icastle Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 [quote name='DavidMcKay' timestamp='1416699828' post='2612829'] I guess I was looking for some comfort that I had bought a genuine article. I am reminded of a guy I knew who bought a 'genuine' Gibson guitar for £120 from China, took it into a pawn shop in Glasgow and got £700 for it - and then ran out of the shop with the money in his hand. This is a true story from 5 years ago. You may say the pawn shop should have known better but in this day and age it is getting increasingly more difficult to sort the wheat from that chaff. [/quote] That's true of high ticket value guitars but I very much doubt anyone is going to make fakes of an, albeit authorised, copy when they could be making mainstream copies. [quote name='DavidMcKay' timestamp='1416699828' post='2612829'] Given that you weren't actually giving advice I have withheld your free joke. You may appeal this decision but you will lose. [/quote] I'm sure I will cope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKay Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 (edited) iCastle Understood. I simply found myself thinking 'Oh - right. This doesn't seem normal' and I thought I'd reach out to you guys. It is at times like this that Basschat becomes so important. I remember years ago if you had a query or question you had to either go to the music shop or meet someone for a beer to get the skinny. Mind you - that was before t'interweb and electric paper. And we all know that secretly you are crushed at not getting a free joke! (And it was a cracker!). Cheers, David Edited November 23, 2014 by DavidMcKay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKay Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 OK Watson - so things are becoming clearer.... But why a bolt-on neck when all the other Overwater Tanglewoods are thru-neck? What is it about this particular model? David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 I'm saying nothing until I get a free joke, paid up, up front. I've been bitten too many times to fall for that old promise. Joke first, then we'll see... [size=4] [/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 [quote name='DavidMcKay' timestamp='1416699828' post='2612829'] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]Given that you weren't actually giving advice I have withheld your free joke. You may appeal this decision but you will lose.[/color][/font] [/quote] [size=3][font=courier new,courier,monospace]The force is strong with this one[/font][/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 [font=courier new,courier,monospace][size=3]I mean that in a good way, obviously[/size][/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 [font=courier new,courier,monospace][size=3]Now finish building my Death Star[/size][/font] [font=courier new,courier,monospace][size=3]or go the way of Grand Moff Tarkin[/size][/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 [quote name='DavidMcKay' timestamp='1416701996' post='2612841'] But why a bolt-on neck when all the other Overwater Tanglewoods are thru-neck? [/quote] They're not. The Classic J, for example, is bolt-on too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterFingers Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 David It was me that sold you the bass - and indeed it is the same one on the advert I put up here in September. The neck shim you're referring to was put in by a good Luthier -in fact the bass went to him twice because I was unhappy with the still high action. When he looked at it first time he saw that there had been shims put in at the Factory (not uncommon). The bridge action was set at it's lowest (but still too high for my tastes) so to lower it a further2 separate shims were put in. It doesn't look pretty, but doesn't affect the tone at all. I contacted Overwater about the (to me) unusually high action. and they were a bit vague about the reason, but did offer to take it back for an adjustment, but I decided to go local. It is a genuine Overwater Aspiration Elite - with no custom tinkering other than the shim -which could easily be taken out. Actually, I think it had the jack socket replaced as well. I bought it from an another member here actually but I doubt he did anything to alter it. By the way, If you look in the case pocket you got with the bass the original Overwater tag should be there. Hope this helps to clear things up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKay Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Mister Fingers Thanks for the update and clarification! I think I'll spend a bit of time with it 'as is' and try to get a sense of whether I need anything adjusted. Cheers, David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 I have reflected on this thread overnight. If the bass was mine I would remove the shim and return the bass to standard. The action is obviously still going to be too high due to the inherent nature of the bass and the limitation of the bridge....therefore I would remove the bridge after tracing a fine line around it's perimeter, and using a router carefully rout a 3-4mm deep recess for the bridge to sit in. I would then re-fit the bridge. This would allow for an improved and significant new scope for altering the action ever lower. As a furniture maker I would find this job easy - a half decent luthier would do likewise. Jimmy Moon could do this in his sleep. Problem solved. The only alternative is that you give me the bass and I do it for you....after test driving it for 12 months to make sure that it's ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKay Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Thanks White Cloud What could I expect to pay for a job such as this? I'm looking for a ballpark figure, say, something that you would be happy paying if it was you. