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muthafunk

Well-known member
Joined
May 10, 2007
Messages
62
Location
Belarus
Hi folks,

I wanted to ask this question a long time ago, but I was too lazy to make a picture.

The problem is the following:

Back in 2005 I ordered SUB5 in the US and my friend transported it to Europe in his luggage dissasembled.

The neck was detached from the body and there was a little strip of plastic with two holes located in between the last two bolts of the neck joint:



When I received a bass I was too exicted to concentrate on little things, and I attached the neck with that plastic strip in between the neckplate and the body. Just like it's shown on the picture. It seemed to be kept where it originally was as I took it out of bubble wrap.

I heard that some guitar and bass owners always inspect the neck joint of a new instrument and remove and sand off all the factory stickers or excess paint left on the edges. It's also usefull to tighten the neck screws probably once a year to improve the sustain. Some custom guitar makers even add glue into the neck joint in addition to the standard neckplate to improve the sustain. That's why this strip of plastic took my attention.

So the question is - What was that strip of plastic really needed for? I cannot be sure about it's origin, but it is most likely factory produced and maybe I just placed it in the wrong spot or maybe it's not even needed at all?

Has anyone even spotted such thing while dissasembling SUB bass?
 
Last edited:

mynan

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Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
2,695
Location
Spring Lake, MI
It is a shim placed there by EBMM to help keep the action of the bass within specs...beyond that I don't have any expertise and wouldn't know where to place it between the neck and body or why.
 

WillPlay4Food

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Joined
Apr 20, 2004
Messages
405
Location
Connect-The-Dot
What color was it? I found one of these in the neck of my Bongo between the body and the neck heel. I called EBMM customer service and asked if this shim was factory installed and I was told they don't use shims. I left it out of the neck since I figured it must've been added by a previous owner. Now I'm worried this was indeed a factory part and I'll be quite lucky if I can actually find that piece again. :(
 

mynan

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
2,695
Location
Spring Lake, MI
What color was it? I found one of these in the neck of my Bongo between the body and the neck heel. I called EBMM customer service and asked if this shim was factory installed and I was told they don't use shims. I left it out of the neck since I figured it must've been added by a previous owner. Now I'm worried this was indeed a factory part and I'll be quite lucky if I can actually find that piece again. :(

See THIS thread.
 

muthafunk

Well-known member
Joined
May 10, 2007
Messages
62
Location
Belarus
Thanks for your quick answers.

When I'll get back home I'll try to put this shim in between the neck and the body and see how it will affect on action and sound. It's a lot of work but I'm just curious...
 

dlloyd

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
1,733
Location
Scotland
So the question is - What was that strip of plastic really needed for? I cannot be sure about it's origin, but it is most likely factory produced and maybe I just placed it in the wrong spot or maybe it's not even needed at all?

It looks like a shim and it looks like you put it in the wrong place. It should be between the body and neck, to adjust the exact angle at which the neck meets the body, most likely on the screws you already have it on.

How's the action on your bass? If it's low enough for you and the saddles have plenty of room below them, you probably don't need the shim. Otherwise, stick it between the neck and body on the screws it's already on.
 

thunder

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Joined
May 14, 2007
Messages
320
Location
Brooklyn N.Y.
no b.s. I own a lot of mm basses. some i've taken apart. none of my basses have shimms (shim is also a police term for a transvestite prostitute):)
 

muthafunk

Well-known member
Joined
May 10, 2007
Messages
62
Location
Belarus
I dissasembled my SUB5 and I put it in the right place yesterday. Actually there were some visible marks on the body at the neck joint near last 2 screw holes. I don't know why I hadn't noticed it 2 years ago when the bass arrived.

I didn't have any action problems without the shim. And I don't see much difference right now when the shim is in the right place. I need to spend some more time playing with strings saddles and to see the result
 
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