Beedster

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1228715' date='May 12 2011, 01:06 PM'][/quote] I think looking at the desk we can rule out OCD

OK, I am probably being really stupid here, or there's a config glitch, but I've had to (hopefully) temporarily dismantle my studio and pack everything away. One of the band asked for a mix of a track we did late last year, so I logged onto the computer I use for recording today, and apparently I can't start Pro-Tools without the computer being connected to the respective hardware (I use Pro Tools M-Powered with Mackie 1640i hardware). I can't believe this is the case, but I don't seem to be able to find a way around it. Before I start trawling the recording forums, I thought someone here might be able to help? Cheers Chris

"Before Leo Fender, bassists were reduced to playing the double bass", apparently. Where's Bilbo when you need him

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1228528' date='May 12 2011, 10:44 AM']Of course we all react differently, but maybe 5 out of 10 people would take offense to it as I would, cause I am not one known to show the other cheek.[/quote] Well don't use an open forum on the internet to post threads like this. Yes, most communication on the net can be easily misunderstood; I could see your OP as anything from a smug comment on how much money you have, a possible symptom of some form of obsessive disorder (and I am qualified to make that observation), or a wonderful expression of a passionate engagement with your art-form. But that's the risk you take posting on this and other forums; and just as you have the right to post, others have the right to comment. In fact, in posting you positively encourage such comment.

So many manufacturers cut costs on those sorts of fittings. I've had the same happen to me with otherwise really expensive pieces of kit, that are badly let down by cheap clamps, fittings etc. Hope you can sort it soon mate; don't let them fob you off with 'user error' which is what I got from a retailer in a similar situation recently (that is until they realised I hadn't yet left eBay feedback for the item, and they started being nice to me - which is why I often pay a little over the odds to buy new stuff on ebay). C

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='1228208' date='May 11 2011, 10:57 PM']Done![/quote] Thanks Ian

[quote name='JTUK' post='1228058' date='May 11 2011, 09:11 PM']Don't talk to me about Congas...once had a 2 hour sound check almost, on those along.. If it is on a quite night for muso's, I would think most drummers would do this.. let me have a think..!!![/quote] Thanks JT, yep, I'd played with congas before but never with DB, and there was a lot of cross talk between the two. I think in our case a significant part of the problem is that our drummer tends to lack a little, well, subtlety when he hits them! We're hoping we might pick up a specialist percussionist as we're a bit worried that a drummer playing percussion might play them a little too drummy, but if you know of anyone, please let me know. [quote name='Ian Savage' post='1228062' date='May 11 2011, 09:14 PM']The drummers' forum I frequent is at www.mikedolbear.com, where there's also a Classifieds section including personnel; I can post a link to this thread in the percussionists' section there to save you signing up if you like?[/quote] Ian, that would be great mate, many thanks C

Re the teacher, I can't remember but I'll see if I have his details

[quote name='MissPenguin' post='1227791' date='May 11 2011, 05:32 PM']Haha! Yeah I was beginning to wonder if I might have more luck in London.. Only 51 minutes away by highspeed train! But it's quite a distance. Who was the person you tried? I found a number on "musicteachers.co.uk" but usually those sites are really out-of-date. I haven't played in quite a while! Not properly anyway. I miss being in an orchestra a lot... There is an orchestra at my university but I wouldn't dare go near it until I'd had some lessons again![/quote] Are you at UK or Christchurch (I teach occasionally at both, not DB unfortunately however). Christchurch has an extremely good music department so you might find someone there. Re the orchestra, I would just go for it, it might be a better learning curve than lessons anyway?

[quote name='MissPenguin' post='1227788' date='May 11 2011, 05:26 PM']Oh, really? I didn't think that Canterbury would be the sort of place to be hoarding bass teachers to be honest, although I haven't really looked much. Such a shame really.[/quote] I was promised a call back from a tutor down here about a year ago and it never came! A few of the guys on here have offered to travel down if there is enough interest, but that's likely to be more ad-hoc than regular, and to my mind, teaching needs to be regular. If you're Grade 6/7, you could probably teach me a thing or two though

[quote name='MissPenguin' post='1227780' date='May 11 2011, 05:17 PM']Hi, I used to play double bass a couple a year ago at about grade 6/7 standard. Would really like to take up lessons again in September of this year when I can bring my double bass to university. If anyone knows anyone in the area, drop me a line? Thank you [/quote] Welcome to Canterbury, and let me know if you find a decent tutor down here, I haven't managed it yet

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' post='1227300' date='May 11 2011, 11:21 AM']Try Jonas Lohse: [url="http://www.kontrabass-atelier.de/teile_e.html"]http://www.kontrabass-atelier.de/teile_e.html[/url] or Bob Gollihur in the US: [url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/keyword/44-ENDPINS.html"]http://www.gollihurmusic.com/keyword/44-ENDPINS.html[/url] Jonas might be the more speedy service, especially if you prompt him. Bob can be pretty quick too. But if time is of the essence then the eBay route might be your best option.[/quote] [quote name='Clarky' post='1227312' date='May 11 2011, 11:27 AM']£32 ain't too bad for a whole endpin unit [url="http://www.contrabass.co.uk/endpinunits.htm"]http://www.contrabass.co.uk/endpinunits.htm[/url] IF they deliver quicker than the 4-6 days the eBay seller is offering. Edit: but still a hell of a lot if you only need the collar and pin [/quote] Thanks guys, great stuff. I'm going to take Clarky's advice here and go for a complete unit; it probably doesn't do any harm to have some spares as this isn't the first one I've broken anyway. Could I ask for more advice; first, are these things pretty much standard sizes (in both length of the pin and I'd guess more importantly, the diameter of the insert into the body)? Second, of the five on the page that Clarky posted, which would you recommend? The pikey in me wants the cheapest, but the poncey muso in me wants the most expensive Thanks in advance C

