"Official" Mikro Bass Club - Page 9

walpow · #**161** 10-22-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unbridled

Well, I love the neck on my Mikro now. I used steel wool to knock the gloss off of the neck and then rubbed lots of talcum powder on it and it is awesome now! I've done this before on other basses and it's a good option to get a silky feel to the neck. If you do this, be carefull that you don't go too far into the finish because that will expose raw wood and will make it attract moisture which could cause warping. Also, the talc can also attract moisture which could make it even worse. So, it's a great way to do the neck but be careful.

Just discovered the above ...

What gloss? What finish? My Mikro's neck seems to have no finish at all. I was planning to put some Tru-Oil on it, but before I do that I want to make sure I'm not missing something.

Thanks,
Nathan

billbass1 · #**162** 10-23-2009, 01:25 PM

Sign me up as a new member, please.
Got mine yesterday and so far I am really enjoying it.
Gonna Gig with it tomorrow night.

Anyone ever figure out what brand of strings they put on at the factory ?

Roadkill · #**163** 10-23-2009, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billbass1

Anyone ever figure out what brand of strings they put on at the factory ?

Read through the whole thread - lots of great info! But to not be an a**hole and actually answer your question

they are believed to be D'Addario XL nickel plated but the stock gauges aren't available as a set (45 65 85 105)

.

billbass1 · #**164** 10-23-2009, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadkill

Read through the whole thread - lots of great info! But to not be an a**hole and actually answer your question

they are believed to be D'Addario XL nickel plated but the stock gauges aren't available as a set (45 65 85 105)

.

Yeah, I did read it. But it seems there was no definitive
answer. That's why I was wondering..........
Seems like a reasonable guess though.
My last Ibanez came with the Elixers, but I could tell right off the
bat, that these were not.

GassieBall · #**165** 10-23-2009, 07:48 PM

Just took off my 4 screw tuners, filled the holes and put on Sperzel tuners that fit the 9/16 holes. The tuning seems much more stable.

unbridled · #**166** 10-28-2009, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walpow

Just discovered the above ...

What gloss? What finish? My Mikro's neck seems to have no finish at all. I was planning to put some Tru-Oil on it, but before I do that I want to make sure I'm not missing something.

Thanks,
Nathan

Nathan- Sorry to be so confusing. There really was no gloss on my neck, but it wasn't really raw either. Just kind of crappy feeling. I do this to my standard guitars but was the first time I used it on a bass.

unbridled · #**167** 10-28-2009, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billbass1

Sign me up as a new member, please.
Got mine yesterday and so far I am really enjoying it.
Gonna Gig with it tomorrow night.

Anyone ever figure out what brand of strings they put on at the factory ?

Sorry I missed this the first time around 9 it is!

walpow · #**168** 10-29-2009, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unbridled

Nathan- Sorry to be so confusing. There really was no gloss on my neck, but it wasn't really raw either. Just kind of crappy feeling. I do this to my standard guitars but was the first time I used it on a bass.

Aha ... when I looked closely I thought there might be some kind of finish, but wasn't sure. I went ahead and put Tru-Oil on. So far I've got four coats and it looks good. I'll probably do about four more and put it away for a couple of weeks. Also Tru-Oiling a $79 First Act guitar's neck, which had a similar perfunctory or downright nonexistent finish. That one's got a maple fingerboard, and I'm Tru-Oiling that too. (North American maple, shipped to China, used on a $79 guitar, shipped back to the U.S. Go figure.)

unbridled · #**169** 10-30-2009, 09:46 PM

I'd like to see it when you're done with it. I'm pretty sure the necks are just finished with a grain-filler. There is something on there, I'm just not sure what it is.

billbass1 · #**170** 11-03-2009, 08:24 PM

So I just finished my Mikro mods ................
I installed a Basslines SPB 3 Quarter Pounder , which fit right into the existing route.
Also installed a SX Jazz bridge PUP, which took about a 1/2 hour
of additional routing so it would fit.
Topped it of with a set of DR Sunbeams.
So far it sounds pretty good.
More bottom end with the Quarter Pounder and more growl with the SX PUP.
I will take it to rehearsal tomorrow and Gig with it on Saturday, which will be the better test.
I did Gig with it once in the total stock condition.
It was OK.
But I am hoping now that it will be more improved.

GassieBall · #**171** 11-03-2009, 08:39 PM

Bill,

Those sound like great mods. Both the Quarter Pounder and the SX pickups give a punchier, thicker, mid range boosted tone from which I think the Mikro can benefit. I think the stock pickups sound too thin by comparison.

