Dave Vader

I've looked at Prometheans, they are tempting, especially as I could still use the head through my 2 x 15s if I needed a big rig again. My cabs are pretty much unsellable, I would keep them, and probably use one for an cab extension if I needed the extra whumph back. I like the look of that EBS very much Linus, now if only they stocked them in Mansons I could check them out.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1326113000' post='1492373'] If you like your GKs sound, check out the MB500. A cracking little amp, half the size of a lap-top. Cab-wise, for lightweight and powerful, whilst not cheap, Barefaced get my vote. Whilst all this is probably way more powerful than you will need for the current gigs, this will have enough behind it to play much larger venues. [/quote] I was trying to get away from the seperate amp cab thing, as it requires a box of leads, and thus another hand... (I know, it's unbelievable isn't it?)

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1326113056' post='1492374'] What's your price range? [/quote] I shall know by the end of the month when my Xmas bonus comes through for the year. Up to about £600 top end, looking more around the £300 mark, as it doesn't have to sound amazing, just give me some monitoring really.

Fretless has been a godsend to me, every time I find myself faced with someone who tunes to themselves, or cannot put on a capo properly, I can remain in tune with them without having to bend strings, retune, or slap them round the face and call them a twat. Good luck and enjoy (just watch out for dark stages til you get your left hand so you don't need to look).

The AER stuff looks interesting, but a bit rich for my blood, and I've never got on with 10s for some reason. I suspect I would like one of these very much however, if I had a grand to chuck about.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1326109727' post='1492304'] Why not get a line6 pod or similar for live and go ampless? [/quote] I can't quite bring myself to do that yet. I've been to some awful dives that had utterly useless PA support, and I need to hear myself, if nothing else for the fretless intonation that is bad enough when I can hear it. (And I don't like line6). Did toy with it for a while, but too risky.

So, yesterday I scored an excellent gig with a local young singer songwriter who has a record contract, radio pluggers, gig getters and all that kind of entourage. I am quite pleased, her new single is out today, and she was shortlisted for the Rebel Playlist on 6music last week. Should be a lot more fun than playing crappy covers in pubs (though I haven't yet told the band I'm going, will send the much redrafted email later today). Long and the short of it is that we're mostly going to be doing either small acousticy gigs, or festivals. So either quite quiet, or perfectly decent monitoring rendering the amp useless. Thus my 2x15 stack with 300w Gallien Krueger is overkill, and I don't want to lug it around if I don't have to. I am fondly remembering my old Ashdown EB 1 x 12 combo, that I could carry with my bass on my back, and only do one trip to the car. I saw the new Ashdown Touring 220 112, (this one [url="http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/detail.asp?ID=249"]http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/detail.asp?ID=249[/url] anyone tried one yet?) and thought, oooh that looks nice. And I remembered some lovely old Trace combos I played through in my youth. However, I keep coming across 1 x 12s in practice rooms and similar, and I'm always surprised just how nice my bass sounds through them. What have you got to recommend? And if you own it and are selling it, please don't be shy in coming forward, I am a bit GAS filled again...

[quote name='bungle' timestamp='1325852153' post='1488698'] Ah, mine looks like this: [url="http://www.bass-guitar-museum.com/bass-7883-Kay-3-4-Size-Bass-Guitar-with-Hard-Case"]http://www.bass-guit...-with-Hard-Case[/url] . Potentially the bridge might be useful if it's in better nick than mine and has the same position screws. Will PM you some photos over the weekend, might start a build diary thread too. [/quote] Okay, will watch the diary with interest. The Bridge on mine is a 2 saddle, bit of bent metal. It is not good....

I started as a piano player when I was just a nipper, but gave it up. Then I started playing guitar when I was about 10 or 11, have done ever since, I have a couple of gigs on guitar still. Also play mandolin and banjo when I get the chance, still mess about on keys and pianos, but wouldn't dare gig them again. I probably have other things I think I can play, but probably can't. Bass was always just a bit of a sideline for recording, bit of fun, helping out mates bands that needed a stand in guy when the bass player was sick. Til I started enjoying it more than all that widdly guitar stuff (it is a bad sign when the solo comes round and your guitar player (me) can't be arsed to do one, and half-heartedly knocks out some hammer-onish thing for 8 bars and looks longingly at the bass).

[quote name='bungle' timestamp='1325845038' post='1488523'] OT, and probably should have been a PM, but I'm currently refurbishing a short scale Kay bass. If they are similar models I might be interested in some of the bits! [/quote] It's an SG shape one, I got it because I love the pickups on it, and have them in my main gigging bass. The bridge and tuners may be going spare once I'm done, but I haven't really got it all sorted in my head yet. WHat bits are you after?

