B.Flat

Hello all. Firstly I do not know if this is the right forum for this topic, I have put it on Repairs an Technical also. I have, after fifteen years of trying since my beloved '77 Stingray was stolen, found a bass that could be "the one". Nothing extra-special, just a 1980 Ibanez RS924 in natural finish. The DiMarzio P & J pickups are fine in passive mode and the two-band active tone mode allows useful tweaking. However I since added a Stellartone Bass 11 Tonestyler which operates independently from the passive & active tones............result PERFECT (for me at least). Now comes 'the insect in the ointment', it weighs about 5kgs. I have a Damian Erskine DuoStrap, which a least spreads the load over both shoulders, but still not easy at my age. So now to the point of this topic. I have been considering having a new swamp ash body made. The current body weighs about 3.25kgs. My main concern is that I might loose the voice that the instrument has at present; So, any advice, comments or is there anybody out there who has done this body transplant or had experience of neck and hardware on different density bodies?? If yes with what results ? I will be very grateful for any assistance in coming to a decision

Hello all. OK, no connection with Frankenstein but hear me out. Firstly I do not know if this is the right forum, the build forum might be better. I might put it on both. I have, after fifteen years of trying since my beloved '77 Stingray was stolen, found a bass that could be "the one". Nothing extra-special, just a 1980 Ibanez RS924 in natural finish. The DiMarzio P & J pickups are fine in passive mode and the two-band active tone mode allows useful tweaking. However I since added a Stellartone Bass 11 Tonestyler which operates independently from the passive & active tones............result PERFECT (for me at least). Now comes 'the insect in the ointment', it weighs about 5kgs. I have a Damian Erskine DuoStrap, which a least spreads the load over both shoulders, but still not easy at my age. So now to the point of this topic. I have been considering having a new swamp ash body made. The current body weighs about 3.25kgs. My main concern is that I might loose the voice that the instrument has at present; So, any advice, comments or is there anybody out there who has done this body transplant? If yes with what results ? I look forward to replies..........I am agog. (Eric Clapton was thought to be agog in 1968 I understand)

Thankyou obbm, itu, rmorris & Hellzero, I am grateful for the fast and informative replies, thank you again. One way or another the problem has been solved by you, and I will let you know how it turns out. The bass is Japanese and the pots ref. letter is G for the active tones and D for the volume. I am assuming this is G = Linear, D = Audio. Can anyone confirm ?

I am hoping to consolidate two tone pots to a single dual con. pot , but the original values are bass 20K and treble 100K. The only odd value concentric pot I have found so far is a Fender 250/500K version. Can anyone suggest a solution to the problem or point to a supplier. I have to add that my electronics knowledge is sparse, so layman's version please !

OK, I have answered my own question with a Google search.................D'Addario's............in this case nickel wound super light......The G string is obviously not D'Addario as it should be green !

Hi all. OK, a very simple question. I am trying to identify a wire-wound string set on a bass I have just bought. The single most obvious detail is the anchor bobbins. They are colored,.......... gold E, red A, grey D & silver G. I am sure I have seen them before from some very well-known mfg, but I cannot remember who ! Any help would be great.

My B1on effect AC Bs Pre is one that I particularly like. I have tried to run the output of the B1on into the input of the B3n so that I can use it but I am not happy with the result. Any advice or comments on this ?

No Luke you are not missing something, I am...........numerous brain cells apparently. On re-reading jimfists' contribution I think the clue lies in the "implementing the volume/expression pedal" statement, which means of course exactly what it says.......... .............I HAVE TO PLUG IN THE VOLUME/EXPRESSION PEDAL.....!!!!!! Visiting times are posted in the day room, but don't all come at the same time, that gets Matron very perplexed.

Help! I think I must have contracted 'Auld-timers" (?) Please can someone explain the difference between DSP % and DSP power, if there is one. I have tried to add the OutputVP (DSP 3%) to patches showing DSP 45% (total 48%, I can still add up!) only to find the "Process Overflow" message. I have not tried to add it to any 7 effect patches, but get the same result on 4 & 5 effect patches, all showing less than Dsp 100%. Can any kind person explain ? I'll just give matron a call and book a bed by the window......................

OK, I know I am a "Richard" head, just found it in the effects pool. Take my advice just tread water when you get to 65ish, don't go further........ stay forever young !

Forgive my ignorance but is this OutputVP only accessible through MIDI ?

Yes, I have downloaded and find the same as you, with my B3n & B1on. One other question. When I was deliberating between B3 or B3n I was sure a trawl had brought up a fairly realistic acoustic upright bass patch. However, forgetting to mark it I cannot find it again. Has anyone else found it and, if yes, could you please put the location up on here?

