danlea

Oh, and I'm thinking of putting in a linear pot for the jazz volume as it does currently sound like the the transition between tones is concentrated in a small window not far from the maximum setting. It's the same with the Squier.

[quote name='AndyMartin' post='291949' date='Sep 25 2008, 04:29 PM']Very nice. I'm seriously considering having this mod done to mine.[/quote]

Well just so you know, I was charged a total of £50 for the routing and installation (bar electronics) plus 'the shielding', and I seem to remember them quoting £30 or £35 for just the routing - I wouldn't bat an eyelid at spending that. A typical solution for the controls is to side-mount the jack socket and install an extra pot for volume/blend, but I'm not entirely certain of the logistics of that given that the socket hole is larger than a pot mounting hole.

Just thought I'd post a picture of my newly hot-rodded MIJ p-bass. The Bass Gallery did the routing for me - a very neat job, although it did introduce a couple of hairline cracks into the lacquer, which is a shame but not a big deal. They also drilled a hole in the scratchplate so I could put in a three-way switch for the tone control - the wiring's discussed in [topic="25375"]this topic[/topic]. I had asked for the bass to be shielded, for which they simply put a shielding plate in the jazz cavity, even though pickup has some shielding on the back of it already. Anyway, I bought some copper tape and did the whole lot - I've yet to see the results of this as I need to be somewhere with strong capacitive coupling to the mains, i.e. our rehearsal studios, and can compare it to the Squier which came shielded. I should note that the jazz pickup is a stack (and both pickups are the 'hot' models) so there are no single coils to be seen.

The Bass Gallery were hot-rodding another precision at the same time, and I can see why it's a popular mod, given that Fender don't sell the hot-rod precision standards anymore (why?). One thing you should be aware of if you fancy following the same path, you do lose some of the deep bottom end from the precision when dialling in the jazz - the volume isn't simply a sum of both pickup outputs (and no, I'm not talking about a blend setup). This can (and does in mine case) lead to a volume drop, even though the pickups are in phase. If you want to get the general idea, try out the now ubiquitous Squier Special at any guitar shop - this has a VVT control setup and demonstrates the tonal variation well enough.

As for my bass (master, jazz volume, tone), I think the presence of the jazz pickup in itself adds some gnarl to the tone of the bass when using only the precision pickup (the jazz is a hot pickup and the string-pole distance is between two and three millimetres) and of course this element is emphasised when dialling in the jazz. The combined tone is more clinical, as well as adding that something you only get from bridge pickups, particularly when playing close to the bridge (it always casts my mind to Flea's sound more than anything else, probably just because the Chillies are so familiar).

Dan.

Shallow 1U rack unit in excellent condition both cosmetically and functionally, though note the controls can be rather noisy whilst being adjusted only. Unit has a '97 serial number. Comes with power supply (24VAC, 600mA) and is very well packaged in a non-original box.

Can be used in stereo (2-band) or mono (4-band), balanced or unbalanced (1/4" jack), and is exceptionally quiet. It uses a 'tubessence' circuit (that's tube essence for those searching on those keywords) in the output stage that includes a single valve to thicken/warm up the sound, and it really does do a very good job of this without the unreliability of high voltage valves. An excellent choice for a bass player's rig - I just don't need it as I have a GP12 SMX and almost always want a completely clean sound.

£105. Pickup from Camden (Bridgeway Street) or I can post for £8.

Dan.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='289309' date='Sep 22 2008, 05:05 PM']TBH yeah[/quote]

Well it can put you off the GP7 stuff, but shaping a tone with the GP12 is a lot more satisfying and flexible. Giving up on Trace Elliot gear after using a GP7 rather than a GP12 is a bit like giving up on knives after trying to make sushi with a table knife rather than a fish knife. I'm not saying Trace Elliot is for everyone, and obviously there are limits to what you can try unless you actually go to a showroom, but yeah, GP12. I'm biased of course.

Dan.

[quote name='bennifer' post='273899' date='Aug 31 2008, 06:01 PM']I'm after just £60 for this now including postage within the UK. Also interested in trades for any pedals - bass overdrive/distortion or delay, maybe one of those Zoom multieffects bass. Cheers, Ben.[/quote]

I'd take this if Adobe Audition supported it. I might switch DAW soon, but probably not before you've sold this...

