Mottlefeeder

I bought an EUB about two years ago, but never got into it due to worsening health, and I ended up not playing anything for the last 18 months. I'm now starting to pick up the pieces, and find work-arounds for the things I cannot do. My question is about whether it is worth restarting EUB. My problem is that my thumbs go into cramp if I try and use them for any continuous task, even a light load like holding a mobile phone. The problem is not physical, like carpal tunnel problems, but to do with nerve conduction, chemical balances in nerve cells, etc. For Bass guitar, I can lay my thumb along the back of the neck, and still reach the strings with my fingers, and I can accept that there will be limitations in speed caused by that playing style. Firstly, are there any long-term problems in applying the same approach to EUB - especially since I have already had a recurring stress injury in my left little finger? I am also currently recovering from a trigger finger release operation on that finger. Secondly, is there anyone in NW England who teaches disabled people, or convalescing musicians or similar, who might be able to offer me guidance on what I should or should not attempt to do? Thanks David

[quote name='0175westwood29' post='985944' date='Oct 12 2010, 05:17 PM']probs a stupid question but whats firewire?[/quote] It's a standard for communications, with defined plugs, sockets and protocols - a bit like USB.

[quote name='barneyg42' post='980143' date='Oct 7 2010, 05:45 AM']Do the rounds mark the neck much?[/quote] I don't know - I've had health problems which stopped me playing about the same time I bought it. David

[quote name='barneyg42' post='979287' date='Oct 6 2010, 12:05 PM']Got the above arriving soon, previous owner says the strings are a bit old so what is there to be recommended? I need some mwah but still need to rock out a bit. Do I need extra long scale strings for this bass, 35 length I believe? Cheers.[/quote] I used La Bella deep talkin flats on a Warwick Corvette fretless and they sounded good. I put a spare set on my 1005 and they sounded really wooly and unfocussed. I put the round-wounds back on, so I don't have an answer for you, just a warning. David

[quote name='owen' post='961326' date='Sep 19 2010, 05:11 PM']Buy a small headphone amp of ebay (cmoy ones seem ok - [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Micro-Cmoy-headphone-amp-Opamp-2227-Amplifier-/250698821012?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a5ed06d94"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Micro-Cmoy-headphone...=item3a5ed06d94[/url] kind of thing) and run a line into that and monitor yourself on one side of a pair of walkman in ear things. If you are going to blister (and you will) then rub your fingertips in some superglue before you start. No, really.[/quote] If you want to go down that road, you could go for a belt mounted DI with a headphone amp built in. David [attachment=59297:IMG_1518.jpg] [attachment=59299:D_I_box_..._monitor.JPG]

[quote name='stevie' post='955289' date='Sep 13 2010, 07:52 PM']If you're willing to put in the time and effort, I'd suggest creating a decent vent area somewhere near the front of the case - probably on the top or at either side of the front panel. Then turn the fan round and have it pulling air in from the front and venting through the back. Block up any other vents at the back to prevent short circuits...[/quote] Don't try and pull the air - push it. Think of a desk fan - you stand in front of it, you feel the draft. You stand behind it, you don't. 'Blocking up any other vents' means sealant on every join, tape over every jack socket, etc. and even then you cannot be sure that the air from 'somewhere near the front of the housing' will flow over the heatsink on its way to the fan. David

[quote name='steve' post='953738' date='Sep 12 2010, 05:48 PM']I have a Fender Rumble 15 practice amp which my (wifes) cats have used as a scratchpost once too often, and where the carpet has once just sported a wooly afro, the holes are about to join into an absolute (to quote Superfurryanimals), so I need to re-cover it. Has anyone got any off-the-wall suggestions that would be neither too expensive or time-consuming for me to use as covering before I just splash on some red tolex? Must be cat proof! tia[/quote] There are some textured paint finishes that you put on with a roller - there's Duratex which is water based [url="http://www.acrytech.com/store.asp?pid=14119"]http://www.acrytech.com/store.asp?pid=14119[/url], or Protectakote truck bed liner, which is solvent based [url="http://www.protectakote.co.uk/"]http://www.protectakote.co.uk/[/url].

