Gareth Hughes

Hi Folks - [size=4]The tweeter in my Epifani UL2-112 cab needs replaced. [/size][color=#141823][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I contacted Epifani - they say there isn't a compatible one on the market and that I'd have to buy one from them. Surely there must be something similar I can get on this side of the Atlantic?(Cue Shirley jokes). [/font][/color][color=#141823][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Their site says it's a 100w bullet tweeter. I'm guessing they come in many shapes and sizes. I'm not technically inclined, so any idea on what I should replace it with? [/font][/color]

IMO it's a personal preference, like how tight do you like your shoelaces. As a rough guideline though, I'd have the hair tight enough that the tip of your little finger could just about go through the gap between the hair and the stick at the middle of the bow. Like others have said - you'll know if it's too loose because you won't be able to apply much weight from your arm before the stick clatters off the string.

And there was me thinking you wanted something other than the usual arse up photos

Yep, I use an Apt-Flex pickup (like a David Gage Realist) for the main body of my sound, and a Schatten wing-slot pickup for the 'detail'. Both go into their own channel on an Acoustic Image Focus head, with the Schatten's channel having the high-pass filter set quite high. The Focus head has a very handy switch to turn off channel 2 so I can take the Schatten out when I need to use a bow. Both channels are marged out of the amp's DI.

One thing to bear in mind - and this is after having gone through similar frustrations - is that we play stupidly loud in bars and clubs in this part of the world. This only dawned on me after seeing The Crusaders in The Blue Note in New York. I couldn't get over how quiet they were - I could hear the kit coming from the stage!! This then led to the realisation - "Ah, that's how an Acoustic Image combo can drive a 30 piece big band, they're not all deafening each other!!!" So, back on topic - volume is not our friend hear. One cheap alternative (which I haven't gigged yet but have gotten nice results in the studio with) is the Thomann Ovid Systems mic. No reports on durability or feedback, etc, but it does it's job well. Here's a link: http://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tbone_ovid_system_cc_100.htm?ref=prod_rel_270440_1

I've had my '75 reissue for about 4 years now, think it's about 15 years old. No problems at all. And where the screw meets the neck, it makes contact with a little metal circle rather than digging into the wood.

You're in good hands there on both accounts. Richard knows his stuff and does a great set-up. Rod has been there and done that and knows his stuff too. Definitely sounds like new string time indeed. Have fun!!!!!

The mod that Bigwan did to my Mini Q-Tron's msde them so much more usable. But like he said - they are SO darned unreliable. For me, they are everything I want in a filter EXCEPT for the ability to blow up speakers when they feel like it. And whilst they are ridiculously big - there's something that's just right about that for this pedal

Chuck Rainey's "Complete Electric Bass Method: Book One" served me very well.

And for thinking/playing outside the box on the verses - play in the major key a tone lower than the first minor chord. In other words - the first chord is A Minor, so you play around G Major. Everything will still be from the same key, you'll just have some nice (and hopefully) pleasant surprises.

I have two - a 600 and a 900. Yes, I'm rubbing it in. I honestly have never felt such....affection....to an amp. It's not natural. But feels so good.

It sure is. Check this out: http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/barge-concepts-vfb-2-variable-feedback-amp-blend-bypass-looper/11725

Absolutely. You should get in touch with a guy called Dave Kane on Facebook. Awesome upright player and yoga teacher, based in Leeds. Give him a shout, I'm sure he'll be happy to get into the finer details of it with you.

Good stuff. Here's another potential spanner in the works - the effects loop on a Streamliner is in series, meaning that the signal will leave the amp entirely and then have to return via the effects return (obviously). So, in your scenario - your pickup signal would leave the amp via the effects send and would not be present on the effects return until it comes from the mixer. This gives you two options now, but requires a second external DI. Place the DI immediately after the pickup, before the amp or place it after the effects loop but before the mixer. This then leaves you with the option of using the mixer before the amp altogether or using it straight into the effects return, bypassing the amps eq. Given the humungous low end of the Streamliner, a DI with an eq or high pass filter would be a good choice.

+1 for the Vintage Revolution in theory ( I haven't heard one). One thing about your signal path though - the DI from your amp head will most likely include the mic signal coming in through the effects return, so you would have a duplicate mic signal going to the PA - one directly from the mic DI and the second coming from the amp DI. I could be wrong though - and your amp's DI might be pre effects return, but if it is then it might also be pre EQ too and then that might affect the sound of your pick channel. Though, that might actually work in your favour as your pickup would be unaltered by any amp eq changes. Ignore me if this doesn't make sense - I think I've dropped the ball somewhere here.

Check out the live video of 'Waterways Flow Backwards Again' by Akiko Yano. Things get very interesting around the 1:37 mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsX48p1oc-w

I'm trying to do the reverse - get better at my treble clef sightreading. . Here's something that I've found to be a help: allocate specific notes on the fingerboard to specific notes on either clef. Use middle C as a physical reference point on your neck. So for us, transposing as we do, middle C is 5th fret/G string, 10th fret/D string, etc. That then puts the 2nd line G of the treble clef to be our G note on the 12th fret/G string, and then the E on the 1st line of the treble clef is the 9th fret/G string. So maybe it might help to think of everything beneath that first line E of the treble clef as being solely in the domain of the bass clef and beneath the 9th fret/G string note E. In other words - two ledger lines above the bass clef stave is the 9th fret/G string note E - which is the same as writing it on the first line of the treble clef. Hope that helps.

Irregardless of what type of bass it - fretless, upright, etc - my opinion is keep them on if you feel it helps you play the way you feel comfortable. I've been through the wars with the arguments for and against and it's all redundant in my opinion. Guitars have dots to guide us, pianos have black keys to guide us, we have eyes to guide us. To paraphrase something I read in 'Bass Player' a while ago on the subject of putting white markers on an upright neck - "the people that hire me don't care how I find the right note."

I like your thinking mcnach!!!

Fair play rickybails - but curse you also!!!! Now that's got me thinking again about giving it a go!!!! (which is a good thing, so thank you really)

Sold a pedal to Mikkel. Excellent communication throughout and very easy to deal with. All good!!!

Another good choice are the Barge Concepts VB2 or VB-jr pedals.