The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: patman on January 07, 2023, 06:24:41 AM
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The three point bridge on my Les Paul Jr bass has a string spacing of two inches at the bridge...since I have been playing with picks, I find this very comfortable...so much so that basses with wider spacing at the bridge are not getting played.
Do all of the three point bridges have this two inch spacing?
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AFAIK they're all the same, at least I've never encountered one that's different. According to Hipshot, their Gibson Supertone 3-point aftermarket bridge is 53.1 mm, which would be 2.09 inches.
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The 3points that I’ve had were all the same , and there’s no adjustment to change the spacing , unless you replace the bridge with a Hipshot or Babicz. I’ve been on a recent Hipshot rampage and have changed three. I can’t say they sound any different , but I think they look better. Never had any problems putting the original 3point exactly where I wanted , but the replacements are much easier to adjust. And palm mute.
Those Jrs really are great little basses.
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I have always thought the 3 point was easy to adjust the height...
get the E right and the G right, and the rest take care of themselves.
The intonation is quirky, but I have never had a problem with it. It's just quirky.
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What is exactly is quirky about it?
The saddles travel back and forth. That's all that intonation is about.
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Getting the screwdriver in there...
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Ah, yes the strings are in the way. Would have mode more sense to have the screw end on the other side. But the ball ends would be in the way.
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(https://media.contorion.de/media/images/products/pb-swiss-tools-winkelschraubendreher-5-5-mm-51179900-0-sxpGWZgx-xl.jpg)
Are American tools really that far behind? Just say "Ich möchte einen Winkelschraubendreher*** bitte!" (pronounce: win-kell-shrouw-ben-dray-ya) during your next visit to the tool store and click your heels! 8)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1oFnWHDPg0
***What is an offset screwdriver?
noun. : a screwdriver with the blade at right angles to the shaft for use where a straight screwdriver cannot reach the
screwhead.
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I've never seen a 3-pointer on a Fender.... but I want to!
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(https://media.contorion.de/media/images/products/pb-swiss-tools-winkelschraubendreher-5-5-mm-51179900-0-sxpGWZgx-xl.jpg)
Ah, a quirky screwdriver!
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I can't believe you guys haven't seen these before. I bought a bass decades ago in a gig bag - I don't even remember the bass - and it was in a zipped side pocket, a little rusty, but perfectly workable. Kept it ever since. I think it was even American-made which would explain the rust of course. ;D
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I think I've only seen it at the dentist.
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Lee Valley Tools used to carry some of those.
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I think I've only seen it at the dentist.
It's a gynaecological screwdriver, available from certain medical hardware suppliers.
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I've had one of those offset tip screwdrivers in my tool box for 40+ years....really.
There are no pointless tools. There are a few that you may only use once or twice, but when you need 'em, you need 'em. And I've used that one a lot more than twice.
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They also come in 1/4 or 45 degree off-sets...
Epi 3 point bridges may be a bit smaller... I swapped a black Epi one (esthetic reasons) for the one off my RD (with Scott) and had to replace all the posts and re-position them...
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It's a gynaecological screwdriver, available from certain medical hardware suppliers.
How did you know? They are available as sets too. At well-stocked David Cronenberg outlets ...
(http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0558/2081/products/10DeadRingers-Gate.jpg?v=1652141164&width=2000)
(https://cdn3.whatculture.com/images/2015/08/NTeWBLi0.gif)
(https://64.media.tumblr.com/ae5998a26eecc2af8e4aac32df38b03b/c141559bf55a6795-70/s540x810/a247374103e61cf935c8243ac3f790d96127d457.gif)
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Yep, offset screwdriver. Available at home improvement stores, auto parts stores, and of course Amazon.
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Now tell me Uwe, how does it help with the string being in the way with the three point bridge? :popcorn:
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I never had a problem. Just use a skinny precision screwdriver.
Examples:
(https://img.joomcdn.net/435f4ec88cacd5fd4959eeb894929081df288b12_original.jpeg)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0608/2117/6576/products/lxs3gpbotr4nhmqkihfr_800x.jpg?v=1672767634)
If it is long you can still get a good grip from the side of the string due to the small angle:
(https://bgi.privateiti.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/7.-Electrician-Screw-Driver-thin-stem-insulated-handle.jpg)
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Now tell me Uwe, how does it help with the string being in the way with the three point bridge? :popcorn:
Actually, it does but you have to of course reposition it once the string gets in the way. If you're too lazy for that (and I somehow assume you are, Hollän Niederländer!), I reccommend a ratchet offset screwdriver!
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/611ABHqVC0L._AC_SL1001_.jpg)
Not that I would need one, I get along fine with a regular screwdriver as long as it is long enough, but I prefer a stronger, yet narrow tip to not strip the screw.
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Not that I would need one, I get along fine with a regular screwdriver as long as it is long enough, but I prefer a stronger, yet narrow tip to not strip the screw.
Exactly. And you don't have to reposition it.
