ikay

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1327143273' post='1506858']
I tried to do this when I changed the strings, but there was some resistance so not wanting to force anything, I decided against it. If you look at the photo, there is an allen screw either side of the saddle, (height adjustment?) I wonder whether they are whats holding the saddle in place?
[/quote]

Hmm, this sort of saddle would normally just slide in. If it's not moving freely that may be part of the problem (it shouldn't be loose but should move freely). Give Rob a call at Status or drop him an email. He's always very helpful (01206 868150 / [email protected]).

Hi Andy, I have a couple of basses with undersaddle piezos and it's easy to run a basic check before calling in a luthier.

Loosen the strings, unhook them from the bridge and move them to one side so you can get access to the saddle. Then gently lift the saddle out of the slot. The saddle just rests on top of the transducer so should lift out easily. Carefully inspect the saddle slot and surface of the transducer for any dust or dirt and clean gently by blowing or with a soft brush. Similarly inspect the underside of the saddle and give that a gentle clean.

The underside of the saddle should be perfectly flat and make good contact with the surface of the transducer which should also be perfectly flat. The slightest bit of fluff or dirt or whatever can upset the piezo balance. Put the saddle back in the slot, string up and see if that has helped. Gently pushing down on the saddle over any weak strings can sometimes help. Give it a little while to settle down and bed in.

If the problem persists then there are other things you can do such as sanding or shimming the saddle to adjust the string balance. It's not hard to do but takes care and patience. Best left to a luthier if your not comfortable doing it yourself.

Good luck!

It sounds like something on the bass itself isn't earthed properly. Loads of threads on BC about how to check and fix that. If you have a multimeter, do a quick continuity test between the bridge and the sleeve of the input jack socket (there should be an internal wire going from under the bridge to the input socket sleeve). If this indicates there is a connection (which means it's OK) then remove the scratchplate and look inside to check that the rest of the wiring is all earthed correctly. If everything is earthed correctly ignore this post and seek better advice!

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1326825644' post='1502494']
Don't get hung up on the ext cab being a 1x15 for more bottom end; a 2x10 or 1x12 could just as equally give you the extra bottom end; in fact just adding an ext cab of ANY description will move more air, give you a lower load on the amp and increase the perceived bottom end.
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+1 I have two separate 1x12 cabs, use one in small venues and add the second for larger rooms. The extra cab (even a 12) adds a massive amount of depth to the sound. Cabs that are matched and tuned to work in combination probably give best results.

I had similar difficulty finding what I needed in a travel bass so had a headless 30" scale made by Paul Rose (Prosebass).

Couple of pics here - http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i370/iankay/

It's 90cm long (35.5") fully assembled and in its carry case (outside dimension of case). The neck is bolt on and built with rugged machine bolts/threaded inserts to allow frequent disassembly. When travelling by air I usually break the bass down. The neck and body easily fit inside my regular luggage case which avoids any hassle with carry on restrictions or checking the bass separately.

Paul has recently stopped taking orders but may be worth having a chat with. He's a member of BC (prosebass)

The Ministar looks like a good option but a few others are also listed on this page:

http://www.playawayguitars.com/play_away_guitars_shop.php?itemID=558

Thanks and very helpful, cheers

Thanks Mace, and yes I'm torn between both which is why I put up this thread! I'm not too bothered about the eq on the X-Blender but I do like the blend dial. I've read a couple of comments about the X-Blender adding a bit of hiss to the signal. That may just be on higher eq/boost settings but have you experienced any problems with this at all?

Thanks Pentode, also has a smaller footrprint so I may go that way. Cheers

Xotic X-blender - http://www.xotic.us/effects/x_blender/ (£195)

OR

SFX Split & Mix - http://www.sfxsound.co.uk/mainpage.asp?page=sm (£125)

Anyone have any experience in using either of these pedals? Any comments on good or bad points would be appreciated.

I'm looking to add a rack synth to my rig (Proteus 2000, midi triggered from the bass) and want to be able to easily switch from straight bass to synth or an adjustable mix of both.

Cheers

As you suggest, it might be a resonance issue due to stronger coupling of neck and body making the strings oscillate with more energy than before in some positions. To test this try adding some mass to the headstock using a Fat Finger or a clamp of some sort. If the buzz moves to a different position then it's most likely a new resonant hot spot. This can sometimes be tuned out or minimised by adjusting the setup or using a different string type/gauge.

