icastle

[quote name='son of frog' post='1215711' date='Apr 30 2011, 12:23 PM']May give this a go on some "useless bit of hardware" first, Are you guys saying that it will just remove the chrome plating leaving the flat / dull nickel look underneath?[/quote] Yep. Like you said though, try it on something unimportant first.

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1215590' date='Apr 30 2011, 10:33 AM']Yee Haa....I've actually contributed something that is both useful and correct! (there's a first time for everything) [/quote] I can remember doing an experiment back in the olden days, we dropped one of the old style ringpulls into the remnants of a can of coke - three days later it had dissolved into a grey sludge in the bottom of the can.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1215687' date='Apr 30 2011, 12:06 PM']I love how the car analogy knocks the roadworn argument on it's ass every time. [/quote] The thing I find wierd about this whole 'roadworn' image thing is that I can't think of another consumer retail chain where people buy knackered looking merchandise...

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1215657' date='Apr 30 2011, 11:48 AM']Yamamahs super BBs are treated to imitate this older wood as again [i]supposidly[/i] there is always sap in wood (even in minute amounts) and as it ages it crystalises and "how far along being crystalised" as it were is what effects the sound and Yamaha use stuff (soundwaves and pressure is my guess) to artificaly crystalise the sap, in the same way that "fake" diamonds and "fake" amber are made, and by "fake" i mean the ones which classed as real but are made in a lab or studio etc as you can tell the difference in the shapping and the structure of the molecules[/quote] Yamaha have a machine that subjects the wood to high pressure and then they introduce a chemical into the chamber (I think it's something as simple as acetic acid). The pressure forces the chemical into the cell structure of the wood and that dries out the water/sap. It's the same principle they use for pressure treated timbers used for window frames and roof joists.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1215619' date='Apr 30 2011, 11:12 AM']But then again there is fashion, peer pressure and also the element of kudos that can be bought with a pre-worn guitar because people perceive you to be a more serious player if you play a battered old guitar like the greats do.[/quote] I wonder if the same would work if Jeremy Clarkson to start driving around in a knackered old Vauxhall Chevette... The market for spray on rust, custom dented doors and patchwork body panels could be massive...

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='1215622' date='Apr 30 2011, 11:15 AM']1) If a bass is made with non-optimally-dried wood (i.e. probably most of the mass-produced basses on the planet), and the wood then dries out as it ages, can that offer any change/improvement in tone (acoustically at least... let's ignore for now the possibility that the electrics are more important)? (Or will it just knack the finish?)[/quote] Depends at which point the wood is being dried. If it's at the pre-production phase then there may be a small difference. If it's post production then most basses are sealed with layers of primer so the chances of the wood drying out are seriously curtailed.

[quote name='krispn' post='1215406' date='Apr 29 2011, 11:01 PM']A little bit left field but I heard a great statement recently on some online video The guy said there is no such thing as wrong notes - its just sometimes the case your not playing the notes someone elese wants to hear or expected.[/quote] Try hitting an F# while everyone else is hitting a C and see how wrong a note can sound...

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1215274' date='Apr 29 2011, 07:58 PM']My g/f reckons I have no structure![/quote] I told her that you're probably just tired or stressed...

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1214977' date='Apr 29 2011, 02:59 PM']I'd jump at the chance of playing in a band like yours again (probably) I was offered an audition tonight actually, but declined after seeing a set list..... I just couldn't ever see myself playing Valerie, Sweet child o' mine, Walking on sunshine etc..... (shudder)[/quote] But surely the biggest part of playing live music is to entertain? It shouldn't really matter if you're playing in a punk covers band or playing Agadoodoodoo (I've done both in one day!). It's a damn sight easier to hook up with musicians who play the sort of stuff you like if you're actually playing - even if it's stuff you don't like.

Fret wire usually comes as a length which you chop down to size as needed. Try [url="http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/guitar-bass-parts/fretwire-c-277_1_129.html"]here[/url]. HTH

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1214947' date='Apr 29 2011, 02:42 PM']I walked out of a band a few months ago cos I wasn't enjoying it (seems that they had a mate waiting in the wings, so they made things unpleasant for me til I left) I've taken a break and TBH, am thinking that maybe I should pack it in as well. I can't get enthusiastic about music at all and the thought of joining another band fills me with dread! It just seems like too much trouble and effort.[/quote] That's not a failing on your part as a bass player, it's a failing on their part for not having the b*lls to be honest. Anyway, it's unlikely you'd be in the same band as me so what on earth have you got to dread?

