thepurpleblob

[quote name='BigRedX' post='253240' date='Aug 2 2008, 11:55 AM']Er... If you'd read the whole thread you'd know that this all ended happily with sam88 getting his amp.[/quote] D'Oh

What can kill you is the charges that the shipping company springs on you. For example, custom clearance charges. For a bass the government will charge you 3 point something percent duty and then VAT. The shipping and charges can easily stack on another couple of hundred quid if you are not careful - so make sure you find out. What the seller pays to send it is one thing, but you need to find out what they are going to charge you to pick it up at this end!

[quote name='sam88' post='219848' date='Jun 16 2008, 02:03 PM']thats a good point, i brought this up directly with Deloitte who were/are handling the administration process and explained carefully the situation of the amp being in the branch etc etc and i was informed that they are within their legal rights to not hand it over even though technically it is mine. I imagine its long gone now anyway. Also i dont have any insurance damn.[/quote] You should speak to a lawyer right now. You usually get a quick consult for cheap or free to see if there is a case. It certainly was not in Deloitte's interest to do anything for you. You are not their client. Why should they care? If they have acted illegally the fact that the amp is long gone is irrelivent. You will be due compensation. This is a tricky one clearly and needs a lawyer to resolve. BTW... you can *prove* all you have written here, yes? It's all moot if you cannot.

[quote name='OldGit' post='253042' date='Aug 1 2008, 11:17 PM']Oh thanks.. I thought it was an orange juicing machine .. Yours Sincerely, Ian Allen,[/quote] You didn't.... I've blown your cool bassplayer cover.... and mine

When playing a wedding, never perform the "beast with two backs" thing in the band van with the bride's younger sister. However good idea it seems at the time, people will find out, and it will give the band a bad name. (and it wasn't me, by the way) Don't buy Planet Waves cables. Those expanding bits on the jack break your input sockets eventually!! Don't let me post any more tips.

Some more.... Take a basic toolkit, including (and learn to use) a soldering iron. No matter how much spare stuff you take the cable you don't have will be the one that breaks. Obvious maybe, but always have a setlist and give everybody a copy. There's nothing worse than having a "discussion" about which song to do next mid-gig. People make mistakes. If you do it, pretend like nothing happened or, even better, you meant it. If somebody else does it never ever glare menacingly at them - it looks really bad!! If you are getting paid, always act like professionals. If the dog died, the girlfriend walked out, there's only one person in the audience and they're spitting at you - doesn't matter. Play your full agreed set and do a proper job! If you're not getting paid, be even better!

Oooh.... it's a diagram of a Napier Deltic engine. Bloody trainspotters :-)

I'm the guy who refused to dance at my own wedding. It's possibly why I got into playing in a band - I was never going to look cool out in the audience. Turned out that I don't look cool on the stage either - oh well!

Learn to coil up cables properly and seperate them out into different bags for different types. Cheap bags from Matalan are ideal. Also, wipe them clean as you go. You will thank yourself when you don't have to spend ages untangling sticky cable setting up for the next gig. Drink water on stage, drink beer later (if you're that way inclined). Be careful where you put your monitors, if people fall over them they might sue :-)

but, but, but... It's going to be around a grand for the whole shooting match. About 950 quid more than I've got :-( Seriously, this is going to work out too expensive. Anything a bit more economical, or is that just where it's at and we'll need to forget it for now?

The covers band I play in at the moment doesn't have any monitors at all at the moment which is a bit of a problem. Floor wedges are just a trip hazzard in pubs so I was looking at in-ear stuff. Can anybody recommend any systems? We need something for four people. Much cheapness is probably the number one requirement and we don't all go through the PA anyway at the moment so a cheapo mixer is probably on the cards too.