Piezos saddles need to be matched for output and frequency response. Mixing and matching from a different supplier would most likely result in an imbalance of volume and tone. If you can get a single saddle of the same type from Fishman that should be OK though. ACGs are generally fitted with Hipshot/Graphtech piezo loaded bridges. These don't match yours but it may be worth asking Alan if he can get a Fishman one on your behalf. Alternatively replace the lot with a set of ABMs from Thomann (these also use Graphtech saddles).

If it's before the amp general advice seems to be that it should also be placed before any other pedals in your effects chain. This delivers a more consistent signal input to any other pedals which helps to optimise the effects chain and signal into the amp.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1325759120' post='1487069']
I'd still prefer the mids being controlled independently though. A 2 stack filter (hi/lo pass) with sweepable mids would be interesting.
[/quote]

kiwi, doesn't your Noll 3-band parametric do pretty much exactly that? http://www.noll-electronic.de/sites_d/tcm_3p_spezifik.html

Kiwi - "... I wish I could have more boost in the lower mids, the filter based system doesn't deliver that ..."
BassBunny - "...Having a filter stack per pickup is fantastic ... I would find a global filter arrangement a bit limiting ..."

I agree with both the above. I have an ACG with an RFB humbucker and piezo bridge going through a dual filter stack. When using just one pickup source (RFB or piezo) I find the filter is less useful than a conventional 3-band EQ. For example, to boost the low mids you need to set the low-pass filter to the frequency you want to boost, but by doing this you lose the higher frequencies. You can add back some highs using the high-pass filter but this generally leaves a 'hole' in the upper mids. The resulting sound is quite different to boosting the mids using a conventional EQ. The boost provided by the filter at the cutoff frequency also has a narrower bandwidth than a conventional sweepable mid and gives a more nasal tone at higher levels of boost.

Even with two pickups I can see that a single/global filter is somewhat limiting in what it can do.

The filter-based approach really comes into it's own when you have two pickup sources each with their own filter stack. Set the filters up with different characteristics (the more different the better), blend between the two pickups and you have access to a vast palette of sounds. The tone creating potential is virtually limitless. However, the complex interactions between the filters are difficult to fathom and finding particular sounds is largely a matter of experimentation. Small tweaks to the filter settings or the blend can result in dramatic changes to the sound. Great fun but not that easily tweakable in a live environment.

A couple of links with a bit more info (but not much!):

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended-range_bass

- http://bassguitarrocks.com/5-string-bass-guitar-basics

Excellent! I'll just make a note of that for myself lol

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1324252901' post='1472350']
I recommend Status Hot Wire half-rounds [/quote]

+1 have these on my P, very smooth playing strings in tone and feel but also have a bit of attack when needed

Something like this? http://www.rapidonline.com/Cables-Connectors/3-Pole-Switched-Jack-Socket-20-1432/

Er this might help..! http://www.stratcat.biz/268-699.shtml

Gareth, this page suggets the metric M3 is the correct saddle screw for an import Strat. I don't know whether the screws are the same on an import P but it's probably a good pointer.

If the trussrod is maxed one suggestion that often comes up is to remove the adjusting nut and add a suitably sized washer(s). This should provide a few more turns of neck straightening adjustment. Stewmac also offer a truss rod rescue kit which might be worth looking at - http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Truss_rods/Truss_Rod_Rescue_Kit.html

Here's another link from BC - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/119957-wood-filler-for-neck-screw-holes/page__p__1101080__hl__dowel__fromsearch__1#entry1101080"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/119957-wood-filler-for-neck-screw-holes[/url]

Filling the old holes with wooden dowel rod of a suitable diameter seems to be the recommended method

[url="http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=545881"]http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=545881[/url]

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1323824095' post='1467589']
If the D and G strings are quiet then what you need is more mass in those strings or less mass in the E and A strings.
[/quote]

+1 if you haven't done so already it might be worth trying something like Ernie Ball Slinkies which have a slightly heavier G and D string (eg 50/70/85/105 or 45/65/80/100). Or buy a couple of sets with different gauges and mix and match your own hybrid set.