| Author | Message | ||
| keurosix
Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 92 Registered: 10-2005 |
Here's my Alembic duo after FretFX LED's! I am very pleased with the ease of install and finished result, not to mention the affordable cost! I removed the adhesive under the adjustabe nut so that the nut can move without destroying the LED array.  I won't be able to play without the LED's now! Kris | ||
| 57basstra
Senior Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 418 Registered: 4-2005 |
Very nice, Kris! | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 600 Registered: 6-2002 |
I've thought of getting some of those. The blue look cool. JAzzyvee | ||
| keurosix
Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 93 Registered: 10-2005 |
Go visit www.fretfx.com for a list of compatability for the LED's. A 6 string Alembic Cone peghead will take the larger battery box for green or blue LED's. Otherwise, the red LED's have a smaller box suitable for most other peg head sizes. All-in-all it's a very easy install. Kris | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 602 Registered: 6-2002 |
How does the battery box fit to the bass? Do you think it will damage the bass if you ever have to remove it? Jazzyvee | ||
| keurosix
Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 95 Registered: 10-2005 |
Jazzy, It has a space age adhesive strip that holds real well. Same adhesive on the LED strip. This should not damage the finish on the guitar. Some adhesives break down and get sticky like duct tape, or dry out and bond into the finish like masking tape. This adhesive will do neither. Roz of FretFX says that the adhesive will not damage the guitar if removed some time later. Red LED's are powered with 2 AAA batteries, Blue and Green have 3 AAA batteries, hense the bigger box. Each box has a 3 position switch: off / low / high. High with the Blue LED's is VERY bright! Looking directly at them hurts a little. But the "Wow" factor is really there! Check out the pics I left in the Showcase / Europa section. Kris. | ||
| georgie_boy
Intermediate Member Username: georgie_boy Post Number: 120 Registered: 8-2005 |
Kris Would the blue/green LEDs be suitable for a Series 1 bass without causing any neck dive. I'd love a set, but DO NOT want the neck to dive as she sits great at the 2 o'clock position. Lastly, are they quite usable in the LOW setting?? Can you feel a "bump" on the neck when they are installed? Regards George | ||
| keurosix
Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 96 Registered: 10-2005 |
George, According to their website, the green/blue should work for a Series bass. Neck dive? I don't know if the battery box would tip the scale or not. I don't notice anything, it's pretty light, but I also use the Alembic Moody 4" strap that grabs my shoulder. I mostly use the low setting with daylight or subdued lighting. The bright setting is for very dark or stage lights only. The batteries seem to last a LONG time too. Yes you can feel a small bump on the top edge of the neck. About a 1/16" high semi-circle. Price to pay for LED's for under $80 bucks! Only gets in the way of the thumb when it rides up to the top edge of the fingerboard. Check the website for battery box dimensions. Red LED's box is 1" wide x 2 1/2" long. The green/blue box is the same length, but wider at 1 7/16". You can print a scale pic to cut out and lay on your peghead to make sure. Kris. | ||
| georgie_boy
Intermediate Member Username: georgie_boy Post Number: 124 Registered: 8-2005 |
thanks Kris I'll check it out. G | ||
| georgie_boy
Intermediate Member Username: georgie_boy Post Number: 130 Registered: 8-2005 |
One other question Can you see the position markers on the neck with the LEDs turned off?? G | ||
| fmm
Intermediate Member Username: fmm Post Number: 166 Registered: 6-2002 |
One problem with these: You can't pick the bass up by the neck anymore, or you may break the array. That happended to one of my students. | ||
| georgie_boy
Intermediate Member Username: georgie_boy Post Number: 131 Registered: 8-2005 |
Thanks! Well worth keeping in mind as,I suppose most of us pick up an instrument by the neck from a guitar stand. Would appreciate ALL comments on these things before I buy-(typical Scot!!) G | ||
| keurosix
Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 97 Registered: 10-2005 |
