fonzoooroo

I've had to re-do bridge adjuster installations before. It seems that [i]som[/i]e more "traditional" luthiers [i]can[/i] be happy to saw off by hand (wonky) then drill using a hand brace (even wonkier) ... Once it's done, there's no going back (well.. you [i]could[/i] bush it and re-drill, but you wouldn't on a decent bridge, or a decent bass!) Equally, it can just be a slip of the hand (or workpiece) or a drill running off centre etc etc that went unnoticed until you got it back. Other than that, +1 on all that's been said regarding getting it sorted and naming etc.

Cheers for that! I understand your point about a used cab - I know there're some corkers out there. IT's a case of finding a 12" rather than a 15" (2 birds with 1 stone approach - I've got a perfect gap in the music room for a 12" cab, where all the commercial 15"s I've looked at the specs of won't fit!) and because 12"s seem to be in fashion, they're more scarce and more expensive. Good call on the Eminence though - spotted they do a dual cone one too (thinking click on double bass) .. Giving me lots to think about over the weekend!

Specifically the [color=#000000]L041D[/color] [url="https://www.electrovision.co.uk/homepage.aspx?prod=L041D&idcode=015000300050"][color=#000000]https://www.electrovision.co.uk/homepage.aspx?prod=L041D&idcode=015000300050[/color][/url] I spotted these on ebay and started wondering about a cheapie 1x12" build for practices etc. Snag is, the detailed specs don't seem to be available... So I found myself wondering if anyone had used them, how they'd used them, what the results were etc. I don't expect anything that'll set the world on fire, but to save lugging a 4x10 to practices with a 3 piece (no drummer) band, and be more efficient than a RF car sub (my easily transportable option)

+1 on all Bilbo's points. For me, I'd say it's not worth thinking too hard about an EUB as you've got thoughts of orchestras. I'd say haggle for a set of GOOD strings with the bass purchase (assuming it'll be from a supplier who also sells strings) - lots of new ones come with horrid thin steel core efforts. Any deal you can do is a good deal, as most of the popular options (especially for classical playing) are £150 - £200 a set. There're endless "what strings" threads on here, so I won't get drawn into that here!) There should be plenty of choice for your budget, and the £300 should cover pretty much any setup work any bass (old or new) may need.

I've got steels (Thomastik Spirocores) on one of my EUBs. The action's low, 11mm on the E and 9 on the G. They're medium tension, but 4/4 size on a 3/4 scale length. (That makes them slightly stiffer than solo tuning detuned to regular) It plays quickly, borderline effortlessly - no blisters, bleeding etc. I've got a regular customer who's a (good!) psychobilly player. Again, Spirocores. He has a higher action, (12/14 from memory) and uses 3/4 strings. I struggle with it. He has the "if my fingers aren't bleeding, it wasn't a good gig" mentality. Click sound can be adjusted with how tightly the pickup is mounted (I use a piezo attached to a cork) - slacker gives a higher pitch, tighter brings in more boom.

I have (and use - for gigging - out of CHOICE!) one of the Marlin 1042 4 input PA heads AND a matching slave amp (which are likely to have an identical amp section - which both have 2 heatsinks - I run them through a Eden cab for double bass pub gigs) It'll be due some new capacitors on the power section (Maplin do a suitable replacement, or ebay may be cheaper) ... worth doing if it's being relied on. As for the combo, It's the speaker that lets them down, but it's a design that makes a lot of noise for a "low" power. Bargain for £30... I toyed with buying the same beast as just a head off ebay recently for my (admittedly rather geeky) collection for more than that.

It's mainly a "budget" DJ gear brand - they were really big in the '90s with belt drive turntable/mixer DJ packages. Saying that, I've had no experience whatsoever of them, but if I were in the market, I'd go for their kit over Chinese brands that I've never heard of, even if only because they've been about for a fair while!

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1392282377' post='2366687'] Hi folks, I'm surprised you can get a DB into some of these cars Is there much room for amplification in any of the cars listed above as well? I ask because I may be changing my car in the next few months..... [/quote] Short answer here will be that you could "hero" plenty into supermini class cars... but the older you get, the less valid it is - (insurance gets cheaper, and big cars are often cheaper than small) and the less you want to mess about! After my polo days, I moved on to a '92 mk2 scirocco - again, lots of hero-ing big gear in, towbar fitted, trailer (for the drum kit - we had a drummer who didn't drive), more gear..... Life starts to feel short after a gig though - OK, so the band helps carry gear out, but you know it'll only fit in the car 1 way, it's raining, you've just played for 2 or 3 hours, the gear's all stacked on the pavement getting wet.... So I bought a '95 passat estate. TDI engine, so 50+ MPG, insurance is under £300, parts are cheap, 3/4 bass in a soft case fits in without the headstock even encroaching on the front seat area, enough room for a 4x10, head, a few monitors, PA cabs etc. I'll still happily chuck the bass in Mrs Fonzooorooo's mk2 golf with a little combo for practice nights, but if you have the option, go big!

