Count Bassy

15 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

Is this a complete the sentence competition? If so, I suggest:

 

Boutique basses are bought by lawyers, medics and well-paid weekend warriors in the vain hope that spending lots of cash will make up for lack of talent.

 

Over to you lot.

Sorry, it had to be in 20 words or less.

In my other life I play a concertina. I find I can't wear hearing aids (NHS ones) while playing as they introduce a marked tremelo effect to the sound.

2 hours ago, ezbass said:

As to “AI” hearing ads, I call marketing BS.

A few years ago everything tstarted appearing with "I" in the name, following the lead of Apple.

This has now been replaced/suplimented by "AI".

As you say marketing BS.

The last band I left I truthfully said that I just wasn't getting the buzz from rehearsals that I should be getting (it hadn't got to the point of gigging), and it was accepted gracefully.

Unfortunately in the next few weeks two other members also quit and I think the whole thing collapsed.

On 23/08/2025 at 09:38, Beedster said:

Why a 4-string nut?

Indeed, why a four string neck?

I actually quite lake the shape of the headstock. But that is about all I do like about it.

On 20/08/2025 at 08:54, Leonard Smalls said:

Aye... Playing anything complicated or difficult shouldn't be allowed! Just because they're using a musical instrument to produce sound doesn't mean it's music, it's just about inflating their own ego. They should just stick to straightforward and easy tunes, so for keyboards, no harder than Chopsticks, and for bass players, stick to the root and throw in the occasional fifth if you really must.

I blame that Paganini and Liszt.

What's this "fifth" thing you mention?

Bass players who have way too many effects pedals (i.e. more than zero). It's a bass guitar, no-one except other bass players will even notice.

Also goes for guitarists to some extent. Pedal boards that they spend ages fiddling with between songs. Just play the bloody thing.

21 hours ago, Terry M. said:

Do you think it might be obvious because it exists already? It certainly makes nut adjustments an absolute breeze either way. 

Possibly, but I suspect that if you told any engineering minded person that you wanted a nut with adjustable string height then 80% would come up with either the two screw tilting nut idea, or the 4/5/6 screw individual string adjustment idea. The rest would probably suggest shims.

3 hours ago, Terry M. said:

Sitting here reading this whilst playing my Thumb 5 string. I wouldn't be without it or my Streamer and I don't play metal 😄 Who invented the adjust-a-nut of curiosity as I don't know? I assumed Warwick did.

IMHO the adjust-a-nut princible is so obvious that you couldn't really say anyone invented it. Lots of people must have thought of it but didn't have the equipment/couldn't be arsed to follow it through.

More a case of who decided to actually make and market it first.

First the bad news: 

     These are traditonal technology speakers - No light weight speakers or cabinets. Hence these weigh in at 46Kg each, which is why I am moving them on, just too heavy for me to lug around anymore.

     Also the foam fronts are completely shot and need replacing if you want foam fronts.

Apart from that if it is all positive.

These are Shermann speakers, serious professional bits of kit - see the reviews. I know that almost everything claims to be professional these days, but these really are.

These speakers are 770mm high 480mm wide at the font and 250mm wide at the back. and weigh 46Kg  each!. They are probably about 30 years old, so traditional technology & desgin, hence the weight.

Not the sort of weight I want to be lugging about anymore, hence moving them on.

Can't see it on the photgraph, but I believe that the 15" bass units are Beymer, the tweeters are definitely and the 6.5" mirange are both Audix.

Shermann informed me that they are 8 ohm, and are good for at least 400W each (See attached notes from Shermann).

Despite being 30 years old these still sound as good as ever, as far as I can tell. They were oginally installed at the Theatr Hafren, Newtown, Powys, and we bought them from Shermann when they we theatre was being upgraded. - and had top hats fitted at the same time.

I have used them in folk dance bands (including a sousaphone) and rock bands for front of house - easily enough to fill a typical pub or village hall, and even used them outside in a pub garden and for PA and background music on a village playing field. They have also been used as side-fill foldback on a pretty large stage.

The weight is a downside, for portable use, but they would be ideal for someone considerably younger/stronger than me, or for use in a permantent installation. Unlikely to need subs with these unless you are a dub nut or something.

One of my tests for a PA system is the human voice, and these are brilliant for that,i.e.  apart from the volume you wouldn't know that they are there!

I attach various photos.

As I say I'm looking for £350 for the pair. As you will have guessed, pickup only, but that gives you the chance to try them out!

Due to its weight: COLLECTION ONLY, but that gives you the chance to try it out.

NOTE THAT: As part of the clear out I have listed/will soon be listing:

Laney 100W 15" combo.

Behringer BEQ3012 two channel 32 band equaliser with feedback detection.

Two Shermann PA cabinets (15" + 6" + tweeter). Seriously professional bits of kit.

12 + 4 15m Snake cable/box

12 + 4 25m Snake cable/box

Behringer FBQ6200  32 band, 2 channel equaliser with feedback detection.

