• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Guitar players corner!

#441
CallMeAl said:
Does anyone feel your neck preferences on guitars and basses are similar? Or, do you feel more flexible because you double instruments?

I’ve long been a “J neck guy” on bass; but I’m playing so much guitar lately the J neck feels thin. Out of all my guitars, I prefer the widest/thickest neck.

I’m wondering if preferences are shifting, or if I’m just becoming more adaptable. I’m not at all uncomfortable on my J neck, but picking up P basses in stores lately feels really comfy. I’m considering a P neck, but it’s probably just GAS! :roflmao:
Click to expand...

On bass I've gone from being very picky to playing anything. For 25 years I played only a P bass*, when I picked up anything else it just felt wrong. Now I have a selection of basses (both 4 and 5 string) from Hofner Violin clone with a 30" scale guitar width neck and 15mm string spacing to a DB.

For guitars I started on a MIJ Antoria electric from the early 60's which had a neck like a baseball bat with a flat on it. After about 3 years I upgraded to a Gibson SG Special with a thin slender neck. I cannot imagine 2 more different guitar necks. since then I've felt comfortable on almost any guitar neck. I suspect that is due to not playing one neck for so long as I did on bass*.

*Back when I started playing GAS was unheard of, if you were happy with your instrument you stuck with it and when you had a 62 P there really was no need to look for another.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RedVee and CallMeAl
#442
Nedmundo said:
I'm also a "J neck guy" on bass, but I don't have any issues going from my guitars with slightly wider necks to my basses. It feels a little funny for a few seconds, but that's it. Plus, I think I'd be fine with a slightly wider nut width on a four-string bass if it had a 12" (or flatter) radius fretboard. I've considered ordering a G&L LB-100 with a 1 5/8" nut width and 12" radius, which I think would feel great.
Click to expand...
I’ve also historically chosen J necks. But playing so much guitar lately it’s feeling small, and any P bass I’ve demoed in the past year feels really good. Gonna check out an Ibanez TMB tomorrow actually!
 
  • Like
Reactions: zontar
#443
2AA8A7A3-FE93-48B5-83DE-5724CB77681A.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: zontar, ajkula66, Treblefree and 7 others
#444
So…..

Years ago I decided to get myself a cheap Jackson Rhoads with a Floyd. It was the worst guitar I had ever bought which I should have returned.

That was about 10 years ago. Well, GC has a sale going on right now and I also got a bunch points from PayPal. So I pulled the trigger and got myself another Rhoads for $150.

I can’t put this thing down. The weight, the neck, the sustain are all amazing. I’m actually replacing the pickups though for Dimarzio’s though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MonetBass, EatS1stBassist and CallMeAl
#445
An interesting find happened last weekend.
Our female friend invited me with ms and to spend the weekend in her suburban house. It was there where I've found this guitar, lying under the stairs covered in dust. I wiped the dust, tuned it and tried to play. I have to say the tone was incredible. Full, deep, rich, with a right amount of zing - it sounded like an expensive professional guitar, not like a cheap Chinese one, abandoned for who knows how long.
Being in overall good condition, the guitar has some wear marks which doesn't affect playability.
The action was very high though. I've found an Allen wrench and tightened the truss rod, but this helped only so much. I'm afraid making it playable would require some serious surgery that doesn't make sense because it would be cheaper to buy a new guitar of the same manufacturer.
Here are the obligatory pics. Check the last one for action after toghtening the truss rod.
upload_2022-7-5_16-23-14.png

upload_2022-7-5_16-23-30.png

upload_2022-7-5_16-23-45.png

upload_2022-7-5_16-23-59.png

upload_2022-7-5_16-24-25.png

upload_2022-7-5_16-24-41.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: ColdEye, zontar, Treblefree and 2 others
#446
Just going by that photo, the action doesn't look too bad for the most part, but the fingerboard extension does have more than the usual amount of drop-off. Is the top sunken between the sound hole and the heel of the neck and bellied up around the bridge? And, how is the playability closer to the nut?
 
