Huge Hands

Did anyone used to use "Ashdown Fatties" strings? I tried some on my Cort C5 a few years ago and liked them so much, I bought a few tins of them. I noticed about 6 months ago that Ashdown weren't selling them anymore. I rang them up and tried to coax the guy I spoke to into telling me who made them for Ashdown, as I was assuming someone like Rotosound were making them and they were sticking them in a tin with their label. However, he was adamant that they had been exclusive to Ashdown, but admitted weren't doing them anymore. I am hopeless at changing strings, due to laziness, lack of cash and trying to pretend that it's because of my Jamerson idolisation and his theory that the "dirt keeps the funk", but my last set are starting to feel pretty tired. Can anyone recommend another make that are similar tone and feel? I have been toying with the idea of getting a set of Labella flats to try, but wanted a good roundwound set to fall back on if I didn't like them, as well as the fact that Labella flats appear to be like rocking horse s**t to get here in the UK. P.S. In case bass_ferret gets angry at me, I did search the archives first, but came up with nothing

The cheapest way is to chop the shield off the mic lead at one end (pin 1) and tape back so it doesn't short. This will solve your problem. Its to do with you being grounded through your mic to the mixer, and also through the guitar, and the small potential differences in the ground paths. I'm not sure how an RCD would solve this, other than stopping you dying from a serious electrical fault, so perhaps still a good precaution. Im assuming you're on about those painful little zaps you get in the mouth when you get close to the mic?

I don't actually know (my own interpretation of it is not good), but I just wanted to take the opportunity to reiterate the fact that Lequient "Duke" Jobe who played it originally with Rose Royce was a monster, and often under-rated, bass player. I looked him up on Google a while ago, and found an article that said these days he was living a pretty squalid lifestyle in a caravan. I don't know if it's true.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='184528' date='Apr 24 2008, 02:31 PM']LOL, nice try. If you're in the vicinity of West London, you're certainly welcome to pop around and have a go on them. But yes, its the Gherkin. The load in is going to be very interesting - mostly via express lifts I suspect. How about a free jar of advocado hummous instead? [/quote] Erm uurrggh! No thanks! I can but dream! I would have thought the load in will be through the building's loading bay and up a goods lift, upon threat of death by the "police state" security dept should you happen to be seen by a white collar member of staff in your get-in jeans. You will be hassled to get rid of your van asap and no one will give you a hand with anything.... Don't want to put you off, but I work for an AV contractor that deals with all the big finance houses in these flashy buildings all across London. I haven't dealt with the Gherkin, but they're usually all the same. I guess they need heightened security what with 9/11, 7/7 etc, but a smile now and then would be nice.... The class system is still evident in these buildings. Most contractors wear polo shirts with the company's logo, but we get all of our guys to wear a shirt and trousers so that they blend in a bit with the traders. They certainly get treated a lot better throughout the building! When I get back to work in a couple of weeks (currently on the sick recovering from an op), I'll have to pop round and hold you to that offer!

[quote name='Rich' post='184515' date='Apr 24 2008, 02:11 PM']Give that man a coconut [/quote] Was I right? Is that all? I was hoping, at the very least, to have won one of CK's Musicmans?????? Let me guess, a bumper sticker, mug and signed Basschat t-shirt?

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='184512' date='Apr 24 2008, 01:56 PM']- any guesses? [/quote] By the window shape - is it the Gherkin in London?

[quote name='ahpook' post='184417' date='Apr 24 2008, 11:45 AM']a band i was in years ago played metroland at the metrocentre once. that was weird...massive PA, kids on fun rides...and a bunch of us crusties playing...[/quote] As a teenager, playing drums in both a church band and it's naughty spin off soul group, we regulary got to play the "town squares" in the Metrocentre, i.e. outside House of Fraser and C&A (as they were then, haven't lived up there for over 12 years, so not sure any more!) They would either be church dos, or charity fairs (where we would be used to pull the crowds in). The first bad one was when the church group had turned up to a regular Mothering Sunday service, but unbeknownst to us, as it was the first one after the Dunblane tragedy, the Bishop of Durham turned up to do a remembrance service along with the local media. I couldn't hear anything due to the poor PA and crazy acoustics, so was trying my best to keep with the band and not have a blazing row with them during the obviously sombre occasion. I remember my bass drum made it onto that night's news, but not me. The second was when, as the soul group, we were trying to pull a crowd so a mental health charity could get people over and be interested in their cause. Unfortunately, while playing our faux Commitments numbers, one of the charity's, erm, benefitees(?) decided to dance to the music in the middle of the square. At one point, it looked like the whole Metrocentre had stopped shopping and come over to laugh at this poor lady's antics. It was the largest crowd I have ever played to, but it was also the most embarrassing situation I have been in. When we stopped, and the laughing died down, I just remembered stunned silence, apart from the noise of popcorn bouncing off my toms, which some little urchins were dropping from the upstairs balcony.

