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Showing content with the highest reputation on 20/01/18 in Posts

  1. I bought the house, where ever I damn well want.. oh oh sorry babe, I’ll move them right away... 😵
    4 points
  2. I decided that I'd craze the finish on the body - to give a lightly aged look, but still keep it looking shiny for now. (The bass will get any knocks and wear from gigging and playing over the coming years). Anyhow, when I've cracked the lacquer in the past, it's been on guitar bodies - which I've just stuck in my freezer overnight. The size of a bass body doesn't fit into the compartments of my home freezer, so I had to think of another method of crazing the lacquer. By chance, I'd met a plumber who was talking about freeing stuck pipe connections. He said, "when that happens, you just spray one part with Crack It spray. That instantly freezes the part and breaks the stuck connection". It turns out that this plumbers aerosol reduces the surface to minus 45 degrees. I got a can myself from a local Toolstation. All you have to do is get the lacquer warm, then simply spray the aerosol on the surface. You can sometimes hear the lacquer crack. Anyhow, the end result is a nice crazed lacquer. As the plumbers spray has an oil in it, you need to clean the surface afterwards using a rubbing compound (I used Mer Car Polish). I've heard that some folk use aerosols of compressed air to reduce the temp. I might try that on my next build? Here are some pics of some of the crazing (after crazing the lacquer, I wiped the body surface with water based Dark Oak stain to emulate years old grime in the cracks).
    3 points
  3. Say what you like about TOTP being contrived and controlled by the old boy network. Those of us who were there watching the telly at seven O'clock every Thursday evening are still talking about it and remembering artists as if they had attended the performances themselves. Thirty years from now, I don't think we'll remember so many of the equally good, sometimes better, artists of today even with instantaneous global communication and clever marketing. In its day TOTP was the sole source of video* promotion for bands. Apart from posters, album artwork and pop magazines you could only guess what a band might look like as you listened to a low-fi MW transistor radio. God forbid that you should tune that lovely warm sounding valve radio set to a pop station. Your parents would have a fit. Today there are so many promoters and outlets for video that that marketing power has been diluted for them all. In this century, mistakes are easy to edit out and that perfect image of how the promoter wants you to be seen is preserved in binary forever. As a consequence of quality editing it is rare to see the day to day foul-ups that occur. These days the bits that are edited out are kept for collectors of bloopers who are looking to market a collection of out-takes. More revenue for someone I suppose. Personally, I like to see how bands used to cope with stuff like that when they were dropped in it, so to speak. Today everyone has the option of 'phoning a friend' if they're the slightest bit uncomfortable. *In this instance, just for convenience, lets ignore the fact that the term video became popular later.
    3 points
  4. I feel I just have to share, the excitement is growíng So, after 20 long months of waiting my Wal MK1 is finished and soon to be on the way. Update photo from Paul.
    2 points
  5. Hi I just had to vent my disappointment and frustration at the obvious lack of quality and care that occurred in 2002 when Rotosound produced the batch of RS66 strings that have been on my bass for the last 16 years. The A string broke on new year's eve!!! You can imagine how shocked I was at the obvious lack of longevity of the things these days. Its also meant I've had to clean the fret board eradicating a small but very important ecosystem that showed promising signs of world domination.
    2 points
  6. Forgiven, but you should know that the pancakes have gone cold and a passer-by has stubbed a fag out in the hoisin sauce.
    2 points
  7. Some people seem to have shops, not storage... Under the stairs seems to be a very popular option, and I have the great good luck to 'own' the cupboard under the stairs, to which I've fitted a 5-lever mortice lock. I have to leave enough space to sit down in there and shut the door, for when I need to cry in private.