[quote name='Trace_n_bass' post='276575' date='Sep 3 2008, 10:17 PM']The AH350SMX, AH400SMX and AH600SMX heads are just basically a rack mounted version in a 3U mounting, fixed by 4 screws in the top 2U, and another 2 longer ones which go through the UV light section. You don't need rack ears as they're already there. There are no side or top screws to worry about either.

When I recovered my AH350SMX I rack mounted it whilst it was out of the casing. Give me a shout if you need more info.[/quote]

I did suspect the in-built rack ears would be fine for mounting in a standard rack, but I honestly don't know what secures the rear of the amp in a standard rack. If it's the side-facing screws that are on the back of the amp then they'd need to be at the correct depth.

It's all a bit academic for me now as I've decided to just get an SKB (very) shallow 2U case (as reviewed somewhere on this board) for my Aphex 109 parametric EQ. Although a whole case for one 1U 19" unit that's less than 6" deep is rather a space-stealer, the Trace head (with the green-carpet case) is bloody heavy and would require a heavy duty case wherever it lives, and would also mean the joint case would be deeper than the SKB.

[quote name='Trace_n_bass' post='275918' date='Sep 2 2008, 11:27 PM']Hi. Just to let you know the amp is actually the 250W version. It was replaced by the 300W version in 1993. You can tell as the 250W has cooling fins on the back, the 300W has a 12V fan.

I've got lots more info on these if it helps.

Cheers,

TnB[/quote]

Ok, cheers. If there's any info relevant to the sale of this unit that potential buyers may be interested in then do feel free to post.

Best I can do is bring it to a London train terminus (Waterloo/Victoria/Paddington).

Anyone know if this is rack-mountable? There's an old [topic="4044"]post[/topic] suggesting it is, but I'm not certain. I'm thinking of getting a 1U parametric equaliser and it would be nice to have them both together in a rack.

Dan.

Still here, and there's less and less room in our storage as I acquire more bass gear.

[quote name='bnt' post='261817' date='Aug 13 2008, 06:51 PM']- with the switch centred, what is the effect of the 240KΩ resistor and the capacitor in the circuit?[/quote]

The 240kΩ resistor provides the maximum resistance setting, i.e. as if you had a 240kΩ pot there turned all the way up, which is the standard setting. The switch being centred (off) means there is no parallel route to the capacitor. The effect of switching either the 24kΩ resistor or the direct path in is to reduce the overall resistance, just like turning the pot down.

As long as no-one notices anything stupid I missed then I'll go ahead with it and I'm sure it'll be fine. The only issue then is the value of the switched resistor - exactly what tone I want from the mid-setting, but that can easily be changed to suit.

Dan.

[quote name='Phil Mann' post='261414' date='Aug 13 2008, 10:34 AM'][url="http://www.thomann.de"]http://www.thomann.de[/url]

Every thing you ever need with 3 years warrantee!
Secure delivery, and very reliable.[/quote]

Thomann are a great shop (or uber-warehouse as you might call it) but the prices of major items aren't quite as competitive as they used to be for us, mainly due to the strong Euro I guess.

I posted this in the DHA forum, but I'd like to hear other people's comments too: [topic="25375"]Topic 25375[/topic]

Like the uncaring ursine says, sounds as if you simply need to adjust the bridge. Test the intonation of the 12th fret harmonic against the fretted note (make sure not to pull the string laterally when you fret it) for each of the two string. At least one of them will be out. Slacken that string and move it's bridge contact using the screws in the tailpiece so that the vibrating length of the string is lengthened if the fretted note is sharp, and shortened if it is flat (only a couple of rotations at first). Tune up again and test it out. Repeat as necessary.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='259974' date='Aug 11 2008, 02:20 PM']No it wouldn't because the power difference that matters is the amp output (which is simply down to impedance) not the thermal power handling. Remember, speakers don't produce power output, they consume power input.[/quote]

Well I suppose the power handling is largely irrelevant given that what I'm looking for is better handling of low frequencies (so a larger xmax, etc.) rather than the overall power dissipation. I was just working under the assumption that an equal sensitivity meant equal efficiency (even at low frequencies) and that this would remain constant with increased power ratings. Not the best idea evidently.

