whizzzy

One of the main things to consider is what you are intending to use to re-cover the cab. As earlier posts have indicated the preparation if the cab is paramount and this especially applies if you intend to use Tolex or Vynide as any lumps or dips on the cab surface will show though. (It's quite similar to wallpapering really). If you are covering the cab in Tolex or Vynide then I would suggest to use PVA glue as the adhesive, something like Unibond . It's much cleaner to work with and if you get some on the surface of the cloth (which invariably happens) then it wipes off easily with a damp rag. The other advantage using PVA adhesive is that once its stuck, its stuck and it won't tear and lift easily if the cab is caught on a sharp corner. Another advantage using PVA is that it gives you time to work and if something isn't quite right then you've a few minutes to play around and sort out air bubbles or wrinkles unlike contact adhesive which once the cloth comes in contact with the cab surface it sticks and doesn't allow you any movement. The downside with this however is the converse in that it does take time to bond (about an hour is usual depending upon temperature) and so whilst it is drying you need to make provision for holding the cloth in place, especially if it is wrapped around corners or baffle edges. I use strips of wood and quick clamps and also gaffa tape to hold cloth in place whilst the glue dries. Another tip when using Tolex or Vynide is to work with it in the sun on a warm summers day as it makes it much more flexible and even allows a limited amount of stretching in case you dont have the seems joining quite right. If you are using carpet / felt for the covering then you may find that a contact adhesive is more appropriate and for this I've found Thixofix to be best in conjunction with a spray contact adhesive. Both surfaces have to be coated, use the Thixofix on the cab and use the spray adhesive on the carpet but go easy with the spray adhesive as if you apply too much it will soak through the carpet material and will be visible on the surface of the cab when it is finished. When using this type of adhesive you need to work outside because of the fumes it gives off and I have found that working on a cooler day gives you a little more working time. A good way to cover the cab is to use one piece of material to wrap around the sides, top and bottom and make the join on the bottom of the cab. Then depending upon the design of the cab (whether its a screw on back or fully sealed) you wrap the cloth around the side onto the back in order to allow about 8 - 10 cm of cloth to be stuck to the back of the cab, but don't glue it yet and also allow extra length so it can be cut off and a join created at the later stage. Glue the panel of cloth on the back if the cab, again slightly bigger than is needed so that when the side piece is folded over it overlaps the piece on the back. Using a steel rule and I've found a scalple or modelling knife works best you cut thought the two pieces of cloth so that when the excess is removed from both pieces it leaves you with a very neat join which then needs a little amount of glue to fix it, but make sure the glue is applied all along the edge of the cloth otherwise this is where it will start lifting. If the join is made well you will hardly notice it. Obviously all necessary precautions should be taken when using sharp tools and blades. Also if you are recovering an existing cab then make a few notes and take photos of how the manufacturer originally covered the cab in terms of joins and seems before you remove the old covering. Also take note how they finished the corners. Re-covering a cab is very satisfying when a good job has been done but it's one of those things that comes with experience and the more times you do it the better you get. If you play in a band you could always offer to do the guitarists cab first.

It depends greatly on the make of the original speaker. If you are talking about Beyma, PD, B&C, PHL and other quality makes there is a small market for the chassis and depending upon the spec / model / size they could be worth a fiver or tener each for someone then to have re-coned. Low end or budget drivers however are pretty worthless and are good for door stops or the inevitable skip fodder. Have a look around on speakerplans.com and you'll get some idea if they are of value to anyone or not.

A clamp meter is one way but an alternative is something like this from Maplin - [email="http://www.maplin.co.uk/plug-in-mains-power-and-energy-monitor-38343"]Energy monitoring meter[/email] I use a slightly older version of this and works quite well. The thing to keep in mind however is depending upon how hard you are driving the amplifiers etc then the power consumption can rise dramatically depending upon the design of the amplifier. So if you are looking to find the highest consumption level or worst case scenario then you need to be running your amps at maximum gig volume.

I've been through a number of trolleys now and this is the best so far - [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001P19RC/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0001GRVJQ&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=06MH3YHWFZRMV4V33W59"]Wolfcraft[/url] It's a bit on the costly side but it will outlast the cheapo versions that are available. The clever part about this trolley is the folding stabilising bar that folds down and engages between the two wheels. This makes it much stronger and rigid. On the cheaper folding trolleys this stabilising bar doesn't exist and then the gear mechanism which engages the wheels in place eventually gives up the ghost and so they keep folding in and collapsing. The other bit of kit I use is a wheel board. This is simply a piece of 18mm ply about 500 x 700mm and bolt 4 flight case wheels on it. Cover the top with a piece of thin carpet to stop your gear sliding off and away you go.

Another thing to check is the flexible wiring between the chassis of the speaker and the cone. Sometimes they are situated at such an angle where they rattle when the cone is moving. Gently move the two wires where they connect to the terminal post or tag strip by about 3 - 4mm and see if this resolves the problem. A good test is to roll all of the treble response off both on the bass and amp and play an open E string at a fairly low volume (at a similar level that you use in the house if you were practicing). This usually accentuates these sorts of vibration problems and makes them easier to work on.

Just bought some bits off Alex. A true gent and a great chap to deal with and is highly recommended to anyone here in BC land.