I had a mk3 polo (last of the square ones... '93 K reg) as my 1st car. Parcel shelf out, back seats down and headstock between the front seats. Easy. ... and if it's a regular thing, that's the way I'd load, rather than faffing in the front seat. Best I achieved with that was 1 double bass, 1 cello, 1 acoustic guitar, mandolin, and mate sat in the front seat eating his dinner on route to a pub folk session. Upshot for me: Hatchback, split rear seats if possible. 5 door can make life easier, but certainly not vital! Then the car with the lowest insurance premium in the best condition (the longer you spend fixing broken cars, the less time you spend playing bass!)

I reckon my current gigging setup must be about as cheap as it gets: Shadow pickup (though I was told it was an old Fishmann... to be honest, I really don't care! ... It was a 2 paddle one - I removed 1 of the paddles) which I took as payment for a job (approx value £20) Click pickup - Cheapie piezo glued to the top of a cork. Amp - Old silver face Carlsbro Marlin 1024 PA head (4 input effort) ... Paid £25 for it. Input impedances are spot on - no need for a preamp, just turn the bass up on the bass channel and treble up on the click. Now these amps are only 100W... but they did a matching "Slave 1000" ... and I found one on ebay, which I bought for £13. I run both of them into an Eden 4x10 (internal wiring modified to suit) which was another ebay bargain. I've tried silly setups with multiple preamps, POD, power amps... Nothing sounded as good/natural as this! The bass itself is an ex-high school ply blonde (60s/70s) with Innovation nylon core strings. ... No modification to that except a sponge wedge under the tailpiece to cure a buzz. I use the same bass in the local orchestra. Feedback is no problem on a pub/club gig unless I'm right in front of the cab.

Yes, it's a bit low, unless you have hard steel strings. 1&2: It's more about the fitting than the bridge blank shape. A higher or lower heart is relevant mainly to the top curve height. .. In practice, unless your bass has the lowest elevation EVER, it's pretty irrelevant! You may hear intricate tonal differences on a £10K bass, but (no offence intended!) not on a Westbury.... And if you're mainly playing amplified, you've got even less to worry about. I've fitted quite a few of these (link below) to run-of-the-mill instruments (I've got one on my own '70s blonde ply beastie) [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DOUBLE-BASS-BRIDGE-MAPLE-FRENCH-STYLE-CHOOSE-4-4-3-4-1-2-1-4-1-8-UK-SELLER-/321266058780?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Sting_Instruments&var=&hash=item4accf3061c"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DOUBLE-BASS-BRIDGE-MAPLE-FRENCH-STYLE-CHOOSE-4-4-3-4-1-2-1-4-1-8-UK-SELLER-/321266058780?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Sting_Instruments&var=&hash=item4accf3061c[/url] which are fine if trimmed/fitted well! (there's a good couple of hours labour in bridge fitting, and most people want it keeping under £100 bottom line, so with the cost of a Despiau or Aubert *** being up there before the labour charge, you can see the issues!) 3: Fine is normally dearer (better) 4: 158... The feet are too big on a blank, so are trimmed to suit.

brand wise -anything should be good from: alpine, infinity, JBL, Phoenix Gold, Kicker, JL, Focal, Sony, Kenwood, JVC, Blaupunkt, Orion, Rockford Fosgate, Hertz, Rainbow. Fusion have had some good reviews, but they always look like a budget product... Vibe do a good range and a cheap range. MTX should be good - they were a bit over hyped by all accounts due to sponsoring "pimp my ride" - but as a 2nd hand bargain, that becomes irrelevant! That lot's not an exhaustive list, but should give you an idea of what'll be a better buy than a new £50er.

I've actually done this!... I built a little battery combo using a maplin "flight" tool case, a random 10" driver I had, a cheap car amp and a 12V lead gel battery.(the battery was the only bit I bought new) ... I used it with bass guitar and EUB for pub trad folk sessions. Battery life was fine (ran for hours - charged it before each session, never ran it to flat), plenty of volume, sound was technically a bit poor (due to the enclosure resonating/flexing/rattling a bit!) but adequate- the resonances gave the sound a bloomy, acoustic quality which, though it was a sound I'd never WANT to achieve, worked nicely! As for brands of amp, I've had a couple of "Mutant" amps running in cars, a "Boss" (no relation to the Roland/Boss we know!) ... I never spend over £25 on an amp - 2nd handers off ebay are always available. Clearly, if run flat out, the cheapies are more likely to struggle than a Phoenix Gold etc, but you're unlikely to really run it that hard.

The display on (cheap) digital callipers is VERY accurate. The build quality of the actual vernier - not so much! (You'll notice they don't always read back to zero after being zero-ed, opened and closed again.) My Dad (a model engineer) thought he was on to a winner (after pretty much giving up with a cheap digital vernier) when he noticed the price of Clarke dial verniers at Machine Mart (as a quick reference tool - he has quality tools for precision work) He's experienced nothing but failure and disappointment from them though - 1's been back under warranty, and 1 seems to have skipped a tooth on the rack! Afraid the old adage of "buy nice, or buy twice" is relevant here too! (The Moore and Wright and Mitutoyo stuff he's had for 40 years are faultless and still going strong!) Edit: Oh, and 2nd-hand mics - make sure they're not bent! You'd be amazed how often they get used by idiots as adjustable spanners!