I am building one from an old Kay short scale bass as we speak, check out Glenn Campells solos, and Duane Eddy for some twang. Also the Kills use one a lot, and they are ace.

Thank you, I'm off to tell all my guitarist mates where to come and ask about best pick for metal now....

As a guitarist (yep I said it, and I am one) I would love to have a guitar forum on the web which isn't full of 12 year olds shouting "which pedal will make me sound like hendrix?" and old men saying "if you don't play blues on a les paul you're a big girl". But they do not exist, and I cannot be arsed to insinuate my way into the existing ones to find out who is nice and who is an arse. I like people here, they are ok and mostly not dicks. I would like a sub-forum for other instruments where I could talk with people I already know enough about to gauge their answers by their previous posts. It would save a lot of trouble. How about one for drums, one for guitar and one for anything else (I also want to talk about banjos and mandolins, again with people who's opinions I trust). Hidden subforums will not bring about a shiny overdriven double-stacked pentatonic revolution.

Thanks mate, will have a punt at it when I'm less busy at work and let you know how I get on, that looks pretty good.

The Jack is still there, it's just not connected anymore (except for a blue ground wire) I had hoped that the jack socket for the footswitch (I have a footswitch, just built it last night from a broken wah pedal) would essentially wire in the same as a standard fx pedal stomp circuit, though using a jack socket rather than a switch. If you can scribble something that looks like wires and tabs, I'd be eternally grateful. If I swapped out the 3 contact socket for a 6 contact then I could get what I need? Is that what you mean?

Right, I have an old Melos DE-1 analogue delay box, which is a lot of fun. Particularly if you set it to mock up a bit of ADT, it's lovely, but not all the time. It's a stand alone unit with a jack out for footswitch, it used to belong to a CB hobby chap, who rewired it for CBs. Which involved taking out the footswitch jack. I've only ever used it in the studio before, so no problem, but after 15 years, I think it needs to come out and play in my live guitar rig, so I need the switch to work again. It's got 2 inputs (only one of which is any use, -20 and -50db, -20 is good) and one output (rigged to a level selector). All the 3 jack sockets are 3-pin, my question is, I know this should be very easy indeed to wire back together to work so the footswitch bypasses the delay circuits, but I can't get my head around it as I am very tired. Could someone cleverer than me show me the obvious wiring solution so I don't accidentally break the damn thing? I know it's a simple bypass circuit, but I can't for the life of me figure out where the wires need to go. Thanks for any help you can offer.

Sorry, this has gone now. Feel free to remove the thread mods.

http://www.plasticsquirrel.bandcamp.com/ I've re-released this here old album for free on bandcamp (well you can pay what you lie for it) and am now punting it everywhere I can, have a listen, then get it forever for free! (or cheap, your call chaps) It took me much longer than it should to make it, and it's taking even longer for the follow up, so I've re-released it to make myself feel better at my slow work rate. Bass on it is interesting, as I was still primarily a guitar player back then, and I was whacking a cheap P copy with a pick for all of it (like a guitar player, sorry). As opposed to beating the same cheap P-copy with all my fingers like I do now. Apologies for the blatant whoring, but I am still quite proud of this, it was a decent bit of work.

Brass does, he's right. Bone is more about durability, and lack of stickiness compared to plastic, helping your tuning problems, and meaning you don't need to keep replacing it.

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1319359010' post='1412929'] I did use a genetic sanding sealer from one of our pattern makers. And I will confess that it was my first go and may have been a bit keen to get the paint on so it may be down to over thick layers. (Its all coming out now lol) [/quote] That'll be the problem, it's all in the genes of your genetic sanding sealer.... (sorry, couldn't help myself)

[quote name='soopercrip' timestamp='1319792217' post='1418553'] Don't try to route to much at a time, 1/2" by 1/2" Max, means less stress on the router and an easier cut for you. Andy [/quote] Learned this the hard way (twice) that whistling sound as the router bit flies past your ear is truly terrifying, particularly the 2nd time...

SAVE money on expensive London hotels by sneaking into one of the empty tents outside St. Paul's (thank you twop twips)

Too many to go into here....

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1319714092' post='1417552'] I spose this would work as well with a pair of old bass strings actually fitted to the E and G bridge and tuner positions? [/quote] You're not actually using that thing I put in the post for you yesterday are you?!?!?!