TRBboy

Was great to meet everyone, sorry I wasn't very chatty, I didn't feel 100%. It would have been good to have more there, but hopefully next time there will be!

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1322772947' post='1455818'] I've just done that very thing. It took a 3 pole rotary switch, but I can select either coil, both series or both parallel. No idea how it sounds as the bass has no neck or strings. I'll let you know on Sunday :-) [/quote] Hmmmm...... Interesting! That sounds like what I want to do. The main thing for me is I'd like to get a nice single coil pick sound, preferably using the neck coil if possible. Let us know what it sounds like!

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1322772830' post='1455816'] Series/Parallel is ok but you might want to experiment with it first with your bass as it might not seem worth the agro. I find in the MM spot it doesn't have a massive impact (just loud/quiet to put it crudely) but in the P spot it yields more definable results. A push/pull knob would allow you to include a switch into your circuit without having to drill any fresh holes... plus it's reversible if you decide not to go with it. If you wanted to go and do it anyway, I use a 3 way DPDT (on/on/on) switch for it on my guitars. [/quote] Thanks Ou7shined, I guess I'm more interested in splitting it to use as a single coil than switching to series really, although if it's easy I may as well do it all at the same time! I don't have any measurements to back this up, but I think the pickup on my Sandberg might be slightly further forward than on a 'ray, looking at the distance between the bridge saddles and pickup.

I have a Sandberg Basic, which has a single MM humbucker. Whilst I love the bass, I got to thinking that it would be much more versatile if I could split the pickup to use in a single coil mode. I haven't had chance to have a rummage inside yet, but I'm guessing that as long as the pickup is four conductor, I could wire in a toggle switch to do Parallel/Single coil/Series, like a Stingray with a three-way switch. Is this right? If it is, could I get a toggle that would do the job, or would I have to get a blade style switch like a 'ray? Would much prefer a toggle if at all possible..... Anyone got any thoughts on this? Your opinion is much appreciated! Ta

Thanks Nige. I'm gonna be a bit late by the way.

Does anyone know if there's anywhere to get food nearby?

[quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1322345689' post='1449847'] Guys I have a bit of a Family emergency going on, nothing too serious bu8t won't be able to make it. Sorry =( [/quote] Don't worry about it, hope everthing's ok.

I'm a Health and Safety Professional, and when I took my qualifications, we were told that a handful of people die every year from putting a 9v battery on their tongue. Apparently, it is usually because the victim has an underlying heart irregularity which they are unaware of, and the charge from the battery is just enough to f*** them up. Don't know how accurate this is, it's just what we were told by our tutor.

Apologies if I'm saying the same as anyone else, I've only skimmed over the thread! I'm in a rock covers band too, and I try to use whatever technique was on the record. It's not that we try to play everything EXACTLY as the original ([b]a.[/b]because we're not good enough to and/or don't have the same setup, and [b]b.[/b] because we do like to put our own stamp on it a little), but I think that getting the right sound can sometimes help a song sound much more familiar and satisfying to the audience. I'm predominantly a fingerstyle player too (and always have been), but I think that you need to use a pick sometimes to get the right sound. We do "The Boys Are Back In Town" and "She" (by Greenday) and I couldn't imagine playing either with my fingers, it just wouldn't sound right at all IMHO. Because I'm switching between pick and fingers throughout the set, I do sometimes start playing a song and think "why does this feel weird?" and then realise I'm using the wrong one! I guess when it comes down to it, you're the bass player so you're best qualified to know what is best for the bass parts in your band. If it's just the keyboard player bleating on about using a pick, stand your ground and do what you believe is right. If the whole band are saying it, maybe you've just got to swallow your pride and grab your pick......... Hope this helps in some way.

just to warn everyone, I don't look quite myself at the moment......... I'm sporting a particularly dodgy mustache for Movember!

A US standard jazz was my main bass since 1997 until a few months ago. I sold it after discovering Sandberg. I've got nothing against Fenders, but my advice would be to try out some of the modern Jazz's, to see if they work for you. It is a classic design, but I think quite a few manufacturers have shown that it can be improved upon (although of course some of them cost a help of a lot more!) For similar money, i'd try to have a go on Sandberg, Clover, Mayones, etc, and see what you think.

