Leaderboard

Genuine question if any of you can help? I have a duo that I'm part of with an old school friend from 30yrs ago. We have two small practice combos and a drum machine stored in a small summerhouse which is about a 3 minute walk from his house and that backs onto open fields. He's a music teacher and I think we are both of a reasonable standard. Yesterday, we were rehearsing down in the summerhouse (as we do about every once every 3wks - a session usually lasts 3hrs, always sometime between 10am - 5pm) and received the following text; "I hope you are enjoying the lovely weather as we are and having a good summer holiday. A polite request, do you think you can please turn down the amplifiers on your practise sessions when your playing in the summer house, I'm not sure if you know but the sound travels up making it sound like Glastonbury in the garden from up here and we cant hear our own radio in the lounge when windows and doors are open. In the winter months we don't even hear it however during the warmer months it does become a little over powering when doors and window are open, and we are in the garden more. Many thanks, speak soon Debbie & Steve x" My question is this; if Glastonbury is £300 a ticket, does £180 sound reasonable to charge them?

Look who’s home 🥰

Updated family settee photo: L-R: Lakland US 44-PJ, 1971 Fender Precision, Serek Midwestern, Lakland 55-01, Elrick NJS5 Si

For routing out the control chamber, I first marked the position of the controls and pickup chamber so that I don't inadvertently break through into it using the old 'fingernail mark on a bit of paper' technique: Then worked out where the chamber at the back needed to go: I tweaked it a little to give more clearance from the back cutout (remembering that there will be a rebate for the hatch a few mm bigger than the hole) then same method, starting with the Forstner bit. Note the use of the thickness gauge to make sure I don't get too enthusiastic: My electric router has quite a wide base which, as the back is curved, gives some problems. So I had my first go with the larger of the hand routers that Veritas do and which I bought a while ago: And, for the three components, this is down to the correct depth. I could take a bit more out, but that ledge might be a good place to create a captive battery chamber, so I'll come back to this: I can now judge if I need this full depth for the Fluence electrics and, if not, I may have an opportunity to scoop out a little more of the depth At the moment, albeit with a hatch to add back in, it's just a touch over 2lbs 6oz

Two gigs yesterday at two very different Wiltshire boozers. An afternoon al fresco session to a frightfully nice crowd, enjoying their drinks and cremated flesh, followed by an evening performance in a cheerful rough and ready local. Both went well the only thing of note being the insanely horrible load in at the second gig. Firstly, no parking. Secondly, only one entrance and that via a narrow doorway and up three unevenly spaced steps. The second step had a sack trucks defying overhang beneath which the wheels inevitably stuck fast. Twisting onwards through a small, crowded bar, we find ourselves in a corridor which whilst wide at first, rapidly narrows and turns and goes uphill. Via more steps. Lots of steps. The playing area finally located we are confronted with a narrow stage, walled in close on either side and in a room illuminated only by multiple flashing lights. £5 if you can tell me where this venue is? PS I must point out the punters and staff were universally friendly, complimentary and really into the band - it's just that load in, I'll never forget it.

Been a while since I did one of these, so here's my lot: L-R: Epiphone Les Paul Standard (EMG), G&L CLF L-1000, Reverend Triad, G&L Tribute LB-100, Epiphone Jack Casady 20th Anniversary. So, I might have a thing for blocks/crown inlays then...

The arrangement of controls is going to be like this (the knobs themselves are just from my bits box at the moment). The rearward is the stacked EQ, the forward is the volume and the toggle switch in the middle is the Fluence configuration switch: Cutting out the control chamber on a carved body takes a little more care - it is less predictable and controllable as to how close you are to a break-through - and so I part-drill the pot and switch holes before I start taking wood from the back: That way, once I hit the holes from the back, I know I'm 20mm or so from the top and can see from thereon how close I am getting to the 6mm or so thickness I need to end up at. Estimating how much sawdust came out of those holes, I reckon I'm down to 2lbs 8 5/16ozs ...and falling, of course

Nice gig at the Eisteddfod in Tregaron. Big stage, great sound. Had to do some jazzy remixes of some tracks as it's Welsh language only on stage and our singer sings in Susu and Manding with only a couple of tunes in Welsh.

