Dead spots on v63

[teeder]

I also have an aluminum Hip-shot on my FG V63 and it really helped the response and sustain.

[jingle_jangle]

Assuming that a long, rigid wooden member like a neck will vibrate like a string, with its own nodes and resonances, not to mention sympathetic vibrations, I think it can be concluded that Rick's old attempts and current work being on the topic, point to a "science" that's in its infant, "black magic" stages.

Personally, it makes more sense to me to have a responsive, easily adjustable neck with built-in and accepted flexibility, than to have one strong as hell and 100% rigid. I'd rather have an instrument that felt "alive" under a player's hands than one that felt bionically impervious and robotically perfect.

That's the tyro builder and sometime player in me, who occasionally duke it out in public.

[rickaddict]

I'd rather have an instrument that felt "alive" under a player's hands than one that felt bionically impervious and robotically perfect.

"I am bionically impervious and robotically perfect. So give me you clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle!"

[henry5]

In my experience, all basses have dead spots to varying degrees. The trick is to know when to avoid those areas when you need a long sustained note, and look for a substitute (another note, same note on a different string or octave up/down).

+2. Although it has to be said that my style of playing (and the music I play ) seldom require a sustained note, especially if our drummer is getting carried away.....

Personally I actually quite like an "acoustic" quality in an electric bass. I've had a few graphite-necked Status basses and although they played wonderfully I was never happy with the sonic response. It always seemed that however/wherever you hit the instrument it sounded the same; more like a non-touch sensitive keyboard than a guitar (although the electronics may have had something to do with this too). Actually that's one of the things I love most about Rics, they seem very dynamically sensitive.

[gothbin]

Are you listed as Squir on the dutch bassguitar forum? Seeing the list of your basses and your avatar you are. Welcome here on the ric forum. I'm dutch too, and come from Heemskerk, near to Beverwijk.

[anoukane]

Yep, that's right Robin. Nice to meet another Dutchman on this forum


The neck on my V63 isn't very straight, just a little bow. What should I take in mind before adjusting the trussrods? Do I need to loosen the strings first? And should I turn the trussrods clockwise?
Thanks guys

[rickboy88]

There is such a thing as making a neck too strong. If it is too strong it is harder to pull it back into shape when it needs adjustments. That is the danger of using carbon stiffeners and other reinforcements. Of course it is strong enough in the first place it won't need adjustments ever. The Travis Beans and the first Kramers had metal necks that did not move (much). I was not aware that Hagstrom used an I beam stiffener. Interesting. Are the necks adjustable? Some old Martins had solid steel, non-adjustable rods that did a pretty good job of keeping the necks straight.

Yes, the Hagstroms have a single truss rod as well. The adjust is from the "pickup" side of the neck like the transitional 4003's.

[jingle_jangle]

Yep, that's right Robin. Nice to meet another Dutchman on this forum


The neck on my V63 isn't very straight, just a little bow. What should I take in mind before adjusting the trussrods? Do I need to loosen the strings first? And should I turn the trussrods clockwise?
Thanks guys

Turn the truss rod nuts clockwise to remove the bow. Use a nutdriver, not a socket wrench, as these can put too much torque on the rods and you could snap one. Don't loosen the strings, and turn only a quarter-turn at a time. Whether old or new rods, it helps to have someone hold the body of the bass down while you push the neck down to take the stress off the rods while you turn the nut.

Let the new setting settle in for 24 hours, check the neck and if it needs more straightening, turn both rods another quarter-turn. If relief is uneven side-to-side, it can be accommodated, thanks to the dual rods.

[johnallg]

The neck on my V63 isn't very straight, just a little bow. What should I take in mind before adjusting the trussrods? Do I need to loosen the strings first? And should I turn the trussrods clockwise?
Thanks guys

For an upbow (high action) you would need to tighten the truss rods. If the neck has no twist in it, turn both rods the same amount. For a small bow as you said, turn not more than 1/4 turn of the nut on each side. If it is hard to turn the nuts, "help" the neck by pulling back on the neck a little as you turn - this saves thread wear on the rods. Retune and check the action. If it needs more, wait a day and check again and adjust if needed. Conservative, but it works.

This is the procedure for the new truss rod system - the older rods in the 4001 basses adjust differently. You HAVE to pull the neck to where you want it, hold, and tighten the nuts. If a backbow, loosen the strings first.

HA! Paul, you type faster!

[anoukane]

Thank you gentlemen!

[rickfan60]

a long, rigid wooden member

Hey, this is a family show.


I agree, something about solid carbon fiber or metal necks feels unnatural. Flexibility is key.

[86kubicki]

Do you know if they have graphite rods?

Yes they do Ted. All US built Laklands have graphite rods in the necks. The Korean built "Skyline" series does not have graphite.

[rickfan60]

That is true. But they did not always have them. I don't know when they started installing them but it was not right from the beginning. Older Laklands were all wood.

[86kubicki]

Interesting Ted - I thought Laklands had the graphite rods from the start. If you're talking to anyone from Lakland in the near future, please ask them when the graphite rods were introduced.

[rickfan60]

I spent an afternoon chatting with Carl Pedigo in the Lakland shop. He showed me a lot of new and old Laklands including the first ever Lakland bass. On his work table was a partially constructed neck that showed the channels for the carbon fiber rods. I asked about the channels and he produced some cabon fiber rods from under the bench and inserted them into the slots. He explained that they added them for strength and stability. Later on we were talking about Joe Osborne's original Jazz Bass and Carl said that it had a lot of dead spots. I asked if their basses, many being essentially Fender copies, had the same dead spots and he said yes but they seemed to be reduced after they added the CF rods to the necks. Some of their customers raved about the sonic improvments the rods seemed to make. I did not think to ask about when the started installing them but there was a transition point there somewhere. I say carbon fiber "rods" but they were really flat sticks about 3/8ths thick laid in edgwise into the face of the neck.