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S.I.T. Powerwound Nickel 45-125 are on my G&L M-2500. S.I.T. sells single strings, too.

Pics of the bass

Mr.Fingers said:

You know you can raise the entire bridge up and down, by poking a small hex wrench in the holes of the bridge post? On my offset Fenders, I use the saddles solely to set the radius, but the height is dictated by adjusting the entire bridge up & down. By raising the saddles too much, the adjustment screws start to point upwards, which is rather hurtful for the wrist.

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I believe the staytrem bridge simplifies things a bit, and ordered one for my VII Staytrem bridge for Bass VI | Staytrem

waver said:

Many good suggestions. I might as well add to the list:

I have the Aguilar 60 on my Fodera P. Very clear-sounding, especially with TI or Sadowsky Blue Label flats.

I changed the P pu in my Sandberg for a Novak PB Fat. Clear and fat! I really like it.

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Hi @waver I’m having trouble finding info on the Novak pb-fat. How do you find it compared to other “hot” or overwound type of pickups. I’m looking for some a bit beefier than standard but too mid focused. Not looking for huge output either. Thanks!

Judging by what I managed to achieve with mine, I’d say yes, definitely yes .. why the question?

I got sidetracked (as I often do) and pulled out one of the original bodies made from Jarrah (a really rich brown/purple eucalypt).

I had bought some binding and an appropriate router bit for the task, so last night after the kids went to bed, I had my first go at binding. The only CA glue I had on hand was a fairly thin viscosity, so there will be a lot of tidy up (note to self - get some thick CA glue next time), but overall, I’m happy enough with the result.



I’ll string this one up with flats and chuck some frets in the board. Notably, all the wood in the bass will be jarrah. I’m not exactly in love with it, but I’ve wanted to do a one-wood bass for ages, so this is it.

Slevage said:

IMO, none of the new small amps I currently own or have played through sound like a GK 150. They al sound “better”. More low end and volume available if you need it.
Not looking for more bass? Roll it off.
Don’t need the volume? Turn it down.

I love my Markbass 112 and my Elf 110.

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I’m on my third one, having sold the prior two off for ‘better’. Over the last decade or so the GK is the amp I have used when in bad sounding rooms or rooms I was unsure about, and it always delivered an acceptable tone. No, the tone is never great but it gets it done. That said, it is now over thirty years old and relatively heavy at 26#. The little Elf 110 cab and micro head sound better, lighter and I don’t worry about the magic smoke genie escaping.

michael_t said:

Stiffness/flexibility is a matter of personal perception. Many would agree La Bella LTF are not "wet noodles" like TI Jazz Flats. Besides, 45-105 rounds can be floppy noodles if they are round core, eg DR Sunbeams.

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Just so...

MovingPitchers said:

They feel much lower tension than my other set of Labella’s which have black silk ends at the end. Stiffer than my TI Jazz flats.

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I bought 2 sets of La Bella LTF4-A's several years ago - as in, shortly after La Bella introduced them. Yeah, that's just how they look. I was going to put them on my '73 Rick 4001, which was developing the neck problem that some older 4001's get, but never did. It eventually wound up wearing some other flats, instead. I eventually put the LTF's on my Custom Shop ('cause, lefty) '23 G&L Kiloton lined fretless bass. They feel great, and the tone is too die for. Even though they have less actual tension than TI Jazz Flats do, they feel - and act - like more normal flats, because they were manufactured to be like that. Low tension definitely does not mean "Floppy". The strings I eventually put on my Rick 4001? Dogal's JC106A "Jaco" CarbonSteel Flat wounds. You want really low tension? Try 5kg. of tension per string - according to the package. That's 44 pounds of tension per set. Are they "floppy"? Absolutely not. In fact, they feel - and sound - very similar to the Optima 4440 RB Flats I have on my '01 Rick 4003...

Bruce Johnson said:

This problem of a bass needing custom-length strings is a common thing, which sadly gets ignored by many builders.

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I've been guilty of this a time or two... It certainly can limit you to one or two string brands. Is it a builder issue or string maker issue?
Also, don't people give the taper a shot of fast CA and unwind anymore? That's what I've done in the past, when needed (the E, anyway).


Here's the list I use, now. Some sources list "winding length", others say "ball to taper/silk". Close enough?
Someday I might put it into excel (probably not) so I can sort by the various parameters, instead of scrolling for length, type, silk color, etc.

It would be nice to have a master list posted somewhere that can be updated as needed.

