SubsonicSimpleton

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1394589165' post='2393133'] Thanks for your reply. Strangely enough though I feel almost the opposite about neck pups and distortion and even stranger still have gone for the exact reverse configuration of what you suggested here. I'll hopefully get pics up tomorrow. I'm not saying I'm right and your wrong though. Probably an important thing to consider is the style of music. I'm looking to specifically play something dark and heavy with this guitar. [/quote] If it works for you, and gets the result that you want, then it is the right solution for you - If we all did things the same then the world would be a pretty boring place.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1394121677' post='2388160'] So given my comparative lack of familiarity with 6 stringers these days I'll bounce the question back to you guys. Is there a compelling reason against me excluding a treble guitar pup? [/quote] IMHO (and tastes may vary) bridge position is often the best option for guitar parts that are distorted, especially if you like to play with strong rhythmic component to your guitar parts, neck position can work really well for some clean tone rhythm parts, but it can get quite muddy and flubby and turn everything to a horrible mush when you add distortion(which then disappears in the band and can lead to retarded volume wars). If you took away the option to have more than one 6 string guitar and limited layout to 2 pickups only, I would choose a single coil in the (strat) neck position and a humbucker(hopefully with series/parallel or coil tap option) at the bridge as this layout really plays to the strengths of the individual pickup types, and provides the most useful(IMHO) tones to use for building guitar sounds.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1393798307' post='2384522'] Thanls guys. The 2nd side went better than the first. Its all smooth and sanded down to size. When I was buying the veneers I looked at maple but the idea I went for in the end was to try to get the headstock to look reflect the body. I'll see how it goes. If it fails miserably I'll try again with maple. What put me off the maple was that the neck is aged maple. The veneer was much more pale. [/quote] Bog standard polyurethane varnish comes in a few shades, not too difficult to get a similar colour to your neck on a pale veneer using "antique pine" shade - well worked for me anyway. Careful brush application and care flatting down afterwards gives nice results if you are patient. Real easy to colour test on a bit of ramin or pine before committing on the headstock.

[quote name='Sara SG' timestamp='1394284782' post='2389868'] Thanks for all your answers. I will spend an evening checking and googling all those models. Will defo consider de-fretting a cheap bass. Dear Subsonic Simpleton - My regular bass IS the Squier Mike Dirnt Precision - its the one in my profile photo here. I have been playing it for 3yrs about 10 gigs a year, on most of my recordings too. I love it. It is heavy though! I have an Epiphone hollow bodied bass which of course is much lighter but not so robust for rock gigs. Wearing the Mike Dirnt bass for hours , low slung, (never sitting down!) does give me back pain, particularly because I have a microphone to negotiaite. But hey - no pain , no gain! Just next bass is unlikely to be a Precision! Any new shape puts different pressure points than the the Mike Dirnt has left. Was really impressed by some small light basses I tried on the Cort stand at the Bass Show. No attractive fretless though [/quote] It is possible that the newer squire Mike Dirnt models are being made with a different body wood than the one you bought, certainly both Mike Dirnts I tried were consistently light, and that model no longer sports the star graphic, so it is quite possible that other elements of the spec were also changed(the slab body seemed thinner than the other 50s Ps) - worth checking out if you have a convenient opportunity - the other lightweight options don't appeal to me that much mainly on the basis of aesthetics, as most modern designs look more dated than the old favourites that have been with us for 50 years or more (to my eye at least). Good luck with finding a more comfortable solution, it will pay dividends both for general health and the amount of energy you can bring to the stage.

[quote name='Sara SG' timestamp='1393887168' post='2385585'] Anyway the fretless is mainly for some experimenting and recording so I really don't want to spend too much money on it. As little as possible. [/quote] Cheap P-bass copy that you like the neck profile and weight and tear the frets out yourself - I have a friend who has a fetish for experimental modifications and he feeds his habit with whatever Marlin/Encore etc he can haggle the cash converters staff down to £20-£30 for happy in the knowledge that if it all goes pear shaped it has cost less than an evening in the pub and he can take it down to the park if he fancies a game of cricket or use it for self defense in the event of an unexpected zombie apocalypse. RE your heavy P cramping your style, theSquier Mike Dirnt Precision is well worth checking out IMHO, very light for a P-bass and the satin finish neck is really easy to get on with, I went to check out the classic vibe range in the music shops in Leeds recently, and although I dislike signature guitars, I picked it up out of curiosity, and felt it was nicer to wear and play than the classic vibe Ps, although finish wasn't as good and the sound was a bit more aggressive(which I kinda liked but YMMV).

Maybe try the local music shops to see if they carry replacement P-bass scratch guards, you should be able to offer one up to your bass in the shop to check for fit (remember to take off your vol and tone knob before going so you can use the pickup and control shafts to locate the plate) - if it looks like a perfect fit, then you can make your excuses about not having enough cash right now and then go order on the internet, if it is obvious that it won't fit then you know you'll either have to DIY or pay someone to make a replica (probably cheaper and faster to get it done by someone reputable in the UK). Of course you could also take off your scratchplate, demount everything and take that to a shop/mate with a US/MEX P and offer it up to check for compatibility if they don't carry spares.

