Grand Wazoo

Finally the new pickup arrived today and I've slapped it on immediately, thanks to a mate with a soldering thingie, we managed to remove the original flimsy pickup and fitted the new Quarter Pound from Seymour Duncan Basslines.

Oh boy what a dfference, superb attack, clarity and sustain, and most importantly NO MORE STATIC BUZZZZZZ!! Alleluyah! When I removed the old pickup I was also able to see the extent of the damage in the wires where inside the white sleeve the wire was interrrupted in more than one place. Never mind the new Duncan is in and there to stay. Happy again

here are a few pics...






[b]ORIGINAL PICKUP[/b]


[b]DAMAGED WHITE WIRE[/b]

I am also a very proud owner of piezo loaded MusicMan Bongo 5, and it's the dog's thingies. I do declare. Previosuly, some 10 years ago I owned a Yamaha TRB5PII with piezo and it sounded surprisingly similar, in fact I wonder how many manufacturers are out there who make piezo transducers, because when I asked in the EBMM forum if these 2 piezo were the same, I never got a reply from them. The only reason I sold the Yamaha its because it was so heavy it gave me back ache.

[quote name='keefman' post='711266' date='Jan 13 2010, 01:33 PM']Any tips on what to use for cleaning my Stingray neck, in particular the fret board?

I heard lemon oil should only be used with dosewood and pau ferro necks?

Look forward to your insights.[/quote]


It's all here: [url="http://www.ernieball.com/faq/4-MusicMan-Bass-Guitars-FAQ"]http://www.ernieball.com/faq/4-MusicMan-Bass-Guitars-FAQ[/url]

Reckons it was owned by Greg Lake, no proof of it except his word...

Would you pay 10 grand for this: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-1959-PRECISION-BASS-ALL-ORIGINAL-EX-GREG-LAKE_W0QQitemZ390145044772QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item5ad674f124"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-1959-PRECISIO...=item5ad674f124[/url]

[quote name='AlanP2008' post='722572' date='Jan 23 2010, 08:41 PM']So is it fixed?

Alan[/quote]

Yes and its now sporting a Seymour Duncan Bassline Quarter Pound pup in it. All is well and no more buzz. Thanks for asking

You'll have a hard time getting it right. I have a few basses with compensated nuts from the same manufacturer and every one is cut slightly differently, I believe they are made so to... "compensate" for the different instrument (otherwise they wouldn't call it compensated, would they?)

here are the differences between an Ernie Ball Music Man 25th Anniversary and an Ernie Ball Music Man Bongo 5

If I were you I'd reconsider the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound, you said you've tried it when you were looking for a smoother tone and it didn't fit the bill, now you're after bite and a ballsy growl. You can't get better than a quarter pound on a P.

[url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/basslines/progressive-1/spb3_quarterpou/"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/bass...pb3_quarterpou/[/url]

Well I better excuse myself for saying I couldn't be arsed, and no it's nothing to do with wearing an attitude, I just knew in the back of my head that this varitone was something that would fall in the gimmick category and that maybe 1 bass player out of 10 might like.

If it was any good, I am sure I would have heard of by now. But I haven't heard any such talk of varitone around the campfire of other respectable players. When you've got a good bass and amp, you have all that you need and to retrofit, any add-on bits would be like putting go faster stripes on a punto, but to me it's more like fitting a roof rack on a Rolls

I have no idea and can't be arsed to google, what's a varitone, an add-on preamp circuit?

[quote name='Shrigg' post='715414' date='Jan 17 2010, 05:40 AM']The Classic Sterling 5 *is* contoured, correct?[/quote]


Nope these new issues are slab bodied.

murder is definately the only way out,

sting said... murder by numbers 1, 2, 3 it's as easy to learn as your a, b, c.