[quote name='bremen' post='246958' date='Jul 24 2008, 03:42 PM']The number of frets isn't relevant. Measure the distance between nut and 12th fret, compare that with an 'ordinary' neck and if it's the same it'll fit. Warmoth necks have the extended fretboard to accommodate the 21st fret, and they are interchangeable with Fender 20 fret necks.[/quote] All you are checking is the scale length. Important, yes, but not the end of the story. How far the bit where the screws go is from the nut (and hence the bridge when it's put together) is stopper if it's wrong. Necks aren't interchangeable basically, unless specifically intended as a drop-in replacement.

Of course fret length isn't a system of measurement.... well I don't think so . You have the number of frets, the scale length and where the mounting surface is in relation to the scale length - and those are just the basic measurements. I guessed you missed one or the seller *creatively* forgot to mention it. Yours must be designed for a longer body (relative) to the scale length that the standard Fender style necks. I would get rid and find something a bit closer, you're going to be in for a lot of hassle otherwise surely?

[quote name='Mottlefeeder' post='246453' date='Jul 23 2008, 10:21 PM']This is the HSE guidance on using generators - [url="http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/fod/oc/400-499/482_2.pdf"]http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/fod/...0-499/482_2.pdf[/url][/quote] Mmmm... it pretty much tells you to earth it and use an RCD from my understanding (unless it's a single load item a very short distance away and you have somebody sitting watching it). Very much at odds with what genny manufacturers say - not surprisingly probably.

I would *consider* if you need to... I add this cautiously. If you really want to learn, fine, and it's true that if you aim to have the widest appeal then you probably need to. However, for most situations it ain't worth the effort. I only really say this because I actually think that a lot of magazines and books are really guilty of pushing slap far too hard - I'm not sure why.

[quote name='BOD2' post='245477' date='Jul 22 2008, 04:13 PM']Depending on the plastic you have to watch that it doesn't crack or melt while cutting. It depends on the type of plastic which of the two is most likely. If it's a softer material like a pickguard then it's probably more likely to melt if you use too high a speed or the wrong type of blade. Use a slow speed to prevent this. If it's brittle then the only solution is to sandwich it tightly between two pieces of hardboard and cut through the lot in one go slowly.[/quote] Ahhh... good point(s). It's the (IIRC) 3 ply black and white stuff common on Fender/Musicman etc. products.

Has anybody got any experience with cutting pick-guard laminates. This is actually even less bass related than it sounds. I have some sheets I want to use for finishing a control panel (in a train!), but it's the same stuff. I'm guessing a laminate blade in a jigsaw would be a good bet. Any thoughts appreciated :-)

You don't need an earth (as in connected to a spike in the ground)) for a generator supply. In most cases the earth is not connected and is not required. This is normal. If you *need* to use an RCD then generators can be modified by linking the earth to the neutral. It isn't really neccessary though, as the setup is completely different to the mains supply. It's actually inherently safer. If the generator has been modified you must *always* (legally I think) use an RCD *and* connect the earth/neutral to a ground spike. I suspect all that hassle is more likely to go wrong and be dangerous than just to leave it alone. RCDs, surge protectors etc. are mains protection devices. They're not intended for generator use.

The pick is a mystery to me... couldn't play with a pick if you put a gun to my head. How do you stop a shiny bit of plastic slipping out of your sweaty fingers after about 20 notes for example?

I'm sceptical it's standard/original. Apart from the head it's a BBN4 (or something close). Could even be a prototype I suppose.

I don't buy the "my sound" thing, but I'm probably weird. I've always set everything flat and just played. With half decent gear I always seem to get a sound that does the job. With low bass notes I always think the room contributes more than you probably imagine and there isn't much you can do about that. I guess I'd rather worry about playing the right notes at the right time (whichI *do* need to worry about)

It's resonance. Each building/room has a resonant frequency and if it happens to be in your range of notes you have a problem. I used to play a small pub where an A sounded like the building was coming down. You can't really EQ it out that easily (well I couldn't anyway). Doing something to isolate my cab seemed to help, in that case playing on the floor instead of the low stage. Experiment and move things about I suppose.