Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[beans-on-toast]

Yep. I swapped out the stamped metal bridge on a Gretch Junior Jet with a higher mass Gotoh. The difference was audible. Tone a bit more crisp, well defined. If that had been a better bridge to start with the difference might not be noticible. But it was an inexpensive upgrade to a reasonably good bass.

Speaking of Gretsch, I installed a Compton compensated bridge on a 6120 and wow. The old bridge was a rattly roller bridge. Compton is a guy with a machine shop that hit on a good old school design that makes the instrument better.

Compton Compensated Custom Bridges | Improving Sustain and Style

Went with TV Jones pickups and a wiring harness years ago. Their pickups are very good. Way better than the Japanese Gretsch ones that it came with.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Yeah, my Kramer was horrible like that. I don't think these are temperature issues. It's very consistently bad on the Fender and good on the Schecter.

The answer is: Dump the Fender! Tuning instability is why I gladly traded away my two Alembics.

The old bridge was a rattly roller bridge.

The "Space Control" bridge? Or, some other roller type bridge?

 

[LBS-bass]

The answer is: Dump the Fender! Tuning instability is why I gladly traded away my two Alembics.
The "Space Control" bridge? Or, someother roller type bridge?

Oh, I can't do that. I love this bass in every other way. The neck is really nice and I can get the action lower than any other bass I own, which I like, although it's not everyone's cuppa. Plus it sounds great. A new set of tuners won't set me back very far and, in this case, they'll be worth it. Although why Fender can't put decent tuners on their top production line, I don't understand.

Before I do that, I'll take a screwdriver to them one last time just to make sure they don't just need additional tension. I've tried that already, but maybe it was not quite enough.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Unless the tuning keys and/or the strings are actually slipping, the keys may not be the real issue at hand. Not trying to disuade you in any way from changing them out (I've done so on most of the basses, and a few of guitars, over the decades).

 

[LBS-bass]

Unless the tuning keys and/or the strings are actually slipping, the keys may not be the real issue at hand. Not trying to disuade you in any way from changing them out (I've done so on most of the basses, and a few of guitars, over the decades).

Well, I've played a few myself. Honestly, I think the bar is low in terms of what players are generally willing to accept in terms of instruments staying in tune, but I wouldn't think that if I hadn't played some fairly recent builds that were rock solid in that area. All other things being equal, it seems like the tuners are the obvious potential failure point when you're dealing with a well-put together American instrument that isn't staying in tune over the course of a three set show, and my cheap Indonesian CNC bass that also has a bolt-on neck never goes out. Cheap enough to test that theory, anyway.

 

[beans-on-toast]

The "Space Control" bridge? Or, someother roller type bridge?

It's simply called an adjustomatic roller bridge. It sits on a wood base. The instrument is a 1985, made in Japan when Gretsch restarted selling instruments. Each roller has a base and they held tend to rattle. Not the same as the space adjustable bar type bridge.

At the time, they had a nice stock of vintage parts and I was buying supplies. I talked about the new 6120 with Fred Gretsch Jr. I was happy to get it, he signed all my hang tags and sent a nice note.

I can never leave well enough alone so I installed the TV Jones pickups and harness. Very good pickups. Changed the spring in the Bigsby for a softer feel. Then just recently bought the Compton bridge. It's polished brass with chambers underneath. Good sustain and note clarity.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

and my cheap Indonesian CNC bass that also has a bolt-on neck never goes out. Cheap enough to test that theory, anyway.

I have a couple "economy" Ibanez basses and they stay in tune pretty good. It's the dang necks that go whacky!

 

[beans-on-toast]

Although why Fender can't put decent tuners on their top production line, I don't understand. Before I do that, I'll take a screwdriver to them one last time just to make sure they don't just need additional tension. I've tried that already, but maybe it was not quite enough.

I have a '57 reissue PBass that needed some work when I bought it new.

The tuners were so tight they would barely turn. There was loctite on the gear screws and they were way overtightened. I had to break the screws loose and clean them. After reassembly, no issues there. The other problem was the bridge was loose so there was some play there. After tightening it down it has been stable.

I use TI flats and never change them so they are well stretched out. Tuning is stable.

 

[GwenOnBass]

La Bella Low Tension Flexible Flats arrive in Friday's post. First flats I've tried in nearly 41 years. The Ray came with flats when new, as far as I've been able to deduce. The factory strings at the time were made by GHS, according to the TB record keepers. Being a total noob to the instrument, off came the factory strings, on went Rotosounds and

and now flats.

Didn't go TI because they don't fit.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I have a '57 reissue PBass that needed some work when I bought it new.