Large base tall lighting
Various LED lighting units & controllers

Ibanez SR505 Bass.

It's a bass cab. Doesn't matter what it looks like.

Isn't the clue in the name. i.e "Pirate"?

4 hours ago, Hellzero said:

The funny thing is that those preaching for noise tolerance would refuse to live in such a neighbourhood all year long, it's exactly the same as those complaining about people driving too fast in their street and doing it themselves everywhere else.

What ? All of them?   It doesn't help your arguement if you just make stuff up and then claim it as a fact.  Next thing you'll be saying that everyone eats their neighbour's pets.

1 hour ago, Hellzero said:

It's all about noise, not what you're trying to make me say as it was absolutely not my point.

I think you have already said it. No need to try and make you.

3 hours ago, Mottlefeeder said:

Let's be clear about the 'health problem'.

 

It isn't about volume which can damage your hearing, it's about the stress caused by the regular annoyance which you refer to.

 

David

But in that case almost anything can be called a health issue. e.g. other people, especially other drivers, having to work, not having a job,  traffic, the guvment, people complaining about the noise etc. etc.

4 hours ago, Hellzero said:

This is the stupidest law project ever.

 

Noise is a health problem, period.

 

So noise makers must contain it within their properties and limits, so they are the ones to build the soundproof barrier, not the neighbourhood.

 

It's also based on respecting the others.

 

If you understand this, you'll live in total harmony with everyone.

 

The freedom of one ends where that of another begins.

You first statement is a matter of opinion. I disagree.

Your second statement is simply wrong. Noise CAN be a health problem but it all depends on the level.

I can't think of any club I've been to where the noise outside is anywhere like a health problem. Possibly annoying to neighbours, but a health problem? No.

If you move next to that sort of existing noise source then you should have no right to complain.

14 minutes ago, Mottlefeeder said:

Noise pollution is a common cause of stress, so keeping it down, or keeping it in, will reduce ill health and the resultant load on the NHS.

 

I have no problem with people who want it loud, but I think it is wrong to expect the rest of the neighbourhood to pay for soundproofing. The polluter should pay for the reduction/treatment of their pollution.

 

If that results in most pubs being quiet, and purpose built venues for loud music, with prices to suit, that seems fair to me.

 

David

It's a case of who was there first. If you build a dwelling next to a noisy venue then that should be your responibility. If a bar/cub opene up next to you then it's their responsibility.

It's the "Agent of Change " princible.

6 hours ago, Russ said:

Yep. Lots of melisma and impromptu scatting these days. Thanks, Mariah f**king Carey. 

 

If you've got a horn section, you'll have a tough job getting the sax player to actually play the song. Seems like they're all aspiring Sanborns, Coltranes and Parkers.

 

The two sounds I despise most in music, and that sound the most like small animal strangulation, are harmonica and badly-played alto and tenor saxophone. 

Soprano OK then?

10 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Ah, Ray Cooper, maybe..? (Watch the reaction of the other players..!) 

 

 

Can't fault his enthusiasm though.

8 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

unless you can tell a difference from  hearing gig or recording does it matter? amused me that the Rod Stewart bassist used 3 basses at Glastonbury and you could hardly hear him, never mind tell any difference between them

I used a different bass at one of our gigs, I said to my partner afterwards how it sounded, she replied "It sounded like a bass!" 😂

Which, let's be honest, is how 99.9 % of the population would view it.

On 30/06/2025 at 12:59, Rosie C said:

 

Been there! Mid 1990s, me and a friend were renovating a flat I'd bought, on evenings after work. It was winter so we'd left the mains on, confident that a particular wire was not live. 

 

Me too. Working on our house on a genuinely turned off circuit. Touched the earth and neutral together, which tripped the RCD (leaving me in darkness). Shouted down to my daughter to reset it please, and seeing the RCD and this circuits MCB tripped, helpfully reset both for me. In I went with my cutters............

EDITED : Luckily they were properly insulated electricials cutters.

On 26/06/2025 at 12:15, Rosie C said:

If I was buying a new upright now I'd probably start my search with a Yamaha B2. 

 

I've just sold my Kawai digital. I liked that it could do harpsichord, and I liked not having to heat the room or pay for tuning, but it lacked the soul of a 'real' piano.

 

 

Which Kawai digital was it?  My wife (a piano teacher) has a Kawai ES8 (one before the current model) and it sounds and feels great. Note quite like a real one, but very close. (She has a real one (Woodchester) as well)

2 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

Water isn't that great a conductor of electricity. Large bags of water with lots of electrolytes in are much better at conducting electricity, and that's what humans are. So we provide a preferential conductivity path for electricity (which is why dropping an electrical appliance into the bath will do unpleasant things to any occupant).

Indeed, deionised water can be used as an insulator; But,  if you were to touch something tht was "Live", would you rather do it with a dry bit of skin, or a wet bit of skin?

Something I read somwhere, a long time ago:

Electricity and water don't mix, especially when connected by people!