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Beer of the Bass

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Everything posted by Beer of the Bass

  1. Beer of the Bass
    Wow, I wouldn't want to play it, but it's intriguing in a folk-art sort of way. I'd guess this is a genuinely old instrument, built by an amateur in an era when there wasn't a lot of information to go on. Check out the flat top and wonky scroll!
  2. Beer of the Bass
    Set 1 may be Thomastik Spirocore Mittels. They would have barrel shaped aluminium looking ball-ends with roman numerals on them. Set 6 have the same colours as Innovation Honeys. Those would have visible orange nylon cores around brass bar-shaped ends.
  3. Beer of the Bass
    I got my bias probe from Tube Town in Germany, as it was the cheapest I could find one at the time. It's just an adaptor which puts a 1 ohm resistor in line with the cathode for easy measurement, with attached leads for your meter. [url="https://www.tube-town.net/ttstore/product_info.php/info/p471_Bias-Probe-Octal--KIT.html"]https://www.tube-tow...Octal--KIT.html[/url]
  4. Beer of the Bass
    I reckon the mystery strap button will be behind the 7th fret-line, as a sort of tactile marker to double bassists who are used to the heel being there. It certainly appears to have double bass scale length and strings. I think somebody couldn't afford a Framus Triumph and had a go at making their own.
  5. Beer of the Bass
    I'm not so familiar with the Markbass cabs (other than hearing McNach's little 1x12" combo), but I have a 2x12" using B&C drivers which I've read are somewhat similar to the Markbass OEM models. I would say my cab is a little mellower and less upfront in the upper mids and highs than many cabs, but it's quite even sounding. This could be interpreted as muddiness or a lack of aggression, but this can be EQ'ed in effectively if desired.
  6. Beer of the Bass
    [quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1387272161' post='2309985'] Can you recommend an exact string gauge that might be suitable for an experiment? I'd like to try one flatwound string. Would a B string be a reasonable experiment, or should I go for one of E A D G? My bass is 34" scale. Or, is putting a single flatwound string on a bass otherwise strung with roundwounds a poor experiment as the string is too atypical? I was thinking that trying a single B would be a good idea, as if I really like it, I can then buy a matching E A D G four string set. BTW: I don't know exactly what you get in terms of string tension for different gauges. I like bendy and rubbery, but not floppy. If that makes sense. [/quote] Twit (if I can call you that!), I have a spare LaBella flatwound B which I got from the basschat recycling section, but it wasn't to my taste. If you PM me, I can stick it in the post.
  7. Beer of the Bass
    The Alphabass schematic you posted is very definitely fixed bias, as the negative voltage bias supply is shown. Cathode bias amps don't have this.
  8. Beer of the Bass
    I think it may just be a quirk of some basses, perhaps to do with the stiffness of the neck. My five string, home-built using an OLP neck is quite touchy with regard to B strings. There are certain B strings which just don't sound good on my bass, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason to which ones those are in terms of tension or construction. One of the best sounding B strings I've had was a DR black beauty .125" which is obviously quite light, but a D'Addario Chrome flatwound .132" works well too. Other Bs I've tried have been less good on this bass, but I really couldn't predict which will sound good without trying them.
  9. Beer of the Bass
    The six digit number looks like an EIA code, which tells you the manufacturer and date. 157 would correspond to the manufacturer and 288 would be the date (i.e February '88) If you google speaker EIA codes you can find lists of which manufacturers correspond to which number, but 157 seems to be missing from most lists.
  10. Beer of the Bass
    I looked up the makers of the "vortex cabs", and was amazed by their FAQ. I can't help but feel that they're just trying to intimidate the reader with words they borrowed from Steven Hawking books, and that they might as well have just said "Magic". Bill's description above is much clearer and doesn't conflict with any of the behaviour of sound waves which I recall from high school physics classes! [url="http://bigeloudspeakers.com/faqs.htm#What%20is%20MVW"]http://bigeloudspeakers.com/faqs.htm#What%20is%20MVW[/url]
  11. Beer of the Bass
    I don't think we could call them guilds though. What about fans of Guild basses? The Guild guild (or guild of Guilds) would seem a little inelegant to say the least.
  12. Beer of the Bass
    I tried one out several years ago which was going for £49 and decided to pass on it. I suspect I should have snapped it up, stuck some huge black nylon tapewounds on and rejoiced in the 60s garage-band "whump" sound of it.
  13. Beer of the Bass
    A band I was in as a teenager tried to do Stratus. For a seemingly simple line, it's surprisingly difficult to keep it going consistently for the length of the tune - it's almost like a sequencer part! As I recall, my tendons were always killing me by the end...
