Mottlefeeder

I played a BEADG 5-string fretted and a BEAD fretless for a couple of years and had no problems. I upgraded to a pair of 5-stringers for consistency, but I have to say I rarely use the G string. The downside is that your choice of strings is limited. There are a few sets of BEAD strings out there, but the alternative is to buy a 5-string set, and sell on the G to a slapping and popping enthusiast. Also, unless you have a Warwick or similar with an adjust-a-nut 1, you will need to file out the nut, and replace it if you change back. With the adjust-a-nut 1, each string sits in a groove in a screwhead and Warwick will send you a replacement screw at no charge - it isn't the E, it's the A or D that has to be changed.

[quote name='Leowasright' post='402202' date='Feb 6 2009, 05:40 PM']Now, I have just nailed a Hartke HA3500 at a price well below the hikes filtering through at the minute. I'm more than sure it'll be loud enough anyway, but the rush in which I hit the buy it now button eliminated any consideration of the HA5500. I suspect that the 3500 and 5500 probably share a common PCB. That means I reckon that the only probable real difference is the number of MOSFET power transistors in the output section of the amp. Anybody out there able to confirm my thoughts, or even actually done such a mod to their amp? Apart from that, I'm also picking up from an old friend my Fender Bassman 100 head I bought 21 years ago, and sold to him 15 years ago for £70. I'm buying it back for £100(!) Only thing is, it's a bit sick, lots of noise when used. Resistors in preamp section?[/quote] Putting more MOSFETS on the output will increase the current an amplifier can produce, which would possibly enable you to use an extra cab, if the power supply could supply the extra current. To get more power into an 8 ohm load, you have to have more voltage to drive the extra current around, so one of the main differences between the 3500 and the 5500 will be the internal supply voltage to the amplifiers. A retrofit upgrade to the power supply to provide say 10% more volts is unlikely to be a realistic proposition.

So, what happened? Based on our slight concerns about the seller, I advised my friend not to push the boat out too far, and he was outbid. So, what did we achieve? We checked out a seller with no feedback: we weren't 100% happy with what we found: we bid cautiously: we did not win. We can't prove it was the right decision, but it definitely wasn't the wrong one. A big thank you to Wayne and his family for taking the time to help. I hope I will be able to do the same for another bass-chatter someday. David

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='393409' date='Jan 28 2009, 09:12 AM']No probs.[/quote] We have contact - PM sent

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='393340' date='Jan 28 2009, 01:08 AM']My dad lives in Mildenhall could get him to have a look.[/quote] Thanks. I've asked for an address and a contact number - I'll get back to you. David

There is an ebay listing for a budget fretless, but the seller has no feedback. If anyone lives near Mildenhall, or passes it while commuting, is there any chance you could drop in and check it out? It's about 5 miles north of the A11 / A14 junction. Obviously, if it is viable, I will get a more detailed address.

I asked about this on another forum (Talkbass?) and the answer I got was that pick-ups are designed to feed into some specified resistance and capacitance. If you take that out completely, you will hear a more peaky, resonant sound from the pick-up, because you have taken the damping out of the circuit. Think of a hi-fi speaker with the wadding taken out. Some hi-end retrofit preamps have selectable input impedances for that reason.

[quote name='Maxcat' post='391168' date='Jan 25 2009, 08:11 PM']Ive been looking around for a uk seller who stocks the right angled Centre negative 2.1mm x 5.5mm power leads that run from my board supply to the pedals (shown on voodoo lab site). Sent emails to any site that looked valid and have had nothing back. Does anyone know where I can pick these bad boys up from? Cheers in advance[/quote] Maplins do a power supply lead that has bare ends one end, and a range of plugs for the other. It finishes in a two pin socket about 6mm diameter, and the plugs fitted that, one way round for pin + and the other way round for pin -. Cable - [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=6290"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=6290[/url] Plug - [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=44240"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=44240[/url]

[quote name='Paul Cooke' post='389418' date='Jan 23 2009, 11:10 AM']they're a pain... and I've had one pop off while playing... luckily the strap stayed on so I didn't find myself playing "catch the Bass"... They only work well with straps that have thin ends and a bass with conical profiled strap-pins... always amazes me how cheap people can be when it comes to securing expensive basses... for real cheap and reliable (but not quick to change basses with) use Grolsch Bottle washers... anything else, use proper metal straplocks... I switched to Schaller for all mine... you can source the end-pins separately which means you don't have to purchase a complete assembly for each bass...[/quote] I see things differently - 1) Since the strap is on the strap pin, a failure of this lock means that the bass stays on the strap. Any failure of a Dunlop or Schaller straplock will probably put your bass on the floor. 2) I use a padded strap, which I store flat so the padding does not crease. If you use metal straplocks, you need to find a place to store your strap where the metal cannot scratch your bass. With these, you can take the strap off, and lay it along the fretboard without risk of scratching. 3) If they pop off when you are playing, they are probably overstressed. You can open up the central hole slightly with a file, which will get rid of most problems. It still won't work with a strap that is too thick though. 4) I have had two basses with straplocks, and had near misses with both, because I had not engaged the locks properly. In ten years of using these, I have never had a strap that came off by not being put on propoerly. 5) They are cheap, and they do not involve modifying your bass to fit them.

