Project Bass Questions

PbassDisciple · #1 09-02-2008, 11:31 AM

Well, after 27 years of Fender bass ... I have finally come over to the dark side!

I just won this on eBay and I am looking to get it repaired as soon as funds allow. I figured that for $150 I couldn't really go *too* far wrong ...

My questions are pretty simple really. I play jump blues, swing and rockabilly and I am looking for input on strings and setup. My local luthier has worked on uprights, but more for folk, jazz and classical players. Are there some guidelines that I can use to give him an idea about the action and such? Since I plan to learn and deploy the slap technique, do the weedwacker strings come in as a good choice?

Sorry if this is all covered elsewhere, but thanks for checking it out and many thanks for any and all input in advance.

Pax,

Paddy

jimmyduded · #2 09-02-2008, 12:43 PM

not sure how many rockabilly players venture over to this side of the forum, for a starter bass thats a very good deal you have there. i used to be into the whole rockabilly thing a few years ago, weedwacker strings for me atleast were a nightmare, they dont hold tension very well, so tuning is a problem. if you explain that you want your string height as low as possible, im sure your luthier will understand haha.

PbassDisciple · #3 09-02-2008, 01:47 PM

So, low = good for the rockabilly/jump style of playing?

Paddy

jimmyduded · #4 09-02-2008, 01:56 PM

well with higher string height it will be tougher to slap, id ask him to set it for jazz

jtlownds · #5 09-02-2008, 05:28 PM

I read the ebay ad, and it's a Palatino, that can be kind of scary. The seller stated that there is no bridge or sound post. That is easily taken care of. He also stated that the neck is warped. That would scare the hell out of me. He also stated that there is a rattle inside the body. The only thing left inside the body is the bass bar. If the bass bar is loose, this is going to be a very expensive repair on a cheap piece o'sh*t bass.

**Damon Rondeau** · #6 09-02-2008, 06:03 PM

I have experience giving luthiery support to a gigging rockabilly bass player -- he played a Cremona, close cousin to the Palatino. He managed to slap that thing apart on a pretty regular basis. In particular, the neck joint and the glue job "holding" the top to the ribs were pathetically bad.

You gotta watch that bargain bass. Seems cheap now but you'll be chasing the dragon trying to make it into something nice. Lots of folks pay 600 to almost 1000 bucks for them, so at least you made out OK there.

Good to see you jumping into double bass, though. Better to spend time and money on lessons and learning aids and playing, though, rather than trying to turn an old skateboard into stylin' new ride.

toman · #7 09-02-2008, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtlownds

I read the ebay ad, and it's a Palatino, that can be kind of scary. The seller stated that there is no bridge or sound post. That is easily taken care of. He also stated that the neck is warped. That would scare the hell out of me. He also stated that there is a rattle inside the body. The only thing left inside the body is the bass bar. If the bass bar is loose, this is going to be a very expensive repair on a cheap piece o'sh*t bass.

A little basic woodworking skill should be able to get a warped/twisted neck in decent shape, (relatively speaking), and a loose bassbar is just an excuse to take the top off, check out everything else inside, fix it, and put it back together... The rattle could also be any number of other things besides the bassbar. Might be as simple as a bum endpin.

What's the worst that can happen; you break it more, have to take it apart, fix it again, and put it back together again? Oh well! Sounds like a fun project!

uprightben · #8 09-03-2008, 09:14 AM

About your set up question, I would decide what kind of pickup you want to use first. A lot of rockabilly cats like magnetic pickups because they are easy to get stupid loud without feed back, and I'm sure you realize that magnets need strings made out of some kind of metal that responds magnetically (no weedwackers or gut!). From there you can choose strings, the lower tension options are easier to slap on, which will then dictate your setup (looser, lower tension needs higher action, deeper scoop). Good luck and welcome to the dark side.

Gearhead43 · #9 09-03-2008, 01:21 PM

I play primarily slap / Roots music and Rockabilly, and I would not suggest having the strings setup "as low as possible" by any means, especially while learning to play.

The common slap setup (and it varies wildly by personal preference and strings used, etc) is to use low-tension strings and a medium to high string height. Guts, Innovations, Eurosonics, & Rotosounds (among others) are common strings used. Those that prefer steel strings (ouch) usually use solo gauge strings tuned down to EADG and a lower string height.

I play plain gut strings and have mine set up at 10mm under each string. I think this is a comfortable string height for slap, and enough height for my bass to sound loud and full acoustically. Any lower than that and I would be sacrificing volume and tone.

I would start with a medium string height, and take it from there.