ped

Thanks Wayne. Not so bad looking yourself. Maybe we should get a room? ped

Here are some I took recently:

I haven't bought or lusted after a bass in a serious way for years. As it was my fretted basses 21st bday the other week I treated her to an electronics overhaul and now it is just completely my bass of the moment, and will be forever! P.s Nick - I know you would get that Arpege! Will be a great group photo with both our matching pairs, we should meet up sometime and get some snaps and you can show me how to play the things

Simply sensual. Is that an ebony board?

Oh? Do tell... actually I think I have an idea...

Well, all's well that ends well. In a way I am sort of happy that it took so long as it gave me the opportunity to get all the things I needed to install the kit. This weekend I got the final part I needed (heat-shrink tubing), went for it with a mallet and chisel, and, well, here is the result. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=99&view=findpost&p=636173"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...st&p=636173[/url] So thanks Roland, thanks for the iTunes vouchers and letter of apology, and lets put it all behind us :0) Cheers ped

Thanks mate yeah it really is just right now - what always bothered me about the previous solution (having the 'brain' clamped to the back of the bass) was that it meant the bass wouldn't fit into its original semi soft zipcase. Now it does! A bonus pic, just for you!

Quick update: I have not fitted the Roland GK unit into the bass itself, which is much neater than having the 'brain' clamped to the body. Here are the pics - this bass is now literally the best thing ever and although I was pretty scared about cutting some holes into it for the new outputs (on the side of the body) I feel that we are now closer than ever! Specs: Vigier Passion, 1988, graphite semi-thru neck 34" scale Pickups: 2x Basstec humbucking pickups, 1x Roland pickup Marleaux 3 band EQ and passive mode Roland GK 13 pin MIDI compatible with assignable control Elixir 40-95 superlight strings Some pics:

...and yeah one of the screws holding the GK output is at an angle - when I was chipping away the cavity I took away a little too much wood in that corner, so there we go - holds very tight now, though.

Hi guys, Finished the install today - here are some finished pics. I will update my 'bas porn' thread later with some better ones. At the moment there are two or three screw around the new jack plates which haven't been driven all the way home because my screwdrivers are crap and I want to get some better ones later today. I am really happy that it all works superbly - considering I did it all with a crap drill, some bits, a chisel and a wooden mallet, I think it went quite well!!! Cheers ped

OK, I had enough juice in the drill to make the mount for the standard jack, and have started boring through for the 13 pin output, too. I have replaced the old jack (on the front of the body) with the GK assignable knob instead, and wired that in, too. All I have to do now is finish the second hole for the GK output and drill a hole for the GK pickup lead into the control cavity.... Cheers ped

Aw man I could get this finished tonight but my drill isn't charged up... typical. Ah well, something to do tomorrow I guess... Another quick question - when I mount the jack and GK output plates, should I drill small pilot holes for the mounting plate screws, or drive them straight into the wood? ped

I think I can get around that now, so no need to trim. Space is at a bit of a premium in my control cavity so it might have been useful, but I think I JUST about have enough room.

Update - all soldered up and working! great! Now I need to do the woodworking part which should be easy. Cheers ped

The full schematic is here (though I am not installing the switch/buttons/led) [url="http://www.roland.co.uk/products/productdetails.aspx?p=966&tab=Downloads"]http://www.roland.co.uk/products/productde...p;tab=Downloads[/url] it's basically this (which I am currently using + loving) but in kit form for internal installation: [url="http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=648"]http://www.rolandus.com/products/productde...p?ProductId=648[/url] Basically the Vbass kit works separately from the usual pickup and output but needs to tap into the standard electronics for bypass mode or to blend in the magnetic pickups. Does that help? I might give it a go and see... One more question, will trimming the edges from this PCB have any effect on the unit?

OK thanks for that - so I guess the white wire will effectively be attached to the 'bass signal' because it's the hot output to the jack from the vol control and the black wire will be soldered to the earth , but along with the bass signal wire at an earlier stage, too? Or should I solder it to the earth cable before the earth cable meets the pickup wires? ped

Hi guys Excuse my lame diagram, but I am trying to work something out. I need to do a small bit or soldering to fit the internal Vbass kit into my bass, as shown here: Looks easy enough, but here is my current circuit - what's confusing is that both pickups and the earth boil down to a single cable which then goes to one of three nodes on the output jack. What should I do? If you could spell it out in laymen's terms, perhaps with a diagram, that would be helpful... Cheers ped

[quote name='Mikey R' post='633709' date='Oct 22 2009, 07:33 PM']Off topic, did you get a vid of that at the bash? I missed it [/quote] Yeah Silverfoxnik filmed various bits - not sure what he is planning to do with it though

Thanks for the kind words! Nice to hear it every now and then! ped

That's what everyone who saw my demo at the bash said, too!

Well you'll never guess what. At EXACTLY 2.30 I had a call from Dawsons who have called Roland who have dispatched the 'correct' item to me for delivery tomorrow. Dawsons, in particular a chap called Alex, have been pretty good at sorting this aspect and Roland have been the ones dropping the ball. I am reassured that Roland have put their best people onto the case and I can see them now in some 9000sq/m warehouse looking for one last guitar pickup to tease me with. Like you said, it is almost funny. Luckily I am happy with everything I have and this kit is a non essential luxury which I am more 'getting round' to doing rather than something I am desperTe to get working so if they do send the wrong item again I think I actually will have to simply call and congratulate them. Everything crossed for me please folks! ped (thinking about taking up guitar)

Yeah I can't really blame Dawsons any more. The guy at Dawsons has been quite helpful in fact. As I don't know who to blame i will edit the title accordingly!

I just hope they can use a phone and get in touch tomorrow. Unlikely at best, I feel... I am NOT going to be fobbed off with a refund now though - what with inflation over the period between when I paid and now, that money is worthless today anyway! I paid in shillings!

Cheers, and nice to hear from you! I forgot all about that one. I planned on doing some more and working out how to do a better job of syncing the sound and visuals but never got round to it! I have sort of had a shave, though! Still need a hair cut! Cheers ped

Thanks, good advice. I tend to do it when I get carried away and I am definitely more of a studio player, so I will watch my bad self. Cheers ped