icastle

[quote name='Kinder' post='1113710' date='Feb 3 2011, 12:07 PM']- What's best to use to get the black paint off? I guess using a few different grains of sandpaper but is there any sort of gentle paint stripper to use first?[/quote] I don't think there's such a thing as gentle paint stripper.. Sandpaper might take a little while but it will give you the opportunity to smooth out any little dinks in the woodwork, something that paint stripper certainly can't do. [quote name='Kinder' post='1113710' date='Feb 3 2011, 12:07 PM']- I'm planning on leaving the neck and headstock well alone. Is that wise?[/quote] Absolutely. Lose the Fender logo off the top of the headstock and your bass becomes just another 'no name copy'. The neck is probably already natural finished anyway so I'd say that sanding it down is just creating work for no return!

Stay away from glue and drills mate - you'll definately not achieve anything positive with those. That pot is has definately had it and needs replacing. It's not a particularly difficult job but it can be time consuming. The 3500c has a single board running (near enough) the full width of the chassis - means that all the pots need to be released to get the board out so that the busted pot can be replaced (they're mounted on the board). If this sort of work is outside of what you can manage then the current Hartke importers are Korg (01908 857100) - perhaps give them a call and see if they have a dealer in your area who can offer service facilities? I don't know the York area so can't really point you at a local amp tech.

[quote name='Bankai' post='1113293' date='Feb 3 2011, 12:05 AM']Mine is just in the right position for playing naked. I'm yet to have a gig yet where that is an option though.[/quote] I did a gig for a swingers club a few years back and didn't realise what it was until I was told three months later... ... I just thought the audience were friendly...

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1112955' date='Feb 2 2011, 08:28 PM']Just high enough that if I was playing naked the top of my dignity would be just intact, not the bottom though, I'm blessed [/quote] How you getting on with that Steinberger by the way?

[quote name='silddx' post='1113091' date='Feb 2 2011, 10:05 PM']There are certain stage clothes I can't wear anymore [/quote] ...and possibly shouldn't have done in the first place...

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1113239' date='Feb 2 2011, 11:27 PM']Thanks for the reply but these pickup covers are the wrong fugging size, they are a lot bigger than the original and wont fit in the scratchplate holes. Not only that, the width between screws is much wider so I am not about to bodge my bass just for two dodgy pickup covers. I'll send these back to the sod that sold them to me and I leave you with warning to others not to buy them Don't buy any pickup cover from this man they are [b][size=3]fake[/size][/b] and probably from an Aria or Ibanez bass, certainly not Fender or Squier. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130294572290&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT[/url] [size=5][b]THESE ARE NOT ORIGINAL SO DON'T GET CAUGHT LIKE I DID[/b][/size][/quote] That's a real pain, but in all fairness, he's not claiming they are 'originals' and he's put some (presumably) accurate measurements in the description...

[quote name='algmusic' post='1113024' date='Feb 2 2011, 09:19 PM']I have an aerodyne jazz. I have just installed Seymore Duncan quater pound on the J pick up. The the J pick up already buzzed a bit when it was full on with no P in the mix. After I installed the you SD, I noticed the buzzing stopped completely when I touched the bridge. I'm using Trybass strings, so just touching the strings doesn't work as the strings are coated with nylon Any thoughts, I checked the earth goes to the bridge, but If I could grow an extra arm, I'd be fine ;-)[/quote] It's almost certainly a bridge earth problem. Which end of the earth cable did you check, the bridge end or the soldered end? If you want to prove it for certain then use a scrap of wire and touch one end of it on the bridge and the other end against the metal casing of the guitar lead - if the buzz disappears when you do that then you have a missing/bad earth connection.

Top of the bass just over my belly button works best for me.

[quote name='adledman' post='1112750' date='Feb 2 2011, 06:17 PM']hi icastle, i wasnt pointing any comments at you but agreeing with earlier comment about buying animals.[/quote] I know that ad - all cool here mate.

Maybe even brown shoe polish if the plastic has a key?

[quote name='tauzero' post='1112211' date='Feb 2 2011, 12:14 PM']I've soldered an RS232 plug to a cable that was going down a mineshaft - had heavy duty sheathing on it, I had to strip the outer back with a junior hacksaw.[/quote] You had hacksaw? Ne'er had no hacksaw when I were a lad, we had t' kids from workhouse nibblin' cable with their teeth night and day...

