Painy

At last week's gig the owner of the venue was videoing us on his phone and streaming it live to facebook so thought I'd share a link for anyone that's interested. Starts with a bit of disjointed footage of the end of Hold the Line but then you get the whole of Boys Are Back in Town and Boys of Summer. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154649100138698&id=641458697 And just to prove it did get busy later on: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154649301518698&id=641458697

I used to own a very lovely Streamer Stage 1 fiver which would cost somewhere in the region of £5.5k at the current prices. I bought mine new online from Dolphin Music in 2005 for just £1600! Just wish I had a time machine.

I used a Line6 Bass Pod XT pro as a multi effects unit (with the amp modeling bypassed) for a good few years. One night at a gig, the cable connecting the Pod to the amp started crackling and I didn't have a spare so went straight into the amp and it sounded absolutely awesome. A couple of years ago though I started to really miss having a few effects but decided to go with individual pedals. Soon discovered that I didn't like what most buffered pedals did to my tone at all but I could get away with using all true bypass pedals if I used active basses.

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1479425747' post='3176537'] Strictly speaking there's no reason a Chinese Fender should be any more 'a Fender' than a Chinese Squier. [/quote] There is one thing at least. Fender use a thicker slab of wood for the bodies than Squier and this is true wherever they're manufactured so the body of my Chinese built Fender Modern Player Jazz is still something like 1/4" deeper than my Squier VM precision. For what it's worth though, I prefer the Squier.

[quote name='landwomble' timestamp='1479071456' post='3173748'] I got a Palmer Ubertreiber from the classifieds recently. Fab drive pedal as it has a wet/dry blend.... [/quote] I really do think the Soul Food is a fantastic drive pedal for a really good price but I had both the Ubertreiber and the Soul Food on my board and it was the Ubertreiber that stayed. I also have a Palmer Deepressor which I absolutely love - great sounding and really solidly built pedals for a really good price. [URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0495_zpssxyo7gmt.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0495_zpssxyo7gmt.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Chap I know who used to run a small music shop has a crazy rig that included a trace 4x10 cab, a Peavey 2x15 Black Widow loaded cab and a homemade cab containing a 24" speaker that he salvaged from an old electric organ. Not sure if he ever actually plugged the 24 in but the visual effect alone had quite an impact.

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1479255558' post='3175196'] This one.... ....and this one.... Yeah, I know, it's cheating. [/quote] Looks like a really fun way to cheat to me though!

[quote name='Treb' timestamp='1479243169' post='3175061'] Great job. Looks better than original IMO. I bet they sound better now too... When do you start taking orders? [/quote] Thanks I am finding myself preferring it now too to be honest. You know it actually made exactly as much difference to the sound as one of those audiophile power cables that cost several thousand pounds! Taking orders? Let me see... Just found on eBay where I could get enough ply to make 2 baffles for £7 so £3.50 each. Take that material cost of £3.50 off the £204 cost of a complete grill and you're left with a cost of £200.50 for re-covering it with fabric. Obviously I'd have to undercut Aguilar's prices so round it down to a nice even £200 per grill (that's for a 1x12 cab - I'd obviously have to charge more for bigger cabs). Right who'd like to place the first order then?

A few from Saturday night just gone:- [URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1479249191496_zpsbnj8mocy.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1479249191496_zpsbnj8mocy.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1479249256266_zps1oebgjbl.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1479249256266_zps1oebgjbl.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1479250112435_zpsj7s3igcg.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1479250112435_zpsj7s3igcg.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1479249851920_zpsm1lmr1dn.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1479249851920_zpsm1lmr1dn.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

If it's 2 pedals then my Palmer Deepressor and my MXR M80 Bass DI+ but not sure if that's cheating as the MXR has distortion as well as being a pre-amp and I also have a distortion channel in my amp. If it's 2 effects rather than 2 pedals then for me it would be compression and overdrive.

Wasn't too difficult at all with a little help from my wife but an extra pair of hands definitely makes the difference - once you've got the cloth positioned and tight you really need someone else to put the staples in. Just a tip - the staples need to be at about a 45 degree angle to the edge of the frame and only staple about every inch and a half until you've got the tension in - then add more staples inbetween about every quarter inch.

I gigged expensive Warwicks for years and they were fantastic sounding basses, lovely to play and looked very nice too. However my Squier VM P5 is by far the most comfortable bass for me that I've ever played and the sound I've had out of my Sterling SUB Ray 5 at my last few gigs has probably been the best tone I've ever had too.