So why bother with that silly one you found in a gig bag decades ago?
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But all I innocently wanted was to give some unselfish developmental aid to our Amerikaans vriendjes! We have a great tradition of helping them surmount technical obstacles. It's not rocket science.
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/CaringBriefFirefly-max-1mb.gif)
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But all I innocently wanted was to give some unselfish developmental aid to our Amerikaans vriendjes! We have a great tradition of helping them surmount technical obstacles. It's not rocket science.
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/CaringBriefFirefly-max-1mb.gif)
All I have to do is take it to Lull's, then I don't seem to have to goof with it forever after. 8)
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All I have to do is take it to Lull's, then I don't seem to have to goof with it forever after. 8)
I would take it to Lull's, too, if I wasn't 2,500 miles away. I envy you having a place like that to go to.
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Interestingly, the 3 point bridge provides one example of where putting lube on your driver to do some screwing in a tight spot doesn't make the whole ordeal any less of a pain in the ass. :rimshot:
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To the contrary, I think it is a deplorable sign of our valueless, even heathenish times that young, impressionable people take a look at a three pointer today and immediately ask "Now where do I start screwing what why?" rather than letting a firm set of beliefs guide them to the straight and narrow.
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I've had one of those offset tip screwdrivers in my tool box for 40+ years....really.
Same!
Since we're on the subject - where can I get one of those bars that extend the string length behind a 3 point? I'd like to put one on my Rumblekat.
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I can look in my parts box. The thinner or the thicker one? Does size matter to you?
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I did not know there were different sizes? I'd probably go thinner since it's my first time using one. ;D
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Yes Tom, all these women have been lying to you all these years, there are different sizes.
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/304717503666
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I never had a problem. Just use a skinny precision screwdriver.
Examples:
(https://img.joomcdn.net/435f4ec88cacd5fd4959eeb894929081df288b12_original.jpeg)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0608/2117/6576/products/lxs3gpbotr4nhmqkihfr_800x.jpg?v=1672767634)
If it is long you can still get a good grip from the side of the string due to the small angle:
(https://bgi.privateiti.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/7.-Electrician-Screw-Driver-thin-stem-insulated-handle.jpg)
Just heed the warning.
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"More importantly, it will also add Volume, Sustain and Tone! Guaranteed!"
Take this with a grain of salt from the mod-bar ebay seller please. Yes, it affects the sound. It becomes "thuddier", denser. Whether you like that effect is entirely a matter of taste. Frankly, not the first thing I'd be looking on a Rumblecat of all basses (I have it on my Rumblecat as well, too lazy to remove it once I put it on, but I will most likely revert to the original state with the next change of strings).
Improvements in "volume, sustain and tone" are in the sphere of para-acoustics for bats.
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/BonyWildHyrax-size_restricted.gif)
I know, and you guys always wondered how sleeping bats did it without getting their fur wet. :mrgreen:
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I‘m fussy about note length , so I’m more concerned with clean muting than sustain. I rarely employ a physical mute though so it’s hand or palm muting.
Sustain is highly over rated.
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Not a TBird Rev or Ric 4001/4003 player this man.
Horses for courses. Sustain to me is everything. When I play mid-range to high register stuff, I tend to be melodic and slowish - lot's of full, half- and quarter notes - and not do quick runs, I then want my notes to ring endlessly and have this cello-like effect. And that is predominantly found on neck-thru and to some extent on set neck basses, rarely on bolt-ons.
I can appreciate a snappy sounding bass on paper (a G-3 or a single-coil Fender P), but my playing style is really geared towards more sustainy instruments and I find it frustrating if notes from the 12th fret upwards fade quickly. I go there a lot.
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Not a TBird Rev or Ric 4001/4003 player this man.
Horses for courses. Sustain to me is everything. When I play mid-range to high register stuff, I tend to be melodic and slowish - lot's of full, half- and quarter notes - and not do quick runs, I then want my notes to ring endlessly and have this cello-like effect. And that is predominantly found on neck-thru and to some extent on set neck basses, rarely on bolt-ons.
I can appreciate a snappy sounding bass on paper (a G-3 or a single-coil Fender P), but my playing style is really geared towards more sustainy instruments and I find it frustrating if notes from the 12th fret upwards fade quickly. I go there a lot.
I call anything above the 12th fret "The undiscovered country" ;D
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But there is real beauty there, Mark! Be unafraid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJdjjHy08X4
What would Woman From Tokyo be without Glover's beautiful Ric 4001 notes at 03:08?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajlL4RTTFOY
Or Sweet Child O' Mine without Duff's catchy signature entry?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w7OgIMMRc4
Also a case in point how a bolt-on sounds up there. No cello effect. Still a great run.
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I freely admit to being more comfortable on the money frets! However, since getting the '64 I have been picking away at learning this.......It's good exercise!
https://youtu.be/m__wmsIn99E
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I loved Cornick’s playing. But By Aqualung I was out.