Hmmm... sounds to me like the band put into words what you were already feeling about your position there. It certainly doesn't sound like a good enough reason to give up though. The old adage 'a change is as good as a break' might come in handy here. Get your ar*e out there and go play some different musical styles. It'll give your confidence a boost, add to the skills you already have and nurture a new sense of creativity. Chin up mate.

[quote name='Ben Jamin' post='1214506' date='Apr 29 2011, 07:39 AM']Also is it possible to return the D'Addarios for a new set from Stringsdirect? I figure it's a bit of a long shot because I've already trimmed the other four?[/quote] Absolutely no chance I'd imagine. Your best bet would be to pop down to your local music shop and see what single B strings they have in stock that have tapered windings at the ball end.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1212212' date='Apr 26 2011, 11:51 PM']Yep Coca Cola will do it. I once dunked a set of grubby tuners in coke over night (thought I give them a decent soak as they were real manky) I came down in the morning and that sh*t had eaten right through to the nickel. Gutted.[/quote] Yep - coke contains phosphoric acid which absolutely loves chrome...

Kay were a low end guitar manufacturer - their instruments adorned many beginners bedrooms in the mid 80's. Most, if not all, of their guitars were manufactured in laminate (plywood) and their only claim to fame is that they were the first guitar manufacturer to adopt this material.

[quote name='Michael Currie' post='1210960' date='Apr 25 2011, 03:46 PM']Yeah, I crimped and heatshrunk those wires together.[/quote] By 'crimp' - do you mean you've used one of those red sleeved tubes that you poke the wires into and then crush using a crimp tool?

Bostik is no use for this - it's flexible after setting, hence the problems you are having. Superglue dries rigid.

[quote name='Sawtooth' post='1209478' date='Apr 23 2011, 08:12 PM']If this were the case ... what would you do?[/quote] ...about ten years...

[quote name='ben604' post='1209550' date='Apr 23 2011, 09:41 PM']One of our active cabs has blown a t4a fuse of which we don't have a spare handy. Can we use any other for the evening safely?[/quote] Not really. Use an F type fuse and it'll blow before the unit has completely powered up and using a value other than 4A will either cause it to blow straight away or render the unit unsafe. That fuse is the first line of defence between you and a trip to hospital...

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1209552' date='Apr 23 2011, 09:44 PM']The virtually brand new Ray 2EQ H has that annoying static noise that goes when you touch any part of the metal on the bass.[/quote] You have a poor earth connection somewhere inside the bass.

[quote name='Johnston' post='1208898' date='Apr 23 2011, 08:33 AM']Go on admit it you're taking the piss .[/quote] As if I would...

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='1208785' date='Apr 22 2011, 11:45 PM']I.e. do it to some useless part to test first.[/quote] I can feel a drummer joke rearing it's head here any second now...

[quote name='son of frog' post='1208724' date='Apr 22 2011, 10:36 PM'] haha, yes indeed, i'd love to know if there is a quicker way, I would have thought although urine does have corrosive properties it is also great at sterilising things, so would potentially just remove any minor corrosion likely to occur?[/quote] Have you considered using matte spray? It's a clear acrylic spray that they use on film sets to remove metallic reflections and is supposedly permanant (as opposed to dulling spray which is wax based and wipes off after shooting).

[quote name='son of frog' post='1208684' date='Apr 22 2011, 09:42 PM']Hey guys, had a search and a little look and couldn't find anything on this, also didn't really know where to post this? but here will do... Basically i'm building a 1962 P Bass, from various parts etc. and i was wondering, Have Fender started releasing Road Worn bass tuners / bridges, as separate items? I had a look on ebay, all i can find is old vintage ones, which are hugely expensive and may suffer from age related issues. I want aged looking hardware really but without the drawbacks of aged hardware, If fender haven't started making them separate parts yet, is there any way i can age chrome hardware to get that look, I've always wondered how fender did it, I'm guessing some form of magnetic stripping process... if i didn't just make that up! -Tom[/quote] You just made that up. I get the impression that the vintage stuff is chemically etched. There have been a number of threads on here about that and a lot of suggestions as to methods - everything from brillo pads to urine. I've not seen the results after experimenting though - perhaps one of our intrepid machine head watersports experts could let us know how they got on...

[quote name='deanbean502' post='1208691' date='Apr 22 2011, 09:50 PM']How easy is it to replace the tubes within a head? and more to the question why would you upgrade from stock tubes? answers on the back of a postcard[/quote] Dead easy - they just pull out of the sockets. As to why you'd want to do this... well the obvious answer is to replace dead valves but some people reckon that changing valves for other makes/equivalents makes a difference to the sound.