Woodwind

I Suffer from tinnitus and want to do everything I can to make sure it doesn't get worse.

I use hearing protection exhaustively.

For My day job I use Quies foam 35db plugs (the best foam ones I have found in 20 years ) which go in as soon as I arrive in the workshop and I wear 3M ear defenders over the top when I'm using any of the machines (lathe, linisher, bandsaw etc etc).

For social engagements I use the same Quies plugs maybe moving to ACS 15 plugs.

These usually serve to make hearing people easier, rather than protect against noise. One of the worst effects of tinnitus for me has been the cognitive aspect of hearing (how the brain interprets and filters sounds we are "listening" to verses those we just hear. There is lots written on the topic).

In a noisy bar I can follow someone talking across the room, but can't hear a word my friend standing next to me is saying.

The ear plugs address this nicely.

For music performance the ACS ER 15s go in before soundcheck and depending on volumes and stage monitoring I may then go up a league to my custom molded ACS 21db.

My ideal is to have monitoring at a level where I don't need to perform in plugs, but proximity to the PA and size of venue will have a bearing on this so I might need plugs.

The sight of them dangling round my neck has often drawn comments from people looking at my gug photos 🤣

Thanks everyone for the help and tips, cheers

Thomas 

On 09/04/2023 at 22:37, rmorris said:

Are you asking about cable from the power block to individual effects ?

1A is a lot of current for a single device ime.

Yup one of my pedals is 0.7amps I believe.

As per the title I'm looking for help from those that know on what gauge power cable to use with effects pedals running at 9v drawing approximately 1amp.

I want to make some custom cables (length and aesthetics) to go from my power block and was worried that 0.5mm mains power cable might not be the best option?

I suspect I'm worrying about nothing as the gauge of effects power cables I have cut open in the past varies wildly.

Thanks for any pointers.

On 07/04/2023 at 09:48, LeftyJ said:

Yep! The proper name is Jazz Bass Plus. There was a similar P-bass Plus too: 

 

Oooh I really like that!!

Well normally I'm spitting nails about the sponsored posts that show up on my Instagram feed, but this evening I get a post from BassBros.

A Fender Long Horn Jazz -

https://bassbros.co.uk/product/1989-fender-longhorn-jazz-bass/

Coming from my ignorant point of view I have never heard of this model before.

I'm not a Fender fan, at all, but there was something about this body shape that really appealed.

Almost a subtle cartoonish exaggeration of a jazz shape.

Any long horn players here?

A few days late -

I had a show in Edinburgh on Friday.

Initially planned as a double bill of Glasgow then Edinburgh, the logistics didn't work out so it was just the one city.

Absolute breeze of a journey from London. I didn't realise it was so quick on the train!

Lovely intimate venue, really attentive and up for it crowd, wonderful feedback from the set and sold all my merch.

Can't wait to get back to Scotland to promote my next release at the end of the year.

Glasgow next time for sure, but my sights are also on Aberdeen.

2 hours ago, DGBass said:

sent a pm with details. Hope that helps.

cheers!!!

On 05/02/2023 at 18:01, DGBass said:

I always use one of these. First rulle of plugging in anything at a gig. There was a time when I gigged big valve amps that I carried a calibrated earth loop impedance tester with me just to be super safe that I had a decent ground. It was a bit overkill but gave peace of mind. Most venues I play these days are pubs and clubs where they usually have to have electrical certificates of compliance for insurance purposes and wiring generally is very good. The little orange plug though is still peace of mind and if the supply is good and the ground checks out, I'm happy and haven't yet had any ground hum or interference issues coming out my speaker. My rack unit also has a slightly more sophisticated anti surge facility as well as a ground and supply check. I suppose next time you are at that same hall, ask to go back to your previous position and outlet to see if the hum is gone. If so its almost certain the other wiring where you got the hum is suspect.

 

Where did you buy this DGBass?

Looks really neat

4 hours ago, fleabag said:

Its always been said that if you want to be heard in a band, mids is where it's at. 

 

When i dial the mids, i get heard,  but end up with the mid ' growl '     It's not what i always want, but ... to be heard in the mix, its whats needed.

 

I can never get a clean sound by increasing the mids. So whats the answer ?   I don't mean sparkly clean either,  just clean without growl.

The/your problem is not your eq per se.

If all your bandmates stopped playing you'd be able to hear yourself regardless of how your eq is set.

you'd still be able to hear your self if you turned your volume down by half.

In fact you'd still hear yourself if you turned off your amp altogether.

My guess, based on having no idea what your band is, is that your guitarist(s) have waaaaay too much low end in their sound.

if they took this out, (good luck suggesting this) you would have so much more bandwidth to fill the low end yourself and fit in and around the drums much more satisfyingly and as a result your drummer will have a nicer time and may well be able to play quieter or with greater dynamic swing.

I've been in this exact situation in bands before.

Having had to boost mid eq (regardless of the bass I was using) and still only just being able to hear my attack.

Upon inspecting the guitarists amp the bass knob was always maxed, producing a huge amount of low end that in reality I couldn't "compete" with.

Have a chat with your guitarist about what they can do for their eq FOR THE BAND (a lot of guitarists struggle with this) and see kf you can sculpt a band sound everyone is happy with.

Good luck!

whoops I completely overlooked your dimensions in your post.

If you had it sideways, ie 71cm front to back on the seat it would fit, but would be pressed on the seat in front.

When I travelled with my contrabasoon to Paris and back I booked the additional seat for 20quideaxh way.

