Mikey R

[quote name='flyfisher' post='725816' date='Jan 26 2010, 10:22 PM']It's a daft question really. Any relationship that gets to such a stage is already over. Relationships break down for all sorts of reasons, usually because the inherent incompatibilities eventually surface. If it happens to a musician, it's easy to blame the music. I happen to know someone who really was given this sort of ultimatum - although it was over a full-sized steam traction engine - and the answer was always obvious. Still, he's happy with his steam engine.[/quote] I loved this quote! It makes no sense to me to choose someone for their independance and creativity, then once youve got them spend the next few years trying to beat it out of them.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='711339' date='Jan 13 2010, 02:31 PM']FWIW, I've recently heard that using wood cut from the [i]top[/i] of the tree will make a difference in a good way. That wood which resides at the bottom will have had the weight of the tree bearing on it, thus compressing it. This renders the wood more dense and thus more 'inert', resulting in a warmer (or duller) tone.[/quote] In the case of swamp ash, which is just American white ash grown in the southern states, thats not true - the lightest and least dense swamp ash is taken from the trunk right by the ground. The boards get heavier and more dense as you go up the tree. I dont know if thats also the case for other species.

Will you need any of your budget to buy an amp?

The other option is to buy second hand beaters, paint them, set them up, then sell them on. Thats a good way to manage the risk. And if you dont like it any more, then just stop doing it! Other than the possible tax implications, you could just think of it as a self financing hobby.

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' post='701203' date='Jan 5 2010, 01:01 AM']i would like to master C#[/quote] Im glad its not just me that struggles with that one! Also, E major just seems weird. 2009 was a totally rubbish year for me, but now Im back on track Im going to spend 2010 doing what I want to do. As well as playing more music Im going to finish building Mertons bass, make a start on a few more and see where that takes me.

[quote name='The_D' post='691184' date='Dec 22 2009, 02:10 AM']Dont want to state the obvious but brass is really easy to work with (Niel Buchanan voice on) "Try it yourself" (Niel Buchanan voice off).[/quote] Thats what I did, got a 100mm square sheet of 4mm thick brass off ebay and went at it with a hack saw. Ive got enough left over for loads more nuts. Im out of the country till next year, if youre still stuck mid January I could help you out.

[quote name='RIM Basses' post='688744' date='Dec 18 2009, 10:46 PM']Yep and maybe even a Singlecut Fishtail bolt on[/quote] Excelent! Would be very interested to see that one come together! I'd like to see how you do the carving under the top horn, Ive still not figured that detail out yet

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='680489' date='Dec 10 2009, 07:30 PM']Hey Mikey - you've been doing all the building this year - hope you're bringing along your creation(s?). I've been focused on pcb's and soldering irons this last 12 months but I'm not allowed to talk about the Zvex clones here or people start shouting at me and I get all upset.[/quote] Al, Im planning on bringing both this years creations along, the blue P bass and the brown 5 string. Looking forward to trying out some of your boxes! Ive been brewing a few plans of my own and might have something to discuss with you...

[quote name='crez5150' post='686162' date='Dec 16 2009, 11:23 AM'] The two channels are described as - One sucks your face, the other gnaws your foreskin off.[/quote] [quote]Output power is 15 watts per channel, and two speakers (or a stereo speaker) are needed.[/quote] 15 watts per side? Sounds more like a nibble than a gnaw. Hmm.

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='680338' date='Dec 10 2009, 03:15 PM']Sometimes we bring other people's gear [/quote] Remeber to ask this time Al. Any new basses built this year?

This is excelent news, the last one was a brilliant day. Looking forward to seeing everyone again!

1. Born 2B Mild 2. yorks5stringer 3. Al Heeley 4. Wonderhorse 5. simon1964 6. Tait 7. Mikey R

[quote name='BigRedX' post='672947' date='Dec 3 2009, 10:42 AM']IMO there's something not right about the combination of blue and pale natural wood.[/quote] I disagree - Its my favourite! No burst, but I love the colour combination.

Ive got a Wizard Thumper in my P, and Im looking forward to using an 84 J set in another project.

ive watched a youtube video of a guy doing a greenburst on a mandolin, using spirit based dye by hand, rather than sprayed. I would love to have a go at that sometime

Excelent!

