Bloodaxe

About two years ago this little beastie came via a TalkBass member who lives in Florida. It's a completely stock 1984 Aria ZZB Deluxe in "Bloody Red" finish. Finally got around to taking some proper pics... A couple of the nuts bridge: Absolutely bonkers. To adjust the intonation you have to loosen the two bolts in the side, manually shift each saddle & then clamp them up again. That said, the fine tuners are very good. Finally, a shot of the case: Playability? Fast 'n' slick - 32" scale & a Jazz-type profile. Sounds? Turn the treble up & it homes straight in on Mssrs Burton & Entwistle, wind it off & it's quite docile - does a good "middly honk". Downside? It's 51" long (about 2" longer than a Thunderbird) & the case is enormous. Gigbag? That'd be nice but they're all too small. Pete.

Thank you. Where's the MindBleach? Right clicking it & getting it to open on YouTube's site reveals this talented loon's erm... portfolio I guess. Madder than Mad Jack McMad, the winner of this year's Mr Madman competition.

Greetings, I've been using these for a couple of years now & rate them highly. Nice & warm, growly, reasonable lifespan & very economical. The ball ends seem to be aluminium. I've had one that sheared, which was annoying, & might be a factor if you're especially vigorous (the one that broke was in my Kahler, so you'd have to be [i][b]very[/b][/i] vigorous!). I'm unsure how consistent they are from set to set though. I have to reset the intonation every time I change a set (something I rarely if ever did when I used to buy EB Hybrids), & I suspect that the stated gauges are not particularly close tolerance - I've had two sets with a slightly rogue D string that are absolutely fine on the fretted stuff but choke around the A2 on the fretless, which implies it might be slightly out of gauge. I don't have a micrometer (or know how to use one) to see if this is the case though. The main Ebay supplier is a firm called mw-music sales uk. Don't be fooled by the "uk" bit, they're actually in Florida - delivery times seem to be about a week & there may be Customs/Duty issues if ordering in bulk. I've only ever bought single 3-packs which sneak in under the radar, so can't comment if this is the case. All in all they're very good for the money & ideal if you're on a tight budget or aren't overfussed or are just starting out. I'm staying with 'em for the foreseeable. Pete.

[quote name='WHUFC BASS' post='576358' date='Aug 21 2009, 07:41 AM']Yeah but its up north and thats just plain wrong [/quote] Whaddyamean??? You're "up Norf"! Norf/Saaf Divide = The Thames.

[quote name='munkonthehill' post='676319' date='Dec 6 2009, 11:38 PM']this thread is adding on from another thread i just replied to......any idea what my output from my ashdown 600h(575watts) would be if i ran 2x4ohme cabs in parallel? do you lose much power when you run in parallel?[/quote] DON'T! (Unless your amp is rated for it) Connecting cabs in parallel reduces the impedance (e.g. 2 x 4-ohm cabs in parallel = 2 ohms), which **could** allow the magic smoke to escape. That'd give your amp a 0W output & would be bad. By all means parallel-up two 8-ohm cabs (for a 4 ohm load), or series two 4-ohms (that'd give an 8 ohm load). Pete.

[quote name='Fiorenza2' post='674980' date='Dec 5 2009, 03:08 PM']Thanks for the replies! Sorry for getting back so late, I had a busy week with school work and all that. Judging by the responses, I think I'll leave the PJ option for now, and get atleast a set up and strings. Just out of curiousity, has anyone used Greg of Guitar Aid before? The testimonials suggest he's pretty good at what he does, and his rates appear pretty decent. I think it's £75 for a fret level and full set-up, which is the same as the Gallery charges for just the levelling. Plus it's easier for me to get to Guitar Aid. Thanks again! Phil[/quote] Greetings, Haven't used Greg, but did e-mail him with a couple of queries rgarding som ancient (80s!) rack gear I've got that needs some TLC. His response was quick - very commendable - but of the "drop it in & I'll see what I can do, my rates are £20 p/h" variety, which I felt was a tad poor especially as I'd given details of the problems, offered photos of varous bespoke components AND clearly stated that I didn't have money to burn. On this basis I'll be wary of going there - I'm not slagging him off - I'm just disappointed by the response. The Gallery chuck in a setup as part of the levelling. If found their work to be superb - nobody else is touching my basses from now on. Wherever you choose to go, get as low & slick a setup as possible. If the action's too low it's dead easy to tweak it up a bit (5 mins & 2 allen keys) - harder to take it down. The Gallery have done two levels & setups for me that were fag-paper low - waayyy too low for me but a piece of p to tweak to taste. Pete.