[quote name='Toasted' post='387285' date='Jan 21 2009, 11:00 AM']Yes - give me a min I have an email. Although the £/$ is 1.38 today, which is ****ing awful. EDIT: From BassNW [i]Cafe Walter HA-1A Headphone Practice Amp - $169.00 + $50.00 U.S. Postal Service shipping and handling (fully insured)[/i] I've gotta say, we'd be better picking up one from the TB Classifieds, $50 post seems excessive. There's a few for sale there at the moment.[/quote] The problem with their postal charges is that when the content value exceeds a threshold, they have to go onto a different tarif to get the insurance cover. That automatically puts it into the hands of Parcelforce, who collect the UK VAT etc, and charge you for the privilege of being served by them.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='385912' date='Jan 20 2009, 12:18 PM']Hello Everyone. I'm looking for a small (but solid!) device for (mobile/headphone) practice purposes. It'll be driving a pair of headphones, and needs an input for an MP3 player or similar so I can jam along. Ideally it'd be both mains or battery powered. I'm not too bothered about on-board FX, although a good OD/light distortion, compressor and chorus certainly wouldn't offend me!! Tone controls would be helpful, as might a gain control, as it'll need to handle both active and passive basses. Good sound quality is a pre-requisite, though. Budget? £150 max, I suppose. I've seen the Korg Pandora PX-4D for £75 on Amazon. I like the integrated tuner (one less box to carry/power!) but am non-plussed by the amp modelling (I'll bet most are for the guitarists out there!) I don't need the phrase trainer function particularly, either. Do Tascam still do the BassTrainer or a Pandora equivalent? I've read the PX-4D reviews on Harmony Central, but they all seem to be by guitarists, and vary massively from dreadful to perfect! Sorry for the lengthy intro, but I know it helps you to help me! Thanks in advance, Alex.[/quote] You do not mention the metronome or drum kit feature, so I assume this is not a feature you want. If you do not need amp modelling and phrase training, and can manage without the integral tuner, a Pocket Rock-it would give you bass + aux input, and chorus and distortion. There were about £35 before our financial troubles started.

I use mine with the amp simulator switched out of circuit, and I have accidentally nudged the knob and brought in an amp effect when picking it up to change the drum speed etc. Could it be that something can nudge the controls where you currently have it placed/hanging?

[quote name='jake_tenfloors' post='382055' date='Jan 16 2009, 09:19 AM']Ok, i'm with you! Now with the passive problem, what can i use to boost the signal without loosing the tone?? An op-amp like with the headphones?? Just so i can make one channel switchable between active & passive. Gonna have to start drawing some designs up me thinks! Jake[/quote] I'm fairly confident that the Fdeck Hi-pass filter front end would work for passives, and if it overloaded, would have a 'nice valve-like' distortion. See the last paragraph. Alternatively [url="http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=75949"]http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=75949[/url] is a thread about onboard preamps which may give you some ideas for the front end. If not, the site contains several other threads about bass and guitar amplification, but you have to register, and I seem to have lost my password... Alternatively, the Albert Kreuzer outboard preamp referred to in the above thread is filed here [url="http://www.albertkreuzer.com/pics/el/pre/schem/preamp_sch21.gif"]http://www.albertkreuzer.com/pics/el/pre/s...reamp_sch21.gif[/url] The front end runs at +9 volts (I think), but the op-amps need +/- supplies.

[quote name='jake_tenfloors' post='381891' date='Jan 15 2009, 11:23 PM']...That first circuit you posted, the guy says he really recommends that its only used with piezo pickups?...[/quote] If you check out the high pass filter preamp on his site, the main difference is that he has a capacitor in series with the input. If you have an active bass, it probably has a capacitor on the output anyway, so you would need to try it and experiment if required. [quote name='jake_tenfloors' post='381891' date='Jan 15 2009, 11:23 PM']Could i use a design like this?? But the outputs as inputs and vice versa?? Then could it be as simply as adding a pot after each input??[/quote] Yes for active basses, which have enough current drive, but no for passive basses, where the low impedance of the pot would suck most of the tone out of your sound

[quote name='jake_tenfloors' post='381769' date='Jan 15 2009, 09:50 PM']So then, just wondering if anybody knows of a schematic that will do the following 2 switchable inputs with 1 output. With 2 separate volume controls with the 2 inputs. Thats simple enough, but what would be ace is to have a headphone output on the pedal with its own volume?? Added diagram Would be great if someone could point me in the right direction! Cheers Jake[/quote] The attached link to a Talkbass member's web pages gives a Hi-Z input circuit which would fit between a passive instrument and your volume control - two of these will give you two inputs - [url="http://personalpages.tds.net/~fdeck/bass/quickand.pdf"]http://personalpages.tds.net/~fdeck/bass/quickand.pdf[/url] The attached link to the headwise web pages gives a one op-amp per channel headphone amplifier circuit - I built one, and the bass depth and clarity is amazing - [url="http://www.headwize.com/projects/cmoy2_prj.htm"]http://www.headwize.com/projects/cmoy2_prj.htm[/url] Both circuits will work on a 9v battery supply.

