General Music Chat

I have a double neck 12/5 string bass. It was cheap I couldn't afford anything else and in any case it was bought for me some time ago.

The action is so high on the bass my fingers can hardly press down a note near the 12th.

I have Earnie Ball Custom Gauge 45 (1645) strings and the action has been lowered as much as possible. I've tweaked the truss Ron (Noted from another conversation).

Question....

How high in Mill or inches should bottom E be from the fret board and........
Is there a way to d-tune it down perhaps so at least there is a reasonable possibility I can get my darned hands to play a proper riff?

Many thanks all.

Chippy.

Hey, Chippy. Is it a bolt on neck? If so, release the truss rod a bit, raise the bridge to a medium height, loosen or remove the strings, unbolt the neck and take it off. Now, put a wooden shim in at the body end of where the neck bolts on. Put it back together and see if that helps. You may have to do this a few times to get it where you want it. I've done it with guitars before.

Hi Rat thanks.
Yes it is. I get what you mean brilliant idea thanks so much. I've been reading up on this here:

http://www.rickenbacker.com/forum_view_ ... s%20action

Starting with a dead straight neck, at the 12th fret, as a starting the strings should 2.4 mm off the fret top on the bass side and 1.6 mm on the treble side.

Mine is no where near that low.
I know how to set it up but its the first bass I've really owned so this was a problem.
Thanks very much for you help.

Cheers.
Chippy.

Hey, Chippy. Is it a bolt on neck? If so, release the truss rod a bit, raise the bridge to a medium height, loosen or remove the strings, unbolt the neck and take it off. Now, put a wooden shim in at the body end of where the neck bolts on. Put it back together and see if that helps. You may have to do this a few times to get it where you want it. I've done it with guitars before.

as a hotshot bassist kid chippy I'd say get stronger fingers and on a unrelated note would you trade that bass? I'll offer my soul?? haha best of luck adapting, though I've known a few bassists who switched from guitar quite successfully

I've held a lump hammer for a lot of my life but I agree. It's not about that though its about moving about the fret board really. I've played bass just once or twice.

Thanks for the info.
Best.

Chippy.

as a hotshot bassist kid chippy I'd say get stronger fingers and on a unrelated note would you trade that bass? I'll offer my soul?? haha best of luck adapting, though I've known a few bassists who switched from guitar quite successfully

yah, guitar eludes me though can't really do much past the 10 - 14th fret range, simple lil hand exercise will help with that a lot, stretch your fingers out till they hurt and then bring your fingers back in so your pinky and thumb almost come to touching though none of your fingers should touch, do that after you've played around for a lil bit, before you play, pretty much whenever you can and you'll work your finger webbing down and your finger strength up, its done wonders for me

I think the key to a guitarist playing bass is to resist all urges to play "lead" bass. Play the bass like you would want someone to play bass for you. If the song calls for a bass lead or solo or any intricate work, do it, but the rest of the time lay back and be smooth. Bass runs are very different from guitar runs and when I hear someone doing guitar runs on a bass, I think, "There's a frustrated guitarist who's having to play bass."

Exactly what I used to do too. Mind I've played drums for years and have learned a lot from some damned good bassists. I just intend to do as you say really Rat.

Hey shims?
You mean like shallow wedges right, tapering?
Thanks again.

Chippy

I think the key to a guitarist playing bass is to resist all urges to play "lead" bass. Play the bass like you would want someone to play bass for you. If the song calls for a bass lead or solo or any intricate work, do it, but the rest of the time lay back and be smooth. Bass runs are very different from guitar runs and when I hear someone doing guitar runs on a bass, I think, "There's a frustrated guitarist who's having to play bass."

Hey shims?
You mean like shallow wedges right, tapering?

Not necessarily tapering. I think I used a Popsicle stick for mine once.

I think the key to a guitarist playing bass is to resist all urges to play "lead" bass. Play the bass like you would want someone to play bass for you. If the song calls for a bass lead or solo or any intricate work, do it, but the rest of the time lay back and be smooth. Bass runs are very different from guitar runs and when I hear someone doing guitar runs on a bass, I think, "There's a frustrated guitarist who's having to play bass."

that's why I try to duplicate rhythm guitar lines with minimal lead sound, cept for when the guitars have distortion then I gotta do it just so I feel like I'm playing the right song, though I'm starting to figure out how to play 'proper' basslines like my g/f knows how to cuz she's a guitarist...funny people marvel at what I can do and then ask me to play somethin simple and I haven't got a clue, that just means I need a killer drummer right?

ok Cool I'll raid the basement later then.

Thanks again Rat.
Much appreciated.

Chippy

Hey shims?
You mean like shallow wedges right, tapering?

Not necessarily tapering. I think I used a Popsicle stick for mine once.

Hey, Ted. Bass lines don't mean boring, that's for sure. It's more repetition than other instruments, but when you have a cool riff you're repeating and doing with feeling and emphasis with the drums, I think it makes for one amazing bass player. Check out the bass line I wrote for one of my songs, "Tainted Love" on my myspace page. www.myspace.com/jeffcoleysband and see what you think. It just seemed to fit that song.

nah they aren't meant to get boring, between the ADD and knowing the other stuff I can play though it happens, but I'm starting to keep myself amused with double picking and faster stuff, and when I get sick of the arm cramping I work on my finger style, and adapting to my massive acoustic fretless (not a standup gotta call my buddy who's got one of those and see bout re learning the 4 string joy )

Now that I will leave to the pros.

but I'm starting to keep myself amused with double picking and faster stuff

I'm talkin bout using a pick, not double thumb like wooten I can't get that shyt yet, still feels really clumsy when I try to slap and get my thumb under it in a double pick kinda way, but I just realized I can record, make a bunch of mp3's, burn those to a disk, play the cd through my amp, record a different line to it, and then maybe even forearm mute my bass play a combination of dead, ghost and harmonic notes and simulate a drum line and I can't sing soooo I still couldn't get a full song but flesh them out a lot more