iiipopes

[b][url="http://sound.westhost.com/clipping.htm"]http://sound.westhost.com/clipping.htm[/url][/b] "The composite input signal is made up of a 3.3V peak-to-peak sinewave at 1kHz, added to a 2kHz 3.3V P-P sinewave whose phase is shifted by 90° to obtain an asymmetrical waveform that has a peak amplitude that is almost twice as great in the negative direction as in the positive direction." ... "Before we continue, it is important to understand just [i]how[/i] clipping the waveform can introduce a DC voltage. First, look at the basic waveform details (two complete cycles are shown), both before and after it is clipped ... [center] [b][size=2]Figure 2.3 - Input Waveform Detail[/size][/b][/center] The total shaded area shows that the area above the zero volt line is exactly equal to the area below, therefore, the signal is perfectly balanced and there is no DC at all. When the amplifier chops off (clips) the section below the line marked 'Clipping Level', the two areas are no longer the same - the area in the lower part of the waveform is smaller because some of it has been removed when the amplifier overloads. Since the upper (positive) section of the waveform now has more area than the lower (negative) section, the overall waveform has a positive bias - this is seen as a DC voltage. No tricks, no special effects, just plain old physics at its most basic level." ... "Given the right (or wrong) signal and sufficient clipping, there is the real risk that a loudspeaker driver may even be damaged. The voicecoil may be slammed into the rear polepiece of the magnetic circuit, suspensions may be stretched and the assembly's alignment compromised. This will lead to eventual driver failure." ... "As noted, for power amplifiers used to drive a transformer, the DC component is even more of a problem. A typical transformer for these applications may have a primary resistance of well under 1 ohm, so even a small DC level will cause a very high current to flow. This will cause transformer saturation and possibly amplifier failure."

It's not that a person is "more likely" to blow a speaker underpowered, but it can happen. In a nutshell, it's this: when the amp is peaked out and can't deliver any more power, it clips the signal. These clips are, in essence, immediate DC going to the speakers. Because it is a clip, the ramp on the front side of the wave form is pretty steep compared to non-clipping signal. So one or both of two things can happen: 1) the speaker perceives an immediate jump in signal, and if it's too compliant, can blow its extension on the overshoot, and 2) DC means amperage, which means heat, which over time, if the speaker coil can't dissipate the heat, it will burn out the coil or disintegrate the coil form from the heat, or even kill the magnet (old Alnico speakers) Most new speakers, especially musical instrument and reinforcment drivers, are designed to take at least some abuse. But the best bet is, going in, match everything so that the rated load of the speakers is at least the rated power ouput of the amp, if not more, and always watch the power amp to make sure it doesn't clip. Most modern amps have some sort of protection circuit or "soft clipping" circuit that also helps prevent too much DC from clipping from going to the speakers, and/or a thermal protection shutdown. And occasional "red" peaks are no big deal, but the amp should always be monitored visually to make sure it isn't constantly clipping, if for no other reason than the deterioration of the sound quality from the distortion.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1352711121' post='1866286'] Well, apart from a bass that weighs more than it needs to....[/quote] My 5-er is very light weight, almost to the point of having neck dive with mini Gotoh bass tuners. I've also seen Fender Precision Basses made out of USA Northern Ash (the stuff we make baseball bats out of) that weigh, proverbally, a ton. A well designed 5-er need not weigh any more than a 4-string. The stuff about technique and string bleed-over is simply a matter of insufficient technique, whether 4- 5- 6- or more string bass instrument.

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1352727802' post='1866560']Fair enough if that's the tone you're after, but if so, why use a Rick?[/quote] The newer 4003's depending on the year, either don't have the bass-cut capacitor to the treble pickup, or have a switch in one of the controls, so it functions like the old 4000 single pickup model. In this respect, the newer Rick treble pickup is a great pickup for drive and grind. As far as downtuning, it depends on the strings. Companies like CircleK strings make strings specifically for downtuning, and they sound fine on a Rick.

I wonder if 18th century bassists had this discussion when switching from 3 string tuned G-D-G or A-D-G to 4 string tuned as we know it today, E-A-D-G?

Once the OP decides on a primary make and model of strings, then a slight adjustment to the nut slots is no big deal. I take care of all of my friend's Rick basses, including my own 4002. I haven't had to touch the nut or truss rods on it in almost 20 years.

After putting off purchasing a 5-er for almost 30 years, I finally purchased an Ibby SRA305 N.O.S. clearance at my local USA GC store. List: $600.00. Purchase price: $269. Sterling exchange rate is about 1.60 right now. You can do the math. It plays like a $1500 instrument once I set it up properly.

The HZ series (get it - High Z, or high impedance, since the electrical symbol for impedance is "Z") is the [i][b]passive [/b][/i]series of pickups. If there is a battery in a bass with HZ's, it's because someone has added a preamp or an effect or other add-on. My Ibby SRA305 has the licensed version of the EXB, which Ibby calls the "Phat II," so it needs a battery to run the add-on. These are great pickups, but here's the catch: they are more interactive with the controls you attach to them. EMG recommends 500kohm controls, but that can make them brittle sounding. I jumpered my neck pickup volume control with a 1-megohm resistor to bring the effective load down to 330kohms, and it smoothed out the response of the pickup. Mine are wired V-V-T, like a jazz bass, then the "Phat II." When I get around to it, I'm going to be switching out one of the controls with a push-pull pot so it can be taken completely out of the circuit so that if it goes dead at a gig, I can pull the knob and completely bypass the EXB, er, Phat II and keep going. Again: [i][b]the HZ series is passive[/b][/i]. If there is a battery in a bass that wears HZ pickups, it's because the battery is running something else, either a separate onboard preamp or an add-on or mod, not the pickups themselves, as are the EMG soapbar series and others.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1352633729' post='1865304'] He's probably using that traditional feed back killing technology - the master volume control. [/quote] SVT's don't have a "master volume." They are the master at volume.

