icastle

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1233210' date='May 16 2011, 04:08 PM']Very strange. Does it have anything to do with the lack of speakons?[/quote] Nope. RoHS is [u][b]R[/b][/u]estriction of the Use [u][b]o[/b][/u]f Certain [u][b]H[/b][/u]azardous [u][b]S[/b][/u]ubstances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment. It's to control lead, cadmium, mercury, PBBs and other nasties from getting into the environment through waste dumps. The WEEE directive (The [u][b]W[/b][/u]aste [u][b]E[/b][/u]lectrical and [u][b]E[/b][/u]lectronic [u][b]E[/b][/u]quipment Directive) is simply to force manufacturers to recycle their equipment when it comes to the end of its usable life.

Crikey - they've had nearly 5 years warning that this was coming! If they're already registered for WEEE then they just follow the same process in place for recycling kit that they use for their other items, with a sub process in place to handle any RoHS failures. To me, common sense kinda dictates that they'd be using the same assembly methods and component types on the RoHS cleared stuff, obviously not in the case of the VT 1969 - I wonder what 'nasties' they have on their PCBs that they can't find an RoHS approved alternative for...

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1231897' date='May 15 2011, 01:07 PM']Teachers are buisnessmen and colleges are businesses. In my recent experience, tutors of all kinds in formal establishments are pretty much told not to fail anyone. Great for business, lousy for education and students. Education seems to be about fulfilling the fantasy not about improving the student's abilities. Branford Marsalis, great as he is, is perfectly aware of his shortcomings (has finished gigs by apologising to the audience for having a bad night and telling them to ask for their oney back) and is very openminded (has played with Sting, The Grateful Dead, Bruce Hornsby and a load of other rock and pop acts). I suspect he is seeing what I see whenever I have contact with music colleges; an education system that puts its business objectives first and its students learning and development needs last. I have seen 'music' students that can't actually play a note, can't sing in tune and have no idea. What they do have is the fees. Whats [i]that[/i] about if its not getting the whole thing wrong?[/quote] Totally agree. But as I said, those establishments are going to get a reputation for generating lacklustre candidates in 'real' world situations. Our education establishments should be very ashamed of themselves frankly. I once had a final year music degree student ask me where I got my degree from, the assumption being that, because I could play alongside a range of musicians I'd never worked with before, I must have a degree...

[quote name='Johnston' post='1231877' date='May 15 2011, 12:55 PM']I was talking more from the paid tutor perspective. Paying customer comes along pays his money. Gets told he needs to practise more practice harder, well you're not at the standard to go out and gig. your timings off etc etc etc . Not happy paying customer goes to another tutor and gets told yes your brill punching waayy above your weight you'll be playing sell out crowds at the O2. Punter might not be getting any better but thinks he is and goes away happy. I've seen guys leaving race prep places because they were told no it wasn't the car, the car is not down in power you were on the right tyres. No the diff wasn't f***ed yes the suspension was set right you were just not as quick as the other guy. So off they go to the guy that says you're great the engine was down in power etc etc etc. Needless to say the only thing that ever changed was their repair bills. Same down the rallyschool. People didn't like it when they were told they weren't as good as they thought they were. They didn't like it when they were told what they needed to do to improve. They wanted to hear the were the next McRae. Some folk listened and improved some went home in a huff because they didn't set fastest time and didn't get put through to the scholarship and of course the instructors wouldn't know true talent if it slapped them in the face.[/quote] It's a self healing process though. Students who storm off in a huff when their egos don't get stroked unwarrantedly leave the field clear for those who are there to learn. Those who are open to learning are always going to fare better than those who think they know best and before long, that teacher is going to get a reputation for quality students.