Just bought a mixer off Dave. Had a good chat on the phone and very nice guy to deal with. Mixer arrived well packaged safe and sound two days later. I have no worries about recommending Davy to other BC'ers and would certainly buy from him again. Thanks for a smooth transaction.

For many years I had been a big fan of EV gear (the cabs with wooden boxes, not the plastic stuff) and had been really pleased with the sound quality and reliability. Then about 2 years ago after a great deal of research taking into account cost, weight, size and all of the other factors I changed over to Logic System. Our current rig now uses a 1 x 12" + horn top can and a 2 x 15" bass cab each side and wow, what a difference. I'm now in the process of changing all of the monitor cabs to Logic System as well which speaks for itself. The rig is used by an 8 piece soul and Motown functions band with everything going through it so you'll understand what it needs to handle. For sure there are better systems out there such as Nexo, Meyer, etc but pound for pound I seriously recommend taking a look at Logic (the older series). But probably the most important factor to consider in whatever system you end up with is that everything needs to be set up right. As it seems you are going for the passive route (which is my preference any day of the week) then I strongly recommend that you use an active crossover and bi-amp the rig. This approach is streets ahead of any passive crossover system and really lifts the overall sound quality and dynamics. The down side is that you need an electronic crossover or LMS (loudspeaker management system) and a second amp to drive tops and subs but this does maximise the potential of the system. Once you get to this stage you need to ensure that the crossover or LMS is set correctly to match your power amps and the speakers. The benefit with using something like Logic, Martin or Nexo is that they will have produced active crossover networks or system controllers to run with their speakers so you can either go for a turn-key solution with one of those or if you choose the LMS route such as a DBX PA Driverack or the Behringer equivalent then you can talk to the engineers at Logic or Martin, get the correct settings off them, program them in and away you go. I did exactly this with my Logic System rig and I was truly amazed how it made the rig come alive. It sounded good before but sounded brilliant afterwards. If you go the JBL, Mackie or random speaker box route I fear you may have a bit of a struggle on your hands to get this sort of information from them - I don't know as I've never dealt with them direct. And to play around yourself or get an experienced sound engineer on the case could take you quite a few hours or even days to get the system working at its optimum level. As you've intimated, second hand is the way to go (which is what I have done) and with a bit of patience and careful shopping around you should be able to put together a nice system without having to re-mortgage the house, wife, dog and pet rabbit! Btw, if you want to do some research on Logic gear a useful tip is to Google 'Logic System' and then Logic Systems'. The singular is the correct name but many folks use the plural and this will help come up with a completely different list of hits. Welcome to the wonderful world (and minefield) of PA systems. Col

It may be worth giving Roy at www.recones.com a call to see if he can do anything with the original B & C driver. Roy has always been very helpful when I've contacted him and he is held in high regard on the speakerplans.com forum with the PA guys.

Thanks for the information Nick, it's been very helpful. Looks like the Seymour Duncan route is the way to go. And nice-one on your modified Pbass btw.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I will try turning the pups around and see what results that brings. Nick - you suggest changing the pups to Seymour Duncan 'Vintage'. Are these the SBP-1's and are they a straight fit or does it require the pick guard to be filed out a little? I've read elsewhere on the forum that some folks have needed to do this but I'm not clear if this is for the Seymour Duncan or other replacements. Just out of interest what gauge LaBellas have you used on your Pbass?

I don't have another D’addario but have used an equivalent / similar gauge used E string to verify this. The D’addario stings look like they have been on the bass for a while and I would prefer to keep them on there if possible as the sound I'm after is the more like Motown / Stax sound. From the tests I've made I'm fairly confident that the problem doesn't stem from the string.

Yes, the drop is noticeable whatever I play through - either through the rig at the rehearsal studio or through my practice setup on the pc which is being connected via an ART Tube Amp module.

I've recently acquired a CIJ Fender P Bass which is a 62RI (my first P bass in almost 30 years of playing ). Now I'm getting familiar with it I find that there is a noticeable drop in volume on the E string compared to the A, D and G strings. The bass is strung with D’addario Chrome flats and the first port of call was to replace the string but that hasn't helped at all. I've also tried to compensate this by adjusting the pup height under the E string which has helped a little but I still can't get it sounding absolutely right (however this tends to go against what I've seen on other P basses where the pup height beneath the E string seems to somewhat lower than the A string side. Unplugged the bass sounds OK and just like it should so I'm leaning towards there being a problem with the neck pup however when the A string sounds fine this tends to contradict my diagnosis as it is basically the same pup. I don't really want to have to change the pups as I'm a stickler for originality but before I do this as a last resort can anyone chip in any other suggestions? Thanks, Col

Just bought a Fender bridge of Nigel in what was a smooth and easy transaction. Great communication throughout and would be happy to deal with him again any day. Thanks Nigel

Given that Gordy and the management at Motown went to some lengths to keep the backing musicians 'in the shadows' so to speak I think you are going to be hard pushed to find any high quality photos of Jamerson. Most of the photos I've seen give the impression to have been taken by family or friends and by their very nature will not be of professional quality. There are a few different photos of Jamerson in the book 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown' but how good these would look after being scanned etc remains questionable. I for one will be interested to hear how you get on, as I am sure a few other forum members will. Good luck!