Just what my twice rebuilt left shoulder needs, more added weight pulling down on it. IMO there are better alternatives.
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How's It Hangin'
- Thread starter bovinehost
- Start date
Two options.
1) Do nothing and eventually you won't notice whatever the problem was.
2) Get some duct tape or Gorilla tape, put it on your strap, and being careful not to stand over any hard floors, tape the strap to the bass in various places. Wherever it hangs the best, put a strap button. I've done this multiple times on Flying V guitars (incidentally another kind of guitar with the pin at the heel, although you balance it with the other pin). You can use brass instrument valve oil to remove any residual tape goop.
1) Do nothing and eventually you won't notice whatever the problem was.
2) Get some duct tape or Gorilla tape, put it on your strap, and being careful not to stand over any hard floors, tape the strap to the bass in various places. Wherever it hangs the best, put a strap button. I've done this multiple times on Flying V guitars (incidentally another kind of guitar with the pin at the heel, although you balance it with the other pin). You can use brass instrument valve oil to remove any residual tape goop.
1) Doubtful.
2) Good advice except blue painters tape works great and won’t leave any residue.
chowny
Commercial User
Here's some demos on the ACTUAL bass he purchased.
And here's a couple of demos on the shorter scale version
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- Dec 5, 2002
- 4,165
- 2,254
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Ernie Ball Music Man/Sterling By Music Man
Okay, now that's cool. Of course, being me, I changed the rounds to flats so it doesn't sound quite like that now.
- Dec 5, 2002
- 4,165
- 2,254
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Ernie Ball Music Man/Sterling By Music Man
First impressions of the Chowny bass? If you're looking for a quality semi-hollow 34" scale, this is a great bass to try.
It's a fine looking instrument. Mine obviously is a reddish burst, 2 pickups, double cutaway. Bound body, binding on the neck, too. Stephen Chown is based in the UK but the instruments are built in India; I had no idea what to expect, having never had an Indian-built instrument. If mine is any indication, they're doing good work. I'm overly sensitive to headstock design. I cannot own a bass if the headstock looks weird to me. Fender is acceptable, Music Man of course, and a few others fit my criteria. I am thankful that the headstock on the Chownys fit my undesignated requirements. Whew!
I tapped on the pickups to figure out what the toggle switch did. I'm still not sure about the four knobs but expect to master them soon enough. Great sounding (Artec) pickups. I'm in lust with the neck pickup solo - very McCartney, so I put on "Abbey Road" and made Sir Paul noises for a couple of hours. With roundwounds, you could probably do just about anything with one of these basses, but I really wanted a thumper.
So I changed the strings immediately - they were rounds, D'Addarios, I think. Aren't those the ones with the color-coded bits on the bridge end? Not bad strings, but not something I'd keep. Ernie Ball Flats, the lighter gauge set, fit this bass nicely. This thing is so NOT what I normally play that I noticed how differently it made me approach it. This is not a bad thing. I tend to beat the crap out of any bass I play, but the Chowny doesn't respond well to that. I'm having more than a few age-related issues with my hands and I needed a reason to ease up and try a lighter touch. I have two long gigs coming up this weekend and I have to pace myself, so maybe bringing this one will help me through it.
I will of course bring a Bongo 5. I wouldn't know how to act without one. You are welcome to give me a hard time about this transgression from my norm and I'll just have to put up with it. I would not, could not ever do what I do without Music Man basses. Those are my comfort zone. Like my Stupid P Bass(®), this is market research. Plus I just didn't have enough scratch for a new Stingray 5, which makes me sad but it is what it is.
Anyway, if you're like me and wanted to experiment with a HB without having to deal with shorter scale, this may be something you'd want to look at. Especially if budget is an issue. Isn't it always? Not sure who the dealers are in the USA. Worth looking into. I bet someone (hello, Stephen) will know who is selling these stateside.
It's a fine looking instrument. Mine obviously is a reddish burst, 2 pickups, double cutaway. Bound body, binding on the neck, too. Stephen Chown is based in the UK but the instruments are built in India; I had no idea what to expect, having never had an Indian-built instrument. If mine is any indication, they're doing good work. I'm overly sensitive to headstock design. I cannot own a bass if the headstock looks weird to me. Fender is acceptable, Music Man of course, and a few others fit my criteria. I am thankful that the headstock on the Chownys fit my undesignated requirements. Whew!
I tapped on the pickups to figure out what the toggle switch did. I'm still not sure about the four knobs but expect to master them soon enough. Great sounding (Artec) pickups. I'm in lust with the neck pickup solo - very McCartney, so I put on "Abbey Road" and made Sir Paul noises for a couple of hours. With roundwounds, you could probably do just about anything with one of these basses, but I really wanted a thumper.
