Musky

Yeah, I noticed the other thread after I posted here. The knobs should pull straight off (ooo-er!) without much difficulty and shouldn't be glued, though you never know what strange things a previous owner might have been up to. They use a split shaft on the pots, which someone might have opened up slightly to grip the knob a bit tighter, but either way the knobs should just require a little force. I have heard of someone managing to pull the whole shaft out of a pot, but realistically this is a pretty unlikely scenario. In any case, you don't have to remove the knobs unless you actually want to remove the pot, which isn't necessary to clean them. Incidentally, any dirt in the pot will probably stay in there, but using switch cleaner and turning the knob will clear the dirt from the track.

You need to apply the switch cleaner from the back of the pots, which will mean opening up your amp. The pots will probably have a small access hole in the rear, though some are completely sealed. Use the small tube supplied with the switch cleaner to get it in there, and turn the knobs to dislodge any dirt. This might have to be repeated from time to time to keep them crackle-free, but if it doesn't sort out the problem the pots will need replacing. It's not a big job, and you can do it yourself if you can handle a soldering iron (though if it's a valve amp be wary of the voltages of even an unplugged amp). As far as I remember Marshall used knobs that were held on by a screw on their older amps (not sure about the newer stuff) and it's simple enough to remove them without causing any damage, should you need to do so.

I don't really have a problem with people borrowing my amp - in fact some of the promoters I play for insist on it for quick change over times. So sometimes I've used other peoples rig and sometimes they've used mine. It's not a problem, I just show them how the thing works and insist they leave the limiter on. If I use their kit I'll always ask if I can change the settings and change them back after. Having said that it [i]does[/i] piss me off somewhat if someone just turns up on the night on the assumption that there will be a bass amp on the night and it's perfectly fine to use mine without checking before hand. I'll usually say no before relenting, just so they get the point.

[quote name='sgt-pluck' post='316970' date='Oct 28 2008, 06:41 PM']I'd spotted that one - thought I'd take a punt. Very little information about on Gherson. From what I can gather so far they are Italian/US/Japanese made, and were low/mid/high quality knock-offs of the usual suspects including Ric's plus some mental double-necked SG thing ( rather like [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GHERSON-TWIN-DOUBLE-NECK-SG-60S-VINTAGE-ITALIAN-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ220300056726QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item220300056726&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]this[/url] on 'ere on t'bay ). So not much to go on, but the [i]brand[/i] definately is ( or was ) Italian, and it looks quite nice in the rubbish eBay snaps One piece Alder....? Anyway if it turns out to be nice I'll post pics, otherwise I'll hide it away and pretend it never happened! Pluck[/quote] Nice one. So that's three of the crop that Jon posted that have gone to BassChatters - I pulled the trigger on the Aria Cardinal, despite not needing it (or indeed even really wanting it ). It has to be said I didn't expect to win, thinking I'd either be outbid or fail to reach the reserve - so I'm not entirely sure why I put the bid in. Probably something to do with my CSB 300 now being pretty much exclusively used for all gigging and rehearsal duties, and being so nice I always had the thought at the back of my mind that I should get another for back up. Though precisely how I'll get to use both is beyond me at this moment in time as I never actually take a back up to gigs. Oh well...

[quote name='Mokl' post='314747' date='Oct 25 2008, 09:13 PM']I know there has been a lot of bashing of The Bass Cellar on here recently, and it would seem that most of it is rightly so. However, do you think you might have misconstrued a joke? I mean, I think your bass collection is amazingly cool, but if you wonder into a shop and start talking about the huge number of instruments you own, then perhaps it is only realistic to expect that you might expose yourself to the potential of a couple of cheeky comments - especially in a music shop!? Of course I wasn't there, but I have worked in retail. Dude, I can tell you, sometimes it blows. EDIT - just read your above post re the converstation, but still wondering if the guy may just have been joking (perhaps he's not a natural comedian!) lol![/quote] Sorry Mokl, but what the guy said might have been a barrel of laughs for him but is just downright insulting to the person on the receiving end. It case you missed it, the implication is not just that Nick is a sad f**ker for collecting basses, but also incapable of pulling. Quite honestly I'd have dragged the guy outside and put him straight on a few things.

[quote name='kevbass' post='314237' date='Oct 24 2008, 11:21 PM']Naturally Out of interest, and because I have no idea, I presume I picked up a bargain here, how much do these usually sell for?[/quote] Around £150 mark seems reasonable, though it has to be said that all white basses seem to attract less attention.