George, You can see the position ,markers with the LED's off, but it's a little harder with the array on top of them. It's easier to refer to the front markers if your bass has oval inlays. But with the LED's installed, you won't want them off, trust me. Roz of FretFX says not to pick up the guitar by the neck so that the array doesn't get damaged. He recommends picking up the guitar by the horn. A Series 1 has little horn to speak of, but my Europa and Epic have a great big handle of a horn to grab. It's not a big problem to use the horn, just a minor change of habit. What I can tell you, is that the array is top notch quality, and will not degrade the value of your precious instrument. One of my first concerns with my Europa ( List over $8,000 now!) If you compare the cost to Alembic adding LED's after the fact this works out to less than 10% of that cost! Remember for Alembic to do it: Shipping costs round trip; cost of LED array (Red $1100. Blue $2500?) new fingerboard, battery compartment added on back with routing, door and a respray / refinish job. Yes, that's the "Deluxe" answer, but with the deluxe price tag too! For $80 bucks you can install it yourself, and be up and running in about a 1/2 hour. That's pretty cool. Worth a few minor changes in habit. Kris Kris | ||
| keurosix
Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 98 Registered: 10-2005 |
George, Here are some pics of the battery box installed:  For the epic with red LED's  For the Europa with Blue Led's  The blue is the bomb! Kris | ||
| 2400wattman
Advanced Member Username: 2400wattman Post Number: 243 Registered: 11-2005 |
ice cold man!!! | ||
| georgie_boy
Intermediate Member Username: georgie_boy Post Number: 134 Registered: 8-2005 |
Just LOVE those blue LEDs!! Thanks Kris G | ||
| keurosix
Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 99 Registered: 10-2005 |
The Blue LED's are quite bright. This pic shows the illumination of the cab behind it. On stage you'd be uplighted in a blue glow!  And this pic is the one on the FRetFX website:  Enjoy Kris | ||
| georgie_boy
Intermediate Member Username: georgie_boy Post Number: 137 Registered: 8-2005 |
Are they quite acceptable on the LOW setting?? Love that Europa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It costs an extra $20 to ship to the UK, but for the effect and practicalities-well worth it. BUT----Tell me about any BAD/Not SO GOOD experiences that you've had with them ? G | ||
| alembic76407
Senior Member Username: alembic76407 Post Number: 475 Registered: 5-2002 |
I have the red lights on my Epic, they have been on my Epic for almost 2 years, I pick up my bass by the neck with no trouble at all !!! Its the only bass I have with Lights and the only bass I play live , I WILL buy another set of lights if these ever break ( until I can get an Alembic with LED's ) I love mine, best money I've ever spent. Lights for the price of two sets strings WOW!!!!!!! David T | ||
| keurosix
Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 100 Registered: 10-2005 |
George, The only 2 things I can caution you on: When you install the array, do NOT oil the fingerboard the day before! The original instructions from FretFX said to clean the fingerboard edge with isopropyl alcohol, but now that step has been omitted. After doing both these things on my Dean 6 string bass, I noticed that some of the LED’s light leaks out around the LED, and along the array. This looks a little sloppy, and probably is caused by a less than perfect adhesion. A small price to pay when compared to the expensive, yet perfectly illuminated circles from permanently installed factory LED’s. So to get the best results, just clean the fingerboard with a soft cloth before installing, and oil the board a few months later. I would take care to oil only the top of the board spreading thinly. As I previously noted, I also removed a small amount of adhesive from the LED array so it won’t stick to the adjustable nut. Just ask me if you need detailed instructions. As far as the brightness of the LED’s on the low setting: This is the setting I use most of the time for the Red and the Blue LED’s. It is more than adequate. The red will not hinder your night visibility at either setting. The blue is really brilliant, and at the high setting can play tricks with your eyes. On a black stage you may not be able to see the front of the fingerboard at all. However, you won’t lose your fret reference with them. You won't be sorry when you buy them! Kris | ||
| georgie_boy
Intermediate Member Username: georgie_boy Post Number: 138 Registered: 8-2005 |
Thanks yet again Kris! You're a star G | ||
| jbybj
Junior Username: jbybj Post Number: 20 Registered: 6-2006 |
I just installed my FretFX tonight, and I am as giddy as a little schoolgirl. (Message edited by jbybj on October 20, 2006) | ||
| jbybj
Junior Username: jbybj Post Number: 21 Registered: 6-2006 |
 I finally figured out how to make my pix show up in the post! Yippee! | ||
| 0vid
Junior Username: 0vid Post Number: 39 Registered: 4-2003 |
double post edit (Message edited by 0vid on October 21, 2006) | ||
| 0vid
Junior Username: 0vid Post Number: 40 Registered: 4-2003 |