[quote name='bumnote' post='713707' date='Jan 15 2010, 01:13 PM']If its only a few weeks old why dont you take it back to the place you bought it from, that should be repair replacement under warantee[/quote]


Yes, that's what I need to find out about it, you see I have bought it mail order from Nevada Music, [url="http://www.nevadamusic.co.uk/Bass-Guitars/Bass-Guitars/Bass-Guitars/sc1114/p7144.aspx"]http://www.nevadamusic.co.uk/Bass-Guitars/...1114/p7144.aspx[/url]

I need to see if they have a repair centre local to me.

But since it's only a broken wire which can be easily fixed it might probably be easy for me and a friend to sort out.

[quote name='bumnote' post='713498' date='Jan 15 2010, 10:45 AM']I have one of these as well and I dont have any more noise problems at home than I have with any of my other basses
I did sheild it with copper foil but it didnt make that much of a difference as Fender china obviously paint on some sort of sheilding paint, and mines not really any more noisy than my lakland jo when using a single pickup

Great bass for the money[/quote]

Yeah but you were lucky to get one in good shape as you see I've found a damaged pickup wire on mine which was the reason for the extreme noise, hopefully I'll get it sorted and all will be ok.

At close inspection the reason for the crackling emerged...

Closely following BOD2's suggestion I set about checking the hearth wire under the bridge and control cavity, and yes also turkey foiled the back of the pickguard (bloody hell that pickuar it's so big you can use it as a dinner tray)

Anyway after everything was correctly earthed and shielded (see pics below), I still had noise and decided to completely lift the pickup out of its cavity to inspect loose wires and there it was a great big gash in one of the 2 wires, the wite one to be precise which shows that the chinese muppet that assembled the bass didn't realize he caught the wire under the pickup plate and whne screwed down it was cutting into it.

Tomorrow I am going to take it to a mate who has a solder and new wire and will rewire the pickup with a new fresh length of cable.

Bridge carefully removed for inspection


Earth wire unpleated and making decent contact with the under plate of the bridge


home made work bench / desk



Control cavity is sound and also shielded with graphite paint


And here is where the wire showed signs of damage, its basically cut and barely holding together



Back of pickguard now shielded with Sainsbury's turkey foil

[quote name='BOD2' post='713137' date='Jan 14 2010, 10:05 PM']The only two things I can think of are a possible problem with the earth wire to the bridge, and static electricity building up on the pickguard.

To check the bridge you'd have to unscrew it and remove it from the body. Sounds drastic but it's only the 5 screws at the rear of the bridge. Underneath, there should be a wire coming through from the control cavity that is bared and should touch and make good contact with the metal underside of the bridge base plate.

Occasionally you have to roughen the underside of the base plate with sandpaper to ensure a good contact. Splay out the bare ends of the earth wire to ensure a good contact - a touch of vaseline can also help here.

If it's static on the pickguard, then glueing aluminum foil to the underside of the guard might help. You need Spraymount photo-mount adhesive and some Bacofoil. Remove the guard and cut a square of Bacofoil larger then the guard. Spray the reverse side of the guard with Spraymount then place it firmly onto the foil. Trim round the edge of the foil. You now have a foil-backed guard.

If you can arrange it so that part of the foil touches the metal control plate when it is all reassembled then the foil will be earthed and should reduce static build up on the guard.

Seems a lot of trouble to go to on a new bass, though ?[/quote]

THANK YOU very much, that was a most helpful reply, I will remove the bridge and check if the earth wire is presently connected and then I will bacofoil the scratchplate. Thanks again

[quote name='mrcrow' post='712935' date='Jan 14 2010, 07:35 PM']radio frequencies?
or multiple earth hum...but you say static

check all earths and especially the bridge...sort of inch by thick blitz on anything soldered to earth
then make sure the strings are earthing on the saddles...meter required[/quote]

Thanks, fact is none of the other basses in the pic make any noise whatsoever even the 25th Anniversary when played passive and on it's single coils, it is definately something to do with this bass.

