mcnach

Last night's gig... set up and sound check. Problem... no sound. I use a reasonable pedalboard for this band (RATM covers band)... I bypassed it and there is sound. Hmmm, another band I'd just go without but without the various overdrives, wah and phaser it would not sound right. So I start to skip pedals to troubleshoot while the band looks worried at me. I could hear a very faint 'pop' when I slapped a string hard, just that. I traced it to the second to last pedal in the chain: my EBS Multicomp compressor. It's a shame as I like it a lot, but at least I still get all my sounds on tap. It's also a shame as I had two until a week or so ago when I sold my spare one. So I ripped it off the board, put it aside and we played. I did the first set without it. Then during the break I had an 'inspiration'... you see... sometimes the knobs on the pedals move a bit despite being protected in the case. Maybe while packing, cables etc... So I was having my beer in the 'green room' and I went out to fetch the pedal. Brought it back into the light and... yup. The gain knob was at minimum... Under pressure I did not even think of checking the level of the pedal... I hope I remember this one next time!

[quote name='redbandit599' timestamp='1480099102' post='3181717'] Think I'll spring for a pair of these - my hearing isn't bad and I should keep it that way. Couple of questions about options :- Grips? What are they? Corded or not? Colour - what do you guys reckon I suppose clear is the obvious subtle choice, or is it better to go bling in case you drop them? [/quote] grips... I said yes. I assume they'll be the little stems that help you get them out. Corded... I said yes. My standard earplugs are joined by a cord and I like that. Colour... I went with colourless. But I guess other colours may be better as they will stay looking good longer rather than turning yellowish with use, and may be easier to locate if dropped as you point out. Go for pink

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1480066371' post='3181353'] Promo code XMAS16 [/quote] oh! just in time!!! I got distracted and didn't finish the transaction then... and I got the chance to use this code. Awesome! Only £111.20. Next time I see you at the Tickled Trout I'll buy you a beer

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1480059529' post='3181294'] 20% off black Friday. I went to put it in the Black Friday thread but the EBSter got there before me. [/quote] cool! just when I was about to order anyway... although I see no sign of a discount when I get to the checkout, hmmm, I think it's for certain products on Amazon, not by ACS directly. Nevermind... press the button!

[quote name='pierreganseman' timestamp='1480056765' post='3181287'] so ! asked the boss : there's 13 people working in poland :-D they're hoping to start the new workshop in march 2017 [/quote] I'm going to be in Poland next week... and no, I promise I will not go to the workshop to stalk them while they -hopefully- start on my order. I'll be too busy drinking beer anyway. They have a surplus of strange politicians and beer. The former... I have no idea how to help. But I'm a master at making beer disappear.

but if you end up dividing the output between your cab and the "4ohm dummy load", you still won't be using the full 350W as half of it will be dissipated by it and half would go to your speaker... or am I missing something?

[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1480014440' post='3181080'] I'm wanting something sparkly... [/quote] shut up... just when I was thinking that I knew what I wanted... the sparkly idea comes back to mind In an ideal world I'd get both finishes I am thinking of. But I can't... It's a hard life

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1480008719' post='3181010'] Here's a few snippets of a dep gig I did last weekend. The band & set are great fun. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Xc20kBpeA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Xc20kBpeA[/url] [/quote] FREEBIRD!!!! great band!

[quote name='peety' timestamp='1480001121' post='3180919'] You're not wrong there Michael have used it exclusively for gigging since i got it from you , the new one is a take on a Lakland Duck Dunn i had just a P bass in black but with slightly slimmer neck plus blocked and bound rosewood board which i have to say is stunning. I will really find it difficult to justify buying basses from anywhere else such is the quality for the price [/quote] Indeed. It's a shame that the drop in the £ due to B... bad financial weather means that while I paid £665 for my first Jake, today it would cost £855. The second cost £875 but now it'd be £1125... Of course, everything else has gone up in price too... but last year or so it was even more of a great deal. I remember getting the first Jake and I could not believe that £665 gave me such a well made bass (with the neck exactly to my specs!)... The new one is going to be around £1000, and I can't wait.

