4 Strings

[quote name='goblin' timestamp='1377654238' post='2190010'] Taking a 1000 watt head everywhere because a bit tiresome though so here's my most recent acquisition: [/quote] Superfly! Nothing wrong with that, I use one for practice at home all the time, one side is down and so it cost me £20! Great sound, plenty loud enough (how often do two speakers get used anyway?).

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1377631854' post='2189733'] You don't have a valve amp then? [/quote] Yes, well, valves in the preamp. What should I be doing? On topic, the only time I have never been challenged about PAT testing was when I took in a cassette player for my wife when she was about to give birth in hospital. Never been challenged for gigs. I have thought about it though, the most compelling argument so far has been to show I've taken reasonable steps to avoid injury/damage. If the test is annual, do these steps stop becoming reasonable on day 366 (quips about leap year aside!)?

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1377614116' post='2189400'] Well, perhaps I should let you know that your terse response was interpreted as an attempt to make me look stupid. [/quote] Apologies, not meant to be terse, certainly not meant to make anyone look stupid.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1377612206' post='2189369'] Why are you being like that? Common sense stuff - periodic check for loose connections, crackly pots or switches and clean as appropriate, damage to cables, valves properly seated (if appropriate), valve biasing (not that I know anything about that), fans clear of fluff/debris and working effectively and so on and so forth. Your amp could be PAT tested and the next day someone puts a chair leg down on your mains cable and damages the outer insulation. The parallel between the long term validity of the MoT test and the PAT test is a valid one, IMO. [/quote] Sorry, wasn't intending to 'be' like anything, but couldn't think of any actual maintenance compared to my car! Crackly pots, valve biasing etc aren't safety issues and wouldn't show up in a PAT test. The visual stuff would but noticing a damaged cable I hadn't really counted as regular maintenance (I'd just use another one anyway). The fluff would be. If something breaks or gets damaged, that needs a repair and not maintenance. If a valve goes, I'd need to replace it, but there's no maintenance I can do to make it last longer. I'd like to maintain my amp but can't think of anything to actually do!

A BBoT would certainly go with the 'utility' nature of the bass! For tuners, Rubner make incredible tuners for double basses, we're talking with them right now to see if they can adapt one of their designs. They are mostly tapered and have holes rather than Fender's slots and the wonderful perpendicular drilling for the string end. The Rubners are amazing value and stunning, especially the 'French' style. Have a look... http://rubner-markneukirchen.de/onlineshop/product_info.php?info=p140_french-bass-mechanic-140- 117.html&XTCsid=2f12a9f89aa9a9b23af01aaa8627634e (It's in German, so you'll have to dig about a bit. If you come across their catalogue pdf, that's the easiest to get around)

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1377608550' post='2189320'] Although an MoT test is compulsory, it's the same deal, the car only passed that day, the MoT test is not a substitute for routine servicing/maintenance etc. [/quote] The routine maintenance on an amp being...?

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1377606788' post='2189289'] More to the point, a condition of the venues insurance is probably that they only allow pat tested equipment to be used, so it demonstrates *they* have taken reasonable steps to avoid injury by demanding tested equipment. The situation is pretty crazy though since the test stickers are widely available so it's easily circumvented by those who wish to do so. Note I'm not condoning this - it actually makes a lot of sense to get your kit (especially tube amps) tested for safety periodically, considering they contain very lethal voltages, and spend most of their lives getting shaken to bits by bass frequencies.. [/quote] Not sure a PAT test, at less than £1, will really be giving too much of a check onto things like internal components such as valves. It just makes sure, at the time of testing, there are no shorts to earth, polarity is correct, any safety cutouts work and a quick visual shows no damage. If you consider your equipment and its environment to be low risk then its not needed. I wouldn't rely on it as a proper check of your equipment.

ETS from Germany do an individual bridge, quite nice but it won't go string-through. Why can Germans make this sort of thing but not us? I know, I know, we're good at service industries.

