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GrassRoots Bass-IV

#83
wongka said:
Well, i think it is good for the price even though it is a bit heavy :bassist::bassist::bassist:
Also i like the neck and middle pickups , the sound is very good for me
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Interesting - mine is a pretty standard weight, not heavy at all and it balances well. (under 9lbs) I mostly use the middle & bridge pu combo, and use the V/T bypass (bottom switch) for a boost when needed. I prefer a more midrange tone, so if I use the neck-hugging pu - I'll combine it with the bridge pu. All & all, after the upgrade mods I did - I really like the bass. Only drawback for me is I want to install a Hipshot Drop-D mechanism on it but the hs is on the small side size-wise and it wouldn't fit. Otherwise - it's a keeper. :thumbsup:
 
#85
somabass said:
Hello i just got a sunburst Bass IV in VGC but the neck needs a little relief. Do you guys know whats the allen key size for the truss rod?

Thanks!
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Not certain - most likely #4. (a common size tr hex-wrench size) Unfortunately this is one of the drawbacks of this bass - no tr access w/o removing the pg. Mine was fine as is so I didn't feel the need to address it, but eventually I'll rout a tr access slot in the pg. Then there's pu height adjustment... but as much as I'm pointing out design flaws, I still feel this bass is well worth what I paid for it. Oh.., and pics (of your bass) or it didn't happen. ;)
 
#86
JIO said:
Not certain - most likely #4. (a common size tr hex-wrench size) Unfortunately this is one of the drawbacks of this bass - no tr access w/o removing the pg. Mine was fine as is so I didn't feel the need to address it, but eventually I'll rout a tr access slot in the pg. Then there's pu height adjustment... but as much as I'm pointing out design flaws, I still feel this bass is well worth what I paid for it. Oh.., and pics (of your bass) or it didn't happen. ;)
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Hi Jio, i tried the 4mm but its a little loose and 4.5mm too large. Will keep trying. Here are the pics!
 

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#89
Hello! I recently got myself one of these after being aware of them for a while.
Screenshot 2022-08-02 000650.png

(This is my bass, but it's the photo from the seller I bought from).

This is such a cool concept for a bass, and I have had nothing but fun with it. It's topped my fretless J and my Precision as my main bass. I'd go as far as to say that this is my perfect bass, Build quality is not perfect, but it's built where it counts.

I've been looking for pickups that might be a good replacement for these. Not that these really need replacement, but it's still good to think about. I'd really not like to just stick guitar pickups in there, but others have suggested rails as a way around the issue that the pole piece arrangement is less than typical.
Has anyone come across any replacement pickup candidates that maintain the 4 string pole piece arrangement?
 
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#90
jdjk7 said:
Hello! I recently got myself one of these after being aware of them for a while.
View attachment 4769282
(This is my bass, but it's the photo from the seller I bought from).

This is such a cool concept for a bass, and I have had nothing but fun with it. It's topped my fretless J and my Precision as my main bass. I'd go as far as to say that this is my perfect bass, Build quality is not perfect, but it's built where it counts.

I've been looking for pickups that might be a good replacement for these. Not that these really need replacement, but it's still good to think about. I'd really not like to just stick guitar pickups in there, but others have suggested rails as a way around the issue that the pole piece arrangement is less than typical.
Has anyone come across any replacement pickup candidates that maintain the 4 string pole piece arrangement?
Click to expand...

Just saw this - nice score! Frankly I love the way mine sounds and wouldn't dream of changing out the pu's. The demo vids on page 1 of this thread are very accurate as to how the bass sounds. When I got mine I upgraded the pots/cap and a number of other mostly cosmetic details/things. For the price, it punches well above its weight. (which is very comfortable!)

