Big_Stu

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1355170547' post='1895021'] I always used to have an idle rummage on the old style classys - now i cant be #rsed to look through them. Its all a bit too specific and definitely a step backwards imho.[/quote] This - reluctantly & sadly.

I remember when Francis & Rick guest reviewed copies of their own guitars in a mag. Though of Francis's one he said "they want to get rid of that ashtray bridge, they're crap!" Have you seen his cotton-bud trick?

[quote name='YouMa' timestamp='1355170255' post='1895017'] The guitar parts played properly for the 70s stuff are actually trickier than you think,i had a go one night and it was very addictive playing these huge power chords in alternate tunings. [/quote] Here's one they've been doing since forever. Francis is a bit nimble on it too. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=NEC_CjQwHUI&NR=1"]http://www.youtube.c...EC_CjQwHUI&NR=1[/url]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1355168031' post='1894979'] I love SOS but it is a bit heavily intrusive in the crowd noise stakes. Still - it has Rock and Roll Preacher on it and I remionds me of seeing that tour at Sheffield Lyceum. We had a mate with us , name of 'Blind' Bobby (the clue's in the name'. When they launched into R and R P the daft sod stood up and jumped forward - not realising that our seats were in the front row of the balcony. We had to reel him back in. I do think 'til def' was a terrific album. '2nd coming' Slade at their best. [/quote] I like Til Deaf because it has H's first chance to show at least some ability with M'Hat, M'Coat, the live intro of which was nicked for their live version of My Oh My a year later, which of course was almost their second Xmas No.1 ten years after MXE, but was held off by the Flying bloody Picketts. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-yZ7IE0t_o[/media] Till Deaf also sounded like they were having a lot of fun again after a few years of struggling. At one of their Uni gigs, Leeds or Leicester it was, can't remember which, the balcony crowd surged and knocked one of the crew over the edge still clutching a 6 foot long follow-on spot. The only thing stopping him crashing into the seats below was the 13 amp plug still in the wall. He had to climb back up the lamp then the flex as the band played on.

I used to; but I began to think along Alan Lancaster's lines when they started their silly collaborations, Beach Boys especially. Though I suppose it's fair to say they were getting a bit bored after so many years.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1355162169' post='1894863']I'd love for you to be able to hear your hifi in a great room, but I'm afraid you probably never will.[/quote] I already have, it was the home of a pensioner who lived alone with his cat; it was his purpose built hi-fi room, he wanted to hear what improvements he would get instead of a brand set up before looking around. Me? I live in the real world with a family I live with, in a normal home that I don't spend hours sat in a sweet spot just listening to stuff for hours on end. I was writing suggestions for the benefit of the average forumeer who maybe uses an all-in-one system, if you just want to show off what you have or what you know stick it in your signature.

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1355160679' post='1894832'] not so much the recording of a live gig in the 'normal' sense but a studio recording with a live audience.[/quote] I do prefer their 3rd live album "Slade On Stage", which was mostly - like a few classic live albums recorded in Newcastle. Bleedin' barmy them Geordies.

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1355160347' post='1894824'] Are you suggesting my 'Spartacus' beach sandals are fake???????[/quote] Not at all, I happen to know for a fact that they've been very well looked after over the years. You personally having fitted new tops to them on 6 occasions and new soles 15 times. They still look like new!

The Line 6 amps tend to massively reduce in price when the next upgraded model comes out. I got a new Line 6 MkIII 30w for £75 when the MkIV came out, which was about half price.

....... and to a collector the signature would be worth jack-sh unless you had hard proof that it was genuine.

[quote name='bob_pickard' timestamp='1355149369' post='1894607']Next I just need people to remember how bloody good Status Quo were before Rocking all over the World screwed everything up and I will be trendy and cool once more....[/quote] I already know - I saw them when they looked like this............ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eef5gDWWnU [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1355150533' post='1894637']Slade Alive, one of the best live albums ever (awaits the naysayers for what constitutes a live album)[/quote] They'd be wasting their time, it was recorded in Olympic Studios, with a small crowd from their fan-club & a sh*t-loads of mics. According to Nod most of the album was taken from the second night of three that they did for the sole purpose of the album. No overdubs.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1355158248' post='1894777'] IMO anyone running a hifi worth more than £5000 in an untreated room is delusional.... Hell £2000 [/quote] When I bought it, and if I'd not had any discounts? Around £3.5k, now? Lucky to get about half that - my cassette deck goes for about £15 on Ebay as of late. As a mate of mine said years ago "your wires cost more than my whole hi-fi". Yes, the room is set up to an extent, not clinical. But I don't go to gigs & start fixing acoustic tiles to the wall either. Just do the best - within reason - with what's available & realistic at the time. You don't have to go the whole hog to make appreciable differences anyway; here's three for those who don't already............ "speakers on purpose made stands, not on shelves" "position speakers so that the tweeter (assuming it's tweeter at the top of the speaker) is as close to ear height as possible" "don't put your speakers in the corner of the room"

I went to a Rebellion in Blackpool Winter Gardens a few years ago, the atmosphere was excellent, no trouble from either the hundreds of punks, skins or rockers that were there. Even a few original teddy-boys turned up.

