Recent content by SpiceBot

You could do what I did... take a high-res pic off the 'net, extrapolate the scale by measuring pixels from the 12th fret to the bridge, then take that ratio and apply it to all the measurements on the bass. When that doesn't work, eyeball it :rolleyes:

Start out with some cool jazz, the lines are usually easy to hear and follow, plus the songs rock. Miles Davis (pre-Bitches Brew) and Coltrane are two good places to start.

I've broken probably a dozen strings on my basses, and most of them were the E string, all with my fingers. My problem? I COULDN'T HEAR MYSELF. Try turning your amp/monitor up just a little and lightening up with your fingers to get the same volume as before. Not only will this be easier on...

I like the "less is more" approach. It does look like you "went to town" on that guitar, and a few of the spots are way out of reach for normal playing wear. Take one of the best examples of a worn bass from extensive playing, Victor Wooten's Fodera Monarch. [Invalid or Expired Link...

Hey all you luthiers, as a noob builder, I'd like to ask a bit of advice from you guys. My biggest question is where does everyone source their hard to find parts from? Screws, bolts, springs, etc. can all be found online or at GC locally, but is there a better place, like certain hardware...

You'll only get "stuck in the western scale" if you let yourself. It's ALL music, and practicing any part of it will make your whole repertoire better. An A is an A, no matter what part of the world you are in. Plus, some of the old choral masters from hundreds of years ago made some pretty...

I can't comment on the head, as I've been out of the loop for years on that. I can say that Pre-amp and Power-amp are two completely different things. Your Pre-amp is what you use to shape to tonal qualities of the sound you are producing, for instance the 5-band EQ on some amps. The...

Jacko yanked his frets out with a butter knife and filled the holes with putty. Sounds like you are working on training your ear, but are having trouble hearing the lower frequencies. Try borrowing a friend's guitar for a few days and doing the same stuff you're trying now. Get used to...

+1 on truss rod, also check your string height. Sounds like you have a slight forward bow to the neck (truss rod too tight) and is causing the buzzing. Get that truss rod dialed in and you can also lower your string height just a smidge and make that neck lightning fast. While you're...

Looks like you have two volume and two tone, one for each pup. Pop open the back and the two with capacitors soldered on them are the tone. You just have to figure which pup is linked to which set on your own :D

I was searching for pictures of a Bolin NS to steal the design of their extendo-horn contraption for my first hand built bass, and found it in the "show your bass" thread. You guys have some MIGHTY FINE instruments. Makes my well-worn Hartke look, well, worn out.

Hello, My name is Andy, and I'm a bass addict. <hello Andy> I haven't always been stuck in the pocket. I started out playing guitar when I was 12, but the jazz band in high school needed a bassist, so I picked up the band's Lyle and thought, "Hey, it's got strings, this can't be so bad!"...