[quote name='xverminate2' post='674372' date='Dec 4 2009, 05:38 PM']Many thanks for this help pete, I tend to use only 3 of my collection , Fender PB OR Jazz + Status s1, It's the status I'm using tonight. Any custom settings would be of help Thinking about the editing, It seems pointless to have the laptop to edit when it's only benifit is to alter the para and comp?I would eq to the gig, Am I right Greg[/quote] Spot on. I only use the editor to backup - any adjustments are made on the night in the venue. That setting... Gain: 12 or 13 (Red Line it!) EQ: 50 Hz - 6.0 100Hz - 3.0 230Hz - 2KHz - Flat. 5kHz - 1.0 Master: to taste. Works nicely with an early 70's P/J hybrid and a CIJ P loves it (through a Peavey 15 Black Widow & an Epifani UL110 - YMMV) Break a string. Pete.

[quote name='xverminate2' post='674343' date='Dec 4 2009, 05:18 PM']Hi Pete, Thanks for the info, I will be using SWR 15" + SWR 2X10, hartke 5500 biamp head is the norm,but will have a quick dabble with tha ashdown. Only a pub gig tonight Greg[/quote] Shouldn't need the master up beyond 12 O'clock then - it'll have yer trousers off otherwise! A couple of other "features"... The gain control is measured in dB for some reason, & just goes round & round & round. When you switch off, unplug the mains lead but leave the speaker cables plugged in, then switch it back on for about a minute. The power supply capacitors take an age to bleed down otherwise, & if your fingers stray too near the mains input socket you can get a surprising belt! What Bass? I have a handy P preset if you want. Pete.

[quote name='xverminate2' post='674302' date='Dec 4 2009, 04:35 PM']Hi, Just bought one of these this week and will test it tonight at a gig. All my cabs are flightcased in our van so,fingers crossed I dont end up with a hummer. Does the amp have to be powered up in order to us the edit software and make a backup and is there a factory reset procedure? Thanks Greg[/quote] Greetings, Yes, it needs to be powered up to use the editor. As far as I can make out you can only save single presets, not dump the lot into one file (which is a bit daft). As to factory reset, don't worry. Presets 01-10 (or it might be 00-09, I forget) *are* the factory settings, they're protected & can't be overwritten. Have fun installing the software! (I **think** it's one of those where you need to install the app, then reboot, then connect the amp - but it's been a while). Hope you don't have a hummer, mine has a very low level whistle on one channel which I suspect is clock breakthrough. It's not noticeable at a gig & seems to occur only when I use the speakon connector. If I plug a 1/4" jack in the amp it's fine. What cabs, how big's the venue? Pete.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='674268' date='Dec 4 2009, 03:57 PM']You live in Colchester? Get thee to Status Graphite! Rob, Dawn & co. will doubtless have something that takes your fancy![/quote] Deffo worth a look - I've yet to hear a Status that I didn't like the sound of. To go back to the OP... I'm not a Wal owner, never have & am unlikely ever to be - but I have played a couple (Walman's & Silverfoxnik's) at a Bash acouple of years back. My opinions? A bit Marmite tbh - I can see why people love them with a passion & they're exceptional instruments, but they're not for me. I had difficulty with the neck profile, a Wal neck has a profile unlike anything I've ever met, it definitely works, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, but it just felt wrong in my hand - kind of the opposite to a Warwick (another excellent, but Marmite, bass in my opinion) with its flat D profile, a Wal has a sort of "hump". Tonal versatility? buckets of it! Ease of playing? Segmentised Urea. I'm sticking with my old Aria SB's - they just fit me, physically & sonically (more Marmite as well!) Try a Wal, they are very, very, good & if you fall in love with it then you'll justify the expense - but try one first. Pete.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='657939' date='Nov 18 2009, 11:28 AM']If it gets to the wood through a dig or scratch, it will make fisheyes in any attmpt at refinishing. [url="http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&hs=2n3&q=silicone+fisheye&btnG=Search&meta=&aq=f&oq="]Loadsa references on google.[/url] Also checked and Pledge does contain silicone. Anyone involved with wood finishing, or painting shudders at the thought of silicone contamination.[/quote] +Lots to that. Silicone is evil with a capital E. It doesn't even need a nick or ding - it'll soak through most finishes & once it's in the wood, you're stuffed. Bad contaminations can push the finish off. If you've got a car body shop that does resprays ask them about Silicone Contamination, the guys I know have some horror stories. If you do want to wax polish, use something traditional like Antiquax (blue tin, most of the supermarkets have it) that are just beeswax & turpentine. Pete.