I don't know what the Americans have told you, but here's my laws of physics without knowing the amps or cabs you mention: There are two main ways to connect multiple speakers via cabling alone. In series, or in parallel. In parallel, the easiest way to think of it, if you use equal impedance drivers, is that you halve the impedance when you add two toogether. For example, an 8 ohm driver plus an eight ohm driver would equal a total 4ohm load. This is not so simple if you were trying to wire an 8ohm driver in parallel with a 6ohm one, and there is a formula to follow, but I'm trying to keep this simple. In series, you effectively add the impedances up, so 8 ohm plus 8 ohm would be a 16 ohm load. In answer to your direct questions, plugging a 4 ohm cab into each socket is likely to be a parallel connection and give you a 2ohm overall, so not good for your amp. Unless Marshall do something clever with your wiring, it will have the same effect as plugging one cab in and then daisy chaining to the next, It's all parallel wiring. If you are replacing drivers with 2x16 ohm drivers, then in each cab these would need to be wired in parallel to give you 8ohm total per cab. (If you wired in series, you'd end up with 32ohm). You could then parallel two cabs to get a total of 4ohms. That is all from my rusty electronics memory, and hopefully matches with America. If not, and I got something wrong, I'm happy to be flamed!

Hello and welcome. I'm not really one of the "official greeters", but thought I'd say hello as I too stated out as a drummer. I tried bass because I could never find a decent bass player to jam with (was always a case of the worst guitarist having to "drop" onto bass). I've never looked back really, although I do still dabble with the sticks occasionally. Unfortunately our band's drummer is a left hooker, so I just end up confused if I try and have a shot on his kit!

Electronic tuners as opposed to what? Tuning by ear? I once did FOH sound for a "supergroup" consisting of Noel Redding on bass, Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy) on guit/vox and John Coughlan (Status Quo) on drums. Noel/Eric spent about 20 mins tuning up independently just before the "curtain", and then as they started to play, were about a tone out and had to stop and start again. I think it was Noel who had just tuned up using his ear, but possibly both. Mind you, it was only about a year before Noel died, and he looked pretty frail. I can remember clamping my "Huge Hand" onto his shoulder to ask him to play something for a line check, and I nearly shattered his bones. Still, it was great to meet a legend!

[quote name='clauster' post='179746' date='Apr 18 2008, 01:51 PM']Until 6 months ago I lived in Southwater, just 5 miles from Partridge Green.[/quote] Very nice part of the world. Both sets of "grandparents-in-law" live in Stenying.

A guy in a shop once told me that the difference was [i]"...a jazz was a precision that had melted"[/i] referring to the less rounded shape by the control pots!

Never mind spare drivers, I'd get yourself some spare lamps as well. If they can go once.... Turbo used to use caravan tail lamps (21W festoon bulbs). I'm not sure if they're the same now. I used to buy handfuls of them from Lucas as we had loads of Turbosound stuff where I used to work. I reckon that would be cheaper than getting them from the manufacturer? It used to be a pain replacing them all the time (system was underpowered so regularly overdriven) but a lot better to replace them than drivers all the time. You could probably go and collec t the bulbs from where you are. Turbo are only in Partridge Green near Worthing! EDIT: Sorry, just re-read and saw you got them free of charge. Bonus!

Guys, Not sure if this has ben posted before (just did a quick search and couldn't find it), but I was reading my old Viz from Christmas and found this top tip for jazz singers that looks like it had been sent in by a disgruntled bass player: [i][b]JAZZ SINGERS. [/b] Show off your innate rhythmic ability, natural leadership and rat-pack-esque style by clicking your fingers on beats 2 and 4 ever-so-slightly off the beat in front of the bass player. It's a well known fact that as most bass players can't keep time naturally, the whole thing would fall apart if it weren't for you clicking those fingers, so don't stop whatever you do. You can make it extra fun and unpredictable for the whole rhythm section by ocasionally coming back in for the verse in tune and in the right place. [b]- Jazzy2Fives, e-mail.[/b][/i] I thought it was funny. Classic!

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='172430' date='Apr 8 2008, 05:16 PM']...... and Satans Hairy C*nt.[/quote] Ha ha ha ha! That's so offensive it's actually funny. Is there seriously a band called that?

[quote name='Mikey D' post='172765' date='Apr 9 2008, 12:26 AM']Fat Bak Taffy!!! Yeah if it is the 826+ album it's 2001. The Tribetts generally run ting! His brother Eric is a monster drummer.[/quote] Yep, it is the 826+ album. I think Erik Tribbett is actually his cousin. I've tried looking them both up on the net, but it's never very clear. I got into them after seeing "Getting In The Way" on Jools Holland. Erik is indeed a monster! If you like Nu-Soul/Hip Hop kind of stuff, the Jools Holland Best of Later Soul/Hip Hop is a great buy. I got my copy about 3 years ago and it's rarely off the DVD player. There's about 22 tracks, people like Mary J Blige, Aleysha Keys, The Roots, Angie Stone and D'Angelo. Some really tasty groove players on there, that probably all came out of the gospel scene.

