Ed_S

[quote name='paulypbass' timestamp='1326997978' post='1505030'] tryed a Hartke HA5500 At my local music store today and it sounded amazing with a fender jazz bass. so much nicer sounding than the ashdown. [/quote] The only downside is the fan, which if it isn't noisy to begin with, stands a fair chance of becoming so... But at the volume they reach, you're unlikely to get too fussed!

[quote name='paulypbass' timestamp='1326917747' post='1503821'] yea thats what i thought. i emailed ashdown about it and they told me theres nothing wrong with the amp. when i am playing i have the input gain on 1/2 way and the output at 3/4. the valve drive is half way up and the sub harmonic is at 9 o clock. plus what ever my eq settings are. i was just a little disapointed on its volume to be fair. i just thought i wouldnt have to turn it up more than half way to keep up with a 120 watt laney guitar amp. iv i turn it up much more then the VU meter just sits in the red. [/quote] Don't worry, you're not the only one to have found the ABM 500 lacking.. I've never been so thoroughly disappointed as when I rocked up to band prac with my new Ashdown rig - ABM 500, ABM 410T and ABM 115C (all brand new, all Evo 3) and disappeared in the mix to the point where I thought it'd just popped something and stopped working. I've been informed many a time before that I must have had a 'bad one' or set it up wrong, but the truth is it was just plain lacking. The next week I broke out my trusty reserve head, a Hartke HA2000, and with just the ABM 410T alone running 120W into 8ohms, I couldn't go above 5 on the master volume (with everything else flat and the EQ out) without getting that 'turn the hell down!' look from across the room. So yeah, even though I know wattage isn't the be-all and end-all, 120 plays 500 and wins outright with some left in the tank. These days I rehearse with a HA5500 through the same ABM 410T, which is the same only bigger bunches and too loud at about 3 on the master instead!

Bought a rack compressor from Andy. Very smooth transaction and a pleasure to deal with. Cheers, mate!

[quote name='silverfoxnik' timestamp='1326828841' post='1502545'] The Barefaced Super 12 is an awesome sounding cab; Alex brought one to the SE Bass Bash last September... What SWR head do you mean btw? [/quote] Certainly is an impressive cab, aye! The head was an SWR Workingman's 4004

The Workingman's gear was always good stuff - I very nearly bought the cabs to match my 4004 head, but ended up not being able to get hold of them in time, so bought Ashdowns out of necessity and ended up keeping them because they were solid, despite never being that keen on their aesthetics. Shame, really, as the full SWR stack would have looked pretty nifty. Speaking of which, (shameless plug) if you ever fancy acquiring the matching head, gimme a shout lol.. But yeah, I'm a fan of the 212 format since buying my Barefaced Super 12 last year - I like 10s in 410s, but have never found a 210 that could handle a metal gig on its own, so it was nice to finally meet a truly capable single-cab solution that doesn't weigh a tonne and isn't that much bigger than a 210. Long live the 212! ...and at that price, I sincerely hope it does!

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1326737740' post='1501338'] Did you advertise it as coming from a "smoke-free home"? [/quote] heh I suppose I should have done! Bit like when a guy sold me something on ebay as "just as it was bought" but failed to mention until it arrived in less than inspiring condition that he'd actually bought it second hand! Back to the point, I actually pointed out the fact that it was dry-cured, but the buyer didn't care... which I suppose goes to show that not everybody does.

[quote name='Shambo' timestamp='1326735962' post='1501297'] I can appreciate that people don't like smoking but I just can't (or couldn't) imagine anybody knocking back an instrument because it smells of anything. If it was dirty then I'd clean it and the smell would be gone. You go to buy a used bass. It looks good. It feels good. It sounds good. The price is right. Hang on... *sniff, sniff*... NO SALE! Has that ever happened? [/quote] I wish it had! I bought a guitar from a mate of mine who is a heavy smoker (it was 4am at the Rock World all-nighter, we were both hideously drunk and it seemed like a good deal at the time) and although I cleaned it thoroughly a few times, I never got rid of the smell of cigs. It wasn't so much that it sat there reeking in the corner, just that handling and playing it would make my hands stink. Fortunately I was offered the guitar for £80 and sold it a couple of months later for £200 so I wasn't too put out, but that experience in mind I'd always check and definitely knock back anything in similar condition.

Ok, everything posted out this lunchtime. Cost me a tenner, so it'd be nice to think that at least that much would wing its way into Ped's donations cup, but that's up to you gents!

Right, think that's everything gone! Imagine a line through that last set for now as I'm on my phone, so editing would be awkward

No probs! :-) Capt. Black - need your address PMing, mate!

Think I can cater for everything requested so far! Just the original rounds from the LTD Surveyor left...

I just like that the map says he lives in Blackmore. Can't get any more rock 'n roll than that!

Yes to all - just PM addresses to send to if you've not already...

Oh, and make a note in the thread what you've asked for so I don't get swamped with PMs for stuff that's already spoken for Cheers.

