mart

Strange: I looked at the [url="http://www.bassguitarmagazine.com/"]BGM website[/url] yesterday and it was fine, and it's fine today too. Slightly out of date ... but working. [quote name='daz' post='1042392' date='Nov 30 2010, 02:12 PM']Lol. just tried to access the BGM website and all i get is Someone not been paying the bills again? Still waiting to hear an answer from last months solid lead Yamaha fiasco. Not a peep from their forum.[/quote]

[quote name='rasher80' post='1042005' date='Nov 30 2010, 09:40 AM']Sorry to hijack this thread, but i'm also a lefty looking at giving fretless a go, and there are some mega cheap Rockbass offerings on Thomann - anyone know if they're any good?[/quote] Those Thomann prices are good - so that 400 euro "semi-new" bass really doesn't look very tempting. Rockbasses are pretty good, but I'd try and get a 2010 one (with the 2-piece bridge) if possible, rather than the pre-2010 models (with a 1-piece bridge). The QC is a lot better than it used to be. Having said that, with Thomann you don't need to worry about the QC so much - just send it back if it's not good enough.

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='1034740' date='Nov 24 2010, 09:00 AM']then i'd end up with 3 fretless' haha[/quote] I don't see the problem with that - I think I have 4 atm!! (I do tend to lose count after 2 tho.... )

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='1034438' date='Nov 23 2010, 09:00 PM']......then i'm going to buy them, get the Gloss one Fretted and flog all of my other gear, haha.[/quote] No!! Don't fret those poor beautiful things - leave them fretless as nature intended. Actually, being serious for a mo, the double-line at the 12th will look rather odd if you put frets in. It's a bit late to point this out, but that might be a reason to re-design the 12th marker.

I think you've sold me on the satin one, but I'm sure most punters would go for the gloss - so if you're actually looking for a product that sells, then I think it would have to be gloss. But I'd love to be proved wrong! Both look absolutely stunning, I should say!

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1034124' date='Nov 23 2010, 05:24 PM']sorry just did a search...cocktail stick it is then[/quote] Yep, a cocktail stick seems a good bet. (Some say they're better than matches). It's a great trick to learn - it's quick, easy and cheap, but it works!

[quote name='Thurbs' post='1034085' date='Nov 23 2010, 04:30 PM']As per title really. 29th some music products go on sale. I am personally going for: Guitar stand: [url="http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index_15760.htm"]http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk...index_15760.htm[/url] Tuner: [url="http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index_15765.htm"]http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk...index_15765.htm[/url] For our drummer: [url="http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index_15767.htm"]http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk...index_15767.htm[/url] They also have mics, bongos, music stands & more stuff.[/quote] I stocked up the last time that Lidl did musical stuff. From my experience then, I'd say the tuner (which looks identical to the one they're offering here) is not very good - save your money and buy a proper one. The music stand they do, however, is excellent - well made and sturdy.

If your MECs say "Dynamic Correction" on them, then they are passive - otherwise they are active. You can swap them with any passives of the right size (I've just replaced the MECs on my Corvette with Wizard 64s), but you should change the preamp - passive pickups like to see a different impedance compared to active pickups. I guess you could wire passive pickups in without changing anything else, but the sound probably won't be as good as it could be. [quote name='paddy mcbride' post='1032921' date='Nov 22 2010, 05:20 PM']Hi I made the silly assumption that when I selected passive bypass on my Streamer LX that it was a passive mode. However, after chewing through a couple of batteries over the course of a year or so and looking at a wiring schematic I now realise that the MEC pickups are active and that only the EQ is being bypassed. When playing live I prefer to use my amp's EQ with only the volume being used on the bass so I would prefer passive pickups with an active EQ (for when I do need it) Can someone please point me in the right direction for a good replacement to the active MECs? Is it worth looking at Barts? and could this be done with the existing EQ? Thanks for your help. Paddy[/quote]

[quote name='paddy mcbride' post='1032538' date='Nov 22 2010, 01:15 PM']Hi I'm sure this is quite a common topic with Warwicks but can someone suggest the best replacement jack for my two Streamer LX's? Thank you Paddy[/quote] I got a couple of Neutrik-branded sockets from Maplins for about £2 each.