The blue precision is also brand new, I've only had it 2 weeks, and made this noise from day one. There is no control panel on the back of the body, the only cavity is the one under the volume and tone pots. the pickup cavity just about holds the pickup and when I lifted it to check for lose wires a black and a white wires are firmly soldered on. the jack socket is also sound and all wires are connected to it firmly

any before and after pictures?

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='710832' date='Jan 13 2010, 01:49 AM']AFAIK, the only Plek machines in the UK are at Chandlers (Kew) and Charlie Chandler's Guitar Experience (Kingston).

I'd imagine they'd have little impact on your business in Salford. I can't imagine anyone travelling all the way to London to pay a couple of hundred quid and be sniffily patronised by the ghastly (and warring?) Chandler brothers.[/quote]

As of present date, only Charlie Chandler Experience store still uses the pleck if a customer asks for it, while Chandler Guitars in Kew ([b]who's brother Doug is no longer a part of[/b]), are refraining it from using it as they believe a good luthier does a much better job. In fact they would only use the plek to correct a badly warped neck as a last resort. I go there 3 or 4 times a month and I can't remember the last time I have seen that thing being used, it is gathering dust under a transparent tarpaulin.

I have been a long time friend of the Chandler family and I do not think it is polite to mention either of them as ghastly or warring for that matter, Doug Chandler left Chandler Guitars in Kew some 15 years ago, Charlie branched out on his own soon after his brother's departure for his own personal reasons, and they have both been operating independently ever since.

The present repairmen in Chandler Kew specially this chap called Leon, are very skilled and let's not forget Brinsley Shwartz also works there 2 or 3 days a week and he knows more than a thing or two about repairs.

Hi guys, I have a few quality basses, mostly active ones Ernie Ball Music Man, PRS etc however I am having problem with an otherwise lovely yet cheap Squier Precision 50's Classic Vibe which snap, crackles and pop every time I take my hands away from anything metallic on the bass, be it the bridge, the strings, the control pots it just goes off like a frying pan

If I am playing finger style or pick style it stays quiet, as somehow I am always touching the metal bits, however the minute I start slapping or playing fast by touching the bass on and off, it starts to crackle like a b*tch again.

Bearing in mind this is a single coil small pickup (you know the telecaster type bass, see pics below) and not the standard P-bass humbucker, does anyone kwnow what can I do to get rid of the static? I actually love the way it plays and its sound and for the money I paid for it, it'll be a shame to resell it because of the static issue.

Thanks

check out the official distributor' website for a listing of stockists in your area on the link below:

They are Strings and Things LTD but recently they have become MUSICMAN.CO.UK

[url="http://www.musicmanuk.co.uk/"]http://www.musicmanuk.co.uk/[/url]

and the stockist list is on this link: [url="http://www.musicmanuk.co.uk/MMstockhome.htm"]http://www.musicmanuk.co.uk/MMstockhome.htm[/url]

You could get one of the Sterling by MusicMan which is a company that makes licensed copies of Stingray and Sterling and they have a very good review by the great Ed Friedland in the attached link

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Fo7AKwfA0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Fo7AKwfA0[/url]

[quote name='redstriper' post='700128' date='Jan 3 2010, 11:30 PM']That bass is way too big for you - can I have it please ?

[/quote]


Hehe, that is my son at age 2, that pic was taken in 1995, now he is 17, and I've had that bass since 1988 which makes that bass 22years old, I will never sell it.

Yep it is a very sought after PRS 4,

I was lucky to get a 4 and a 5, they are really deep sounding basses hence why Robbie loved them for his reggae sound, I saw one going on ebay recently for over 5 grand

oops I thought we was talking about EBONY, but now I understand ebanol is a synthetic material, is it? Oh well you live and learn.

Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil and Birchwood Gun Stock wax are the stuff you need

[url="http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en&source=hp&q=Birchwood+Tru+Oil&cr=countryUK%7CcountryGB&rlz=1R2ADFA_enGB345&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=gr86S8C2MqD-0gTKm4mSBQ&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCMQrQQwAw"]http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en&amp...ved=0CCMQrQQwAw[/url]