Beer of the Bass

[quote name='ColinB' timestamp='1465463001' post='3068372'] That's a really pro job you're doing. I built a 5E3 many years ago and it's still going strong even though I've kept on 'tweaking' it. Bassman output tranny so I could run an extension cab, mods to run 6L6s, the two pre-amp channels in series rather than parallel. My next tweak will be the Ampmaker VCB/VVR variable power control ([url="http://www.ampmaker.com/store/VCB-VVR-kit-for-cathode-biased-amplifiers-ZK02.html"]here[/url]). I'll be following this build with interest. [/quote] Cheers! I'd looked at the VVR kits, and if I ever do a cathode biased amp I'll probably give one a go. This one is going to have a post-phase inverter master volume to tame the volume a little, as it seemed like the simplest way to do that. [quote name='Bottle' timestamp='1465472909' post='3068528'] Firstly, wow, nice lead dress! Secondly, I did a valve amp build last year [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/257258-diy-valve-amp-kits"]here[/url] so I wouldn't worry about a guitar amp build in a bass forum my kit was bought from [url="http://www.ampmaker.com/store/home.php"]Amp Maker[/url] and is a 4W Fender Tweed Champ clone. Sounds amazing Good luck with the rest of the build. Shall be keeping an eye on this thread with interest! [/quote] Again, cheers! I'm trying to put some effort into the lead dress - so far I'm not managing the full Hiwatt/Burman style neatness, but I'm sure it's coming out a bit tidier than my last effort. I'm also discovering that cable ties are my friends. I'll take another pic tomorrow - I've got most of the wiring around the transformers, power/standby switches and can caps done, but not quite ready to put the board in yet.

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1465465084' post='3068416'] I consider 'heft' to be related to the uncompressed and unsagging reproduction of low frequencies. Basically the sort of thing good subwoofers do really well and that poor PA systems and weedy bass amps and cabs struggle with. It's also something that serious solidstate power and high excursion neo drivers are better at than valve amps and old school drivers (unless you use a BIG rig). However, there are definitely bassists who consider 'heft' to be related to the compression and distortion added by valve amps and certain cabs, which thickens a bass sound. This mid-bass to lower-midrange thickness is also sometimes described as punch, though I'd tend to call the transient character thump, with punch being higher up in the midrange. [/quote] That sums it up well, there seem to be these two quite disparate properties being referred to as "heft". I'm a big fan of the second of those qualities (whatever you want to call it), as it really seems to create a sound that's clearly audible, satisfying to play, and finds a space in the mix easily.

I played at a private party last year where I brought my 100-year old double bass and wished I'd just brought electric bass instead. It was a party at your classic communal hippy dwelling, with a dancing audience who were in a whole range of altered states. The gig was great fun (as was the rest of the night), but mashed people kept stumbling into the "stage" area and I just spent too much time fielding people away from the double bass, which escaped major damage but did end up with a bent tuner and a couple of new scuffs.

[quote name='Passinwind' timestamp='1465397162' post='3067864'] The bass seat in his band was notoriously short-lived, sometimes even lasting less than an entire set. It'd be interesting to hear someone like Tony Levin's candid take. [/quote] The only interview I've found with Levin on the subject was fairly diplomatic. This could be a professionalism thing on Levin's part, as it's probably not a great idea for a working bassist to be too critical of former employers.

After building myself a guitar amp several years ago (which was based on the Fender Princeton Reverb) and tinkering with a couple of other amps in between, I've found that putting together valve amps is something I really enjoy. I wanted to get a couple more builds under my belt to see if I can up the standard of my work, but parts can be costly, so when a friend asked if I would build an amp for him (in an informal sort of way) it seemed like a good idea. After quite a bit of discussion, we settled on the idea of a 50 watt amp based on the old Marshall plexi but with added reverb, and it's going to be in a 1x12" combo cabinet. The reverb is based on the "1-tube reverb" circuit found on the Hoffman amps forum, which is less full-on surfy than the classic Fender reverb but reputedly works well in this style of amp. There will be a couple of small tweaks from the standard 50-watt plexi circuit, which I'll detail as I go along. My parts choice is an attempt to find the middle ground of decent quality, dependable stuff without either going too cheap and compromising quality or falling for the whole boutique snake-oil thing. Once I'd got most of the parts together, I started assembling the board which the smaller parts are mounted on. Marshall would have used turrets for the wiring, but I'm used to working with eyelets so I used those, mounted on FR4 fibreglass material. There are still a couple of resistors missing here which I managed to leave off my initial parts order. While waiting for some more parts to arrive, I got my chassis prepared with the necessary holes. I'm not much of a metalworker, so I bought a ready-made blank chassis rather than folding my own as some builders do. I did pick up a couple of old chassis punches on eBay which do a much better job of the 3/4" and 1" holes for the valves than drilling would. The hole for the IEC mains connector is always a bit tricky without specialised tools. I drilled out the corners, chomped out most of the material with a hand nibbler and then filed it out to the correct size. This left a few scuff marks around the hole, but thankfully those are on the back panel. Next up came fitting the valve sockets and doing the heater wiring between them. The layout of this affects how quietly the amp runs, so I've tried to be careful about keeping them twisted together and routed correctly. I have deviated a little from old style Marshall construction here - I've avoided looping wires around the preamp sockets as I've read that this can induce hum. Here's the chassis with the transformers mounted on top. I've used Dagnall transformers from Modulus Amplification as they were a reasonably priced option but are good enough for Marshall to use in their expensive handwired reissues. The reverb transformer is the exception to this - it's an unbranded generic one. From left to right are the reverb transformer, power supply choke, output transformer and power transformer. With all of that iron, it weighs a bit! At the moment I'm in the process of doing the off-board wiring underneath the chassis, so there will be more to follow...

