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Originally Posted by Ken Smith
I would bring to your attention the bass itself. To judge a bass, it should be stripped of anything on it that is not just the bass. Bow quiver off if you have one and the Pick-up out if possible. The Bridge is sensitive and anything you do there might mute it or, enhance unwanted overtones.
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The bridge came with heavy brass adjusters, and changing out to the aluminum Full Circle adjusters was an improvement in overall response; it had a slightly "damped" impression before, now it seems more open overall, but no change in the relative response as I described above.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith
Time to break-in you say? For a Plywood bass I would say 30-40 years because younger basses in ply sound about the same after the varnish first dries to my ear.
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Being that I turn 50 next month, it's hard to realistically say that I'll be around for that. (genetic clotting condition--takes too long to explain) So I'm glad it sounds as good as it does now and it's good to know that it's going to pretty much be that way ongoing so I can anticipate how it will behave.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith
Camber you mention? How hard is it to press down the notes from 1/2 to 6th position with your heights at the end of the FB?
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Very, very easy. At the end of a 3-set dance band gig, I am generally fatigued, of course, but not sore, especially about my hands or arms. I am actually less fatigued overall than having a bass guitar strapped about my neck for the same length of gig. At the end of our two-hour monthly rehearsals, I hardly notice that I've played that long.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith
Press down the E at the base of the neck near the octave and at the same time, at the nut near 1/2 position. How much space is there under the string? More then the diameter of a G string or less?
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Less than a G string diameter on the E side, about 1mm, even less on the G side.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith
Then, press down at the root of the neck and the end of the fingerboard. Look under that half of the FB length. How much space? Near nothing?
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Yes, near nothing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith
Then, from the two ends of the FB, press down. Is the overall camber more than your d or a string thickness? 2mm, 3mm?
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Overall, a little less than 2mm on the E string side and about 1mm on the G string side.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith
Too much camber for me, can kill you. Some gorilla stringth players play so hard, 2-3mm is low and buzzes when they dig in. For me, 2-3mm overall is high. I like my boards set up fairly flat to start and let the string pull the neck up. A reinforced neck with CF graphite will help with this. Thicker and/or stronger necks will as well but the CF Gr. will also even out the notes a bit.
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I agree. I have two bass guitars, one with the typical bolt on neck and the other with a 3-laminate neck of maple and shedua, and I used to have a bass guitar with the graphite rods which was also very even in response. The typical neck has the expected dead spot, and the laminate is very, very even. But I live in an area where there are a couple of good luthiers that keep the school and college orchestra instruments going well, but I'm not sure I'd have them rebuild a neck with popping the fingerboard off, channeling the neck for a graphite rod, installing the rod and putting everything back together. Even then, it would probably be more cost effective to buy another bass instead. If I ever get into an economic position where I can spend a few thousand on a bass, then part of that budget would definitely be travel to play first hand, as is the conventional wisdom, and from where I live I'd have to travel quite aways to get to the places with good reputations for basses in stock, new or used.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith
Maybe post some pics of your bass, set-up and camber so we can see better what it all looks like. It might help.
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Thanks. My digital camera is also relatively inexpensive, but I'll try to get to that. Thanks for your considered reply and breaking down what to look for in the details beyond the general "feel" of the instrument.