[quote name='adledman' post='1112039' date='Feb 2 2011, 09:29 AM']the sort of people(for want of a better word) who buys pets from dealers and shops are the sort who generally get bored when they realise that the cute little bundle is now dropping hairs and other things and costs a small fortune to feed and keep healthy and dump for someone else to look after as they find it hard to manage their own person hygiene let alone another animals. i need to draw breath! i personally have always taken rescue animals and clean up after other people when they get bored and love my rosie(big dog) and my wee birds(the last thing that should be in a cage so mine a free to leave it though not out the window). i can see i am starting to table thump so will sign off. glad you got a resolution to your prob. change raspberry to copious amounts of haranguing please now i know its not bothering you icastle. ad[/quote] The original cats here all came from rescue shelters. As for the cost of keeping pets, by the time you pay for food, vet bills and the regular stuff (flea treatment, deworming etc.) it can all add up. I think a lot of people mistakenly think it's just the cost of pet food. I haven't sat and worked out accurate costs, but I reckon that £5 a week is enough to feed a cat - so I've been paying out something in the region of £600 a month! I know this is an emotive subject, peoples circumstances change, relationships can fall apart, forced moves to accomodation that doesn't allow animals, illness and a whole pile of other things, so it's not really fair to judge all cases the same way. I'd say that rehoming an animal is a far better thing to do than attempting to keep an animal in a totally unsuitable environment. Raspberries and haranguing don't bother me in the least.

Retaining collar on the machine head?

[quote name='TRBboy' post='1111521' date='Feb 1 2011, 07:56 PM']Anybody got a wiring diagram for wiring up a pj config with vol/3way/tone?[/quote] Like [url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=p_j_bass_blend"]this[/url]?

This sounds so reminicent of people rediscovering vinyl a few years after CDs appeared Seriously though, glad you're through the worst of it mate.

[quote name='barryman' post='1111721' date='Feb 1 2011, 10:27 PM']NOW SORTED!! Thanks Icastle - it was actually the corner protector-cap screws that were stopping it sliding out!!![/quote] That's it! I knew I half remembered there was something weird you had to do!

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1111555' date='Feb 1 2011, 08:21 PM'] I thought I was the one with soldering iron skills....[/quote] No doubting that! On a training course I get to teach from time to time, I describe that rather gory injury and then say "so I grabbed a soldering iron..." There's usually a few uncomfortable squirms and pale faces when they make the obvious wrong assumption... I hate teaching so it's my compensation

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1111797' date='Feb 1 2011, 11:23 PM']I've bought as set of 2 split pickup covers for my P bass in white but they look too bloody whitey, how do I make them look aged? I don't like the cream DiMarzio type they are too creamy I just want them off white sort of thing. Someone suggested to leave them soaking in cold tea all night, anyone got proof that this will actually work, or has other suggestions? Thanks[/quote] Woodstain? Paint it on and then rub it off - seems to stain the plastic tubs I use when decorating...

[quote name='coop1985' post='1111812' date='Feb 1 2011, 11:35 PM']I'm currently running an Ashdown ABM EVOII 500 2x10 with an Ashdown ABM 1x15 cab. I'm using a Rickenbacker 4003 and an Epiphone Thunderbird. My problem is, I aren't getting the volume I thought I should. I'm nearly maxing out my Input and Output volumes and the amp is struggling. I've noticed that if I drop the Bass volume to 9 o'clock, it seems a lot better, but still haven't got the volume.[/quote] It should have plenty of volume, especially with the extension cab. Have you tried shoving the little EQ sliders up a bit and making sure that the 'Shape' button isn't pushed in?

Well that's 16 of them gone - not a bad afternoons work!

[quote name='Rumble' post='1110931' date='Feb 1 2011, 01:19 PM']Not sure the cats as interested in playing the bass as it is in biting it's owners arm![/quote] I agree. It'd probably better off becoming a drummer...

[quote name='DaveB' post='1110900' date='Feb 1 2011, 12:53 PM']I couldn't for example endorse Rotosound or ernie ball strings as i never got on with them [/quote] I won't mention names as it'd cause trouble for the individual, but I know of one pretty well known bass player who endorses some strings he absolutely hates and doesn't use unless the sponsor is turning up with more of them...

[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' post='1110885' date='Feb 1 2011, 12:38 PM']The power supplies are often very weak, and the stated output sometimes woefully optimistic[/quote] I'm damn sure that some of these companies decide what they want to quote as an output and then fiddle around with different ways of expressing output power until they hit a figure they like the look of...

[quote name='Krysbass' post='1110876' date='Feb 1 2011, 12:30 PM']In my case, the 90 minute round trip to/from work is useful time to listen carefully to the songs, count repetitions and work out where cues are - no bass needed for that one![/quote] +1 Provided you don't get distracted by it, the car is an ideal place to listen to stuff you are trying to learn.

If Burrito has already managed to shrink his songsheets down to postcards it looks as though someone will be bringing out patches to help with this addiction before too long...