The tuners were so tight they would barely turn. There was loctite on the gear screws and they were way overtightened. I had to break the screws loose and clean them. After reassembly, no issues there. The other problem was the bridge was loose so there was some play there. After tightening it down it has been stable.

The last new Fender I bought was an AV '62 Jazz Bass in February 2003 (now that I think of it, it was the only Fender bass I ever bought brand new, and I have had quite a few Fender basses over the years; my very first bass was a late '60s Jazz Bass that I got in 1971 - surprising for Rickenbacker guy, eh? ), had those vintage style reverse wind Gotoh keys on it. They are all screwed up in the same way; all the key shafts were slightly bent and caused the feel of the tuning keys to vary throughout their 360º rotation from nice-and-smooth to very-tight-to-turn. This wasn't a "shop-worn" bass either, it was ordered from FMIC and delivered to my preferred dealer (NOT GC) a few weeks later, so it had not been touched by anyone other than Fender employees and my dealer, thus, ruling out having been mishandled by the GC throng on a typical Saturday afternoon.

IIRC, the only tuning keys I have changed out on a Fender (besides the above Gotohs that were replaced by Hipshot tuning keys) were the MIM ones that were on my California Precision Special; I replaced those with Ultralites.

I take that back, I think I changed the ones on my '96 CIJ Mustang Bass with Ultralites, too.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I find that flats take a while to break in and get better after a month or so. People's thoughts on this varies.

 

[Jeff Scott]

La Bella Low Tension Flexible Flats arrive in Friday's post. First flats I've tried in nearly 41 years.

You're showing your age, Contessa! You're 55 (deduced by the above mentioned 41 years + the average age of kids when they start playing bass - 14 years old).

The Ray came with flats when new, as far as I've been able to deduce. The factory strings at the time were made by GHS, according to the TB record keepers.

We need names, please, for verification purposes.

...and now flats.

Didn't go TI because they don't fit.

Don't fit, what? Never came across a bass they didn't fit on, so far, I haven't.

 

[GwenOnBass]

My 64th birthday is next week. Came to bass "late" after taught on saxophone in the traditional system. See notes, read and play notes. In a way the bass opened my way to actually playing music instead of merely playing the music as written. Will make it there someday

The winding length on short scale TI strings are (according to the string section over by the hardware section) 35.5 inches. Were it half an inch shorter, it would work. The winding length on the long scale is an inch too short for the through-body Stingray. And the super longs are 1 3/4 inches too long.

 

[mikeoso]

Apologies, but can't 'like' any posts involving gold hardware......

I like gold hardware.

 

[Fat Freddy]

My 64th birthday is next week. Came to bass "late" after taught on saxophone in the traditional system. See notes, read and play notes. In a way the bass opened my way to actually playing music instead of merely playing the music as written. Will make it there someday

The winding length on short scale TI strings are (according to the string section over by the hardware section) 35.5 inches. Were it half an inch shorter, it would work. The winding length on the long scale is an inch too short for the through-body Stingray. And the super longs are 1 3/4 inches too long.

I like the TI's on my 30" Crackercaster despite the winding length being 'incorrect'...

The strings haven't complained yet.....

 

[Fat Freddy]

I like gold hardware.
View attachment 3669268

I'm delighted to hear that

 

[mikeoso]

Do you folks like strap locks?

I installed Seymour Duncan ones when they first came out and kind of went off them. They required drilling a bigger mounting hole so no going back.

Yes they are safer but also more chunky. The strap had to stay with the bass.

Didn't want them on vintage instruments.

I use these.
"Guitar Strap Lock" Famous Classic Design & Great Reliability - MADE IN THE USA | eBay

 

[GwenOnBass]

I like the TI's on my 30" Crackercaster despite the winding length being 'incorrect'...

The strings haven't complained yet.....

And I've these new Warwick tapes that won't work because the winding length is two inches too long, and an inch too short.

 

[LBS-bass]

My 64th birthday is next week. Came to bass "late" after taught on saxophone in the traditional system. See notes, read and play notes. In a way the bass opened my way to actually playing music instead of merely playing the music as written. Will make it there someday

The winding length on short scale TI strings are (according to the string section over by the hardware section) 35.5 inches. Were it half an inch shorter, it would work. The winding length on the long scale is an inch too short for the through-body Stingray. And the super longs are 1 3/4 inches too long.

In case I disappear between now and then, as I am wont to do sometimes, let me emit a somewhat premature birthday greeting in your general direction!

View attachment 3669281

 

[GwenOnBass]

These are what I use. Slide on, twist, locked. No scary tools required.