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[quote name='TheFear' post='1124655' date='Feb 12 2011, 09:16 AM']I have read the wiki above and this question has been asked a few times, anyone know of an amptech in the east midlands area that can look at my trace heads, Getting desperate as both heads have minor issues[/quote] What are the 'minor issues'?

[quote name='WalMan' post='1124577' date='Feb 12 2011, 01:38 AM']your vocalist says "I don't know why you bother with all that extra cr@p. I think it sounds great with your bass straight into the amp" GAH! Why do we do it to ourselves!? Constantly searching for that elusive sound, buying this, changing that, a tinker here & there, and at the end of the day bass 101 (a bass, a lead & an amp) often does it, and would make life & gigging so much easier. Annoying thing is I sometimes agree with him too![/quote] +1 Only thing I've changed in the last 10 years is my rig and that was only because the old one was getting tatty. I went for a nice bland Peavey setup. I constantly use a rack mounted digital chorus set so low that you only realise it's actually there if you turn it off. For the last four summers I've played at an outdoor music festival and for the last four summers I've come off stage after a performance and been asked by other bass players "what are you using up there?, it sounds fantastic." I've got a few odd pedals kicking around but they only ever get pulled out for specific sounds, generally in a studio setup. I have no problem with people swapping gear out all over the place and adding 'tweaks', but it's just not for me any more. I'm much happier familiarising myself with the gear I have so I can concentrate on playing.

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1124507' date='Feb 11 2011, 11:32 PM']So u think this was worth it? FREE!!!![/quote] Nah - take it back... Pics are a bit blurry but it looks in pretty good nick. Looks like you got yourself a bargain there.

[quote name='StevieD_FenderP2009' post='1124508' date='Feb 11 2011, 11:33 PM']Simple really, would it be safe if I was to attach another battery clip into the circuit and make a Spector Tone Pump jr 18 volts? Would it do any damage to it at all? Cheers[/quote] Spector documentation suggests that the Tone Pump uses a voltage doubler - essentially, it takes your 9V and turns it into 18V. If the circuit has an 18V supply applied to it then it will either 1) make no difference because the voltage reglator will 'dump' the voltage it doesn't require or 2) it'll fry the circuit because it has 36V running into it. The circuit diagram doesn't appear to be available and the unit itself is potted so there aren't any visual clues as to which of the above scenarios is going to occur.

[quote name='tom1946' post='1124299' date='Feb 11 2011, 08:15 PM'][/quote] ROTFLMAO!!! Love it!

[quote name='The Burpster' post='1124120' date='Feb 11 2011, 05:48 PM']Why is it that all the decent folks that I could give a hand too live gazillions of miles away...[/quote] I was thinking that just the other day.

[quote name='mcnach' post='1123847' date='Feb 11 2011, 02:01 PM']That's it. I'm unsubscribing from this forum!!! It was nice to meet you all. (argh! I just ordered a navy blue one too!!!)[/quote]

[quote name='pikeman' post='1123651' date='Feb 11 2011, 10:52 AM']Damn, wish you hadn't told me this, I still need a body for a fretless neck. I must resist.[/quote] Well it's been just over an hour since you posted that. You caved in yet or are you all sweaty and shaking just a little?

[quote name='mcnach' post='1123298' date='Feb 10 2011, 10:04 PM']Well, when I say right I mean "relatively close" To finger in the correct spot consistently to intonate well will take practice, but at least I'm able to play basslines that are recognisable. [/quote] I sounded like Les Dawson on speed when I first started playing mine! [quote name='mcnach' post='1123298' date='Feb 10 2011, 10:04 PM']I'm currently going through the "play 5-strings almost exclusively" period to break them and be comfortable with them. Next I'll do the same with the fretless. It's a lovely sound, and to be able to play one when that sound is called for... it must be fantastic.[/quote] Mine's been pretty much superceded by EUB at the moment but I still get it out for a noodle most weeks to keep my hand in.

[quote name='mcnach' post='1123265' date='Feb 10 2011, 09:46 PM']watch this space for pictures and clips of a badly played fretless soon [/quote] The first couple of weeks are the worse, you'll soon get the hang of it.

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1123212' date='Feb 10 2011, 09:06 PM']Also what happens if you buy regular strings and cut them shorter? Is this terrible or is it ok to do?[/quote] If you do that then the string just sounds dead - the winding is no longer attached to the inner core at both ends of the string and just sort of 'floats' if you can picture that? Making sure you put the 90 degree bend in the string just before the 'cut' does circumvent this a little bit though.