PS. The stuff on at Xmas has been on before; the film Flame has won a fair bit of recognition more recently for it's realistic attack & portrayal on the way the music business used to be run, some of it is allegedly based on the antics of some names in 60's music (when it's set). However, it wasn't what the fans or general public expected of them & their star was on the wane after it's release. And, sorry - unless you just want to see variations of mimed TV performances in the "new" programme then you'll be disappointed, but after-all .................. "IIIIIIITTTTT'SSSS CHRRRRRRIIIIIIISSSTMAAAAAAAAASSSSS!!!!!. Nod's "tour" next year is:- [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Thurs 9 - Oakengates Theatre, Telford Fri 10 - Buxton Pavilion Arts Centre Sat 11 - Gala Theatre, Durham Sun 12 - Bolton Albert Halls Thurs 16 - Leeds City Varieties Fri 17 - Redditch Palace Theatre Sat 18 - Charter Theatre, Preston Sun 19 - Harrogate Theatre[/font]

Dunlop 3mm Stubbys, for guitar or bass. Somewhere I have an ancient tub of Gorilla Snot for slippy picks, another alternative is to drill a hole thru them so that your fingertips touch thru the hole. The bloke who runs Reidy's In Blackburn has patented some picks that have that though I can't see how you can patent something that many have been doing for years.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1355137722' post='1894423']Interesting that the general consensus on here seems to be that £20k mains leads are snake oil but £20k turntables are not.[/quote] I got into hi-fi when I won a pair of Celestion speakers in a Loaded competition next came the sand filled speaker mounts, then a new amp, then a CD deck, then another CD deck, then a CD-R deck & somewhere in the middle the Castle speakers. Long about that time (in a southern ZZ Top drawl) there was a turntable that was available in very small quantities that had it's plinth - a HUGE plinth, made of reclaimed oak from a sunken Dutch galleon, it was - IIRC - around £50k.

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1355130283' post='1894304'] If anyone can tell you, Big Stu can. He'll be along in a minute! [/quote] I'm that predictable huh? [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1355146603' post='1894566']Brilliant! I wired Jim Lea's boiler just a few weeks ago, he wasn't in [/quote] I hope that wasn't a euphamism? Lou is a lovely sweet lady, they were school days sweethearts. Jim's had a few health issues of late, had to back out of a battle of the bands judging session due this week. No, there's very little live Slade video; none of which is owned by the band - and the owners want silly money for releasing it which the band (that's to say Nod & Jim, the string-pullers) won't pay for. New stuff does pop up occasionally, but never a complete gig. Contrary to many folk's opinions I think they were at their best live in the early 80's, of which the Lochem footage of '81 is the best quality, there's 3 tracks of it on Youtube. Most recent good quality 70's footage is from Holland http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBM_dy6bGL0 which again is 3 tracks;; which seems to be a recurring theme with Dutch band recordings so maybe is a law there? Nod is doing a Q&A short tour with Mark Radcliffe next May (IIRC), which I doubt would be anything more than what I have termed Rent-A-Nod, which now seems to be a term that's used among surviving fans for "same standard questions" followed by "oft repeated answers". The Slade touring now is H & Don + two other regulars. It's done to a budget but is a godo enough night out, I've been to a fair few of them, to catch up with the guys & meet up with old mates. See my profile for gratuitous shot of one of Nod's Hiwatts which I now own - for now.

[quote name='Zenitram' timestamp='1355077642' post='1893759'] An ice cube on vinyl used to smooth over scratches on a record.[/quote] Maybe it worked in the same way as those green marker pens you could get when CDs first started which you drew round the rim with & it bounced stray laser beams back into the disc to improve sound quality - after you'd kept the CD in your freezer overnight of course!

Personally I don't think this is the time or the place for such examinations ............... maybe wait until his body is cold, and in a separate thread?

Certainly opens up the range, the one I had was only wired to split the coils. You may also want to consider upgrading the tone pot, I've found the Epiphone ones are a bit all or nothing, unless recent ones have improved.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1355073659' post='1893676'] CD s days are beginning to look numbered anyway.[/quote] The big label's production of discs moved to Europe a few years ago, the inserts will follow shortly, simple logistics. The UK couldn't compete cost wise against the rise of downloads. DVDs will follow the same route within 5 years.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1355065061' post='1893537'] I would think you would have to spend upwards of a grand to get an amp that was so significantly better that it was worth spending the money.[/quote] Thanks for that, not the first time I've been told that so it's refreshing to hear someone else endorse it.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1354974103' post='1892485'] To answer myself - looks like the DiMarzio DP120 pickup is the one[/quote] I had one of those in an EB3, a Gibson, and I hated it. Sure if you use the tap you get with it it gives you more range but no way on this earth could it emulate a Gibbo Mudbucker, no depth to it. In those days you could pick up old Gibson pickups at guitar shows for a good price which I did in Newcastle............ aaah those were the days. As a stop gap and/or experiment you could try raising the pickup, which I did for quite a while, with bits of nylon fuel pipe off a remote controlled car as screw-springs; which is easy to find for pennies from a good kid's model shop. If you want a DM model, I saw a matt black one in Live Music Edinburgh last year, it was about £40 ........ might be worth a call to see if it's still there.

What a damn shame; we were only watching Sky At Night for the first time in many years two nights ago & thought he didn't look or sound well. He must have had a damn good innings! Much respect to the guy - it's not often you find someone with his devotion to his hobby as well as his life!

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1355063302' post='1893506'] did the manufacturers know what speakers you were going to use too, and in what room? [/quote] Well it's a mainstream brand so they probably assumed their own kit; but it's 65 or 75 watts a side (I forget which) and bi-wirable, so not cheap. By a lucky coincidence for me it was reviewed by many as being a classic in it's own right for it's clarity & ability, very well regarded at the time. It's the Pioneer A-400X. Now I see it as the weakest link in the system being very slightly bright but I'm in no hurry, it's not easy to find an amp of comparable quality that has across the board approval, which I don't count as an essential but it helps to narrow down the field, the Arcam's are always great, some say the matching power amp is essential some don't. I like the look of the Kandy range but I'm wary of any company that keeps bringing out upgraded versions in quick succesion.