icastle

[quote name='snazz' timestamp='1323878799' post='1468150'] Okay, let's say I buy a Jazz Deluxe mail order. will there be a thumb rest in the box of will it be already fitted, That goes for the huge pieces of hardware too. Thanks... [/quote] No, everything will be pre-fitted.

Well if that's the 'future' then I'm gonna stop right here...

I'd be more inclined to get rid of the sellotaped connections and solder them properly, you're not going to achieve an 'upgrade' of any description by just changing the entire wiring loom. As for the choice of pots, if you are happy with the way your existing pots control sound and volume and want it to work the same way afterwards, you want to stick to the same value pots. Take a look at the pot casings you already have, there will be a value (i.e. 500K) and taper type (usually expressed as A or . 500K A = 500K Log 500K B = 500K Lin HTH

The component cost of repairing an amp usually make it a worthwhile exercise, it's the labour costs that determine whether it's economical to do so or not. I started off my career as a sound and lighting tech before drifting into IT some 20 years ago, so fortunately haven't had any experience of paying for repairs.

It really depends on your expectations of a B string. Most of the complaints about B strings being flappy/floppy can easily be fixed by using a slightly heavier gauge B string. Bracing myself for the howls of derision, half of the problem isn't with the stringinstrument, it's the way people use it - there really is nothing worse than sitting through a continuous rumble of a three note bass line all hung off the B string.

Yep. I had an audition like that once. The three who actually managed to get there looked a little taken aback when I told them that they'd not managed to reach the standard that I felt was appropriate.

The speakons are wired in parallel. It makes no difference whether you use the two outputs to two cabs or the loop out of the speaker cab option - you'll still be presenting a 4Ω to your amp.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1323625003' post='1465165'] Not sure if you're being entirely serious here, but having a limited amp is not a drawback to improving your playing - if anything it allows you to focus on the sound [i][b]you [/b][/i]are making rather than what's being added by a box full of electronic components. The same goes, in spades, for your effects pedals. Chuck them in the bottom of your wardrobe until you need them. If you want to broaden or extend your playing, leave the settings on the amp and the bass untouched, and focus on what notes to play, how to play them, and when. That's from my lofty perch of six years' experience - that's [u]six whole years[/u]! [/quote] +1 I'm a month short of 32 years of playing and I totally and unreservedly agree with that. EDIT: When I started playing, effects pedals were the domain of guitarists and bass amps were 'posh' if they had more than three controls...

[quote name='bear-foot-bass' timestamp='1323536230' post='1464361'] Tried with a 4 ohm 2x10 Peavey cab and there was next to no difference to the sound, just lifted it of the ground. [/quote] You dont want to use a 4Ω extension cab with a Cube 100 or you'll be dropping the load down to about 2.5Ω and the amp is only designed to go down to 4Ω. Despite the cockeyed translation in the owner manual, it should be using an 8Ω extension cab.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1323493728' post='1463932'] I guess it's because music has always been the one constant thing in my life that has helped me through the tough times (and made the great times even better), and now I need that more than ever it's just not happening. Music was always the most important, inspirational, life affirming thing in my life; now I think it's just a load of dumb noise. [/quote] Isn't that a litle bit like walking away from a lifelong friend just because they aren't able to help with something you are going through at the moment? I guess the saving grace is that music will still be there waiting for you, as it always was in the past, and wont hold it against you.

I was fortunate enough to be loaned one earlier this year and I have to say it totally blew me away. I'm not sure how on earth Ibanez managed it, after all they've never exactly been very big in the amplification world, but this little beastie is definately on my shopping list for next year.

I'd approach this from a slightly different angle. IME well over 50% of failed cables are faulty either because 1) a solder connection has come adrift or 2) a conductor has failed in the last 6" of the cable. I'd visually inspect the soldering and, if that looked ok, cut 6" off the cable and reuse the plugs (if they aren't moulded) using the sliced off portion to ascertain the wiring configuration. Reusing the original cable and plugs obviously wont make you a more robust cable, but it's safe to assume that a rebuilt cable should last you as long as the original one.

