rwillett

Hi I'm trying to do integrate my Mod Dwarf (MD), an Irig HD, Bias FX and one amp and no mixer. Why? Because the BiasFX2 on the ipad has some interesting sounds and I like a stupid challenge. I want to control all of this switching from a single Midi Pedal press as well. Here's a sample idea of how I'd like to wire it up. One Bass goes into the MD on Input1. A switchbox in the MD will route it to either a Big Muff distortion pedal (keep it simple) and then the output goes to another switchbox which routes it to output 1 and to the amp. I want to press a simgle switch that moves switchbox 1 to the second channel which then routes the signal to output 2, which then connects to the iRig and the iPad, does some crazy sounds and toutes the signal back to input 2 on the MD, this then routes it to the second switch box which then sends that signal to the amp. If I press the keyboard footswitch I can assign a midi CC to the first switchbox and it works fine. However the MD doesn't allow you to assign the same MIDI command to the second switch box to get it to switch at the same time. Thats actually sensible but not what I want to do. I want a single foot tap to move both switcheboxs at the same time. I've looked through the various MIDI controllers and can't see anything that might help. I have also looked at the Control Voltage stuff and that looks really good except that you can't assign a CV input to a switch box. A simple plugin that fires other MIDI commands on receipt of one command would be great, but I can't see that in ahy of the plugins. So I'm trying to work out what to do here. Any suggestions welcomed. Thanks Rob

@SamIAm I was going to write “All of the female basschatters have no idea why this is so good … 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … duck, incoming” but decided against it 😀 just for you , heres my black countersunk M3 hex bolts and heres the normal M3 nuts I also have the same for M2.5 bolts and M3 button headed bolts. I can send photos if you wish. i can tell you that there is a bit of a shortage of black countersunk 22mm M3 bolts as well. 20mm and 25mm are OK but 22mm are tricky. My supplier in Scotland rang me up to apologise earlier in the week. I've never had that before, I did sit back and wonder if I had been buying too many 😊 Hope this helps Rob

Been away for a few days, so not much progress on finishing. I have been testing out different sanding methods, orbital vs flat vs hand to try and work ouy which is easiest. One of the problems I had was holding some of the pieces, so as I was going away for a few days, I thought I'd load the printers up with work that would take a long time to print. Last year I saw a Fractal Vise (is it Vice or Vise?) on YouTube, well worth watching here It allowed various complex shapes to be held in a vice/vise. I was fascinated by the mechanism (yep I'm easily pleased), and looked at getting one, somebody was making a small version and wanted $150 as a down payment but no idea how much it would cost at the time, I wasn't that interested, so I filed it away in the back of what passes for my memory. Whilst I was trying to sand down the various curved bits of the guitar, I recalled this vice and wondered if anybody made one, the one in the US still doesn't seem to have got off the ground but I then found somebody had designed one for 3d printing https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4904044 I downloaed all the files, spread them across two printers and left them to run for 30+ hours and ended up with two sheets below All this is PLA+, it's in two different colours as thats almost the end of my PLA rolls under I get a new delivery, so I should be grateful it wasn't yellow and pink. I have all of the screws and the bearings, just waiting for a lead screw and some chome rods and I'll assemble that for the weekend and hopefully it'll hold the various parts of the headless bass somewhat better than my fingers. Looks fun. Very impressed with the design, some of the comments from the US are great, they have no idea what M3 screws are, and apparently they pay like a dollar for a screw, now they know how I feel buying a 1/4-20 screw for a astrophotography camera. I have also just found out that my niece now works for a bolt distribution company so I can get stuff from her. Xmas has come early. All of the female basschatters have no idea why this is so good My other half just tells her friends it's a blokes version of having shoes and handbags. Thanks Rob

@Andre_Passini has just helped me with my headless bass. I went to provide feedback for him and found, to my horror, that ther was no feedback thread. So I'm delighted to be the first one to provide feedback. I had a problem sorting something out with one of his headless bass parts and he was an absolute pleasure to deal with. He's based in Brazil but he was responsive, exceptionally helpful. You wouldn't know he was the other side of the Atlantic. with how quick he was. My Portugese is pretty limited (zero to be honest), but Andre had no issues having to work with me in English. Some new parts turned up about a week later. I've had stuff from England thats taken longer. I am very grateful for all his help and would recommend him to all basschat folk. His parts are well made and he's easy to work with. Thanks Andre, I really apreciate all your help and advice. Rob

I'll have to look at the wiring for a humbucker, doesn't one go clockwise and one anti clockwise to get rid of the hum?

I've got a few of them I picked up for a few pounds off eBay. I was going to use the magnets inside for my (yet to be completed) automated guitar pickup winder. I'll keep looking as you can pick them up for very little. Focus for this week is checking out finishes on the guitar. Got some sanders, sanding paper, wet and dry, primer, filler, spray paint and epoxy resin to work out whats best or even if anything works. Thanks Rob

Ooohhhhh now that's interesting.