Hi Al Krow, thanks, the old man is significantly happier now !! You have saved me a lot of time ( and I don't know how much I've got !)

Hi all ! Can anyone out there send me the effects and their settings for the B3n factory patch 59, "Fretless" ? I have changed it but before I had saved the original and also I appear to have deleted the whole factory patch pool. I know I can re-initialise the factory settings but that would mean writing all my (many) user patches down in long-hand so that I could put them back on the B3n. It would be a lot easier if I could just write the original back into patch 59. Anyone who could do this for me would make an old man very happy !!

I have just brought this to the top of the pile in case it might have been missed by someone with info on this instrument

Following Burns-Bass' suggestion I have put the details of my bass below. As it was taken 15 years ago I am not holding my breath but a reunion would seem like a miracle. My stolen Stingray is as described below and any info. as to its whereabouts can be communicated direct to the owner, on 00 33 297 39 30 66, this is a French No. but if you ring me I will ring you back. The instrument is Musicman Stingray Bass, pre-Ernie Ball, in natural finish, a pinkish stain on the back, a small chip in the nut between the E & A strings and a serial No. B003229 (I am pretty sure this was the serial N°. but it could have been B003922). The grain on the body was very straight, even and tight. The volume pot had been replaced with a new one but the two tone pots were original. At the time of the theft the volume knob had a chrome plastic push-on larger knob over it. It was in a Fender black oblong case, red plush lining and a rainbow-striped piece of elastic holding down the accessory compartment lid, and an added shaped piece of wood at the bottom to hold the bottom bout, this was covered on a darker red crushed velvet fabric. The above is an extract from an ad. I placed in the local paper just after the event, when all my guitars were stolenfrom my car about 30 minutes before I set out for the ferry in Plymouth to start my new life and retirement in Brittany.

I am in agreement with all your viewpoints, and thank you for all advice and experiences. I think it will always be a little black stone in the pit of my stomach but I do feel a bit pathetic at my age, after all it is the notes that matter at the end of the day, not equipment !!

Hi all. In my 74th year and still playing, I have never really recovered from the theft of my '77 Stingray some 15 years ago. I used to be a "one bass guy" but since that time I have never really felt so "at home" again and have been through a handful of basses since, though choice limited by pension and her indoors. I did manage to land a year of issue Sabre bass from US but it didn't quite hit the button. So.......... the purpose of this thread is to ask if anyone out there has been able to A/B a pre EB S'Ray with a post EB S'Ray and their conclusions. The date of any compared basses would be useful. I know I should be over this by now, they are only peaces of wood, but heart refuses to be ruled by head !!

Hi all. OK so I have a v.nice Ibanez RS924 with switchable in/out preamp. I would like to put in an S'Ray board I have but retain the active/passive function. At present the Ibanez has passive vol. & tone with switchable bass & treble cut/boost; The plan is to put the S'Ray bass & treble on a dual concentric pot (replacing the original Ibanez bass pot) and the S'Ray vol on a 25K pot (replacing the Ibanez treble pot) This will leave me with a three-way pickup toggle, and a preamp in/out mini paddle switch, both of which I want to retain their function. There will also be the original Ibanez passive vol & tone pots for passive duty. I have full wiring diagrams for both circuits (RS924 complete circuit and MM 2 band circuit) but am lacking the mental ability to work out how to get what I want ! Anybody out there to help an old duffer ? Hope so...........

Thankyou for the replyikay. Can any darkness be compensated for with amp eq, or are the frequencies no longer in the signal to boost?

In a previous question about installing a concentric volume pot on a pj bass I was told that the extra pot would darken the tone. Due to life intervening (as usual) I have not done the mod yet. However, while turning the idea over in my mind, I was thinking that as the original pot was 500K would a dual con. 250K prevent this "darkening" ? The bass is an IBANEZ RS924, which also has a switchable preamp ( bass/treble boost/cut) which shares the vol. pot and passive tone pot remains active. Would either configuration have an effect on the preamp? A final question is, could I fit a ghost coil or other device (buffer ?) to reduce hum when in passive mode ?.

Thanks for your reply Phil. I am just awaiting a bit of kit to be able to precisely rout the holes for the ports

OK. I always thought that a stereo power amp could take differing impedances on each channel. I think this is the point Bill is making. My setup would be two 10"'s wired parallel, 4 ohms, to channel 1 and the 15", 8 ohms, to channel two. I would balance the two tens by reducing the gain on channel 1. Please tell me if I am wrong

Balcro you are another star, along with Bill Fitz ! I am indebted to you both for your advice, many thanks