A simple washer can make all the difference to keeping a jack tight. In 1981 my folks purchased a Rick 320 guitar for me. The jack was always working loose. A few years later, I got a small, thin washer the same diameter of the threads and put it between the nut and the jackplate and tightened it. Now, twenty-odd years later, the jack is still secure - it has never needed re-tightening since.

Sounds like you've done what needs to be done. Enjoy!

[quote name='Soundcheck.effects' timestamp='1352570839' post='1864790'] So it's better idea to leave the bass as is???? [/quote] Yes. Clean it up; get a new set of strings; play it. Or at least you will always have a spare for gigs.

I prefer Belden cable and Switchcraft plugs. The standard for decades, and they last at least that long. The best value-for-money.

It did for me. My bass marginally sounds "livelier," but more importantly, it does not have neck-dive anymore. On a traditional P-bass or J-bass the large Fender "elephant ear" tuners weigh about 4 ounces each. That's a total of about a pound, a little less than a half-kilo, of weight that has to be dealt with. Hipshot Ultralight tuners weigh only about 2 ounces each. That's a total of about a half-pound, a little less than a quarter-kilo, of weight. So, switching out to the lighter tuners saved me about 1/2 pound or a little less than 1/4 kilo of weight. That doesn't seem like much, but it got rid of neck dive, and over the course of a 3 to 4 hour gig it is very telling on my shoulder.

The supposed effect of a scatterwound coil is to lessen intra-coil capacitance, which supposedly results in a "clearer" pickup or, another way to say it, more top-end.

For me, it wasn't GAS, it was necessity. I'm back with a band I was in some years ago, and they have expanded their repertoire to include some songs that have definite 5-string motifs in the bass lines that can't be done properly on a 4. So I use my 5 on those few songs and immediately switch back to my custom half-fanned fret P-style 4-string for most of the gig, as it is so much more comfortable to me and gets the tone I want for most stuff. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/174777-and-now-for-something-completely-different-in-a-pj/page__p__1632811__hl__fanned%20fret__fromsearch__1#entry1632811"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/174777-and-now-for-something-completely-different-in-a-pj/page__p__1632811__hl__fanned%20fret__fromsearch__1#entry1632811[/url]

It used to be some years ago. I thought it was sorted by now. But, well, as with anything mechanical, events can eventuate.

I have thru-stringing on my custom fanned fret P-style bass. Since a G string can whang or twang, I have it perpendicular down through the body right at the back edge of the saddle to get as much down force and therefore as much fundamental as possible. Conversely, an E String needs as much help with overtones as possible, so its angle is as shallow as possible, with the string guide as far back from the saddle as possible, almost as if it were conventionally top strung. The A and D strings are proportioned accordingly. This has ever-so-slightly helped with string-to-string tonality on my bass, which has a reissue "bolt-stock" mid-'60's style bridge.

Something internally is bad with one of the interior windings. Insist on a replacement string. When I used Rotos for a commercial show a few years ago, I was on the telephone to the Roto Rep weekly about getting good E strings.

There is a little springy flange internally on a traditional Tele/'51P-bass socket. He obviously has the knack to get it set the first time. As far as the bridge, the 2-saddle '51 P-bass bridge is like the original 3-saddle Telecaster bridge. Instead of looking back from the present, look forward from the past and see how this was an improvement over a solid bar bridge.

[quote name='daflewis' timestamp='1351416386' post='1850870']As for the braids, yes, again I commented without thinking - they're not on trial at the moment, the reason being that I think we're going to be replacing them with the new prototypes that I've been working on - I'll be putting these up for testing soon hopefully! [/quote] Thanks. Looking forward to it.

I play HipShot Ultra Lights. [url="http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=105"]http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=105[/url]

I prefer the more balanced set of the Fender Flats in the 9050CL: 45-60-80-105. Great value-for-money; versatile; have all the tone and feel; consistent.

Nice. Very nice.

Mains voltage. Mains voltage. Mains voltage. What the above said: unless it has a switch on the back of the amp near where a modular power cord plugs in that will switch to European 220/240 vac, or an automatic internal switch, then it is a pain to either rewire the mains transformer, or switch out one for the higher voltage, or get a step down transformer. You need three things to get an amplifier in the USA that will work in Europe with a minimum of hassle: 1) a power supply voltage switch on the back of the amp or automatic internal switching; 2) a modular jack on the back of the amp (think computer power input cord) so you can get a modular cord in Portugal that is compatible with the physical mains plug in; and 3) (this is most important, and has not been addressed) warranty. Many USA amplifiers have a limited warranty that will not be honored at different voltages or in different countries. For example, here is a Class D bass amplifier that is advertised as "internal switching" from 120 vac 60 Hz for the USA market or 240 vac 50 Hz for the European market, and is good value-for-money: [url="http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/BX500"]http://www.carvingui.../products/BX500[/url]