Fourth gig with the latest covers band. Much better. I played some really nice stuff even if I do say so myself. Cut my backing vocals back after making a bugger’s muddle of them at last gig. A couple of fluffs. The run up to the stop in Crazy Little Thing hit a wall at 90mph. Very bad. After the last gig, it was blisters and finger ice bath. Fortunately the resultant skin/blister combo hardened like a good ‘un so this evening was a breeze! Two next weekend. This band again Friday and the main band on Saturday. But no lead guitarist and no drummer. So Kev The Keys is gonna drum. Cue hasty Tuesday evening rehearsal!!

' tells more than 1000 word , but I made that I blend the PU instead of choose

There's a whole host of problems here and it could be any one of them or several in combination. 1. How good is the sound system in your car? IME most are fairly average. 2. Is is a stream or a download from Amazon Prime that you are listening to? Do you know what data compression has been used and how much has been applied? 3. Do you know how this version of "Superstition" was created? The sad fact is that for a lot of older recordings (almost everything before CDs became mainstream in the 90s) the original master tapes have been lost or destroyed, and what is easily available is what is known as a "production" master, and it may already have additional EQ and level compression applied. Back in the day when there was only vinyl as a serious delivery medium that didn't matter. The production master was set up for cutting vinyl and that's what it was used for. It meant that every time it was used to make a new acetate for record manufacturing it would sound the same as the previous one, and all the pressings wherever they were produced would sound the same as each other (within the limitations of what vinyl can reproduce). As soon as it starts getting used for other media there are problems, because the production master hasn't been created for the purposes of making CDs/streams/digital downloads. Each one requires the master to be created in a different way, and a lot of the time they are not. It takes a lot of time and effort and often detective work to find the original stereo (or mono - remember for most recordings made before the end of the 60s the mono mix of an album was the one that had the time and effort put into it, and the stereo version would be dashed off in a couple of hours once the mono version had been finished and approved) master tape and optimise the audio for all the various digital formats, and even then listeners complain that the new versions don't sound like they remember, and of course if the original artist(s) is involved in the process it can be very tempting to tinker with the mastering to take advantage of processes that weren't available when the original was mixed. 4. Finally what are you comparing this version to? That will have a significant impact on how they differ. HTH.

So last night I simplified everything. Swapped out the EBS TD650 for the old ABM, didn’t use the Darkglass or EBS pedals. Just took this rig, a Ashdown Lomenzo hyperdrive amd my Sire V7 active jazz. The result was just brilliant! I’m so pleased it sounded so good, but also slightly kicking myself that I’ve owned all 4 of these things for years, and it dawned on me last night that it was the first time I’d ever used them all together. I’m now buzzing about getting my Yamaha Attitude Ltd 2 back from the shop on Monday with its new DiMarzio Relentless pickup installed!

I had that at rehearsal on Thursday with my ACS plugs, whenever I smiled (ok not that regular an occurrence) the “seal” was broken and more noise got through. Note to self, remain miserable and protect your hearing.

Well…unexpectedly…this comes home tomorrow. Left me about 2 years ago.

Flying Teapot - Gong

A glass of Ribena and a mouthful of sherbert pips more like.

A gram of speed and a couple of decent Es, you'll soon get into it.

I have photos of me playing dating back over the last 8 or 9 years in which I always look bored stiff - simply because I was trying not to loosen the earplugs!