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1465371120' post='3067545'] That's the thing - when I think of 'heft'. I'm not thinking about bass. It's a solid, low-mid backbone. It's all so confusing :-) [/quote] I wonder if this interpretation of the H-word might be that subtle form of distortion that valve amps do well, as do certain speakers? I mean the sort that adds some extra harmonics to the sound (so adding low mids on top of your lows) but stops well short of sounding gritty or dirty and would still be thought of as a clean sound in any musical context.

[quote name='luckydog' timestamp='1465389349' post='3067745'] It's sad, Buddy sure had some personal problems. That approach is just plain wrong, but maybe the band knew he had problems and put up with it ? Otherwise, fair chance half the band wouldn't have bothered with the second set, or Buddy would have regularly needed surgery to remove a drumstick from his a*se between sets Displaced anger, maybe he wasn't happy with himself for some reason (not necessarily real or to do with drumming ?), dunno amateur psychology 1/2 hour? Sad stuff really...... [/quote] Dave Panichi (the bearded trombonist he's ranting at towards the end of the recordings) said that Rich was guaranteed to kick off after seeing his wife, any time his dope ran out or when there were guests on the bus to show off in front of. So yes, it does point at the rants being triggered by issues other than the performance. And Panichi wasn't actually sacked after this altercation - he says that Rich rarely followed through on any of his threats. I wonder if Panichi even shaved in the end? Although Rich was one hell of a drummer, he does come across as rather a pathetic figure off stage (again, IMO).

I'd walk if an employer tried to talk to me like that, and I have done so before (not in a musical context - it was an Italian restaurant where the proprietor tried to copy Gordon Ramsay's management style, minus his culinary flair). Perhaps there are a few people who get by in that kind of environment, but many will get out at the earliest opportunity. Contrast this with how Duke Ellington managed his band. Charles Mingus wrote this after being fired; “The charming way he says it, you feel like he’s paying you a compliment. Feeling honored, you shake hands and resign.” IMO Ellington was the better bandleader.

There are a couple of string shops in Edinburgh which tend to have some basses, Stringers on York Place and Gordon Stevenson up in Bruntsfield. But neither keeps a huge stock, so you'd probably want to phone first. It's hard to try out basses in Scotland! What sort of thing are you looking for, and what's your budget? If you're doing mostly rockabilly, a decent old German or Eastern European plywood bass might be a good option, and they do show up used now and again.

Ah, I went to see Bill for a small repair last year and he showed me the plans for a new bass he was starting. One of his would be way out of my range too, but I'll definitely give him a call the next time I need repairs or setup.

I hope you've not made the trip to Glasgow just to visit the Violin Shop. I don't think they open on Sundays.

Were these in Varsity Music? If so, run a mile! Nashville is a label they put on the most basic Chinese instruments they seem to buy a container load of every few years, and the double basses I've seen in there have been awful, genuinely worse than anything else I've seen on the market. They had one in their window with no soundpost for a couple of years, with the top slowly collapsing! If I was looking for a good value bass at the moment, I'd either keep hunting for a used instrument or order something from Thomann or Gedo and keep some cash back to have decent setup work done locally. Alternatively, it might be worth ringing the Violin Shop in Glasgow - it's a while since I've been in, but they've often had some not too expensive used instruments and I think they also carry the Stentor basses which are probably one of the better cheap new basses stocked in the UK.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1465044875' post='3064912'] I do wonder if BareAssFace Inc. from Pennsylvania or Dortmund's BareGesicht GmbH would get the same kind of response on here..... [/quote] I think I've said this on a Barefaced thread before, but I reckon some of the attitude towards Barefaced on this forum is because anyone who has been here for a while remembers Alex posting about his DIY projects before there was a company at all, and people have trouble adjusting to them being a professional outfit now. It's like the old Scots "Kent his faither" putdown. Small companies who had their growing pains elsewhere and arrived on Basschat fully formed don't get nearly the same treatment.

