Recent content by tstone

I guess I'm backwards from most people. I like satin -- but not dead flat or matte -- bodies because most of my instruments are home-built, and satin finishes are a lot easier to do. But even on those instruments, I like the back of the neck to be as slick, glossy, and polished as I can get it...

1. Play with a pick. That snappy attack helps the bass cut through even if the tone isn't super bright. 2. Get an EQ pedal and find the right range to boost/cut to bring your part forward in the mix.

I built a P/J years ago, but instead of a selector switch, put in a pan pot so I could go from 100%P to 100%J and any ratio in between. I experimented with it over a long period and now it's been parked at 100%P for so long I might as well remove the pan pot. Could remove the J pickup too, but...

Here's mine: Home-made one-piece alder body, Warmoth tiltback headstock neck, Fender pickups, Hipshot bridge and tuners, strung with LaBella flats. Controls are volume, tone, and pickup pan control, but I actually keep it on 100% P pickup.

I didn't get into playing bass until I *sang* bass in our University choir. We did all kinds of material, from madrigals to Bach and Mozart and modern works. It was practicing and singing those bass lines that made me appreciate the supportive role of the bass part and how it can work as...

Great-looking bass, that matte black finish is really striking. But it needs black nylon tapewounds to complete the look (jk).

I cobbled this lined conversion together from two different Mexican P-basses plus various spare parts. I pulled the frets and inlaid the fret slots with strips of ivory. I had salvaged some ivory keytops from an old piano that had been burned up in a local house fire. Now they live on in another...

Thanks, oyobass, that Thomann bag looks attractive, but they're quoting me $92.43 shipping! =8-0 Must ship from Europe. And thanks, Riff Ranger, for the World Tour bag recommendation. The lower bout width looks tight by about 1.3", but maybe there's some wiggle room there.

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated. The Thomann soft case looks impressive, but wow, almost $500! =8-0 Sales rep at Dean confirmed that their EAB gig bag fits their big EAB acoustic bass, which is pretty much the same size as the Tacoma/Olympia. I've heard that the Dean EAB hard case...

Yeah, it's a pretty strong effect. For the same set of strings tuned to the same pitch, the ratio of string tension going from one scale length to another varies with the square of the ratio of scale lengths. So going from, say a 34" scale to a 32" scale, the tension would go down by a factor of...

Wow, that's sad, I had no idea. I have a Mooradian double bass bag that has never let me down, guess I'd better hang onto it.

Search amazon for 'instrument cable 1/4" male to 1/4" female' You could also plug your Amplug into a 1/4" TS coupler and then a standard instrument cord from the coupler into the bass. Both solutions are awkward, but would work.

Good idea, I'm going to try this. I've been using foam, but it takes a set after a while and stops muting as effectively.

Not only the first bass played, but actually acquired on New Year's Day. Drove 100 miles to pick up this Olympia acoustic bass guitar, the import cousin of the legendary Tacoma Thunderchief. Wow, an ABG you can actually hear unplugged, what a concept! Needs some setup work and a set of flats --...

Recently picked up an Olympia by Tacoma OB-3CE ABG (the import version of the Tacoma Thunderchief), but the owner had no case or gig bag to go with it. It's a huge instrument (18" lower bout, 5" thick body) and there are basically only three gig bags I know of that fit it, two by Dean and one by...