bremen

[quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1357651278' post='1925964'] I gave up listening to music years ago; I only listen to test tones nowadays as at least they're properly recorded! [/quote] Ever heard an MP3 of a 38Hz sine wave?

You can trust this man with your life. Or your bass, at least

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1357647916' post='1925858'] I don't think that music has become as devalued as you think. It simply doesn't occupy as dominant a position in western society's popular culture as it used to. IME there are still people interested in music, but among the younger generation it's now just one of many things to be into. [/quote] Spot on. You could say that quality of sound began to become less important when the pop video took off; people started saying 'have you heard [tune], amazing video'. Kids nowadays probably wonder how we used put up with poor TV reception or having to find porn in hedgerows and newsagents.

Friend of mine sold a petrol generator on Ebay specifying collection only. The buyer insisted on his finding a pallet and tying said generator to it so the courier could pick it up. Friend was too nice to tell him to go frack himself, should have done.

[quote name='kerley' timestamp='1357639921' post='1925645'] but the weak point will remain to be the MP3 - crap in / crap out [/quote] Don't agree at all. OK, I'd rather listen to cd or vinyl, but there's less difference between uncompressed audio and decent bitrate MP3 than there is between floor-standing Tannoys and an Ipod docking station.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1357594218' post='1925171'] Btw, orange nitromors, then heat gun, then f*&kloads of really coarse sandpaper, and a ton of elbow grease (enjoy the horns) then down the grades til it's nice again. Then Danish oil. Takes about a week if you're in a hurry, [/quote] I did exactly this to a 1980 Precision to remove what I thought was a nasty colour. In fact it was 'vintage' and took two thirds off the value of the bass. Can be done though.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1357597609' post='1925270'] Errr...And that is the same now as it ever was, the best mic for a given application is the one that sounds best in that application at that time, it has nothing to do with the era in which it was designed or the type of mic or anything else. All that matters is does it sound better than the rest of your options in that particular scenario.... [/quote] In a world of bullshit, disinformation and confusion, 51m0n's posts shine like beacons of truth and goodness

It's ..[i].fugly.[/i] Am I wrong and bad to think that?

[quote name='zzaass' timestamp='1357567501' post='1924561'] My TV sounds a bit crap though. Never got into surround sound systems and the like. There doesnt seem to be a cheap way of having one system for both movies and music. [/quote] I've got my dvd player plugged into my music system (200W power amplifier and vintage Tannoy Ardens) and it sounds great.

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1357564308' post='1924473'] I may be wrong, but I imagine 'back in the day' if you wanted any sort of hi-fi system it would be comprised of large separate components becuase that was the only option, regardless of your concerns about sound quality. [/quote] Not really, there's always been shyte audio and good audio. I've had plenty of both over the years. I think Paul was wondering whether folk are less bothered about sound quality nowadays.

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1357562898' post='1924448'] Walking around with headphones permanently glued to your ears with a constant flow of mp3 music restricted to only the last 60 years of material makes you deaf [s]to quality.[/s] [/quote] Did you see what I did there?

Being old, I have a huge sprawling spouse-hostile sound system and prefer playing records to CDs. But I'd rather listen to a decent bitrate MP3 through nice amp/speakers than vinyl or tape through mediocre amp/speakers.

No, non-electrolytic capacitors can go either way (ooer missus, fnarr fnarr etc)

Mine doesn't like being near magnetic fields - I have it in a rack with an amp using an old-skool non-toroidal transformer and no amount of insulation on the ears or transformer isolation on the output helps. Only distance lends enchantment. I don't see how the state of a building's electrics could have an effect though, Walker...? Maybe your practice room is a louder environment than your house so you notice the hum more.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1357300088' post='1920526'] McCartney and... McCartney. [/quote] Balls. McCartney wasn't even the best bass player in the Beatles.

Carlton and Aston Barrett

[clicks LIKE button] particularly the 'sickly bollocks' which instantly brought to mind a certain nostalgic thread right here on AssHat

We have a gig New Year's Eve in St Ives...only the singer is ill, so we've had to cancel. Last minute, I know, but anyone need a gig? It's a social club, an older crowd; they'll probably enjoy 60s/70s covers, Rock 'n' Roll, Motown, you know. I've played there before and they're a happy audience. If not a band, a DJ would be better than nothing. Or an Elvis tribute. It's no-one's fault that we've had to cancel but I'd really like to offer the club an alternative rather than just cancel and leave the hall empty. Thanks!

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1356616363' post='1911659'] Oh yes, how very true! I particularly like Bill Hicks' take on this subject... :-)) [/quote] I don't take drugs any more...than the average touring funk band

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1356611423' post='1911589'] Most of your favourite music (and art in general) was probably created by people on drugs - just a thought [/quote] A troublesome thought indeed. I was going to bang on a bit about Zappa's zero-tolerance policy to drugs in his bands, then I remembered he lived on cigarettes and coffee (referring to them as 'my food') I gave up dope years ago and my playing got a lot better, just because the drug wasn't there to make everything sound good so I had to try a bit harder. About half my record collection also became unlistenable at this point. Most of the bands I've been in that I really liked collapsed because of drugs one way or another.