I have SX pickups in both the J and the P position and I think they are killer in this bass. They are the same pickups that the much heated SX vs. Fender soundclip thread are getting all bothered about.

GregDunn · #**172** 11-03-2009, 10:33 PM

Question for those of you who have played their Mikros on gigs... I usually play at home through my Carvin amp which has a built-in compressor. When I played out live last week (through a small PA with no compression), I found that the D and G strings were WAY louder than the E & A. Trying it out at home with the compressor off (and through a third amp just to be certain), sure enough, same thing. I play pretty much all the time with only the P pickup, and I tried cranking the upper pup all the way down to lower the output. It helped a tiny bit, but there's still a great difference in volume. Running it through my amp or an outboard compressor pedal, it's fine. But has anyone else heard this? I may have to start packing my fx pedal on gigs.

mongo2 · #**173** 11-04-2009, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregDunn

Question for those of you who have played their Mikros on gigs... I usually play at home through my Carvin amp which has a built-in compressor. When I played out live last week (through a small PA with no compression), I found that the D and G strings were WAY louder than the E & A. Trying it out at home with the compressor off (and through a third amp just to be certain), sure enough, same thing. I play pretty much all the time with only the P pickup, and I tried cranking the upper pup all the way down to lower the output. It helped a tiny bit, but there's still a great difference in volume. Running it through my amp or an outboard compressor pedal, it's fine. But has anyone else heard this? I may have to start packing my fx pedal on gigs.

Could the E/A half of the pickup have lower output?

I'd meter them to see if the DC resistance of the coils are about the same.

GassieBall · #**174** 11-04-2009, 09:35 AM

Greg, haven't noticed that with mine. I agree with Mongo that it sounds suspiciously like a pickup issue.

billbass1 · #**175** 11-04-2009, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GassieBall

Bill,

Those sound like great mods. Both the Quarter Pounder and the SX pickups give a punchier, thicker, mid range boosted tone from which I think the Mikro can benefit. I think the stock pickups sound too thin by comparison.

I have SX pickups in both the J and the P position and I think they are killer in this bass. They are the same pickups that the much heated SX vs. Fender soundclip thread are getting all bothered about.

I just installed the Mikro P pickup into my short scale SX P bass.
It sounds pretty good.
The original SX P pickup, on mine anyway, sounded very anemic.
I always liked the SX Jazz PUPS. I own three short scale SX Jazz basses. On two of them I did replace the original PUPS with Lindy Fralins. Which improved the overall sound in a subtle way.
That's how I had a SX bridge PUP to put into my Mikro.

Roadkill · #**176** 11-04-2009, 10:31 AM

I think you can swap the two physically without messing with the wiring? If one of the two halves of the "P" pickup is quite a bit quieter it probably has a short in it

. Maybe someone here who has "upgraded" could give you a good one?

VincentGrim · #**177** 11-04-2009, 10:45 AM

Have any of you tried putting the bottom for strings of a baritone string set on your mikro? I want to get one for piccolo purposes but I don't know if the mikro bridge will accommodate the strings, as I think baritone strings have smaller pegs ((what holds the string in the bridge)) than bass strings.

Before anyone asks I'll clarify that I want to use the bottom four baritone strings because they are all wound and half the price of a all wound piccolo string set. : P

billbass1 · #**178** 11-04-2009, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregDunn

Question for those of you who have played their Mikros on gigs... I usually play at home through my Carvin amp which has a built-in compressor. When I played out live last week (through a small PA with no compression), I found that the D and G strings were WAY louder than the E & A. Trying it out at home with the compressor off (and through a third amp just to be certain), sure enough, same thing. I play pretty much all the time with only the P pickup, and I tried cranking the upper pup all the way down to lower the output. It helped a tiny bit, but there's still a great difference in volume. Running it through my amp or an outboard compressor pedal, it's fine. But has anyone else heard this? I may have to start packing my fx pedal on gigs.

Hey Greg ,
I just noticed on another thread " Ibanez Mikro Bass " page 2,
another guy is having a somewhat similar problem. He describes it as being a matter of " brighter tone " on his D and G strings.
Anyway, he was asking for help and I offered what I thought might work ..............
You may want to check it out.

GregDunn · #**179** 11-04-2009, 11:31 AM

Yeah, I have the "high" half of the pup screwed down all the way, so it may well be a winding problem. I'll take a look at it and see if there's a huge difference in resistance. Might be a good excuse to upgrade.

Roadkill · #**180** 11-04-2009, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregDunn

I'll take a look at it and see if there's a huge difference in resistance.

A winding short will make a big difference in tone and/or volume but may have no detectable effect on the resistance.