stoo

Does the old smoothie have truss rod access at both ends? Or is that just a dark plug at the headstock end? I can't imagine that moving the string tree across to the g string would have enough effect to justify it unless you needed access to the rod? Had heard about the 10 pole pickup in an early prototype before and wondered if it would ever make an appearance... I wonder if it's a stock 5 string pickup?

Nice one!

[quote name='andy67' timestamp='1453116531' post='2956414'] Had a wee look and don't seem to have a 3band eq plus, would like to see if just the circuitry or pots and input included. [/quote] Their phone number is listed on their webpage & they have a pretty good rep for being helpful...

Strings and Things list them on their website.... Not sure if you'd need to send your old part in exchange though http://www.ernieball.co.uk/k/search?q=stingray+preamp&x=0&y=0

I've been using a Protection Racket 7051 for the last couple of years and am really happy with it - still looks pretty much as new, and has giant pockets which will swallow my GK MB500, a Zoom B3, a Zoom H2 and all my cables. It comes with 3 movable/removable pads to allow for different sizes and shapes of bass. Have only tested mine with Stingray / Precision / Jazz - not sure how big a Ricky is in comparison though.

I've got TI Jazz Flats on my 3EQ Ray, and Labella 760FL Flats on my 2EQ EBMM SUBs (one fretted, one fretless). I've had Ernie Ball and GHS rounds on them before - in fact I've still got a couple of unopened packs in case I ever feel the need to go back.... haven't yet though!

[quote name='Froggy' timestamp='1447747773' post='2909891'] How do you rate the sterling Wonky? I currently have my eye on a sterling sub ray 4. I haven't had a chance to have a play with it yet, but I've fallen in love with the look of it. It's around the upper end of my budget so I'm hoping it's good! [/quote] I had one (a SbMM sub ray 4) for a bit. It played nice and sounded very much like a Stingray to my ears. Only downsides to it from my point of view were - narrow & shallow neck profile didn't suit my hands as well as the chunkier EBMM SUB / Stingray shape - Needed to be very careful with the pickup/preamp to avoid distortion... I ended up lowering the pickup as far as it would go which pretty much solved the problem, but if the neck had suited me I think I'd have put a different preamp in - maybe a pickup as well... but I suspect it was the preamp that was the "problem"

I've got Labella 760FL's on my EBMM SUBs (one fretted, one fretless) I did try the TI's on the fretted one first and really liked them until I bought the fretless, which came with the Labellas fitted. The higher tension than the TI's made them feel a bit more familiar under the fingers, sound just as good to me, and still with all the benefits of reduced string squeak and fret buzz. Saying that, I did keep em, and they've recently gone on to a 3EQ Ray. The Ray originally had Slinky roundwounds on it, but needed a fairly high action to eliminate fret buzz.... I did one gig on it while my SUB was out of action and it properly killed my hands! It might have been a combination of the weather, my general lack of fitness and/or insufficient warmup before the gig.. but I just kept looking at the massive gap under the strings and thinking something has to change here.. and so the TI's went on. The low tension still feels a bit weird, but I'm growing to like them again

I've had them on my EBMM SUBs (Stingray type things) - worked OK for the retuning side of things, but when I hung the bass on my stand (one of the Hercules Auto-Grip ones) the hipshot lever hit the clamp and could end up taking the weight of the bass unless I remembered to hang the bass at the front of the clamp. I liked the stand more than I liked easier access to drop D, so the standard tuners went straight back on..

