icastle

[quote name='gelfin' post='1198783' date='Apr 13 2011, 10:01 PM']Starting to dig a hole for myself here. [/quote] Yep, but you can keep your seperate earth spike company...

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1198725' date='Apr 13 2011, 09:19 PM']Should have bought a Warwick.... Padded gigbag, tool kit, manual, straplocks, wax, duster, label telling me what woods were used, when and where it was made etc![/quote] ...and a handy sticker saying 'this way up'..?

[quote name='Hector' post='1198753' date='Apr 13 2011, 09:38 PM']It is a speakon! Does the above advice still apply?[/quote] Sorry, you said 'jack' earlier so I assumed you weren't using the speakon. Asuming you are using a speakon<>speakon lead, will both ends of the cable lock into the speaker cab properly? If they do, then the amp socket is probably defective. Chassis mounted speakons are generally moulded units, so repairing them is pretty much a non starter (and they're only a couple of quid to replace anyway). If the amp is still under warranty then get MarkBass to sort it out for you.

[quote name='bob_pickard' post='1198627' date='Apr 13 2011, 08:06 PM']sounds like the metal spring clips in the socket to me....easy fix really[/quote] +1 Classic description of a jack socket failure.

I don't remember getting anything with mine apart from the dangly tag thing that told me it was fitted with Elixir strings. You're not missing much though, Ibanez is now using a generic instruction manual (available on the Ibanez website) and the allen keys used are bog standard metric ones that most of us have rattling about in the bottom of the odds and sods box.

Daftest thing is that it is perfectly feasible to use part of the 'anti thump' delay that many amps have to sense the incoming voltage and route it to the appropriate transformer taps. The components would add about £10 to the manufacturing costs of the amp (so about £40 to the consumer) and make it pretty much bomb proof.

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='1197667' date='Apr 13 2011, 12:01 AM']Sadly, a genuine one from MusicRadar - avoid your 'elephant-ear' style bass tuners being knocked onstage by cutting them off with a hacksaw. I'm NOT joking [/quote] And I bet someone on Expert Village will have a video showing how to do it!

Keep your guitar leads in a portable refridgerator on stage. The lower temperature of the copper wire will allow better frequency response.

[quote name='aemberson' post='1196972' date='Apr 12 2011, 04:13 PM']Basically I've been playing bass for about 5 years because a mate of mine needed a bassist. I was an average chord basher guitar player before so always used a pick. Have been trying to move away from always using a pick as I feel that it is restricting my speed to play better and more complicated riffs. Here lies the issue. In comparison to using a pick I can't get a decent level of volume when I play anything except the E string using just my fingers! Feel like a complete prat!! Any tips and anything would be a great help. Cheers[/quote] It's just a practice thing. As you get more used to relying on your fingers they'll get stronger and you'll become more confident/competent at hitting the string and getting a consistant note. Try keeping it as simple as possible to begin with. Start by just using your index finger until you can get a consistent attack and volume across all the strings. Once you have got the hang of that then let your middle finger join in with the party. Practice getting an equal attack and volume again and then try varying volume and attack so you can vary the sound without playing with knobs. That's as far as many bass players bother going it seems. If you want to go a step further then bring your third finger along and maybe the little finger as well and try practising runs whilst moving the 'hit point' up and down the string to accentuate particular phrases or notes. EDIT: I am the worlds worst teacher so all I've done here is to try and describe, in words instead of visually, a way of getting a grip on finger playing. There are no 'universally right' ways of doing it, but this would work for me if I had to relearn stuff.

I've never really suffered from GAS. As long as me and my gear is able to deliver what I expect from it then I'm happy.

[quote name='Wil' post='1196732' date='Apr 12 2011, 12:57 PM']Whenever I'm in the practice room I am faced with a quandry - should I utilise the active EQ built into my bass to shape my sound, or set everything flat and leave the EQing to my Sansamp? More often than not I find myself leaving the basses' EQ alone entirely and using the amp, but am I missing a trick? Is there any advantage to using more than one EQ stage?[/quote] I tend to do it the other way round - I leave the amp pretty much flat and control everything on the bass as far as I can.