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1479981135' post='3180715'] Email sent this morning, awaiting response..... [/quote] hey! stay away, don't distract him from MY order!!!

[quote name='Mattpt85' timestamp='1479980729' post='3180708'] In my early stingray days I had all controls up full (2eq), then wondered why it didn't sound that good. Made a massive difference turning them down to halfway then tweaking. [/quote] Indeed. You can get a lot of variation from that preamp but I guess a lot of people just turn everything full, as most do with passive basses

[quote name='Heathy' timestamp='1479979224' post='3180692'] I parted company with my Stingray for this reason. I read that it's an issue with the electronics - I would definitely agree with this as acoustically it was fine. Adjusting pick up height didn't appear to help me. Adjusting the EQ helped a bit - but you shouldn't have to do that. Playing with a pick helped a bit - so possibly a technique issue, but again a compromise you shouldn't have to make. In the end I lost patience and went back to Fenders. A great bass in all other respects though. [/quote] you shouldn't have to adjust the EQ to make it sound the way you want it? I've heard people moaning about playing the Jazz bass on two pickups full and getting lost in the mix... no surprise if you essentially have a very scooped sound and the rest of the band is prominent on lows/highs so you're directly competing rather than fitting in. That gets solved by changing the sound... different pickup balance (adjusting heights slightly differently also has a big effect on how scooped the sound is to start with), different EQ. I don't think the Stingray is that different a case.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1479951629' post='3180591'] I must be blessed. I've heard about issues with dead G strings. [/quote] They look beautiful if you remove the pickguard

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1479780153' post='3179256'] I just emailed Adrian [/quote] ... and I've finally decided on a couple of issues I was unsure about. Now just checking the colour is the one I'm after exciting! Essentially, I was unsure between a solid metallic colour, or the wood stain with satin finish instead. Also, I was going to have it pickguard-less, but ordering also a pickguard in case... and now I'm just having it with a pickguard, I think it'll look better.

[quote name='phil.c60' timestamp='1479907944' post='3180186'] Yes you certainly can. The inserts pop out of the moulds with the assistance of the little plastic cleaning tool that comes with them. You have to be able to remove them, because you should wash the moulds in warm soapy water occasionally and you must not get water in the inserts. (or a gentle tease with a cocktail stick as I lost the plastic tool at a gig some time ago). Do be careful though, because they are quite small and do literally "pop" out. First time I did it I spent five minutes on my hands and knees under the kitchen table! Fortunately I found the one I dropped. I have considered getting some even lower ones for watching gigs, and some higher ones for when my wife snores! FinnDave beat me to it! [/quote] Ha! Right... I'll contact ACS and suggest they make the filters magnetic, so that if you drop them all you have to do is comb the area with a magnet

[quote name='phil.c60' timestamp='1479906610' post='3180164'] Yep - you just make an appointment at Boots for a hearing test and tell them it's because you want some ACS plugs, they check your hearing and your ear canals, take the moulds and you pay there and then. Everything is included in the price. A couple of weeks later they pop through your letter box. If you decide, like I did, that you need different attenuation ( I dropped from 17's to 15's)you can send them back within a month and they'll swap the inserts FOC. Mine were back in three days. I've had them three years and never play or rehearse without them. They also keep your moulds on file, so if you need another pair you can just order them using your original customer number. Great service, great product. Buy some. [/quote] is the filter substitution something you could do yourself? Just wondering whether it could be practical to have two sets of attenuation filters... although I guess one level works unless you play with different bands with wildly different sound levels...

[quote name='LiamPodmore' timestamp='1479901490' post='3180105'] I did the whole thing through my local Boots branch. They do the impressions then deal with the rest for you, [/quote] thank you. I'm going away for a week so when I return I'll get on with this

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1479904392' post='3180139'] I wouldn't have thought you need to use a magnet on the pole piece, I think a piece of steel or iron (something magnetis[i]able[/i]) would do the same job without risking demagnetising the pickup itself. [/quote] the only way to increase the magnetic field on an existing polepiece is to make the magnet stronger, I guess. Since in alnico pickups the polepieces themselves are the magnets, adding metal underneath would not make it stronger, right? I have no idea whether it can make the existing magetic polepieces lose properties or anything. I just remembered coming across a post on TB where some people did just that and it seemed to work for them (higher output on their pickups) actually... there was talk about that but I think the images I saw (on the same thread?) was of a pickup with non magnetic poles where they removed the ceramic magnet and used a neo one instead... so I don't know anymore!

