JimBobTTD

[color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]I am in the midst of horrendous GAS. This always happens around this time of the year - the band is on a Christmas hiatus and I am on holiday and restless. Restlessness leads to internet, to music, to looking at things…to GAS.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]Anyway, here is the backstory:[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]There were two things that led to me playing music: Guns N Roses and Metallica. GNR was the first band I really liked (honestly, my world changed after I saw the video for Paradise City in late 1988) and they got me into music. Metallica was the first band I discovered for myself and got me into heavier music. In early 1990, I decided I wanted to learn guitar. I had a picture of Kirk Hammett on my wall - very similar to this one:[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3][/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]That was the band, the man and the guitar that started it all for me. I know that Hammett is not particularly rated amongst many, but that is not the point. He was always my inspiration.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]Now to the GAS bit:[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]I am in the market for a Floyd-equipped metal monster. It makes sense to go to the source - the guitar I have lusted after since 1990. [/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]There are dozens of versions of this guitar. Do I go for:[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]1. The LTD KH602 version - Floyd, EMGs, neck-through, but not quite the real thing.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]2. The ESP KH2 version - Floyd, EMGs, bolt-on, still not exactly the real thing but about as close as I could ever get.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]3. The ESP M-II - Floyd, EMGs, neck-through, different controls and no skull-and-crossbones inlays.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]4. A Jackson with a Floyd, EMGs, bolt-on etc.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]Price is not exactly irrelevant, either. The LTD would be about £500, the ESP about £800, the M-II about £600 and the Jackson could be had for as little as £300. [/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]Of them, the M-II is by far the best guitar. My concern is whether I could live with the fact that it is not the guitar in the picture on my wall in 1990![/size][/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]What do the guitarists of Basschat think?[/size][/font][/color]

Thrash, please.

Wow...he took a very long time to say very little. I switched off after ten minutes. I agree with what he is saying, but it is nothing that hasn't been said before on BC.

It's very nice of them to Lettuce have a listen.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1444759250' post='2885726'] I've never actually had a go on a Wal. [/quote] Neither have I. Not only that, I have never seen one in the flesh. [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1444759250' post='2885726'] Are they any good? [/quote] Yes, they are the best thing ever, stunning masterpiece, gorgeous beyond belief.

I had the same problem when I moved to a more, ah, rural area. All the cool kids move to major cities, so the town only had youngsters (screamo etc) and old people (blues/rock covers). I ended up joining a newly-formed rock/pop covers band who only played three gigs in as many years. Then I moved.

I often play in the 5th fret area and above on my 5er. It is much less of a stretch. The low D is also used relatively frequently. The C and C# are hardly used at all, but I will throw in a low B occasionally. It is also great when the guitarists fancy a blast on my bass. It throws them off something rotten!

This has to be one of my all-time favourites. Perhaps my favourite dirty bass sound too. Any ideas what kind of effects would get this kind of grind? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZlTbuLSIMU[/media] Another Loop favourite is Arc Lite [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqL8EVnrPyE[/media] Only good if you like this kind of stuff, though! Loop might very well have been one of the most influential bands of my life. Whilst I have never played this kind of music, a good part of anything I write has its roots in Loop.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1443402445' post='2874422'] Is the implication that "made in China" is something to be avoided? Do we worry about where our jeans and trainers are made? Does the original post have a point? [/quote] Yes, I find t important to know where my things are made. For example, the children who make trainers in Thailand are far more skilled than the children in Bangladesh but, oddly, the Bangladeshis are far better at stitching tshirts than the Thai children. The adults in Japan who are paid a proper wage and work in safe conditions who make my jeans are far better skilled than the children in Bagladesh or Thailand. Or My hard currency is not going to finance political oppression in China as much (components, etc, are still mostly made there) if the amplifier is made in the UK. But to the matter at hand: before I cancelled my subscription, BGM was consistent. It always had poor photographs, poor writing (in all ways) and poor content. There is a thread here about it that ran for many pages that highlighted the flaws and suggested how to make the magazine less (ahem) boring, but it seemed that nobody at BGM cared (or dared) to read it.

Nicely done! I had never considered gold as a viable bass colour until now!

Last time I stained a body, I used a mix of hot water and spirits with the powdered dye suspended in that. The idea was that the fluid helped the dye penetrate the wood but, as it was spirits, it evaporated without getting the body soaking wet. It worked a treat! I can't remember the mixture, though. Sorry. It was definitely not more than 50% water. Possibly only enough water to dissolve the dye, then topped up with spirits.

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1437752703' post='2828835'] Have you tried the ground lift switch by the DI out? [/quote] Yes, sadly

Yup, DHA is my next port of call. I wanted to ask here first in case it is something simple and also to give other people something to refer to if they end up with the same thing.

Hello My DHA pedal has a terrible buzz when using the DI. It only affects the DI signal - the standard signal is fine. I have tried it with no signal going in, with different XLR cables, via a power strip or direct and the noise is still there. I do not have another 12v DC power unit to try, though. I think - [i]think[/i] - that this is a new development but I am unsure. I have used the DI many times before without there being a problem at rehearsals, but it is possible that the noise level was not high enough to have been a problem when playing in that environment or, even, that there was a noise gate in place that cut out the buzzing when not playing. Has anyone here experienced something similar? I am not overly keen on pointing the finger at the power supply as it works fine when not using the DI. The headphone out has always been noisy. Oddly, fiddling with the headphone volume (headphones not connected) affects the sound too. I'm starting to wonder whether this is a bit of a lemon!

It took me a while to get things in order, but it is now almost all done. Neck on the body - I had to sand the neck pocket a tiny bit. I used a thumb rest as a block and a piece of 320 wet&dry (used dry) to take just a smidgen off each side. The rest went on without any bother. Next steps: Wait for the neck to settle Gentle tweak of the truss rod (perhaps only an eighth of a turn) to reduce the relief a bit Lower saddles on the bridge Intonation The bass feels great at the moment. The body had been sat in a cupboard for the best part of two years. Joy!

Oooh, that's lush....

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1436684788' post='2819889'] Well, certainly in the picture it's looking very good! [/quote] Agreed!

Nice...I've always had a bit of a thing for these Jacksons. I sanded a Tele body from (not even close to) TV yellow to the wood. The top coat came off with difficulty before I saw that there was an even harder layer of plastic underneath. Bits of it flaked off - it was about 1mm thick, perhaps more - but the rest came off through sanding. It took ages and really took its toll on my elbows. I later stained it cherry red and coated it in shellac and it came out rather nice.

EMGs tend to be fairly easy to find on the secondhand market. I have a 17.5mm spaced bass and I found that Seymour Duncan did a good set which was not overly expensive. On my other one, I have a Nordstrand that is fine in the bridge, although the P pickup is a little misaligned. Both of them do the Jazz sound very well - perhaps see if they can sort you out?

Welcome to Basschat! You play the type of music I like. Your "Bastards of the Universe" LP is smashing. I'm 5 tracks in and very impressed. Well done!

Ooh...a sunburst Jazz V with bound and blocked rosewood fingerboard...my next parts project. What impeccable taste you have!

Looks pretty tasty from where I'm sitting, too. Nice work, Rumple!