[quote name='chilievans' post='953829' date='Sep 12 2010, 06:44 PM']I'm also starting back after a lengthy break and in all honesty I wasn't very good in the first place . I realy like the look of this gadget. I'm thinking of ways to drop the hint to Mrs Evans as I speak[/quote] The Tascam GT R1 is also worth considering. It plays wavs and mp3s, and covers the standard training functions; filter out bass/vocals, etc, speed change, key change, drum samples, etc; but also records from a pair of built in microphones, so you can record the rehearsal, drop the recorded bass out, slow it down and practice what you should have played in the first place. It's not cheap, but is is versatile. David

One of the problems with fans is that they do not suck directionally, but they can blow directionally. It is likely that the fan blows onto the heatsink to make sure that more of it gets cooled. If you change the direction of the fan, only the closest part of the heatsink will get cooled, unless the entire assembly is an airtight tube so the air can only flow through it and not sneak in through other gaps. David

I'm also interested in this topic, but for slightly different reasons. I am being assessed for neurological problems which cause the ball of my thumbs to go into cramp after about two minutes of gentle gripping. I can probably work around that in my fingering hand by adopting a sloppy technique and putting the palm of my hand on the back/far edge of the neck, but a french bow gives me problems. Is a german bow likely to be better for me? I've had a year off, and at the moment I am just trying to get back into bass guitar playing, and my EUB is still packed away. I'm coming round to the idea that I may never be much good, but I may still have fun at my level. All comments gratefully received. David

I've also been looking, on the basis that someone must be making the pedal enclosures that the manufacturers use. No joy - googling 'foot pedal' brings up things like industrial foot switches, etc. One possibility would be to buy two die-cast rectangular enclosures, cut and re-join them to make the shape you want, and use car body filler to smooth over the join

From what you said, it is the lower two cones in a four by ten that have gone. My understanding [citation needed here] is that reflected waves from the floor put more stress in the lower cones, which if true, may explain your problem. Many years ago I was using column four by twelves for the vocals (anyone else remember those), and the evening we put them on the floor, and not on chairs, we lost the bottom cones on both columns. David

[quote name='Belinda' post='873906' date='Jun 21 2010, 09:30 PM']At first I had a thought ..... and the thought grew stronger ...... then I discovered this forum ..... and Hey Presto, the thought became a reality I will shortly be taking delivery of an Aria SWB Lite One Oak It's all your faults - this forum has been most enlightening and does not appear to be elitist. You have provided so much information that I felt confident enough to take the plunge - and indeed, it is a plunge because I have neither seen nor played one of these Several years ago I borrowed a DB because a string group needed some low end and basically I played it for just a few weeks. I was then asked to play in a band as the bassist but having carted the DB (I'm 5ft 2) in and out of the car and up a down stairs a few times I soon bought a very cheap bass guitar and amp (£200!!!!). It wasn't long before I outgrew that and have gone through various amps and guitars and am currently playing a Fender Jazz (not an actual Fender unfortunately) with a Mark Bass combo amp. The band is a swing / 40's 7 piece and the sound is good but I feel that a DB sound would enhance it - hence my thought process I do have questions and they are probably silly ones but .... here's the first .... am I right in assuming that my combo amp will be fine with the Aria?? - Told you!!!! Also, people seem to be changing strings - is this necessary or preferential? Being a complete girl (I wish) I don't understand what people mean about a pre amp - this has caused me a fair bit of confusion, hence my first question Anyway - I'm sure I'll have more if I can't find the answers in older posts Your's expectantly Belinda[/quote] Strings that are designed to be plucked will have good sustain, but strings designed to be bowed will have very little sustain. That may be the cause of the string changing discussions you have picked up. David

