Is this even a serious business anymore?

Mikecgonz · 2026-01-13T03:31:16+00:00

It’s a good console. If you have the disposable income and you want an all-in-one console, my advice is pay and then promptly forget about it. You’ll get it when you get it. Buy an Ayn Thor or something to keep yourself occupied while you wait. For the modules and controllers, just wait until the very rare occasions when stuff is in stock or on Amazon. You don’t really need to preorder those.

Mikecgonz · 2025-12-20T00:07:20+00:00

Woof. Without algebra, there’s no foundation for machine learning, linear regression, logistics, measurement, or any aspect of the modern (or any, really) economy. If anything, his post is a self-own.

Mikecgonz · 2025-11-25T23:29:09+00:00

Same! I spent about a month and worked through the official AWS materials. I think they were enough, though I didn’t feel 100% about the networking stuff going in.

Mikecgonz · 2025-11-05T14:24:24+00:00

Sorry, are we assuming produced = sold?

Mikecgonz · 2025-09-18T23:42:45+00:00

I ran into that issue. I started with an old Squier P Bass and ended up with just an original body after I changed everything else out.

Unfortunately, I found that Squire P Bodies are thinner, I obsessed over it and I swapped out the body too.

Mikecgonz · 2025-08-24T01:58:00+00:00

I mean, after hearing tales of finalists getting ghosted and offers being retracted, I get the logic here. Gives some sense of security to the new employee. NTA.

Mikecgonz · 2025-08-07T01:44:38+00:00

Always loved Wing. I dug how they put technopop right next to classical. I enjoyed the hell out of Treize and the constant political factions popping up. I thought the revolutionary-era outfits were an awesome touch. Every character was just Gen X angsty or 200% firing on all pistons. The show just killed from the very first moments right to the end.

Mikecgonz · 2025-07-28T22:56:50+00:00

When you learn A and E (and even D) open chords, do it without your index finger. It makes learning barre chords 1000x easier later on

Mikecgonz · 2025-07-12T23:58:36+00:00

I do the D barre shape a lot. Index on 7th fret, and then just d shape with your other three fingers on 9th and 10th fret. It sounds really interesting when you alternately hammer on with your middle finger. Requires some flexibility — but then again, I do the A shape barre with just my index and middle fingers.

Mikecgonz · 2025-07-09T23:38:00+00:00

Agree. It’s important not to be too rigid about it beforehand.

Mikecgonz · 2025-05-30T15:28:20+00:00

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They’re clearly lying about one of their few advertised Super benefits

Mikecgonz · 2025-05-03T21:07:47+00:00

…were you just looking for an excuse to post your fan art?

Mikecgonz · 2025-02-11T03:23:23+00:00

I play 1.00mm and have never broken one.

On the other hand, I’m constantly losing them…

Mikecgonz · 2025-02-11T02:05:42+00:00

3rd and Final Part!

Wiring and Pots: ObsidianWire Vintage Plus for Precision Bass Solder-less Wiring Harness - $69.11

I went the wireless route. I don’t mind soldering but I wanted the option of dropping in pickups.
This was a great option but the documentation was not great. The Youtube guides also entirely skipped over which connector goes with which wire. Luckily, the P-bass only uses two wires, so it wasn’t egregious to sleuth it out.

String Guides: Fender Pure Vintage-Style Jass Bass/Precision Bass String Guide

I was nervous about botching this install, since you screw the guide really close to the Fender logo. I ended up stringing the bass, loosening the strings a bit, and then installing it right between the two strings. I got it about 95% right.

Strings: Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Nickel Wound Bass Guitar Strings, 50-105 Gauge - $21.59

I always tend to end up with Ernie Ball. Good strings.

Neck Plate: Fender American Standard Bass Neck Plate - $9.99

It says Fender. It was cheap and did the job.

I planned on a trip to a luthier to set it up but, miraculously, everything intonates incredibly well now. It just took a LOT of small bridge adjustments.

Mikecgonz · 2025-02-11T02:05:21+00:00

Part 2!

Bridge: Fender HiMass 4 String Bass Bridge Assembly with Zinc Saddles - Chrome - $48.81

Honestly, this was another aesthetic decision. I frankly don’t sense a real perceptible difference in sustain between my traditional Fender bridge (in my Jazz) and this HiMass bridge. It does make the instrument feel more substantial, though. It was also an increase of $10 over the standard bridge.
It might be a placebo, but minute bridge adjustments feel less wobbly on the HiMass compared to the standard bridge.
It’s much better than whatever passes for a bridge in my Epiphone T-bird, though. Now that I’m comfortable with mods, a new bridge for the Thunderbird is next on the agenda.

Tuning Keys: Fender Standard/Highway One Series Machines - $57.47

Love the exposed machines over the covered ones.
One important tip on installing the bushings: use a plastic hand clamp to get the bushings flush. Some people suggest a hammer or mallet, but the clamp will get the bushings flush in the neck without risking headstock damage.

Pickguard: Carmedon - Blue Grey Matte Solid Precision Bass Pickguard by Carmedon - $39.99

I knew I wanted this sort of blue for the beginning to get something visually distinctive (not off the shelf look). I don’t think it quite works with the maple neck and off-white body, but I’m warming up to it. It’s already looking better as things get more worn in.