I've used these for some time now and I concur that the low setting is all you'll ever need. On my Epic the battery box is on the headstock's rear; and on my headless bass the battery box is in the body as is the switch. The bass I had some trouble with installing this on is the 'fly' style bass I made. There being no 'headstock space' on a fly style headstock, I asked Roz to make a mod for a 3V lithium coin battery and it worked but it was a strain on the lithium battery, you had to change the batteries after an hour and a half. i.e after a gig. The normal packs last much, much longer. I modified the 'fly' bass further and it is now swtched and powered from the body, powered by 2 normal AAA cells. I used a 30K resistor at 1/4W and a SPST switch, so my mod is one setting only. The array can be clipped at the pickup end, and you can solder the power supply to the array carefully, but in doing this you will void any further support from the manufacturer and possibly 'unleash his fury', to use a Yngwie expression. | ||
| 0vid
Junior Username: 0vid Post Number: 44 Registered: 4-2003 |
Found a photo of me at a jazz gig with Lefty Epic in low ambient light levels, the hotdotz were on low setting.  | ||
| robbiebassepic
Junior Username: robbiebassepic Post Number: 39 Registered: 11-2006 |
Ill need to get me some Fret FX - great pics from Kris and Ovid - Just what you need in a dark venue,- looks pro aswell!!cool pics guys | ||
| keurosix
Intermediate Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 141 Registered: 10-2005 |
Here's a Family portrait with all my guitars now lit up with FretFX:  Happy Holidays! Kris | ||
| dadabass2001
Senior Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 724 Registered: 6-2002 |
I just added blue FretFX leds to my '81 Distillate....  I used the bass with great success last Friday the 22nd. And despite stage lights shining directly in my face, I could play with confidence (whew!)  Mike | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 721 Registered: 6-2002 |
Can anyone get hold of the FretFX telephone number please? I have ordered a set from them and paid for it but not had any response from them. I have tried looking on the net but cant find a phone number. If you have one and can pass me the number either on here or via email that would be great. Thanks Jazzyvee | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 722 Registered: 6-2002 |
Can anyone get hold of the FretFX telephone number please? I have ordered a set from them and paid for it but not had any response from them. I have tried looking on the net but cant find a phone number. If you have one and can pass me the number either on here or via email that would be great. Thanks Jazzyvee | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 1075 Registered: 2-2006 |
Jazzyvee, email sent. | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 726 Registered: 6-2002 |
Thanks for that, unfortunately the email from you has not arrived. However I did get an email from the company eventually and the thingy will be posted on Monday. Regards Jazzyvee | ||
| ivartshiva
New Username: ivartshiva Post Number: 8 Registered: 10-2007 |
Hey friends, I wanted to wait until I got the LEDs before I sent photos of my sweetie. You can still see the tape residue on the fretboard, maybe I'll give it some Ronsonol next time I change strings. I did notice a change in the action and intonation when I put my first set of strings on, supple little minx... Michael  | ||
| ivartshiva
New Username: ivartshiva Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2007 |
Here's another shot showing more of the finish  | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 5690 Registered: 5-2002 |
Nice Flame Maple! | ||
| keurosix
Advanced Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 249 Registered: 10-2005 |
Here is the latest pic for the Europa now with the THG LED knobs too!  | ||
| dadabass2001
Senior Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 844 Registered: 6-2002 |
Very sweet, Kris. A complementary pair of options if ever I saw one. If i did the knobs as well, my guitartist would accuse me of show-stealing. Mike | ||
| 0vid
Intermediate Member Username: 0vid Post Number: 122 Registered: 4-2003 |
Ouch. Need to get some of those LED knobs!! | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 1756 Registered: 2-2006 |
The blue led knobs look a lot brighter than my red ones. Very nice Kris. Olie | ||
| thg_knobs
Junior Username: thg_knobs Post Number: 33 Registered: 6-2003 |
Beautiful! Olie, The blue LED's are brighter. I cannot find, and have been told that blue LED's do not come in the low current variety. They can only be purchased in bright and SUPER bright. These were the dimmest I could find. I am still looking for dimmer LED's but have not yet found them. There is a way to alter the bulb with sand paper to knock down the brightness, but they are still pretty intense. Flax, if you are there, I just received new parts for my machine (of course it would wear a bushing in the midst of the mayhem) and will get your knobs ready this week. Roger THG | ||