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 [quote name='DavidMcKay' timestamp='1416745839' post='2613072'] Thanks White Cloud What could I expect to pay for a job such as this? I'm looking for a ballpark figure, say, something that you would be happy paying if it was you. David [/quote] It is not a big job at all. I honestly don't know what a luthier would charge tbh - perhaps £30-£40 ball park?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassy Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 (edited) If it were me I'd remove the full pocket shim (which raises the fret board but keeps it parallel) and replace it with a much smaller shim at the bridge end of the pocket. This will alter the angle of the neck rather than just raise it, and have a much, much, greater effect than a parallel shim. Set the bridge height adjustments to around half way, fiddle with the shim depth to get the action somewhere close, and then use the bridge to fine adjust it. You'd probably find that less than 1 mm would have the desired effect. If the old shim is easily removable then this is a job you could do yourself for no cost. I presume that the neck relief and the nut are set about right? Edited November 23, 2014 by Count Bassy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKay Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Count Bassy I can picture the process you describe but I'd be too scared to do this myself in case I royally screwed things up. I am basically a novice here and do not have a clue about whether the 'action' is set right for me. Aesthetically I don't like the raised neck at the body - it makes the guitar look 'wrong'. Everything else about the shape and form just flows - but not that section. I'm now leaning towards getting things reset to standard set up and taking it from there. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubrad Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 [quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1416753212' post='2613168'] If it were me I'd remove the full pocket shim (which raises the fret board but keeps it parallel) and replace it with a much smaller shim at the bridge end of the pocket. This will alter the angle of the neck rather than just raise it, and have a much, much, greater effect than a parallel shim. Set the bridge height adjustments to around half way, fiddle with the shim depth to get the action somewhere close, and then use the bridge to fine adjust it. You'd probably find that less than 1 mm would have the desired effect. If the old shim is easily removable then this is a job you could do yourself for no cost. I presume that the neck relief and the nut are set about right? [/quote] I was thinking the same. If you're not into such thing yourself then get it done by one who is. The 'new' shim would be a fraction of the thickness and most likely invisible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 If it was mine (I'm assuming the shim is there because the action would be otherwise too high), then I would take it to a luthier and have the body end of the neck slimmed down to match the level of the body. The shim looks to be a really good piece of work. Surely removing the shim is going to raise the action by the same height as the neck is proud of the body, making playing extremely difficult ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Assuming the bass plays well now then the neck to body geometry is in good alignment and that's with the full neck pocket shim. Partial shims will alter the neck to body alignment and will necessitate changing the neck relief with no guarantee the bass will play as well afterwards. The best solution is to remove the shim and rout the body with a shallow recess to drop the bridge into, with the rout about as deep as the thickness of the shim. All in my humble opinion of course... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Prof. Moriarty anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 (edited) My former Tanglewater also Elite had a bolt on neck; same vintage. A bit hard to see but it had a nice low action without modification. [attachment=177027:OW Elite 4 22 comp.jpg] [attachment=177028:OW Elite 4 28 comp..jpg] Edited November 23, 2014 by ead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Can we see the bridge from the side please? That shim is huge imo, if the saddles are that far off giving a low action without a shim the choice of bridge/depth of neck pocket route was wrong from the factory, its hardly the classic slither of cardboard required is it? I agree with Whitecloud about sinking the bridge in or option B would be to have an engineering shop mill a few mm off the back of the bridge if there is material to spare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKay Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Hi StingrayPete1977 As requested: David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 (edited) [quote name='DavidMcKay' timestamp='1416771940' post='2613450'] [/quote] Are those saddles original? I'm getting vertigo looking at them. If they were shorter - and there's enough drop on the pickups then the short shim could work. Edited November 23, 2014 by Big_Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKay Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]StingrayPete1977[/font][/color] [font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]That was my thought regarding the factory specifications too. You'd have thought it would have been noticeable at that point the actual level of adjustment required to get the action low - especially for a fretless model.[/color][/font] [font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]David[/color][/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKay Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Does anyone have any pictures or photos of another Aspiration Elite they could post so that we could use them as a reference? Especially one with the same wood/colour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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