I remember watching the BBC series, 'Rockschool'. They did an episode on reggae. It was very informative. The last reggae song I played live was 'Stir it up'. I found that missing the 'one' (first beat of the bar) made for good space. I didn't do it all the time but it sounded good

Finally made the move to in ears and had a few months to get used to it. Generic shure model, as recommended by Cory Wong! They have to be in exactly right to be their most effective and I can’t smile as the bottom end disappears completely! But will eventually get some proper molded jobs now I’ve discovered how much I like playing this way. The pre has been in action for about half that time, but as a long time Markbass user it seemed a good choice (I shopped blind- or is that deaf?) and it has quite a pronounced character but I’ve dialled my perception in now and really like it. There was a debacle involving empty delivery boxes from the retailer etc but I’ll save that for another thread. I’ve just finished a run of show gigs under ‘normal circumstances’, amps and cabs and tinnitus, and have to say I’m another in-ear convert.

An added bonus of using the copper tape is that it also discourages slugs from entering the control cavity via the jack socket and making a slimey mess of your pots.

Rickenbacker getting in on the short scale act after a long absence, albeit it seems a one off custom jobbie

Without knowing I would think the Ultimate Overdrive being an OCD clone, borrowing the name after Joyo's OCD clone, the Ultimate Drive. The Low/High switch on the pedal seems to confirm this assumption, since this match the switch you'd normally find an OCD based pedal, including the original, and not the Vintage/Turbo or Classic/Turbo you'd normally see on RAT clones, as well as the Tone control on RAT variants usually will be called Filter, from the original RAT, and this is just called Tone, as it would on an OCD drive. The Pocket Metal I am pretty sure being an EHX Pocket Metal Muff clone, which the single Mid "Tone"/EQ control knob seems to confirm.

All from the status family and the latest from Rob,sounds the nuts

I have a Squier, MiM and USA ultra and agree with you regarding the yank ones. Whether the difference is enough based on the price is something only an individual can decide but it is better in every way. The difference between the Squier and MiM is much smaller though with my two at least. Prices across the board are crazy but I bought my ultra with no intention of ever selling it so it affects me less in some ways.

If you can pick up Archive or the first big box set, there’s more of the show (including Supper’s Ready) on there.

Sometimes simplicity is the key. I far prefer my sound with just bass & my ABM600, sadly most gigs I do are provided gear and whilst I could take my amp it’s easier with the Sansamp. Especially for a 30min gig.

Yep, the Mexican made ones are perfectly decent instruments but I do find the US ones to be better. Do I think the difference between them is fairly reflected by the pricing, probably not, but I def think they’re better. But at my last gig I used my Mex Precision and at no point did I think it was a poor substitute.

An excellent 'free' synth called 'Asper'. No email sign up or any other nonsense, just download the .dll files (x32, x64 and x64 VST3) and place them in you VST folder(s). You can just delete the .dll file(s) if it doesn't appeal to you. The rundown and download link: Asper by zOne.sk - Synthesiser Plugin VST VST3 (kvraudio.com)

Sort of!

I think they’re all hugely overpriced. The Mex stuff is perfectly good. A US isn’t worth the extra

Ha, ha, Fenders business model is unfortunate. Its products don't have built in obsolescence, like other manufacturer's products do. With care their guitars and basses will last forever. If Ford had this problem we'd still be driving around in Ford Zodiacs our grandfathers bought in 1965.

This is the sort of pay-to-view channel I’d subscribe to 😍

Digging GoGo Penguin at the moment, not D&B but there is a hint of it in there...

I had organised a gig with Franklin's Tower at a local pub last night, but it was called off two days before hand as a band member tested positive for covid after spending last weekend at WOMAD. I offered the pub The Wirebirds as a substitute, but our drummer is on holiday, so the guitarist's son stepped in (he's played with us many times) - there were a few puzzled Dead Heads in the audience, but everyone enjoyed an evening of blues rock. Franklin's Tower now rescheduled for the end of the month.

I love Yes. Love them. That is all. 😁

It's quite far away, and I gather she doesn't want us turning up one by one, so I propose we take a bus and look her up together - after a proper appointment has been made. I think we should bring the cookies and coffee ourselves, seeing as we're quite many.