    2 points
  8. Bass cave. Been a few additions since this was taken like a Fender P Deluxe, an Orange rig and a TE small rig.
    2 points
  9. Selling my Ashdown 2000watt ABM head, the head is in immaculate condition and in a live in flight case. Postage at buyers expense and if collected my location is Clitheroe, Lancashire. The Spec is: The most powerful Ashdown ever! The new ABM 2000 head pairs the much loved ABM Evo 3 pre amp with two monstrously powerful Class D power sections resulting in a huge increase in power coupled with a dramatic reduction in weight. Whilst the same size as an ABM 900 head the ABM 2000 produces 2000 watts RMS into two 4 ohm/4 x 8 ohm outputs(4000 watts peak). The ABM 2000 EVO III is a 1000+1000 watts RMS bass amp head designed to satisfy both bass-purists and tech-heads alike. Three straightforward rotary tone controls provide 20dB of cut and boost at 60Hz, 660Hz and 5kHz, and are supplemented by two pairs of additional sliders giving 15dB cut and boost at 180Hz, 340Hz, 1.3kHz and 2.6kHz. The EQ can be switched in/out by a footswitch, enabling players to go from a flat fretless sound to a boosted sound via a favourite EQ setting. A single input is switchable for passive and active instruments with a blend of solid state and dual triode tube preamps stages which can be preset and selected by footswitch, providing access to a massive range of clean, warm and overdriven tones. Also footswitchable is the on-board compressor and the mighty Ashdown sub-harmonic generator which precisely tracks the main signal and reproduces it an octave lower. A sub-harmonic level control enables the player to add just the right amount of low-end reinforcement - everything from a subtle, thickening of the sound to unbridled, bone crushing tone. The ABM 2000 EVO III features a front-panel mounted balanced DI out with pre or post EQ switching, a sub-bass output, a tuner output, an FX loop and a line input for the connection of an external sampler or sound source. Output muting cuts the signal from the DI output but leaves the tuner output 'live', allowing the player to tune up in silence. A new upgraded power section has faster transient attack, more headroom and even less noise. ABM 2000 EVO III Specifications Power Output 2000 Watts Power Handling 4000 Watts Peak Speaker Outputs SPEAKON/JACK Frequency Response -3DB AT 17HZ AND 30KHZ High Instrument Input Impedence 3.9M OHMS Low Instrument Input Impedence 10K OHMS Line Input Impedence 22K OHMS Line Output Impedence 10K OHMS DI Output 600 OHMS Balanced Tuner Output Impedence 1K OHMS Impedance Minimum 4 OHMS Effects Send Impedence 22K OHMS Effects Return Impedence 22K OHMS Pre-Amp Tubes 1 X 12AX7 H x W x D (mm) 158 X 610 X 355 Weight (kg) 17.9 http://ashdownmusic.com/products/1/Bass-Amplification/18/Legacy/5/ABM-2000-EVO-III/
    1 point
  10. So I'll change my selection to:- 1) Stingray 2) Cort This will be a ceramic pu SR5 (2004) and the series setting fattens the sound. Parallel would have more of the sizzle.
    1 point
  11. Here’s the new one. Fully functioning. Looks good. We’ll find out next week...
    1 point
  12. Greetings from a fellow South Yorkshireman, beautiful looking pair of basses, and if they sound/play half as good as they look (which from your post they obviously do) you've hit the jackpot! Where ìn South yorks are you? Wombwell, Barnsley myself.
    1 point
  13. All set up and ready to go!
    1 point
  14. Not being picky or anything but did he have a plectrum?
    1 point
  15. Pity the manual isn't uploaded yet.
    1 point
  16. Bernie has been to a previous SEBB so he might be up for a return
    1 point
  17. Great bass at a good price. These are really nice sounding and comfortably playable.
    1 point
  18. You can never have too much cowbell.
    1 point
  19. In my view a band is similar to a team and should help each other. If a band member had a good (physical, financial or whatever else) reason for not carrying heavy equipment, driving or other activities, I'd be absolutely fine with helping them out. However I wouldn't be ok with doing more than my fair share without good reason.
    1 point
  20. Still loving this bass. Just need to get a gig for it now...
    1 point
  21. Holy camoley - that's a monster!
    1 point
  22. Russ has been faster than me on trades proposal. So I won't interfere. That's the beautifulest Thunderbird ever !
    1 point
  23. "Tis another forum dedicated to guitar building that Andy and I frequent, but I don't want to detract from this fabulous forum
    1 point
  24. I mustard mitt that I've been tempted by a five a few times, but it seems a bit daft to get one before I've mastered the four. I think that once I'm ready for a new axe, I'll try a few fives and see how it feels.
    1 point
  25. 1 point
  26. There are a couple of amusing Chuck Rainey studio/musician stories up on YouTube as well.
    1 point
  27. Can we make Def Leppard jokes?
    1 point
  28. This gives me food for thought - II will start a new thread 'Gigging without full mobility'
    1 point
  29. Here's a little video of a chap making knobs using a drill press. He finishes them on a lathe, but as he says in the video, you could do it just as easily on the drill press. I would love to be able to source metal inserts to go into the knob to make them a "safer" fit on the spline, but Noick of a hardwood knob pushed onto a splined pot shaft sounds like a good next best option.
    1 point
  30. Lots of you who are in the big cities sound like you can manage to gig without a car. Good luck to you, how many of us would put up with the drag of car ownership unless we had to? It seems that if you're living and/or gigging out in the 'provinces' it's almost a non-starter. I've seriously attempted to do gigs using buses or trains but I'm usually stuffed because the last one home is 11.00pm at the latest. Of course, that's only gigs where I'm not responsible for some PA or lights anyway.
    1 point
  31. So Maradona doesn't like flats?
    1 point
  32. Hey D-L-B........... GLWTS....... I just bought a pair of DB112's to go with my Shuttle 6.2 and it is a life changer, tonewise. That is a special rig you're selling.
