stevie

I think @basstone does amp repairs. Send him a pm and ask.

I don't know what it was about the Trace, but when @Merton plugged his bass in and played through it, it seemed to take the sound quality up a notch - like he was playing through a huge sound system.

33 minutes ago, TrevorR said:

Never seen that before! Fabulous! When you think of the number of A list bass players Greg Bisonette could have phoned up and said, “Hey, we’re doing this daft lockdown thing…” it says how well respected Lol is that he’s the one on the video,

That was brilliant. The level of musicianship was off the scale - everywhere. And those tasty bass fills that drove the piece without (as it often the case) getting in the way. Loved it!

As a regular to the SW Bash, I looked forward with anticipation to my first SE Bash - and I wasn't disappointed. It was a brilliant day!

First, the venue was outstanding. There were half a dozen medium-sized rooms, all with reasonable, if not wonderful, acoustics. This made playing at a decent volume possible - unlike in a single large hall, where one loud player can drown everything out and get on everyone's nerves. The organisation was as smooth as a baby's bottom - thanks to Colin and the gang. (I only realised afterwards that Colin is @Hamster. Oh well.) There were some nice goodies in the raffle, and I managed to win a practice amp for my son, who is starting to learn bass at uni and needed something tiny for his flat. Result!

Like the SW Bash, everyone was exceptionally friendly and welcoming, with a good mix of beginners and advanced players. It was a joy to meet so many of the people I've chatted to here over the years.

The basses on display were out of this world. But really! Quite a few custom jobbies, with more Wals than I've ever seen in my life before, plus Spectors and Musicmans galore. I think Jeff @tubbybloke68 broke the record for the number of basses at a Bash. They were all in fabulous condition and available for anyone to play.

As for sounds, I was knocked out by @Merton's 1200W Trace amp. I wish I could afford one.🫤 Then there was the sound of @chyc's double bass, which was absolutely glorious. I'm so glad he went to the (not inconsiderable, I'd say) trouble of bringing it.

At the SW Bash, the floorshow is usually hosted by @Phil Starr, who does a brilliant job of keeping us informed and entertained. However, even he was outshone by the brilliant combination of Laurence Cottle and Guy Pratt. Guy was exactly what we expected - interesting, witty and entertaining, and Lawrence provided a fascinating insight into the world of the pro bassist/composer/studio musician, which included a demonstration of a piece he had to sight read for a recording. Mind boggling! What really impressed me was the way both pros made a point of wandering round the rooms, chatting and joking with everyone. Kudos.  I think @BassforradioDarren Redick also deserves a big hand for the professional way he introduced and interviewed the guests.

I kept missing Bass Centre Barry. I wanted to say hello because I used to be one of his regular (although less important) suppliers when he ran the Bass Centre. I can, however, confirm @silverfoxnik's observation that he still has a full head of hair, although it's unsurprisingly not the same golden blond colour of yore. But hey ho. It gets us all in the end.😀

See you next year. (And thanks to all the nice people who said they liked my cabs).

1 hour ago, Merton said:

I missed a trick actually - earlier in the day @stevie was using the Trace to show off his cabs. The pairing sounded incredible 😊

But ultimately, each to their own etc etc 😎

The Trace was sublime. I've always thought amps were much of a muchness - but the Trace sounded ridiculously good. Thanks, @Merton for the short- term loan. They look good together, too!😄

I'm not saying your design won't work (it will) but If you make the box a bit bigger, say 35 litres, you could use a 4-inch port, which would help, as a single 68mm port is going to run out of puff quite quickly. The response also looks a bit better with the slightly larger box.

In that case, @TheGreek, I'll be canvassing opinions to find out whether people like it.😁

I have a few names in mind. The reason I haven't chosen one is that this is a brand new design that's not even been road tested yet. The paint might even be wet. I'll be canvassing opinions at the Bash to find out whether it meets a need in the market.

At least you didn't say Cabby Mccabface. 😀

The problem with filling the hole first is that you need a filler that will grip and hold the t-nut when you reinstall it. I'd be worried that the Araldite would crack under pressure, although I'm not speaking from practical experience here. My choice would be to use Araldite to glue the t-nut in place. Just be very careful not to allow any glue onto the threads of the t-nut and make sure it's accurately aligned.

If it fails, you could always fill the hole with fibreglass filler or bodyfiller or even Araldite and use a wood screw (predrill first).