D'addario Preludes are "student" steel core orchestral strings. Nowhere near comparable with Helicores. If you want a REALLY easy playing set of strings on the cheap, look at Alice strings on ebay. Bought a set to pop on a hybrid bass for a local high school - really surprised me - especially for about £20!!! . Decent sound, and you could forget you were playing - that easy! It was a 3/4 bass, and they only had 4/4 strings in stock at the time, so the tension was a smidge TOO low, but if they had been 3/4s they'd have been spot on! I've got 4/4 spirocore mediums on my 3/4 eub. They've been fantastic, play well, sound great through the mag pickup, have low enough tension for quick slapping and have been on for over 5 years.

Fair enough. Cheers for that. I've got a 1 paddle of a 2 paddle shadow along with a clicky on the bass already,(a setup I'm happy enough with) so was only mucking about with this as it was there(!) I'll pop it under the feet and see what happens.

I've just been given an old accusound bass pickup, which (as you'd expect) is different to any of the current models. It appears similar to the current one which fits in the arch of the bridge, but the cable exit is at one end, and the length leads me to think it's intended to fit under the feet. Does this sound right to anyone? (The output's VERY low too.)

My Eden nemesis 4x10" has had a speaker replaced (with an original type one) by a previous owner - so they certainly were available at some stage. As above - Id start by asking Marshall.

Yes, the action will have gone down. The innermost F hole nicks should point at the centre line of the bridge. The soundpost should be about 1/2 the thickness of the bridge foot lower (toward the endpin) than the bottom edge of the bridge foot. Basically, the soundpost is a support. It is positioned at a node point of the front, so doesn't actually transmit vibration to the back (as is often thought!) ... Inside the front on the bass side, there is the bass bar, which spreads the load of the bridge (string tension/pressure) over a wide area of the front, and transmits the vibration further into the most active parts of the front of the bass.

I've been happily gigging one for a few years (not worth lugging a DB for a few tunes in a pub band set) , Mag pickup, 4/4 Spirocores and click pickup. EQ'd for a clean psychobilly kind of sound. I've just joined a C&W band, so now gig DB (Old blonde ply nass with Piezos with Innovation Honeys) which is set up so I can play classical on it too (I use the same bass in a local orchestra) ... If anything, it's harder work on the DB. The sound's pretty similar (less precise on the DB to be honest, due to the body boom on the attack) and due to the requirements of the repertoire, the click's EQ'd to a lower pitch. I do use a low action for slap though - but that stuff's personal preference!

^ good point well put... Or, clean the board with meths, re-do your paint penning, allow to dry, then blow a couple of coats of rattle can lacquer (halfords is as good as any) over the board (after masking the bass up, obviously(!) Won't last forever, but should do the job for a while. Otherwise, it's taking a saw to your board and inlaying it.

Doesn't have to be - just thought it'd be easy to point one up away from the body of the bass, and it not look weird out front. I'll have a look at the cab builds you've suggested...

Nope - the carlsbro IS an amp - one of those old 4 input PA head efforts from the 70s! I'll be running my eden 4x10 cab off my 1000W PA amp, away from the bass to avoid feedback. I need the Carlsbro to be powering [i]something[/i], and thought a wedge'd be ideal. May be easier to build a cab.

A powered one defeats the object - I need to be powering it with the carlsbro. I'm aware of how silly all this sounds!

[b]The background story first:[/b] So... I've just joined a band that play both kinds of music - country [i]and[/i] western. It's the first time I've needed to amplify a double bass (I've always played EUB except in classical context) So I've got hold of an old Fishman, chopped 1 of the transducers off (to avoid the old phase cancellation issue) and popped a clicky under the fingerboard... I've terminated in a stereo socket, just the same way I do on my EUBs. For the EUB, I use this setup: I break out to 2x mono at the amp, so I can preamp the bass and click separately before POD XT, big compressor, power amp and Eden 4x10" Now, for the DB I've plugged in every bit of kit I own, and THE BEST sound is from an old Carlsbro Marlin 1042. ... And there're 2 spare inputs, so I can have a P bass on stage for the eagles tunes! Snag is, it's only 100W. So... I thought why not run the Carlsbro into a wedge monitor, which I could raise up near me, then take a line out from the Carlsbro into the power amp/4x10". That'll mean I can shift the big cab further away, and should help no end with the feedback issues I anticipate. [b]The problem:[/b] This is that my wedge monitors were all cheapies 30 or 40 years ago... OK to hear the words with vocals in on a pub gig, but not ideal for double bass... So is anyone able to recommend a wedge monitor to me?