[quote name='Pete1967' timestamp='1377603079' post='2189203'] I had exactly the same thought process a while ago and came up blank. As already mentioned Schaller is the obvious choice (have a look at the BM Light tuners - they're brilliant) if you're considering European, or ABM do great bridges (but not tuners sadly). [/quote] Thanks, new one for me, had a look, they do individual bridges too, but not as string through like the Hipshot (I'm sure the string could go over the bridge and through the body after it but this would mean a certain distance would be required to the end of the body, the Hipshot allow the string to go through within its length and also the bolt mounts the bridge through the body. I'm trying to mount the bridge as far South as possible)

I used to be interested in fountain pens, and, a few years ago now, I bought a new Conway Stewart with a bit of inheritance money. It was expensive but made to be used and it was fab. Nowadays they make pens in themed series and quickly changing models and are aimed squarely at collectors. Their function is sort of important, but more so to be collected in all the available colours etc. The americans are particularly into this sort of thing and I can imagine similar collecting ambitions would go for some makes of guitar (probably less so for basses). Entwistle had plenty of basses that never got played, I'll bet there is at least one person growing a collection of Ritters. I don't know the guy with the 45 basses but uses a 'utility bass' most of the time, of course, but I can imagine having ALMOST all the available finishes of a Lakland model (or whatever) would make it an easy step to acquire an example in the remaining finish just to complete the set. (Just for the record, I lost my Conway Stewart!)

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1377544431' post='2188715'] I'd tend to agree, having just bought a MIM Jazz... my previous ownership experience has been with Vintage MIA and Custom P basses. Fair enough, I had to shim the neck to get the action where I wanted it, and I've fitted a set of DR Fat Beams, but it doesn't seem inferior compared to anything else - in my view. It bounces along very nicely and is easy to play. In fact it sounds very much like a Fender Jazz Bass. Which is about right, isn't it..? Or have I just been lucky, d'you think? [/quote] No, my lad plays a Mexican deluxe Jazz, sounds more like a Jazz than a Jazz! Great sound, plays very nicely, he has no complaints about it at all.

[quote name='Old Horse Murphy' timestamp='1377507392' post='2188145'] I don't know whether Status manufactures their own bridges and tuners, but if they do they sell them via their website [/quote] Thanks for that, had a look. Not too inspiring, tbh, although they sell a d-tuner. I'm hoping for open back tuners and individual bridges.

I'm having a bass built by Ruach and I'm looking to use British where I can. Can't find any UK manufacturers for the hardware, any ideas? Things seem to so easily default to US or far East. East pre-amp, Armstrong pups, Newtone strings, even the sycamore body was chopped down here, but tuners and bridge - they're not rocket science surely there are some manufacturers here. I'd even go for European. Cheers

[quote name='CHRISDABASS' timestamp='1377326664' post='2186183'] I have really enjoyed reading all this! I would love to build two near identical instruments with bodies / necks etc cut from the same lumber!! It would be a fantastic way to show how much difference a fingerboard makes! If / when i have time i'll make a start on them! [/quote] Wow, that's commitment! Thing is you'd need to somehow have identical strings/pups etc as a tiny variation in any of these will overcome any tonal difference from a string on metal supported by a hardwood and string on metal supported my a slightly different hardwood. If you overcame this by mounting each neck on the same body and it would take so long that the memory of any the tone of the first one will have been lost. May spend more time A-B-A-B-A-B-ing and trying not to notice which neck is currently on than making the necks. And then, if any conclusion at all was drawn, it will still be down to your own perception. And then place in the context of a band etc... Mind you, I'll add, "Unless the difference is marked." so as not to discourage an interesting experiment!

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1377296921' post='2186099'] I really like the look of the scratch plate! Built in stand seems a bit odd to me though [/quote] thanks, Myke, although, funnily enough, I'd like to pursue the stand idea more! Heath is great at drawing and getting proportions, that's all him. He made the point that even the thickness of a pencil line can make a difference in the feel of a shape, and he's absolutely right. He left the body shape with me to live with for a couple of weeks with a pencil and a rubber so I could make adjustments. I made one, virtually invisible, to a cutaway! However this is Heath's interpretation of my mental desires which were highly inspired by MM and G&L.

Just while I'm at it, here's the current idea for the headstock. It may be wider in the end, depending on the length of the (eventually!) chosen tuner keys but you can see the reflection in the scratchplate shape. [attachment=142192:IMG_3409.JPG] Still pursuing the Rubners, but they will have to be specially made. Giving one more effort, otherwise it will be Hipshot HB1s, these are fine tuners, or I found some Gotohs which look very nicely made and have an adjustable resistance and also the bush screws through the hole into the tuner tightly bringing the whole assembly together. [url="http://www.g-gotoh.com/international/?btp_product=gb528s"]http://www.g-gotoh.c..._product=gb528s[/url] I'm going for 'traditional' Klusonesque style in the name of simplicity and robustness.