#447
Jeff Scott said:
Is the top sunken between the sound hole and the heel of the neck and bellied up around the bridge?
Click to expand...
Of course. The belly behind the bridge is not that big, but visibly exists.
The original bridge saddle could be lowered but not much. Maybe 1mm.
Jeff Scott said:
And, how is the playability closer to the nut?
Click to expand...
So-so. Harder than I like.
Strings seem to be high tension bronze. I think the low tension strings would be easier to play, but they usually sound duller.
 
#448
Eli_Kyiv said:
Of course. The belly behind the bridge is not that big, but visibly exists.
The original bridge saddle could be lowered but not much. Maybe 1mm.

So-so. Harder than I like.
Strings seem to be high tension bronze. I think the low tension strings would be easier to play, but they usually sound duller.
Click to expand...
Do you think the nut slots are low enough that the playability in that area is due to other issues? That can make a huge difference in feel up near the headstock, and along the length of most of the fingerboard.

Your hearing must be worse than mine :D as far as hearing string tone relative to string tension. But then, I prefer the strings on my acoustics to be well broken in for my own preference in best tone. To me, all brand new strings are too bright sounding, even on my basses.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Eli_Kyiv
#449
Jeff Scott said:
Do you think the nut slots are low enough that the playability in that area is due to other issues? That can make a huge difference in feel up near the headstock, and along the length of most of the fingerboard.

Your hearing must be worse than mine :D as far as hearing string tone relative to string tension. But then, I prefer the strings on my acoustics to be well broken in for my own preference in best tone. To me, all brand new strings are too bright sounding, even on my basses.
Click to expand...
Yes, nut slots are low enough. The action on the 1st fret is as it should be, i.e. if it would be lower there would be a fret buzz.
As for strings, they are definitely not new. Probably factory original. B string even has some rust on it.
 
#450
DF034A51-7F4F-490D-8B37-C685BE8074B2.jpeg


I’ve been hoping to find a nice nylon string acoustic - and in true TB form - I bought two!

The Godin is a Slim neck width and plays like a dream. Got a screamin’ deal on it and it’s practically new.

The Alvarez has some history - it’s one of the 25 year anniversary models (early 90’s?) owned by a friend’s dad and purchased at a music store we both worked at as kids. It also plays great and sounds wonderful.

Now I’ve got to figure out which acoustic strings to choose - and how to install them. I might opt for pro setups and leave it at that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MonetBass, zontar, Atshen and 3 others
#454
For the 900th time, I'm considering changing the pickups in my tele. It's had a SD Alnico II and Jerry Donahue in it for over a decade, but I never play it because I hate the hum. I did put a 4 way switch in, and that's cool, but the other positions bother me. I've decided on a Dimarzio Area T neck and 615 bridge, but there's no point in making the change because I hardly play guitar these days anyway. Yay GAS.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MonetBass, CallMeAl and EatS1stBassist
#456
Follow up on my neck profile debate:

I ended up buying a Yamaha TRBX 174, with a 40mm nut and a profile slightly beefier than most of the Fender modern C necks. (U maybe?) Super comfy! I really liked the Ibanez TMB100 neck (beefier than Fender Player P and wider than the Yamaha) I would have gotten it but balance on a strap was not at all where I like it (plus some QC issues that bugged me.) I also played a G&L L2K- way out of budget and not the pickups I wanted; but the neck (1 3/4” nut, slim profile) was surprisingly playable. Kinda what I remember 1 5/8” nuts feeling like 2 years ago.

So I think In conclusion, I’m branching out to play more variety in neck profiles, and I likes what I likes! :D

Oh and NBD! In the basement jam area. Im finding this bridge-pickup Peavey super fun to play, and sounds great through the vox tube amp!
245820A7-7BAC-4D3D-8F98-F80C82984959.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: MonetBass, James Hart, zontar and 2 others

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back