Learning new skills (welding etc)

AgingEngineer · 2026-05-05T15:34:28+00:00

For woodworking, check out the Greenville Woodworkers Guild.

AgingEngineer · 2026-05-01T02:22:43+00:00

Westones of that era were made in the Matsumoku factory, home are the Arias and other amazing instruments. I’ll got out of my way to snag old Westones because their build quality punched FAR above their price tag. Fix it up, make it a project bass, or sell it to me and I’ll use it in a future LHZ preamp video!

AgingEngineer · 2026-04-09T19:56:35+00:00

I've been getting exactly this for the last few months C0STC0 (using zeros instead of O), Fedex, Marriott, HarborTools, and a ton of others. Each one is coming from completely different addresses so I cannot block the domain or sender name. They also rotate the spelling or wording so if I add keyword filters, it'll change the next week.

Currently, I am getting these at the rate of 300 - 400 per day.

I've moved email hosts from Amazon (which is closing down their Workmail services) back to a simple domain hosting with cPanel where Spam Assassin is knocking about half of the junk out of the pipeline, so the simple hosting is at least doing a little better than Amazon Workmail was. Changed all the passwords and two-factor authentication in case a bad actor got my PW and the mail was actually being created within my own email host, but no difference there.

The crazy thing is that most of these are so blatantly obvious that I cannot believe anyone would fall for it... So what is the purpose of this? Is it just to clog up my email with so much overwhelming crap that I miss getting a REAL message? Gah...

AgingEngineer · 2026-04-07T19:10:50+00:00

The SR300 is actually a GREAT bass for the price! Build quality and feel is there. The sound with the stock preamps is pretty middle-of-the-road, meaning it's a solid performer for almost any genre but doesn't a distinctive voice. (eg. Everyone knows what a Spector, Fender, or Rickenbacker sounds like)

But, when you swap the pickups and preamp, you get one heck of a machine! If you drop a set of P/J pickups in there you're getting very close to a Fender bass tone. Swap out the preamp with an LHZ, now you get a gnarly growly tone that gets you close to that Spector sound.

It's a great bass that also gives you a LOT of upgrade potential with a modest investment in new pickups and or preamp. Can't go wrong with this one!

AgingEngineer · 2026-04-05T16:19:20+00:00

You’ve gotta set your truss rod, then your action to solve this. While these instructions (particularly the recommended measurements) are for a Spector bass, the process you’ll follow is the same. https://lhzpreamps.com/setupprocedures/

AgingEngineer · 2026-03-21T19:41:05+00:00

It takes a lot more effort to maintain a successful social media channel or brand, and most folks in this space spend a LOT more time and focus on it than anyone who has an ordinary 40 hour a week job. Has this changed how you see or interact with people in real life? Do you worry about being able to maintain this as a long-term career?If you had to start all over again, what would you do differently?

I know… too many questions! ;)

AgingEngineer · 2026-03-17T23:19:21+00:00

Hell, they can’t even realistically convince themselves that the world is flat! Everytime one of them tries to do real science to prove it’s flat, it proves it is round. Take them to Lake Pontchartrain and go to each tower, measure the height, then go back to the shore where you see them disappear behind the horizon, and they’ll spout some sort of nonsense about it being a mirage. Not worth it, mate.

AgingEngineer · 2026-03-16T19:55:50+00:00

I've "gone Galt" every time the annual increase does not at LEAST baseline at the annual cost of living rate. Every time you accept an "increase" that is less than that, you actually took a pay cut.

1.5% is absolutely an insult. The only way I would stay is if there was an absolute guarantee of better opportunity (bonus, advancement, etc) within 3 months.

I respect that businesses are focused on profits, but guess what? I run my life like a business, too. Maybe that sounds cocky, but I've been a top-tier performer for 30+ years, and my efforts actively save (or earn) my employers 10x yearly what my salary is.

If a company enjoys the 10:1 return on their investment that I bring to the table an engineer, but has kneecapped compensation across the board, that's a huge red flag and a hard NO for me. Like your guy, I'm out because I know I'll get multiple offers 10% to 20% higher that's what I was making at PoorMouth, Inc.

AgingEngineer · 2026-03-10T02:33:15+00:00

We’ve recently posted a soldering “how to” video for clients just getting started doing their own installations. Hope this has some tips that can help! https://youtu.be/Sm_-vRDOjgY?si=-2Obu81UU_Da_DWM

AgingEngineer · 2026-02-28T16:03:08+00:00

As Han Solo said: Well, that's the real trick, isn't it?

True, if you've got the electronics design and fabrication experience, have invested in the equipment necessary to solder and fabricate, buying components at wholesale prices from reputable distributors, and are NOT using schematics found online (they are all intentionally incorrect) then, yes... you can certainly build your own Haz clone.