[quote name='Ian Savage' timestamp='1322053290' post='1445853'] Ah well, be nice to put faces to names anyway; shall be driving over, dumping gear then taking car home again so there WILL be some nice steady drinking going on [/quote] Alright for some! I've got about a 1 1/2 hour drive home, so no chance of me drinking! I'll have to make do with a shandy.....

I agree with all of the above, you really need to use a pillar drill to get it as good as you can. I always use masking tape if I'm doing any sort of drilling on a guitar; It's nice to mark up on, helps to stop the drill bit slipping, and can help reduce the risk of splitting out/chipping/cracking.

Hmmmm..... Not many is it! Should we PM the guys at the bottom of the list who were down as "won't know 'til nearer the time"?

Ah, what a shame! Bring it along anyway PLEASE Dave!

Well?......... Dry or not?!

[quote name='essexbasscat' timestamp='1321802109' post='1443157'] The idea of adjusting your guitar until happy works fine much of the time. But what if you are setting up a guitar and desire [b]a lower string height than the build quality of the guitar will allow[/b] ? or you are setting up an instrument for someone else and they require a lower height than the instrument in it's current state will allow ? or the instrument's owner requires a certain spec ? This is the kind of situation that may be presented to the luthier. [/quote] That's exactly the problem - you're fighting a losing battle from the start! EDIT: Apologies, jumped in before I'd read all the posts!

WOW! Only a week today, it's come round so quick! Think I might go for a look in PMT and/or GuitarGuitar beforehand. I don't often get to go near any half decent music shops! Shame there's not a few more coming....... Thought there might be quite a few BCers in and around Birmingham.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1321565562' post='1440841'] I know what you mean, however.... I set up a bass/guitar with the lowest action attainable. I do that because that's how I like it and it also lets me know where the tolerances are on a specific neck. The need to know specific heights comes in when your customer prefers it set in a specific way... which is cool as long as it is over the minimum of what the neck can offer. [/quote] True, I understand where you're coming from too, but.......... I don't see how you can know exactly what the tolerences are like on any one neck. I suppose it depends on how accurately you're trying to measure it really (until a couple of years ago I was a Quality Engineer measuring things to .001mm every day!), but I think that even if you had 3 seemingly identical necks side by side, there would be differences between them. I also aim to set up as low as I can without significant fret buzz (clearly this can be slightly subjective anyway), but I guess I just do it by finding out what the neck will actually accept, instead of trying to impose the tolerences I think it should accept. When I was doing set ups and repairs, no one ever said "I want Xmm action", they would just say "i want it as low as you can get it" or "I play really hard so set it up a little higher". That said, most of the people I did work for didn't know their arse from their elbow when it came to their guitar/bass! (although I guess that's why they were paying for it to be set up!)

I've never quite understood why people feel the need to measure the string height. The fact is, you can set a bass up using measurements, and it'll still play like a bag of crap. There are far too many variables in a bass neck to be able to successfully measure it that accurately; the fact it's made from wood and despite being quality, well seasoned wood, and being reinforced by a truss rod, it is still susceptible to climate change and will move and twist ever so slightly. Factor in the frets too; fret wear, some of them may lift ever so slightly over time, etc, etc, and you get the picture. When I worked in one guitar shop, we had a top of the range, Prestige Ibanez RG which was ordered in for a customer and had to be sent back twice because it buzzed so badly and even choked some of the notes higher up the fretboard. I spoke to the technician on the phone who said; "I don't understand it, I've set it up twice and the measurements are spot on!" IMHO, the only way to get the best out of a bass is to set it up intuitively. Play it, see how it feels, and keep taking the string height down until you get a bit of buzz and then tweak it back up a little. Some seem to set up better with a slight relief in the neck, others seem to take a better set up with the neck almost dead straight. This is all just IME and IMO of course.

Seriously now, I guess that when I'm really rocking out I seem to do sort of a frown and pout at the same time whilst bobbing my head!

I very cleverly play unconventional "surprise" notes, and sometimes play slightly off the beat too.......