[quote name='chris_b' post='1227283' date='May 11 2011, 11:07 AM']If the myth is true then the heaviest cabs on the market should sound the best?[/quote] Why am I thinking 'Peavey'

I have one DB in repair at the moment so really didn't need to strip the endpin bolt on the other at a gig the other night. I thought I'd fixed it with a slightly larger bolt, but that turned out to not be the case. So, I need to but the circular sleeve and bolt. All I can find online are things like this [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160282535215&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_764"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...IT#ht_500wt_764[/url] which I don't really want to get into as I will have to install a whole assembly that isn't needed. Essentially all I need is the brass sleeve and bolt/screw in the link above; any ideas as to where I can get one online and fast? C

[quote name='Who's Who' post='1226509' date='May 10 2011, 05:59 PM']Thanks for the advice guys, sadly the 4004's current price tag wouldn't be an option! Sorry to sound like a complete moron, but what would getting the pickups rewound do exactly. I don't quite understand what that would be, is it a job most guitar tech's can do, any idea how much it would cost. And any advice on an EQ setting for the bass, and amp to get the Ric sounding better? Thanks again.[/quote] A rewind is the last option as unless you really know what you're doing, you could end up liking the tone even less. I would play around with PUP height and EQ, and really listen hard and ask you band mates to do the same. It's hard to know what to suggest re EQ as your rig, your preferred sound and your ears will be different to everyone else's. Having said that, I had an old Precision that I never realised was, for whatever reason, really weak sounding on the A-string. I used to have to dig in on the A to get the tone the same. as the other strings This became so automatic that when I played other basses, note on the A-string were always punching through. The point I'm making is that a whole host of things can influence PUP-string balance other than the PUPs. Perhaps get it to a tech, or even another experienced player, and see what they think also. Good luck either way.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='1226448' date='May 10 2011, 05:12 PM']Any variance you hear are your ears playing tricks[/quote] Alex, you know your stuff and it's a brave man who challenges you ion this domain, but surely you're confusing physics and psychoacoustics there? When you say 'the ears playing tricks', are you not really talking of how the brain perceives and represents sound, in which case JT's points could be valid?

[quote name='Bloc Riff Nut' post='1226350' date='May 10 2011, 03:59 PM']I love these threads too, you guys make me laugh. Even if you are right.[/quote] [quote name='Bloc Riff Nut' post='1226365' date='May 10 2011, 04:10 PM']Americans like everything BIG, I think my thread will get a more positive response on TB [/quote] [quote name='Bloc Riff Nut' post='1226407' date='May 10 2011, 04:43 PM']I posted on TalkBass and it's official... UTTER TOSH indeed. Hope everyone had a nice time venting. Yours, Phil. Maybe I should change my sig![/quote] LOL, nicely taken on the chin mate. I must admit, I prefer heavy gear, but know so little about what makes gear good I simply leave it at that

We've picked up a regular bar gig for which we're using DB, slide electric gtr, acoustic guitar and congas*. Although he's tried hard, our current drummer isn't really a percussion kinda guy, so we're looking for a percussionist to fill those gigs (all paying), and ideally to play alongside the drummer at bigger venues. Sound-wise we sit in an awkward place between Little Feet, Tom Waits and Neil Young, although we're hoping a good percussionist will take us more towards the former. We have our own percussion so own gear and transport aren't necessarily an issue (although you'd kinda hope a decent played would have his own gear, I guess we might find one who doesn't or tempt someone out of retirement)? Assuming the chances of me finding a percussionist on a bass forum are , can anyone recommend any good forums on which I could advertise the post also? Cheers C *PS congas really mess with the DB sound, anyone else found that?

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1225919' date='May 10 2011, 10:06 AM']I once worked a gig with a piano player who only played in C but changed the tuning on his keyboard for every song. Needless to say, I didn't play with him twice.[/quote] I had the same experience at a pickup gig a few years back. Horrible. He would also occasionally decide mid-song "OK, let's go up to B", which for him meant pressing one button once, but for me, playing fretless, meant all of my open tuning intonation checks had to be rethought on the hoof. Keyboard players eh! Re tuning generally, I don't use a tuner. Like Bilbo, I play DB or fretless. No point having them in tune, just shows up your bad intonation even more!

Welcome Pete, good to bump into you the other night (I was the idiot who spent twenty minutes trying to parallel park in a space about the same length as my car outside the pub you were gigging in), and apologies for not making it back to your gig, for which you can blame football on tele! I suspect that our paths will cross at some stage as you live about 3 mins walk from me, but please keep me posted on your gigs Cheers Chris