If you want graphic finish, you could simply use a clear pickguard material like perspex, which allows you to place any image you want behind it - when the the pickguard is in place even a matt colour photocopy/printout will look nice and glossy. I hand cut one for my squire strat many years ago and mounted this image underneath. http://www.rodneymatthews.com/elric8.htm It is a bit fiddly trimming the picture that you want to sit underneath, but it has the advantage that you can make adjustments to the position of the image before commiting and change it out if you get bored with it. I simply made a single ply clear plate and placed the image underneath - being older and wiser, if I were to repeat this method, I would use two layers for the scratchplate, allowing me to sandwich the image in the middle, and importantly apply proper shielding to the rear of the bottom layer (a big fail in my original effort).

[quote name='Jazzjames' timestamp='1393805145' post='2384614'] If you can, try out an aguilar tonehammer 500 with their SL speakers. I have this head paired with 2 DB112 cabs ( heavier than the SL112, but small individually so easy enough to move) and I've never had such a punchy and full sounding rig. One speaker may be enough for your needs. What kind of sound are you after? [/quote] With regard to sound, this really made me think - I'm not wanting to sound like anyone else or emulate a particular type of rig. Recently I've been playing mostly DI'd into a crappy little mixer that I use for my PC, and have found that because there is no useful EQ or anything else to colour the sound, I really have to concentrate on varying the tone with my fingers and getting the timing and feel right, which can be kinda harsh as it really shows up mistakes, but subjectively I feel that my playing is improving as a result. I think what I'm shooting for is a fairly neutral cab(s) that can represent the bottom end solidly, and an amp that sounds good with the EQ flat (clarity, warmth and musical are the best words I can think of right now) - I came to the conclusion long ago that things like EQ and effects are best used sparingly, and it is very difficult to "fix" something that has a bad inherent sound. [quote name='mingsta' timestamp='1393805910' post='2384620'] The world is your oyster provided you got the bucks to spend. Would be useful to know what your budget and criteria are and how loud your drummer and guitarist are ;0) [/quote] I came to the conclusion a long time ago that good quality instruments and equipment are a worthwhile investment both for enjoying the music you play, and in terms of getting the gigs/deps in the first place. As I'm not in a working band right now, I'm not in a mad rush, but if the opportunity presented itself, I would need to use lightweight gear due to ongoing back problems and experience has taught me that it is cheaper in the long run to lump the initial expense rather than trade up later or get bogged down with needing to repair or replace gear that didn't really have the headroom to get the job done comfortably - 600 quid for a top quality lightweight cab is pretty cheap if you factor in the expense of regular visits to the chiropractor, increased wear on the car suspension and fuel consumption if you choose to pick up that tatty 4x10 from gumtree for £80 instead. When I first saw the class D kit I suspected that they were using "argos car stereo watts" - where the spec lists 1000W but the real world performance is more like 25W rms, and even though I know this isn't quite the case, I view the experiences of average joe working musicians as being far more valuable than than manufacturers specs or marketing blurb, so I suppose that the ultimate stress test would be someone gigging regularly at the dog and duck in a band with at least one guitarist who is attached to their oldschool 100w valve head and 4x12 - I already have tinnitus, so I wouldn't choose to play this type of gig, but still nice to know if the portable kit can still compete at those kind of SPL reliably.

Hi folks, I'm really not up on any of the latest gear or it's capabilities, and would really appreciate some advice and opinions from people that have been using the new lightweight class d amps and modern speaker cabs in the real world. In the past bass amps were always so heavy and bulky that I opted to go for something loud enough to compete with the band that I could happily leave in the rehearsal space (and could live with the risk of theft or accidental damage if the worst happened), and accepted the compromise in tone that that inevitably resulted in. I found a pic of the first "proper" bass amp I used some 20 years ago http://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/h-h-bass-machine-250w-222841.jpg Now that modern gear is available which is much more portable, would it be possible to have an amp setup that can meet the needs of solo home practice/jamming with acoustic instruments, rehearsal and even gigging in venues where there is no big FOH system for sound reinforcement(e.g. wedding reception in hotel). With the advances in amp technology, and speaker cabs, is it now possible to have consistent tone across a wide range of volumes(thinking especially with regard to fullness in the low frequencies) from one rig?

Stumbled upon this excellent forum a little while back and decided to stop lurking anonymously and sign up. I have returned to practising and actively wanting to play with other people after a long layoff, and it feels good (despite issues with rusty technique). I play bass, guitar and dabble in piano, and on the bass front, I'm currently playing a Yamaha RBX 775 5-string mainly straight into the little mixer next to my PC. cheers Andy