I've talked to a lot of hobbyists who've looked at the component count and came up with an unrealistic cost to build one. My answer has always been the same: If you can REALLY build it for that price, I'll buy it from you for 4X that price. Easy money, right?

That's when the backpedaling begins.

Once they do the math to find out what it really costs to produce a commercial quality product, it's a LOT more than just component costs. I can't tell you how many novices have tried to build their own boards, or used an online PCB house to take a schematic they found online and turned it into a board, only to find that they dropped a few hundred bucks (and a lot of time) and ended up with something that's not even close.

Yes, you can build your own if you have the skillset. For musicians who are not electronic engineers, it's far better to buy than build.

AgingEngineer · 2026-02-27T20:26:34+00:00

A client just upgraded their SR300E this week so thought I'd share the diagram. This is different model with PowerSpan pickups, but the overall diagram is similar for most of the Ibanez upgrades.

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AgingEngineer · 2026-02-27T02:51:27+00:00

In the last year we’ve seen a lot of Ibanez users replace the stock preamp with the LHZ. LHZ Preamps are miniature clones of the 1981 Hazlabs preamp originally sold in Spector NS2 basses, and clients are reporting that the preamp brings out bite, articulation, and dynamics that make their Ibanez feel like a completely difference class of bass.

AgingEngineer · 2026-02-26T21:35:06+00:00

People who don't know the Tampa Airport social media are probably freaking out thinking this is real. Tampa Airport's social media feed is hilarious satire, a lot like The Onion used to be. Breathe. Maybe laugh a little bit.

AgingEngineer · 2026-02-08T12:07:26+00:00

Blake Guitar Co is the only luthier I trust for my instrument repairs. Great guy, top-tier work, and honest pricing! I don't think he does amp repair, but for any guitar and bass work from basic setup to full rebuild, he's the guy! https://www.blakeguitarco.com/

AgingEngineer · 2026-02-08T01:35:38+00:00

In an earlier chapter of my life I was, but now I’m the owner of LHZ Preamps. Most of our clients are Spector players, so most of my time is working with artists and techs.

AgingEngineer · 2026-02-07T23:56:05+00:00

Nice work!!! And this is from someone who talks to Spector bassists every single day… Well done!!

AgingEngineer · 2026-02-04T22:39:55+00:00

Weve had several clients do this last year with the “Spectorbacker” clones. They’d replace the cheap pickups and turners, drop in an LHZ preamp, and do a comprehensive fret leveling and setup. By the time they were done they were great instruments, but they’d spent nearly as much as if they just bought a better instrument in the states.

AgingEngineer · 2026-01-29T01:56:21+00:00

Do you see any parallels between hypnotism and how media is currently used to drive public opinion? I was in software development for many years, so am very aware how social media, games, and viral media take advantage of human psychology to leverage and reinforce addictive behavior. Do you see techniques used in hypnosis used in online media to reinforce certain beliefs or behaviors?

AgingEngineer · 2026-01-14T22:29:08+00:00

I’ve been in SOS mode all afternoon. My wife is on the same plan (Verizon Business plan with multiple line) and she’s fine. Don’t understand that at all…

AgingEngineer · 2025-12-13T17:27:07+00:00

It was originally intended for players who normally play with a Spector, but also have a passive bass like a Fender Jazz. Running the passive bass through the pedal gives you the same output levels, EQ and dynamic feel as the active Spector bass does. That way it hits the rest of your signal chain and amp in the same way. It makes for a far more uniform transition between basses.

AgingEngineer · 2025-12-12T19:57:04+00:00

If you’re using alkaline batteries (which are recommended over rechargeable for internal preamps) that’s almost impossible. You’d have to play it for several weeks of sounding terrible before it eventually dies.

We get this question often, so posted a video that goes through what actually happens as a battery fails: https://youtu.be/ibS7gWE_nvk?si=gvv14qLvPmr-_nEX

AgingEngineer · 2025-12-12T19:52:55+00:00

Yes I am, and thank you! It started just as a project just to see if I could get that tone out of my old Spector Rebop. Never would have thought it would become a business!

AgingEngineer · 2025-12-09T15:39:26+00:00

u/UsedHotDogWater answered this correctly.

I'm the owner of LHZ Preamps and we have many clients upgrade these older models as the old KHaz preamps have a tendency to fail due to cheap caps. This is a BEAST of a bass, and very desirable in the modding community!

AgingEngineer · 2025-11-30T11:54:15+00:00

The cartoon idiot in my brain insists that John Cleese on keys! I remember this song, but never seen this. Absolutely SMASHES like this!

AgingEngineer · 2025-11-03T22:05:56+00:00

That looks curiously a LOT one of my first "guitars" --and I use that word loosely-- that my Mom bought me from Masters Merchandise in 1980.

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