JimBobTTD

Nice taste in gear you have! The 63P (and, to a lesser extent, the SUB) is superdupernice! Welcome to the forum.

Strange...I was looking at Ibanez basses (namely the SR and SRX basses) and wondering why they were all fancy wood jobbies. Where are the solid colours? My absolute favourite is white, but I couldn't see any on the website.

Wow...the response has not been at all what I had thought.

Lordy, that really is sex on toast. Congratulations!

My wedding ring doesn't get in the way of my playing at all.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='288375' date='Sep 21 2008, 08:37 AM'][...] perhaps a Cort A6 could be my "dream, but achievable" bass for the future. As sad as that might seem to those who spend thousands on basses.[/quote] I agree - it looks very nice indeed. If they do them with centred dots on the fretboard (or blocks, or blank), then I'll consider!

Ugh, no thanks. That's more like it. I have no rational explanation for my preference. What do you think?

I would go for: Gallien Krueger head (power rating depending on requirements) Trace Elliot cabs A distortion pedal which doesn't sound crap. I'm currently making one based on BK Butler's Tube Driver. Nearly done! A wah too. I've never tried a bass wah before, so I don't know which make. I'll likely end up with a Crybaby, which will need modding (if it's anything like the guitar version). Ibanez basses This is, excluding the pedals, pretty much my current rig. I played through a small EBS combo the other day in a rehearsal studio and that sounded really good. It was also the first time I had played through something other than Trace Elliot, and I rather liked it. But I'll still stick with what I have. GK: because I love the GK sound. I got my amp from The Funk here, and it has been nothing but a joy to play since then. Trace: for reasons above, really, I suppose. Pedals: because the would be cool to use (sparingly, though!) Ibanez: it's almost as if they design their basses based on my preferences! They all feel like home! But as this is a dream rig, I'd like it to be lightweight (the TE cabs I have are h-e-a-v-y) and for it to make tea and also blackberry pie with vanilla sauce. Tea is to be Lipton Earl Grey, no milk, no sugar, and the vanilla sauce has to be thick and nice but not too rich and creamy, as lactose and I don't get along too well.

[quote name='Geoff' post='283813' date='Sep 14 2008, 07:34 PM']blackened Death metal band[/quote] \m/ Welcome to the forum. I've got a tribe of relatives in the Peterborough area, spread between Peterborough itself and the millions of Deeping St towns there.

Interesting problem. The pickups are plastic, so you touching them does not make a circuit or anything. The pickups are also sealed, so you can't really crack it open and check for any loose wires. EMG say that you do not need to earth the bridge (and thus the strings) - have you done this? Does this happen with a fresh battery, and in other rooms and with other amps? Is the rest of the bass's wiring in good shape? No wires have popped off, or solder joints cracked or anything? If everything else looks good, I think the simplest thing to do would be to earth the screw and see if that clears it all up. I would also drop EMG a line about this - they should know if other people have experienced this, and how to fix it. Although they may just tell you to buy a new pickup!

I've been playing bass since 1992 (or thereabouts) but did take an extended break from playing music from 1996-2003. I've always loved the bass, but always played guitar too. Recently, I've been playing a lot of bass. A lot. The last 14 months or so have been almost guitar-free, and in that time, I've been listening to a lot of music (more than usual), playing a lot of music and started a band. But just the other day I think that I finally [i][b]got it[/b][/i]. I'm not 100% sure what I mean by that or how to start trying to explain it, but I started to see the bass as [i]more [/i]than I used to before. Before, I saw it as something which plays an octave below the guitars, occasionally throws in some odd bits here and there, and plays with the drums every now and then. But now I see that it is an instrument in its own right, rather than a guitar an octave down. It doesn't need to [i]follow [/i]the guitars. I now understand why someone may want more than just the four strings. I think I get why fretless basses are more than just basses without frets. More importantly, I now [b]consciously [/b]understand why I wanted to play bass back in 1992. Sorry for the ramble. I thought that if anyone would understand what I'm on about, it would be someone here!

Go to Ebay and look for vintage basses. There's plenty of fiction there!

[quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' post='276590' date='Sep 3 2008, 11:53 PM']My Behringer BTR2000 rack mounted tuner does not seem to like the low B on my 5 string bass it just does not register at all when I pluck the string. Has anyone else encountered this problem? The tuner works fine on the standard EADG strings. Help!!!1 MJB[/quote] I have one of them. It hardly works on the E. The best help I can offer is the suggestion you get something else. They seem to be complete rubbish.

Here's a pic of one guy playing with his while another guy reaches around and plays too. All the while, another guy looks on and fiddles.

Duff McKagan (Guns N Roses, Loaded, Velvet Revolver) writes with his wrong hand but plays a right-handed instrument.

[quote name='kevbass' post='274748' date='Sep 1 2008, 06:14 PM']Is it Rock Bottom?[/quote] That's the only guitar shop in Croydon I know. I bought my Ibanez PJ bass there in 1992/93. I received the same level of service from them when I was 14 as when, ten years later, I bought a guitar from them. They don't treat youngsters any differently as they do adults...but they don't treat adults with much respect either. So, for my contribution (although I'm sure it has already been said), I'd like to say guitar shops with their "expert" "advice", making them so much "better" than buying off the interweb. I've been in a couple which have treated me well, but they have been the exception which proves the rule.

That's lovely. I'd leave it as it is - non-vintage scratchplate and all. It may look better with a cream 'plate further down the line, though.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='269013' date='Aug 24 2008, 07:51 PM'][...] Whatever it is it looks like a wood/factory fault rather than a knock/abuse by the owner, especially in light of someone else having the same fault.[/quote] Indeedy. It looks like the kind of thing that happens when you put a screw in a hole which is too small for it. Sometimes you get away with it, other times it splits the wood. (I don't think I have ever unintentionally written anything more loaded with double entendre!) Best of luck getting that fixed. Hopefully you can get it done on warranty. As stated above, some glues are stronger than wood, so it is not a huge problem.

Changing the volumes to a master and a blend doesn't seem like too challenging a job. You could probably pull it off yourself, but if you would rather give it to a tech, you shouldn't be charged too much for it.

Search the internet and do it yourself. It isn't that hard - I'm sure there is plenty of info in the tech forum here. You'll feel better for it, too.

200,000 readers don't mind!

Some hex-cellent tips here - thanks! Steve_K - I may have to take you up on that offer!

[quote name='bassmanady' post='268569' date='Aug 23 2008, 08:15 PM']I had the same problem,and usually allen keys are hardened,and a hack saw wont cut it very easily..i have a bench grinder and used that to grind it to the perfect length...[/quote] Oh dear...that's the kind of thing I really want to know, but really do not want to hear! I had a hunch, though. They are pretty hardy things, but unfortunately I do not have a grinder. Any suggestions on how else to shorten the key? I'm starting to think that this is the only logical way forward.