Jono Bolton

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1454545734' post='2970793'] Youi don't see many of these this side of the Atlantic. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Peavey-Patriot-Bass-Guitar-1987-USA-super-ferrite-pickup-Rare-/262274184080?hash=item3d10c27390:g:W0MAAOSwL7VWsgNZ [/quote] This one very recently was one the other side of the Atlantic; all those pictures are the original seller's. I think it was about £170 plus shipping, customs etc, but handwired on here has (had?) one for £195 in the Basses for Sale section. In black too, not that ugly brown. The Fury is very nice though. The price is daft, I've been struggling to shift my Foundation at £150.

I sort of like it, but not enough to drop any serious money on it. The bridge is the same as the one on the Classic Vibes/Matt Freeman/James Johnson basses so presumably it'll be a well made bass, even if it is a bit of an ugly duckling in the range.

I bought some new flat-top knobs to replace the wee dome-tops that were on my P Bass but I can't get them to sit straight. They're split, splined shafts on the pots and they're push-on knobs but I'm guessing that when putting the knobs on one side of the pot shaft inward and causing the knob to then sit at an angle. Are there any fool-proof tricks to getting them to go on straight?

Thanks for the comments guys! Fatback, this one came from down south so probably wasn't yours but the cab came from Edinburgh way. I used this to record at the weekend and it sounds dynamite, although anything was preferable to going straight into the desk again. Might even re-record a track we did last month if time allows. I have a gig next Tuesday and can't wait to use it, even if it does weigh the same as a small car. I've also cleaned the tolex with black boot polish and took the rust off the screws and corners so it looks good as new now!

I acquired this from kaygee at the start of December but it took a knock on transit and wasn't putting out any signal. After a visit to a mate of mine it's now firing on all cylinders. First up, this is loud. And heavy, but mainly loud. LOUD. It can run a 2 ohm load but at it's debut at band practice tonight I ran it through an unknown, 4 ohm 2x15 cab and I only had it up to about 5. As a reference, I play in a hardcore band with a very heavy-handed drummer and a guitarist who doesn't believe that turning down is an option, and I had no bother with being heard. Everyone loved the tone of it, even our guitarist who is dismissive of everything. The relatively low power ratings (220 watts at 4 ohms, 300 at 2 ohms) are very misleading. I'll need to invest in some decent ear plugs. I don't think I've even begun to scratch the surface of the tonal possibilities available. The Pyramid function of channel B allows you to boost or cut particular frequencies (I think!), you can use the knobs alone or in conjunction with a 6-band EQ, and the foot switch allows you to switch between the two channels or combine the two. I've been using channel B and then combining it with channel A for a bit of boost for certain sections of songs as I'm not a big pedal fan. It does things my old Ashdown could only dream of. In an ideal world it would have a mute switch, a jack for the foot switch rather than a DIN-plug, and a detachable kettle lead rather than a hard wired plug but they're minor gripes and you forget about them once you're plugged in. I'm very pleased with it!

I've got a Peavey 2x15 cab that's had the speakers replaced at some point with some Behringer PA speakers. They're not bad, but they're 3 ohms, wired to 6 ohms. There's a couple of sets of Black Widows on eBay at the moment; 1 set of 1505s and one of 1508s. Does anyone know what model would have been originally in the cab? Would either be sufficient for putting in there?

Squier. Take it with a pinch of salt, but since I got my Matt Freeman I've been entirely GAS-free. I like it better than the US Standard Precision I had a few years ago which was also very nice. For me the Squier is the best, but what's best for me may not be best for you etc etc.

[quote name='bottomfeed' timestamp='1447145586' post='2905147'] I thought I posted in this before?.... ...Was there two threads? Anyway.... EXL 170 5's (45 - 130)...Been using them a long time. Every now & then I try something else but I always seem to come back to D'Addario... This thread has got me all interested in the EXP coated strings....[/quote] Ditto. I bought a bass in April which came fitted with the bottom 4 strings of the EXL170-5s fitted, tuned down three semitones (which, coincidentally, is what my band tune to). I don't know how long they were on the bass before I got it but I still use them on a weekly basis and they still sound great. I wouldn't mind a shot of the EXPs as well, presumably they'll last at least 2 years based on the set of EXLs I'm using

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1447016570' post='2904225'] Pull the driver, fill the old holes, rotate the driver position 30 degrees, drill new holes. [/quote] I spent 20 minutes discussing this with my father and we didn't come up with anything as straightforward as this. It's embarrassing really.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1446990888' post='2903931'] That would be problematic to say the least. The driver frame could vibrate against the baffle, with the same effect as rapidly whacking it with a hammer. [/quote] When my head was moving forward off the cab, it was the left side moving forward rather than the right side, and that's the side of the speaker that wasn't screwed down. As the screw holes of the speaker overlap the screw holes in the baffle (but don't line up), what would be the best way to secure the speaker in place?

