The Old Ironing Board Trick

[fakeneckplate'65]

Again, I can't quantify it because my tuner doesn't do that.

You must have one of those junk-@$$ Boss pedal tuners..

 

[David Jayne]

You must have one of those junk-@$$ Boss pedal tuners..

Ha, no it's a junk-@$$ Sonic Research Turbo Tuner. : D

 

[awilkie84]

You straighten the neck in playing position & then crown frets when it's flat on the table?

you have to level the frets before you crown them....

 

[Michael Schreiber]

you have to level the frets before you crown them....

No need to level them; just put the bass flat on a table, overnight, gravity does the rest.

Sorry, couldn't resist, no offense meant

 

[tlc1976]

I've used ironing board since day one as keyboard stands and lap steel stands, and it works just as well for bass, but I don't think the space is sufficient enough, I have to use some tools and they don't fit on the ironing board, I knock them off from the board all of the time.

I had almost no money and was looking for a cheap keyboard stand, and was looking at ironing boards from the resale shops. I've only seen ONE that was actually stable, but by then I found an actual keyboard stand for $5.

I change strings and all on the bed. Wad up the blankets under the neck and body so it is all evenly supported, , and so the headstock isn't supporting anything. Any work to the bass I currently do on the bed, even soldering.

 

[John B jr]

I drop-tune so I need a firmer foundation. It is actually string-change day but my wife is out of the country this month and I could not find the ironing board. After reading enough of a 75 page thread on flats - then finding that it went on for another 19 in a different thread, I'm going away from these beautiful -but months old- Black Beauties.

Realizing that I didn't have a pic handy, I had to snap this one. The bass came with Dunlop Superbrights so I'm sticking with Jim's flats. The only debate is weather I get out the steel wool and remove the gank from the board. Eh, home alone; I'll do it next time around so I can get back to making noise.

 

[Linnin]

The only debate is weather I get out the steel wool and remove the gank from the board.

Don't ever use steel wool. Ever. Unless you remove the neck, or gaffer tape over the body.

 

[David Jayne]

Don't ever use steel wool. Ever. Unless you remove the neck, or gaffer tape over the body.

Agree, down that path lies suffering. Been there!

 

[John B jr]

Don't ever use steel wool. Ever. Unless you remove the neck, or gaffer tape over the body.

So what? a Scotchbright? ...or maybe just Scotch? Its a neck-through but I have taped off the pickups and knobs very well and then blast it with a can of air before removing the tape.

Since nobody asked, I'll have to say that I was not trusting my tuner as I brought those flats up to BEADG. Was holding the bass away in case something broke. I like the taut feel and sliding is awesome. Bending takes more effort though. My reverb, octave and chorus don't have as much to work with. OD is slightly muted as well. It will make switching between basses harder.

The walnut was always a more pure and polite bass anyway. This just accentuates its roll as a clean bottom feeder. The Swingbass-equipped zebra-wood Ibby can have all the harmonic fun with the effects. I suppose I'll bring it home and leave the walnut at my drummers place. It's all about the jam. ...and the irony if I can find it.

 

[Nickweissmusic]

...the amount of pull that gravity will have is soooo minute that it will make an incredibly negligible difference when compared with the pull of the strings. :/ Kind of like the amount of formaldehyde in a vaccine is less than the amount your body produces naturally on a daily basis.

Besides, how do you do a fret level when the bass is sitting sideways in playing position???

Not exactly true... there CAN be noticeable differences in action and tuning simply by moving a bass from the bench to playing position... but with a little experience, these differences can be accounted for. As a former head tech for a busy shop, I would never send out an instrument that wasn't tested and tuned in playing position, but it's unnecessary to do the actual work in playing position, and I agree that there are several jobs that simply can't be performed in playing position.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I've been setting up my basses for many years. I've never used an ironing board, but I've used my kitchen table many times. I should say, I do the first part of my setup with the bass on my lap, and standing it straight up. I make slight, incremental truss rod adjustments, once the neck has settled, I'll adjust my bridge saddles, then my pickup(s) height(s), then set the intonation.

 

[Honch]

I had almost no money and was looking for a cheap keyboard stand, and was looking at ironing boards from the resale shops. I've only seen ONE that was actually stable, but by then I found an actual keyboard stand for $5.

I change strings and all on the bed. Wad up the blankets under the neck and body so it is all evenly supported, , and so the headstock isn't supporting anything. Any work to the bass I currently do on the bed, even soldering.

My main use for the ironing board was that you could fit numerous small and large keyboards there. No need to adjust those arms, and of course, it could take ONE only. I did use it for lap steel once since I had no chair to sit on! I think Sheldon Dingwall made something cunning once, a cross between ironing board and bass holder so he could move around on top of a desk with sharp tools on underneath. Or something in the vein of that...at around 8:30 onwards in this vid:

 

[devnulljp]

I can't remember the last time I ironed anything. Don't even know if I own an iron, let alone an ironing board.