This was an absolute bargain to have my instrument next to me and travel by myself on a crowded train.

No one checked the height of my instrument once they saw my instrument ticket and although taller than a cello, it is narrower.

It is substantially smaller than a double bass though.

When I disembarked at Paris there were 2 people getting their double basses from the goods wagon.

This was the policy in 2019, but I presume it has now changed.

The basses had to be booked into the gaurds/goods wagon in advance.

What case/bag do you have for your bass?

Once the neck is off and the bridge down and it's in a soft bag I bet it isn't that much bigger than a cello case.

Quick google shows a BAM hardcase being 46cm wide and 32cm deep.

1 hour ago, meterman said:

Hi - sorry for the late reply, I haven’t logged in here for a while, the lathe cuts were done in Cardiff by a company called Lathe To The Grave. I’ve done three different projects with them so far and they have been brilliant and easy to work with. Can recommend 100%
 

https://www.lathetothegrave.com

Absolutely no need for apologies 

Thank you so much for the info on Lathe To The Grave!

as @BassTractorsays, definitely give the rite of Spring a listen.

Ideally a decent recording, ideally on a decent stereo and get the volume up as loud as your household and/or neighbours can tolerate.

Zappa was a big fan of the bassoon and as a contrabassoonist myself I can't help but get excited every time I hear the rite (as a whole, as much as the Wonderful opening bassoon solo).

John Williams basically ripped thr piece off wholesale for the Starwars soundtrack and I believe Pino Palladino quotes a line from the bassoon part in the Paul Young track wherever I lay my hat.

If you find this piece to your taste, it is fantastically well written and it's possible to lift tiny segments as great exercises on any instrument.

This thread is excellent.

Lots of really great suggestions.

@metermanthis sounds fantastic.

A really nice sound from a cassette 4 track!

Where did you get your 5" lathe cuts done?

Cheers

Thomas

As a keen owner of two double 4's using them in a similar fashion to you and likewise traveling across London on public transport I understand your situation.

I'm sure you'll get a fair few recommendations for a barefaced one10 and a micro head like a Trace Elliot Elf.

Undoubtedly this will be a step up in volume and air moved over the double 4, but it will be a more coloured sound (which may or may not be to your liking).

I may be inclined to go for a bigger cabinet with a sound more akin to the double 4 and find a way to wheel it around, a folding trolley for example. You're future proofing yourself with this in a way that perhaps a one10 wouldn't. Again, open to debate.

Anything reasonably compact, up to 14kg or so will be luggable by public transport on a trolley (except in rush hour!).

It's just a matter of deciding on the sound you want and how much you are prepared to spend.

Nothing will be as easy as the double4 though.

If i need serious volume I bring my Yamaha powered 12" pa speaker on a trolley.

2 hours ago, ambient said:

That’s really weird. Like you say, the whole point of graphic score is that each person will have their own interpretation of them.

exactly!!!

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

@ambient Out of interest how would the second third and fourth examples you posted be read by a musician playing one of them?

I did a recording session where we'd been issued with graphic scores.

I'd agreed to the project as, money aside, I was looking forward to the interpretative aspect within a chamber group.

The composer kept halting proceedings to then tell us why we weren't playing it right and what we should be playing.

They had such a clear concept of what they wanted I don't know why they hadn't just notated it straight and exactingly.

In the end everyone left that session deflated.

I have 2 sets of Status groundwounds 40-100.

they are donkeys years old now, sound quite dead, but play brilliantly.

I've moved them from fretted to fretless basses over the years as they sounded great and had a feel I loved.

They aren't available anymore so if I were starting from scratch today I'd do as @ambientsays and just go straight to the Thomastik jazz flats.

The caveat being this is from my preference of a low tension perspective. If you like high tension/large gauge strings you may find the Thomastiks a little too pliable

well I'm back on this post again as it has truly inspired me.

My main new years project will be decapitation of my backup fretless 4 string, turning it into my main bass.

1 hour ago, Russ said:

The ones in my bass are the 10-coil, one humbucker per string models. Those are the ones that are the closest match to the Wal pickups. They have six wires coming out of each pickups - one for each pair of coils, and an earth wire.

 

The preamp is the Lusithand Double NFP Special - this is designed specifically for those pickups, with up to six inputs for each filter. Nuno (Lusithand's main man) also makes a version that works with regular pickups (the regular Double NFP, without the "special").

 

Herrick are now the only pickup company that are making pickups for the Special preamp - Rautia Guitars used to as well (they called it "new style" wiring), but they've recently closed their doors, and Turner's Wal-style pickups have more regular output wiring. Have a chat with Martin Herrick before you order - let him know what you're after and he'll help you out. He's very responsive to questions and I'll happily use him again. I have an idea for another project - I came across a kit guitar company that offers a Dingwall-style multiscale bass, and I was thinking of getting one and getting it kitted out with the Herrick/Lusithand setup. 

thank you so much Russ!!

@RussI wasn't aware of Herrick pickups until reading this thread.

Would you mind detailing which model you purchased?

I've had a quick look at the website and was bewildered by all the options 🤣

similarly which preamp did you get from Lutishand?

This has seriously piqued my interest for a project for next year.

Cheers,

Thomas

Outstanding work.

Please post some sound examples if you can 😎

Just a quick comment to say how much I like this. As suggested above, painted in black it would be magnificent.

Excellent work!

I saw it on facebook and pleased to see it here.

I too am only a fretless player these days, but if my musical situation changes and it's still around later next year I might be interested

Thanks for this Bubinga5.