Stub Mandrel Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 All of us have a few quick tips and wrinkles for looking after/customising/repairing our gear. These might be ways of locking straps to the best way to fit new strings. Share yours here. My first one doesn't even need a description! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinnyman Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 Great idea for a thread but I’m confused. Why buy chrome tuners and colour them black with a felt pen? Is it cheaper than buying black ones to start with? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 For those with vintage, Fender type instruments that normally need a screwdriver and neck removal to adjust the truss rod, rather than laying out for the Stewmac tool that makes this much easier, get yourself down to B&Q. @mcnach discovered this cheaper alternative that, with a bit of fettling, works a treat: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 Salad dressing is a great tasting alternative to fingerboard oil 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 3 minutes ago, ezbass said: For those with vintage, Fender type instruments that normally need a screwdriver and neck removal to adjust the truss rod, rather than laying out for the Stewmac tool that makes this much easier, get yourself down toversiins o B&Q. @mcnach discovered this cheaper alternative that, with a bit of fettling, works a treat: I've made simple versions of that kind of thing from a bit of flat metal bar bent over 90° in a vice 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 1 minute ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said: Salad dressing is a great tasting alternative to fingerboard oil I wouldn't eat either tbh, especially the latter as guitarists put their fingers in it.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killed_by_Death Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Writing on those Teflon O-rings won't stick, it'll rub off with the brush of a finger. It's Teflon, the stame stuff that's on non-stick fry-pans. The quickest way to make 'mods' that don't affect playability or sound is to just forego them 😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegs07 Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 This is not a quick tip but it works a treat. Don’t jump right in on your Fedora…. It takes a bit of practice! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted June 20, 2021 Author Share Posted June 20, 2021 13 hours ago, Killed_by_Death said: Writing on those Teflon O-rings won't stick, it'll rub off with the brush of a finger. It's Teflon, the stame stuff that's on non-stick fry-pans. The quickest way to make 'mods' that don't affect playability or sound is to just forego them 😀 Nylon, which absorbs permanent marker really well and it doesn't come off. Would be a poor application for teflon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killed_by_Death Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 hmm, maybe, Ibanez boast about Teflon washers on the EHB, I just assumed it was the same on the GOTOH machine-heads: https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/detail/ehb1005ms_1p_01.html "Teflon washers are used on each tuner for a smooth tuning action." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 Don’t waste money on a short scale bass, just move further away from your regular sized one. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 (edited) Never buy new batteries for your active bass, borrow the new ones in your guitarist's distortion pedal. Edited June 20, 2021 by Hellzero 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 1 hour ago, Hellzero said: Never buy new batteries for your active bass, borrow the new ones in your guitarist's distortion pedal. When he goes out for a slash, swap his good batteries for some old dead ones you've brought for that very purpose.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 2 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said: When he goes out for a slash, swap his good batteries for some old dead ones you've brought for that very purpose.... He won't even notice it ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killed_by_Death Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 I can't think of any quick tips but one, write in the nut-slots with a pencil, the graphite is a great lube, & will help keep the strings from sticking when you're tuning. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted June 21, 2021 Author Share Posted June 21, 2021 Some won't have heard this... Bend your strings at 90 degrees before cutting to length to remove the risk of the windings unravelling. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killed_by_Death Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 Some string manufacturers include that in the instructions, it's especially helpful with round-core strings, because hex-core seem to grip the windings better. E.B. even tells us to wrap through the machine-head capstan more than once, which almost no one actually does: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 Further to Tegs post with the vid, the guy there is using super glue as a "filler" and a colour fluid underneath... I discovered (and ordered) some stuff called Loctite 480 it's a black "self coloured" super glue which is obviously black all the way through rather than clear with a tint beneath. It's only good for black basses ( or guitars) of course. I wanted it to fill some chips on the back of a black paint finished neck. Just thought I'd mention it in case it's of use to anyone else. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegs07 Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 1 minute ago, Waddo Soqable said: Further to Tegs post with the vid, the guy there is using super glue as a "filler" and a colour fluid underneath... I discovered (and ordered) some stuff called Loctite 480 it's a black "self coloured" super glue which is obviously black all the way through rather than clear with a tint beneath. It's only good for black basses ( or guitars) of course. I wanted it to fill some chips on the back of a black paint finished neck. Just thought I'd mention it in case it's of use to anyone else. Nice thanks. My current project is a MIJ Geddy Lee and this will save me a little time and effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 (edited) I've ordered mine from ebay, the price varies a lot for a 20g pot... this was about 11 quid and change, I've seen the same bottle for about 20 notes+, so worth checking price.. It's not arrived yet so not tried it, but loctite is a pukka brand so should be ok ! Edited June 21, 2021 by Waddo Soqable 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekomatic Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 For electronic builds or repairs: you can get a component tester like this off eBay for fifteen quid or so that will identify the two or three terminal component (resistor, capacitor, inductor, diode, transistor/FET) that you plug in to it and tell you its parameters like resistance, capacitance, inductance, diode forward voltage, transistor gain etc and which pin is which. Absolutely invaluable for confirming that you’ve got the right part and have got it the right way round before you start soldering. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted June 21, 2021 Author Share Posted June 21, 2021 Those little beasties are tremendously useful I used mine to match transistors when repairing my Trace Elliot. Fitted it in a 3D printed case, here are stls if they are useful to anyone. Box Bottom.stlBox Top.stl 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekomatic Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 Get you, I just glued mine to a spare bit of plywood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorris Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 21 hours ago, Killed_by_Death said: I can't think of any quick tips but one, write in the nut-slots with a pencil, the graphite is a great lube, & will help keep the strings from sticking when you're tuning. Yeah - but what hardness of pencil ! HB ? HB1 ? (I forget how those grades work right now tbh 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekomatic Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 The more B the softer, i.e. the more graphite. So for lubricating a nut I guess 6B would be the choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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