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His successor never wrote a single bass line on his own! Jeffrey Hammond(-Hammond)'s often intricate lines all stemmed from either Ian Anderson or Martin Barre. Tull didn't have a bassist who wrote his own lines again until John Glascock joined after Minstrel in the Gallery and Hammond retired from making music to become a painter.
Incidentally, the album Stormwatch was recorded mostly with a 60ies TBird II Rev which Anderson himself owned (and played on the recording except for three tracks due to Glascock being put on gardening leave on account of his heart issues and life style) and adamantly referred to as "an old Gibson Firebird bass, a terrible, huge instrument with only one pick-up". Glascock can be seen with it in some TV shows from the time before, it was on loan from Ian. I wouldn't rule out that this was originally a band-owned instrument way back from the Glenn Cornick-days which he left behind in some storage.
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I simply loved the melodic way Cornick could construct minor walks.
A thing of simple beauty , but deceptively intricate. He really was one of the greatest bassists of that day. Wonderful sense of movement.
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I'd wager the guess that Ian Anderson wanted to assume more control of how the music was played as his compositions became more and more intricate. You couldn't tell someone like Glenn Cornick what to play. Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond certainly didn't get the job because he was the superior or more versatile player, but because - his first love being painted art - he didn't mind being told what to do on the bass (besides being easy to get along with).
There was a pattern - all the people from the first line-up rowed out by Anderson one after another - Abrahams: a blues guitarist, Cornick: a melodic and busy bassist, Bunker: a swinging drummer - were more idiosyncratic and less let's say impressionable players/willing to adjust their style to Anderson's whims than the people who followed them.
I'm a fan of the early line-ups too, they didn't yet sound as stiff and angular as Jethro Tull became in later configurations. I like Tull's later works too, but the music doesn't really groove and sounds incredibly (well-)rehearsed. Try dancing to Thick As A Brick, A Passion Play or War Child - you won't. But otoh: Anderson forged with Tull an absolutely exceptional sound that even though demanding won widespread appeal for a long time.
I actually like the bluesy-groovy debut and the glammy-dystopian-decadent War Child with all the Bowie'esque sax on it best. Aqualung (the album) seems overrated to me and it's not really a well-produced record - even after the more recent Steven Wilson remix, you can't polish a turd. (Jethro Tull diehards will no doubt despair upon reading this!)
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Lars Ulrich thanking Jethro Tull for not releasing an album in 1992.
https://youtu.be/fhJarG5jft8
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Jethro Tull certainly had hard rock elements in their music and hard rock dynamics in their live shows - Anderson would always complain that "to rock up" their act was expected from them on the US arena circuit -, but calling them heavy metal was perhaps ever so slight an overstatement . 8)
I remember an Anderson announcement at a televised rock festival where JT were lumped together with ZZ Top, Status Quo, Joan Jett, Heart and Saxon in 1982. With the exception of Saxon none of them really a heavy metal act, but all offering a more immediate brand of rock (pre-AOR ballads Heart were perhaps closest to what Tull did, especially as regards the acoustic content). When JT did a few acoustic tracks, Anderson pointed to a mandolin and quipped sardonically: "Alas!, an innocent mandolin at this heavy metal outing? Bear with us, it's only a little guitar, but - deep breath - it does its best!"
But the JT live experience (it was the very theatrical Broadsword tour with the pirate ship on stage etc) could hold its ground even before a largely hard and heavy rock audience. There was enough for the denim brigade to latch on to plus Anderson is a captivating front man. There is a reason why a lot of heavy metal musicians hold JT in high regard and the sometimes convoluted meters and highly structured song parts have left their mark on bands as diverse as Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Opeth, System of a Down and even Slipknot.
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My first three concerts......
Alice Cooper BDB tour in '73 - Still one of the best shows I ever attended, with the original band members this was a concert for which to judge all that followed.
Led Zep Houses of the Holy tour - Still the worst show I ever attended (that includes the Ratt show I walked out of!), a total drunken snorefest that included a 35 minute drum solo as part of Moby Dick. Great band in the studio, live, no.
Jethro Tull Passion Play tour - While not a show in the Alice Cooper since, JT (with Hammond -Hammond on bass) was really good, there were spot on, not sloppy and played the entire album without a break, after which Anderson said "And now for our second song"
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/304717503666
Thanks Dave!
I'm not really looking for sustain or whatever. I mostly want it to extend the string length - particularly on the E - to clear the silk wrap. I have flats on it, which are perfect for what I want out of this bass, but the E seems a little duller than its neighbors.
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I think late '70s JT into the '80s sort of inspired power metal to some degree. Hairy medieval minstrels on tour. All wenches, ale and swords rather than the occult.
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Thanks Dave!
I'm not really looking for sustain or whatever. I mostly want it to extend the string length - particularly on the E - to clear the silk wrap. I have flats on it, which are perfect for what I want out of this bass, but the E seems a little duller than its neighbors.
It might help with that E. As for adding sustain, I'm always skeptical of claims like that anyway.