Lengths and colors - Sourced from all over:

Black Diamond Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 37.25” Winding length

Multi-colored silk or no silk.

Clear Tone Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 37.5" Ball to Taper

No silk.

Curt Mangan Bass Strings:
Extra Long Scale = 38.75” Wound length.
Long Scale = 36.75” Wound length.
Short Scale = 34.75” Wound length.

No silk.

D'Addario Bass Strings:
Short Scale = 32" Ball to Taper (or Silk)
Medium Scale = 34" Ball to Taper (or Silk)
Pro Steel Long Scale = 37.1" Ball to Taper (or Silk)
Super Long Scale = 38" Ball to Taper (or Silk)

Silk:
Dark Blue: Chromes, Flatwounds.
No silk: EXL, NYXL, and ProSteels, color-coded ball ends.

Dean Markley:
Long Scale = 37.25" Ball to Taper (or Silk)

Silk:
White /Silver: Blue Steels
Gold: SR2000

DR Bass Strings:
Lo Rider:
Long Scale = 37.75” Winding Length
High Beams:
Short Scale = 33” Ball to Taper (or Silk)
Long Scale = 37.75” Ball to Taper (or Silk)
Extra Long Scale - 40.5" Ball to Taper (or Silk)
Fat Beams, DDT:
"Old Long Scale" = 38” Ball to Taper

Silk:
Gold: Flats
Gold or no silk: Rounds

Dunlop Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 37.25" Ball to Taper

Silk:
Black.

Elixir Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 36.5" Ball to Taper
Extra Long Scale = 38" Ball to Taper

No silk.

Ernie Ball Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 37.25" Ball to Taper
Super Long Scale = 38.25" Ball to Taper

Silk:
Purple: Slinky Cobalt Flats.
Dark Blue: Stainless Steel Flats.

Everly Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 37.75" Ball to Taper

No silk.

Fender Bass Strings:
Short Scale = 32" Ball to Taper
Medium Scale = 34" Ball to Taper
Long Scale = 36.5" Ball to Taper

Silk:
Black: Roundwounds.
Green: Flatwounds.
No silk: Newer production roundwounds.

Fodera Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 37.5" Ball to Taper
Extra Long Scale = 39.25" Ball to Taper

Silk:
Dark Green.

GHS Bass Strings:
Short Scale = 32.75” Ball to Taper (or Silk)
Medium Scale = 35.5” Ball to Taper (or Silk)
(Old) Long Scale = 36.5" Ball to Taper (or Silk)
Universal Long Scale = 37.25" Ball to Taper (or Silk)
Long Scale Plus = 38" Ball to Taper (or Silk)
Super Steel = 38” Ball to taper (or Silk)

Silk:
Red: Boomers (Nickel-plated rounds).
Yellow: Short-scale Boomers (???)
Purple/Magenta: Precision Flats.
Blue: Brite Flat.

Ken Smith Bass Strings:
Short/Medium Scale = 34.5” Ball to Taper
Long Scale = 38" Ball to Silk
Extra Long Scale = 40" Ball to Silk
Some B strings "Medium Scale" option = 36.5" Ball to Silk

Silk:
Orange and Blue: Burners.
Purple:

La Bella Bass Strings:
Short Scale = 32" Ball to Silk
Medium Scale = 34" Ball to Silk
Long Scale = 37" Ball to Silk
Extra Long Scale = 38" Ball to Silk

Silk:
Purple: Olinto Signature flats.
Green, Red, or Black: Flats.

Harley Benton Bass Strings:
Long Scale Flats = 35.63” Ball to Silk
Long Scale Rounds = 36.85” Ball to Silk

Silk:
Red: Flat HQS
Light Blue: Light gauge 4-string Rounds
Orange: Medium Gauge 4-string Rounds
Red: 5 string Rounds

Hofner Beatle Bass Strings:
33.8” Ball to Silk

Silk:
Black or Green
Old: Lime green

MTD Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 37.25" Ball to Silk

Silk:
Yellow/Gold: SS Rounds
Silver/White: Nickel Rounds
Red/Black + Red ball wrap: Super Polished

Pyramid Bass Strings:
MultiScale: B = 39", E = 38.5”, A = 38”, D = 37”, G & C = no taper. Wound length.
Super Short Scale = 31.9” Wound length.
Short Scale = 34.35” (rounds), 33.27” (flats). Wound length.
Medium Scale = 36.22” (rounds), 34.65” (flats). Wound length.
Long Scale = 37.4” (rounds), 36.42” (flats). Wound length.
Super Long Scale = 39.37” (both). Wound length.