Bump? My (limited) understanding of soloing is that when someone else solos, you stay out of their way, but in this video Jaco is embellishing the groove while the guitarist is soloing, and breaking in to the drum solo, while both the other band members tone it down when he solos. Is this normal band behavior, or normal Jaco behaviour? David

My (limited) understanding of soloing is that when someone else solos, you stay out of their way, but in this video Jaco is embellishing the groove while the guitarist is soloing, and breaking in to the drum solo, while both the other band members tone it down when he solos. Is this normal band behavior, or normal Jaco behaviour? David

[quote name='Arjimlad' post='868571' date='Jun 15 2010, 11:02 PM']It has - I will try without the loop turned on. Would shielding stop this ? Thanks again[/quote] No. It's the pick-up detecting a magnetic field - exactly what it was designed to do. In my case it was only a problem with voices between songs, so I was able to kill them by muting the amp when not in use. If you have a two pick-up bass, the chances are that the pick-ups are wired in opposite phase. Setting their volumes (or the pan pot) for an equal mix will approximate to a humbucking pickup, and may cure the problem but sound a bit bland. David

Before you change anything in your rig, check whether your church has a hearing aid loop, and if it has, see if you have the same problem with it turned off. If you are picking up from the loop, you need to move away from it (if you can) or move to hum-bucking pickups (as are fitted to P basses) David

Another variable that you may need to take into account is the mass of the body wood. A bass that was designed to balance as an ovankol neck/bubinga body may be neck heavy with a swamp ash body. I moved from a 4-string Corvette on a bubinga body to a 5-string Corvette on a swamp ash body, and could not get on with the neck dive, even with a decent strap. David

One problem concerns the age of the speakers. Bass units with foam surrounds will stiffen up over the years. They still cope with general music, but a bass transient can split the surround. Roll rubber surrounds do not seem to have this problem. David

I had a 4-string bubinga Corvette, which I loved, so I thought a 5-string Corvette would be the obvious upgrade. They use the same body blank, and the 5-string has a wider neck, so the balance is totally different. After about 6 months of trying to cure / live with the neck dive I sold it on. Whatever Warwick you audition, put a strap on it and try playing it standing up. David

[quote name='jimmybass04' post='797929' date='Apr 6 2010, 07:32 PM']hi there, my main problem is that when i record more than one track in to audicity they go out of sync. iv looked on you tube (audicity problems) and they go thru the step by step guide to sync the tracks (latency) my prob is that none of the tools ie at the top of the audicity page seem to work. playing any files thru windows media etc is fine. most of the editing features are grey. i downloaded a new version of audicity but to no avai. as i said earlier i can record my first track but everything after that runs out of sync ,and it wont allow me to use the tool i need to allign the tracks. can you help at all. thanks, jimmy.[/quote] I can't help you with latency on multitracking, but the effects require you to select part of a track before they become selectable. The welcome screen for audacity refers to an audacity user forum, so if you cannot select a part of a track, and select an effect to work on it, I would suggest that you contact them - [url="http://forum.audacityteam.org/"]http://forum.audacityteam.org/[/url] David

[quote name='jimmybass04' post='797868' date='Apr 6 2010, 06:34 PM']i downloaded the new version and all features are still disabled,? any ideas anyone[/quote] Most of the features stay greyed out until you have a file that they can be used on. But, if nothing at all works then it sounds as if you do not have some software or settings that Audacity expects to see. So, what exactly is it that does not work in Audacity, and what can you prove is working on your PC? For example: Can you play CDs using windows media player? Can you play MP3s using windows media player? Import the same files into Audacity - can you see that signal showing on the meters when you play them? If you can see it on the meters, can you hear it? - If not, check your soundcard settings, look for something muted or turned down. If/when you get sound from a file opened in Audacity, go through a similar process on the input/record side to confirm that your sound card is routing signals to the right place. Good luck Regards David