gjones

[quote name='basskit_case' timestamp='1362646436' post='2002513'] Thanks for the info, I have been dabbling over the last few days and seem to be getting to grips with it slowly. Don't know if anybody can help me with a question related to the redlight on the VU meter, what does it signify, is it clipping notification? Should I ran the amp so the light doesnt come on at all or just on the lower/louder notes? [/quote] It's supposed to indicate that the amp is clipping but I've been told ashdown VU meters are pretty inaccurate and the best thing to do is use your ears. If it doesn't sound like it's distorting then you can ignore the red light.

[quote name='basskit_case' timestamp='1362442600' post='1999980'] Currently trying out a 550, but have no instructions, does anybody have a link to a pdf? I have checked the ashdown site and the download page for manuals is nearly empty. [/quote] It's a pain that Ashdown don't seem to have a manual for the MiBass that I can find. The preamp on the MiBass is semi parametric on the LO MID, HI MID and TREBLE (which took me a while to figure out). Make sure the pre shape button and the deep buttons aren't pressed in but make sure the EQ button is pressed in (as this switches on the preamp). The rotary knobs are used to pick a frequency for the LO MID, HI MID and TREBLE and the sliders either boost or cut that frequency. I don't think the bass slider is affected by the parametric knobs and just adds or cuts bass frequencies (although I'm happy to be corrected here if I'm wrong). It's a very precise EQ and allows you to dial in a lot of different sounds.

I'm acquainted with a few people who have written hits. One is a guy whose band went on to sell millions in the 70s and the single he wrote got to number 9 in the UK charts. He then left just before the band went mega and ended up doing cabaret in butlins the rest of his life. Another had two No 1 hits. The first was a novelty hit in 1981 which got to No 1 in the UK and around europe. It sold 5 million copies. The second was a Xmas song which went to No1 in 1985 and still sells a decent number of copies every Xmas since it resurfaced as an mp3 download. The last had their song get to 20 in the US billboard hot 100, to No 1 in the US adult pop charts and 28 in the UK. It also got a grammy nomination in 2007. None of the above songs have anything in common other than the writers had written hundreds of songs previously which didn't get to number 1 (because they were pretty rubbish). The moral of this story is, you have to write a lot of stinkers before you write the one that's going to be a hit. You know what they say about an infinite amount of monkeys given an infinite amount of time. So you better start churning them out now! Chop! Chop!

The good Keyboard players I know keep away from the bottom end of the keyboard. In fact the best of the lot only has a truncated 'itty bitty' keyboard (not the usual 88 keys) which means he can't play the bass end even if he wanted to.

I've been a big fan since I saw KT Tunstall and Daryl jamming at his house in London on one of the first episodes. Remember the performances that are recorded are just jams with mistakes and bum notes left in. They're having fun not going for perfection.

MIJ 62 reissues will have a small brass strip going from the bridge to the rear pickup, which connects to the earth loop and stops your bass buzzing when amplified. This is how the original 62 basses were earthed. In the mid 60s Fender decided to change this arrangement and connected the earth loop by threading the earth wire through a hole, which was drilled, from under the bridge to the control compartment on the bass.

The Wizard 64s I fitted in my Jazz sounded very 'Jaco' if that's what you're after.

I have a friend who has a Warwick thumb bass but most of the sessions he plays are with his US P bass. The first time I heard him play it, I was so impressed I went and swapped my Musicman SUB for an old MIJ Precision. They sound fantastic recorded too.

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1362091737' post='1995829'] Difficult to have a chat about Precisions without mention of Colin Hodgkinson of Back Door. I think this example is beautiful, so bluesy. [media]http://youtu.be/jRUjH1zAcZA[/media] [/quote] I'm not really a fan of his solo stuff but this is very tasteful.

Eeeeeeeeek! John Taylor...

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1358206729' post='1935037'] Hi guys I recently changed stings---went from .45 rounds to 0.40 flats---and now I'm fairly sure that my intonation is out: I think all of the strings are sharp roughly the same amount at the 12th fret. 1. Changing gauge is liable to change the intonation, right? 2. Should I adjust each saddle or would tweaking the truss rod be sensible? 3. How accurate a tuner do you need to do this "properly"? I've got a Korg Pitchblack... Yours technically-incompetently, etc etc [/quote] Take it back to Tesco and DEMAND a refund!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1361914816' post='1993124'] Well, I reckon you've found our man! Nice one! [/quote] Hmmmm.....the nose is different (although he is wearing a rather fetching waistcoat). I think this guy replaced your guy in Teazer. If you find the second guy he will be able to tell you who the first guy is. We're getting so close I can almost smell our mystery bassist.

