Maude

Cool, thanks Phil, and everyone else . I'll probably make up a pair of cabs and try it out, my son wants to help with a home project after getting into his D tech at school, if it doesn't work out then we've still had some fun and got some fire wood ready for winter .

Speaker cabs have feelings too you know, if left feeling unloved they can develop a condition which causes them to fart .............. go on, give your cab a hug http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tc-electronic-bass-stack-bh500-2x210-cabs-/291158689545?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item43ca690709

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1401779683' post='2466657'] Damn! That was the good bit. [/quote] As I said, I don't plan on [i]just[/i] sawing the cab in half ...................... I plan on sawing it half, whilst standing on one stilt, holding a pig under my arm which is playing the 'Dukes of Hazzard' theme on a banjo, and I'd better do it quick as after 60 seconds all the pyrotechnics are rigged to go off!

The original post should have read [i]not [/i]interested in buying new drivers, sorry. The amp and cabs sound fine but I wanted a two 1x10s rather than a 2x10. The two 1x10s are 16 ohm where as the 2x10 is 4 ohm and the 1x10s are narrower than the 2x10 so the bigger head won't sit on top. I don't want to mix and match anyway as I will sell whichever rig I don't use. I don't plan on just sawing the cab in half, that was just a simplified way of asking about the volume. The wood is free so no cost involved, if it doesn't sound good I will just house back in the original cab and sell on, keeping the two 1x10s. Another way of asking the question would be if you were to build a single cab with any given driver, would the internal volume need to be double for a twin cab with a pair of the same drivers. Or is there a rough rule of thumb where volume goes up or down in ratio to the number of drivers. I just want general guidelines to cab building,

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1401654081' post='2465612'] Of course this is [i]completely[/i] different from boy racers lighting up the road underneath their hot hatchbacks. [/quote] Of course it is

Evenin' all . This may have a really simple answer but probably not, or contain too many variables, or maybe it won't, but probably will . In short can I just cut a 2x10 cabinet in half and the resulting two halves be the correct internal volume for the drivers? In long, I use an Ashdown Perfect Ten mini rig (head and two 1x10 cabs) for monitoring when I go through the PA, really useful as they can be placed behind or in front of me, or one of each, or one to the side, you get the picture. Very small venues I have used just the one cab. They are easy to carry as singles, blah, blah, blah! The head is 60w and I've recently picked up a Five Fifteen mini rig which is 100w but uses a 2x10 cabinet and I was thinking of making it a twin 1x10. The woodworking is not a problem and I may make some nice bespoke cabinets and rehouse the head but I wasn't sure if one driver needed half the volume in the 2x10 cab or if they 'shared' the volume, so to speak, ie would one driver need a bigger internal volume than half of the 2x10. I'm interested in buying different drivers so none of the 'Ashdown drivers are crap' please, it was cheap and it sounds how I need it to but I could do with the versatility of twin 1x10s. Another question is, does the shape of the internals matter, within reason? I mean would a cab just over 10" wide but taller or deeper to make up the volume be the same as a cube, the present cab is not ported so no port tuning depths to worry about. I realise a tall, wide, pancake cab with the driver almost touching the rear panel would be probably bad, or maybe not, here I go again. Anyway, I look forward to your helpful replies . Edit: Forgot to say that the 2x10 cab is not seperated in two by an internal baffle, that would answer my question

[quote name='fun size nick' timestamp='1401613277' post='2465140'] Now if you could get it to modulate with signal volume... [/quote] Loving the cab effect, but ^this^ must the next mod ............ way cool

Forgot to mention something which I hadn't considered before doing mine, and I can't guarantee it was definitely from the reshaping, is dead spots. I did a makeover on a Variax and reshaped the above head and fitted 'elephant ear' tuners instead of the rectangular Line 6 ones. I also fitted La Bella white nylon strings afterwards and now have a slight dead spot on the B on G string (5th fret), classic dead spot area I believe. It could be the strings changing the tension on the neck, but I don't think so, more likely is the change in mass of the head, I was hoping that shaving some of the wood off but fitting heavier tuners would counteract each other, but I now have a dead spot that definitely wasn't there before. But I do have a Variax that doesn't look like sh*te . Just something to consider and there no way of knowing until you do it.