Silk:
Dark Green: Short Scale Flats
Red: Medium Scale Flats
Purple: Long Scale Flats
Black: Super Long Scale Flats

Rotosound Bass Strings:
Short Scale = 32" Ball to Silk
Medium Scale = 34" Ball to Silk
Long Scale = 37" Ball to Silk (or Taper)
Extra Long Scale = 39" Ball to Silk

Silk:
Red: Rotosound Swing Bass 66 and Jazz Bass 77.
Forest Green: Solo Bass 55.
Yellow / Gold: Tru Bass 88 Tapewound.
Light Blue: Short and medium-scale flatwound.
Multi-color: Nexus

Sadowsky Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 37" Ball to Silk
Extra Long Scale = 39" Ball to Silk

Silk:
Gray/Silver

SIT Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 37.25" Ball to Taper
Extra Long Scale = 38" Ball to Taper

Silk:
Now: Purple.
Previously: Black, then Light Blue.

Spector Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 38" Ball to Taper

Silk:
Dark gray.

Thomastik-Infeld Bass Strings:
Short Scale = 35.5" Ball to Silk
Long Scale = 37" Ball to Silk
Super Long Scale = 39.75" Ball to Silk

Silk:
Red, both ends.

Warwick Bass Strings:
Long Scale = 37.4”
Medium Scale = 35.4”

No Silk.

I’m a bit surprised they don’t push/advertise their upright bass strings as much. I also don't seem to see a lot of other upright bassists using them. (You’re one of the few I’ve seen @littlebun)

I’ve tried the Ron Carter tapewounds before, but didn’t like them. I’ve considered trying the 7720’s or even the RC610’s but there’s virtually no information about them online, other than the generic marketing stuff.

I’m a huge fan of their flatwound electric bass strings and really wish they had more to offer as far as upright strings.

I recently replaced the stock pickup on my squire Bronco bass with a Seymour Duncan SCPB-3 Quarter Pound. When I have the tone all the way open (highs) I have plenty of volume. The pickup is super hot. But when I roll the tone off I lose literally almost all of my volume. Could that be a capacitor or potentiometer issue on the standard tone pot?

The mod shop is just a way to grab a few dollars more for some cosmetic "upgrades".

Never2Late said:

@pcake is your 7 pound Bronco made in China or Indonesia?

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indonesia.

I have not visited the venue yet. (At least not since the 1970s. I recall that the ancient bar where I used to drink had an oil painting behind the bar that was hung there in the late 1800s depicting a dramatic event of a man in a civil war uniform and a naked lady involved in some "hanky-panky". The large painting was titled: "Caught in the Act". Typical bar room art of the late 1800s. If I go there I hope to see that painting still on display as a historical artifact of the original 1800s hotel bar room.

I raised the question of the possibility of knob and tube being more likely to either pick up, or radiate noise causing me to ask what other people know, or have seen in similar situations out of curiosity.

I will accompany my friend to the venue the next time he works there, and want to be prepared with knowledge and equipment to see if I am able to determine what is causing the problem.

I retired many years ago after a very long carrer working with lots of very high-tech electronics involving medical diagnostic imaging systems, like x-ray, magnetic resonance, and positron emission tomography systems, and later other similar high-tech stuff, and I do have a very good understanding of the NEC as well. I am not however an electrical engineer, but I did spend more than fifty years working closely in electronics labs with such people.

I am more curios to see if I can resolve the issue, than I am interested in doing so as a paid project. At my advanced age, I like to keep my mind occupied, even though I have lost a lot of knowledge that I once had.

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread!

Just picked up a Warwick Gnome for comparison. It weighs a few ounces more and just feels much more solid. With the gain and EQ settings matched visually, the Gnome has a clearer tone and produces more volume into the Elf cabinet. It might be a tad brighter, both heads are lean on the lows. With a bit of adjustment both heads can be made to sound identical. I would recommend either one, but for someone worried about the BAM reliability and willing to drop a bit more money, the Gnome seems worthy.

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I am happy to have 10 original songs now recorded, mixed and on Bandcamp! I wrote all the songs, played bass on all the songs and guitar on some of the songs and had some fantastic players with me. The vocalists are both fantastic. I'd describe it as roots/Americana rock music - upbeat and positive. If you are so inclined please check it out!

winston said:

I personally prefer the NTBT Bart preamp (standard Bass/Treble).

