The Last Bass Outpost

Does anyone know how to remove the chassis from a Peavey Max 115?

There's nothing wrong with it, I just bought it used and want to clean the cabinet and grille. I've removed every screw from the thing, even the corners and handle, and it won't budge.

I have decades of experience with this sort of thing, but I'm stumped.

Thanks!

Quote from: Alanko on July 07, 2016, 02:35:16 AM
I've been thinking of getting a more sympathetic strap for a while, so that might be the way to go!

Some heavy hints were dropped at the last band practice, so it looks like I'm now hunting for a 2nd hand Epi Rivoli. 

Get the longer "guitar" strap. The one they call the bass strap (the same otherwise) is too short, at least for me. They are adjustable, but the "bass" strap just didn't have enough length. That was a few years ago though, they may have changed since then.

Quote from: Alanko on July 04, 2016, 02:59:42 AM
The balance was tricky sitting down. On a strap it wasn't a diver, but it was gradually heading for the 3 o'clock position if I took my left hand off the neck.

Try a Neo
Tech strap. They are great, even Thunderbirds balance with those.

Quote from: Alanko on June 18, 2016, 04:25:46 PM
I don't see any reason a Strat pickup wouldn't sense a strong fundamental? Is there anything in a passive guitar/bass circuit that acts as a high-pass filter?

Depends on the frequency response the pickup's designed for. Every pickup has a resonant frequency, the wind, materials used, and design all affect that.

Quote from: Dave W on June 17, 2016, 08:47:18 AM
I tried a reissue MIJ Mustang a few years back, it wasn't super light but it was definitely lighter than the few 70s originals I've tried.

Not a big fan of the tone. I'd rather have a vintage Musicmaster as long as it has the original 6-pole single coil pickup.

You're probably aware but that 6-pole pickup's just a Musicmaster guitar PU, which is ostensibly just a Strat PU with flush poles. Not a lot of bottom, but they're OK for bass.

Re contours, some early Mustang Basses had slab bodies, but most vintage Mustang basses were contoured. The reissues are slabs, I think. The wood removed by contouring doesn't add up to a lot of weight anyway.

I can't say that I'm personally a fan, but Mustang basses are what they are, a decent short scale bass for people with small hands. They are not the best sounding short scale basses IMO, that honor goes to the Danelectro Longhorn, Gibson Les Paul Triumph Bass second (the Danos are light as a feather, the LP basses are usually boat anchors, although I once had one that felt lighter than air!).

As far as weight's concerned, I've had Precisions and Jazzes that were lighter than some Mustang Basses. They aren't all that much smaller than a P or J to make a huge difference. The later '70s Mustangs with ash bodies can be quite heavy, in fact.

If what you're at home with is a Precision, a Mustang's a lot of compromise for a possible weight savings. You might try and find a lighter P-Bass.

Mid-'60s P Basses in general tend to sound a bit rattier than earlier black bobbin examples which lean more to a "hi-fi" tone. I say this as someone who's owned and worked on many '58-'60s Precisions over the last 35 or so years.

Back in 1984, I did a fret dress on a '66 slab P bass. It was the U.S. version with tortoise guard and rosewood board, the blonde slab body was the only unique feature. It was a long time ago but as I remember, it sounded like a '66 Precision. At the time I wasn't particularly struck by the tone.

Re the maple cap neck imparting its own sound, it might. I had a Hendrix freak friend who had to have a cream colored maple cap Strat. When he got one (this was 25 years ago...) I remember him opining that the maple cap neck really had it's own special sound. On the other hand, I've played single coil Telecaster basses with maple cap ('68) and 1-piece necks ('69-early '72) and not sure I noticed a big difference in tone between those.

Quote from: Basvarken on July 21, 2015, 12:54:53 AM
Which Tele neck?

http://s253.photobucket.com/user/reino_de_la_guitarra/media/hendrix_newport_33.jpg.html

Quote from: westen44 on July 20, 2015, 10:20:22 PM
I have to wonder how popular they would be without Hendrix.  It's all a matter of taste, but I just personally prefer the sound of Gibson guitars.  Eric Clapton is a case in point.  His best guitar playing was with a Gibson.  It's the Fender twang which bothers me, though.  As for the success of Stratocaster, I think it's undeserved.