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='1196733' date='Apr 12 2011, 12:59 PM']£200. That's more like it. If they lost the EQ section and £50 it would be spot on.[/quote] +1 In fact I'd question whether the volume control was needed as whatever preamp is used will already have one. Could cut another £20 off the price then as well...

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1196118' date='Apr 11 2011, 07:37 PM']Andy Taylor was the guitarist... Roger Taylor was the drummer! [/quote] Which one was the bassoon player then?

Reading through his website stuff, it seems he doesn't actually make basses as a business and he's only selling these to make space! Some of them are a little bit too 'odd' for my taste but they are certainly well executed pieces of work.

There's an "english" link on the top menu.

[quote name='Wooks79' post='1195233' date='Apr 10 2011, 11:49 PM']If I am wrong, please site right, but as far as I can read it, I for example, couldn't put an SVT 3pro through my 2 ampeg 8 ohm 1x15 cabs??[/quote] You can. You just don't want to be cranking the amp up to '10'.

According to the specification, the cooling fan is temperature controlled, suggesting that it doesn't do anything until a particular temperature is reached.

[quote name='Oscar South' post='1194391' date='Apr 10 2011, 10:56 AM']This is a band that you can get some enjoyment out of, but if you don't really get it, your best off just off just keeping quiet![/quote] LMAO Ok I'll be quiet.

[quote name='stevie' post='1194346' date='Apr 10 2011, 10:15 AM']I agree with this. It's all about image and who uses your product. It's critical. Let's face it, who wants to go on stage with a Benson or a Lindo?[/quote] Nah. I use Ibanez, Fender and ESP but they still manage to sell them anyway...

Hmmm... It's lacking a certain 'something'.... ...Oh yes, silly me... a tune...

I'd have no hesitation in choosing an SR series bass. I've been using an SR505 for well over 5 years now and it works just fine, they're reputed to have the fastest (and slimmest) necks of any production bass and they're well balanced and light.

[quote name='parker_muse' post='1194100' date='Apr 9 2011, 09:59 PM']When you think of great basses - its always the classics that come to mind. Fenders, Gibsons, G+L, Musicman etc etc. Yet Yamaha have been around for 30 years and always seem the 'geeky brother' of the bass world. I'd never really sat down and had a go on a yammy until a few weeks ago, and i've now played a BB424 and a TRB1004. Both basses were beautiful, sounded smooth (piano tone, so even compared to Fenders i've played) and moreover built like tanks. I've never sat down with something that felt that 'solid'. Now i have major GAS for tom's TRB 1004 on here. What do Yamaha have to do to break into the top tier of bassy conciousness?[/quote] Yamaha piano's have been world leaders for years, the Yamaha DX7 and DX9 were the mainstay of the keyboardist in the 80's. Yamaha drums are considered by many drummers to be damn good and their brass\woodwind has done reasonably well for itself over the years. Yamaha acoustic guitars are in amongst the top tier and Yamaha PA and studio gear has managed to hold it's own in a specialised market. But, yes, you are totally right - it is odd that they haven't managed to get 'in there' alongside the other iconic brands when it comes to basses. The only thing I can think of is that Yamaha basses have had 'budget ranges' throughout whilst the likes of Fender, Gibson etc. have always priced themseles in the top bracket (prior to MIM and Squire of course). I have to say that I've always excluded Yamaha from my selections because I remember those budget models from the 80's. I'll have to take a closer look the next time I'm in the market for another instrument...

If you want the full story behind the FenderBird then check it out [url="http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/gear/bass/bass7174.html"]here[/url].

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='1193993' date='Apr 9 2011, 07:17 PM']It's a bit late now, but isn't there something about "discharging" a transformer before you start fiddling with it as it retains its mains voltage?[/quote] Nope. That's the smoothing capacitors - but they only retain the voltage the transformer is stepping down to.

[quote name='Johnston' post='1193889' date='Apr 9 2011, 04:48 PM']And what was the cactus all about [/quote] I reckon that was just an excuse to introduce multiple prickles...