Just got back from our first gig back at an old favorite venue in over a year after they'd stopped having bands for a bit. After a few technical problems with our singer's guitar in the sound check we started playing to a completely empty room (it's a basement club within another club) but a couple of songs in it started to fill up and after about 20 minutes it was absolutely heaving with everyone in the place dancing and singing along. We decided to play straight through without a break to keep the momentum going and ended up playing an extra half an hour at the end too as none of us -or the crowd - wanted it to stop. I was also pretty pleased when one of the staff came over to tell me that he played bass himself and to compliment me on my 'sick' bass tone. Happy days and we're back there again next month and booked again all through next year!

Both speakers now done and I've gotta say, I'm pretty pleased with the end result. [URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0485_zps8n7ykf5o.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0485_zps8n7ykf5o.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Thanks for the kind comments first of all. I'll put a picture up all stacked up when the other cab is done. I did nearly have a heart attack when they quoted £204! It's a bit of cloth, some piping, a bit of plywood and some staples. I'm not even sure that would have included the badge! Their prices do seem to have taken a bit of a jump recently (along with everything else at the moment though I guess) but when I see that the new price of just one of these cabs is now well over two thirds of the price I payed for the full rig used (including the AG500 head) I have to agree I wouldn't be looking at their stuff new. I'm very happy to have picked it all up at the price I got it for though !

Whilst replacing a blown speaker in one of my Aguilar DB112 cabs a couple of weeks ago I was unfortunately unable to get the front baffle out without damaging the grill cloth and piping. As Aguilar - via Barnes and Mullens - were unable to provide replacement cloth or piping (although they did offer me a complete grill for the bargain price of £204) I just ordered some Marshall gold piping from Strings and Things and some random brown speaker cloth from eBay all for under £20. I still have to do the other cab so they match but thought I'd share a quick side by side 'before and after' photo as I'm quite proud of the result so far. Original on the left: [URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0481_zpsknu1bk70.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0481_zpsknu1bk70.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1478621733' post='3170372'] Pressure wounds are missing from it though. Ground wounds tend to have a tone somewhere between Flats and Rounds. [/quote] I did actually try some pressure wounds initially as I was worried I'd miss the bright, aggressive tone that I've always used too much to go fully flatwound. They did feel nice but it felt like a bit of a half hearted effort in the end.

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1478620698' post='3170356'] Technically what you're describing are groundwounds. On flat wounds the out wrap is a flat section wire, as opposed to round. [/quote] That'll teach me to get my info from YouTube videos That shows it nice and clearly too though, thanks.

Flatwound strings are basically roundwounds which have had the surface polished off so the windings are flat and smooth. The difference in sound isn't just subjective - they produce less harmonic overtones than rounds so they tend to be less bright and zingy but that allows you to hear the fundamental of the note more strongly so they often tend to be described as more 'thumpy' sounding. Rounds on my Ray:- [URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0480_zpsq4gxxpfx.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0480_zpsq4gxxpfx.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Flats on my P:- [URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0479_zpsqoggrr7b.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0479_zpsqoggrr7b.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Flats arrived yesterday. Only had a chance to play with them through my little practice amp so far but already I can see what all the fuss is about a P with flats and I'm loving the feel too - including the increased tension as it goes. Can't wait to play through the full gigging rig at the weekend now .

[quote name='sirmuppet' timestamp='1478523452' post='3169580'] Thanks. I had an M80 but can't remember ever trying the distortion side for some reason. [/quote] It was probably for the best

Not tried the MXR M85 but I do have the M80 which I love as a pre-amp but the distortion I really don't rate at all - sounds like the built in distortion on a cheap solid state guitar practice amp I had years ago, really fizzy and buzzy and not smooth or warm at all. The YouTube demos of the M85 sound a million times better to me personally.

I play the same basses at home as I gig with anyway but this thread did make me take a look at the comparative set-ups between my basses. My Squier P has a very low action which is my preference - basically as lows as it'll go (I like the chiming overtones of the strings hitting the frets) without the notes choking. My new SUB Ray, I had lowered the action a bit when I got it and it was pretty good but comparing them properly there was a bit more relief in the neck than I like so I've just tweeked the truss rod a little and it's now much better and on par with the P. My Fender Jazz on the other hand I've never been able to set up quite as low despite it being the more expensive of the three. I think I might need to invest in some nut files before I can get it quite where I want it. Basically though I find the setup that works for me works for everything I do whether it's gigging, practicing or recording.

They're only a couple of quid more than my normal Prosteels so if they're any good at all I'll be very happy.