6 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

Do I sense a "name the cab and get a free one" competition in the offing? 😁

Do I sense someone angling for a free cab?😀

@cetera - Bass Collection Betsy, ESP Surveyor '87, Fender FSR PJ Precision, Squier 40th Precision, Hamer Impact, Spector NS2, Spector Euro LX, Spector Euro Classic, Spector EuroX (Spectorbird), Spector Legend 4X, Spector Pulse II, Spector Dimension 4HP, Gallien Krueger 400RB, 700RB-II & Legacy800 heads, GenzBenz Neox 2x12 cab

@TheGreek - All short scale this year - a @Jabba_the_gut scale 5er, Mini Ray, Short scale P bass

@Harlequin74 - Zoot Performer, Status Shark, Spector QV4 , Markbass TTE501 and Matching CAB. Maybe the Lehle Basswitch…

@TrevorR- Mk 1 Wal, Wal Pro IIE, Aria SB700, Frankenjazz, pedals and MarkBass LMII & Traveler 2x10

@bnt - travelling light, probably a couple of pedals such as T-Rex Diva Drive, Orange KongPressor

@bass_dinger - 1999 Washburn XB500, 1994 Washburn XB500, Washburn XB925 in zebrawood, Washburn XB925 in bits, Boulder Creek 5 string (likely to be for sale), SWR Workingmans 12.

@prowla - Probably a couple of Rickenbackers and some interesting oddities. Amp-wise a Markbass EVO and a 1x12 (last year I bought some others to try and never switched them on, as the EVO sounded spot-on).

@SuperSeagull - Status S2, Feline P Bass, Modded Fender Lyte, Flea Jazz, MB Combo

@Merton - various short and medium scale ACGs, Zoots and Conway basses, Barefaced cabs, modern Trace Elliot amps

@MacDaddy - Shuker (probably no3), Snapdragon Folding Bass, possibly a Rob Allen Mouse.

@neilp - matching pair of fretted and fretless 1980 Aria SB1000s, possibly my fretless Wal mk1, Ashdown ABM500/Ampeg 4x10, Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig

@NickD- Strunal Schonbach 5 String DB, and whatever else I can shoehorn in the car around it... hopefully a MD CMD121 H, Zoom B6, and maybe a Maruszczyk Jake and a Shuker Series 2.

@WalMan - converted Wal Pro, Zon Legacy Elite, Status S2, G&L L2500 fretless, McMillen 12Step & DSI MoPho, Two Notes Bass Revolt, Trondheim Audio SkarBassOne, BackBeat2 (and my BackBeat1 will probably be available for sale). 16. Darkglass Microtubes500 and one of the Barefaced cabs. All depends how late I leave and what will fit in the new car 🚙 😁

@Smanth - With my small, light, battery powered gear (mostly) ... IBBY-Ibanez GSRM25 5 str sub short scale, 'ELIMA - Kala California 5 str fretless ubass, QUINN- HB 5 Str Fretless, MOD Dwarf based pedalboard, Boss Dual Cube Bass LX. (Also some toys to sell)

@Jean-Luc Pickguard - NS Design CR5M, Squier Bass VI, Roland MicroCube Bass RX and some pedals.

@tauzero- the basses that @TheGreekmade me buy (handmade 6-string headless, Pedulla 6 fretless), Roland GR-55, one or two Seis, anything else that occurs to me, Mrs Zero (probably)

@rumblefish- Reverend Rumblefish, GB basses, Mesa Walkabout amp, Vanderkley 112 MNT.

@bassace97 - Musicman stingray basses, Fender Mustang bass, Pedalboard and my Mesa TT800 + SL112 cabs

@BillyBass - Reverend Decision P, Gallien-Krueger Fusion S1200 and Barefaced Midget

@silverfoxnik - some basses and noise amplifying boxes. 

@Simon C : G&L L2000 Tribute, Sire V7 Fretless, Ibanez EHB1000S Headless Shortscale. Various pedals (switch, tuner, Hypergravity compressor, Laney 85 Bass Octave, Bass Clone Chorus, Spectradrive, Ditto+ looper pedal and a Bluetooth page turner). Carlsboro Colt Keyboard Amp.

@Wolverinebass- Hamer Chaparral B12L, Tech 21 Dug Pinnick. Sideburns. Sarcasm.

@GoodShowSir- Cake, lots of.

@vz7- ACG (tbc) (as mentioned by @BillyBass)

@Chimike- KK Baby Bass Traditional, maybe my Monique, Ampeg Heritage B15 head.
@Kebabkid -  a Sire S7 or S3 (4 stringers), Roland Cube 120XL and possibly a Zoom bass unit or HX Stomp. (Hopefully!)
@HMX - Ray34
@chyc -  double bass and my GSS 06b400mkd 6.5" combo
@tubbybloke68 - lots of basses!

