icastle

There's a knack to it. You need to squirt the cleaner into the open 'slot' where the three contacts come out of the pot. That slot needs to be facing downwards so that gravity will allow the dirt somewhere to drain away with the cleaner. Kitchen roll shoved into the body cavity under the slot will stop the cleaner from spilling everywhere. HTH

[quote name='SimonH' timestamp='1334957670' post='1624179'] I just bought a MB 104HF cab which has a pair of Speakon ins. I assume, since they aren't labelled, it doesn't matter which is used as the input and which is the extension for another cab? Just checking before I blow it up! [/quote] Makes no difference which you use as an in or an out - they're wired in parallel. [quote name='SimonH' timestamp='1334957670' post='1624179'] But that's not the stupid question (although it is pretty dumb). The question is this: the output from the amp (Hartke 3500, with its preamp bypassed using an ADA MB1 preamp which is rather lovely) is a 1/4in jack. Can I just connect the amp to the cab with the usual 1/4in jack speaker cable, slotting the cab end into the Speakon socket on the cab? [/quote] Yep that'll be fine. Speakons are by far the better of the two connection types (from a mechanical point of view) but the Hartke 3500 doesn't have these as far as I remember. And these aren't daft questions - daft is where you guess, get it wrong and everything goes bang...

[quote name='MarkBassChat' timestamp='1334953507' post='1624118'] You can easily test a battery with a multimeter. I usually make sure that there is some load - e.g. I connect a preamp that draws 2-5 mA, and I measure the voltage. If it it is above 8.5V, the battery is still good. If it is less, I buy a new one. We are talking here about batteries for preamps, which usually draw current between 1 and 4 mA. If the battery is OK, the problem is with the preamp (or connections). We are not talking about laptop batteries, right? [/quote] So you've measured a voltage, understood the discharge characteristics of the battery and measured it's ability to deliver current. You've also measured the current draw of the circuit the battery is powering and know at what point it ceases tio function.. good luck with all that. In the time it takes to faff about doing that lot, I can change the battery in 5 seconds and cut out the guesswork.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1334949698' post='1624068'] Tents and/or stages aren't cheap as they mostly need to be built.or scaffolded [/quote] A couple of 40' soft sided trailers make a good stage if parked side by side - if you have the space of course...

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1334949095' post='1624058'] Thanks for all the advice so far. The event is open to the public, and is being organised by local Councillors, and backed by the council. It will be advertised in the local press and community news magazines, so there is no way of telling how many people will turn up. Unfortunately, the people who are organising the event, don't have much experience in this sort of thing, and are waiting for us to advise them on our requirements. [/quote] Well they will have to do a risk assessment - it's the law even if they are the council... Part of that risk assesment is to state what they think the potential number of attendees to the event are going to be - this is used to look at the impact on the local community, the provision of first aid and even the availability of adequate toilet facilities. You're going to need that information to come up with a ballpark figure of possible audience size which is in turn used to assess PA requirements. We have a three day music festival in the village I live in and have to follow those rules every year.

[quote name='MarkBassChat' timestamp='1334947770' post='1624037'] A photo could help. Have you tried it with another battery? What about checking what it is the battery voltage - do you have any meter? Mark [/quote] You can't test batteries easily with a multimeter. A battery can maintain a reasonable voltage when there is not enough capacity left to run a circuit and different battery types have different discharge characteristics.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1334943489' post='1623944'] No, but I find their very existence amusing. [/quote] Well it'd certainly stretch the imagination as well.

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1334943803' post='1623951'] Hmm, Hole & shovel spring to mind but I'll believe you this time [/quote] I was gonna ask him if he wanted to borrow a ladder to get out...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1334942560' post='1623922'] Play with one of these fitted - it'll take your mind off the wrist pain. [url="http://www.sexshop365.co.uk/catalog/anal-toys-313/butt-plugs-139/butt-plug-black-medium-5-inches-1324.html"]http://www.sexshop36...nches-1324.html[/url] [/quote] How on earth do you attach that to your wris... Oh You don't do you..?

[quote name='Delberthot' timestamp='1334903646' post='1623117'] Well silly me didn't test it before I disconnected it so I assumed it was working [/quote] That's OK. Was just trying to ascertain if it was likely to be a 'little' failure caused by the rebuild or if it was something more catastrophic. As we don't have a known starting point then it could be a wiring issue, a PCB issue or both. How about a photo of the guts to see if there's anything obviously wrong?

I know someone who uses tubigrip which he dyes black to make it less conspicuous...

If you use an underpowered generator then the voltage fluctuates. Work out the maximum current draw for everything you are going to run (backline, PA, lighting etc.) and then double it. As has already been mentioned, you'd be far better off going to a PA hire company who have experience of this sort of work and get them to supply the appropriate kit.

