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[Minneapolis/MN Thread] Where's the "beer" thread icon?

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#881
REFRET...
Kenner is right. JRO is right... I believe your expectations may be out of line for reality.

Respectfully - having my frets PLEKd was more than your quoted price range.... I wouldn't trust a $99 refret quote.

When someone brings me a bass for setup, it takes about 4-5 hours to dial it all in togeher --- If I were paying utilities, insuiance, rent etc, this would make it a $300 setup

Hoffman charges about $45/fret -- they won't touch your bass unless it's worth their time... guitard enter won't do it... chances re you local store won't have the $300 file it takes to do it right...

--
Exalt is on the right track
OPINION ... if "all" of the frets buzz, I'd bet it's string tension, a bad setup or mismated technique

---

Your Quote
What do i consider is fair... I think relative to the music-repair business, 175-300 is... average/acceptable. I think it's only so much because of the time factor. It's not necessarily hard or intricate work (assuming it's an easy fret job like mine, not an complex/expensive fret job like on a Rickenbacker) in that all you're doing is pull the frets, light prep-work on the fret board, gluing down the new frets and prepping them. That's pretty much all there is to doing that. If i had the right setup or even just a jig, i would do it myself

Respectfully --- this kind of logic is in the same vein "my roof is in the ghetto -- the shingles and labor should be free -- I don't live in a mansion".........the luthier would receive a bad reputation from the tone of your original post , you may be inclined to rant a TB post "OMG someone just dorked my ESP"

OPINIONGo onto the stewart mac website, buy the tools and parts and try it.. if your bass only has a street value of $80- it's a good time to figure out if you have it in you. (I still think it's setup, strings or technique)

----

OP ----
May "feel" like you're getting ganged up on. One thing all folks coment after a GTG is how standup and fair the guys are... we'll have everything from rockers to nerds from 15 to 70 show up... the common thread is being cool, honest and resepctful, and realistic... in your case, they were defending the regional luthiers.

We apologize if the notes were taken the wrong way.

-----


I'll crown/file/dial in frets --pulling them and replacing them is where your Menards tool set will mame your axe -- I have a TBer that I'm going to hire to work on a few of my frets --- no filing.. just swap install some tall fretwire.... I do expect to compensate him for his efforts..

I met him at the get together, we'd love to meet you for the next one.... please subscribe to this thread.
 
#883
MNAirHead said:
REFRET...
Kenner is right. JRO is right... I believe your expectations may be out of line for reality.

Respectfully - having my frets PLEKd was more than your quoted price range.... I wouldn't trust a $99 refret quote.

When someone brings me a bass for setup, it takes about 4-5 hours to dial it all in togeher --- If I were paying utilities, insuiance, rent etc, this would make it a $300 setup

Hoffman charges about $45/fret -- they won't touch your bass unless it's worth their time... guitard enter won't do it... chances re you local store won't have the $300 file it takes to do it right...

--
Exalt is on the right track
OPINION ... if "all" of the frets buzz, I'd bet it's string tension, a bad setup or mismated technique

---

Your Quote
What do i consider is fair... I think relative to the music-repair business, 175-300 is... average/acceptable. I think it's only so much because of the time factor. It's not necessarily hard or intricate work (assuming it's an easy fret job like mine, not an complex/expensive fret job like on a Rickenbacker) in that all you're doing is pull the frets, light prep-work on the fret board, gluing down the new frets and prepping them. That's pretty much all there is to doing that. If i had the right setup or even just a jig, i would do it myself

Respectfully --- this kind of logic is in the same vein "my roof is in the ghetto -- the shingles and labor should be free -- I don't live in a mansion".........the luthier would receive a bad reputation from the tone of your original post , you may be inclined to rant a TB post "OMG someone just dorked my ESP"

OPINIONGo onto the stewart mac website, buy the tools and parts and try it.. if your bass only has a street value of $80- it's a good time to figure out if you have it in you. (I still think it's setup, strings or technique)

----

OP ----
May "feel" like you're getting ganged up on. One thing all folks coment after a GTG is how standup and fair the guys are... we'll have everything from rockers to nerds from 15 to 70 show up... the common thread is being cool, honest and resepctful, and realistic... in your case, they were defending the regional luthiers.

We apologize if the notes were taken the wrong way.

-----


I'll crown/file/dial in frets --pulling them and replacing them is where your Menards tool set will mame your axe -- I have a TBer that I'm going to hire to work on a few of my frets --- no filing.. just swap install some tall fretwire.... I do expect to compensate him for his efforts..

I met him at the get together, we'd love to meet you for the next one.... please subscribe to this thread.
Click to expand...
There's a lot in this post, is it all about me?

Respectfully --- this kind of logic is in the same vein "my roof is in the ghetto -- the shingles and labor should be free -- I don't live in a mansion".........the luthier would receive a bad reputation from the tone of your original post , you may be inclined to rant a TB post "OMG someone just dorked my ESP"
Click to expand...
Not really, it's more along the lines of if you're replacing my window, you should rebuild and replace the frame, i think.

