Welp, after some struggling (especially with the B String) I got a new set of D'Addarios on the thing... as was stated earlier, the B string won't go all the way through the hole in the bridge. It seems to be okay though... MUCH less fret buzz. I can't wait to plug this thing in.
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SX Ursa 6-string Jazz bass
- Thread starter Figbassist75
- Start date
Well, I played mine out last night & had great results. I use it along side of my carvin LB76. Before taking it out, I did perform some maintenance to make it more gig worthy. I steel wooled the neck & tung oiled it for a much slicker feel & look. I shimmed the neck for lower action & better height adjustment at the neck. I also widened the slots on the string tree for the "A" string so it would fit & glide. I also worked the nut slots a bit too. And finally, I replaced those TERRIBLE string with a set of my usual D'Adarrio XLs.
Although I've said it several times in this thread, this is a killer bass for its price. With your personal tweaks, you got an excellent 6-string jazz for next to nothing.
+1 on string tree mods. I just did mine too. Smoothed the slots in all of them so the ends won't dig the strings and widened the A string so it would fit it silk and all. Works fine now.
But I'm still not completely happy. The problem is that "stem" under the mushroom is a bit too fat so the strings kind of bow out around the mushroom giving it a kind of hokey look.
What I'd really like to do is put a bar across the highest 5 strings at about the location of the nearest mushroom. That then solves the problem of at least one of the screw holes left by taking off the mushrooms. The only problem is then what to do with the other screw hole to cover it. Right now I'm thinking maybe just run a short "do-nothing" screw in there and leave it go at that. I liked my old SX better that came with no string tree. That way you didn't have to worry about filling old mounting holes.
Yeah, same problem but nothing that a rat tail file and a little patience can;t fix, or a drill if you don;t have the patience. I also had to widen the slot in the nut a bit with the same file.
I finished changing the strings and shimmed the neck, eyes are set on the pre amp next.
One question though anyone else's fingers turning gray after playing? Kinda thinking the frets are made of lead lol (I knew there was a catch). Or i might just need to clean them.
General rule of thumb with new SXs...clean the whole bass. They have a tendacy to come kinda dusty.
Unscented,vinegar, lavender or summer breeze?
I'll give it a good scrub down when I get home.
Dubbler:
I love 6 string Js, this one looks gorgeous! That sunburst J body and the tinted gloss maple neck are looking so nice.
I've done it! I built a new string tree!
Check it out. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
To cool for words. Strings all straight now. No binding. Great angle at nut. GHS flats. Silk still as strings came from factory. (except a bit more chewed) Finish really isn't that yellow...it's more toward the brown. That's just from fluorescent lighting.
Note to SX : Feel free to steal this design for your next batch of 6ers!
Check it out. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
To cool for words. Strings all straight now. No binding. Great angle at nut. GHS flats. Silk still as strings came from factory. (except a bit more chewed) Finish really isn't that yellow...it's more toward the brown. That's just from fluorescent lighting.
Note to SX : Feel free to steal this design for your next batch of 6ers!
I took the thing to practice tonight... aside from the C string sounding a little weak it worked great. I don't think I'm going to gig with it just yet though- not because I don't trust it but because sometimes I get confused with all those strings.
It is simply a stainless steel rod that I drilled and tapped for 6-32. but not all the way through so the screws wedge in there. I then cut the heads off the screws. That leaves a rod with two long screws sticking out of it. I then drilled two holes through the headstock to mount them. One at the screw hole for the old mushroom tree, the other where it needed to be.
OK. Then I placed a short (1/4") 6-32 spacer over each screw to space the rod from the headstock. They weren't threaded but threaded ones would have worked too. A washer went on next to keep the spacer from crushing into the wood put the thing through the holes and put lock washers and nuts on the other side. Then cut off the excess screw with a dremel tool.
