Here's a tip.
Always, and I mean ALWAYS, wrap it up before you go a pokin', unless you're married and want babies.
Always, and I mean ALWAYS, wrap it up before you go a pokin', unless you're married and want babies.
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Little practical tips. Let's hear 'em.
- Thread starter Vynns
- Start date
Better pedal board mounting.
My pedal-board tip:
I've had bad luck with adhesive velcro on the bottoms of pedals (invariably a pedal pulls away, and I open my board to find stuff bounced around AND covered in useless adhesive), so I took a piece of cardboard and cut it to the size of my pedal board (my board/case is one of those where the entire floor is loop-like material). I attached several patches of velcro to that cardboard with staples/glue/etc. -- permanent stuff. Now I have a large piece of cardboard with plenty of velcro attachment points, that sticks quite well to the pedal board. Then I punch holes in that cardboard to accomodate zip-ties that I use to secure the pedals to the cardboard. End result -- solid attachment, no adhesive or other alterations to the pedals, zip ties are really cheap...possibly cheaper than new rolls of adhesive velcro, and you can pretty much rearrange the pedals a million times (whereas, repeated moving of pedals with velcro on them gradually weakens the velcro's adhesive)...and if you want to make it look nicer, use black zip ties, and spray the cardboard black. Little goofy, but it saves me a ton of headaches.
Still not as cool as the beer bottle gasket strap locks, though hahahaha!
ltt
My pedal-board tip:
I've had bad luck with adhesive velcro on the bottoms of pedals (invariably a pedal pulls away, and I open my board to find stuff bounced around AND covered in useless adhesive), so I took a piece of cardboard and cut it to the size of my pedal board (my board/case is one of those where the entire floor is loop-like material). I attached several patches of velcro to that cardboard with staples/glue/etc. -- permanent stuff. Now I have a large piece of cardboard with plenty of velcro attachment points, that sticks quite well to the pedal board. Then I punch holes in that cardboard to accomodate zip-ties that I use to secure the pedals to the cardboard. End result -- solid attachment, no adhesive or other alterations to the pedals, zip ties are really cheap...possibly cheaper than new rolls of adhesive velcro, and you can pretty much rearrange the pedals a million times (whereas, repeated moving of pedals with velcro on them gradually weakens the velcro's adhesive)...and if you want to make it look nicer, use black zip ties, and spray the cardboard black. Little goofy, but it saves me a ton of headaches.
Still not as cool as the beer bottle gasket strap locks, though hahahaha!
ltt
End stripped strap button holes?
I haven't really tested whether this works as intended or not, but I started doing it recently:
First thing when I get an instrument, I pull the strap buttons and screws, and then flood the holes with very thin CA glue (super glue) -- or maybe wood hardener would work. let that dry, then reseat the button and screw, careful to catch into the original grooves. My thinking is that, by hardening the surrounding wood, it may be less likely to strip out over time, it'll be easier to mate the screw and grooves any time you have to take the screws out, maybe they'll be stronger, etc. If it works, it's a helluva lot easier than refilling and redrilling the holes if they get stripped!
ltt
I haven't really tested whether this works as intended or not, but I started doing it recently:
First thing when I get an instrument, I pull the strap buttons and screws, and then flood the holes with very thin CA glue (super glue) -- or maybe wood hardener would work. let that dry, then reseat the button and screw, careful to catch into the original grooves. My thinking is that, by hardening the surrounding wood, it may be less likely to strip out over time, it'll be easier to mate the screw and grooves any time you have to take the screws out, maybe they'll be stronger, etc. If it works, it's a helluva lot easier than refilling and redrilling the holes if they get stripped!
ltt
Cheap on-stage guitar rest/stand.
Another untested one --
I saw somebody selling a guitar "stand" that was a little c-shaped foam collar that velcros to the side of a carpeted cab. The neck of your instrument gets jammed into that, and it provides enough stability to keep the instrument from tipping over. Now, if you go to a general hardware store (like Ace, Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) and look in the home child-proofing section for something called a door mouse, or door guard, etc. eBay "child door guard" -- same basic thing, and I'm guessing it's cheaper.
