tension = 123.1 lbs 45-65-85-105 at standard tuning - total string tension = 182.8 lbs 45-65-85-105 at drop D tuning - total string tension = 145.1 lbs 50-70-90-110 at standard tuning - total string tension = 214.1 lbs 60-80-100-125 at drop D tuning - total string tension = 216 lbs Using 60-125 gauge tuned up to drop D is roughly equivalent in tension to using a heavy set of 50-110 gauge at standard tuning. The neck should take it but you'll be significantly increasing the load so truss rod will definitely need to be tweaked. Personally I'd use a more regular gauge and tune down rather than tune up a 60-125 set. The oversize nut slots may well rattle a bit with standard gauge strings. Only way to find out is to test it. Never know it may work OK.

Depends on the bass and the strings as BRX says. I use a fairly light gauge on my SR5 (Picato 40-60-80-100-125). On the other hand my TRB5 prefers a 130 B. Experiment a bit and see what works best and what you prefer. It's really the only way.

See pic below. In earlier TRBs the 'mid' control has three positions instead of being a standard swept boost/cut control. - First position is off/flat. - EQ1 gives a mid cut/scoop. The level of cut is fixed but the frequency centre can be adjusted inside the control cavity. - EQ2 gives a mid boost (or cut). Both the frequency centre and the level of boost (or cut) can be adjusted inside the control cavity. [attachment=136468:TRB controls.jpg]

Well spotted! The RBX170EW also has a flamed mango top. [url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Yamaha-RBX170EW-Exotic-Wood-Bass-Guitar-Natural/IJM?"]http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Yamaha-RBX170EW-Exotic-Wood-Bass-Guitar-Natural/IJM?[/url]

[url="http://tonewooddatasource.weebly.com/wood-details-m.html"]http://tonewooddatasource.weebly.com/wood-details-m.html[/url] [b]Mango Mangifera Indica[/b] A beautiful Hawaiian Hardwood. A medium to large tree that frequently grows to around 50-65 feet in height and 2-3 feet in diameter. Mango is hard, moderately heavy, works easily and sands beautifully making wonderful furniture and musical instruments. Others have said it is soft, go figure. It can also attract bugs (probably not a problem in a finished guitar!). The wood has a good bright tone similar to Hawaiian koa, dry and crisp. It is much harder to find quality wood though, as much is too soft and cannot be cut thin enough. (from "Forgotten Woods") "Mango boasts an unusual and attractive appearance. The figure of mango consists of several anomalies including moderate curl, swirl, and spalting. This combined to the highly varied grain makes Mango a very decorative and interesting wood for backboards and rims. Mango weighs 40 pounds per cubic foot and provides a good mid-range response. Wormholes are common and add to the attractive features of this wood (the wormholes should be filled prior to finishing)."