  14. Beer of the Bass
    That does look nice. I'm a big fan of natural finished ash and maple together!
  15. Beer of the Bass
    [quote name='randythoades' timestamp='1386954200' post='2306808'] That is a good point. I have checked and it isn't lined. What would I use to line it? Just the thin wadding that you would use for upholstery and hobbies? My wife has probably got a load of that and a staple gun! Might give this a go over the Christmas break. Can't hurt anyway, it is defnitiely not a top of the line cab but I like the look. [/quote] That's the stuff, but ideally quite thick. Still, If you've got loads of thinner stuff you could use multiple layers.
  16. Beer of the Bass
    I'm having a clearout of some bits and pieces I don't think I'll use. I have an unused Thomastik Dominant A string, still with its envelope. This has been stored for a few years but never installed. These are a synthetic core string which make a good hybrid string for arco work and jazz pizz. It would be worth reading up on Dominants on Talkbass, as they have a reputation for being fragile if not installed in a specific way. They do sound great though! This single string might be useful in a mixed set, or just to knock a few pounds off the price when buying the rest of a set new. £20 posted in the UK. [b] NOW SOLD. [/b] I also have three Thomastik Superflexible strings, the E,A and G. The D-string is missing. These are a steel core string and quite high tension, bright and growly though slightly mellower than Spirocores. These have been used for around six months, albeit during a period when I was playing a lot. The bass I had them installed on had a short tailpiece, so I had to cut the silks back slightly at the scroll end to avoid them fouling the nut. Consequently you can see some uneven (but not broken) windings for the first inch or so at this end on the E and A, but this section will be behind the nut on almost all basses. I have tried to photograph this as clearly as I can. Because of this, I've priced them very cheaply. You can buy a new D string easily enough to complete the set. £15 posted in the UK. [b]STILL AVAILABLE[/b]
  17. Beer of the Bass
    I won't be gigging them until tomorrow, but here are my initial impressions of the Status Half Wounds. They are just a touch less smooth feeling than flats, but they seem well made. They feel a little more flexible than a 45-130 set of Dunlop nickel roundwounds, and quite a bit more flexible than a set of Chromes in the same gauge. The sound does indeed have some elements of rounds and flats - the top strings have a touch more zing than the bottom strings, but the transition is quite gradual from string to string - no sudden jumps in brightness. They have that a bit of that punchy, flatwound-ish envelope that I like, but not too thumpy. So far I'm enjoying them. Edit; After another half an hours playing this evening, I'm wondering if the E and B are in fact too thumpy for my needs. I'll have to try them with the band before I can be sure. I really want to like these strings, since it took Status ages to get them back in stock!
  18. Beer of the Bass
    Just a though, but if the VS112 is muddy in the mids have you looked to see if the cab is lined with wadding? This is a corner that's often cut on cheaper cabs, and reportedly it does make a difference to the clarity in the mids. It would also be cheap-as-chips to try lining the cab...
  19. Beer of the Bass
    I suspect the infamous "Unleash the fookin' fury" tape didn't help his PR either!
  20. Beer of the Bass
    [quote name='stevie' timestamp='1386795333' post='2304775'] Just what it says. [/quote] You've been quite critical of BFMs older designs at times, so the statement "up to his usual standards" coming from you looks like a barely disguised dig. If you [i]do [/i]have reservations about the designs, it might be more useful to bring them up for discussion than to leave veiled remarks. Of course, I could be reading too much into your comment but either way, some clarification wouldn't be a bad idea.
  21. Beer of the Bass
    [quote name='stevie' timestamp='1386692485' post='2303155'] I see that these are up to his usual standard. [/quote] Dare I ask?
  22. Beer of the Bass
    I'm not sure, but is that seller Henry Norton on here? He was certainly working on some Bi-Sonic type pickups, and using the name NuSonic.
  23. Beer of the Bass
    I'm around and not very busy between Christmas and Hogmanay, so I'm sure we could arrange some sort of handover before McNach's gig on the 30th, mine on the 3rd, then onwards...
  24. Beer of the Bass
    [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1386671806' post='2302787'] Wow... I'm usually a custom man but that looks fantastic... [/quote] Yes, I'm not usually a fan of Wals in the cosmetic sense (though I can think of at least half a dozen players who sound great with them) but this green one I am rather covetous of...
  25. Beer of the Bass
    I had one of the EY80EH archtops in the late 90's. The guitar itself was OK for the price and sounded quite good, but the humbucker was kind of dull and unexciting. Certainly, it was a night and day difference when I got hold of a used Seymour Duncan Jazz humbucker and swapped it over.
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