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Ramps?

#21
Bryan R. Tyler said:
The only people I've ever heard call them a crutch were people on TalkBass who haven't used them. If properly radiused to match the radius of your fingerboard/string setup, they will provide a completely consistent depth below each of your strings. Practicing won't give you that. A lot of the best players in the world use them, and I'd never assume that they just don't practice enough. Even a large amount of upright players rely on the consistency of depth you get when playing over the fingerboard. With that said, ramps aren't for everyone, and they can be of no use to some and can even be a hinderance for some. They've allowed me to play in ways I've wanted that I can't do without them, so they are certainly not limiting or a hinderance for me.

Here's some more info on them for you:
Link Removed
Click to expand...

Exactly!

I don't get why some people are so against doing something that will
only help their playing. People were installing finger rests and pull
pegs on their Fenders decades ago. I look at the idea of ramps as a
new way of helping just like the finger rests were in the 60's. I have
basses with and without ramps and I don't see any reason not to have
them. If you don't like ramps that's fine but there's no reason to bash
people who do use them. I guess people just like to whine.
 
#22
mstott25 said:
Bryan's contribution, like the other information on his site, is spot on and helpful.
It was Gary Willis' idea so between the link somebody already provided from the Willis site and Bryan's helpful explanation you can now consider yourself fully informed.
Click to expand...

Thanks- there wasn't a lot of info on them when I was first interested in them, so I try to keep every question I've gotten and the answer to it visible for those who are curious. TB's emjazz got me started on the whole thing- I still owe him a sammich for it :)

jworrellbass said:
Btw those are beautiful basses you've got.
Click to expand...

That's all Rob Elrick's doing- his designs and top woods are great.
 
#23
spade2you said:
+1 and there's always the option of having radiused pickups, which can give you the feel of a ramp and stll use the open spot between pickups if desired.
Click to expand...

Yup- I was too cheap to buy a new set of pickups for each bass and then buy tiny ramps to put between them, so I just attached thin ramps right on top of them :D Radiused pups are a great choice though, particularly if you only pluck with two fingers in one or two particular spots and don't need the full width of a "normal" sized ramp.
 
#24
Bryan R. Tyler said:
Yup- I was too cheap to buy a new set of pickups for each bass and then buy tiny ramps to put between them, so I just attached thin ramps right on top of them :D Radiused pups are a great choice though, particularly if you only pluck with two fingers in one or two particular spots and don't need the full width of a "normal" sized ramp.
Click to expand...

I think they also became popular with custom pickups since it is generally easier to carve out a wood casing than to deal with plastic molding, although some pickups like Bartolini and Peavey Cirrus pickups have a plastic and radiused casing.
 
#25
spade2you said:
Most are held in place with double sided tape, although some can be permanently bolted on, which sometimes gives you the ability to adjust and fine tune the height.
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Ray Riendeau has a ramp on his Zon Mosaic, which is installed with double sided tape AND has adjustment screws built in. I had a lesson with him not too long ago, and he let me play his bass... man, what an experience (on a couple levels)! :bassist: Until then, I had always been fuzzy on what ramps actually were, too. It definitely changes the way you think about playing!

Well, I got ambitious and built a homebrew ramp. I'm far from an expert, but I'm a decent DIY'er (as long as it doesn't involve soldering :D) so I gave it a shot. It's a basic ramp, but it only cost me about $22.

I don't play my Modulus all the time, but it has really helped my technique!

5sg.

1) Materials: one trip to Lowe's and I had everything I needed. Rough and finishing sandpaper, a small board of poplar, some Ebony stain, a brush, a can of satin spray finish and some 3M double sided tape. I had the ruler previously, and forgot to get the double sided tape and satin finish in the pic. Sorry! :)

Ramp1.jpg



2) I got my bass all set up and measured the height of the pickups, width between the pickups, etc. and marked out on the board.

Ramp2.jpg



3) Cut the wood to size (remember, measure twice, cut once! lol), and sanded it down. This part took a bit because I had to tweak some edges, take a bit more off here or there, etc. to insure proper fit.

Ramp3.jpg


4) 2 coats of ebony stain, 2 coats of satin finish

Ramp4.jpg


5) Installed with double sided tape! The grain of the wood doesn't show up quite that much, the flash really picked it up.

Ramp5.jpg
 
#26
fivestringgecko said:
Ray Riendeau has a ramp on his Zon Mosaic, which is installed with double sided tape AND has adjustment screws built in. I had a lesson with him not too long ago, and he let me play his bass... man, what an experience (on a couple levels)! :bassist: Until then, I had always been fuzzy on what ramps actually were, too. It definitely changes the way you think about playing!

Well, I got ambitious and built a homebrew ramp. I'm far from an expert, but I'm a decent DIY'er (as long as it doesn't involve soldering :D) so I gave it a shot. It's a basic ramp, but it only cost me about $22.

I don't play my Modulus all the time, but it has really helped my technique!

5sg.

1) Materials: one trip to Lowe's and I had everything I needed. Rough and finishing sandpaper, a small board of poplar, some Ebony stain, a brush, a can of satin spray finish and some 3M double sided tape. I had the ruler previously, and forgot to get the double sided tape and satin finish in the pic. Sorry! :)

Ramp1.jpg



2) I got my bass all set up and measured the height of the pickups, width between the pickups, etc. and marked out on the board.

Ramp2.jpg



3) Cut the wood to size (remember, measure twice, cut once! lol), and sanded it down. This part took a bit because I had to tweak some edges, take a bit more off here or there, etc. to insure proper fit.

Ramp3.jpg


4) 2 coats of ebony stain, 2 coats of satin finish

Ramp4.jpg


5) Installed with double sided tape! The grain of the wood doesn't show up quite that much, the flash really picked it up.

Ramp5.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks for this. I' m interested in ramps too.

Fred
 
#29
Duuuuuuuuuude said:
Here's a video explaining how to make one. Seems good

Click to expand...


Very handy video- I hadn't noticed Gary put that up. Try hand sanding with an ebony ramp though, and you'll be at it FOREVER (took me an eternity and I was using an orbital sander).
 
#30
irishpride28 said:
Does it match the radius of the fretboard, or is it true and flat?
Click to expand...

I built mine flat to match the pickups because I (like a lot of players) anchor my thumb on the pickups when I play and I wanted to minimize the ridge/transition between the pickups and the ramp. Quantums have a compound radius fretboard that ends up being flat enough for a flat ramp to work fine. :)

5sg.
 
#32
FL Knifemaker said:
IMHO they add an element of ugliness to anotherwise nice looking bass to compensate for poor right hand form :p

:hiding:
Click to expand...

And when was the last time you were on tour with Mike Stern or John McLaughlin again? :D
 

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