I have the Jill Scott live (2001?) CD with Terry Tribett on bass. I was very impressed with him!

I have a Cort C5. After the first time I changed the battery, it kept going dead and then coming back on again (loud pops as it did so). Originally, I thought it was the leads I was using and kept replacing everything to no avail - damn intermittent issues! Anyway, there is a ground cable in the battery/electronics cavity which is heavily soldered to the casing of something. (sorry, long time since I have done this so can't fully remember). Anyway, that joint was a dry one, and eventually fell off completely. I remember it being a bugger to solder back on because the casing wasn't very good at taking the solder. I don't know if this is relevant, buy at least it's something to look for?

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='172294' date='Apr 8 2008, 03:02 PM']Can you remember the name of the guy who taught you bass? It wasn't Kenny Potter was it... and by any chance is your JV a sunburst? I only ask as I'm sure that Kenny helped locate a buyer for an early JV that I had and I've often wondered where it went. After having spoke to a local bassist last night about various basses that we've owned I'm having a bit of a day trying to piece together some of the blanks in my 80's/90's booze addled brain. Seems over the last 20 years I've sold this 1 guy six basses (which he still has, now that is just weird) and I can only place a face to 3 of them... this is a bit of a worry [/quote] Yes, it was a sunburst, and no, it was Barrie Spence. I believe he was (and probably still is) well know on the NE scene. Barrie actually got his own JV (also a sunburst) just before me which helped me decide to go for one, which may have been through Howard as well. I know Barrie got him to fit EMG's to his. Last I saw him was in about 92 ish.

[quote name='mr.sibs' post='146091' date='Feb 24 2008, 06:24 PM']..... and has a stereo output.[/quote] I'd be surprised if it is a true stereo output. I have a Bob Golihur K&K set which is made up of two different pickups, hence a stereo socket, one feed per pickup. On mine, it came with a belt mounted preamp that then mixes the two into a mono out. If this is the case with his, I'd be tempted to get something like that before the wireless bit? One RF channel is usually cheaper than 2? It might be a bit more cumbersome I guess.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='172212' date='Apr 8 2008, 01:44 PM']Howard lived over Low Fell, Gateshead wayso may well be the same (spoke to him yesterday and he'd doing well).[/quote] I reckon that's him then. (Harlough Green is next to Low Fell). The guy who taught me bass had one of Howard's basses (this would have been around 1990) and it was a direct copy of a Jazz with EMG's attached. It was my first experience of playing one (I had my starter bass at the time - a short scale Fenix from Grott Guitars!) and I fell in love with it. I was determined to get him to make me one, but couldn't afford it on a paper boy's salary. In the end, through my teacher, he sold me my Squier JV (unmodified) which I have had ever since (still unmodified!). It was the nearest (for playability) I have ever played to the one he built. I remember going to his house for it, and counting out 10p's for the last few quid as I'd literally scraped together everything I had! He seemed like a very nice fellow. Since my last post, I have read that thread about him running the bass place. Didn't realise it was the same guy!

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='171998' date='Apr 8 2008, 07:57 AM']When I say 'my' I mean I came up with the ideas and got Howard Satterly to build it.[/quote] That name rings a bell to me (I haven't a clue about luthiers or custom builders). Did he live in Harlough Green (Gateshead?)

Any Stu Zender Jamiroquai (First three or four albums?) + double infinity for Donny Hathaway Live. Any Jamerson stuff, especially the track "Chained" by Marvin Gaye. Rose Royce Greatest Hits. I'm serious.

[quote name='cheddatom' post='171596' date='Apr 7 2008, 04:57 PM']I've heard about these systems that cut the stage power and such when the level gets too loud. That seems like an obviously stupid idea to me. Couldn't they just have a warning light? How could this possibly work on average level rather than peak?[/quote] This raises an interesting point that I think we all need to be aware of. One of the major factors that can work against a sound man in a venue, trying to get a good sound, is backline. I was technical manager for a campus of several venues about five years ago and walked into one of them and it sounded absolutely sh*te. The engineer had been given a dBSPL meter and told to keep the levels down (not by me, decision was made above my head, mainly because they didn't want to fork out for PPE!). He had put the meter mic on the front of his control position, and appeared to be mixing with that, rather than his ears. What he hadn't realised was, and I was able to demonstrate to him by turning the PA for a few seconds in the guitar solo bit, was that the backline (which was obviously facing him) was producing more than 90dB itself. The only way for him to have a good sound that gig would have been to turn the rig up so that he could make a decent mix around the room. At the designated level, in a 3000 seat venue, we only had vocals going through the PA, with reverby backline from stage. It was a bad night. You will find that all SPL meter shut offs run from a mic in the room, so it doesn't have to be the PA that causes the shut off. In the really small venues, the drummer can probably create that noise level himself. I know ours can make my ears ring when he's excited! Engineers can be selfish, angry obnoxious people, but it's no good heaping all the blame on them. Bands need to take responsibility too. I've walked both sides of the fence, so I can speak from experience. Tauzero, you are correct. 85dB is pretty quiet.