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I’ve used an NTBT in a custom fretless 5 for about 25 years (the pickup is a stock EBMM SR5 ceramic in the P-bass position) and, while I do really like it, I kind of wish the bass was centered higher. I’ve actually been considering switching to a TCT for a while to see if it suits me. I can always put the NTBT back in if I don’t like the TCT.

Deleted member 393011 said:

I was really surprised by Trevor Dunn's intonation the couple times I've heard him, what with his sordid past and all....

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I am fairly certain he studied the double bass in school. What is impressive is how well be maintains his intonation while touring so much on bass guitar.

Deleted member 393011 said:

Marc Johnson always nails it.

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Agreed.

Tis' a beauty.

porkynuggets said:

I use the patch cable... Regular use tends to be enough.

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Agreed, and it's the safest.

Last week I had to clean up an amp that came in for service that had received the end user "miracle cure-all" spray treatment. Not only did it not fix the original problem (that was totally unrelated), it also created new problems, a complete set of ruined pots and a nasty slimy mess to clean up. A $125 repair became ~$350 plus a new (and expensive) power module!!!

saltydog said:

HI gr8fulboy……similar situation here. A newish Stagg EUB with what appears to be a useless truss rod. One spot on the neck is driving me crazy. It’s at the D Flat on the G string. I put a straightedge on it, and yup, the neck has a slight hump in it. All the other strings and notes sound ok., it’s just that one spot. As I am a fairly experienced wood worker and have my own tools I am considering the possibility of thinning the neck myself. Could you explain a little further your process for thinning?
Thanks,
Salty dog

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If it is only one spot you might be able to scrape a bit of the coating off at that spot without going down to the wood below. Should be easy when checking with the straightedge often.

tidbits said:

I’ll have to try this. I’ve got a pretty hefty bass boost on my ParaEQ, but the comp I’ve been using has a fixed HPF in the compression detection path (Broughton Omnicomp)

I just picked up a Cali76, and I’m excited to not only have the variable HPF control, but to try it out before/after EQ, and compare against the Empress Bass Comp.

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Going EQ—>Compressor forced me to change my EQ settings a bit for the obvious reasons. Now my sound is MUCH more dense AND even. Very interesting.

TAZ said:

Hello TBer, does anyone have the wiring schematic/diagram for Ibanez SRMD200/205 Mezzo? I'm reinstalling the original electronics and, what I thought was clearly mapped out when I removed them, doesn't make it. I'd be grateful for closeup photos of the electronics installed and thrilled if a diagram exists. Ibanez references the layout for potentiometers functions as "Ibanez SRMD with ICE electronics". Appreciate any information. Thank you.

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Meanwhile, over 3-1/2 years later, I'm looking for the same info. This is why i love TB! Thanks for posting the question!

DJWhitJr said:

In case someone else needs the wiring diagram. I received this file of the wiring diagram from Ibanez.

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Many thanks for posting the "genuine article" direct from Ibanez!! Utilizing it right now!! Changing my SRMD200 Mezzo back, from passive to active. Getting ready to list it for sale. As for my SRMD205 5 string, I'll never part with it! Thanks, again!

OP - was this Music Guild in Danbury? I had my eye on that bass for a while, and funnily enough…I grew up in CT, my first bass was a black/maple ‘85 Kramer Pioneer JJ, and I traded it to Music Guild in ‘89 or so for a blue Guild Pilot. The pickups are Schallers, I don’t think they’re made any more but I’ve definitely seen some for sale on their own over the years. Sucks if the store didn’t disclose issues with frets & electronics.

My $.02, embrace its quirks and try to get the stock pickup(s) to work. Regardless of exact location in comparison to ‘60/‘70 J pickups - this thing is a mangy beast in heat, especially in series!

Mr123Clark said:

reviving this thread with the idea of 3D printing a new rear plate for my Fender Super Bassman that could have 3 120mm fans exhausting the air that comes in via the front grill cloth. In my practice space the head is pretty close to my head and i'd love to avoid blowing lots of hot air into my face which can get hot in the summer for sure. Anyone attempt something like this before?

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?

AFAIK the Super Bassman has one fan that blows air directly on the output tubes.





I would expect a small amount of air to pass through the front grill, but most of it should circulate out the back grill.

If you have three big powerful fans on the back panel all pushing air into the amp, more will exit the front. This air will definitely be hotter than the nominal air temp. How much hotter will depend on the air flow.

AFAIK the Super Bassman fan is temp-controlled, variable-speed. As long as the fan and control circuit are functioning properly, you probably don't need extra fans unless the amp is buried in a deep rolling rack. If this is the case, it could be useful to add some fans to the case to help clear the hot air.