[quote name='omikin' timestamp='1361805477' post='1991133'] I feel like building a bass from bits now... [/quote] Hurrah! A quick tweak was how I started. The next thing I knew I'd bought a whole load of bits and was building my own.

Adjusting the truss rod is a pain with US Fenders, as access is at the body end of the neck.. Luckily my Fenders have all been pretty beat up so the odd scrape never really bothered me. So I adjust the truss rod with the neck still attached, which makes it an easier and quicker process. I realise though that if you've bought a bass brand new the last thing you want is scrapes or blemishes. This is a good video which shows how to do it without messing up the finish. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vCCVAlb0Kg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vCCVAlb0Kg[/url] Recently I attached a new neck to one of my basses and I noticed that the G string was a bit closer to the edge of the fretboard than it should have been. It didn't really have any impact on my playing but it irritated me all the same. What I did was loosen the neck and slid a shim (actually a sliver of an old guitar plectrum) into the tiny gap where the body meets the neck, on the E string side. Then tightened it up again. That shifted the neck in the pocket, slightly to one side, which was enough to solve the problem.

This a nice review from outtoplaybass on his gear4music bass within the same price range. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/77602-archer-professional-double-bass/page__fromsearch__1

[quote name='Dave_the_bass' timestamp='1361525910' post='1986888'] Well okay it is! Okay boys and girls of the basschat world, I'm not looking for a definitive answer, I'm looking for inspiration. I recently sold my beloved Genz Benz rig, hope you're loving it as much as I did bramleyapple because I wasn't in a band and didn't really have the space to store it. As always seems to happen, I got home from delivering the amp to find myself in a band, D'oh! I have decided on my head and will hopefully be getting it in the next week or two. I've opted to go for a Genz Benz Shuttlemax 12.2. So here's where you lovely folks come in to inspire me with cab ideas. What I'm looking for is a multi cab, flexible solution that's good for some really nice deep rumbling lows (Drop D tuning rather than Low with nice mellow, smooth mids for playing lead bass melodies in the more ballad anthemic songs. If it can do crisp highs it would be a bonus but not essential. So we're looking for either four 8ohm cabs or two 4ohm cabs, 2x600W @ 4 ohms power amps to play with. I'm not in a rush to get the cabs as the rehearsal room provides cabs and storage space is still going to be an issue for the next 3-6 months. As such I'm going to say that this is a "money no object" situation although don't discount the cheaper solutions. Weight and size are a factor as our rehearsal room is on the 4th floor of a building with no lift and I want to be able to carry my full rig by myself. An example for weight reference, I have an old Ashdown 4x10 combo that I would deem to buy a comfortable carry. So come on people, inspire me in to giving someone some money for the rig I'll never want to part with. Cheers Dave [/quote] If you're going to buy a barefaced cab(s) I would order it now because you may be in for a long wait (mine took 3 months). Hartke Hydrive cabs are both loud and light and you can order them today and get them within a couple of days.

My main Jazz Is a Silver Squier with a Precision neck. The pickups sound deeper than most Jazzes. They were made between 1992 and 1994 in Japan and go for about £200 normally. I forked out £250 for mine but that's because I really, really wanted one after playing a friends Silver Squier and really liking the sound.

Great stuff

Didn't he used to play with Creme Brulee? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Bbfrn400zs[/media]

I doubt it needs new pickups. It's more likely that the earth wiring has loosened or corroded. Are you any good with a soldering iron? If not take it to a local guitar tech and they'll sort it for about £50.

I really like Led Zep but I thought they were a bit dodgy at the 2007 reunion - especially Jimmy Page. Page has done eff all for the last 5 years so I expect he'll be even less up to speed this time around. But I know JPJ and Page were chomping at the bit to go out and play after the last reunion so who am I or anyone else to say they shouldn't go for it. They've been sitting in their moated manor houses watching Cash in the Attic and Jeremy Kyle for far too long they need to get out there for one last swansong while they've still got it in them. Would I buy a ticket? f*** yeah!