So I changed the strings immediately - they were rounds, D'Addarios, I think. Aren't those the ones with the color-coded bits on the bridge end? Not bad strings, but not something I'd keep. Ernie Ball Flats, the lighter gauge set, fit this bass nicely. This thing is so NOT what I normally play that I noticed how differently it made me approach it. This is not a bad thing. I tend to beat the crap out of any bass I play, but the Chowny doesn't respond well to that. I'm having more than a few age-related issues with my hands and I needed a reason to ease up and try a lighter touch. I have two long gigs coming up this weekend and I have to pace myself, so maybe bringing this one will help me through it.
I will of course bring a Bongo 5. I wouldn't know how to act without one. You are welcome to give me a hard time about this transgression from my norm and I'll just have to put up with it. I would not, could not ever do what I do without Music Man basses. Those are my comfort zone. Like my Stupid P Bass(®), this is market research. Plus I just didn't have enough scratch for a new Stingray 5, which makes me sad but it is what it is.
Anyway, if you're like me and wanted to experiment with a HB without having to deal with shorter scale, this may be something you'd want to look at. Especially if budget is an issue. Isn't it always? Not sure who the dealers are in the USA. Worth looking into. I bet someone (hello, Stephen) will know who is selling these stateside.
- Apr 20, 2009
- 2,618
- 4,664
- Disclosures
- Endorsements: your name could be here, Mr. Sadowsky!
That's still impressive, I couldn't hardly fret a note turning the bass around. My brain hurts thinking about it.I wish... The EA-250 guitar can be had as a lefty, the EA-260 bass evidently can not. I've never seen one, anyway. When I play mine, I play it upside down; sitting; without a strap. It's the bass I try to play right handed, every so often. And when I do, I play it on a strap, standing up. Been trying it for a lot of years, now; with no real success. I actually can play right handed - for 5-10 minutes, sometimes. After that, my hands and brain get confused; and if I persist, the sick headaches start. I will have to have it converted to a lefty, one of these days. It's actually a very nice old bass...
Adds a lot of length needed for the strap. If you're tall like me, and want to wear your bass low on the hip and off on one side like Jack, a regular strap won't be long enough. The stock strap that came with my Jack Casady wasn't even long enough to reach even the stock neck mounted strap pin.
After I remounted the pin to the top horn, a strap 57" hole-to-hole was needed to wear the bass where I liked it, compared to my Fender Precision, which takes a strap 53" hole-to-hole
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All correct. At 6'4" and one who wears their bass on the hip, the strap required is long. Small price to pay for comfort though.
"I'm overly sensitive to headstock design. I cannot own a bass if the headstock looks weird to me."
Hah, hah! For those who don't know, Jack took to the Bongo bass like a duck to water when they came out. Most of us stood back and said "what a strange looking bass...and that headstock"! Jack has been called "Bongo Boy" or "Lord Bongo" for many years now.
It only took me about 16 years to change my mind and I now own a Bongo 6 HH. Yeah it looks strange but plays and sounds fantastic.
I would find another solution, Jack. That will cost you about $200 in value when you drill that hole. Wide strap is the answer to your question. I always use a wide strap anyway since it makes it more comfortable on my old shoulder.
Hah, hah! For those who don't know, Jack took to the Bongo bass like a duck to water when they came out. Most of us stood back and said "what a strange looking bass...and that headstock"! Jack has been called "Bongo Boy" or "Lord Bongo" for many years now.
It only took me about 16 years to change my mind and I now own a Bongo 6 HH. Yeah it looks strange but plays and sounds fantastic.
I would find another solution, Jack. That will cost you about $200 in value when you drill that hole. Wide strap is the answer to your question. I always use a wide strap anyway since it makes it more comfortable on my old shoulder.
- Dec 5, 2002
- 4,165
- 2,254
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Ernie Ball Music Man/Sterling By Music Man
I think the solution is going to be sitting down, Chuck. It's not neck dive, it's that the face of the bass, when worn at normal height, is looking at my feet. Up really high, the problem disappears but it's too high, even for me, hah.
I like this bass enough to keep it in the studio and to use it for gigs where I can pull up a chair, which drives Brian crazy but that's a part of our long-term relationship. No one cares what the bassist is doing anyway.
I've got a closet full of different straps so I'll see if there's a working solution in there somewhere. If not, I'm still happy enough with the bass. Can't wait to record with it.
I like this bass enough to keep it in the studio and to use it for gigs where I can pull up a chair, which drives Brian crazy but that's a part of our long-term relationship. No one cares what the bassist is doing anyway.
I've got a closet full of different straps so I'll see if there's a working solution in there somewhere. If not, I'm still happy enough with the bass. Can't wait to record with it.
This is what I'd try - I use it on my A/E basses.
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