One of these - http://www.music-man.com/instruments/basses/sterling-5.html Ernie Ball Musicman / EBMM - the USA company that makes Stingrays and Sterlings etc Sterling by Musicman - Far East based company that makes licensed copies of EBMM instruments.... they used to do a version of the EBMM Sterling, which they sold as the SbMM SB14 - As far as I know it was only available as a 4 string, and is no longer listed on their website http://www.sterlingbymusicman.com/

Thanks for the kind words all - I think the fretless one is going to get the matching treatment this weekend. [quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1445472963' post='2891802'] Great job!! I like it so much I think I'll do the same to my US SUB. The paint's getting a bit worn anyway. Frank. [/quote] Go for it! In case it helps, there's a couple of vids I watched before taking the plunge which helped me get my head round what I was about to do [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24yWr2LRmJY[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiDm4JKtICk[/media]

I'm lucky enough to have a pair of USA EBMM SUBs - one fretted and one fretless. The fretless came from ezbass on here, and he'd stripped the paint off the neck and replaced it with an oiled finish. Feels lovely to play, and looked much nicer than the black paint covering the entire neck and headstock as I had on the fretted one. I'd often wondered about doing the same thing to the fretted one, but my fear of messing up a decent instrument had always convinced me to hold off. Recently some lacquer started flaking off to reveal sticky paint undernath, and my hand was forced... My main worry wasn't so much the main bit of the neck, but of the join between the neck and the headstock. Chris had managed to leave a fairly tidy line between new and old finish.... [url="http://s10.photobucket.com/user/scrapperstoo/media/guitars/IMG_20151020_224805_fl_r_zps91jter3v.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s10.photobucket.com/user/scrapperstoo/media/guitars/IMG_20151020_224818_fl_l_zps3a57kwbk.jpg.html"][/url] ....but as I can't even do colouring in without going over the lines, I needed a different approach! I didn't want to have to strip the headstock front and back faces and lose the logo & serial number. The only way I could think of was to do a lap of the entire headstock and hope for the best at the heel bit of the headstock. (Is that bit called a volute? or is that only if there's an extra bit of wood glued in to reinforce it?) Luckily, it all came good! [url="http://s10.photobucket.com/user/scrapperstoo/media/guitars/IMG_20151020_224932_fr_r_zpsfy0brwyg.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s10.photobucket.com/user/scrapperstoo/media/guitars/IMG_20151020_224947_fr_l_zpsfatnw6pr.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s10.photobucket.com/user/scrapperstoo/media/guitars/IMG_20151020_225025_fr_f_zps89t30knj.jpg.html"][/url] It's not a pro job by any means, but I'm so happy with the result I had to share..

[quote]Old pickup tacet mister bastard.[/quote] Just what I've always been looking for!

[quote name='tbonepete' timestamp='1441899572' post='2862800'] Hi Happy Jack, thanks, good call, Yes the GK MB series have been on my radar, but I wanted to make sure about the Clean sound. GK are known for their "growl", and I think its accessed via the contour control/button, but I wanted to be sure that it could be completely defeated, some amps have a baked in profile or sound concept that just cant be overridden. [/quote] My understanding of it is that the growl and the contour are pretty much unrelated - The growl is, I believe, essentially distortion from cranking up the preamp gain to work the power amp input harder. Contour is a control that scoops mids and boosts highs and lows. If you set the master volume up and keep the preamp gain down it sounds pretty clean and flat to my ears, but if the preamp does add colour you dislike, you could always plug straight into the FX return and just use the power amp. I've done that a few times when we needed to use my amp for vocals as well (obviously with a mixer between the bass and the FX return to allow the mic feed to be added). Works well for me.

[quote name='Captain Rumble' timestamp='1437923347' post='2830014'] It was the festival on the heath and once the sun came out it was a very pleasant afternoon. We weren't on the listing as apparently someone couldn't do it or something and someone knew someone who knew someone you know how it works. Anyhow lead guitarist picked us all up in his house on wheels which meant I got to have a few drinks sit in the sunshine and listen to the music and get to play for a while myself as I said a very pleasant afternoon all round. Hope your gig went well doesn't look like the weather is doing you any favours for Sunday. [/quote] Nice one - Brickhill went well too... We were a bit of a shambles on Saturday, but I was playing with 3 bands, and the two on Sunday went down really well, despite the weather. Shattered now though - could do with another Sunday before going back to work!

