mcnach

I love that some basses have terrible action/setups like that. It's allowed me to get some bargains over the years! I once bought an OLP from a guy... he was asking £120. The bass was in great condition, just terribly high action. I was happy to give him £120, and he said "you know what, because the strings are so high and old, just make it £100". Twenty minutes after getting home the bass had new strings and a good action... Even with a poor set up you can gauge what a bass feels and sounds like.

Looks and sounds fantastic! If they came with that lovely tint, my debit card would be already in danger of being utilised. I sold my Squier CV50 and I miss it sometimes...

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1458669079' post='3009709'] Our band had a policy of if a gig was booked and someone then decided they couldn't do it then it was their job to ring the venue, apologise, explain and book another date with the venue...I think that is a fair policy. Why should you do all the hard work only for a lazy guitarist to go and create a load more for you. I broke my arm the other year and I was still made to ring round and do the grovelling, despite a couple of months notice we still lost two venues who wouldn't tolerate bands cancelling gigs...as the above post says it is very easy to damage your reputation and very hard to recover it [/quote] I have wanted to do that... but there are some members I would not trust much to do a good job of it, and they tend to be the ones more likely to have to cancel. I don't want to risk losing further bookings with a venue.

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1458666961' post='3009685'] I hate this kind of situation. If you have taken on the job of booker it's your reputation that gets damaged when having to cancel or renegotiate with the landlord. It's happened to me before and I wont tolerate it anymore. Assuming you've collected band member's diary details and they've made commitment-type noises. It sounds like you've done that. [/quote] Yeah, I hate that it's you who looks like an idiot because someone else screws up. We use an online calendar, but I only use that as a guideline, to block some dates out, but I still confirm with everybody before agreeing 100% to a gig. We have a chat group on whatsapp for that and it generally works fast. It's still more convoluted than necessary but it minimises cancellations because someone is a dick. Most people who never book gigs don't realise just what a thankless job that is, and I hate when lightheartedly they come back "oh, I forgot I needed to go away that weekend"...

Long shot but... would anybody within a reasonable distance from Edinburgh be willing to lend me their Barefaced Big Baby 2 for an evening of loud rehearsals? I'd be happy to leave some pre-arranged piece of equipment with you as security, of course. I already have one. I have used it together with a Gen2 Compact in the past and recently sold the Compact. Due to a number of reasons (long and boring story) my go-to rig consist on any number between 1 to 4 TKS S112 speakers. I am holding on to my BB2 because it's such a nice speaker and fits so well in my boot and it's loud and... but I'm rarely using it these days. I would like to be able to try two BB2 in 'real life' or as close to it as possible... so not a gig, but a rehearsal that we can be loud at, and see how it feels compared to my TKS rig. It's a dangerous thing, as instead of saying "it's ok, I dig the modularity of the S112 rig and I'll just let my BB2 go" I might end up saying "hmmm, I want another BB2!" but we like to live on the edge, don't we?

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1458148714' post='3005132'] Both my CV bridges are 20mm spacing, that was my reason for changing them as i prefer 19mm. If i can still find a bridge at home ill take some measurements. [/quote] you could buy a set of threaded saddles and just replace the saddles. Then you can adjust the spacing the way you like it.

[quote name='thebuckets' timestamp='1458072248' post='3004473'] Thinking of picking a squier p bass (cv60s) great reviews but im put off by the bodywood. Bongos are basswood so it cant all be like cream cheese. Have i anything to fear? Also can you fit a std bbot bridge to the 5 hole fixing on the cv60s bass Ta muchly [/quote] Nothing to fear at all, and yes you can fit a standard bbot bridge. I did that using the threaded Fender saddles so that I could adjust the string spacing... the holes may not all align though, I don't remember... but I installed it ok all the same.

[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1457952370' post='3003206'] Expensive when new 2x15 puts out more volume and bottom end than a new cheap 2x10, yep must be the class of output stage amplification, can't think what else could be at play here? Lol [/quote]

[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1457898765' post='3002835'] Not impressed with the TC Head - fair enough. That should have been the title of the thread. There are dozens of class D heads about that are way better than the BH250. [/quote] Indeed! Also, quite often the lack of volume can be fixed by using different (or more) speakers. In this particular example the two rigs are quite different, speaker wise... not surprised about the outcome

[quote name='DBerriff' timestamp='1458076411' post='3004558'] Yes, the Twin could bury the One 10 and me as well. But as we are both playing at volumes appropriate to the band he is indeed a very polite young man. I think we are going to get on just fine. [/quote] sounds like a keeper, that guitarist! Treat him well! They're so rare!