[quote name='funkgod' timestamp='1479900089' post='3180090'] A lot of stingrays have this issue, moving the pickup for most does not really sort the Issue out for one that is bad as the four middle poles are higher so if you raise the bottom of the pick up to try and make the g louder the d gets louder, The main prob really comes into play when I play swing or walking bass lines when I move to the g all the loudness drops out. There is a cure I have done and covered this before, Now here is my disclaimer .... I have done this to all my stingrays and works great, up to you if you want to try it, or get advice first.... The four middle poles will push down, don't attempt to raise the end ones as the coils are wrapped around these and so a lot of tension on them , but if you press down gently but firmly the middle four will go down and even out all the poles, then when you raise the pickup the g will be as loud as the a an d , I can post a pic if wanted of all my poles flat inline, makes a big difference, Now will say again, only try this if it's really bad as a last resort befor say changing the pickup, and if you not up to it get advice about it, Hope it helps [/quote] I wonder if adding a small circular neodymium magnet under the polepieces of the G string would help without affecting tone too much. I've heard about people adding a couple of magnets like that for higher output... I have no direct experience on that.

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1479846196' post='3179775'] Does that not tell you something then? How many beginners or average players post vids of themselves on here? Its probably just me being old and British but I have an aversion to showing off. They are all better than me also but frankly who cares what someone looks like playing something? Its music, its what it sounds like that counts. Bah humbug....Nurse, my medication. [/quote] People have enjoyed watching others play instruments for centuries, if not millenia. It's nothing new or... show-offy (necessarily). I enjoy watching people of all levels who make music I like. I enjoy watching people who are better than me, and sometimes I get inspiration from that. I enjoy watching people who are no better than me and participate in this forum because... I don't know. Because I see their names around and I am curious and they're "one of us" or something. Quite frankly, the notion of X is better than me or Y is worse than me doesn't even cross my mind. Hey, you can always minimise the window and simply listen to the audio if you prefer

The Barefaced Two10 is around £500 (I think it's £499 plus postage). It's a 2x10 but with surprising volume and sounds a lot bigger than its size suggests. Get the 4ohm version and you'll be fine. If you're interested in light and relatively compact, but still loud, deep and good sounding... The Two10 is great.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1479829220' post='3179618'] Doesn't word exclusion help at all..? Searching for 'Fender -Squier' would bring up only ads with the word Fender, as long as there is no mention of Squier. Not perfect, but what is..? [/quote] It does to some extent. If you look for Squier -Fender you'll miss a lot of Squiers 'though. Ebay's search engine is not too bad. Other sites are horrendous

[quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1479825393' post='3179574'] I think there is a subtle but significant difference between Squier and Epiphone. If you click on the Fender website you will see Squier products advertised under a Fender logo'd page, this doesn't happen with Gibson/Epiphone. I think describing a Squier as a "Fender Squier", or "Squier by Fender" is perfectly acceptable. On the other hand describing a non Fender/Squier as a Precision Bass, or a non Gibson/Epiphone as an Explorer Bass is incorrect [/quote] if we're strict with the meaning, you are correct. However, as a way for people to label their ads so that others can search for what they're after, it completely buggers things up and it seems ridiculous.

[quote name='HengistPod' timestamp='1479816615' post='3179473'] No, but there bloody should be. It's alright for the multi-band guy, but not handy when you get offered gigs and the drummer is out with his wedding band ... again. [/quote] Yeah, that's annoying but... if that is a problem remember you can get another drummer. As long as the band members have a similar expectation and priority, being in several bands not only is workable, but it can also help. It's helped my band when a member got sick just before a gig, it's helped my band get more gigs... it's not all bad, And people often become better musicians when they play with other people as they're less likely to "stick to what they know" and get more inspiration too.

[quote name='pierreganseman' timestamp='1479799823' post='3179289'] good move ! :-D [/quote] and... it won't be red!