There's also been a lot of discussion on the preamp. I'm really happy for the East MM type, he does a 3 knob: Vol, Treble/bass stack, mid/midsweep stack. In practice I only use the volume, treble and, sometimes, mid. As luck would have it his standard set-up has the bass and mid sweep on the bottom of the stack. To help my easily confused mind the two stacked knobs will be recessed into the body so the lower part of the knob just peeps so, in effect, I'll just have vol, treble and mid to play with. One the mid sweep has been set, it's out the way and the bass, always left full up, is also out the way. Pups will be by Armstrong, the bridge will be a standard MM type, the second pup, if I go for two, will be a P type, but not P shape. I found the second H on my HH Stingray I had was more Gibson EB0 than Jamerson, and that's what I'm after. However, in the interests of simplicity the jury's out on the second pup at the moment. Means a switch won't be necessary too.

There's been plenty going, sorry not had time etc to keep things updated! It's mostly been ideas and drawings. Ideas for Utility: I like things simple. Fewer knobs the better, only occasionally use a second pup. What if the the second pup was optional, in that it was mounted on a scratchplate and the whole thing plugged in when needed? Yes, sounds a bit daft now, this took a lot of discussion and sketching, current bass design has a scratchplate. Still quite like the idea, but I think in reality it's not going to be useful as I first thought. Here's the current drawing: [attachment=142188:IMG_3394.jpg] Another idea that's not likely to run the distance is a built in stand. I have a little foldaway stand in my gig bag, bit flimsy but cost me £7 and is tremendously useful in that it's not something I have to remember but gets regularly used. Surely a piece of wood could be let into the back of the bass and simply folded out instead of leaning the bass against something. It was the wife who pointed out the rattling potential of this! However, I'd really appreciate this feature so we'll see how far it goes.

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1377182919' post='2184468'] Made in Japan? Made from a kazi pan more like! [/quote]

On occasion my band records at a local recording studio, there is a beaten up old Fender Musicmaster there. I love it and its in my hands the whole time I'm not actually playing. It has a horrible action (just needs some tlc) but I think I like it because it's 'a beaten up old Fender Musicmaster' (and the short scale is great when you're sitting about). If it was a Hondo it wouldn't have the same appeal at all.

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1377263294' post='2185521'] Because they now class when they see it. Just look at El Hadj Diouf's Lincoln Navigator... [/quote] Haha, I love the way they made the car anonymous by pixelling the number plate! Now, my mind says 'tosser'. Is this similar to how I think when I see coffee tables being played?

Or did he win in 1993 and his inner snob suppressed ever since? I lost the fight ages ago, anyone who sounds good on a Squier is interested for being a freak.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1377246205' post='2185171'] If you were just hearing a bass I doubt most bass players could tell the difference between a Sadowsky and a good Fender. [/quote] Or a cheap one.

Most of us are, without doubt, a conservative lot. Snob value will continue as long as we judge a player by his bass. I hate myself for doing it but I know if I go to a gig and the mandatory gear scan shows a Squier I have pre-judged the bass player as a beginner. I also know that once the band start playing I I would mostly find it difficult to tell from the sound what type of bass it is let alone whether it's from the budget range or, more still, whether the neck is quartersawn. Do I consider that if they took their playing seriously enough they would (waste money unnecessarily and) buy an expensive model? This may be a watered down version of how violinists consider a soloist without a two hundred year old instrument. But, however workaday our approach to gigs we don't buy basses for the audience's satisfaction but our own. As long as we can afford and want the better we will always be on the subconscious lookout for something different/better and when that gets presented our reduced satisfaction for the current bass means we'll be tempted to at least consider it. Different/better may be older, more used, newer, mint, nice colour, exactly the same colour as many others (how many fans of sunburst/tort Fenders are there?) etc, more strings, whatever is floating our boat at the time. Even if we don't personify our basses (I don't, many do - calling it 'she' or even a name) I believe they become too personal to be considered as mass produced and characterless as tv. Even owners of mass produced Fenders et al like to consider they have a 'good one', one that is individual in some way - and they may have.

Not a pro, but I do understand that the impedance is a nominal figure which changes with frequency. Lower frequencies result in lower impedances, the 4Ohms is a nominal average. You may never be operating at 2.67Ohms. I suppose an extended question would be 'what are the warning signs if the impedance is too low?'. Back to waiting for a pro.