I've finally got a white bass now that I've re-sprayed my Rockbass:

I've no experience with the pitchblack, but the polytune is great - very easy to read the display and accurate. It's ability to tune all strings at once doesn't work as well as I'd like - it's perhaps more a gimmick than a real feature. But as a standard one-string tuner it works brilliantly. It copes with downtuning (as far as B, I think), but the polytune feature then only works if you still tune in 4ths (so DGCF is ok, but drop D isn't).

[quote name='spinynorman' post='1028640' date='Nov 18 2010, 10:54 PM']Has anyone actually sold anything on Gumtree?[/quote] I replied to a "wanted" ad, and sold an old guitar amp - does that count? It was all very civilized.

[quote name='icastle' post='1027093' date='Nov 17 2010, 05:22 PM']... Bending the socket contacts back into place is absolutely fine provided the socket is an open skeleton type (i.e. you can actually get to the contacts). Unfortunately some manufacturers are using the shrouded type which makes this impossible. ...[/quote] On a Warwick the socket is completely enclosed so if it's playing up then it's best to replace it. You can get a Neutrik replacement from Maplins for about £2. Make sure you get a stereo socket, of course!

[url="http://www.cardiffguitars.co.uk/"]Cardiff Guitars[/url] is pretty good - they've certainly got a lot of stock given how small the shop is.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='1021760' date='Nov 12 2010, 06:00 PM']... Just-a-nut III replaced Just-a-nut II around 2002. Many prefer the II as it's less prone to breakage / cutting your hands. Also, the strings are individually adjustable for height, whereas the III just tilts on 2 grub screws.[/quote] All correct except you're confusing JAN2 with JAN1. The JAN1 is the popular brass one with individual string height adjustment. The JAN2 was like the JAN3 but had clips at the side that broke off. I've never heard anyone express a preference for the JAN2! And you can buy the JAN1 and JAN3 as spares but Warwick don't sell the JAN2 (cos nobody wants it).

[quote name='far0n' post='1021021' date='Nov 12 2010, 09:22 AM']Played one years ago that had a neck like a tree trunk but sounded truly superb, then got it into my head that all warwicks were chubby. Until I played Warwickhunt's one, his had a nice slim neck ! Hmm... anyway.. loads of questions about Warwicks.... Which pickups are usually the better ? Barts ? MEC ? etc Which time frame has the slimmer necks ? Do the older ones need that wood treament lark ? Weren't they just waxed or something ?? What's the difference between Stage I and II ? I'm sure I'll think of more..... Ta[/quote] Choice of pickups is probably very subjective, so I won't comment. The thinner necks seemed to be a feature of '80s/early '90s Warwicks. Then they went "chubby", but they changed back to thin necks last year. The older and the newer ones need "wood treatment" i.e., waxing, if they have that bare wood look. But you'll find old ones and new ones that are lacquered and so don't need any treatment. Stage I has a visible neck-through, a P/J pickup config, and is mostly maple these days (thought the older ones were cherry), whereas Stage II has a hidden neck-through, J/J pickups, and afzelia body.

[quote name='Gazza 2905' post='1019309' date='Nov 10 2010, 08:23 PM'].....Firstly, as there is no pickup to rest your right thumb on when playing, do you have to make any changes to the way you play? ....[/quote] You could always get [url="http://www.warwick.de/modules/produkte/produkt.php?katID=23256&cl=EN"]one that has a finger/thumb rest:[/url] And +1 to the fretless suggestion - I love my fretless ABG.