[quote name='Lorne' post='656430' date='Nov 16 2009, 09:19 PM']and you think you've got problems! LOL [/quote] Now I can't believe THAT suffers from neck dive - not with a Kahler! Bet it does the "Explorer Flop" though. P.

[quote name='ahpook' post='644950' date='Nov 4 2009, 07:34 AM']put a switch in - it'll cover the hole and you can call it what you like. "the bass isn't really cutting through" "hang on, i'll switch the resonance divider parameter loading" /click/ "cool - that sounds much better" [/quote] +1 - I call mine the DFA circuit (Does F All). Useful for uppity guitards... "Bass is a bit loud mate" Looks down.. "Sorry, the DFA was on!" click. Carry on as before. 100% success so far. Pete.

Greetings. Thanks for the link, they look potentially useful. As to your questions... Hmmm... I'm with Sibob on the pickup (especially on the routing) - my concern is that you'd find a J down by the bridge too toppy given your style. Has anywhere local to you got anything with a P/J arrangement that you could try? Wouldn't necessarily duplicate your tone, but could give you an idea. My money would go on the setup - especially the idea of a fretstone/level. I took my '81 Aria TSB-400 up to the Bass Galley in Camden & got that done - felt like a new bass when I got it back! Fag-paper low action & no buzzes all the way up - admittedly I did spend 10 mins with the allen keys tweaking the action up a touch & adding a tad more relief in the neck to suit my style, you may find the same (if so, they ought to do that when you're there). Looking at GuitarAid's rates they seem fair, but I'd check if the re-stone price includes a setup or not (if it does that's fantastic value - the Gallery charge £75!). Strings - can't help there I'm afraid. It can be a long & wiggly path finding strings you really like. What sort of stuff are you playing? that might give us a clue. Pete.

I was thinking SB 600 as I was reading this - purely on the basis of the set neck... but as we Matsumoku fans know all too well the phrase "specifications may change without notice" is a blood oath, not a vague warning. Pics? It doesn't actually exist unless it's been photographed y'know. I'd love to know why the 600s got made. The idea of a set neck version of the SB 700 (which was essentially a passive SB 1000 without the 6-way tone selector) seems to be completely pointless. The only thing I can think of is tat a batch of "carcasses" went very wrong in the neck department & some bright spark suggested cutting the dud neck off & glueing a new one on to save binning the lot. If that was the case it must have been a big batch, as the 600 straddles the headstock change from Batwing to Bookend. Love to try one just to see how it stacks up against my SB 900! Pete.

