What is this for? What does it do?

[antipodean]

I remember those things from the 80s. Supposed to add sustain and reduce dead spots. Never tried one....

The deadspot issue is the real key to this. The amount of whacky stuff I've seen that is purported to "cure" dead spots is unbelievable. This was obviously as successful as most of the others....

[rickfan60]

I thought less headstock mass = more sustain?

We're talking 1980's guitar physics here. So much BS crammed into one decade..........

[ajish4]

I guess it's for people who want more neck dive on their bass...

[jingle_jangle]

If you read Aspen Pittman's amp books, he still mentions these and claims that they were successful, from both engineering and financial points of view. I think this was one of his first tweaks...

[kssound]

But guys...it is an ORIGINAL Fathead. Doesn't everyone need one?

But I already have a fat head, just ask my wife. The last thing I need is to add more weight on my bass

[winston]

The last thing I need is to add more weight on my bass

Oh c'mon Scott.....get with the program......everybody needs one.........everybody wants one.

[daveman]

They -sort of- worked on a Fender bass, usually to move (not eliminate) the dead spot.
Dead spots have never been a problem with Rics, IME.

[rickfan60]

Yeah. The one-size-fits-all harmonic compensator. If that was that simple the folks from Santa Ana would have done it themselves. It is snake oil, plain and simple. Just like cold fusion and Teflon engine oil treatments. Bunk.

[johnallg]

Yeah. The one-size-fits-all harmonic compensator. If that was that simple the folks from Santa Ana would have done it themselves. It is snake oil, plain and simple. Just like cold fusion and Teflon engine oil treatments. Bunk.

But Ted, I've SEEN the infomercial where they drain the engine while it's running and it keeps going!!! How can you argue with that!!!!

[rickfan60]

All right. You got me there.

Waaaay off topic but...

While working in a petroleum lab some years ago I was part of a team asked to test PTFE additives and the claims of the sellers. It turns out that the particle size of the PTFE powder was so large that it would be stopped on the first pass through the oil filter! What was truly obscene was that the stuff was selling for around $30 a quart back then. There was about 3 cents worth of base oil and maybe 7 cents worth of PTFE in a 30 cent bottle and people were buying it up! What a scam.

[weemac]

All right. You got me there.

Waaaay off topic but...

While working in a petroleum lab some years ago I was part of a team asked to test PTFE additives and the claims of the sellers. It turns out that the particle size of the PTFE powder was so large that it would be stopped on the first pass through the oil filter! What was truly obscene was that the stuff was selling for around $30 a quart back then. There was about 3 cents worth of base oil and maybe 7 cents worth of PTFE in a 30 cent bottle and people were buying it up! What a scam.

Any motor I put that stuff in shat itself within 6 months..... Now I know why, lack of oil pressure due to a blocked filter!
So that stuff definately cost more than $30...
Eden.

[rikk]

I remember these things. They were all the rage, but I can't recall anybody actually using one of them, just talking about it. The 80's were a pretty decadent time.

[ilan]

Works or not, who needs more sustain? If anything, I need less sustain, preferably in the form of the currently-impossible palm mute. But that's another thread, right?

[rickenbrother]

Any motor I put that stuff in shat itself within 6 months..... Now I know why, lack of oil pressure due to a blocked filter!
So that stuff definately cost more than $30...
Eden.

Yeah, I've known a couple of people that put that stuff in their engines and shortly after, the engine was kaput.

[beatlefreak]

I remember these things. They were all the rage, but I can't recall anybody actually using one of them.

Yeah - I've never seen a bass that had one installed.