lemmywinks

Actually screw it, if I don't win something else I've been lowballing that ends tomorrow then I'm in for this.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1398355974' post='2433356'] @Evil Undead. Why would this be a pain in the posterior to play? [/quote] They aren't, she's telling fibs!

[quote name='linear' timestamp='1398370511' post='2433537'] Can I ask, out of interest, how do you know what temperature to use for a given task? Also, what would be considered a suitable fixed-wattage of iron for making up cables? That's something I have to do at some point, and I do have a fixed-wattage iron in a box somewhere. [/quote] You can quickly guage it, it's pretty obvious if it's too cold as you'll have to leave the iron on for too long, similarly if you're melting PCBs and the plastic coating on thin wires then it's too hot!. I've used a 40w iron for cables before but to be honest you can get adjustable ones for not much money. I have one like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28020-Analog-Soldering-Station-150-480-C-60-W-with-Silicon-Wire-/280757198381?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item415e6ede2d I prefer the bulky solder station type as it's more stable and has somewhere to put the iron, making it safer than a loose iron and those flimsy metal prop stands.

To be fair you don't need anything fancy for most things, the simple adjustable ones for £15 are fine for making leads and wiring up basses. I've done some laptop and tablet repairs with mine, however £30 for something better isn't going to break the bank. If I hadn't replaced my cheapy recently (the old one went kaput after years of service) I'd have grabbed one of these.

[quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1398355444' post='2433346'] The boob photoshop is quite comical on this one. [/quote] I bet you go around telling kids that Santa isn't real don't you?

For some reason I keep getting drawn to this listing, can't put my finger on why though: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MUSIC-T-SHIRT-ELECTRIC-BASS-SHIRT-BAND-SHIRT-BASS-GUITAR-T-SHIRT-BASS-PLAYER-HOT-/161284852203?&_trksid=p2056016.m2516.l5255

Our singer (another young 'un) loves that song as well, tried explaining to her that we were all sick of it but in the end it's easier just to do the damn song. Annoyingly it [i]still[/i] goes down really well. At least it's not Summer of '69....

Just got this offer in an email - looks brilliant for £30: Just bought a new budget solder station for £15, wish I'd waited a bit now! http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/60w-professional-lcd-solder-station-with-esd-protection-a55kj?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=15P2_W2_D6&utm_content=Product-1&utm_campaign=15P2-7

Ace basses these, very well specced and designed. Wish I still had mine!

We do most of our gigs out of town, there are some nice little brewery circuits and music pubs/venues if we travel a bit more (nothing crazy) whereas locally it's been dying for a long time. In fact I enjoy gigging now much more than I used to!

I have a Seymour Duncan SMB4a as a sole humbucker (bridge position) in one of my Arias, it's wired passively with a series/parallel switch and nails the MM sound, also does a decent J impression too in series. Don't know how it would sound in the neck position as it's a single pickup bass.

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1398016861' post='2429588'] I'd be all over this, but.... that finish. [/quote] I quite like it and I usually hate gaudy finishes! Reminds me a bit of the old Levinson Blade Jazzes.

I can add another +1 to Promenade Music. Great selection and very nice staff, particularly the guy in the piano/keyboard section (his son is a bassist IIRC), we were chatting to him for ages before I remembered to look at the bass stuff!

Don't know anything about it other than that I want one!

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1397913719' post='2428561'] Plus the advantage of these kits are if you decide to change pickups, instead of needing to be ok with a soldering iron, all you need is a screw-driver. [/quote] Available in your nearest Poundland!

I don't really see any difference between decent generic pots or CTS, or even other decent parts. The first set of CTS pots I bought failed (one of the volumes on a J setup) and had to be replaced, I've also had a Warwick volume pot fail on me. I've gigged basses with decent generic pots for years (90s basses) and had minimal problems, no better or worse than more expensive types. Alpha pots are absolutely fine - they're nice and cheap (about £1.50 last time I looked), will last and sound exactly the same.

Ours isn't worth braving the smell of BO. They have some ok stuff but it's always above market value, like they check on eBay and add 20%. A mate of mine who lives in France got fleas the first and only time he went in his local branch.

Some of the wiring harnesses floating about are stupidly expensive, I think I read on here that someone paid around £70 for one which is ridiculous. Personally I think there's as much woo and snake oil present as there is with vintage guitars and audiophile £1,000 kettle leads. Does "vintage" cloth wire really sound much better than the cheapo electrical wire you can salvage for free or buy for pence per metre? Do CTS pots sound any better than decent generic ones that aren't oversized and have standard size shafts? Just make your own, it's easy and cheap. Get a variety of capacitors and see which ones sound best to you.

Aphex Bass Xciter also has a DI out.

Looks lovely, from his vague answer in the Q&A section it looks like it will have a pretty high price tag, probably deserves one though!

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1397429859' post='2423929'] That's an RSB Deluxe II - I've got a lovely blueburst r/h one, with a badly twisted neck, had it from new in the 80s and it was my main bass for about 15 years until the twist made it unplayable. That's a crazy bargain - these are fantastic basses, and any lefty JapCrap fans here should be scrapping over that. Wonder how mine would look with a lefty neck... J. [/quote] You ever had those moments where you seriously consider buying a lefty because it's so cheap, then have to remind yourself that you won't actually be able to play the thing?

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1397458333' post='2423978'] I've seen people posting about their very poor experiences with Rickenbacker basses. When I see these posts, I wonder if there is anybody who is annoyed enough at John Hall that they would go out and deliberately give them bad reviews as I don't believe the instruments and/or QC are as bad as occasionally claimed. [/quote] The complaints about Rickenbacker QC existed long before all this kicked off, the only thing about them that isn't wildly variable is the price.

MIJ Aria for £90 BIN, lefty though.... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Left-handed-bass-guitar-/291124292706?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item43c85c2c62