Leaving aside the highlighted fact that there is no upgrade path from this package, you do really need to go and try Ashdown kit before buying it. As often mentioned on here, it has a particular sound that people either love or hate.

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1334878569' post='1623015'] Although Im not admitting to my true age you can probably get a few clues from my taste in music! [/quote] Well if you're gonna work it out like that then I'm about 300 years old!

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1334878950' post='1623021'] But I've done weddings and parties recently where those two songs were pretty much banned and I have certainly played pubs where the LL warned us that they would throw the power if they heard those tunes. We would consider Mustang Sally if requested at a party as we have it down with a grood groove and it is no extra work but otherwise it doesn fit so well with the rest of what we do. The days where weddings or parties could be handled by the same old set are gone, IME... [/quote] Like I said, the customer calls the shots. We always ask if there's anything they particularly want us to play (if we're given a weeks notice we'll happily add 5 or 6 new songs) and we're always happy to drop songs that they particularly don't want to hear.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1334879903' post='1623046'] You know I'm collecting all these up, don't you? There [i]will [/i]be repercussions. [/quote] Repercussion - drummer having to record a second take?

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1334878569' post='1623015'] But back on topic...I have come to the conclusion that if i wait till i think im ready to join a band then I never will. So I'm going to try to take the plunge this year. I fear this is where the age thing might become a bit of a problem. Whos going to want a middle aged novice? [/quote] Well, I'm not a novice, and at 48 I'm getting close to leaving my teens, but I've turned down 4 invitations to play in bands pretty recently - all younger than me. Not sure what things are like in the West Midlands, but over here in the East Midlands I'm always hearing 'I'd love to play in a band but I'm too old' - there's loads of people in the same boat, you just need to be in the same port as them...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1334877452' post='1622980'] You can both stop this right now. [/quote] +1 Yes. Stop it immediately. It's annoying, upsetting and totally unfair.

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1334779593' post='1621270'] We had a band before we had instruments. So on that basis no lower limits . (And before any smart arses [cough]iCastle[/cough] ) [/quote] I am a much aligned and understood man...

Did it work before you started the rebuild?

[quote name='deepbass5' timestamp='1334854270' post='1622453'] None of us should lose sight of the fact someone is paying you to put on a professional show that they and their family and friends can dance to. Or at least enjoy listening to. So right away you are tide to conform to the customers’ expectations. You need to play what people want, this will still include Mustang Sally and Brown eyed girl, despite the jibes on this site. [/quote] +1 The customer calls the shots. Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally and all the usual 'cliches' have earned me a lot of money over the years and I'd much rather play cliches to an audience who are singing away on the dance floor all night than play stuff that only three people have heard of to an empty pub and walking away with empty pockets...

[quote name='lobematt' timestamp='1334856128' post='1622502'] It's not loose so I'll give the cleaner a go, is this what I'm after? [url="http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=switch+cleaner&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=2398432801051196791&sa=X&ei=bkmQT7rOPIqz8QPnxZyoBA&ved=0CHcQ8wIwAw"]http://www.google.co...ved=0CHcQ8wIwAw[/url] [/quote] That'll probably do it, although I'd go for a can of Servisol because that's what I've always used. While you're in the guts of the guitar it's make sense to give all the pots a clean - if one of them has gunk in it then the others probably aren't far behind it...

[quote name='andyman' timestamp='1334790742' post='1621508'] Bugger,wish i'd read this before i fired alpha pots into my bass just recently. I only done it cos i was replacing the scratch plate and the old pots looked a bit wonky,now it sounds a bit muddy,theres no sharpness to the bass's sound,would i have been beter off with cts pots and an orange drop ? [/quote] The capacitor might be a bit flakey so 'yes' to that part, but the pots don't affect the tone.

I've been using an SR505 for quite a few years now and really rate it (there's a fair bit of Ibanez SR love on BassChat!). The SRX500 was similar to the SR500 but it's passive, has a square cut body instead of a sculpted one and comes with 'musicman' type pickups instead of Bartolini's. Should be an extremely playable instrument.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1334653394' post='1619043'] And as for endorsees proving something is worth having, I give you.... [url="http://www.essentialsound.com/wooten-musiccord-pro-power-cord/index.htm"]Mr VW and his amazing Power Lead[/url] [/quote] All that proves is that some numpty has either wasted his money or got paid a silly amount of money to put his name to a product. Auralex supplies the likes of Shure,Technics and numerous other companies (and NASA!) that aren't going to be suckered quite as easily - these aren't endorsees, they're customers. [quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1334653394' post='1619043'] So lets not ever let ourselves get carried away wih the hard sell please! [/quote] Hard sell? Is that what it's called when someone doesn't agree with a minority who decide to swim upstream?