Cheap guitar wall hanger.
Same idea as guitar wall hangers. You can pay 9-12 bucks for commercial ones, or go to a hardware store and look in the tool storage section for u-shaped foam-covered hooks with a screw/threaded mount -- screw that into a piece of wood and mount, or screw it directly into a stud -- done 1-2 bucks. Someone on a DIY site made a nice walk-through of how to completely make your own, including a nice base -- in the end and nice cheap option. I have these all over my garage where I work on my guitars so I always have a place to set instruments aside...since I rarely finish any projects in any kind of reasonable timeframe....
ltt
Another untested one --
I saw somebody selling a guitar "stand" that was a little c-shaped foam collar that velcros to the side of a carpeted cab. The neck of your instrument gets jammed into that, and it provides enough stability to keep the instrument from tipping over. Now, if you go to a general hardware store (like Ace, Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) and look in the home child-proofing section for something called a door mouse, or door guard, etc. eBay "child door guard" -- same basic thing, and I'm guessing it's cheaper.
Cheap guitar wall hanger.
Same idea as guitar wall hangers. You can pay 9-12 bucks for commercial ones, or go to a hardware store and look in the tool storage section for u-shaped foam-covered hooks with a screw/threaded mount -- screw that into a piece of wood and mount, or screw it directly into a stud -- done 1-2 bucks. Someone on a DIY site made a nice walk-through of how to completely make your own, including a nice base -- in the end and nice cheap option. I have these all over my garage where I work on my guitars so I always have a place to set instruments aside...since I rarely finish any projects in any kind of reasonable timeframe....
ltt
Always unplug your bass guitar when it's on a stand! Not just active ones to save battery life! All basses - batteries or not!
Soundmen / band members waltzing around on stage checking monitors, laying out drum carpet or anything else can get their feet caught in the cable on the floor... If the previous tips are followed (anchoring your cable through the cab handle / through the strap) this will almost certainly bring your bass crashing to the floor...
Another tip - don't get drunk... There is NO WAY to sober up quickly: no amount of coffee, head under water or slapping can bring someone back from a zombified drunken state! (so say the Mythbusters anyway).
Keep 'em coming!
Soundmen / band members waltzing around on stage checking monitors, laying out drum carpet or anything else can get their feet caught in the cable on the floor... If the previous tips are followed (anchoring your cable through the cab handle / through the strap) this will almost certainly bring your bass crashing to the floor...
Another tip - don't get drunk... There is NO WAY to sober up quickly: no amount of coffee, head under water or slapping can bring someone back from a zombified drunken state! (so say the Mythbusters anyway).
Keep 'em coming!
Hey everyone! just thought i'd throw in my 2cents worth (some really good ideas and advice on here btw)!
I use one of those pick dispenser things, however, since I prefer not to have anything stuck onto my axe, I velcro'd the dispenser onto the inside of my strap, about 2-3 incehes from the top horn. So that means that the pick holder isn't seen and that i can reach it easily from behind the strap. I also stitched one piece of the velcro to my strap and the other piece I superglued to the back of the pick holder. That way I can take it off the strap without pulling all the velcro off with it.
I use one of those pick dispenser things, however, since I prefer not to have anything stuck onto my axe, I velcro'd the dispenser onto the inside of my strap, about 2-3 incehes from the top horn. So that means that the pick holder isn't seen and that i can reach it easily from behind the strap. I also stitched one piece of the velcro to my strap and the other piece I superglued to the back of the pick holder. That way I can take it off the strap without pulling all the velcro off with it.
That works great until it keeps popping up when you play your tunes on shuffle...
Buy 4 string sets + individual B strings instead of 5 string sets. It's usually cheaper that way, and you can customize gauges to your preference (ex. matching a light B string with heavier gauge 4 string set).