Having a clear-out of the gear cupboard and was about to throw these sets of strings out, but then thought that somebody might want 'em so decided to go all philanthropist The new ones were spares for instruments I no longer own, so have been kicking around for a while and may have been opened but never fitted. The new-ish ones are stock strings that came on basses I've bought and sold in the last few years and have removed immediately when doing my initial set-up, so they've maybe had a bit of shop use but that's all. Gauge measurements are partly by vernier calliper, partly by judgement call! Brand new: [s]Warwick Black Label stainless roundwound 5-string (45,65,85,105,135) Generic NPS roundwound 5-string (45,65,80,105,130) D'addario NPS roundwound 'EXL165' (45,65,85,105)[/s] New-ish: [s]Fender NPS roundwound from Mex Precision (40,60,80,100) Fender NPS roundwound from Mex Precision (45,65,80,100) Fender NPS roundwound from Mex Precision (45,65,85,105) Fender NPS roundwound from Jap Precision (45,65,85,105) Fender NPS roundwound from US Precision [string through body, so extra bend] (45,65,85,105) Generic NPS roundwound 5-string from LTD Surveyor (40,60,80,100,120)[/s] First come first served basis. Free of charge but please only take the new ones for personal use, not to sell on. Will only post to UK addresses reachable by 2nd class large-letter. Donations to the site would be a noble and much appreciated gesture!

One good 'un and one downtuned cheapo to most gigs (downtuned cheapo doubles as my backup) and two similar good 'uns (one and a backup) to the studio.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1326357060' post='1495775'] But the teacher and the students in Dead Poets' Society had all studied language and grammar for many years before the events of the film. They could not only speak but could also read and write and analyse, explicitly or implicitly, what was written or spoken by others. [/quote] Ok, maybe even in jest I selected a poor analogy to carry my point. Bottom line for me is that I'm all for everybody doing what best allows them to access music, but I feel quite strongly about people being told that they 'need' to do anything in particular to do so, just because it works for the person advocating it. Like I said before, I've been extruded through lessons, theory, ABRSM exams etc. and came out of the other end disliking the instrument to the point where we parted ways. If theory is your 'way in' then great, but it was a detriment to me personally.

[quote name='Russ' timestamp='1326329386' post='1495696'] You can make the right sounds, but you'll only understand what they mean if you learn theory. [/quote] I respectfully disagree. I think music speaks to everybody on a personal level, and to try and dictate what it'll mean to another individual by metrics alone is to greatly lessen it. To put it another way, if you've ever seen a film called Dead Poets Society, theory is to music what the writing of Dr. J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D. is to poetry

I believe you don't need theory if you have a good musical ear. I did the whole lessons, classical training and music theory bit on violin all through school, and it was always the theory (and having to play sheets of dots) that killed the joy of playing the instrument for me and eventually saw me give it up (at grade 7-8ish) and move to guitar and bass. As it stands, I have no idea which note I'm playing at any given point or what key anything is in etc. but I have a good ear for what's right (helped by years of playing in orchestras, I don't deny) and know where to play to get the notes I want to hear - I see notes as being relative to each other, so all I need for each song I play is to hear the first note and I'm sorted from there; if it gets a capo on the guitars or transposed etc. it makes no difference to me whatsoever. If what you do works for you like what I do works for me and it doesn't involve theory, I say keep at it and don't feel forced to change just because something else works for somebody else.

Yeah, drummers who can't keep time have to be politely shown out. We've just been auditioning for a new one (ours left to join another band) so I know it's a major pain, but better that than going ahead with a bad one. We decided we'd go acoustic and do without drums for as long as it took to get somebody who fitted in and could play... took 6 months, but that's just how it goes.

I bought a cheap Squier P-bass to set up and keep in CFBbEb for the few songs when our guitarists switch to their C-standard axes. To get the tension feeling right on the 34" scale I went for the bottom of a set of D'addario 220-5s (so 65,75,95,125) which, granted, meant that I had to widen the slots in the nut somewhat. On the bright side, however, the overall tension must have ended up about the same as a set of 45-105s in standard because I didn't have to touch the truss rod at all. I guess it all depends how adventurous you're feeling, but it is possible to get it feeling and sounding good without anything too drastic in terms of setup.

Hey.. worked out after the fact that I'd bought your BadAss II bridge on eBay. Just wanted to say thanks for getting it in the post so quickly, and let you know that as of half an hour ago it's happily doing its thing on my 70s Classic P! Cheers, Ed

Personally I'm quite happy for Fender to keep on trawling out Precisions in different colours and configs.. saves me having to take a punt on getting something custom built to see if I like it or not. This way I can just wait for the marketing iteration when Fender chooses to create what I had in mind, and buy it off the peg if it's as good as I thought and worth the money they're asking. If the money's a problem, just wait for that 'unfashionable' period between it being current and being a 'modern classic' or some such rubbish, then either buy one that somebody else bought when they were current but were too scared to take out of their bedroom and are now desperately trying to claw *something* of its value back, or pick one up in a shop clearance sale that they're willing to stand the drop on just to get it through the door and gone. I will, however, be giving this new P a miss, partly because I think that Ps should be simple yet classy and the Select is just trying a bit too hard... and the other 99% because it's sodding sunburst

[quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1326006298' post='1490856'] Got the paint via ebay [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170673828826?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649"]http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1439.l2649[/url] - they do some nice colours. The body itself is a no-make ply one - though I suspect its an old 80's Encore. [/quote] That is a cracking colour And those guys with the paint are local to me.. cheers for the unintentional heads-up! [quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1325976100' post='1490711'] So far have got the primer and base coat on ("Purple Lust" Pearlescent) on as bellow - uming and ahing as to whether to attempt the "burst" effect [...] I know "How" to do it, just not sure if I have the balls!! [/quote] I had an old Hohner guitar that was black/purple burst years ago when I'd just started playing, and although I got rid of it because the neck was so warped I didn't know whether to play it or fire arrows with it, I've always fancied a bass done the same. Will be very interested to see the end result should you find the testicular fortitude to go ahead What's the idea for the board, btw? I love the maple in your inspiration pic, but can't help feeling I'd end up going ebony if it was me..