What the electric bass is made of
SUMMARY DIAGRAM
THE TWO PRINCIPAL BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE ELECTRIC BASS ARE THE BODY AND THE NECK. THEY MIGHT BE JOINED IN THREE WAYS:
1) BY SCREWING THE NECK WITH THE BODY (BOLT-ON).
2) BY PASSING THE NECK THROUGH THE BODY (NECK-THROUGH).
3) BY GLUING THE NECK WITH THE BODY (SET-IN).
BODY’S COMPONENTS:
1) BRIDGE: CONNECTS THE BODY TO THE STRINGS. THANKS TO THE SADDLES IT IS POSSIBLE TO SET THE HEIGHT OF THE STRINGS AND THEIR TUNE.
2) ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS (PICKUPS): ACT AS MICROPHONES THAT TRANSFORM THE ACOUSTIC WAVES INTO ELECTRICAL SIGNALS. THESE ARE SENT TO THE AMPLIFIER AND THE SPEAKERS AND ARE TRANSFORMED BACK INTO SOUNDS.
3) PICKGUARD: IT PROTECTS THE FRONT SIDE OF THE BODY AND IS IN PLASTIC OR OTHER MATERIAL. IT ALSO AS AN AESTHETIC AND FUNCTIONAL ROLE BECAUSE COVERS THE HOLLOW PARTS IN THE BODY WHERE THE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS ARE PLACED.
4) STRAP-PINS: THEY ENABLE TO FIX THE STRAP TO THE BASS. THERE EXISTS SAFETY LOCKS (STRAP LOCK) IN ORDER TO PREVENT SUDDEN AND UNDESIRED FALLS OF THE BASS DURING THE STANDING PERFORMANCE.
NECK’S COMPONENTS:
1) HEADSTOCK AND TUNING MACHINES: THE HEADSTOCK IS AT THE END OF THE NECK. THE TUNING MACHINES ARE FIXED TO IT AND THEY LINK THE STRINGS TO THE NECK. THEY ARE ALSO USED TO TUNE THE STRINGS AND CAN BE PLACED EITHER IN A ROW ON ONE SIDE OF THE HEADSTOCK (FENDER HEADSTOCK) OR EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HEADSTOCK (SPANISH HEADSTOCK).
2) FINGERBOARD (OR FRETBOARD): THIN LAYER OF WOOD GLUED ON THE FRONT OF THE NECK. THE FRETS ARE APPLIED ON IT. IT CAN BE ONE PIECE WITH THE NECK, IN WHICH CASE FRETS ARE DIRECTLY APPLIED TO IT. WHEN IT IS WITHOUT FRETS, WE TALK ABOUT FRETLESS FINGERBOARD.
3) NUT, FRETS AND POSITION MARKERS: THE NUT, A SMALL BAR MADE OF BONE, PLASTIC OR METAL, IS THE “ZERO” FRET. STRINGS PASS THROUGH SUITABLE HOLLOWS IN THE NUT AND THEY VIBRATE FREELY (FROM NUT TO BRIDGE), THAT IS WITHOUT PUTTING FINGERS ALONG THE FINGERBOARD (OPEN STRINGS). FRETS ARE SMALL METAL BARS SET ALONG THE FINGERBOARD. WHEN PUSHING THE STRING AGAINST THE FINGERBOARD, FRETS DIVIDE THE STRING AND PROVIDE THE RIGHT PITCH. POSITION MARKERS PROVIDE THE FRETS’ POSITIONS.
4) TRUSS ROD: TRUSS ROD: IS AN ADJUSTABLE METAL BAR PLACED INSIDE THE NECK. IT STRENGTHENS THE NECK AND BEARS THE STRINGS’ TENSION ENABLING THE FINE ADJUSTMENT OF NECKS’ CURVATURE.
STRINGS ARE CRUCIAL FOR THE TONE COLOUR OF THE BASS.
THERE ARE 4 MAIN FEATURES THAT HAVE TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN BUYING STRINGS:
1) MATERIAL THEY ARE MADE OF: STEEL, NICKEL, BRONZE, COVERED WITH COPPER OR SYNTHETIC MATERIALS.
2) FLATWOUND OR ROUNDWOUND.
3) DIAMETER: IT IS MEASURED IN INCHES, THE 0,0045” (REFERRING TO THE G-STRING) IS CONSIDERED MEDIUM SIZE.
4) THE SCALE LENGTH: IT IS THE LENGTH OF THE VIBRATING STRING, MEASURED IN INCHES FROM THE NUT TO THE BRIDGE. SHORT SCALE 30”, MEDIUM SCALE 32”, LONG SCALE 34” (THE MOST COMMON SCALE), EXTRA LONG SCALE 35” OR 36”.
THE MAIN FEATURES AFFECTING STRING’S SOUND ARE ITS AGE AND ITS NEATNESS. YET THE QUALITY OF THE STRING’S HIGH HARMONICS GETS PROGRESSIVELY POORER IN ABOUT 3-6 MONTHS OF NORMAL USAGE.
ELECTRIC BASS’ COMPONENTS