To save even more money, buy half as many B strings as 4 string sets, and change your B every other time you change strings. New B strings don't sound much different than old ones anyway, IME.
To save even more money, buy half as many B strings as 4 string sets, and change your B every other time you change strings. New B strings don't sound much different than old ones anyway, IME.
like the b string trick, I just got a 5er
the tool holder trick is cool....I hate paying 15 bucks for hangers
I use the pick holder plastic thingy, I have them on my basses, on the back of the headstock....no on eever sees them but me!
al
the tool holder trick is cool....I hate paying 15 bucks for hangers
I use the pick holder plastic thingy, I have them on my basses, on the back of the headstock....no on eever sees them but me!
al
That's what I did on my last 2 sets. I just didn't know if it was cool! My last I order was for flats with .050, .070, .085, .105 and then I separate .110 for the B string. I just don't like a real big fat B string.
I've never seen the rubber washers on beer bottles here in the States - beer drinkers pretty much use cans around here anyways - so what I use is a common garden-variety metal washer. Simply unscrew your strap button, fit an appropriately-sized washer on, then your strap, screw it back, and voila! A straplock! However, your strap is now on more or less permanently, so if you need to remove your strap you'll have to unscrew your strap button. Myself, I leave my strap on all the time so it's not a problem for me.
If you are concerned about the possibility of your bass tipping forward out of the traditional guitar stand...go to Lowe's (or equivalent) and get velcro cable ties. Wrap around the front of one side, place bass on stand and wrap the velcro strip across in front of the neck.
Only way for the bass to come out of the stand is for you to unwrap the velcro from in front of the neck. Only way to tip over is for the entire stand to tip over.
I use this all the time.
Only way for the bass to come out of the stand is for you to unwrap the velcro from in front of the neck. Only way to tip over is for the entire stand to tip over.
I use this all the time.
All-purpose ties and cable clamps
So to keep cables wrapped up and together, without excessively tight loops and such, I found two really helpful and cheap things at Menards -- one is a small hoop of elastic chord with a plastic ball on the end. You can wrap it around anything, and pull the end of the hoop over the ball, and it's all tied up. A bag of 15 or 20 was something like 5 bucks -- they're really useful to have around.
Example:
http://www.adventurerv.net/images/7-inch-ball-bungee-cord.jpg/92/100/prod_info
The other one is these cable clamps that look like individual handcuffs. You can now buy these at music stores and in some places at goofy prices -- like 20 bucks for assortments...but for quite a while (I haven't looked lately) you could get these at menards or home depot for much cheaper -- 60 cents to a buck each -- not as versatile as the elastic wraps, but excellent for cables.
Here's an overpriced commercial one:
Invalid Link Removed
So to keep cables wrapped up and together, without excessively tight loops and such, I found two really helpful and cheap things at Menards -- one is a small hoop of elastic chord with a plastic ball on the end. You can wrap it around anything, and pull the end of the hoop over the ball, and it's all tied up. A bag of 15 or 20 was something like 5 bucks -- they're really useful to have around.
Example:
http://www.adventurerv.net/images/7-inch-ball-bungee-cord.jpg/92/100/prod_info
The other one is these cable clamps that look like individual handcuffs. You can now buy these at music stores and in some places at goofy prices -- like 20 bucks for assortments...but for quite a while (I haven't looked lately) you could get these at menards or home depot for much cheaper -- 60 cents to a buck each -- not as versatile as the elastic wraps, but excellent for cables.
Here's an overpriced commercial one:
Invalid Link Removed
in face to face conversation your guitarist is not a guitard!
I never call them that but boy could that run to a long set.
I never call them that but boy could that run to a long set.
Earplugs. They are little. They are practical. And keeping your hearing is kinda important if you are a musician.
You are hearing "Dial tone" which is an F...but he's hearing "Dial-overtone" which is an 'A' giving us a happy Maj.3rd before dialing. Take your pick.