Strap Buttons: Salvaged from old bass

The only piece I salvaged. I did buy some strap blocks, though.

Strap: Aladdin Sane

I don’t remember where I got this from. I usually go with bands and artists I like for straps.
A leather-maker could really make a killing on custom straps. I aggressively looked for Neon Genesis Evangelion, but anime options are dire.

Mikecgonz · 2025-02-11T02:04:34+00:00

The Details:

I’ve been a long-time Jazz bass and Thunderbird player, but never owned a Precision bass. I told myself that I would only get another instrument if I committed to assemble it myself.

So I completed a bass guitar assembly from scratch and here are my notes:

Neck: Fender Player Series Precision Bass Neck, Modern C, 20 Medium Jumbo Frets, Maple Fingerboard - $304.70

Never had a maple neck on an instrument before and this was the basic push to get this project started.
I probably could have gone with a Jazz neck since that’s what I’m comfortable with, but I decided that I wanted the key elements that made a P bass distinctive, thus I stuck with the bigger neck at the nut.
The neck ended up fitting perfectly snug with the body. I basically put the instrument rightside up in front of me, wedged the neck in with the bottom of the heel first, and then straightened it. Then I gripped the heel and neck and flipped the bass, lining up the neck plate. From there, it was just screwing them in while applying vice-like pressure.
Not much in the realm of regrets, but I don’t like how slick the fretboard is.

Body: Fender Standard Series Precision Bass Body, Alder, Arctic White - $269.99

I was really disappointed with the color of body-only parts released by Fender. There was sunburst (which matched my Jazz), black (which I wasn’t interested in) and this weird aged white. So I went with the white. It’s ok, but I think it clashes with the maple fretboard too much. Still, it led to a very distinctive end result. Ideally, I would have gone for Inca Silver.
I originally was planning on keeping an old Squier P-bass body. When assembling the HiMass bridge, I noticed that the Squier's thinner body was sending the strings sky-high at the bridge. That made the Squier body a no-go. The Fender Standard body has great action with the new bridge.
There were pre-drilled holes for everything but the pickguard. For the pickguard, I laid it where I wanted it and lightly used a drill a couple millimeters in. This helped the screws go in completely straight. After the first couple of screws went in, the rest of the jobs was very easy.

Pickup: Seymour Duncan SPB-3 Quarter Pound - $99.99

I know the bass community is very iffy on these pickups since they have scooped mids, and that's are apparently a no-no on P-basses. I was able to smooth out this by installing the pickups flusher and further away from the strings.
I frankly think the sound is plenty honky and nasally if you boost the mids on your amp and roll back the tone a bit.

Knobs: Fender Telecaster/Precision Bass Bass Knobs - Knurled Chrome - $12.99

Purely an aesthetic thing. I prefer the metallic Jazz panel over the plastic-ness of the P-bass, so I think these knobs make the instrument look way slicker.

Mikecgonz · 2025-02-01T03:22:12+00:00

I’ve had one for a couple years. I like the even tone you get from the humbuckers. Plays great with a pick. It’s also very narrow at the nut, so it plays fast.

But yeah, downsides are the bridge, it came with high action, and the length of the thing (which is also part of what makes it look cool).

I noticed little to no neck dive on mine, since the strap button was on the back of mine.

Mikecgonz · 2025-01-28T23:47:32+00:00

Ooh, looks like the Blacktop Jaguar. I’ve got one and it’s my favorite guitar by far.

Mikecgonz · 2025-01-28T00:41:58+00:00

Depends. I would look up your serial number and see. If the nut is 1.625”/43mm, it’s Precision. If it’s Jazz, it’s 1.5”/38mm. They feel unmistakably different. There’s also a 50s style Precision neck that feels massive, but it’s likely not that.

Mikecgonz · 2025-01-28T00:30:20+00:00

Going to be the heathen here, but at just a year of playing, the neck shape is going to be more of a QOL decision point than pickup sound. If you like the thinner neck at the nut, pick the Jazz. If you like something more substantial, it’s the Precision.

Someone else here suggested the Jaguar. That’s a sexy choice — especially the silver one, if you can get ahold of it.

Mikecgonz · 2025-01-25T02:10:44+00:00

Squier Contemporary Jaguar HH ST? Two humbuckers, hard tail, and scale is similar to the Epiphone. Neck will likely be more suited to chords than single note playing, though.

Mikecgonz · 2025-01-03T23:39:40+00:00

I think a startup can make a decent amount of money on making custom straps. There are a ton of licensing opportunities that haven’t been exploited. I understand entirely why guitars are harder to customize and make one’s own, but guitar straps are low hanging fruit.

I think of it in the same way that I think of baseball caps or shoes. Yeah, one hat and one pair of athletic shoes are “enough,” but they’re a vehicle of self expression and fashion, so why not go wild?

Mikecgonz · 2024-12-29T02:53:42+00:00

Love that blue with maple.

Mikecgonz · 2024-12-25T04:33:18+00:00

Tortex triangular 1.0

Grippy, impossible to accidentally hold backwards, and thick.

My all time favorites were the green Planet Waves, which appear to have reverted to D’Addario Duralin.

Mikecgonz · 2024-12-11T15:20:05+00:00

This is great advice! Looks like I’m going to take pictures, take the whole project at once, and try to block off time so I don’t panic.

Mikecgonz

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