Recent content by skygazer

I'm one of those few frustrated people! Under certain repeatable conditions, my nobelium can develop a very faint "phasey" noise. It's particularly audible on the 1/4" output when using headphones. I think it is somewhat dependent on the impedance of the connected device. I normally use a...

In a moment of whimsy, I gave the headstock an emblem. FN in this case means "Faux Novax", rather than Fabrique Nationale.

The Charlie Hunter or Van Eps tunings are probably better for easily reaching a bass note below an arbitrary 4 string guitar chord. Just the same, I think I'll keep working the E bass/A guitar tuning for a while and see how it goes. I'm hoping to keep both my bass muscle memory and my guitar...

Anybody else have one of these? 7 string hybrid (3 bass, 4 guitar), 30-33" scale, separate bass & guitar pickups with separate output jacks. Chinese guitar factories have started making them again, and I picked one up via eBay for $370. Took about a month to get it. I tuned it E1 A1 D2 g2 c3...

Here's what I did in order to use Labella LTF's. Be careful cutting flats beyond the silk! https://www.talkbass.com/threads/flatwound-like-strings-for-my-headless-bass.1668795/post-29044908

Here's a related thread I got one used from Elderly around 2010. 35" scale, very nice build quality, beautiful quilted maple top & 5 piece neck. More "normal" looking body than a Saber. Killer tone with Thomastic acousticore strings. I've only had to do minor routine maintenance... tension...

A lot less, especially if you are handy at modding cheap Chinese guitars. Less than $300, but several hours of pleasant sweat equity. Note the p-pickups I installed on the bottom 4.

Didn't start out as a bass, but here's my attempt at turning a cheap Chinese V-Glorify headless 8 string ERG into a hybrid-guitar. Original $200 Chinese 8-string ERG: Modified with tiny P-pickups added on the bottom 4. Used Ernie Ball 9 string nickel guitar set with 105 lowest string... the...

Charlie Hunter - Novax style https://batkingguitars.com/index/collections/electric-guitar/products/564747.html

I recently converted a cheap fretless (post here) using roller tuners in the bridge. Same effect… no need to cut the strings.

I wish they were higher ratio, or had taller knobs. I took the tuners apart, degreased them, and used some PFTE oil (for locks and clocks)... that seemed to smooth them out a little, but they are still too stiff at concert pitch for easy bare-finger adjustment. The little crank key works...

This seems like a good place to post this. I just finished "de-heading" a 12year old $100 Chinese eBay fretless. I figured I wouldn't loose much if it didn't turn out! I replaced the pickups with Bartos years ago, as the stockers were pretty anemic. The strings (TI Jazz Flats) are worth more...

I just love the feel and sound of LaBella Low Tension Flats, but they are problematic with a hipshot-style headless... in my case, a Kiesel Vader 5. A few months after I installed my first set of LTF's, the B-string started to slip... out of tune, when I tried to tune it up I could sense it...

So far, so good. I don't think it is a true bypass... it has to have an inline buffer to split the signal 3 ways. It's not high gain, really just a mixer. For that purpose, it works well. Seems clean and uncolored, at least on my rig & thru monitors. I particularly like the flexibility of...