Matt P

i've owned 2 fretless basses in the past but never used them live, the first was/is a Aria cardinal medium scale that a previous owner had de-fretted, I never used it so i had the frets put back in, (i've still got this one as it's a YOB bass and i really like it), the second was a squier fretless jazz that i took as a trade for an amp, It never left the house so i traded it for a squier mustang. at some point i'm sure i'll buy another fretless but it will probably not get used and be sold on (i'll not learn!) Matt

I can't really comment on the cases you have listed but for me the obvious choice would be a Hiscox liteflite case, you'll not get a new one in your budget but they're not hard to find secondhand and on a weight vs protection ratio I don't think there is anything better, personally i've got 12 of them and many were bought secondhand, some for as litlle as £30 a wanted ad on here would probably find you one, alternatively i've had good luck on facebook marketplace and ebay, as you're in London you've got a good chance of finding one. Matt

no idea about the threaded hole in the speaker, i guess it could be a securing screw for the magnet cover but I thought these were usually glued on, is the cap loose? from the picture it looks like the thread is in the cap though so that wouldn't make much sense. if there was supposed to be a screw there then i'd expect it to be stuck to the magnet or loose somewhere in the cab. is this an issue that has appeared over time? Matt

you just need to get to the front of the speaker, it should be possible to gently use your fingers to see if anything is loose, a soft artists paint brush would work as well, it should be obvious if something isn't attached. go gently and you should be fine.

I've just listened to the recording, have you checked the dustcap in the centre of the speaker? it sounds to me like something physically vibrating and if you've been through the physical connections then this would be my next thing to check. if it is the dust cap then it might just need a touch of adhesive to fix it.

I'd have to suggest the same thing, the best speaker for that enclosure would be the one that Markbass designed it for, Failing that then if you can take measurements of the internal enclosure volume and any port areas and lengths then someone might be able to suggest a suitable replacement. matching cabinets to speakers is a science and getting it wrong will at best just sound bad and at worst damage the new driver. I made the mistake of buying some speakers with the intention of building some cabs without doing enough research beforehand and ending up with completely the wrong speakers and no chance of building a suitable cabinet that would fit in the space i had. Matt

I actually own 3 more of the same mic (Red5Audio RV8) all of them working, i'll have to have a look and see how easy swapping the capsule is, i've been meaning to inspect the circuit as well, my guess is either a bad solder joint or maybe a blown capacitor, i've got a feeling it's all surface mount though so beyond my soldering skills. maybe this is a good opportunity to build a replacement circuit for it. Matt

i'm watching this, I got a dead condenser mic in a deal a while back (as an addition to a working one) as the housing is in nice shape i'm tempted to build something from it. I've looked at the capsules that Thomann sells as replacements for the T-bone mics, they have good reviews but that's often not a true representation of how good they truly are. is there a good way to test the capsule? i don't know if it's the capsule or the circuit that is dead in mine so it would be good to determine either way. Matt

chipped in, it's stuff like this that just reinforces my belief that bass players are the best people in the world. Matt

Normally green would be my last choice for an instrument but this bass is just perfect looking, such a great spec and look, i'll definitely be buying a ticket or two. just out of interest what strings are fitted? Matt

I did get some replies over in the Double bass section and the advice was either a SM57 or equivalent wrapped in a towel and wedged under the tailpiece pointing at the bridge or a cardoid of some sort on a stand in front of the bass. I ended up going for the Rode M3, on a stand about 6-8 inches in front and slightly above the bridge, it seemed to work well enough, i could hear the bass from the back of the (smallish) hall, it was a 4 piece band (Guitar, Violin, accordion and double bass, with a mic for calling and another for singer songwriter spots. It wasn't a high volume gig either which helps. the guitar and violin had pickups and i used another Rode M3 in front of the Accordion which also seemed to work fairly well. I wasn't there for the actual performance as it was a small private party but from the reports i got back it went well and everyone was happy.

Just a quick post gig report, went with a rode m3 on a stand in front of the bass, the player had borrowed the bass from somewhere so that seemed like the better option. It sounded pretty good thought the pa and luckily it was a small band as the hall wasn't that big either. Every one had a good time and I was gifted a very nice bottle of wine which made my evening very pleasant indeed. Thank you for all the advice. Matt

I'll be going along for the setup and soundcheck but after that i'll be heading home as i'm not part of the band and it's a small wedding so i'd be pretty conspicuous (also i've got a kitchen to start painting tomorrow afternoon) the desk will be sitting next to the guitarist so if there are any issues he should be able to sort it fairly quickly, they don't want any foldback so that will hopefully help with reducing the chances of feedback, i might set up a second mic on a stand as well and balance between the two, the player might also object to the mic in a towel method so a mic on a stand might end up the answer anyway. Thank you for all the suggestions and tips, I'll try and report back once it's all over. Matt

the Audix i5 is very similar to an sm57, i'll pack a small towel in the kit, that might be the best solution. i'm assuming you aim it up at the bridge? matt

I might be in the minority as a PA owner but i don't actually have an SM58 in my collection, the mic's I've got available are a mix of mics belonging to bandmates (who also part own the PA) and the ones I've bought for recording over the years. I don't sing myself and if i did I'd probably buy anything except the SM58 (I just like being different/difficult) Matt