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Bigwan

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Posts posted by Bigwan

    Ashdown ABM 300 EVO II power section

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted

    I "upgraded" my 300 watt (originally badged 200 watt) combo to 500 watts YEARS ago with a couple of power transistors and a couple of filter caps. The original line of amps (Klystron Bass Magnifier - still my favourite amp of all time!)  had the same PCB for the 200 and 400 watt versions, just omitted some components in the lower powered versions. These were rebadged as 300 and 500 watt amps without internal change (Ashdown confirmed this to me via email). The official Ashdown schematic suggests they had the same rated transformer too... I believe this was the same for the original EVO version of the amp, but the EVO II changed things.

     

    Like lomenzo

    in Effects

    Posted

    12 hours ago, bode said:

    I have this pedal still unopened in my box of tricks. I do know that the pedal was modelled on the Billy Sheehan modded Pearce BC 1

    Another 'overdrive' pedal modelled on the same pre amp are the Suncoast HD1 and pre amps.

    http://www.suncoastanalog.com/

    I like the sound of the HD-1 from listening to Eric Arko's youtube demo, but I don't think it does quite the same thing as the Lomenzo which only distorts the (adjustable) midrange frequencies.

    6 String 30" Single Cut

    in Build Diaries

    Posted

    Just now, spacecowboy said:

    Well... You'd think I'd learned my lesson after dropping my fret press caul on my big toe... Lots of swearing for 5 minutes ...

    Ouch! It doesn't take much to cause that sort of reaction when whatever it is is dropped from a height!

    The bass looks lush by the way!

    • Thanks 1

    Dream basses that left you disappointed

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Bigwan

    17 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

    Some interesting ones there @Bigwan

    I bought my Warwick Thumb NT in 89 from Sound Control Glasgow. Tried the Thumb and the Streamer but preferred the Thumb probably because i was a Jack Bruce fan. 

    The ACG's look amazing. Not actually tried one.

    I like the look and sound of MM but tried one when they appeared in shops years ago and the neck felt too wide for me.

    Your WAL experience did surprise me as i found mine very comfortable to play but had a dead note on G string which on hindsight might have been something simple but being young and naive and having no help from WAL i traded it for something else possibly my Jazz.

    Its amazing how we experience basses in different ways.

    Dave

     

    I'd highly recommend ACG @dmccombe7. I've owned 4 (one of them twice!). They've all been top notch. My current 2 are going nowhere!

    I've not played many Wal basses, but the one I had felt TOTALLY different to another Mk 1 that belonged to a friend. Different neck shape, weight and balance altogether. His was a far more pleasing soft V neck profile. It's not a bass I'm likely to revisit given the current market price. I bought at £550, sold for £1450 a couple of years later. Could probably get north of 4k for it nowadays and it was in particularly bad condition, not by my hand I might add!

    It's different strokes for different folks innit!

    • Like 2

    6 String 30" Single Cut

    in Build Diaries

    Posted

    On 05/06/2021 at 12:44, spacecowboy said:

    IMG_20210605_092230.thumb.jpg.79ac1f0504d2e6ef7fbdc188f6438a7f.jpg

    IMG_20210605_092249.thumb.jpg.53670467e380706dd5c2fb8f0946ee4f.jpg

    Frets filed flush to the board, none of them had moved or tried to wriggle free so that's nice! Just waiting for some inlay material to arrive before doing the fret inlays then I can glue the board on!

    IMG_20210605_092418.thumb.jpg.ea38341046dd98927541dcc2be6ebbe9.jpg

    IMG_20210605_115118.thumb.jpg.0a0c46cea92eaa70239438a5ec817b1c.jpg

    made a start on the nut and got the inserts installed, grub screws fit and raise the bridge up well, won't notch it until the strings are ready to go on and I'm setting all my heights.

    It's the same wood piece as the fingerboard so I assume they're happy being back together! 

    IMG_20210605_101522.thumb.jpg.cee3c4295670fb6d838d90a0cff9fea7.jpg

    And this handsome chap is my dog who is busy telling me I shouldn't be in the garage on such a nice day! 