Not having done one I can't really comment on the quality. The syllabus appears to be quite comprehensive though. It would probably be better if you could just cherry pick the parts you actually needed instead of paying $1000+ for stuff that you either already know or just need a slight polish added. Some people really do well with this distance learning/online stuff but it's an expensive mistake to make if, like me, you find that method of learning doesn't work for you.

[quote name='pikeman' post='1123200' date='Feb 10 2011, 08:59 PM']Just face facts Jose, Sue Ryder has been responsible for your further education. You'll be looking at Squiers next, a slippery slope. [/quote] He'll be ditching that Stingray and buying an MIA PB before the years out just you wait and see...

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1123050' date='Feb 10 2011, 07:19 PM']Can I get second dibs?[/quote] Yep How many cats do you want with that sir?

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1122968' date='Feb 10 2011, 06:14 PM']*UPDATE* good news im getting it for FREE no postage needed as collecting this friday night I know its not the best bass in the world but for FREE well chuffed [/quote] How cool is that! I'm not a huge fan of them myself, but there's some substantial pockets of love for Peavey basses round here - it might be better than you imagine!

[quote name='paul_5' post='1123030' date='Feb 10 2011, 07:07 PM']Ring to sleeve seems to work - don't know why. I started out with tip to sleeve, but that just gave the same settings as having the pedal rocked all the way back (minimal delay/modulation) I'll have a play with tip to ring tonight t see if that's any better. I'll keep you posted.[/quote] Cool

[quote name='crez5150' post='1122980' date='Feb 10 2011, 06:23 PM']Any chance of a pic.... might be what I'm after...[/quote] It's a Cooper B Line - like this:-

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1122915' date='Feb 10 2011, 05:30 PM']Does it come with any cats?[/quote] My dastardly plans foiled yet again. I just realised that every time I post in here it's 'in bulk'. I can't just do one or two cats like a normal person - it has to be 29. I can't just do a 6U rack like a normal person - it has to be 42. Just wait until I start clearing the barn out...

A qualification in any subject is only worth having if it is recognised by an employer. I would hazard a guess that an online diploma from a US based company isn't going to hold much sway in the UK.

I have a 19" rack going spare. It's 42U tall and was originally used in a datacentre that went 'bust' to rack mount 19" servers. It has a toughened glass front door and a metal rear door. It (obviously) won't be any use for gigging but might be handy for a serious studio setup. It is of a modular design so some 'adjustment' with a hacksaw is probably possible if 42U is too large (although the front door won't be cutable obviously). From personal experience of ordering 42U racks for a datacentre the shipping costs run into the £100s, so collection is probably the best bet. As far as transportation is concerned, I managed to get it into the back of an Omega estate.

[quote name='paul_5' post='1122457' date='Feb 10 2011, 11:37 AM']Steady now! had a play last night with a fixed resistor and a 90 degree jack plug - seems to work quite well. I'll probably mount a small pot in a plastic box eventually to keep my options open.[/quote] Excellent Just out of interest, was it tip to sleeve or tip to ring you ended up using?

[quote name='algmusic' post='1122384' date='Feb 10 2011, 10:06 AM']Funny you should say that, my other instrument is drums.. it's easy, you just hit things :-P[/quote] [quote name='algmusic' post='1122384' date='Feb 10 2011, 10:06 AM']I've heard that sometimes shielding the pickups can help, but I need to see if it's definitely not the PUP as you mentioned. I'm glad this is not my main bass. Who said Passive basses are simple eh? :-)[/quote] Yep, shielding the pickups can remove background hum but what you have here is an earth based hum (it changes when you touch metal parts as you are acting as an earth) and no amount of shielding is going to cure that. As far as passive electronics go, this should be so simple - are you sure it's not someone with a kazoo hiding in the room somewhere?

[quote name='algmusic' post='1122209' date='Feb 10 2011, 01:20 AM']It still is humming unless I touch it.. I'd say worse.. hmm.. Any other ideas, I might have to take it to the gallery, or change back to the old rubbish pup.. I don't get it[/quote] Damn. I really thought that was going to be the big breakthrough there. Ok, let's try pickup substitution - leaving the rest of your cabling intact, disconnect the SD and put the old pickup back into position. I have to say the description doesn't sound like a pickup problem but it's better to eliminate it than to kick ourselves afterwards... You considering taking up the triangle instead yet?

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1122196' date='Feb 10 2011, 12:43 AM']Steady on![/quote] Sorry - I was having a bit of a 'matron moment' there.

[quote name='norvegicusbass' post='1122159' date='Feb 10 2011, 12:01 AM']Imagine the fights you would have over who uses the hands to play though[/quote] You might want to rephrase that.