It's apples and oranges, there's no "better" with stuff like this. Re Clapton, well yes, but it's HIM, his style changed, it wasn't the fault of the guitar he chose to play. Although I agree that a Gibson better suited the Mayall and Cream material.

Re the twang, hey, that's what a Fender guitar's all about. If one doesn't like the taste of fish, one shouldn't dine on flounder!

Quote from: uwe on July 15, 2015, 04:10:15 AM
There is a new 2015 remaster of Argus by French label Culture Factory and it kicketh the proverbial butt. It has so much detail, it sometimes sounds like Steve Upton doing a demo for Paiste cymbals.  Martin's breathing, it's all there.

Much as Martin Turner is identified with his beloved Donnervogel, there are actually more WA recordings (from his eras) without than with it! It's his stage bass because he likes its handling and looks, that's all. Argus is all Rickenbacker 4001, so much that when Martin rerecorded the classic album with his own version of WA a few years ago, he reverted to a loaned Ric because he couldn't get the sound he wanted out of the TBird. A lot of the later Laurie Wisefield and Ted Turner-reunion stuff was recorded with a Fender Precision.

Don't we all live and learn. And when WA continued without Martin, the ultimate insult added to injury was - according to Martin's biography -  Andy Powell's offer to buy Martin's TBird so the new guy could use it.

Flying Vs are popular in twin guitar bands (Wishbone Ash, Judas Priest, Scorpions, UFO, Accept) because they have a thinner sound and don't get in the way. They are kind of Gibson's Telecaster.

True. I didn't know the Rickenbacker was used on Argus, but you definitely can hear it on Pilgrimage. Martin has said that one day while of tour, he opened the case to find the Ric's neck broken off. He said something to the effect of "well, if it's that delicate, I can't use these basses anymore!" So he switched to a T-Bird, which is even more delicate. He actually got his TB IV from Overend Watts (had to beg him for it) already broken. So badly that it required a new headstock to be fashioned. That's why you see pics of it on Live Dates with an unfinished headstock. Same bass was later refinished white. Martin also used a white '60s Precision Bass. I think there are photos of him playing it inside the gatefold copy of Pilgrimage.

Re Flying Vs thinner sound, yes, they do. But so do SGs.

Quote from: veebass on July 14, 2015, 05:35:21 PM
http://www.flying-v.ch/gallery/gallery.htm

There is a reference in Wikipedia without citation to "Some instruments were assembled from leftover parts and shipped in 1963, with nickel- rather than gold-plated hardware."

It's true. And some Explorers too.

Quote from: uwe on July 14, 2015, 04:26:44 PM
Since when was Jimi obsessed with being slightly out-of-tune?  I think he probably played a Strat because the Fender scale was more convenient for his outsize hands - those were Stanley Clarke-type huge. There must have been a reason for him chosing Strats as he played right hand models left-handed which on a Strat is more inconvenient than on a, say, ES-335, SG or Flying V. 

And I do believe he played the Flying V because it was flashy. 99% of all Flying V players are attracted to the shape, me included. I currently have my Dean Razorback in the rehearsal room and you can just see my serious-minded, non-heavy-metal-background co-musicians wince when they see me with it (hesitantly: "Is that a real razor blade in there?")! 



Nothing says "serious-minded, not image-conscious, adult, no-frills musician" like this bass. Mark's overknee boots excepted of course. 

There's a very good chance that Jimi was attracted to the Flying V because of that model's association with Albert King, who was one of his heroes.

Yeah, I know, but the Internet was made for going off on tangents!

Well, Teles do what they do, which is considerable, especially considering that they are arguably the first production solidbody electric Spanish guitar, but a Stratocaster is more versatile. (As well as more comfortable/ergonomic for most players). The very reason that there may be some backlash against Strats is that they've been such a success.

I think Hendrix played mainly Strats because that thin, bright tone best suited his frilly R&B inflected, Curtis Mayfield inspired rhythm guitar style. That type of playing tends to get lost in the sauce on a Gibson...their thicker tone has other uses, of course.

Notice that Jimi often used a Gibson (first the painted V, then an SG Custom, then the custom ordered lefty V, as well as the '56-ish Les Paul Custom he played only a few times ca. 1968) for live performances of Red House. Notable exception: at the Isle Of Wight he used the custom Flying V on quite a few numbers, alternating between that and the black Strat...guess he really liked that guitar!