    1 point
  33. This says it all to me. I had it in a previous band but for different reasons. The drummer could drive but was hopeless at navigation. He often got lost or misjudged when to leave so regularly turned up late for gigs and caused havoc with setups and sound checks. I took it on myself to always pick him up and make sure he got there on time, but after about 10 years of this it did start to get annoying that it was quite a way out of my route to pick him up and drop him off, and he was getting to kip on the way home while I was searching for matchsticks to keep my eyes open. However, I loved him like a brother so kept it to myself. It came to a head when the rest of the band got sick of his lax attitude and voted him out. I tried to help him understand why they were upset, but he lashed out at me and hasn't spoken to me since. Drummers, eh? (Sorry Dad!)
    1 point
  34. Good evening, Laura, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.
    1 point
  35. It’s been a bit hard to determine really Trev. Last year saw us take a dip in ticket sales, but whether that was due to Jeff & ELO touring or other factors is debatable. From our dealing with theatres, apparently a lot of shows have had reduced audiences due to terrorist activities like in Manchester, and perhaps Brexit has left some people reluctant to spend on leisure etc. On the other hand, raising the awareness of ELO’s music and back catalogue certainly won’t have done us any harm, and people who aren’t near or can’t afford any of their concerts will hopefully continue to give us their support. Fingers crossed......
    1 point
  36. I'm gutted. I was planning to bring out a range of plectrums with a built in chorus effect but this has completely stolen my thunder! Seriously though, if you want to go pedal free but still have distortion then we can only hope that one day somebody will be able to advance technology enough that we can live in a crazy musical utopia where you can get an actual amplifier with the effect built in so that you no longer have to have your distortion built into a cable before you can rock out. Dream big kids, dream big!
    1 point
  37. lovely neck flame and discrete fret lines. win win ;-)
    1 point
  38. That would sit wonderfully next to my cs 64 White matching headstock... alas...my fretless jazz already sees very little action. its gorgeous though...
    1 point
  39. I have a couple of instruments that have been worked on by John, and he is quality! I think January is just a lean month for a lot of people - either paid early in December and waiting for January payday, or the post-Christmas gig dearth and overspending recovery, or all of the above.
    1 point
  40. I used to be able to read bass music quite easily, guitar not so well but enough to get by. It`s how I learned to play, I went to a few lessons, learned what the notes were and where they were on the fret-board, then went away and armed with that knowledge and a couple of song-books taught myself how to play my two - then - fave albums. I`m sure I could have learned by ear but I`m glad I learned the way I did. In song-writing it really helps me to this day. To anyone intending on learning a musical instrument, learn how to read music for it would be one of my top tips.
    1 point
  41. There's a story about Jimi Hendrix appearing on Top of the Pops in 1967 to perform/mime Purple Haze, only for the technician to put on Simon Smith and his Amazing Dancing Bear... I would have liked to have seen that, if it's true.
    1 point
  42. Very nice! The B.C Rich warlock would fit in there too 😉
    1 point
  43. Thank you! I was going to label them, but I quite like it without any text, gives it a bit more of a pop-art look, which is what I was after.
    1 point
  44. Hi, again James (it's alright folks, we've pm'd on a different topic) When I get a linky tag thing from @Norris I know I HAVE to respond! Tru-oil. Wonderful stuff. And like always, there are choices. First of all, unless you've already ordered a bottle, a 3oz bottle will generally do at least 2 guitars or basses so plenty for one even with trial and error repeats Used on unstained wood, I would echo what @Bridgehouse said - use tru-oil with sandpaper to create a slurry. Wipe it off after a few minutes and the slurry acts as a sealer and grain filler. Repeat a few times and progressively drop down to, say 250 grit, and now, not just wipe it off but vigorously buff it off. Quite quickly you will get to a beautiful, quite durable, silky smooth satin finish like this: I do ALL my necks this way....it has to be felt to be believed Next option is to do the above just as a grain filler stage but then just apply coats of tru-oil wiped on (I use cheap household microfibre cloths) and left to dry without wiping or buffing. After a number of coats, with a wet sanding of 1500 to 2000 wet and dry every two or three coats to flatten any cumulative ripples or dust buggies and then a final couple of coats as the final semi-gloss. I say semi-gloss because tru-oil does dull down a touch after a few weeks. This one was done that way: For stained woods you do also actually have a few options: Stain it, apply a couple of coats of tru-oil left to dry overnight to act as a sealing coat, then apply wiped on coats as above, doing the first light sanding (1000 grit used wet) after, say, the fourth coat (so you dont sand into and through the stain) then carry on as above building a semi-gloss build-up I'm probably one of the few people who do it, but I have started doing the 'slurry and buff' approach with stained woods. You have to be gentler, but I've found that the slurry takes stain with is so actually, unless you are too harsh, you don't end up with bare unstained patches. Takes a bit more practice, but you can get some decent results (this used to be white): Hope that helps rather than further confuses! Andy
    1 point
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