That's it. A quicker way would be to make the rod with holes and then just use two spacers and two long wood screws. Simple and no tapping hassle (I broke off a tap in the first one!) The down-side of wood screws is that they might pull out of the wood from the tension while screws and nuts won't, though I doubt that is a serious problem. (I have nuts and bolts on the (commercial) tree I put on my 5 string SX too... anal I guess) Stainless steel is a bear to drill too, so a softer metal would be much easier to build (aluminum, brass) but wouldn't wear as well. But is easy to replace. Chrome plated brass (like the originals) would be best. Hard on the outside for wear yet easy to machine. But that would be a factory item.
It's not a real issue because there really isn't enough tension to pull it out if proper screws and install method used. I would suggest pre-drilling the holes and using a dab of paste wax in the hole. This helps to avoid over torquing...something that can cause a problem. Maple sometimes likes to fight back.
BTW, the washer under the standoff is not needed if standoff is of proper length. It shouldn't be installed with enough pressure to dig in, just enough to seat it against the headstock.
That's just been my experience, and I can say that using that process on over 400 instruments it's worked well for me!
It's not a real issue because there really isn't enough tension to pull it out if proper screws and install method used. I would suggest pre-drilling the holes and using a dab of paste wax in the hole. This helps to avoid over torquing...something that can cause a problem. Maple sometimes likes to fight back.
BTW, the washer under the standoff is not needed if standoff is of proper length. It shouldn't be installed with enough pressure to dig in, just enough to seat it against the headstock.
That's just been my experience, and I can say that using that process on over 400 instruments it's worked well for me!
I agree. I've already decided to use the easier wood screw method on the second SX. I think I may make rod diameter slightly smaller too just for looks. The original idea was that round wound strings would slide better on the fatter rod, but I am doubting that that was necessary.
Mine came today. Don't know whats up with those lead strings but the D string out of the box buzzed on every note like a sitar. Since I play E to E I threw out the B string and down strung the rest and the formely known as D string buzzed on every fret now it was the A string. Trashed the lot and used a set of old D'adario light gauge and problem solved. For a quick set up I lowered the saddles and tightened the truss rod and voila. Rarely do you find a bass with its own signature sound for $150 bucks, I am getting this really amazing lofi sizzle and pop sound great for thumb slap and just as nice for fingerstyle arrpegios. All you've got to do is throw on a cool Hendricks live cd and jam along and you know you've got something really cool to work with. I can understand folks using these basses as a modding platform but modding these pickups seems like, where else are you going to get this sound if you need it.
This is a cool deal. I don't know how players with a B string feel about it but if you are an E to E type of lead player check this one out and be prepared to scratch your head a wonder how they do it for $150 bucks
When I get around to leveling the frets and maybe putting a Wilkinson USA bridge on it it will be outstanding. Blessing in disguise the nut wasn't glued in so if one of the graphite nuts I have in my stash fits I don't have to worry about some kind of Chinese super glue. As for the strings I took them out to the garbge chute as soon as possible and recommend you use a mask while handling them.
This is a cool deal. I don't know how players with a B string feel about it but if you are an E to E type of lead player check this one out and be prepared to scratch your head a wonder how they do it for $150 bucks
When I get around to leveling the frets and maybe putting a Wilkinson USA bridge on it it will be outstanding. Blessing in disguise the nut wasn't glued in so if one of the graphite nuts I have in my stash fits I don't have to worry about some kind of Chinese super glue. As for the strings I took them out to the garbge chute as soon as possible and recommend you use a mask while handling them.
Yeah, those strings are just terrible. I don't think I've ever seen strings look like stretched out springs before.
A string change, a few minor tweaks & this thing is ready to go. When I have time to make the 60 mile trek, I plan to take mine to my tech's place & have him check the frets as well. And the nut on mine wasn't glued either (but it was fitted nice and tight), but that'll make swapping it out easier. I'll either go with graphite or perhaps bone, as I've had good luck with those on j-basses.
As you've said, $150 for this bass is a ridiculous value. For those who love it as is, that's great, but this makes a killer modding platform as well.