[quote name='DBerriff' timestamp='1457771325' post='3001630'] Hi tony. I have been using a single One 10 with the Puma 500 I bought off you and with a 15 piece big band rehearsal it is not even breaking sweat. I was asked to turn it down last week. It is quite a turn around to see the guitarist struggling in with his Fender Twin amp while I waltz in with this tiny cab and pull the Puma out of my gig-bag pocket. [/quote] He must be polite... because a Fender Twin will drown much bigger bass rigs than that without breaking a sweat I love the Fender Twin, but operators must be licensed

[quote name='CHW' timestamp='1457272183' post='2996887'] I spent 10 years or so playing in a ceilidh band, and there were plenty of occasions when we arrived at a venue, and had to set up with the room full of guests and no opportunity to do a sound check. In the end we came up with a solution that worked really well. We'd get everyone plugged in to the PA and check all of the signals, then start off with the squeezeboxes, bringing them up to the right level, I'd then introduce the acoustic guitar, drums and bass, one by one, ensuring that I got the mix right. The bass player would be out at the back of the room and we'd communicate through some simple hand gestures. When the bass player would come in, I'd go out to the back of the room and he would adjust himself as needed in the PA. Finally I'd pick up my electric guitar and the bass player would fade me up through the PA, as I joined in from the back of the room (Wireless). The whole process took about 3-4 mins. There were times that we actually used this method for the first dance, managing it with a floor full of people It worked very well and numerous customers commented on how professional it seemed. The most pleasing comments were from staff at venues, who would often comment on how well it worked in comparison to other bands setting up. [/quote] that's a great way to do it!

[quote name='skampino' timestamp='1457568568' post='2999825'] It's a legitimate chain I purchased from and genuine article. I knew it was a display model, probably not been touched for a while going by corrosion on the battery and they obviously didn't check it before sending. Thanks for the assurance it's just the battery connectors. [/quote] I'm confused... I thought the OP was smurfitt... edit: aaah!

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1457621193' post='3000242'] He's on holiday and I'm still busy trying to figure out whether it's d&b or db monitors in question. [/quote]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1457481108' post='2999047'] Now that would be brilliant...! I have been listening to that bassline for pretty much as long as I have been playing bass - it's pretty much part of my musical DNA! I have played various versions of FFYL in a number of bands, but I am not convinced that I have ever managed to get your version 100% right. It would be fascinating to see exactly what you played, especially with you actually showing us how you did it. [/quote] oh yes!!!

[quote name='pendingrequests' timestamp='1455723997' post='2981848'] It's finally decision time. I've had enough of Ampeg. They have had my PF500 for nearly a month and only today did I finally get an update. I love the aesthetic of the Portaflex cabs, so for now I am keeping both (15 and the 2x10) The gigs will range from using either 1 or 2 cabs. So the head needs to meet the requirements of both scenarios. Aguilar TH500 - More expensive, but from the TH pedal it sounds great. Output at 8 ohms is lower than the MB MB Little Tube 800 - Power at 8ohms and 4 ohms, mix between tube signal and dry, but doesn't fit in as aesthetically as the TH500. HELP! [/quote] First, I'd advise not to pay too much attention to power differences. There really isn't much between them in reality. I was exactly at the same place a couple of years ago. I tried both amps and I ended up buying the LMT800. Both sounded good, but I found the LMT800 more intuitive to use and it just worked better, for me. The TH500 can sound great but all the controls seem to interact and that frustrated me a bit. Maybe I wasn't patient enough, but I liked the LMT800 best, regardless... so that's what I went for. Tube/SS mix is a bit of a gimmick, really. It barely has any effect. I personally liked it best with the mix at 50% or perhaps a bit towards SS... but in the mix you won't tell the difference. After a few months I ended up selling the LMT800 and bought a Genz Benz Streamliner 900. I still have it and I prefer it to either of those two. It excels at 'old school' sounds, but it can do modern as well. Don't think much about the 900W rating by the way... I recently tried this against a Mesa D800 (800W) and a MarkBass LM3 (500W) through the same speakers... there wasn't that much of a difference at 8 ohm with 4x 12" speakers. Anything above 300W is probably going to do the job (volume-wise) if you have the right speakers. edit: too late to the party!

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1457264803' post='2996792'] I use a pair of Phil Jones Bass over ear headphones. I am quite impressed with them. [/quote] I liked mine but they felt a bit too loose on my head, and eventually the left one stopped working. I thought it was the cable but it wasn't... I ended up with Audio Technica TH-M50X... they fit my head much better and I really like their sound after breaking them in.

