Nice job on the cover, wanna do the battery box next? Lovely bass by the way.
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New Ibanez Mode series
- Thread starter Naviiin
- Start date
I am considering doing the wood battery box cover with magnets to hold it in place.
I made an Alder battery and control cover on the last 6 string I built and used magnets. So I had that idea in mind.
For those who own one of the Mode/MDM series I'd like to know if the issue of maxed out truss rods is prevalent. I have owned two of these now and returned both of them due to maxing the truss rod but there still being neck relief. Seems it is impossible to get the necks flat. One of mine was the all ash body with no top and maple fingerboard and the other was alder body with burled top and rosewood fingerboard. So at least in my experience the truss rod issue isn't localized to one particular wood combo.
I'm curious how prevalent of an issue this is.
I'm curious how prevalent of an issue this is.
Both of mine are perfect, in regards to the truss rod issue that you’re talking about. I’ve got the 1305 and the 1606 and have had no issues with that.
I measure relief as such: Capo right behind first fret, fret the 17th, measure with a music nomad truss rod gauge (.008 or .20mm). I shoot for the gauge to just barely touch the string.
Both of mine came from Sweetwater, so if possible, you might try that route and have them set it up for you.
My first one came from Sweetwater. The truss rod arrived maxed and there was too much relief in the neck.
Are you completely sure the rod was maxed? The wheel style truss rod adjustment can be very deceiving, even on much higher priced basses.
For example, my John Myung signature bongo bass arrived straight from EBMM with the rod barely tightened (the amount of relief it had was absolutely insane out of the box), so I adjusted it until it got tight, but it needed more. I called EBMM and they told me to crank on it over the phone, and sure enough, it still had plenty of adjustment left. To this day, it’s pretty hard to adjust in either direction, but once you free it, it works great.
Perhaps this was the case with both of yours, perhaps not? The mode series are awesome basses, BUT, with anything that’s mass produced, lemons will get through every now and then. I wouldn’t give up on them though!
Roger Sadowsky says the same thing about his wheel truss rods, says you can really crank on them, you aren't going to break the rod. Unfortunately the tool he supplies for the adjustment is pretty soft, so it can feel like you have a stuck rod when you still have plenty of room left in it.
If those truss rods take more than I cranked on them I would be very concerned. I literally pushed as hard as I felt it was safe to do. I have several Sadowsky basses so very familiar with this style of wheel.
Love the neck pickup sound + overdrive at 4:22 and 4:48.
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My MDM1606 felt like the truss rod was maxed. I forced it and it is all good now. I use a screwdriver with the end cut off so I can crank on it. Works great.
Intresting. How hard did you crank? For both I had I felt like I was going to just snap the rod with how hard I was already cranking on it and neither would budge.
I experienced something like this with a G&L SB-2, so I helped out the truss rod by putting some downward pressure near the nut to bend the neck, very slightly, in the right direction. (I had one of my daughters press down at the neck heel to keep it in place.) Then the rod turned easily, and as luck would have it, into a perfect place. I didn't need to adjust it again for years.
After much consideration, I'm giving this one a go! Nice wood grain, 8lb 14oz, so not too heavy, not too light!
My main player is a Fender Custom Shop Jazz Bass, passive, with Lollars and a rosewood board, so this should brighten things
up a bit when I get my faux Marcus slap diddly funk going!
My main player is a Fender Custom Shop Jazz Bass, passive, with Lollars and a rosewood board, so this should brighten things
up a bit when I get my faux Marcus slap diddly funk going!
I have never seen strings like that before. What are those? They look like twine!
Don’t know if this might or might not help, but…
We had a discussion in another thread about tightening truss rods, and whether one needs to loosen strings or not. I’ve never loosened strings, and the rods seemed to respond. Roger specifically says string tension is a non-issue.
Well, a Fender Am Deluxe 5’er of mine had a fairly misbehaved neck this winter. I got to where the truss nut felt maxed. Anyhow, I tried loosening the strings, and bingo, suddenly the truss adjustment was there. So, I had to conclude that while loosening the strings often is a not needed, that sometimes loosening strings is indeed effective.
FWIW. The older I get, the stupider I feel.
I took the 4-string shown a few posts back for a spin and here's my take..
EQ is very responsive, flawless fit and finish. Bass came with the action so low the strings were almost laying on the fretboard. I think this was the factory set up because the neck relief was right where it should be. Probably 1/32, very, very low action. While I really could find fault with this bass, I felt no connection, soul or mojo that made me want to pick it up. To me it felt like a good Sire does, with a wider palette of tones that would be very useful in the studio, but for my live cover band needs I did not hear any that I could not live without.
EQ is very responsive, flawless fit and finish. Bass came with the action so low the strings were almost laying on the fretboard. I think this was the factory set up because the neck relief was right where it should be. Probably 1/32, very, very low action. While I really could find fault with this bass, I felt no connection, soul or mojo that made me want to pick it up. To me it felt like a good Sire does, with a wider palette of tones that would be very useful in the studio, but for my live cover band needs I did not hear any that I could not live without.
Scuba, you have recently spent some time with both the Sadowsky M/J bass and this new Ibanez. I know you do not favor the 18mm bridge spacing on either instrument; but, might you please lend some comparative commentary on the tonal aspects of those two instruments? Would be much appreciated.