$300 is a lot though. $300 is a 3/4 of a rent payment. $300 is a new gaming system. $300 is a new set of spark plugs and an engine tune. I just don't think the demanding labor is there to justify $45 a fret. I'm funny in that i think a lot of stuff in the bass world is unjustified. Like the prices of 4001's. What the hell.

I set the bass up myself, it could be me, but i don't see how. My neck is almost in the neutral position, i do have a slight bow. I have low action but that's the way i like it (i tried both for a while and just came to the conclusion i like low action). The strings i use are really dead RS66LE's. All this stuff probably does add up to fret buzz, but it's so bad i cannot hear some notes, it's not just a slight buzz. I'll keep playing with it though. Don't have much to lose lol
 
#884
Mr wiggl3s said:
$300 is a lot though. $300 is a 3/4 of a rent payment. $300 is a new gaming system. $300 is a new set of spark plugs and an engine tune. I just don't think the demanding labor is there to justify $45 a fret. I'm funny in that i think a lot of stuff in the bass world is unjustified. Like the prices of 4001's. What the hell.
Click to expand...

I agree with you on the price of 4001s, but maintenance is a tad different. While there is the occasional diamond in the rough, a lot of the time it's the old saying "you get what you pay for"
Motorcycle helmets come to mind--i remember when my dad bought a motorcycle after 20 years of being without one (sold his harley when my older sister was born) and he was pricing helmets--I thought the prices were way too much just for a stupid helmet, but my uncle (who was pricing them with him) said "it won't really matter how much money you saved when they are scraping your brains off the highway" and that made sense to me--sometimes, our inner frugality doesn't line up with the asking price of some services, but it's a matter of getting what you pay for. Maybe you will find a refret job for 100 bucks, but is there a guarantee that it will be done right? sometimes that extra money is built-in peace-of-mind/insurance that your bass is in good hands and the work will be done right. But then again, it's its a cheap bass with no emotional attachment, then why not try it for yourself? that might even help you assign a value to the job because you know what kind of work it takes--maybe cheaper, maybe more expensive...I'm not trying to criticize, just point out that sometimes you get what you pay for, and some things are worth the extra money.
 
#885
Which frets does it buzz on? You could try loosening the truss rod 1/2 turn and give it a day or two to settle and see if that helps. Raising the bridge saddles a bit could do it too. If you like really low action its a fine line to get no buzz. If none of that works go get a straight edge and a couple fret files, one for leveling and one for crowning and go to town. Good luck.
 
#886
jro said:
Which frets does it buzz on? You could try loosening the truss rod 1/2 turn and give it a day or two to settle and see if that helps. Raising the bridge saddles a bit could do it too. If you like really low action its a fine line to get no buzz. If none of that works go get a straight edge and a couple fret files, one for leveling and one for crowning and go to town. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Many times I'll also find someone files down a nut vs raise it to get lower action.

It's all geometry...
 
#887
Kenner said:
Mr. Mark's in Anoka....
Click to expand...

Mr wiggl3s said:
not so much... $175-$300 and it takes a week+ to do. That's just unreal.
Click to expand...

Kenner said:
...and just for the sake of knowing...what would be reasonable? I may be missing something that I haven't searched well enough. I figure 22 frets at (guessing, no clue) 20 minutes per is 440 minutes..or 7.3 hrs. labor. Even at 300 bones, it would be reasonable (to me anyway), to pay a pro 40-45 bucks an hour to be pro...and a week turn time?

Call around. Maybe I'm way off...

...just tryin to help...
Click to expand...


Mr wiggl3s said:
There's a lot in this post, is it all about me?
Click to expand...


Yep... I'm just the goof who types 300 wpm.... and would like to meet you at the next GTG (to check out your buzzy bass)
 
#890
I've been on here for quite some time but I rarely check the forums. Charles Fletcher mentioned this thread to me last night so here I am.

Chris Bates
-from Hopkins, MN currently living in New Hope.
-Upright and electric bass in all styles.
-Atlantis Quartet, Red Planet, Framework, Todd Clouser's A Love Electric (rope-a-dope records) and many other projects.
- 100 yr old upright, Geddy Lee Jazz, Walter Woods head, Acme 2X10 cab, various pedals.

Hope to catch some of you guys playing soon!
 
#893
I have a fretless with a small hump in the fingerboard around where the second fret would be. It's not really visible, but I've got the action nicely dialed in and the nut filed down nicely (thanks Dave, I'll get your nut files back to you next week) and I can't play where the first two frets would be because it will buzz out. If I raise the action I'll lose a lot of the "mwah".

I'm kind of scared to sand it out myself, but the beauty of the bass is that it was so cheap, so maybe I should - if I take it in it will suddenly not be a cheap bass any more. The fingerboard radius is 15 or 16 inches. I'm going with 15. All of the strings exhibit the issue.

