rmorris

I've recently been playing around with fitting a nut (cheap / plastic)to a bass (as it happens to a CMI brand EBO type short scale but that's not really important ). Simple I thought - get the nut area clean and flat - remove any old adhesive residue etc - tiny drops of superglue and I haver small ratchet bar clamps. The issue I came across was when using the clamp. Since the back of the neck at the nut isn't flat or parallel with the front the clamp doesn't necessarily sit right and can tend to push the top of the nut backwards or forwards such that the nut may not be perpendicular to the fretboard. I was thinking that it might be preferable not to clamp, at least in this way. I'm thinking that fitting strings and using them to clamp the nut while the glue sets might be a better option - although I can't use it in this case as the bass doesn't yet have a bridge ! (another story...) Enough of my ramblings...luthiers please comment...

Your best bet is to get some quotes and compare. There are quite a lot of plating companies around - mainly targeted at the car / boat restoration market but it's the same to plate brass anything. Would be interesting if you lety us know what you find. btw - are you plating them for aesthetic or technical reasons - or both ? Without knowing the bridge itself, it occurs to me that it might work out more cost effective to buy new chromed saddles ?

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1438941101' post='2838789'] Ah okay, i must have coppied the wrong tabs url. [url="http://www.davehallamps.co.uk/page55a.html"]Here[/url] should be the right link. [/quote] yep - no Bluetooth or USB protocol there :-)

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1438895228' post='2838566'] Sorry i probably didnt explain myself properly. OP was saying that theyd like a blend. I thought that a small/cheap blend loop pedal might be easier than trying to find a fuzz with blend control. I know they said it wasnt necessary, but thought it might be helpful anyhow. [/quote] Yes, I got that abouta blend/loop pedal and I agree it's probably a better way to go. But the '???...' was because when I followed the link it goes to a web page for a USB / Arduino add on widget :-)

[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1438723056' post='2836756'] I'm looking for a fuzz pedal. Ideally it will have a blend but not essential. I'm skint too. So, lets hear about all your cheapo fuzz finds! I'm thinking of joyo, Harley Benton, all the Chinese copies...... Any wee gems out there [/quote] Not sure that these type of questions really get anywhere unless some reference tones are given.

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1438780476' post='2837202'] [url="http://redbearlab.com/blendmicro/"]This[/url] is a tiny cheap blend pedal that you might find useful. [/quote] ???????????????

[quote name='PMcC' timestamp='1438166211' post='2832163'] Take a look a Deoxit D5, this stuff is the business...proper clean plus. I've used it on, amongst other things, a '70s Fender Champ that had severe crackling on the volume pot, probably its first ever clean! Result...back to 'as new' and still crackle free after two years. Not all cleaners are equal. P! [/quote] +1 for the Caig DeOxit products

take a look at the Alembic SF-2 [url="http://www.alembic.com/prod/sf2.html"]http://www.alembic.com/prod/sf2.html[/url]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1398291591' post='2432676'] I would have thought that, if anything, increasing the non-speaking but stretchable length of the string would tend to increase the compliance (perceived as reduced tension), but I can't think that an extra few mm will make a significant difference either way. [/quote] +1 A 'Tip' along these lines is in Gary Willis's '101 Bass Tips' Book. But I always thought it makes no real sense ! Would be interesting to hear any technical view to the opposite...

[quote name='olliedf89' timestamp='1436200115' post='2815899'] Ahh yes of course, Badlands, I bought my G&L from there recently. Nice chap. Thanks for all the advice, people, much appreciated, I'll get on it! [/quote] Did you get it sorted ?

yes - standard balanced XLR mic cable. Presumably the band have a spare in the box if running own PA ?

In Brighton probably worth asking the techs at either or both of: Badlands Guitars in Preston Road (not Preston Street !) near Preston Circus (Fire Station / Duke of Yorks Cinema) and Woodies in Oxford Street (Off London Road).

"not cheap" seems a bit of an understatement !