| benson_murrensun
Junior Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 36 Registered: 5-2007 |
Does anyone know anything about the similar product offered by Fret Lord? They are a whole lot less costly than the Fret FX ones. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 3019 Registered: 7-2004 |
Ben: The Fretlord products appear to be quite different from Fret FX. Fretlord offers glow-in-the-dark dots. These look to me to be similar to the stars I used to put up in my kid's bedroom when he was a little guy. Then they offer a flashlight that attaches to the head and points down the neck. The product they offer that is most like side LEDs appears to be a single LED that fits on the headstock into which you plug in an optical fiber which runs the length of the neck and glows at certain points. If you look closely at their pictures, you will notice that you will have a plastic loop near your tuning pegs. Fret fx are a string of LEDs with the battery pack on the back of the peghead. Personally, the Fret fx look much more practical to me, and even though they appear to have gone up in price ($50 > $72) they are still very reasonably priced and MUCH less expensive that built-in LEDs. Bill, tgo | ||
| benson_murrensun
Junior Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 37 Registered: 5-2007 |
Thanks, Bill. I want to buy one or the other for an "older" Ritter bass I just got. It has no inlays on the fingerboard and tiny little abalone dots on the side of the neck which I am unable to see in dim light conditions. One of the deciding factors will be the size of the battery pack because there is very little room on the back of the Ritter's headstock for adding anything onto the guitar. I'm going to look at both the Fretlord web site and the Fret FX site and see if I can determine anything. I don't want to do anything to the instrument that will be impossible to un-do if/when the time comes. Any additional advice is certainly welcome!  | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 3022 Registered: 7-2004 |
Ben: The FretFX site has a life size template of their battery pack. IIRC it is 2" long by 1" wide. Cool looking bass. Aren't Ritters the ones that look like they came straight out of a Dr. Suess book? Bill, tgo | ||
| benson_murrensun
Junior Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 38 Registered: 5-2007 |
I guess some of them do look like a Suess creation. Apparently, they are made in a castle on the slopes of Mt. Crumpet near Whoville, Germany... I emailed Fret Lord and the mail came back as undeliverable due to a full mail box. Not a good sign. I also emailed Fret FX and haven't heard back so far. But thanks for the measurements of the battery space needed; when I get home I will measure the available space and see what's what. | ||
| keurosix
Advanced Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 280 Registered: 10-2005 |
Hi Ben, The FretFX product is first rate and can be easily removed with no damage to the guitar. However, once you apply it (about 10 minutes), you won't want to remove it. If your Ritter has a small peghead, you may only be able to mount the small battery box for the red LED's. The other color LED's take the bigger battery box. I have put FretFX LED's on 4 of my basses, and love them. They come with a 3 position switch: low power, off, high power. See the pics in this post. AAA batteries last a long time, too. The Fret Lord products look "temporary", and a bit intrusive for playing. (Try tuning around the flashlight and fibre-optic cable!) They also look like they could be easily dislodged while playing, not a good visual during a solo? Kris | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 3025 Registered: 7-2004 |
Ben: One more consideration in choosing LEDs: red doesn't degrade night vision, all the other colors do. Bill, tgo | ||
| benson_murrensun
Junior Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 39 Registered: 5-2007 |
Thanks, all. I went ahead and ordered the blue ones (before I saw Bill's post about the red ones being the only ones not to degrade night vision... but I would have wanted blues ones anyway). The picture of the battery box that I saw on the web site was not a rectangular shape as in Kris' photos on this thread. It is narrower at one end, which should be easier to fit in between the tuning machines. | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 1153 Registered: 6-2002 |