I'm missing something here. The OP link takes me to an archived page. The transfer link takes me to the new forum, and a link to Warwick.de, which refers to Namm 2009, but appears to show old-stock pictures. I have yet to find a Rockbass with a two-part bridge. What links are you guys following? David

[quote name='Musky' post='379806' date='Jan 13 2009, 10:57 PM']You've got a PM. [/quote] Sold, in 22 minutes!

I have a spare 5-string set of La Bella Deep Talkin' Bass Strings 760FM if anyone is interested. That's B=0.128, E=0.109, A=0.089 , D=0.069, G= 0.049. They were the unused spare set for my Corvette fretless, and I kept them when I moved from the Corvette to a Yamaha. I fitted them to the Yamaha, didn't like the sound and took them off after about an hour. The Yamaha is a 35 inch scale bass, and the strings have been cut - about 4 inches beyond each tuner head - for 3+2 head, so you should have plenty of slack, unless you have a 4+1 head. £15 posted to any UK mainland address. David

[quote name='budget bassist' post='378328' date='Jan 12 2009, 09:59 PM']What on EARTH is that?[/quote] What bugs me most is the body wood laminates suggest a neck through, until you turn it over and find it is a bolt-on - that's not nice.

[quote name='Linus27' post='377932' date='Jan 12 2009, 04:41 PM']Any recommendations of a good metronome to buy?[/quote] Are you paying cash or buying it on tick? The Sabine MT9000 is about the size of a pack of cards, and has a reasonable woodblock sound which I prefer to a bleep, but its tuner is really slow on bass unless you play the octave harmonic and tune that.

[quote name='mcgraham' post='377479' date='Jan 12 2009, 11:08 AM']Hi all I've been using a Korg Pandora for many years now, and whilst I love it, it's noise gate is starting to grate on me. Even on maximum possible volume I can't get the full dynamics I want from this device, i.e. when the level is too low it doesn't give produce sound. Also has nasty hiss that gets let through whenever the noise gate goes on and off, although that could be the instrument. As such I'm looking to some other alternatives that DON'T do this, that allow portable practice with at least a metronome and a headphone out. Something that will fit in a gig bag ideally and run off batteries. First thought is a Pocketpod, but I don't know if it has a metronome feature. Anything else that anyone can recommend? Mark[/quote] I have a Pandora, and I have never noticed a hiss, so they may have improved over the years. It might be worth checking out a newer one. Also, although you have had it for a number of years, can you check that the input level is correctly set for passive or active - that could affect the hiss and also the output level. I tend to use mine without effects other than reverb, and I use the built-in drum patterns a lot. As far as I know, the noise gate is switched off. Incidentally, switching the noise gate on will reduce your dynamic range, but that may be a compromise you have already accepted. A couple of other things worth checking - does it also hiss when connected to another bass, and does it hiss when connected to other headphones. If your headphones are loud on top, and lacking in bass, they might make the problem worse. With regard to the alternatives, the message I am getting is that if it is pocket sized, it will use components that draw less current, but the downside is that they will hiss more. A couple of possibilities spring to mind - A S/H Zoom 708 will cost about £30, and would fit in a large gigbag pocket, and running from AAs rather than a 9v block, it is probably takes more currrent and so would be quieter. At the other extreme, the Tascam GT R1 is a combined guitar/bass trainer and stereo recorder, so you can use it as a practice aid, record yourself as you practice, and also record rehearsals. It retails about £230

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='377524' date='Jan 12 2009, 11:50 AM']Stupid question time.... What do you actually play while your metronome/drum machine is ticking away? Maybe it's because I'm one of those cover band types, but I always play along to some bit of music I'm learning. I honestly can't think what I'd do with a drum machine.[/quote] Two things spring to mind, a) you can practice the core skills - scales and arpeggios, speed building exercises, etc, and use the beat to make sure you are being consistent. if you are working from sheet music or tab, you start by working out what the notes are, and then you try and play the song. Using a beat for the second bit makes it easier, and as you improve your skills, you can do both steps at once.

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='371353' date='Jan 5 2009, 08:30 PM']I just wondered if I'm missing something obvious here...[/quote] I don't think so, but the detective work you have done so far suggests that you have a fault in the analogue signal path, and these types of fault are much easier/cheaper for amp techs to find. I know you have on-board FX, but if you also have Fx out and Fx return sockets, you could use those to see whether the distortion is in the early stages, by plugging your Fx out into another amp, or in the later stages or main amp, by feeding a good signal into your Fx return. Hope that helps David

[quote name='TheRev' post='364744' date='Dec 28 2008, 12:02 PM']I use a Fishman Platinum Pro EQ so I haven't got that many controls to mess with, but I find compression set at 10 o'clock and the depth at 2 o'clock give a nice even sound.[/quote] I have the same unit, but little experience of using it so far. However, the block diagram for the signal chain seems to show a hi-pass filter (depth), followed by 3-band mid range, followed by compression, followed by bass and treble. So they have tone shaping both before and after the compressor. That might make a difference to how you set up your system.