I repaired my first bass!

[AlphaMale]

Lose knob and a broken pick up.
I took off the back, I pushed it in from the back and tightened the nut from the front, and then I soldered a wire back and it's like new =D

I wanna learn more about repairing basses and guitars!

[Rattman]

Hey! Way to go young guy/technician. Before you know it, you'll be adjusting truss rods and doing bridge intonations for $$$. After that.. maybe recrowning frets, upgrading PUP's and replacing worn-out input jacks. Congrats!!

[PilbaraBass]

It's a good feeling when something isn't broken anymore and you had something to do with that process...

[Jaco D]

Search for a copy of Dan Erlewine's "Guitar Player Repair Guide: How to Set Up, Maintain, and Repair Electrics and Acoustics" and read the book from cover to cover. Though almost 75% of the book is devoted to non-bass guitars, the technology can be easily transfered to bass guitars.

After reading the book, you'll be itching to take your bass apart to see what makes it run and think of ways for it to run better. Good luck and have fun! Just don't over-do it and you can't return it to an earlier state (don't you wish your guitar had a "Restore" function like that in Windows XP?).

[GlennW]

Here ya go.

http://cgi.ebay.com/KENT-ARCHTOP-BAS...QQcmdZViewItem

[Foamy]

Good job! Congratulations on your first of hopefully many repairs.
:-)

[AlphaMale]

Thanks for all the support and references guys!

[AlphaMale]

Oh my that book is like 309 pages long.

[KsToaDangr]

congrats on your first repair. I remember the first time I had to re-solder the output jack on my gibson melody maker. Just wait until you accidentally plug the wrong adapter into a pedal and have to rebuild the board inside it to play a show the next day because you cant afford to buy a new one, and its no longer under warranty. Fun stuff.

[AlphaMale]

Hahahaha

Hey should I get

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...ook?sku=906210

Or should I wait a while or get:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...ook?sku=900582
or
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...ook?sku=906210

[GlennW]

I have the book in the middle and would recommend it - I'm unfamiliar with the other two.

Seriously, a cheapo from ebay is a great place to learn how to fix stuff. You'll stand a good chance of learning a lot; and if you screw it up, so what, you're not out much.

[202dy]

Originally Posted by AlphaMale

Oh my that book is like 309 pages long.

Yes, it is. But it is an easy read. Dan's style is closer to having a teacher standing next to you giving you the instructions than it is to the manual for setting up a remote control. Besides, it has plenty of diagrams and illustrations. It is point A if you want to know how to perform these repairs.

Highly recommended.

[AlphaMale]

Hm.. Okay and someone said that the book is "Not for beginners" I have six months of playing experience (almost) but I think I'm smarter than your average player. I hope maybe I could get a job repairing basses and guitars cause it's really fun! Thing is if I get the Hal Leonard book now, I'll probably have to wait. I do plan on eventually buying the book but if I do choose to wait could it be better than the book with the-
------------
Nevermind I can get this book quick! I had found the book cheaper on amazon.com (withotu free shipping unless I bought something else) Musicians friend will get it to me for the same price (with the free shipping)
So instead of $23 I'm getting it for $14.50

Response -
Thank you for your inquiry.
We will match the price of $14.46 for the Hal Leonard Guitar Player Repair Guide
Book. Please call the phone number listed below with this price match
verification number xxxx-xxxx to
place an order. The number will be active for two weeks only.
If you would like to place an order, please call 800-391-8762 or visit our
website at http://www.musiciansfriend.com .

Please feel free to contact us if you have any more questions or concerns.
We appreciate you choosing Musician's Friend.

Cool! I'm pretty sure this is the only book I'll ever need. That's a 37% discount at the least!
Should I worry about being able to understand it? It's not tooo difficult is it?

[Standalone]

That first book mentioned is a good one. My buddy did a nuisance to his gibson LP using it, but I got a good look at the book and it's detailed, readable, and clear. He just always screws stuff up like that. You should see his cars...

GlennW: You're evil. Fixing an archtop has to be hell! How the heck do ya get inside?!?!?

I just walked back in the house from fixing my first bass... one of my students (I teach HS English) brought in a defretted and epoxied vintage pointy Ibanez (an 84, before those cheesy mid-late 80's set in) that had been dragged thru hell and back. I patched it up, replaced the knobs (there was no practically no post on one of the pots, but I got it on there pretty good) resoldered a bunch of stuff, and constructed something out of duct tape and washers to replace the missing jackplate, put on some of my old rotosounds, tightened the truss two quarter turns, and plugged it in.

I like how it sounded better than my main bass!

Thing is, he'd at first offered the bass to me for free. But I knew it was definitely the bass for him. Now to mold a young bass playin' apprentice!