[quote name='Alun' post='671602' date='Dec 1 2009, 09:43 PM']String crossing is one of the trickiest things to do on bass IMO. I would suggest the folowing exercise: 1, play 2 notes one each string ( doesn't matter what notes really, this is aimed purely at the picking side of things), making sure you strictly alternate. First do it with index then middle, and then reverse it so you'e playing middle then index. Slowly go from the E string to a, then, D then G, and back down again. Don't worry about speed, just aim for accuracy and keep the fingers alternating. Once that starts to feel comfortable... 2, same as above but with 3 notes per string but still alternating so the E string will be index, middle, index , the A string will be middle, index, middle, etc. Again, reverse it as well so you start with the "other" finger The reason I suggest making sure you can start with either finger is that most players will feel more comfortable starting with one or the other ( I certainly do) and may stumble if they have to start a pattern with the other one ( again, it definitely happens to me which is why I started doing this exercise) Finally, try one note per string. I say to do this last as I find it the trickiest of the lot. Hope that helps! Cheers Alun PS You can also do all the above skipping strings once you're happy with the string crossing [/quote] I just tried that, half way through I realised that whilst I knew what note I was playing, I had no idea which finger was playing it. Thanks for making me aware of that - something to keep me busy practicing over Christmas!

[quote name='ashevans09' post='663408' date='Nov 24 2009, 03:20 AM']Hmm fair point actually. IIRC Mike Tobias makes sure all of his wood is sourced from sustainable sources so I think I'm covered there, but as for the rest... . It does make me a bit uncomfortable that some luthiers use purpleheart, I've heard this is in serious trouble (I have absolutely no source for that)...[/quote] Part of the problem is that there is so much misinformation out there regarding endangered species. You can search the CITIES endangered list here: [url="http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html"]http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html[/url] Also, google the "Greenpeace Good Wood Guide" - its a bit out of date now but worth a read. [quote name='Earbrass' post='663470' date='Nov 24 2009, 09:13 AM']But that makes no sense; one of the main causes of extinctions is habitat loss - cut the forests and you kill the animals. And one one shouldn't be too impressed by claims that tropical woods are "sustainably" sourced, since there is massive fraud in the timber trade, with illegally logged wood being given false documentation to make it look kosher.[/quote] The problem is incredibly complex. If afluent countries such as ours do not import timber at decent prices, then the rain forrests will be worth more cash cut down and crops or cattle raised instead. The only way the FSC will eventually really work is if it is supported by the consumers at the far end of the chain, thats us guys. As it is at the moment, the incredibly vast majority of deforistation is as a result of clearing the land for farming. I'll see if I can find a reference for that. EDIT: also, while Ive got my tree hugging hippy hat on, I'd just like to say that timber is still the most eco friendly building material out there. No other material actually locks away atmospheric carbon for the life of the product. As guitars last for years, they are incredibly good for the environment. EDIT AGAIN: Our good friend Erik Bojerik on Talkbass did the calculations: [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=557792"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=557792[/url] He calculated that of the total amount of trees cut down world wide, [b]only 0.66%[/b] gets processed into timber.

[quote name='tom-p_bass!' post='664537' date='Nov 24 2009, 11:39 PM']I was their to try out some new amps.. all i could hear around me was slap bass!! made it really hard to listen to the amp... but overall it was a brilliant day [/quote] Same here, brought my bass along as well so i could hear what it would sound like. I plugged in once then gave up.

I left early but really enjoyed the bits that I was there for. The demo that I will remember was Dave Marks talking about how to build a groove with the rest of the band. Reminded me how much AC/DC and MJs music rocks. The guy didnt slap once.

I reckon hes probably pushing a valve power amp hard

[quote name='Marvin' post='655513' date='Nov 15 2009, 10:33 PM']You look nothing like your avatar. I feel cheated. [/quote] Also, youre not wearing a tie.

I dont get all of the posts bashing Rics because theyre expensive and have a long waiting list, and are rare second hand. If you want a Ric, thats how much they cost and thats how long you need to wait, otherwise get another brand. Its also unfair to expect cheaper copies, just because thats the way for Fender style guitars. Stuff I dont like: bass players who believe everything Leo made is great and everything else is rubbish.