[quote name='SICbass' timestamp='1456918553' post='2993466'] Hi there, I love my sire V7, but have had one or two problems recently. I wanted to have a hip-shot D-tuner fitted. This proved a little difficult because a.) there are essentially 3 sizes of hipshots (screw-positioning, diameter of posts etc.) according to what bass you want them fitted on and the V7 doesn't actually match any of them exactly. My guitar doc had to sort of cheat a bit. Not an insurmountable problem, but a pain nonetheless. And, b.) the German distributors, I think it's Warwick, insisted on my guitar bloke buying all three and then going through the returns process of two of them, rather than sending him all three and just billing him for one and allowing him to return the other two. He's [i]the[/i] guitar bloke in Berlin and has a reputation, so he's hardly likely to cheat, but hey-ho. Now I'm off on tour, the volume/tone pot got loose and I can't tighten the nut because the thread is bared. I've no idea how this happened. I just opened the case and there it was. When I took the control plate off to have a look at it, I discovered there were already three washers underneath, which could imply that they already had a problem with the thread in the factory and shoved the washers in to alleviate that. I called Thomann and they're hopefully sending me a replacement pot. In my conversation with the guy, he said that Thomann don't really stock spares. They just get finished instruments from Sire and would probably have to take the parts off of one of the basses they have in stock. A bit impractical, I think. I've jerry rigged it with gaffer tape for now so that the nut can bite into [i]something[/i] and it will hold. Has anyone had a look inside their V7 and are the pots fairly standard issue stuff or are they, like the dimensions of the tuners, a bit non-standard? [/quote] the washers are just for aesthetic reasons: if there is too much of the shaft on the other side, there will be a gap between the bottom of the knob and the control plate that can look bad if it's too bit. Adding a washer or two reduces the effective length of the shaft and the end result looks better. Of course, there must be a minimum amount of thread above the control plate, that's the only limitation.

I really hope I don't come across those situations... especially the 'larf' one. I suspect I'd end up in prison...

[quote name='cana.dan' timestamp='1457202882' post='2996356'] Finally decided to contact Adrian about getting a P bass in Fiesta Red. However, after a back and forth it seems his Fiesta Red isn't quite as pink as I'd like it to be, so I'm having to look elsewhere. Bummer! [/quote] It's a pretty kind of red. I have one in that colour, you're welcome to check it out in person if you're not sure about it. But it's not really pinkish, no.

[quote name='taunton-hobbit' timestamp='1457192134' post='2996214'] Anything with top vents is a bad idea for gigging............ [/quote] who puts anything on top of the amps?

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1452083461' post='2946170'] Shonks, I've moved this to GD. For what it's worth, I think sellers should put a location, particularly if it is collection only. My feeling is that it should not be mandatory though. [/quote] my thoughts too. If I want/need to know the location, I ask. No biggie. If a seller fails to give data that I consider important (such as pictures ) and I'm not that interested in the item, I pass, their loss. If I am interested, I ask when I make first contact. I'd avoid making rules when not necessary.

[quote name='bassjim' timestamp='1457024881' post='2994602'] I think its obvious I'm really against it. I think its ridiculous. every thing we already have is working fine . [/quote] it sounds like it isn't working fine, otherwise you wouldn't have a band keen on IEMs right now The arguments of avoiding to bring their amp are pretty poor, in my opinion. But if being able to hear the rest of the band or themselves properly is an issue and as a result the performance is not great, then that's a good case. I've played so many gigs where teh onstage sound was poor... it worked out ok, people had a good time, we sounded alright out front... but those gigs are a chore and I really would like to enjoy every single gig we play. There have been times when improvising something was out of the question because the sound was so bad for us. Not often, I admit, but if I can I'd like that to happen zero times. To me it's not just playing well to the audience, it is for me to enjoy playing too. I love music. I'd love to hear it all as clearly as possible. So, when IEMs are no longer a crazy expensive solution... why not?

[quote name='colgraff' timestamp='1457020010' post='2994530'] I say yes. I have the super cheap Gear 4 Music ones and the whole band use them. Much greater clarity of sound, much quieter so no hearing damage. No monitors to lug around and so fewer cables and clutter on stage. I'd possibly argue that a pub band's need is greater than a 'proper' band's as pub bands generally have less space hence poorer acoustic management and more noise pollution to contend with. [/quote] That would be my view too. I wish we were using IEMs regardless the venue. We'd all get a better personal mix so we'd enjoy it more, and that alone is worth it, for me.