     

    Barefoot in the garage? You're a braver man than me! 

    • Haha 2

    Dream basses that left you disappointed

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I can think of a quite a few over the last 30 years! 

    Warwick Stage 1 Streamer - lusted after one for years. First time I played one (Sound Control in Glasgow) I hated pretty much everything about it. It was a well used/abused example but it put me off nonetheless. Never played one since, but have enjoyed other 'wicks so maybe someday I'll cross paths with one again... 

    Modulus - played a 4 string in the Bass Centre in Wapping about 20 years ago. Yuck.

    Wal - owned a Wal custom for a few years. Bought it cheap (£550) when I was going through a Tool phase. Spent a long time trying to tell myself it was a great bass. And it did SOUND great... It just felt like an unergonomic lump of lead. To my mind Alan at ACG has improved on the Wal idea in every regard... 

    Musicman - had a MM5 in the late 90s. Nice flexible bass. But the MM4, Bongo 5HH and Bongo 4HH basses I've owned since have left me cold... 

    Shuker 6 - nothing to do with John, all on me this one. Ordered a custom bass without be 100% on exactly what I wanted. 

    Sei - again lusted after them for years. I've played about 8 different examples from memory. Other than a headless 6 Flamboyant, the rest did absolutely nothing for me at all. 

    Fodera Ying Yang 4 - (Bass Gallery visit) never really been MY dream bass but it has been for many. I just couldn't believe how "meh" this bass was... But then I'd just played a beautiful Fodera Emperor 5 and the Skarbee Celinder Update 4 minutes before, which are easily 2 of the best basses I've ever held in my hands. Certainly in my top 5 anyway. One of the best bass days. Met @Flanker of this parish that day and had a blast through his (new to me) Thunder funk head. Sorely missed you are mate. 

    Sadowsky 5 - (different Bass Gallery visit) again, a long lusted after bass. Again toppled by the Moon 5 jazz I played it side by side with. The Moon was spectacular. The Sadowsky was OK. 

    I'm sure there are loads more. I've had a lot of basses through my hands over the years. 

     

    • Like 2

    What is the heaviest you comfortably listen to?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I can handle as heavy as it gets really, but I prefer (as previously mentioned) some contrast. 

    Killswitch and Soilwork are favourites. Love a bit of Mudvayne. Anything with Devin Townsend. Tesseract get quite a few spins, along with a few other djenty bands, Meshuggah, Periphery. 

    My YouTube music radio stations are entertaining - everything from John Mayer and Fleetwood Mac to Mudvayne and Ziltoid! 

    • Like 1

    Withdrawn.

    in Basses For Sale

    Posted

    If this had been here 2 weeks ago we'd have been talking! Alas a Vigier Excess 5 came up and is sitting in my lap as I type... And going by it these basses really are next level!

    New Fodera Adjustable ramp

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted · Edited by Bigwan

    12 minutes ago, OliverBlackman said:

    I wrongly assumed the ramp was there to rest the thumb. @ped has corrected me.l although I’m now more confused about its relevance.

    It restricts how much you dig in on the strings. Works REALLY well for that actually. I had an adjustable ramp on a Shuker 6 I ordered years ago. My current ACGs have pretty large pickup enclosures so don't really need a ramp.

    13 hours ago, JapanAxe said:

    I never got the whole ramp thing - it always looked like a crutch for players who haven’t sorted their finger-style technique.

    👀

    Tell that to Billy Sheehan who's been using his P pickups as ramps for YEARS... Or maybe Gary Willis who's a fan of them... But different strokes for different folks!

    Edit: I see somebody beat me to the Sheehan/Willis comment, but I think it bears repeating...

    • Like 2

    Feedback for rhysyjob

    in Feedback

    Posted

    Just bought a bass from Rhys who was kind enough to respond to my wanted ad. It turned up well packaged and in super quick order. First time I've bought anything since Brexit - the Irish Sea customs debacle could have put a few sellers off, but Rhys sorted all the paperwork for the courier with minimal fuss. Couldn't be more pleased with the bass and I'd definitely deal with him again. 

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