Enjoy yours! :bassist:
 
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#91
I just got my Grass Roots IV from Japan yesterday. The volume and tone pots only work after jiggling them around a bit. Not twisting the knobs, but side to side jiggling. I already had the control plate off and sprayed the pots with deoxit a few times , without it helping any. Would it be worth taking the pots apart to clean, or just replace with new 250K pots ? The seller already gave me a $45 refund, because they said the volume pot was scratchy. My brother said I should seek more of a refund being that both are bad. I paid $469 w/tax and shipping. 21 days to ship. I really like the variety of sounds this bass puts out. I won't be getting rid of this bass. Will properly shield and ground the cavity in the near future. Didn't make sense to me that all the pickup ground wires run to a single screw in the cavity, but that it isn't connected to any other ground from that location. And my cavity also looks like shield paint was dripped in as it moved down the assembly line. I do like the sounds from using the different pickup switch positions. I saw someone playing one on You Tube, and started looking for one right after watching.
 
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#92
RJensen615 said:
I just got my Grass Roots IV from Japan yesterday. The volume and tone pots only work after jiggling them around a bit. Not twisting the knobs, but side to side jiggling. I already had the control plate off and sprayed the pots with deoxit a few times , without it helping any. Would it be worth taking the pots apart to clean, or just replace with new 250K pots ? The seller already gave me a $45 refund, because they said the volume pot was scratchy. My brother said I should seek more of a refund being that both are bad. I paid $469 w/tax and shipping. 21 days to ship. I really like the variety of sounds this bass puts out. I won't be getting rid of this bass. Will properly shield and ground the cavity in the near future. Didn't make sense to me that all the pickup ground wires run to a single screw in the cavity, but that it isn't connected to any other ground from that location. And my cavity also looks like shield paint was dripped in as it moved down the assembly line. I do like the sounds from using the different pickup switch positions. I saw someone playing one on You Tube, and started looking for one right after watching.
Click to expand...

For the price (under $500) it's well worth sorting out the shielding/pot issues. Review my posts here on how I brought mine in line if you want your bass to be 100%. The Grass Roots version was based on the original late '90s ESP Bass IV but they cut corners to make it cheaper. (plastic chrome plates etc) The pu's are keepers IMO - I replaced most everything else. It will be well worth it to do a similar number on yours - mine is a 'go to' bass for me since all my 'fine-tuning' efforts.

upload_2022-11-2_1-3-44.jpeg

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#94
JIO said:
Jack Bruce made good use of one with Cream in the late '60s before settling on his Gibson EB. (his VI painted by the Fool - currently in the Museum of Modern Art)
View attachment 4574380
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That exhibit was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (not MOMA) and only ran for a few months in 2019. (I saw it twice). It then went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where it might still be today. (I haven't been there recently).
 
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#96
RJensen615 said:
I replaced the volume pot, and now the volume works correctly. But if all pickups are switched off, and I move the fourth switch to bypass, it makes a horrible hum/buzz noise. Is that normal ? Wouldn't think so. ???View attachment 4868572
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No, not normal. The 4th switch should only produce output if at least one of the pu's are 'on'. If all 3 pu's are off - engaging the 4th switch should not produce any sound. It's a bypass of the V & T pots direct to the jack, but direct through the pu's. If you include detail pics of both control cavities & controls - I might be able to assess what is causing the hum/buzz problem.
 
#97
Does anybody happen to know if normal spec Bass VI pickguards/hardware plates will fit the IV? I'm thinking about replacing the switch and control plates with chrome ones, and possibly even having a faux tailpiece plate made for it to preserve the aesthetic.
 
#100
Stranger than strange ! I plugged my bass into a amplifier to check for noise, and now everything is working correctly ?????????? Dirty switch ?? Internal bridging in the switch ?? I did give all the switches a few squirts of Deoxit. Well, all is good. I really like the sounds I get from using all the different switching on this bass. I like the pickups, and wouldn't change them. Only thing I may do, is change the capacitor on the tone pot. Not unhappy with the stock tone pot cap, but would like to hear the difference when changed out. Has anybody changed the capacitor on their tone pot ? And if so, what value did you use ?
 

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