[quote name='MB1' post='667672' date='Nov 27 2009, 06:40 PM']MB1. Try contacting Aria U.K ltd on 01483 238 722 and ask for Lee if anyone can help he can! [/quote] Another possibility... If you know anyone that's handy with metalworking, it shouldn't be too hard to get some remanufactured. The whole SB bridge design is very simple & wouldn't frighten any engineering type. Have a hunt for a local Model Engineering Club/Society. Pete.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='669361' date='Nov 29 2009, 07:18 PM']Jeff Berlin famously denounced fretless bass because he thought everyone just sounded like Jaco clones. He's probably right, but Pino is the exception. His fretless playing is integral to the tracks he's performed on being major hits. Lady In Red being a prime example.[/quote] Pino is THE reason I wanted a fretless. She Moves Me off Paul Rodgers' "Muddy Waters Blues" album to be precise - tasteful little slid pinched harmonics & a pantwettingly gorgeous tone. Dunno if I'll ever get there, but the journey so far has been bags of fun. Pete.

[quote name='SteveK' post='654455' date='Nov 14 2009, 01:43 PM']You mean, rather like this...[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPKDS5QP0Tc"]TOTP[/url] That's one devilishly handsome bass player, don't you think? Still got the bass. Anyone know where I can get the electrics looked at?[/quote] Greetings. It looks like a Series 1 SB-1000 - if so you may have problems when it comes to the electrics... Mine just had a sealed Mystery Black Box with a 10-way connector. Managed to decipher a fair bit of the contents, & it looks like the "actives" were just a unity gain buffer circuit or (in English) a pre-amp which doesn't amplify. Sounds daft, but it isn't. It's also not necessary - I've done away with it in my fretless but kept the 6-way rotary tone selector unit - now that IS necessary! I'm in the throes of recovering from a major pc failure, somewhere I should have a wiring diagram based on the original configuration. If I can fish it out I'll PM you the mod (very simple, but off the top of my head I can't remember what wires you have to cut & move, failing that I'll hoy the back off the fretless & send a pic). One thing to check first though... unplug the connector block & put a multimeter across the red & the white leads to check that the pickup is still OK - mine wasn't. I suspect that the 18v "actives" had failed in such a way that the pickup had been burnt out, it was certainly reading open circuit. Pete.

[quote name='henry norton' post='662662' date='Nov 23 2009, 01:54 PM']It is easier to defret a bass and fill the slots with light wood than it is to line and dot a neck that's already fretless. You could just get it marked along the edge (if it isn't already), which just involves drilling a few tiny holes whereas lining a board means accurately measuring, marking and cutting fret slots, then filling them with slivers of wood as you'd do with a defretted bass. Isn't there a fretless variant of your Ibanez? Maybe a fretless owner would want to swap...[/quote] Greetings, The full thread on my defret experience is here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5094&hl=aria"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5094&hl=aria[/url] & shows what I chose to do in respect of a lined board. I've been taking it to local jams & gigging it for about 6 months now & a few things have become evident... 1: The rosewood board is starting to tramline - I use roundwounds & I like to bend 'em. I phoned the Bass Gallery to get their advice & to enqquire about getting an ebony board at some point. Their reply: New fingerboard will cost around £300, but don't worry about tramlining too much as it's part of the bedding-in process & can be taken out with a re-shoot when it gets too much. I'm inclined to agree with the "bedding in" statement, as it seems to me that I'm now definitely taking a fretless to the gig - it's starting to sing & growl and do all that good stuff (admittedly part of this is that I've learned how to do it!). 2: Lines. Don't bother, just fill 'em in. When was the last time you actually looked at the frets while you were playing? I mean square on, direclty at 'em? Come On, be honest now. Exactly. You probably haven't for ages - I haven't. What I DO look at is the edge of the board - the dots & the fret ends. This is where markers are invaluable until your ear is good enough to know when you're out (I doubt mine ever will be, plus there's always a gig when you can't hear yourself properly & you end up playing in Braille!). I've "enhanced" mine with Tippex (coz I had some) & varnished it in. A strong contrast is useful as stage lighting can vary. 3: Beware! It can take over your life! Have fun with it Pete.