Having taken the grille off the front, I don't believe the vibration is to do with bracing; inside is split into two 1x15 enclosures by a shelf (for want of a better word) between the two speakers connecting the front baffle to the rear panel. There also a T-shaped brace running from the bottom of each enclosure halfway up the rear panel. It all seems fairly solid. One of the screws connected the bottom driver to the baffle wasn't tight and the screw holes on the speaker don't match the holes in the battle so it's not got a full compliment holding it in; as a result almost the whole left side of the bottom driver wasn't secured. I've tightened the loose screw and I'll have a go with the cab at next practice and see if it sorts it. Eventually I'll have to try and sort the screw holes so that both speakers are fully secured in place.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1446485189' post='2899756'] This is what the interior of a well made cab looks like. Few do. [/quote] Thanks Bill, I'd seen that diagram a couple of times whilst researching what I'd need to do. I take it that for a cab with multiple speakers I'd need a similar arrangement around each of them? Also, assuming that the cab is completely empty inside, would the vertical rods need to run the full height of it? I would have thought that that length of rod would have license to oscillate from the vibration. That said, I know next to nothing about the subject I guess if the rods are dense enough it wouldn't be an issue.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1446467948' post='2899510'] A heavy head would be less likely to vibrate atop the cab, but nonetheless the cab panels should not be vibrating in the first place. A well braced cab won't even cause a pint to vibrate off. That's how I test my cabs. Of course, you can't take the results of only one test as valid, only after a dozen or so pints can you be sure. [/quote] Agreed, the level of vibration is way too much, given I've used the head with countless cabs over the years and never had this problem. First job is to check all the screws and joins to make sure everything's tight, and then take a look at bracing. Is it worth running a brace from top to bottom? Would I need one running width-ways across the middle to support it?

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1446469624' post='2899523'] Metal side strips on my old Peavey did just that. I seem to remember wedging them with sticky velcro or some such. The whole grille frame and metal sides were velcroed (or something like that) onto the baffle. It needs to be pushed quite firmly on from memory. [/quote] Looking at it last night, the grille itself is wedged in pretty well, but the part of the side strips that folds over the front doesn't seem to be attached in any way; it's just the part that runs down the side of the grille. I'm sure that it would emit some sort of vibration, but I wouldn't have thought that it would be enough to move my head across the top of my cab. I may do away with them altogether just to remove any element of doubt.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1446453443' post='2899390'] My first cab, nice sound, but no fun to carry up a flight of stairs! As I remember they are on castors, check the cab is secure on the floor. You say there is no buzz and mention no unexpected sounds so I'll assume all is working as it should. Are you using a lightweight amp. The amp sits on the smallest most rigid panel so I wouldn't expect it to shed the amp. I never had this problem but was using the Peavey MK 3 amp which was quite heavy itself. [/quote] The cab has side mounted feet as well as the castors but even when I lay it sideways on the floor the vibration was still present. The head has just been cleaned out and all the pots cleaned so it's all working, but the noise definitely comes from the cab. I'll check the metal side stripes on the grille as they don't seem to be secured to anything at the front so it's possible they're vibrating. My head is an Ashdown ABM 300 which is reasonably small and lightweight, when I got the cab I tried it out with a Mark IV which may have weighted the cab to stop it vibrating.

I recently picked up an old Peavey 2x15 cab and took it down to my band's practice space to use it in anger for the first time tonight. I noticed while I was playing that there's a very severe vibration, especially when playing round the 7th fret on the A string, and a low D (first fret on the bottom string as we tune to C#). I say a vibration rather than a buzz, rattle or distortion because my head nearly fell off the top of the cab while I was playing. Changing the EQ didn't make much difference; I usually have the bass boosted slightly, the middle set flat, and the treble cut back. In terms of volume, both the input and output controls are set halfway. Reducing the volume isn't really an option as trying to get my drummer and guitarist to be quieter is like herding cats. Does it sound like it may just be a case of tightening screws or adding bracing to the inside of the cab?

Replace the pickup and keep hold of the original. Put the old one back in if you decide to sell it on at any point. As said above, a couple of solder joints won't make a difference to any value it currently holds, and any time I've swapped pickups I've always tried to use the original solder where possible; no one will know if it's been 'disturbed'. Edit: if you like sound of the Fender, why not just get it set up to play like the JV?

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1445281806' post='2890266'] He seems to have modded the ad. But £499 for a MIM is optimistic IMHO. Shouldn't this expect to go for about £350? [/quote] If it was a Mexican Standard then yes, but these go for over £700 new, so £400-450 is the going rate for these second hand. That said, I still remember about 4-5 years back when £450 was the price of a new one, so £300 is a pretty steep price increase in such a short amount of time.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1445280654' post='2890254'] Just read the ad and didn't see 'USA' or 'American' in there. [/quote] It's been edited, it was previously listed as an American Standard. Presumably he's been rumbled and changed it. Or he's been made aware of his honest mistake, depending on how kind you want to be.

It's a Fender Classic 50s P Bass in Honey Blonde, not an American Standard. They're made in Mexico. They're also incredible basses, really well made, nice sound and a big fat neck. Price isn't too bad but you can occasionally get them for close to £400. I'd pull the seller up on the American Standard thing and see if you can get the price down if you're thinking about buying it.