I've just bought one of [url="http://www.effectpowersupplies.com/9v-dc-regulated-power-supply-for-single-effects-3-p.asp"]these[/url] and a daisy chain cable. It'll provide 1330mA which is enough for me - you'd need to know the draw of all your effects to know if it's enough for you. The main thing, as far as I'm concerned, is it's quiet - no mains hum. And dirt cheap. And the service was excellent.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1016474' date='Nov 8 2010, 03:40 PM']Thanks. there are two wires going to the lug and i did re wire both. If i exert slight pressure on the lug it cuts out. I cant see anything shorting outside the casing but maybe there is a crack in the track inside. Either way, its quite a small, fiddly pot so putting something larger in will help with the soldering.[/quote] Fair enough. It shouldn't be a big job to replace the pot.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1016150' date='Nov 8 2010, 11:02 AM']...I thought that was it but i think i somehow managed to damage the volume pot, or more likely it just went on its own. If i wiggle any of the leads attached to the hot lug the sound cuts out. ...[/quote] That sounds like one of the leads isn't properly soldered to the tag on the pot - it doesn't sound like the pot itself is faulty. I'd try re-soldering everything and see if that sorts it.

[quote name='megallica' post='1013863' date='Nov 5 2010, 11:23 PM']Just looking at the Rockbass range on www.Thomann.de - it's very extensive! My Corvette Rockbass had active pickups and it had a nice bright tone, maybe not "the sound of wood" but a decent tone all the same Did I read somewhere that Warwick are not writing Rockbass on the headstocks of the new Rockbasses? Some of the online stock has and some don't.... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Warwick-Rockbass-Corvette-Basic-NT-5-String-Bass-Guitar-/330493054579?pt=Guitar&hash=item4cf2ebce73"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Warwick-Rockbass-Cor...=item4cf2ebce73[/url] This one doesn't?[/quote] That's right. All Rockbasses produced from (late) 2010 onwards have "Rockbass" only in tiny writing - from a distance the headstock looks like a regular Warwick. And the bridge is the same 2-piece bridge that the German Warwicks use. The pickups have always been the same, except for the RB Streamers. So it's now the woods and preamps that are the main difference between Warwicks and Rockbasses. And, of course, the country of manufacture (China for RBs, Germany for most Warwicks, except for most Corvettes which are made in Korea, and the Aliens that come from Vietnam).

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1013054' date='Nov 5 2010, 10:28 AM']Yes! Dingwall do them fretless too [/quote] Thanks GW! I'm glad they've lined the board I wonder how well the concept works with a fretless - has anyone on here played a fanned fretless?

Does anybody know if you can get a fretless bass with the fanned concept?

[quote name='silddx' post='1012140' date='Nov 4 2010, 02:58 PM']No mate, that's exactly what I meant too. I understood you perfectly. BUT, what people love about fender types is the easy customisability with things like PGs, and they are so often swapped, so to save on the RRP, let them put one on if they want but not feel like they wasted cash on the one already on there. They also like that Jaco look, and the custom types with no control plate is too far from the Fender style for a lot of people. I think your decesions were excellent from a marketing POV [/quote] Many thanks! I was beginning to think I'd completely lost the plot - it's really good to know you understood exactly what I meant.

[quote name='silddx' post='1010938' date='Nov 3 2010, 03:47 PM']Totally with Mart here. I think your decisions re the ramp and PG are spot on.[/quote] Actually that's quite ironic cos I realized I was possibly using the wrong terminology, and misunderstanding your proposals, and probably ensuring that nobody understood what I meant. On a Jazz bass you've got a pickguard (around the pickups), and a separate control plate (which the knobs sit on). And Jaco removed the pickguard but left the control plate. What I meant to say was that it looked odd just having the control plate, and that it'd be better to have no control plate at all, with the knobs fitted through the wood of the bass (like on Warwicks, for example). I'm guessing that might be way too expensive to machine, though. A metal control plate and a clear pickguard wouldn't look bad, but I personally think your bass looks better without any pickguard, and then the Jazz-style control plate looks out of place. Sorry for any confusion etc!