For a bit of Burlesque, there's always There's No Lights On The Christmas Tree Mother (Coz They're Burning Big Louie Tonight) by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

If there were any justice in this world it ought to be about £250-300. But sadly it'll probably go for less - I'd guess £150-180 on a good day, depending on what you mean by "average condition". I have one. I ain't selling it. Ever. <<<-----There it is. Pete.

Mornin'... A few more into the mix... Milk & Alcohol - Dr Feelgood © 20th Century Boy - T-Rex (E) Don't Believe A Word - Thin Lizzy &/or Gary Moore (try & find the "slow" version - great fun when it kicks off!) (A mainly) Hard To Handle - Otis Redding/The Black Crowes ( Living After Midnight - Judas Priest (E) Seems To Me - Rory Gallagher (E - no changes, just E, all the way through. Absolute killer of a tune.) Tainted Love - Soft Cell (think its in C) responds well to being rocked right up. Flying Saucers Rock 'n' Roll - Billy Lee Riley & His Little Green Men (seriously!) (12 bar in D) Twenty Flight Rock - Eddie Cochran (G) There's been a bucketload of good advice already about pre-gig nerves, so I'll only add these... Do NOT get p***ed - even if you're not driving. Depending on your natural capacity, no more than 2 pints before kick-off. I go for one during set-up & get another in to see me through the first set. Buy your own - at least before/during your set. The last thing you need is an apparently well-meaning punter/guest who gets you a spiked pint. If, like me, you smoke - have one of those pretend plastic fags on you. If you're still a bit nervy early on it'll help. If you have a local jam session or open mic night, get involved. They can be a great learning experience. Have fun. If it goes wrong - SMILE! (then do it again to make it seem deliberate!) Enjoy. Pete.

Lined... sort of. Mine's a Defret & I thought it would be a good idea to put mahogany fretlines into a dark rosewood board - it was, until I started playing it. At the first sign of finger-grease & that, all my lovely inlaid strips vanished. With hindsight, I wouldn't have bothered, as I don't look at the face of the fingerboard anyway - just the edge. I've now "enhanced" the fretlines on the edge & generally know where I am. Haven't tried it under typical stage lighting (i.e. not much) yet. Pete.

Probably the final update for a while.... Here's a video link to me hacking it up at The Coach & Horses in Leyton High Rd E10 on a Wednesday night... [url="http://www.dustyend.com/finnbass/oxblood_stuff/Vid4.avi"]http://www.dustyend.com/finnbass/oxblood_stuff/Vid4.avi[/url] also... [url="http://www.coachandhorsesbluesjam.com"]http://www.coachandhorsesbluesjam.com[/url] The mwaaahhh isn't prominent in this, but of late it's been on the increase - think it might be down to the fingerboard starting to tramline & the whole thing generally bedding in. Frets feel very odd now. Pete

[quote name='Mikey R' post='486775' date='May 13 2009, 11:42 AM']Hi Pete, Ive been wondering how you do this - did you seal off the bass first with sealer or a clear coat to stop the black paint bleeding through the grain? It looks a little glossy, but that could be from wiping it down with spirits?[/quote] What-ho... I did give it several cans of clear coat first in an attempt to fill the grain. If I were to do it again, I'd give it 3 or 4 coats of clear, a bit of a flat, & then fill the grain with knifing stopper and flat that back, then give it another seal or two before masking it up. Generally, if you get bleed it'll be down to one of two things... 1: You've put waaayyyy too much paint on, and/or 2: Your masking is rubbish. If you look closely at the band of masking tape up the middle, you can just make out a slightly different colour of tape on the edges. This is "Fine Lining" tape made by 3M for car refinishing. When it's packed down, it's very unlikely that any paint will bleed underneath it. Final finishing was with 1500 grit wet & dry used wet, & polished up with some very turgid old Brasso, an old T-Shirt & lots of friction. Gives a lovely soft shine. Pete.