Do I need to borrow somone's sanding blocks or can I do it with a thick felt block. I'm guessing that it wouldn't take much sanding to get rid of it, but I _DO_ know that I'll have bigger issues if I blow it.

Thoughts? I would have brought it to the GTG if I had been in town.

KO
 
#895
I did some more tweaking, mostly just raising the bridge. I was able to use the bass for two church services this morning.

I got the bass for $270 new. It's a Copley. It actually has a nice bubinga body. But it's still a Copley. If I can get it to play all right without putting any more money into it I'll consider replacing the pickups. It's really easy to turn a decent deal into a bad deal, where you put a lot of time, effort and money into a bass with no resale value when you could have bought something with resale value. I would rather blow it with this and only be out $270. I'm not convinced I'll blow it.

Fingers are an amazing thing. I can't really see where the hump is and with laser pointers and straight edges I can't really pinpoint it either. But with my finger running along the strings and fingerboard I can feel it. It's not very deep.

I'm thinking of putting baking power on the fingerboard before sanding so I can see where I've been working. It shouldn't take much and light grit sandpaper with be just the thing.

The really cool thing is that I cleaned up a room in my basement and I actually have a decent space to work right now. It's amazing how good that feels. I can actually get things done.

KO
 
#896
Before sanding Kraigo.. PM me.. I send my fretless out for being setup.. they're done different than a fretted.... The guy I send them to only does upper end fretless (linc etc)

He's more than willing to speak with you on the phone about how exactly to set it.... if you've playedt the white Bogart - same guy.
 
#897
Hey guys... was hoping to make the GTG but work got in the way..

Just thought I would drop a note her about a gig I will be doing with a group of guys callled "The Bingo's"
Sat 4/23 at Johann's in Belle Plaine MN 9PM start

Oldies, fun, dancable type of music.
Some of the guys have only been playing a short time but they are having a good time

Hoping to make the next GTG... will keep my eyes open for it

All the best
Rick L
:bassist::bassist::help::bassist:
 
#898
In the on-going saga of my cheap fretless bass:

The problem has been that you can't get the action low without losing the lowest two fingered notes on each string. There was a hump around where the second fret would be.

Dave (Exaltbass) lent me nut files and I took down a lot of height with them. Problem persisted, of course. I wasn't sure what the problem was at that point, but I did know that the nut wasn't cut nearly deep enough.

I later found I could eliminate the problem by raising the bridge, but that affects the tone of a fretless and I wanted it low.

Nathan (72LML) lent me some sanding blocks that he had machined and I worked for a couple of hours on the neck. His blocks worked _VERY_ well for me and I've eliminated that problem.

I broke a string stringing back up. I've got a round wound in its place but I need to order a new set of flats for the bass to put on once all the work on it is done. Stringing and unstringing is a lot of fatigue on the strings. Use old crappy ones when you're working on a bass like this.

What needs to be done: The nut is still not deep enough. I am going to do some more filing tonight. I'm going to miss my promised return of the files because tomorrow is busy and Friday I'm taking the bus. Sorry Dave, Let me know if I need to alter those plans, of course and I'll expedite the return.

I need to shim or sand the heel of the neck. I could compensate by raising the bridge, but this bass strings through the body only and I'm on the cusp of not being able to use my preferred flats because of length before the taper. Chromes are shorter, BTW. Laklands fit, but barely. Raising the bridge takes length away and I don't like the way the neck sits anyway.

So, sand or shim? I'm inclined to sand, just to keep the contact area between the neck and the body full. I'm also thinking of going to McMaster-Carr website and getting some inserts for the neck - no more wood screws.

After that, I need to address the electronics. I don't like the preamp. No surprise, I haven't really found an on board preamp that knocks me out and definitely not on a cheap bass. A passive J-Bass set up is the first step, so I can evaluate the pickups. The neck pickup is single coil and too buzzy for use anyway, so I may need to talk to SGD Luthiery about some of his stuff. A new shielding job will surely happen, but that just tames a bit, not eliminates, the buzz.

Sorry to bore you with this. I don't know if anyone cares or not, so I played it on the safe side and gave an update.
 
#900
The set up on the cheap fretless is done! Or at least so close that it really doesn't matter. I didn't use the nut files. I just popped the nut back out, marked with tape where I wanted to stop and filed the bottom of the nut. It worked well. It could come down a little more, but it's really good and any more risks too much, which is much more problematic.

The neck tilt, I popped off the neck, saw a shim going the way I _DIDN'T_ want it to go, so I removed that and add one my way for good measure. I cleaned out a LOT of sawdust. After a bunch more set up, I decided my new shim was too much, so there's no shim in there at all now.

Tweaking back and forth, more relief, less, bridge height up and down, I've now got it pretty solid. Timmy offered up some gently used flatwounds that I will probably take him up on. Otherwise I'll call Lakland and get a set of my usual brand.

The electronics are next.

KO
 
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