How about the stuff used for construction / industrial lifting straps etc...? [url="http://www.safetyliftingear.com/products/webbing-lifting-sling-strops-3-tonne--lengths-from-1mtr-to-12mtr/web3xlg"]http://www.safetyliftingear.com/products/webbing-lifting-sling-strops-3-tonne--lengths-from-1mtr-to-12mtr/web3xlg[/url]

[quote name='Muppet' timestamp='1433108117' post='2787976'] At Friday's gig the venue had a rope light around the stage that was set on a fading pattern. Until I asked them to switch it off there was a terrible buzz coming through my rig, especially during the fading up and down part of the sequence. The lights and amp were plugged in to different sockets. I've played here before with no problems but this time with a different rig and bass. Is this an indication of something wrong with either bass or amp that I need to look at do you think? steve [/quote] I take it that the LED rope light was there previously when you played ? What are the respective basses and rigs ? Single Coil / Humbuckers / Active Pickups ? In any case I's say it's the LED rope light that is the real issue. Does it run off a power supply box that takes mains and output a DC Current / Voltage ? these are notorious for causing interference. Many won't pass EMC tests for interference but it's not really enforced effectively..

just happened to have tried this on a red Westone Thunder Bass. Results seem good and no obvious issuues. Will probably try another application to get a better finish,

Quote function not working from this pc but re Aluminium - yes it doesn't solder properly with 'standard' solder (leaded or lead free). There is 'Aluminium Solder' available but not so easy to source and probably more expensive too. Given that Copper is a better shielding material then it's better to go with that. And even if using the conductive adhesive its still a good idea to solder pieces together as the adhesive isn't quite as conductive as the Copper itself (to be fair little is unless you're thinking about using Silver !)

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1429567564' post='2752788'] I dunno? I believe the shielding paint is carbon based. [/quote] Yes - conductive paint for rf shielding is doped with carbon to make it effective. It's not as good as Copper Tape ( you need to get the type with conductive adhesive if you're not soldering pieces together...) Aluminium tape works but it's not quite as effective as Copper. As others have pointed out: It does little against low frequency hum (eg 50 Hz Mains hum and harmonics) as this is mainly Magnetic Field and "laughs in the face "of normal shielding. Short of employing 'mu-metal' materials there's little you can do in the way of shielding and you're reliant on balanced audio connections and humbucking pickups etc. to reject this type of noise. To avoid it you need to get away from the source of interference (eg your amp although there's little escape from lighting rigs etc. Or at least position yourself at 90 degrees from where the interference is at it's worst) But back to the Copper Tape and Shielding - it won't stop the mains hum but it will likely help with the local taxi firm and mobile phone signals interfering with your signal.

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1429547817' post='2752487'] Fully up the vol control is the same whatever the value, the resistance comes into play when you turn it down. [/quote] That's not really correct. With a 10K Vol Pot the pickup is loaded by 10K (ignoring the tone contriol) at full volume and with a 250K pot it's loaded by 250K. This is a big difference and the conventionally correct choice of the two with a standard type of Hi-Z pickup feeding the volume pot would be 250K (cue lots of handwaving about loading, current draw and inductive/reactive impedance). A 250K pot on the ouput of a preamp will do no real harm. It's not necessary to have such a high impedance and there will likely be a little more noise than with a lower value pot but it's minimal compared to the effect of a 10K pot on a standard passive pickup. Essentially a higher value makes less demand on the pickup and the resulting signal will have more sustain and a better frequency response.

Test resistance between pins 3 + 4. Short circuit / few ohms would point to a problem (signal shorted to ground).

Check IC2 as advised above (my quote thing doesn't work from this pc for some reason). But also component OP1 might be damaged ? Looks to be an optoresistor used to compress / limit.

Does it have to be a pedal ? You'll get a lot more flexibility / tweakability / value if you can use a rackmount. Also any price limits ? Sounds like an Empirical Labs Distressor would fit the bill but you'd need £1000+ to go shopping for one !

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1425849934' post='2711503'] Did you know the impedance of your headphones and the spec of the socket before you originally joined the two together? Most people see a headphone socket and just slam whatever they've got into it and manufacturers know that. You may not get the optimum result, but you're certainly not going to destroy anything. [/quote] +1 Any practical headphone output should be okay with this. What piece of kit is it ?

Great Buyer. Cheers.

Given that the OP is happy with the BDDI the obvious answer has to be a BD121 - sound is very very similar (I think the circuit uses slightly different opamps ) You lose the ruggedness and like Phantom Power but are left with £100+in your wallet.