icastle

[quote name='deaky' post='1171292' date='Mar 21 2011, 08:52 PM']I am gonna change the pickguard on my Geddy Lee Jazz and just wondered if its just a simple case of taking the screws out and screwing the new one or is it not that easy?[/quote] More or less. The screw holes might not line up so you may have to drill some new ones in the body (the old ones will be hidden under the scratchplate so not a big deal). You might have to do a little scratchplate sandpapering in the cutout for the neck - they're sometimes a bit too snug.

[quote name='blackmn90' post='1171286' date='Mar 21 2011, 08:46 PM']amp just seems to be spluttering out lumps of noise, any ideas what it could be?[/quote] First thought was why have you let a guitarist plug into it?... The first port of call, and the easiest one to try a fix out on, would be the 12AX7 valve running the preamp. EDIT: Is this National Hartke Breakdown Week? This is the third one in three days!!!

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1171280' date='Mar 21 2011, 08:44 PM']and if you ever want a cat....he's your man![/quote] Yep - I'm doing them in handy sized bulk packs as well...

I'm a Peavey fan [b]but[/b] since Roland announced their new Cube 120XL combo, a lot of stores are knocking out the Cube 100 for about the same price as the Peavey. I had an old model Cube 60 many amps ago and it was awesome.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1171208' date='Mar 21 2011, 08:10 PM']I presume so but ever since I started wearing the tinfoil hat I've not noticed it much.[/quote] Tinfoil hat? Man, what a let down... I was expecting copper tape and a trailing lead to a ray bridge...

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' post='1171117' date='Mar 21 2011, 07:10 PM']I'd encourage the use of something a little less robust that superglue - there'll likely be a time you'll want to move that screw again, and superglue can be quite permanent in a completely annoying way.[/quote] Unless you use an activator with it, superglue will just dry brittle against two metal surfaces. Rotating the grub screw with an appropriately sized allen key will just cause the glue 'film' to shatter. Using that 99p for 6 tubes stuff that you get in the bargain shops will break even easier.

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1171152' date='Mar 21 2011, 07:33 PM']Is that likely to be an expensive repair? Also will it damage the amp in any way? It used to be fine, he's only noticed it in the last day or so and has had the amp for a while.[/quote] It has the potential to be expensive in labour. If it is an electrolytic breaking down then the parts aren't hugely expensive, the hard part is going to be working out which part it actually is - you can't just stick a meter across it ot see if it's working or not.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1171127' date='Mar 21 2011, 07:14 PM']I used to get something very similar off a radar that was stationed a few miles from me.[/quote] Are they still looking for you?

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1171108' date='Mar 21 2011, 07:06 PM']Yeah like a metronome. Should probably leave it really, he could do with it![/quote] You mean git. It sounds to me like an electrolytic breaking down (hence the rhythmic click as it discharges, recovers and then discharges again). Problem is going to be locating which one it is - they are a s*d to test and I can't find a circuit diagram for a B212.

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1170976' date='Mar 21 2011, 05:52 PM']Hi all I wonder if anyone could shed some light on a problem my lodger is having with his amp, a 70s Yamaha B212 combo. It's developed a "clicking" sound, more noticeable when treble is turned up, the rear pickup is selected or when hands aren't in contact with the strings/hardware. We've swapped leads and it still does it. Also plugged my bass in and it does it when the treble knob is anywhere but rolled off. The amp also has 2 seperate channels, each with seperate high and low inputs (making 4 total inputs) and it does it with all of them. Sound clip attached. What do we think?[/quote] Is it a fairly regular clicking?

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1171040' date='Mar 21 2011, 06:31 PM']Ian is a top fella with garden advice too [/quote] Yep - half a ton of readymix usually does the trick...

[quote name='silddx' post='1170903' date='Mar 21 2011, 04:58 PM']If you think the effects v no effects debate is a little steamy, try the analogue effects v digital effects one for the full on volcano.[/quote] Digital for me, less danger of spelling it wrong.

[quote name='Gust0o' post='1170878' date='Mar 21 2011, 04:44 PM']So... a couple of months back I managed to destroy a pot on my Hartke 3500 head. A quick disassemble convinced me I knew absolutely nothing about anything worthwhile, and would need some expert help in replacing the pot without tampering with the rest of the head's electronics. I posted on here, and explored some options with Korg, before iCastle very kindly offered to lend me a hand - if I got a spare pot, not only would he replace it for free, but he'd show me how to do it too! Ok, so my wife binned the first pot I ordered; then she re-ordered a 100k pot for a 10k job, but yesterday Ian kindly put my head back together - with an explanation of the do's don'ts of soldering circuit boards Brilliant! Oh, and I got a cuppa too and a look at all his cool gear. So, I wanted to say thanks to Ian - this is a great forum we have and it's full of great people, who will make time to answer silly questions or lend a hand. I hope it never changes, as I'm certainly grateful. Cheers Ian![/quote] No problem Gus. I didn't mention it at the time in case I scared you, but the first amp I ever repaired kept blowing fuses. I drew a diagram of the circuit board and wrote down all the component values on it, replaced the fuse with a bolt and plugged it in down the bottom of the garden using an extension lead. Once the smoke had cleared I got replacement parts for the charred ones and used my dads old soldering iron (it was for soldering lead pipes and I needed both hands to lift it up!) to put the new parts in. I was only 6 though and I've got a little bit better at it since then...

