GAY Who are the Flatboi Downs - Part III
- Thread starter HipHugHer
- Start date
Looking around it seems these things are like $200-$300 basses.
Can pretty much rest assured the truss only does back bow.
Loosen the truss, tighten the strings til they feel something like normal tension, let sit a couple/few days, repeat, see what happens.
When it bends enough to actually make a recognizable, albeit buzzy pitch, tune it to standard or a little high and repeat some more.
When it starts ringing clearer notes start bringing the truss back into the equation.
Won't cost you more than 5 minutes every few days.
Can pretty much rest assured the truss only does back bow.
Loosen the truss, tighten the strings til they feel something like normal tension, let sit a couple/few days, repeat, see what happens.
When it bends enough to actually make a recognizable, albeit buzzy pitch, tune it to standard or a little high and repeat some more.
When it starts ringing clearer notes start bringing the truss back into the equation.
Won't cost you more than 5 minutes every few days.
Fine - just took another look at it. Seems to be slowly coming back into the groove. I'd forgotten how comfortable the nec is on this cheap POS. And the 24 fret neck HAD great intonation when dialed in. I think I'll put on some new strings and see if the increased tension helps. It's close. May have a lifted fret or two. No problem, I have a full set of radius blocks and a nice fret crowner. GD, I can see the craigs now. Immaculate New York Pro 5 string bass, $150 OBO.
Should try your hand at fret leveling, even as just a practice run on a cheap bass. Not complicated technically, doesn't require much for tools (you already have crowning files), though it can be tedious.
Cut off end of polished stone counter top a little longer (but narrower) than the fretboard works good to put fine (600-1000) sandpaper on and work the whole thing together. Use a marker to color the tops of the frets so you can see what's getting taken off.
Could just use your files if there's only a couple that are high but doing the whole thing together makes it truly flat.
Obvs get the neck dead straight first.
Cut off end of polished stone counter top a little longer (but narrower) than the fretboard works good to put fine (600-1000) sandpaper on and work the whole thing together. Use a marker to color the tops of the frets so you can see what's getting taken off.
Could just use your files if there's only a couple that are high but doing the whole thing together makes it truly flat.
Obvs get the neck dead straight first.
Hips, I have totally refretted at least a dozen instruments and habitually lower the frets on my basses. But thanks
?Why are you suggesting I flatten them? Frets are curved like the board. Unless you like uneven action going across.
@HipHugHer - sorry that was snappish/dick. I was frustrated at the concept that I had spent hundreds on the correct tools, have posted a shit-ton of pictures of mods I've made over the years and you thought I was going to "try my hand"? I did a nice pictorial of lining a de-fretted bass with maple strips using the cyanoacrylate glue(Super Glue) method(instead of epoxy), was hawking pre-cut set of the strips for a while? idk.
*3-M makes special fretboard and fret sandpaper - self-stick, correct width for the work.
**I I have an 18X24 surface plate in the barn, right next to the REid 612 surface grinder. I have a number of very flat items, including plate glass. Not sure a stone countertop END is actually that flat. Have you seen how those guys work that shit and then just polish it all out? A bit like drywall - visual deception.
*3-M makes special fretboard and fret sandpaper - self-stick, correct width for the work.
**I I have an 18X24 surface plate in the barn, right next to the REid 612 surface grinder. I have a number of very flat items, including plate glass. Not sure a stone countertop END is actually that flat. Have you seen how those guys work that shit and then just polish it all out? A bit like drywall - visual deception.
Easy pardner.
No offense taken over here. In this case leveling doesn't mean grinding them flat or whatever. I'm probably using it the way you're using the term lowering, though I mean just lower the high ones to match the others.Straight edge and feeler gauge stuff.
Example:
You got the strings off. Adjust the neck to be as straight as you can get it, as in no forward or back bow. Set the edge on top the frets, down the length of the neck, and check clearance, bass, middle, and treble side. You'll still find some that are a little high or low, even though the neck is straight.