From this, [URL=http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Maudebass/media/120120141398_zps2b8cf865.jpg.html][IMG]http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/Maudebass/120120141398_zps2b8cf865.jpg[/IMG][/URL] To this, [URL=http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Maudebass/media/130120141404_zpsc89fa494.jpg.html][IMG]http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/Maudebass/130120141404_zpsc89fa494.jpg[/IMG][/URL] I marked out the new profile and used a 20mm belt sander to shape nearly to the line, then finished off by hand with sandpaper on a block. When almost there go down through the grades and finish with a fine paper, I then just finished with wax until the shade matched. The decal wasn't under all the lacquer so came without removing the finish totally (printed on rather than a decal). I liked the neck finish so didn't want to touch that but after sanding 'til the decal came off I went down through the grades on the headstock and polished to a satin finish so that the new profile edges wax finish matched, it sort of fades from satin to gloss on the side from the new finish to the old but I'm not too worried as it's functional and really doesn't notice until close inspection. Sorry no pictures yet of the finished headstock but will try to get some this week, which reminds me I need to update the build diary I started on it.

Things like this seem really difficult to me .......... until it clicks and then I can't believe how simple it was, usually over thinking things . Your vid explains it all so it makes sense, thanks .

It looks like it should be played by the Comfort fabric softener characters.

Not for everyone I realise, but how about some kind of fretless U-bass if size is a problem. I presume you can get them bigger that the usual Kala one everyone goes for as when I ordered strings for my home built one they had a selection of different scale lengths.

And Thomanns quality control is very good, mine didn't have any of the 'usual' Palatino things that needed addressing. I don't know if the build quality is better now or wether Thomann set them up a bit during QC but I was very happy with mine.

The Harley Benton [i]is[/i] a Palatino. Mine even came in a Palatino box with a HB sticker over the VE 500 number.

A late twenties girl and a bunch of middle aged blokes .................... 'Pretty Ugly'

I like a bridge cover to use in a similar way to 'Bassassins' explanation of the pickup cover, when playing octaves with the forefinger and thumb for example.

I went in my nearest shop for the first (and last) time about a year ago. I was after some flats or tapewounds and they didn't carry any. I asked about ordering some to try on the Bex4 I just got and what he thought would sound good, flats or tapes, he said they would all make it sound old and dead and not to bother, so I didn't, bother ordering anything from him, got some Fender nylon tapes from whoever was cheapest on the net. From point of view is, if you don't want to help or compete then don't grumble when you have no customers. On the flipside I went in a shop in Plymouth, can't remember the name, and they had a very good selection of strings, round, flat, nylon, etc. Will be using them again. Edit to add the name of the good shop - Sound Unlimited

I don't know if you want to go down the second hand do-er upper route but this old Tele copy looks interesting, 25". If you're into a bit of restoration it could be a fun project for you both, or just keep it as it is, genuine (hate the word) 'roadworn'. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121323600542?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

Can help with the synth stabs but a cover of that song is crying out to morph into 'Billie Jean' for a bit in the middle, just for fun, unless you hate that kind of thing .

The above wasn't meant to look smug by the way, reading it back does look a bit that way.

It's taken a long time get here but I'm finally in a place where I have everything I want from my set ups. Band 1, My bass gives me exactly what I want/need from it and after a refinish looks perfect, my effects are sorted, amp does everything I want it too. Band 2, My Double bass plays/sounds/looks lovely, my pre-amp and amp just work together like a dream to give me what I need/want. I'm happy with it all, my bands are happy with it all .................... so why is browsing various sites on the web for gear an almost daily occurrence?

It seems to me that as your wife is the one insisting on using a DB then it's her that needs to move aside to make room for it. It would be a lot cheaper putting a seat up on the roof rack for her than buying a waterproof DB case for up there! Sorry. It don't know if you can get a fully waterproof case but if you can it will be expensive, and possible extremes of temperature may be an issue.

[quote name='Mr Anthony' timestamp='1394384414' post='2390863'] That looks absolutely great! Nice one. Much better than how it looked before What did you use to paint it, if you don't mind me asking? [/quote] It's 2K acrylic car paint which is pretty much the same as the poly finishes on most basses but not as thick/dense. Automotive paints have pretty much been the same as guitar finishes through time. Early on it was nitro cellulose lacquer, the car industry called it cellulose, the guitar industry calls it nitro (cos we all want to be Americans ) , then it went to acrylics, polyesters and polyurethanes which are all very similar. The very old Fender custom colours were actually car paints apparently, which would have been cellulose back then. I'm sure I read somewhere that PRS use DuPont car lacquers for their guitars. It's quick drying and tough as hell compared to "nitro" which doesn't have all the properties I've heard folks claim. Oh yeah, and polishes up a treat .

[quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1394310700' post='2390244'] Good work, tis a lovely looking tool. [/quote] Thank you . The build diary is here if anyone's interested .................... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/227483-variax-make-over/

Oh and thanks Dad . It amuses me that Line 6 went all the trouble of doing the electrics and forgot about the styling .