I like the look of that EMG. Is the top a standard telecaster pickup? I have a few of those sittinn in my (growing) spares box. Thamks

I have one unopened 1Kg 1.75mm eSun Glow in the Dark reel tagged "Luminous Green" and a second opened reel approx 300g on it. Brought for a project that never took off for astrophotography. You need to print this a hell of a lot hotter than recommended. From memory this was around 235C, fiddling around at 190-210C was a waste of time. Once you dial the right temperature in, its not too bad to use. However it's not as easy to print as standard eSun PLA, you need to slow things down and take it easy. Its free to a good (or bad) home. Just pay postage, which is large parcel for around 2g when packaging is taken into account. Thanks rob

Have now found the time to look at my Mod Dwarf in a bit more detail. Have been rather distracted for the last few months. Had a hum that came from nowhere and it turns out I'd used a 5V 4A PSU rather than the right 12V 4A PSU. They looked the same and the plugs fitted. Yes I am an idiot. Also downloaded Aida-X to have a play, I plugged a guitar in first, an 89 Korean Squier Telecaster, which I have to say I love as it plays a like a dream.Heresy I know but I ony have one life.... Worked out that you have to refresh the browser after uploading an IR <doh> and had a play. The patches sound great. The AMP Blues Deluxe is fantastic on my Tele. So I thought I'd download some bass amps and have struggled to find many at all, any suggestions as I can't really find any. Perhaps they're hidden in a secret location known only to proper bass players, hence I'm excluded. I also made the simple change to put the mod dwarf on my desk, and run a long USB cable to my Mac Mini to keep it permanently live. No more leaning over to try and fiddle with things. on the floor. Simple change, big impact. Also has anybody tried driving it from a Raspberry Pi? If the USB to Ethernet works then it should work. I'll try that out later. Might be an interesting option or yet another rabbit hole to dive down. The reason fpr the Pi is that I'll move the guitar winder development to a Pi 5 and it's slightly easier cable management and its not much slower than my elderly Macbook Pro 2013 I still use. My kids have 2021 Macbook Air's for school, I have an 11 year old Macbook for sentimental reasons.

Found the problem with the hum on the Mod Dwarf. It was, errr...., due to somebody breaking into the house in the middle of the night and replacing the 12V 4A PSU with a 5V 4A PSU in the case. I have no idea who did it, but after checking an awful lot of websites, tweaking everything under the sun, playing about with earth loops, looking on Amazon for groundless plugs, pulling the bench 30V 10A PSU up and about to plug it in, I glanced at the PSU and noticed that some deviant had changed it over. A quick look through the spares box, and I located what might have been the correct PSU. Plugged it in and no f£$%^&*$%^&* hum. <sigh> If I ever find the prat who did this.... I have also downloaded AIDA-X Plugin for the Mod Dwarf. Wow... just wow.... I have a soft spot for small amps so downloaded a few neural models and they are brilliant. I have no idea if they are accurate but the Champ G9 and AC-30 sound great. Not found many bass amp models so if anybody knows of any, please point me in the right direction. Had a good play with it during boring meetings today. One ear in the headphones and one listening to something from somebody on Teams So thats one more of the list of things to do. I have also started seriously looking at better finishing on the bass. Have moved both printers back to PLA+ filament and recalibrated for the different steel plates. PLA+ is very strong, I've not used PLA for two years and had stuck with PETG, but PLA+ looks good. It also sands a whole lot better, so if Mr Amazon could actually deliver the orbital sander I brought I'd be grateful, so far, two attempts and two wrong sanders. The Post Office will be surprised tomorrow morning when I send them back. This will be my focus for a week or more. I really want to get the looks to match the sound. I will be asking for advice on a single pickup to use for the next version Thanks Rob

There are some nice guitars though 😊 Best not to look

Forgot that, long time since I brought anything at a "proper" auction.

I've just assumed that if I was prepared to pay £800 for something then my bid limit is £600 (ish). It's a bit like eBay sellers flogging something for £1 and then charging £10 P&p. Total price is £11. The people who lose out are the sellers here. But everyone has to make a living. No one is forcing us to buy anything here.

Those additional fees are steep 😩

Oh no, these do look nice. I might be able to afford the Squier but probably not

Thats great, as you didn't want to buy it, I'm happy to take it off your hands for £40....

Any update on this please? yes I am impatient

That hits all the right buttons for me Nice looking guitar. Simple (in a nice non-aggresive way) and honest.

Now updated with all names and handles.

I prefer Saturdays as it leaves Sunday free.

<Sigh> I thought Jet was some sort of reference to speed or noise, not for Whitby based Goths. I live and learn

Any idea if the black was a standard colour?

And now I've built it, I'm going to change it again Based on feedback from the weekend at the North West and Scotland Bass Bash The body shape will be more curved to avoid the high edge that presses against the wrist. I'll try and cut the weight down a bit. Making it more curvy will actually help. The target is less than 4Kg. Countersink the neck screws rather than them sitting proud with flanges Replace the electrics with something nicer. Possibly active, this means changing the control panel pocket to allow a battery. Mmmm...... Simplify some of the pickup mounting holes and add some more in different places. Perhaps a single high quality pickup? Redesign the back to allow more access to the headless bridge. Redesign how to channel the pickup wiring so it's neater and not just laying there. Might be as simple as a velcro strap, cable tie and a loop hole or similar. Look at better finishes. There were some gorgeous basses at the weekend, I need to step my game up Sat down on Sunday and worked out how to get both sides of the frame to be sculptered. Really tricky to print. Rob