icastle

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1325145557' post='1480151'] At first glance I thought it had been bridged as well, but it's the inputs that have been linked. So perhaps they've been feeding it with a mono signal and using the link to feed both of the channels? [/quote] No it's the outputs that have been linked - the labelling on the back panel is quite poorly thought out and the 'Input' markings relate to the XLR connectors just to the right of the speaker outputs. It threw me as well when I first looked at the photo and I only got my head around what was going on when I looked at the line drawings in the instruction manual.

In the days before internet what we used to do where I worked was kept a book on the counter. Anything we were asked for but hadn't got was noted along with a phone number. When the shop was quiet (or after closing if we were busy) we'd go through the book, track down the suppliers (or do a deal with another shop if they were the local main dealer) and then ring the person back to let them know 'we've found the supplier, do you still want it?'. We got let down a couple of times after we'd ordered stuff but, on the whole, it worked well and I honestly can't remember a disgruntled customer.

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1325176405' post='1480619'] Boom boom are you here all week ??? [/quote] Just making up for the lack of christmas crackers...

Trying to stock everything for everyone is a non starter in a small music shop. You have to consider it from the owners point of view - why would he spend £10 on a set of strings that will sit on a shelf for a year or two and earn him nothing when he could spend that same £10 on a set of strings he knows he's going to get £20 for within a week or two?

[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1325173950' post='1480556'] At last, I can now form my ukukele-based U2 tribute band "Uke2" (copyright: 4-string-thing) [/quote] You really deserve a slap for that!

Well 6 songs isn't going to stretch very far when played live and I'm guessing you'd feel more comfortable if you had 12. With most new bands there is an initial steep learning curve where the members are all trying to work out 'where they stand' musically within the group and this tends to slow things down until everyone gets a measure of each others (and own) limitations and have the confidence to slam the brakes on when there's a mistake and sort it out. Now you have 6 songs under your belt you should be reaching the end of this curve and the next 6 songs should be significantly quicker to get licked. You haven't said if this is an originals or a cover band (or a bit of both), but if its a covers band then just agree the next 6 tracks and get everyone to agree to practice them at home, iron out any glitches in the next full rehearsal and don't be afraid to ditch any of them that just don't work - there's no bigger waste of time than doggedly clinging onto a track that's never going to work just because work has been put into it.

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1325167344' post='1480436'] Sweet. Any Idea where they came from ???? [/quote] Their mummy's tummy?

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1325114879' post='1480060'] +1 to above. Looks like a bodged bridge job in the original pic. [url="http://www.qscaudio.com/pdfs/manuals/RMX_User_Manual.pdf"]http://www.qscaudio....User_Manual.pdf[/url] [/quote] Looking at the way it's been left I'm guessing it was stripped out of a club or bar installation. I think they wanted a stereo input for 'compatability' and a mono output for installation convenience but the DIP switches don't support both features at the same time.

That's interesting, I thought the J sounded best this time and the white P sounded best last time. I also liked the PJ swinging back and forth in the background after the quick change to the J.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1325110799' post='1480007'] Yeah, you're not wrong! I actually don't want one, but I really want to try the squat spacing to see if I like it. Then I will go for a custom build so that my more usual bass preferences get included! And sadly for Ibanez my custom will be cheaper [/quote] I thought you'd perhaps sold one of your kidneys there for a moment... (These go for around £5500 for those who haven't sussed it yet) (The bass that is, not Dood's kidneys)

...and if it works, slap a coat of varnish on it and put it on ebay as 'unique custom built'...

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1325113659' post='1480041'] I'm sceptical that a single shorted speaker could be the cause but you never know. [/quote] Other way round. An open circuit speaker wouldn't affect the entire cab, at worst it would only stop half the speakers from working as 8x10s are wired in series and parallel. A short circuit one would take the whole thing down as the amp will just see a short and shut down.

Get rid of those wires for starters - they were put there by someone who didn't read the manual. Assuming you want to run the amp in mono through two speakers I'd start with this... 1= ON 2= ON 3= OFF 4= ON 5= ON 6= OFF 7= OFF 8= OFF 9= ON 10= ON Signal goes into the Channel 1 input socket and is split over both amps equally. Signal appears on both Channel 1 and Channel 2 outputs. Volume controllable individually on both channels using the front controls. EDIT - Keep the volume levels down low when you try it out or you might regret it. HTH

Oh my word. I have some serious saving to do before I even touch one of those.