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1231846' date='May 15 2011, 12:24 PM']In every generation there's always someone who goes on about how much harder it was in their day, then uses selective evidence to show it whilst conveniently forgetting how much they learned later on in their professional lives, rather than when they were actually students.[/quote] That's certainly true up to a point. I learnt how to read, write and understand numbers when I was at school, but the biggest and most valuable thing I learned was how to learn.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1231157' date='May 14 2011, 05:53 PM']Is the buzz really in the nut slot? If you are fretting a note then the nut slot doesn't really come into it. If you've changed to lighter guage strings you may need to tweak the truss rod a little to get the action right and avoid buzzing. Maybe adjust the bridge saddles too.[/quote] +1 If you fit a lighter gauge string then the neck is going to pull backwards - that'll result in the strings getting closer to the frets and stand a good chance of vibrating against the frets. Try slackening off the truss rod a little so the string tension can pull the neck forwards and the chances are you'll lose that annoying buzz.

They are Van Ghents. They still exist as a company in Holland but I don't think they make those machine heads any more.

[quote name='Johnston' post='1231803' date='May 15 2011, 11:40 AM']I think the point is they want the egos stroked but without having their weaknesses pointed out. People don't like that these days where everyones a winner blah blah . And if people are paying money and not getting the verbal boosting they want they will likely go to someone who will regardless of their skills.[/quote] True but the eventual effect is that employers get wise to it. Take the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) that was hyped by the government a few years back. It didn't take long for private sector employers to realise that owning that qualification didn't equate to the standards of IT literacy they were looking for.

No need to shunt the smoothing caps - unless the amp is faulty they'll be cleared down when the power is switched off. To clean the insides out I just use a 1" paintbrush and a vacuum cleaner hose. Layout any parts you remove in seperate piles and in a logical order - so casing screws go in one pile, pcb mounting screws in another and so on. A human has assembled the unit on a production line so if something is difficult to get out don't be tempted to force it - you're taking it apart wrong if you need to crowbar stuff out. Take a look at the connection method your switch is using and make sure the connection method you use on the replacement is as good as the original method. Draw a little diagram of which wires go to which terminals on the switch before you take it out - use little bits of numbered tape if the wires are all the same colour. Once you've finished, check you've connected it all up correctly, go grab a coffee and then check again before replacing the casing and switching it on.

I think it's a two way street. Whilst it's perhaps true that many students expect to be told how good they are, it's also incumbent on a good teacher to add a sense of reality to the situation and ensure that grades are appropriate to the level of commitment and skill that the student has attained. Anything less than that just devalues the qualification and weakens the knowledgebase of the subject matter.

[quote name='Blademan_98' post='1230849' date='May 14 2011, 11:55 AM']That's what my misses said when I completed my studio. But as it is the bolt hole I use, it needs to sweet![/quote] I've got a 40' x 20' brick built outhouse down the garden that already has electric and water. It's my project for next year.

[quote name='dood' post='1230602' date='May 14 2011, 12:33 AM']We're like 118... but better - especially numbers![/quote] ...just as long as it doesn't involve percentages...

[quote name='Sawtooth' post='1230565' date='May 13 2011, 11:31 PM']I've done a fair bit of research and have some questions if anyone could help please, is this the right place to ask? [/quote] At the moment we have topics about getting rid of slugs, soundproofing a garage, redundancy, pizza recipes and getting a Volvo MOT'd... Doesn't matter what you need to know, someone here will have the answer...

[quote name='dood' post='1230535' date='May 13 2011, 10:48 PM']Just out of interest, do those two op-amps say 4558 on the top? I can't quite see. If they are, they are a generic op-amps - ( a pair of 741's in a package for all the geeky types) So my guess is that it's a fairly old preamp - because there have been a lot of advances in both performance and power consumption since they came out. The same Op amps appear in an old combo I have which is well over ten years old, as a guide. It is possible to upgrade the chips - as iCastle has pointed out they will pop out and with a bit of investigation I'm sure it'd be easy to find out what the latest incarnation of a quality pre op-amp is. I recall names such as TL072, LF353N, OPA2xx, NE553x, LT1358(?) from waaaay back - most will just slot straight in - but it'd be hard to make a 100% definite choice without seeing knowing the schematic - though my major hunch looking at the lack of stuff on the board is that it's probably a gain stage and baxandall bass treble network - a very obvious method and used a great deal in active circuits. Given what we can see, if you decided to upgrade to an up to date preamp I am positive you will notice a big difference in Bass sound.[/quote] Now you say it, yes, I reckon I can see 4558 on those op amps. The TLE2272 is the latest version of the 4558.