Dan.

Thanks for the input guys. I know the older 2x10s had 16 ohm drivers because one became faulty and I made the mistake of going to Andy's Repairs on Denmark Street to get replacements because I couldn't find exact replacements myself. He then went and bought the only Trace Elliot tens celestion now make, from a US catalogue! Ended up costing me over £60 each, and they were 8 ohms, not 16! I could've just gotten them from Watford valves for half the price.

Alex, with the replacement idea I was working on the basis that the frequency response of the replacements does extend down to 40/45Hz (not sure what dynamic range that specifies) and that the TE speakers are more likely to be similar to the orange labels (down to around 70Hz), given the sound of the cabinet - obviously can't be sure about this though, so yeah, too many unanswered questions really. Also the current speakers (and the originals) are only 100W each, so the power difference would be a factor of two, rather than four thirds (which I'm certain would be pointless).

Anyway, consider me warned off the change.

Ok. Given that the amount of treble cut is inversely related to the resistance in series with the capacitor, I've put in three options. In the off position, the resistance is simply that of the permanently wired in resistor (~250k - the figures in the schematic are minimum resistance specs of the resistors I'll be buying and they come in 240k, not 250k). This is the standard full spectrum tone setting of most basses. In the down position (A) the other resistor is added in parallel, giving a resistance just below it's own value. In the up position ( the resistor is shorted, giving effectively zero resistance and the full treble cut.

I'm pretty sure that bit's fine, I'm not really certain about how the loading of the pickups affects the tone and output. If I were to follow the Seymour Duncan wiring for P-J blend and master exactly I'd be replacing the p pot with a resistor as it doesn't need to change, but I can't see that this resistor would then actually be doing anything useful, so have left it out.

Dan.

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='259570' date='Aug 10 2008, 10:08 PM']Unfortunately the belief that you need 15's and 18's to get deep bass is a common fallacy.

If you get full range cabs you can always turn the treble down and the tweeters off - but if you decide at a later date you need more top you wont be able to dial it in if the cabs cant make it.[/quote]

True, decent large cabs based on smaller drivers [i]can[/i] provide deep bass given a sufficient xmax (the Celestion BN10-300X for example apparently goes down to 40Hz as a usable frequency, although sacrificing the highs somewhat), but then for a really bass heavy sound it's not particularly efficient in terms of the weight of all the drivers in the cabinet as the overall volume level will need to come down to accommodate it. Of course the weight issue doesn't sound like it's a problem here, but the other thing is that the sound you get from a 15 or 18 is just different to what you'd get with 10's EQ'd to the same spectrum. Some would say it's just flabbier, while others would say it's a warmer sound (it's definitely worth getting a really good 18" driver to ensure a decent response from it). Of course I've seen reggae artists using just a 4x10 on stage because you just don't need the deep end on stage when it's pervading the entire venue from a huge PA (assuming modest sized stages, this was the Easy Star All Stars playing 'Radiodread' and 'Dub Side of the Moon' at Dingwalls in Camden). For rehearsing and without a PA though, an 18 (or at least a 15) really is what you want for reggae.

Klarm, as you might guess from my rig (1x18 + 2x10) I'd say in essence it's a good setup for almost anything needing a fair amount of deep bass, but definitely for reggae plus a bit of classic rock, and I can't imagine SWR letting you down.

I'll finish with a quote from Aston “Family Man” Barrett of Bob Marley and the Wailers: "I had two 18” cabinets and two 4x15 cabinets. You need them that big to get that sound, because reggae music is the heartbeat of the people. It’s the universal language what carry that heavy message of roots, culture, and reality. So the bass have to be heavy and the drums have to be steady."

Now you're original choice of cabinets seems almost modest!

Hey fellas,

I've attached a schematic I've drawn up for a hot-rodded p-bass. It's a Fender Japan with a Seymour Duncan SPB-2 (hot precision) and I'm getting it routed to add a STK-J2 (hot stack jazz) at the bridge, making it rather like the backup Squire Precision Special I've loaded with the same (only the jazz is single coil). Anyway, I'll get to the point. I never dial down the precision, so that doesn't need an individual control, but I do need a volume control for the jazz and want a master volume for fading in and out where necessary. I almost always have the tone control fully in, occasionally dialling it down either half-way (once in a while) or completely (once in a blue moon). I plan on sticking in a mini-switch for this, and as they only have on-off-on toggles in Maplins (£2, just up the road from me) and I'd rather not order a more expensive three-way on-on-on switch from the internet and have to pay postage, I've implemented a slightly round-about way of controlling the treble leakage. Switch centred (off) is no cut (~250k), down is moderate cut (~23k) and up is proper dub.

