Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

[CL400Peavey]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

God given talent right hyuh

because.... jebus....

 

[Ron Now]

Satan is clearly more effective in selling.

 

[Kaa]

LOL^^

 

[Kaa]

I think the honeymoon is over for my Hondo II.
The tone is definitely to die for its the ergonomics that I can't get to grips with.
For starters the radius the bridge is set to is smaller than that of the fretboard. Making the A&D strings higher than the E&G. It looks like it needs to be filed down to adjust this. Not cool.
If I knew I'd be happy I'd have no qualms grinding that bitch into submission. I just hate to make changes that can't be reversed.
I've played the last 15 years (mostly)with thin Ibanez/Peavey style necks-skinny fast stuff.
The Hondo is much deeper back of neck to fretboard. Not horrible but noticeable especially in the upper frets. (I don't spend much time there but this doesn't help.)
Then there is the balance issue it wants to be horizontal. Very resistive to bring angled up No real dive past horizontal but I generally play much closer to 30°-45°.
Between all this I'm cramping bad trying to play. I have never had a problem paying 4-6 hours straight on some of my other basses. I get 20 minutes tops on this before I'm annoyed. Fuukin depressing to have nearly perfect tone that doesn't fit.
Long story short do I irreversibly file down the bridge only to never be happy with neck profile/balance?
Action is such a subjective thing I don't want to ruin it for the next guy for no reason.

There's not a whole lot you're going to be able to do with that to cure the neck dive, it's simply a matter of the body shape/physics. You could try the standards: UL tuners, move the bottom strap button more toward the bass side (or upper bout, as it's called), super wide grippy strap, replace a neck bolt with the strap button, get one of those goofy strap button extensions, tie the end of the strap to the headstock a la Elvis.

Wish I had a perfect way to cure it without suggesting a new body.

I've often though that an SG style bass is the living embodiment of bad engineering stubbornly refusing to be fixed.

 

[mbelue]

Thanks for the ideas everyone.
Hey Ron does your bridge have individual sale height adjustment, or did it get filed down?
Neck dive is annoying but "fixable".
Any ideas on the neck profile/size?

 

[The_Janitor]

I owned and battled neck dive basses for years, my last two basses didn't dive at all and the difference was shocking. I don't think I can go back.

 

[Ron Now]

Thanks for the ideas everyone.
Hey Ron does your bridge have individual sale height adjustment, or did it get filed down?
Neck dive is annoying but "fixable".
Any ideas on the neck profile/size?

Nope it's the stock 3 point Gibson style bridge, which like Kawai said another design that's just terrible and they refuse to change. I tried swapping it out for the Hipshot Supertone, but it wouldn't fit. Despite looking exactly like the gibson bridge it's not quite the same.

 

[Kaa]

Nope it's the stock 3 point Gibson style bridge, which like Kawai said another design that's just terrible and they refuse to change. I tried swapping it out for the Hipshot Supertone, but it wouldn't fit. Despite looking exactly like the gibson bridge it's not quite the same.

Hmm, I thought the Supertones were engineered as drop-in replacements for the Gibson.

 

[mbelue]

Hmm, I thought the Supertones were engineered as drop-in replacements for the Gibson.

Too bad it's an approximation of a Gibson.

 

[Darkonar]

Hey Max, just noticed you removed FM's bandcamp from your sig. Is it over, then?

 

[Ron Now]

Hmm, I thought the Supertones were engineered as drop-in replacements for the Gibson.

I meant the supertone wouldn't fit on the hondo, which has something that looks like the gibson 3 point bridge...but isn't quite the same.

Too bad it's an approximation of a Gibson.

bingo

 

[The_Janitor]

I HATE that 3-point bridge. I bought an epi T-bird a few years ago, the first bass I ever bought brand-new - neck dived like a motherf*cker and had that stupid bridge. Sounded awesome, but I just couldn't deal with it.

 

[Lazarus.Bird]

Wait, so which bands am I supposed to unlike on facebook? haha

 

[mbelue]

Wait, so which bands am I supposed to unlike on facebook? haha

Supervoid.

 

[Lazarus.Bird]

 

[Kaa]

Supervoid.

LOL. Ouch.

 

[mbelue]

I know! I figured at least one LOL or "Like".

 

[mbelue]

LOL. Ouch.

There it is.

 

[Kaa]

Glad I could help.

 

[mbelue]

You know it's all in good fun dude.