[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1323466117' post='1463792'] I'm with RhysP, on the verge of selling my gear and calling it a day! [/quote] Well what I said to Rhys applies just as equally to you mate. Many relationships ago I foolishly got manipulated into stopping playing for about two years. I stuck my amp in a cupboard and my bass under the bed. When she finally left, digging that gear out and playing it again was like a rainstorm after a drought - much needed, refreshing and soothing to my parched roots... Whatever life throws at me, I'll always have 'something' tucked away for when things improve.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1323457036' post='1463680'] I've pretty much decided it's time to stop hanging on to the past & realise it's time to call it a day. [/quote] Not sure what's been going on in your life to have caused this, but there are two certainties that you can rely on though. The first is that once you have hit the absolute rock bottom, there's nowhere to go other than up. The second is that a lack of musical satsfaction can disappear just as fast as it materialised, so by all means thin your collection of gear out, but keep something tucked away...

The screws will pull out the first time you hit a bump. Use T nuts and bolts.

Assuming those notes are correct I reckon that's Db.

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1323440744' post='1463436'] PMSL Seriously though, it doesn't look like those parts could go together in many different ways. I think I can see how they must go, but I'm darned if I could explain it! So I'll let someone better at explaining things have a go. [/quote] Explaining it had me stumped as well so I cheated

I kinda suspect this switch is a write off, but nothing ventured nothing gained... Right - bit of inspired guesswork here... [u]Assembly 1[/u] Spring E and 'piston' D push through the underside of collar G (the way it is in the picture). Spring C sits in collar G - you should now have a spring inside a spring. [u]Assembly 2[/u] Stand part A in washer F. Pick up that assembly, feed the springs of assembly 1into part A and screw the two sub assemblies together. That whole assembly 'should' now screw back into the rear part of the switch from the front of the casing, but I can't tell for certain as the switch is hidden under that PCB. The good news is that if this doesn't work, Korg UK have an extensive spares department in the UK and have been proven to be a really helpful bunch of chaps in the past. Korg UK (Spares) 01908 304670

Show us what parts you've managed to gather and we'll see if you can reassemble it.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1323421296' post='1463058'] That's hard to do. I'm over-emotional and far too sensitive to be able to do that with any success. I always found playing a bass or guitar comforting if I'm feeling crap, trying to express my feelings on an instrument has been really good for me, for my mind and as a player. [/quote] No it's not easy to do and in truth I'm not even sure it's a particularly good way of dealing with the trials and tribulations that life throws at all of us from time to time. I guess the only saving grace that rigid compartmentalising has is that, if I'm feeling sensitive or emotional about something, I can put myself 'somewhere else' and come back to whatever made me want to retreat at a later time when it's less disturbing. It also wrecks relationships, not sure if that's a plus or a minus...

I'm going to be the odd one out here. I segregate my life to prevent 'bad' things from crossing over into 'good' things. Work, home, unpleasant activities and music are all treated as seperate entities and I don't let them get anywhere near each other.

Nope. If you have exposed magnets on any pickup and tap a piece of steel against it you're gonna get a click. You really need to drop the pickup height if you want to stop it from happening.

The other side of this of course is that, with the current 'roadworn' trend, in 15 years time people will be asking 'Where are all the tidy basses gone?"

Shouldn't be a problem - use low tak masking tape though or you'll be cleaning glue off for a week afterwards... Knobs: undo small allen key grub screw and they just slide off, wrap a little bit of masking tape around the pot shafts just to keep them clean. Pickups: slide masking tape down into the gap between the body and the pup, fold excess over the surface of the pup and then cover the rest with more masking tape. The pickup cavities don't run directly into the electronics cutout so the chances of paint getting inside are pretty minimal. Jack socket: depends which version 505 you have. Older models used side mounted sockets, newer ones use front mounted ones (I think!) Just mask it off, but do a really thorough job here - you don't want paint getting in there! Bridge: When you take the bridge off you'll find a scrap of bare wire under it - make sure you mask the wire off completely and mask off the hole (you won't see that missed area once the bridge is back on anyway!).

When it comes to batteries you need to be a little bit carefull. There are a lot of fake 'Duracells' doing the rounds on the internet and at car boot fairs - often cheap grade manganese oxide batteries with a legitimate looking 'Duracell Alkaline' wrapper around them. Pound shop batteries are generally low grade alkalines at best and more usually the standard manganese oxide ones, don't be fooled by 'Extra Power', 'Long Life' and any other term that doesn't actually say 'Alkaline'. A particular favourite ploy is to use black and gold packaging to make you think 'Duracell'. If something is cheap then there's usually a good reason for it... Using a DVM to assess battery life isn't as an exact science as it would seem on the surface - you need to measure the voltage under load conditions. And just to make things even more interesting, different battery materials have different discharge characteristics.