"Leveling" is taking down the high ones, following the radius of course. You touch up the crowns and polish them when you're done. This all after the frets are all seated firmly, etc.
What this is straightening out/making consistent will be the clearance between the top of the frets and the bottom of the strings. That gives more consistent playability and allows a lower action without buzzing.
I know you know this, I'm just trying to explain myself better as I think we were using different terms for same/similar things.
Some guys will measure the crown height from the surface of the fretboard and when it's consistent consider it done but that doesn't necessarily mean the tops of the frets are all on the same plane, consistent in measurement from top of fret to straight edge when straight, and later from top of fret to bottom of string when setup.
Natural materials, manufacturing tolerances not all the way down to a gnats ass, etc.
As far as using a piece of countertop to work it, bring the edge and gauges and check, some are incredibly flat. I got this from a shop that does custom work, not from a rolloff dumpster in some development full of cookie cutter houses.
It's just a way to source something solid, flat, and free. Sure you can buy something from a precision machine shop if you want.
I don't know if they still polish granite this way but one way it used to be done was basically rubbing two slabs together with the compound in between them. Pretty much didn't have a choice but to be flat mirror images of each other on the shiny side.
My piece is flat anyways.
Is it hawking or hocking?
Piece and love, Eddie.
Thanks. Yeah, people still do glass that same way of rubbing together. Occasionally.Easy pardner.
Straight edge and feeler gauge stuff.
Example:
You got the strings off. Adjust the neck to be as straight as you can get it, as in no forward or back bow. Set the edge on top the frets, down the length of the neck, and check clearance, bass, middle, and treble side. You'll still find some that are a little high or low, even though the neck is straight.
"Leveling" is taking down the high ones, following the radius of course. You touch up the crowns and polish them when you're done. This all after the frets are all seated firmly, etc.
What this is straightening out/making consistent will be the clearance between the top of the frets and the bottom of the strings. That gives more consistent playability and allows a lower action without buzzing.
I know you know this, I'm just trying to explain myself better as I think we were using different terms for same/similar things.
Some guys will measure the crown height from the surface of the fretboard and when it's consistent consider it done but that doesn't necessarily mean the tops of the frets are all on the same plane, consistent in measurement from top of fret to straight edge when straight, and later from top of fret to bottom of string when setup.
Natural materials, manufacturing tolerances not all the way down to a gnats ass, etc.
As far as using a piece of countertop to work it, bring the edge and gauges and check, some are incredibly flat. I got this from a shop that does custom work, not from a rolloff dumpster in some development full of cookie cutter houses.
It's just a way to source something solid, flat, and free. Sure you can buy something from a precision machine shop if you want.
I don't know if they still polish granite this way but one way it used to be done was basically rubbing two slabs together with the compound in between them. Pretty much didn't have a choice but to be flat mirror images of each other on the shiny side.
My piece is flat anyways.
Is it hawking or hocking?
Piece and love, Eddie.
I think it's hawking if you are selling like a street vendor yelling at everyone who passes, hocking is when you take something to the pawn shop. "Gonna go put my bass in hock to make rent since I lost my pizza delivery job."
Peace and Love W.
Mean Mr. Mustard
Always shouts out something obscene
Mean Mr. Mustard
Always shouts out something obscene
The one by the kitchen door where it gets bumped everytime someone goes through it
Not the best seat, but hey beggars/choosers
Not the best seat, but hey beggars/choosers
About time you got done with your honey-do list. You were missed - just kidding, I was using blanks.
Got a bunch of black eyed peas. That's some superstitious southern thing that still makes no sense to me but whatever, it tastes good.
And reportedly 5 lbs. of lamb roast. That's easy to make great without the typical boring useless English thing of making it taste like mouthwash (mint). It's like these idiots don't know what to do other than drown it in Listerine.
And reportedly 5 lbs. of lamb roast. That's easy to make great without the typical boring useless English thing of making it taste like mouthwash (mint). It's like these idiots don't know what to do other than drown it in Listerine.
You need some collards and hog jowls too.