On John Entwhistle and bass tone, does anyone else feel he lost his way a little once he got to the point where he could genuinely have any rig he could think of? I mean, Live at Leeds is fantastic, a real benchmark of rock bass for me, but later on when the Alembics and Buzzards, effects and huge multi-way rigs came in I enjoy his tone far less, though the playing is still great.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1464716573' post='3061796'] Why he need so many cabs? I thought these Barefaced cabs were loud? [/quote] I guess he's running some sort of wet/dry or clean/dirty multiple signal path setup?

I was looking at the Celestion website trying to choose a guitar speaker when I noticed that they have a couple of new bass drivers, the Pulse10, 12 and 15. Since I finished my cab build a while ago, I haven't had more than a cursory glance at the specs and they don't seem to be a huge departure from what's out there already, but it's interesting that they're coming out with new models. Here's the 12: [url="http://celestion.com/product/157/pulse12/"]http://celestion.com/product/157/pulse12/[/url]

If it's been damaged that easily with a water-based cleaner, it might be french polish, which gets cloudy white-ish marks when water damaged.

If it's one of the old models (pre-JCM800), it has two parallel input channels which are voiced differently - one brighter and one bassier, each of which has a high and a low sensitivity input. Many players like to link the two with a patch cable and then blend them with the volume I and II controls. Most models can run 4, 8 or 16 ohms with a selector on the back panel.

I've recently changed out the filter caps on my Dynacord head, but one of them had failed years ago and been sloppily replaced with two marginally rated caps positioned right where the hot air rises from the power valves, with the wiring to them running across lots of the audio wiring. So it felt quite reasonable to sort that and refresh the ones in the bias supply too while I was at it. I had a bit of a learning experience with one particular amp I had several years ago. It came to me with a loud hum - first I changed the main filter caps to no avail, as it turned out to be the one in the bias supply. Then I ended up chasing a crackling noise in the power amp. I had replaced most of the resistors in the power amp and replaced and re-wired the output valve sockets before I figured out that the noise was from one of the power valves, which I had just assumed must be OK as they were new. So, I had a quiet, working amp at the end of it but it occurred to me that I had replaced many more parts than might have been necessary, and someone with a bit more experience would have been more methodical and addressed those specific issues right away.

I wouldn't cut up the combo cab, but if you were to build a head sleeve for the amp chassis and stash the combo cab away somewhere then it seems like a reasonable plan.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1463583685' post='3052555'] Apart from putting the wrong pickup in the wrong position, of course. [/quote] I think it was made for a bridge with much narrower string spacing, and if the right bridge was fitted the strings would align with the pickup just fine. It's kind of an eccentric design, but (with the exception of Fender) what wasn't in the mid 60s?

I'm going to guess that the bridge is not original, as the strings are badly mis-aligned and it looks like a well built instrument otherwise. With that chrome cover it's hard to see if anything has been changed underneath. The tuners look cheap by modern standards, but I'd guess that the choice of hardware available to small builders at the time was nothing like what is available today. I've no idea about the collector value of this sort of thing, but it does seem that Allen was a well known luthier who made instruments for some significant players.

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1463573833' post='3052431'] The thing is old caps can work ok but for how long? And people think there serviced amp is going to be good for another 20 odd years which it won't be. The other thing people don't seem to test for is a caps esr rating which is from my understanding a better way of evaluating a cap. [/quote] I guess there's also the question of how much bench time is really justified for an amp of a given value, bearing in mind that anyone who isn't into DIY pays by the hour to have their amps worked on. Perhaps on premium-valued vintage gear it would be worthwhile to test every part, but I've always had the kind of B-list valve amps that would be hard to shift even for a couple of hundred quid (although I note there are some people on a mission to slowly push up the prices). Many of those are good, solid amps, but a few hours of time from an experienced tech would be getting close to the market value of the amp. Taking a pragmatic approach to that sort of lower valued gear, it may make more sense to assess the functionality of the whole unit and deal with any problems as they occur.

Regarding things like replacing electrolytic capacitors on old amps, I found it interesting reading through John Chambers' website. He's an amp tech with decades of experience and the site is a mine of information for anyone interested in these things. I noticed that he does not routinely replace capacitors in old amps unless they have visibly deteriorated or the amp isn't working correctly. This seems quite different to the prevaling wisdom nowadays, but it's evident that he knows his stuff. I do tend to go through any older amp of my own and replace them, but I realise this is like the guys who strip down old Morris Minors in their garage - tinkering as an end in itself.

It might help to go down a gauge, as changing from rounds to flats of the same gauge usually requires at least a truss rod tweak.