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='1170838' date='Mar 21 2011, 04:26 PM']These speakers have no fans........literally and metaphorically! Have checked out the speaker specs.... Nominal sensitivity: Line input +4 dbu (line level at max) mic input from -5dbu to -35 dbu Mixer specs are: max output level +28 dbu But a Shure 58 microphone plugged straight into the mic-in ( no mixer) causes the clip light to come in a low volumes whereas plugged into the line -in there is almost no volume or clipping. Surely ( no pun) a system like this should be designed to take an industry standard mic without clipping?[/quote] According to the Shure website, a bog standard SM58 is -54.5 dbu. The other industry favourite, the SM57 is also -54.5 dbu.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='1170755' date='Mar 21 2011, 03:09 PM']Right, can u/s what you say about gain and am going to try different outputs now. However the humm/buzz I get is there with nothing connected other than the mains power leads to the Speakers and starts when I switch them on , irrespective of volume or no volume and have tried them at another house and they do the same....![/quote] Well if the hum/buzz is there even when the volume is turned fully down then perhaps it could be a 'mechanical' failure. With that in mind and without hearing the noise, my first guess would be that it has to be poor quality/faulty or damaged transformers within the cabs. If they get damaged then the windings can vibrate at 50Hz which will sound like a buzz - especially noticeable in an enclosure designed to throw as much sound out as it can possibly manage to. The other 'mechanical thing' that can do it is a badly routed piece of cable getting clipped by a cooling fan (if your cabs use them that is!) - I've known PC's make a hell of a racket when this has happened.

[quote name='motoxross' post='1170667' date='Mar 21 2011, 01:52 PM']Thanks guys. It turns out I have been using 4A fuses but not slow blow ones. So everything should be back to normal from now on. Thanks again much appreciated.[/quote] Excellent! Glad you're sorted now

It's a bog standard 6A rated IEC lead. The mains input socket of the amp has a 6.2A fuse in it. The computer lead you used will have a 3A fuse in it and will therefore blow when you switch on the amp (the amp can potentially draw 12A momentarily when you power it on). You need to pull the fuse out of the mains lead and replace it with a 13A one - the 6.2A fuse in the mains input socket provides suitable protection.

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1170118' date='Mar 20 2011, 09:54 PM']Mind you, I played at The Vic bikers pub there a few months ago and the place was packed....a brilliant gig! It probably helped that the rest of the band are locals though....[/quote] I've seen it but I've never been in - I kinda figured that they didn't mean mountain bikes...

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1170098' date='Mar 20 2011, 09:43 PM']Ha ha... you mean the tourist hot-spot of NW Leics? For anyone who's not familiar with the place, it really is as glamourous as it sounds! Mind you, its only a few miles down the road from me.....[/quote] Coalville - If the world had piles, that's where they'd be...

[quote name='Evil Undead' post='1170066' date='Mar 20 2011, 09:28 PM']Hmm, I wonder if this is the case? Lack of playing leading to loss of hand strength... sore hand leading to not wanting to play as much... vicious circle perhaps?[/quote] Yep. Obviously it's a bit of a guess - I've never met you and know nothing about you as a person, but that was my first thought when I saw this post after your other one about having a sore hand. Have a ponder and see if it was an accurate guess. If so, knowing where the problem has come from is a great first step towards putting it right because at least you'll know which direction to go!

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1169903' date='Mar 20 2011, 07:55 PM']Who needs to be good when you can just tell everyone on the net that you are? [/quote] I'm [s]brilliant[/s] [s]superb[/s] [s]fantastic[/s] [s]reasonable[/s] [s]ok[/s] ok on tuesdays

[quote name='Evil Undead' post='1169868' date='Mar 20 2011, 07:38 PM']is a bit of a problem lately I think I've just decided that I suck at bass and will never really be any good, but that's never bothered me before I've always known that! So how do you guys deal with crisis in confidence, lack of motivation, generic laziness etc?[/quote] Perhaps this is where your sore hand is coming from? You're stuck in a bit of a loop, you lack motivation to practice therefore you are losing confidence and lack the motivation to practice... Fixing either one of those problems will fix the other one! Lack of motivation can be awkward because it may be rooted in a number of other things going on in your life that you can't do anything about. If you're confident enough to share your perceived ack of confidence with a group of people you've never met, then perhaps that's the ohe you need to attack first. Have a look around your local area for a 'plug and play' night. Go along and see what they're like - there'll be a whole bunch of people with less musical ability than yourself and some who are far better. The 'better' one's are generally enthusiastic and supportive and rarely condescending or arrogant. Watch them all play and work out where you are in that mix of people. Once you've been a couple of times... turn up armed with your bass and show them what you can do.

[quote name='risingson' post='1169810' date='Mar 20 2011, 06:58 PM']I don't like using compression live either in a lot of situations, although at bigger gigs with decent soundsystems/sound guys then it certainly has it's uses. In the studio of course it's an entirely different story. I assume iCastle probably means a similar thing?[/quote] Something like that. At larger gigs they're useful as they can increase the overall gain without the transient peaks flying over the peak threshold of the amps and can give the impression of 'seperation' as well. Used properly in a studio they create a consistent dynamic range. The most important two words in the above paragraph are [b]used properly[/b].

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1169604' date='Mar 20 2011, 03:41 PM']I think the reason there's no demand for them is because nobody's really that bothered about solving such a minor problem, especially not with such a sledgehammer solution.[/quote] I suspect that the majority of players didn't even realise they had a problem until the solution appeared.

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1169169' date='Mar 20 2011, 08:23 AM']Does such a thing exist? [/quote] Coalville?