@stevie - LFSys Monaco, LFSys Monza, plus new LFSys cab as yet unnamed. Veyron head and Squier CV Precision bass

On 05/11/2023 at 10:25, Smanth said:

Now I'm back in my home I've been looking into building one of the BC112 cabs ... at present a Beyma SM212 is one its way to me from a kind BCer!

So why mention here?

I'm wondering if anyone coming next week might be bringing one of the BC112s loaded with such a driver so I can get an idea of sound/size/weight.

 

S'manth x

@Smanth, the LFSys Monaco I'll be bringing with me is the same size as the BC112. The weight will depend on the wood you use, but you'll be able get an idea of how easy it is to carry. I'll be happy to answer any questions about your build.

Generally speaking, polypropylene capacitors are higher quality than polyesters, although they do tend to be bigger. There's no reason for polyesters to be more expensive - unless you're buying into the vintage component myth.

Thanks, guys. I've ordered a socket. Fingers crossed.

I'm going to try to get over to this. It looks like it's going to be busy. I'll bring some LFSys cabs, including a brand new model, together with a Veyron amp and Squier CV Precision.

I'm looking forward to meeting all the familiar names I've read over the years but never met.

The flatpacks were a limited run, @Squitti. Since then, the cost of CNC woodwork has almost doubled. So they'd be quite pricey now.

I am still supplying the occasional crossover on a nice fibreglass PCB. That seems to be the area that most builders struggle with.

For the purposes of acoustic gigs and home practice, a good quality ten-inch cab would certainly do the job - and be more convenient than a twelve.

Of the three cabs mentioned, the Orange offers the best value for money IMO, as it's fitted with a good quality neodymium driver with decent power handling. On the other hand, it doesn't have a tweeter - so that might rule it out for the OP. The Ampeg costs considerably more than the others and is only rated at 200 watts - so not a very high spec. Depending on your needs, It could be enough - especially if you're a fan of the brand name. The Ashdown doesn't have neo drivers either but does have a tweeter and seems to offer good value - like most Ashdown products.

The above is based purely on what the manufacturers say (and don't say) about their products. I don't think I've heard any of them personally.

Yes, it's an active bass - one of the premium models. I've always assumed that inserting the jack switches the preamp, but I haven't taken the jack out yet. There is a separate active/passive switch - so maybe not. If I do need a new jack socket, I'd rather have one to hand before I start.

The jack socket on my Ibanez bass occasionally makes a loud cracking noise through the amp when slight pressure is applied to the jack. I believe this is a common problem. Before I open her up I'd like to know if I'm going to need a replacement barrel socket or is this likely to be a simple soldering job?

Here's the frequency response of a 2x12 +horn bass cab from a respected US manufacturer. The red line looks fairly good, almost FRFR in fact, but you'll only ever hear that if your head is right in front of the cab. Move to the side or above and what you hear is shown in the off-axis curves - huge suckouts in the upper midrange! This is the main reason players complain they can't hear their bass clearly when playing live. You can see the tweeter coming in at around 5kHz to provide the boom-tizz sound we know and love. 😀 It's hardly surprising so many players switch them off.

The solution (in a two-way system), as @Bill Fitzmaurice has pointed out, is a proper compression driver crossing over at about 2kHz or lower. With a carefully designed crossover, you can get a nice, smooth frequency respose that slopes gently towards the higher frequencies as you move off axis and counteracts the bass driver's tendency to die above 1kHz. The result a much more natural sound.

Bassists playing through PA cabs already know what I'm talking about. Unfortunately, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of dedicated bass guitar cabs using this approach.

You're right - that's a great bass line -  and I've definitely struggled with the triplets.

When they work, T-nuts are definitely a superior fixing, but they do demand a certain amount of Fingerspitzengefühl, as @Phil Starr has mentioned. I've fitted hundreds if not thousands of the things, and I still make the first couple of turns by hand - just to make sure. And I watch out for any unwanted resistance when I'm screwing them in.

Because woodscrews are a lot more forgiving, I think i would probably recommend woodscrews with lock washers nowadays for self-builds. They can (and will) work loose, however, if you don't use lock washers.

On my LFSys cabs, I use socket head machine screws and T-nuts. Although not absolutely necessary, I fit lock washers and also secure the T-nuts with staples from behind for extra security.

I'd use an angle grinder to do this, but I think it depends on what kind you have. The small, battery-powered ones with three-inch discs are quite controllable, and thin discs are available specifically for cutting (rather than grinding). The bigger grinders might be more unwieldy.

The main thing is to wear eye protection. That's really important.