[quote name='jackduran' timestamp='1325105948' post='1479964'] At this point the member of staff who had previously claimed that the bass was 100% Jap Fender now told me the bass was a commission-sale job with a Japanese Fender neck on an old Squier body (with unidentifiable, crap electronics/pick-up), possibly worth £100 in total (rather than the £299 it was on sale at!). The price ticket hung on the instrument said, "Japanese" Fender P-Bass' - note the inverted commas around Japanese - so was this deliberate mis-selling or an honest mistake? [/quote] I was asked to sell a fake Les Paul many years ago when I worked in music retail and I point blank refused. I do wonder what goes through some retailers heads at times - their entire reputation could go down the drain for the sake of a couple of hundred quid... total madness. If the guy in the shop was able to give you that level of detail then it was deliberate mis-selling regardless of the fact that it was a commission sale job.

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1325103521' post='1479946'] Ahh, they must have come of this amp: [url="http://www.geekalerts.com/lego-guitar-amp/"]http://www.geekalert...ego-guitar-amp/[/url] [/quote] Crikey! Whoever built that really needs to get out more...

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1325100765' post='1479902'] Stick to electrics. I never got this 'acoustic bands need an acoustic bass' thing. It's all a bit 90s MTV unplugged. Plus, acoustic basses generally aren't very good. IMO, of course. [/quote] +1 I play in a couple of 'acoustic' groups and decided to buy an acoustic bass about 3 or 4 years back but I went back to electric bass within a few gigs as it was such a pig to work with. I was spending far too much time fiddling about trying to get a sound that was 'right' and it certainly scuppered the playing style that got me the work in the first place. Ditching it and going back to electric bass was universally supported. The nearest 'concession' I make nowadays is using an EUB with a 2x10 cab hidden from sight. Being relatively 'unusual' it fits in nicely with the acoustic crowd and their curiosity negates any initial qualms.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1325099496' post='1479886'] I bought a set of these, and simply used self-tappers to screw them onto the cab. I`m not Mr DIY by any stretch, but they`re not coming off of there any time soon. I`ve never had to re-tighten the screws either. Being large and made of rubber, they skim across gravel car-parks, no trouble. They have the advantage too, of two of them being lockable, so the cab doesn`t move about on stage. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEAVY-DUTY-Multi-Use-Castors-4-Blue-Wheels-Caster-/120426485789?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Rack_Cases_MJ&hash=item1c09fa581d"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item1c09fa581d[/url] [/quote] Those look the biz - so much so that I'm going to order a set for my 1x15 which came with such pathetic little ones that they could have been manufactured by Lego.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1325091011' post='1479750'] Your amp probably has a special knob to help you with this. [/quote] Have you considered that your multiple motorcycle mishaps might not be accidental?

[quote name='mercuryl' timestamp='1325089418' post='1479720'] Tell you what though ..... when I DO play with fingers, which is not very often and I'm not a great finger style player, the bass does sound quite different. There's (maybe) a wee bit more expression to it and it will probably highlight the differences between the basses a wee bit more. If I get time, later, I'll see if I can add another clip with all the basses played fingerstyle. You do get way less volume with fingers than a pick ..... but I'll give it a bash. [/quote] Now that would make it [b]the[/b] ultimate comparison.

[quote name='mercuryl' timestamp='1325089001' post='1479712'] Word. [/quote] Excel [sub](courtesy of Microsoft Pun Server 2010)[/sub]

Well on a 2x15 you're going to need the meatiest casters you can lay your hands on. Just screwing the casters to the bottom of the cab with wood screws is probably out as well - think of the stress on the screws that a cab that size and weight is going to have if the casters hit something that stops them suddenly. Why not consider getting a piece of 3/4" ply and bolting the casters onto that (perhaps 'posh it up' a bit by sticking some carpet tiles over the exposed surface?). That'd give you a good solid trolley and also the option of lifting the cab off of it if you find you're losing the bottom end rumble that you like.

There's usually an adjustment screw running from the point where the string appears at the bridge. If your intonation is sharp then you need to turn the screw clockwise - this will pull the saddle further from the neck and lengthen the distance between the 12th fret and the saddle. If your intonation is flat then you need to turn the screw anti-clockwise - this will push the saddle closer to the neck and shorten the distance between the 12th fret and the saddle.

You can get a hard case from new for as little as £50. I'd be inclined to stick £25 onto the asking price of the bass towards a case and sending it safely that way.

[quote name='lee4' timestamp='1325015252' post='1479171'] When was the last time any of us had an audience member make [i]any [/i]comment about our tone? [/quote] Quite often from audience and fellow musicians. My response is to squirm uncomfortably and mutter something about 'listening to what works and not fiddling with stuff all the while'.