icastle

[quote name='TomWIC' timestamp='1342689806' post='1739218'] I have a tragic soft spot for Taylor Swift. [/quote] Romney Marsh?

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1342680548' post='1739033'] whenever I feel really down I put the Wombles greatest hits album on, makes me smile every time. You can ask me to leave if you like [/quote] Hi sis

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1342688233' post='1739167'] You should PM iCastle, he's a tragic Wombles fan. [/quote] Now't tragic about me, it's the things that you everyday folk leave behind that makes it so bloomin' awkward...

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1342688486' post='1739179'] One I admit to no-one (except to the whole world on here) is 'The Organ Entertains' on radio 2. [/quote] That is only marginally less bad than my Womble liking, but never fear - we won't tell a soul...

I have one of the cherry red SB900s that I've had from new. The black knobs got knackered years ago and I replaced them with some brass ones, but other than that, it's still as it was - complete with chrome plated machine heads.

Anything by Mike Batt that involves small furry recyclers... [size=8][b][color=#ff0000][font=georgia, serif]W[/font][/color][/b][/size]

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1342605508' post='1737608'] Thing is, I do get out as well... [/quote] Proof that 'care in the community' does work...

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1342595162' post='1737409'] you got a cheek, cuddling your fretty thing in your avatar pic! [/quote] Oops...

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1342567642' post='1737332'] How do you figure where flat is? [/quote] Well you could feed a known signal into the amp and use a frequency analyser to look at the resultant output... ... or you could just stick all the tone controls at 12 o clock and say 'b*ll*cks, that's near enough for rock n roll' ...

Rivetting is easy if you have the appropriate kit and a couple of practice runs. If I was stuck I reckon the first place I'd try would be a back street 'unfranchised' car repair place. HTH

[quote name='fumps' timestamp='1342531350' post='1736645'] I love my Stagg so much I sometimes cuddle mine ......is that strange ? [/quote] As long as you're wearing trousers it only counts as 'a little bit odd'

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1342533859' post='1736703'] And hug it, and look at it lovingly, and pose with it for your Facebook profile photo... [/quote] You need to get out more...

Could certainly be humidity. The wood absorbs the water and 'swells', pulling the strings tighter and therefore raising the pitch. I'm not sure that the silica gel sachets are generally large enough to 'pull' much atmospheric moisture, but even if they were, they only last for a period of time before they lose their ability to draw moisture. I've never tried it but I would guess that heating the sachet(s) up in an oven for 5 minutes might 'reactivate' the crystals because you're drying them out. Funniest one's I've ever seen was silica gel crystals in transparent plastic sachets - presumably to keep them dry...

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1342558817' post='1737171'] I have been playing guitar for 25 years and bass for 20 yet this is my biggest weakness, I'd be interested in an idiots guide to the common controls (me being the idiot ) I just fiddle about until I like what I hear but there must be a more methodical way of doing it? [/quote] I've been playing for 32 years and have come up with the following scientific methodology: 1) Set all the tone controls flat. 2) Turn off any inbuilt weird sh*t (yes, I'm talking to you mister built in Octave thingy... ) 3) Add a dollop of bass and a bit of treble if it needs it. 4) Don't faff about with the 'Mid' control - it's called 'Mid' for a reason, so just leave it set there... The final thing to remember is that the amount of fiddling to get a 'perfect' sound is inversely proportional to the chances of achieving it.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1342558518' post='1737162'] Bloody hell Ian he can't even hold it the right way round, must be hard work? [/quote] He's actually right handed but lost a finger in an industrial mishap. He taught himself to play guitar left handed to compensate for the missing digit. I'll say it because he doesn't read BassChat and won't get ideas above his station - he's probably one of the finest fingerpick guitarists I've ever worked with. We've started recording our first CD.

[quote name='clauster' timestamp='1342476796' post='1735990'] Plus some wire cutters for trimming the ends of new strings to fit. [/quote] Yep - good call. You can see how often I get around to changing mine at the moment...

Couple of basic things that you might already know but are worth mentioning... 1) The height of the EUB needs to be adjusted so that your eye is level with the first position (so an F on the E string). Not only does it give you a good reference point, but it'll save neck\shoulder ache. 2) Don't try to play using the tips of your fingers like you do on a bass guitar. Let your fingers point down the direction of the neck and use the side of your finger to pluck the string. 3) If you play intricate little runs then get close in to the bass - pull it into your chest\belly.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1342475660' post='1735955'] except they seem to have dropped the roadster name from the catalogue, yes you can have 1/2 a point [/quote] I thought the 'RB' part stood for 'Roadster Bass'. They were the Roadster II series that came out at the same time as the Aria Pro II range. (Can I have a whole point yet? )

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1342475457' post='1735951'] Bugger - I thought I'd got there first! [/quote] I love that [i]'We make guitars that put you in the spotlight, to make what's going on in your head happen on the fretboard'.[/i] Thank heavens they never made that a reality or I'd never work again!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1342475337' post='1735944'] I win! [/quote] Well I think Truckstop and I deserve 1/2 a point each for getting the 'Roadstar' and 'mid 80's' bit right.

All that's generally needed are an allen key to fit the truss rod, an allen key to fit the bridge saddles and a small phillips screwdriver. Anything more than that and you're wandering out of the 'basic' arena. If you want to be a bit posh then [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/products/5651-cruztools_guitar_bass_10_in_1_multi_tool"]these[/url] look interesting as an 'all in one'.

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1342304370' post='1733146'] I don't really understand why they haven't found much favour beyond metal players, perhaps it's associated to their success in the pointy metal orientated guitar arena? [/quote] I think that's exactly what's happened with the brand. Certainly looking at their 'artist' list, it seems to consist mostly of very stern faced gentlemen who need a damn good haircut dontcha know...

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1342469533' post='1735796'] 80's Roadster? Maybe modded to have jazz pups rather than the more usual MM style pup? [/quote] +1 Ibanez used those inverted machine heads on the Roadster series back in the early/mid 80's. I know they did a MM and a PJ config so I'm guessing you're right about a J mod as I can't remember seeing that version.

Crikey! Another SR convert. I can remember the olden days when it was all Precision Basses round here as far as the eye could read...

[quote name='janmaat' timestamp='1342433026' post='1734629'] I wonder why nobody has yet made a bass in the shape of a shoe... [/quote] Flippenflopper?