4StringHell

Top call Silentbob!! Thats it exactly. Much appreciated!

Just a quicky, I'm trying to work out what model my single pickup Spector is (its up for sale). Its the typical Spector Euro shape (bolt on) but only has a single EMG bridge 'HZ' pickup (passive). Every Spector picture I can find online has two pickups. All I can add is that its over ten years old. Cheers!

You guys... are awesome!!

I appreciate what you're saying Chris... but... uummm... <looks sideways> ...well I kind of... I started the band... ha ha!! I dont want to be the weak link is all. Thats really kind of you guys to help out though. I like what you guys are saying about scales up and across. Do you try to think the notes while you play them? I like that exercise as well Alun. Thats the only scale I know but thats a good tip about the different ways of playing it. Its quite obvious now that I play it! What you say Urb "half tones, whole tones, major and minor thirds - and then bigger intervals like fifths, sixths, sevenths, elevenths, 13s, etc" this is exactly the stuff I have no idea about. I know 5ths from my guitar days as thats just a power chord... but thats it. Better dig out the text books! I'll work on my thumb placement too... I can kind of do it... but its really tiring! and nowhere near as powerful as what I'm used to. it does free up your pinky though! interesting.

Hey guys, I'm at a slightly emotional crunch point in my bass playing and could really use some guidance. (I know nothing of the crunch) After several years of cheating my way through learning bass... I've finally realised its time to learn it properly. I've <just> gotten away with only 'learning' tablature, basic patterns, slides and chords, and basically learnt to play in the 'Oliveri box' stoner rock style. Its not bad for the grunge bands I've been in... but now I'm in an art/rock band with some classical muso's and my half arsed approach has me somewhat ashamed of how little I know. I've been re-inspired to try and get to the next level! I've got three questions which I'd really appreciate some help with: Firstly I blatantly need to learn my scales and notes, but should I learn the fretboard before I learn the scales...?? 'cause if I start with scales I'll be thinking in tab... which is pointless I guess. Secondly I never learnt the whole thumb behind the neck / 4 fingers on 4 frets thing as I switched over from guitar and just stuck with that thumb over the top style as I coudlnt reach 4 frets! Should I start on this as well or is it not such a problem? I'm hesitant 'cause it'll be a major setback. I've noticed some pretty ace players not doing the 4 fret reach. Do 3/4 length necks help much or is that cheating ?? Keep in mind I dont need to play walking or funk bass parts. Lastly I love playing in drop D and was wondering if this is a bad way to learn? Should I tune my whole bass down a half and get used to that instead?? I dont want to get a 5 string as I find they slow me down a lot. The whole sometimes in E, sometimes in D just confuses what little note response time I have! Any bass Yoda advice would be hugely appreciated !!! Its time to knuckle down and do my Warwick some justice!! Thanks a million guys!

Hey guys, I'm keen to make a custom daisy chain sort of thing.... for my girlfriends keyboard and effects. Tricky thing is her keyboard is 12 volts, and her two effects units are 9 volts. At the moment its a pain in the arse with a wall wart for the keyboard and batteries or a separate wall wart for the pedals... so I'd love to make one purpose built cable. Just wondering if anyone knows a way of doing such a thing... ?? I've seen those 18 volt boosters for Fulltone pedals, that attach onto your daisy chain... a 12 volt equivalent would be ideal. Cheers!!

I will take these as comments of agreement then!! he he I did the same on my old Digitech BP200. I made every odd number patch dead clean... so that no matter what pedal I hit whilst playing an effect... it would go back to clean. That really is kinda silly though and you still cant toggle whilst playing. My conclusion: a Boss LS-2 looping your Multi FX unit is the only cheapo, gig friendly setup that I can see. Stomp boxes still rule, but its good to have the option of other random sounds... especially in combination with some stomps.

I agree the cheaper units are not pro gigging gear... but I still think if they had one big overall dedicated on / bypass pedal they would be much more stage friendly. I dont see why a cheapo Zoom should not be designed for use on stage... just because its cheap. I'm with youthough Chedatom... and would suggest it to anyone with a Multi FX unit. Using a looping pedal to control the whole thing is what I'm doing as well. Seems a bit silly.... but it works! It lets you toggle through patches/banks in advance and then trigger it with the loop pedal. It also does away with that split second lag that some cheapy units have when you jump on the patch... destroying all kick/bass punch! I still think that is a fundamental requirement of the units though. Why should you need a loop pedal as well? It necesitates a pedal board straight up. Thats my point in this thread. No doubt stomp boxes are the ultimate.... but I would argue that without a multi-effects unit AS WELL... you may never realise that that crazy arse synth/flanger on patch 32 actually sounds wicked in that trippy ditty interlude... where otherwise you would have stuck with your overdrive pedal or whatever. Just saying...

I've just rebuilt my pedal board and I cant fathom the fundamental stupidity of all the multi-effects units I have used over time. Every unit I've had... Zooms, Digitechs, Boss' all require you to step on two pedals simultaneously to bypass the effect. this is simply too unreliable for live work in my experience. Sure you get it 9 times out of 10... but thats not good enough. In particular my latest ME-50B seems so dumb I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong. When you step on a pedal you get the effect... when you step on it again expecting it to switch off like a stomp box... it doesnt!! Is it me? Or am I right in suggesting that these units are poorly thought out at the most fundamental entry level function? They need one big fat overall on/off pedal. Does anyone else find this with the ME-50B ?? The only solution I have is to loop the unit through an LS-2 looping pedal to switch the whole loop on or off... which does allow you to flick around with your feet before kicking it in. Your thoughts / suggestions please!