[quote name='FayeAutumn' post='1230492' date='May 13 2011, 10:02 PM']I wondered about that myself. I've got an acoustic bass but don't like the feel of the bronze strings (which seem to go bad very easily) and I've been thinking about re-stringing it with the same strings as my electric at some point. But wasn't sure if it was considered 'not the done thing' or not.[/quote] In all honesty I've probably only ever seen a handfull of acoustic basses strung with bronzes - even in music shops!

[quote name='MythSte' post='1230438' date='May 13 2011, 09:13 PM']It's refreshing isnt it! That bass looks lovely man, I think I know what you mean about expensive basses being wasted on you! I'm thinking im much the same![/quote] Cool - does that mean I can nip round yours and SpongeBob's later and nick the good stuff?

[quote name='Sawtooth' post='1230437' date='May 13 2011, 09:11 PM']Thanks for your quick response. I don't know much about active preamps. Potting - is that the black coating? Op-amps - are they the chips? Is there anywhere I can learn a bit more about this subject please?[/quote] Sorry, yes the two chips are op amps - each one has two amplifiers in it (giving you seperate amplifiers for bass, middle, treble and volume). Potting is that black resin stuff - underneath that there is a circuit board with passive components (resistors and capacitors) on it. Things are usually potted to make it difficult to copy designs. [quote name='Sawtooth' post='1230437' date='May 13 2011, 09:11 PM']From what you say, does the quality 'look' any good? (I know this is a silly question really!) I suppose I was thinking about maybe changing it, but I guess I should find out what it is first.[/quote] Well it 'looks' ok. It's neat, well thought out and someone has gone to the trouble of potting it.

That's going to be a hard one to identify as it was added after market and any helpfull markings are going to be on the pcb... which is now buried under the potting. It's been well though out though - I like the idea of having the two op amps in sockets on the top where they can be replaced without throwing the whole unit away.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1230131' date='May 13 2011, 04:47 PM']At the moment La Bella Black Nylons - 760N[/quote] To wear or to play?

Crikey! This garage conversion is starting to sound better than my house!

Outdoor bass porn and it's only May!

[quote name='TheGreek' post='1230221' date='May 13 2011, 05:54 PM']I picked up my acoustic bass today - it's been sitting unused on a stand for a while now - noticed that the brass strings were filthy and that it lacked tone. Can anybody recommend a good set of strings? I do like a light guage - normally .40s but I'll prefer .35s where these are available..[/quote] You don't have a lot of choices when it comes to Bronzewound bass strings, certainly unlikely to find .035 or .040s. Most people I know who own an acoustic bass guitar tend to just stick on stainless steel or nickelwound strings for convenience.

[quote name='petetexas' post='1229866' date='May 13 2011, 12:50 PM']Hi , Just bought an Ampeg SVT 115E Classic Cab, because of its sound and lightness. Went on to Ampeg web site, states the weight as 72lbs ! Actual weight of cab ( the one I bought ) 48lb ! Rang Loud Tech - they say the cab weight is 72lb - taken from Ampeg web site! Have I got one with something missing I will find out soon, as I have ordered another ! Anyone else found these "light" cabs ? Pete[/quote] Well, provided there's actually a speaker in the cab, it sounds like Ampeg have got a typo on their website - it's too big a difference to be a spec change. If you're feeling shortchanged you could always put a paving slab in the bottom of the cab...

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1229996' date='May 13 2011, 02:50 PM']I take your point about planning the frame well. It seems that I need to think in terms of allowing 600mm from stud-centre to stud-centre.[/quote] And don't forget channeling for cables - I use plastic pipe in stud walls with a draw string in it so I can add more cables at a later date if I need to...

[quote name='Doddy' post='1229337' date='May 12 2011, 09:34 PM']so I've put DiMarzio pickups in,series/parallel switch,chrome pickup cover,Hipshot Xtender key,Badass bridge, new neckplate,straplocks,new nut and then run it through a Sadowsky preamp. I love it.[/quote] Why have I got the theme tune to The Six Million Dollar Man running around in my head?