[quote name='Captain Rumble' timestamp='1437814188' post='2829192'] Playing here this afternoon as the John's no idea how we got involved but we will have fun and see the other bands and its not raining [/quote] Which one? I know of 3 in and around Salisbury this weekend so far! http://www.thesoundemporium.co.uk/festival-on-the-heath/ http://sausagefestival.co.uk/ http://www.brickhillfest.org/ Can't see the John's listed on any of the lineups - is there another one going on as well? Hope ya have a good one - I'm playing at Brickhill today & tomorrow

Or a more wallet friendly option would be a Sterling by Musicman SUB or Ray34ca (must be the "ca" 2 band version not the Ray34 3 band) which have more of a Jazz width neck. Could even swap the necks over if you prefer the sound of your current Ray... I had a SbMM SUB for a while and the neck on it was great - but too skinny for me.

Finally had some time to get em unboxed and set up. It's been a while since I've had a TV - this is about the right ratio for screen to speakers, yeah? [URL=http://s10.photobucket.com/user/scrapperstoo/media/guitars/tv_zpsmthkhuhy.jpg.html][IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a111/scrapperstoo/guitars/tv_zpsmthkhuhy.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Sounds pretty good with a bass through it too - was a bit worried about a weird rattling sound when I turned it up, but I'm pretty sure it's the room!

Well, the votes have been counted, and the winner is...... staying in their boxes because the girlfriend is coming round with her pooch tonight and I'm not taking any chances until the covers have arrived Cheers for all your help!

I particularly like the way he's put the tuning key in backwards and then mounted the whole thing on the headstock backwards as well. You just don't get that attention to detail from these boutique relic shops

Oops - title should read fearless F112, not fearful...

I've recently had surgery on my back for a herniated disc. I don't think my current cabs were that much of a contributing factor, but I am on doctors orders to carry as little weight as possible, so I'm currently thinking about diverting some of the money I was intending to spend on a more comfortable car towards some decent, light cabs. I'm currently using a Stingray and EBMM SUB into a GK MB500 into some Bill Fitzmaurice designed cabs - a 2x10 Omni 10 and a 1x10 Omni 10.5. I don't think I've ever needed more out-and-out volume than the 2x10 can provide, but having the 1x10 on top helps get it into my ears (I'm 6'3" and not good enough to get much chance to play on big stages!) So far the two favourite contenders seem to be the BB2 and F112. Both similar price. Both look to be more than up to the job soundwise. BB2 looks to be lighter, but the F112 can be used as a wedge so potentially nicer for small stage setups? Anyone used both and able to offer any advice on which way to go? Or suggest something else I've not considered yet?

I'm in a similar kind of boat - been able to play less and less due to a dodgy back, and went in for an operation to sort it on Friday. Luckily I'm already able to get up and about again, but only allowed to sit or stand for short periods of time. Playing while standing is a definite no, and sitting is still uncomfortable enough that I'm not tempted to risk it, and it's doing my nut in. I've tried playing while lying down, but it's weird and not a skill I'm that desperate to master! Have you thought about getting an ebow and trying out learning to play differently? Not sure if they're effective on bass but if you play guitar as well it could be an interesting distraction? Or getting a sequencer on your computer and writing some stuff?

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1429826865' post='2755451'] Don't forget the sandwich toaster and coffee machine... [/quote] Yes! Want!

[quote name='onehappybunny' timestamp='1429818110' post='2755350'] Like the idea of a lightweight faux combo also. Most amp rack ear kits go to 19", so that would work [/quote] How about a modular combo with some sort of latching system so you could have any arrangement of castor/sacktruck wheel base layer, 1 or 2 (or more) 12" (or bigger) cabs, and then a 2U rack top for amp + tuner on the front and cable storage on the back? Could be stripped down to fit in smaller cars or for carrying over awkward terrain, or clipped all together for a one trip load-in for places with better access.