This has come up before - apparently the Warwicks have something of a reputation for being quite quiet. The answer seems to be to ignore the clipping light and just use your ears. If it sounds alright then it is - it won't do any damage. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=14300"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=14300[/url] Incidentally, since it doesn't seem to be covered in the wiki (unless I've missed it ), clipping is where the tops and bottoms of a waveform are 'clipped' off, giving the waveform a more square shape. Square waveforms sound more fuzzy, so if you want a clean sound are to be avoided.

I've not tried one with a Jazz pickup, but the neck position has plenty of grunt - more so than a Fender IMHO.

[quote name='kevbass' post='314108' date='Oct 24 2008, 08:04 PM']Snapped up that Aria for 52 quid, will let you all know what its like when I pick it up.[/quote] BAAAARGIN!!! You can't really go wrong with those Mats.

The Zoom B2.1u gets a lot of love around here, though if that's too pricey and you don't need the expression pedal or USB the B2 covers the same ground. No looping though, unfortunately.

I think you've got the answer John. I've seen this view before for PA amps, and some advocate it for bass amps as well. I seem to remember that driving an amp into clipping can damage the speakers.

[quote name='sgt-pluck' post='312254' date='Oct 22 2008, 04:18 PM']Do they do it by signing up to forums pretending to be a happy punter and then bigging up their own products? Pluck[/quote] I've got to admit the thought had crossed my mind. Mind you, if it's good enough for a high profile British amp manufacturer...

[quote name='Marky L' post='311391' date='Oct 21 2008, 04:03 PM']All in all, I find it very dubious. As I recall, his hapless mother sold on his iconic white P bass many years ago. Where is it now???[/quote] It would appear that it's now with Steve Jones. [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hatounian_images/2058497571/"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/hatounian_images/2058497571/[/url]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='310927' date='Oct 21 2008, 12:19 AM']Turns out quite a lot of the Jap neckthroughs have the gap - my Matsumoku project (coming soon - honest!!) and that poor brutalised thing I sold recently both had it.[/quote] Not as unusual a I thought then. I might have given him a call to see if he'd consider posting if it wasn't for that neck repair - I think I'd have to play something like that before splashing out.

It looks like the only attention that auction got was from Basschatters.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='310925' date='Oct 21 2008, 12:15 AM']Good call. But don't call me Chester.[/quote]

I just flagged this in the Rickenfaker sticky, but I'm posting this up as a new thread to make it a bit more obvious. I'm sure it's not going to hang about long, even with a neck repair. Chester pick up only. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ibanez-cimar-Familiar-70s-bass-copy-SUPERB_W0QQitemZ180300654322"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ibanez-cimar-Familia...emZ180300654322[/url]

Interesting faker with a BIN on £250, though it's had a neck repair. No binding at the base of the body - I thought it was just the Giannini's that had that, but the tuners on this look very Japanese. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ibanez-cimar-Familiar-70s-bass-copy-SUPERB_W0QQitemZ180300654322"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ibanez-cimar-Familia...emZ180300654322[/url]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='310033' date='Oct 19 2008, 08:45 PM'][Facepalm] You can't teach some people subtle can you.[/quote] Yeah, I thought it was very odd he posted that to the auction page. Worst thing about it is that it'll probably have everyone else messaging him as well.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='309884' date='Oct 19 2008, 04:21 PM']All the Rickenbacker references have gone.[/quote] Judging by the question on the listing you might have had something to do with that.

Freecycle is pretty good for shifting stuff like that, if it doesn't go on ebay Chris. The girlfriend's daughter listed a sofa last week and it went within hours.

Here's a brand I've not come across before - Career. Seems to look the part (more or less), at least what you can make out from the small picture. Perhaps the oddest thing about it is that it's been up there for 24 days without RIC pulling the auction. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CAREER-RIK-400-RIK400-E-BASS-BASSGITARRE-BLACK-OVP-NEU_W0QQitemZ180293292895QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item180293292895"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CAREER-RIK-400-RIK40...tem180293292895[/url]

If you're quick there's a tidy 80's Tokia precision ending on ebay at 3pm, and it's currently sitting at a mere £175. Should be a decent bass - it was basically Tokia that forced Fender into producing the high quality Squier JV range in the early eighties. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Left-Handed-Japanese-Tokai-Precision-Bass-c-1984-85_W0QQitemZ190258863709QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190258863709"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Left-Handed-Japanese...tem190258863709[/url]

[quote name='agoulding' post='309263' date='Oct 18 2008, 02:54 PM']hey my name is alex, i dont really know how long ive been playing though. about 4 years....just dont call me a newbie [/quote] Hi Alex, and welcome to the forum. And don't worry, 4 years takes you well past newbie territory!

[quote name='Beedster' post='309289' date='Oct 18 2008, 03:21 PM']Suspicious f**ker aren't I Cheers Chris[/quote] It tends to pay when it comes to ebay.