I have some FretFx on my Europa and although I've not had to turn them on at a gig yet, they seem pretty cool. Unfortunately I got mine just before the battery pack size changed. I do notice that even though the strip on the side of the neck it does change the feel of the neck at the times I need to reach round the neck with my thumb. Not a major problem but those few millimetres changes how the neck feels. Jazzyvee | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 1154 Registered: 6-2002 |
I have some FretFx on my Europa and although I've not had to turn them on at a gig yet, they seem pretty cool. Unfortunately I got mine just before the battery pack size changed. I do notice that even though the strip on the side of the neck it does change the feel of the neck at the times I need to reach round the neck with my thumb. Not a major problem but those few millimetres changes how the neck feels. Jazzyvee | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6412 Registered: 5-2002 |
Interesting. I just went to the fretfx website, and my antivirus software detected a virus download from the site - JS/Psyme. I'm now running a system scan. | ||
| keurosix
Advanced Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 282 Registered: 10-2005 |
Ouch Dave! Ben, Blue LED's require 3x AAA batteries, and have the bigger box. The good news is if it doesn't fit, you can send the whole array back for the red LED's with the smaller box. I do agree that the blue looks best on maple! Kris | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6417 Registered: 5-2002 |
I'm thinking that anybody who has been to that site recently may want to make sure you've run a thorough virus check. And if anybody has their email address (I don't plan to risk going back to their site right now), you may want to let fretfx know about it. | ||
| benson_murrensun
Junior Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 40 Registered: 5-2007 |
The virus thing happened to me each of the 3 times I went to that web site. (I guess I just don't learn...) My anti-virus program isolated it and put it in the "vault." Kinda gives a whole new meaning to "One From the Vault", hey Dead fans? I got an email from Fret FX confirming my order, so I will reply with news of the virus. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6419 Registered: 5-2002 |
Yes, mine sent it to the vault too. And thanks for letting them know. | ||
| benson_murrensun
Junior Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 42 Registered: 5-2007 |
And here is the response from "Roz" at Fret FX: "Hello, I’m not experiencing any problems when I go check the site. I also have 2 other websites being hosted by the same company and never experienced any virus problems there either. I don’t think your virus is related to the company that hosts my website, but if you gain further information on it, let me know. Thanks, Roz" I guess we are all way off base! | ||
| elwoodblue
Advanced Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 288 Registered: 6-2002 |
...maybe the virus 'makes' one desire FretFX ?! | ||
| dadabass2001
Senior Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 874 Registered: 6-2002 |
Naw, playing one gig in near total darkness, or trying to stare past the floor spotlights pointed back at my face was what made me want FretFX. Mike I luv my LEDs | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6425 Registered: 5-2002 |
I'm using AVG virus detection software. This is the only time I've opened a website and had AVG detect a virus download. I sent the file to the vault and closed the window. I also followed up by running a search on the virus name and reading about other occurrences of it being downloaded from websites. There was enough there that I thought it would be a good idea to post about it in this thread. It seems to me that either: - the detection software that is being used on their server is not picking it up, or - there is something on the page that looks very similar to the virus and AVG is mistakenly identifying it as such. Either way, there is the problem that potential customers might not stick around very long. | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 1858 Registered: 6-2002 |
I was troubleshooting performance issues on a client's computer, and noticed that the latest version of AVG for Windows (8.0?) introduces permanent scanning for a whole list of file extensions. Rather crude way of filtering, if you ask me - might well lead to totally pointless 'virus warnings'. | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 992 Registered: 2-2005 |
I went out there and didn't have any problems but I'm using a different AV program. Keith | ||
| benson_murrensun
Junior Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 43 Registered: 5-2007 |
My virus detection software is the AVG products, too. It is possible that the AVG stuff is not accurate... Inquiring minds want to know!!! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6442 Registered: 5-2002 |
It may be that in this case AVG is reporting a false positive. |
