Vinny

It was a whole tenner dearer than the SH, which I'd only have spent on chocolate raisins and vimto. I never had any drop-outs or latency problems with the SH and was happy with the sound of it, the only things I ever had a gripe with it were; The receiver unit being lighter than the average moth meant I had to wedge it under my amp handle to stop the 1/4" jack cable throwing it round all over the place. Yeah - I'm actually complaining it's too light! The power supply being the correct way round for everything but music use, (as some joker decided that the polarity had to be bass-ackwards on FX pedals) so it always needed it's own plug. What with no two wall-warts being the same way round or shape to fit in extension leads together, it took a fair bit of electrical tetris to run it with the setup I had, (SH, tuner pedal, drive pedal, DI box to PA/combo amp) the pedals were on their own 9v wart, the SH on one and the DI box on another (12v!!) transformer, and a plug for the combo all added up to taking forever to find an extension lead that they'd all fit in. The SH is also not what you'd call 'road ready'. I rather embarrassingly proved it, too! All of which is actually pretty minor and the simple thing to do is to stop moaning and use a great-performing lil unit. Certainly couldn't moan about the battery life on the Hound, the only annoyance on that front was the dead battery warning on mine was never any more than 30 seconds til it expired. The G75 base unit weighs about the same as a full pint in one of those old faceted glasses with a handle on. It's going nowhere, even with a bunch of cables in it, and it can have a lot - it works as a DI box with XLR out (with ground lift), 2 seperate 1/4" outputs and a dedicated tuner out, even with a built-in tuner. It even has a 1/4" aux input that I haven't used yet. So that's the DI box, tuner and 2 warts left in the case, leaving me with a signal chain of a G75 and a drive pedal. The screen counts down in hours and minutes the remaining battery life, and I got 43 minutes of use while deliberately ignoring the flashing dead battery lightshow. The fuel gauge starts at 8 hours on alkalines, and after 2 pairs used I've no reason to doubt it. It won't even switch on with NiMHs in, though. I've no intention of finding out, but I genuinely believe the transmitter would have a good chance of surviving a small car driving over it. She's got some gravity on her! It can take any 1/4" guitar lead, but the supplied one even screws in to the top of the unit. That leads me to the only fault with the whole show, the tranny clip! Seriously, it looks like some one cobbled one up from some bent fusewire. Stuck a fingertip under it to get it over a strap end and it pinged off into the corner of the room. Then straight back in the box. I'll have to invest in one of those holster thingies, but until then it can live in a pocket. I'm still a fan of the Smooth Hound, if I ever feel the need for a home-use-only wireless I'll probably get another one. You know that feeling of owning a perfectly capable 1.4 hatchback that'll serve you well? That's the Smooth Hound. The G75 is like being handed the keys to a dirty big V6 that someone else filled up. TLDR - try a G75.

Are these World Music? Big fan of a lot of their stuff, way more so than Cortek if I'm honest. Not knocking Corts, but WMC gear seems to be a couple of rungs up the quality ladder for the same price points.

I've been telling all and sundry that ever asked me to go and buy a Smooth Hound (even after I managed to destroy mine into a squillion bits) and was about to get another one when the G75 offers came up. Different world!

There are loads, but I don't know what they are as I've forgotten about them.

A bit OT, but you just reminded me of this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDWZnv-xPpQ&t=0s

As I've yet to be in a band that doesn't insist on playing that Free number (I never want to hear it again let alone play it!) I've been having a little game with myself to play anything but during the excruciating solo. Last weekend's effort had the recipe of; 4 slices of Badge, 4 tablespoons of All Day and All of the Night, 2 ounces of Paint it Black, 5 crushed Day Trippers, a The Chain (to get back to the E) and a generous helping of Smoke on the Water for the last chorus. No-one has ever noticed. In fact, last year, after chucking in some Muse and Sabbath or anything else that would fit, I was congratulated by a punter for "...doin' it just like him...".

It depends who does the intros, all the guitards I know have a habit of starting every song like they need a wee.

The poor deputy in question was first responder on the scene after Joe shot his woman down. It turned out that the deputy was the man that Mrs Joe had been "messin 'round" with. Joe later turned the weapon on himself. Very sad.

Haven't seen the new Indonesian CVs, but had the old Farida one and a V4. Both damn fine bits of kit for the money involved. I'd maybe splash out on sexy tuners or pots/caps, but nothing else.

Am I the only one who heard David Essex shouting when I read this?

Eh? Basses have 5 strings, what I don't understand is how folk cope when there's only 4. I played a gig on mine a few weeks back and felt like I was holding a broom handle, not to mention being unable to find where half the notes had gone!

I've given up, I undo the straplok every time!

I've had a couple of 374s, I really liked the sound I got from them - super growly when you want them to be! Haven't played a 370, though. I have some stuff I recorded with the 374 if that helps any.

Yeah, subscribed immediately! While we're here...

It must be hellish loud if the tuners are in Bridgend. Alright, I'm going!

I sometimes capitulate if they're becoming awkward. At the moment I do they always turn to their mate that's egged them on for a thumbs-up, which is a great time to knock a couple of strings out of tune. That weeds 'em out! Anyone with enough sense to step on the tuner and tweak them back in can play as much as they like. (I'm keeping the money, though!)

The only 'best' way that counts is however you're most comfortable - if you prefer to move your hand around, do that. If you prefer open strings, use them. You can't rush stretch if that's the sole priority, but it comes in the end (all sneaky-like so you never notice anyway!) Just keep telling the singer 'it's how he does it, honest!' We all know nobody will really hear what fret you use, besides if you get the guitarist do go 'full Wilko' nobody will even see you!

Not exactly scientific, but I just watched a video of me playing my one years ago, and I'm not stretching madly on it like I do on my BTB, so I vote for 34". Hardly definitive!

Post removed as I was talkin' out me hole.