Aside from this, it's exactly as the recommended Seymour Duncan wiring, [i]except[/i] for the lack of a pot, or even a dedicated resistor for the p pickup since the pickup is already loaded with both the Jazz and master volume pots I figure another would only serve to cut the output further - in fact I'm considering changing the pots to 500k for this reason, but Seymour Duncan don't say anything about using higher values for any of their bass pickups, or for any configuration.

Ok, enough from me. Any thoughts?

Dan.

Not having used these specific cabs I can't really comment on the relative merits of each make, but you I don't think you can really go wrong with any of those listed. For reggae and motown the 18's are you're friend, but for classic rock I'd always recommend having some 10's in their for the mid-range. The reason I say this is because the classic rock guitar sound is generally pretty bassy and flabby (c.f. Marshall rigs) and hence are much bigger competition for the bass. You might be able to get what you want from 15's, but you might find the overall rock band sound lacks 'oomph'.

I've gotta say you don't see many people using such large rigs - part of the reason being that it seems a bit overkill for any venue where you're able to get good deep bass projection without a PA, and pretty unnecessary for places with a good PA system (awe factor excepted). If you have you're heart set on a 6x10 to go with you're 1x18 rather than a 4x10, then power to you - I just feel sorry for whoever's going to be shifting your gear!

Dan.

Just get a new 8 ohm 200W speaker from here:
[url="http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=20"]http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/index...ex&cPath=20[/url]
Blue Aran may be good but they seem pretty expensive to me, and Watford Valves don't have the BL10-100X listed on their web page at least.

Hey fellas,

As my signature says, I have a Trace Elliot head with two channels that each deliver 300W into 4 ohms. I have a 2x10 at 4 ohms (8 ohm 100W drivers because they don't sell the 16 ohm ones any more) and an 8 ohm 1x18 (soon to be a Trace Elliot one rather than the home-brew). Now I'm not going to go about looking for a 4 ohm 18" speaker to max out that channel as these seem to be extremely rare beasts and of course 18s are expensive, however I was pondering what I could do with the 2x10 to make good use of the power amp both in rehearsals (1x18 + 2x10) and at gigs where I can just take the 2x10.

To get to the point, my idea is to buy a couple of higher-powered 10s from [url="http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=20"]here[/url] and separate the input and link jacks, one for each driver. This means I would be able to have 400W from my 2x10 running both channels into 8 ohms - perfect for being able to hear myself on stage (the lows will be flooding the entire venue from the FOH anyway, but I'd still like to have as beefy a sound from the cab as possible). Then when I'm back rehearsing and need the 1x18 to get the full range sound I can use a 1/4" jack splitter (I realise I'd probably need to make one using proper speaker cable rather than using a standard Maplins one) to put the 10s in parallel and run that channel at 4 ohms (then only putting 300W into it, but that's fine).

Now I have three questions:

1) Does anyone expect that all that power (400W) going into a 2x10 designed for 200W would cause a problem?
2) Would the green label celestions be a bad idea due to the weightier bass? I've emailed Celestion asking what the frequency response of the Trace Elliot custom speakers is so I can compare to the green and orange label celestions.
3) Is it just a bit stupid to think that 400W coming from two 10" speakers is going to give a much louder sound than 200W coming from the same configuration, albeit the replacement speakers being capable of handling more bass in particular? I don't know the SPL of the TE speakers, but the replacements would be 96dB (green) or 98dB (orange) (see spec [url="http://professional.celestion.com/bass/"]here[/url]).

That is all.

Dan.

I don't think that'd be a simple mod as if I remember correctly the front switch is latching on the GP7, and even if it weren't, the physical logistics of getting a jack socket added and connected are pretty nasty. This is one of those things that reminds you that the GP12 series didn't just add five bands of EQ.

Oh go on then... PM'd.