Shambo

Labella 'Deep Talkin' flats. I couldn't imagine my bass wearing anything else now and plan to leave them on forever.

Let them use your 30 quid amp then.

I got my 3/4 P bass, with the old headstock, new off t'bay a month or two ago, via a seller from Belgium. Out the box it plays fine, but could do with some better strings... and a more substantial bridge... and the pup/electrics aren't exactly the greatest. Having said that, they're still good for the money.

I'm the owner of a Demeter Opto Compulator pedal which, when 9v battery powered, easily fulfils my simple compression needs. However, when I try to power it with an ac/dc adapter by the mains, it emits a clearly audiable whistle. I'll admit the adapter wasn't the most expensive in the shop, ('Lynx Multi Power Supply' from Dawsons), but I didn't want to spend a fortune to power just a compressor and a tuner. It powers my TC Polytune perfectly well on its own BTW. Have any other forummers experienced something similar before I throw money at getting the cherished pedal fixed, or should I just buy a pricier adapter?

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='946270' date='Sep 5 2010, 03:45 PM']I have only used the S1 switch on someones strat and it made it sound worse in every pickup configuration is the bass version of any use?[/quote] On a Jazz it does. Makes for a thicker sound. A purist suggested to me a jazz shouldn't have humbucking pups and should only be sounding like a jazz, but it still does when you're not using it. It's just another sonic option. Don't know why a P bass would need one though.

Do I recall someone on here being offered a sit on lawn mower for their bass/rig?

My 2007 American Standard has an 'S1' series switch which gives extra thump that has been likened to a P bass. They stopped including it in the 2008 revision, (unfortunately IMO). There's a circut diagram somewhere on the internets. It also cancels out any annoying humming too. Coupled with a pair of Wizard 84's and my jazz can get quite thunderous.

I must add to the chorus of disbelief. Like so many others, I only got to converse with him through the forum, but it was always such an enjoyable experience and I'm deeply saddened by his loss. My sincerest condolences to all who knew and loved him.

Of course you can teach someone to play funky, it's not a secret or magic. As with other genres, if you've already spent years enjoying listening to that style of music, chances are you'll have an easier time picking it up.

Another vote for the Avon EB0 copy. I think the strings on my current bass are worth at least two of them.

Got to agree about the headstock, it doesn't look right. That bridge looks alot better quality than the one on my P short scale 4 banger, (which is almost like shiney plastic).

[url="http://dutycalculator.com/"]http://dutycalculator.com/[/url]

[quote name='Musky' post='902409' date='Jul 22 2010, 10:01 PM']All plastics are porous to some degree, so to an extent they'll all allow the wood to 'breathe'. However wood doesn't just shed moisture as anyone who's subjected an instrument to damp or humid conditions will know. Is the suggestion that instruments will sound great in the Mojave desert and crap in a rain sodden glen? And what happens when your bass picks up scratches, dings or buckle rash? If the wood breathing is so important maybe we should all be stripping back our basses.[/quote] If we took one piece of wood and made two guitar bodies, one with a nitro finish and one with a poly finish, to suggest the nitro one sounds better fresh out of the box would be madness, but I don't think anyones claiming that. I've played old Fenders and new ones and the older ones are generally easier to pitch without amplification because you can feel the string vibration through the body. I trust my own judgement to know that it's more than just a placebo effect created by a bit of 'mojo'. Anyone can grasp the differences between green timber and seasoned timber and I know which one I'd prefer for a solid bodied guitar. [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_drying"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_drying[/url] [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equilibrium_moisture_content"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equilibrium_moisture_content[/url] More variables than just the relative humidity of a geographical location will affect the timber reaching its 'equilibrium moisture content', namely temperature, air circulation and time. So it's not as simple as saying a Mojave bass would sound better than a rainy glen bass, as both will reach equilibrium moisture content eventually so long as stored sensibly, (ie not in a cold damp state with no air circulation for long periods). Air curing takes place over time measured in years, decades and lifetimes. So the claim is, nitro is more porous and allows the wood to air cure quicker than a poly finish would? If thats true... I don't know. Any dings and buckle rash a guitar obtains are generally going to be negligable compared to the overall surface volume of the guitars body. Whether you should strip back your bass to the the grain is surely a personal preference based on what you want it to look and feel like but, under the right conditions, it must surely increase the rate at which the timber cures. Claims that nitro finishes are more desirable and valuable than others can obviously be taken with a large pinch of salt due to sales hype and general bullshiting. That's my understanding of the situation.

I always assumed the 'breathing' a nitro finish allowed was moisture slowly dissipating from the wood over a period of years, whilst a poly finish was like wrapping it in clingfilm, keeping moisture in? Then, after a decade or two, your body would gradually become lighter and more resonant? I do confess to knowing sh*te all about it in honesty, and am prepared to be proved very wrong.

I tend to err on the side of caution and consider them all plonkers, until they redeem themselves with some talent and/or humour.

I find the ebay dutycalculator a very revealing tool as well. If somebody could point me in the direction of a [b]free[/b] ebay and paypal fee calculator for the UK, I'd be a very happy chappie.

Never heard it until this thread made me do a quick search. Bought it yesterday and really like it.

I like it. It's very George Jetson.

Heh. Thanks for the replies and PM's.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='884697' date='Jul 3 2010, 11:48 AM']Are you starting a business?[/quote] I'm trying to, yes. Lots of variables at the moment, the main one occupying my mind is the ability to get hold of new Fenders.

I was hoping a few of the music shop retail type forummers could shed some light on this for some initial research I'm undertaking. Approaching Fender GBI with a view to purchasing new stock from them is something I can't find any information on. An email I sent them has been met with silence. A Google search brings up some some stories from the USA about having to become an official dealership without treading on the toes of any established dealers nearby. I wondered if this was the case for the UK as well? I can understand why Fender mightn't want to sell in bulk to a retailler such as Tesco's and have their stock sold at discount but what about a start up business such as a small guitar shop or a musical instrument e-commerce venture? Fender products are conspicuous by their absence in some music stores. I heard they introduced a 'bricks and mortar' discount for retailers so I know they're trying to incourage high street sales over internet ones. If they do not wish to supply you, are there other ways to aquire their product in bulk/wholesale? Do they have minimum order quotas or do you have to purchase a variety of their lines? I've got lots of questions and there must be other things I need to know about this and I'll graciously accept PM's aswell on this seemingly shady subject.