icastle

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1041604' date='Nov 29 2010, 08:33 PM']So if soapbars are used because they can contain any kind of pickup, why aren't they used more on 4 and 5 strings? Also, how are you supposed to know what pups are contained inside the soapbar case if they could potentially be a J or bucker?[/quote] Using a soapbar on a 4 string is a more expensive option given the vast number of P and J type pups that are available to a manufacturer who is trying to create an instrument on a budget that people recognise. Not really studied in depth what pups are on 5 string basses - mine has a pair of Bartolini soapbars that came as standard and work just fine. You can get P & J type pups for a 5 string but, as there is a more limited market for them, I would have guessed that most manufacturers would go for soapbars from a cost and ease of fitting perspective. You don't really need to know what's inside the soapbar - different brands have different characteristics and you (or the instrument manufacturer) just select the ones most suitable for the purpose. I guess it's a bit like you don't need to know how your telly works to be able to enjoy it!

[quote name='andytoad' post='1041595' date='Nov 29 2010, 08:24 PM']ok, I have finally got hold of the 16 ohm 10" celestions for my 2x10 cab. one of them i bought as a pair off evilbay (sorry) knowing that one of the pair is farting because of a slightly split diaphram. seeing as they seemed pretty hard to come by, I thought i might try my luck with a re-edge kit to see if i can get the 3rd broken speaker working as a spare. So, is it worth doing? I see you can pick kits from the US, but is this the sort of thing and amatuer could be successful with or is it a skilled task? Im pretty nifty with my hands, so feel confident if it is not too skilled. if its worth doing, cab the spare be picked up cheap in the uk? or is there someone local in kent that could repair it cheaply? your thoughts everyone?[/quote] Is the split on the centre dome or on the edge of the driver?

[quote name='dincz' post='1041574' date='Nov 29 2010, 08:05 PM']I've been using a Servo 300 for the past few months with no complaints and am curious about others' experiences with them. Although it's certainly a budget power amp it seems to deliver the goods both on paper and in the flesh. Given that Hartke amps generally rate well, and that Hartke and Samson come from the same factory, why do the Samson Servos (300W and 600W) not show up more often in bass rigs?[/quote] Well they were never really designed for use as a bass amp. There are no tone controls, output is possible via 1/4" jacks but no speakon connectors which most modern bass amps use. Input is possible via 1/4" jack - which is the norm but they are on the rear of the unit next to the phono inputs - which isn't! It's purely a stereo power amp more designed for permanant installations (sound systems in pubs & clubs) and lacks the features that most bassists expect to see in a bass amp. I'd have absolutely no qualms in using one, but not as part of my bass rig!

[quote name='gafbass02' post='1041373' date='Nov 29 2010, 04:56 PM']This 'oh so cool' (genuine) forearm wear really hurts my arm when I play, and i just can't play in sleeves Grrr! Man up I guess. Unlike the old nitro finishes that rub through the finish on my bass is cracking and coming off more like boiled eggshell, which is ironic what with the colour n all.[/quote] Well I knew that mojo was infectious but I never knew it was corrosive....

[quote name='Johnston' post='1041342' date='Nov 29 2010, 04:40 PM']And thats the way they recommend you do things these days. In my last job the place wasn't long after being took over by an international crowd. They wanted stock value reduced by something like 75%. Great if the the main warehouse is down the road not so good when 24hr delivery is usually 48hr if your lucky. The car dealership was the same everything Bar Service items were next day delivery.[/quote] Yeah. The "Just In Time Ordering" culture is all very well until you hit the "Too F*ck*ng Late Delivery" problem.

[quote name='mrtcat' post='1041308' date='Nov 29 2010, 04:07 PM']My guitarist is called Russ Axeman[/quote] Anyone gonna own up to having a sound engineer called Jack Offman?

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1041194' date='Nov 29 2010, 02:28 PM']Just did a search on 6 string MM pickups and could only find one, I never really see any 6ers with J pups either, they all seem to be soapbars. How come? Thom[/quote] Probably because thats the easiest design option - look at the way J or P type pups are used and you'll see that using them on a 6 string would need a radical redesign...

We got ours through Zurich - £80

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1040974' date='Nov 29 2010, 11:41 AM']What are the chances of a drummer being called Mr Drums?[/quote] Dunno, but I used to have a GP called Dr Payne

If you are DIY inclined (and patient!) you can actually buy nut "blanks" and carve yourself a new one that fits exactly. Alternatively any good luthier will be able to get a factory replacement or carve an identical one plus setup your bass and give it a once over.

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1040591' date='Nov 28 2010, 11:20 PM']In exactly the same situation. Our singer and 2 guitarists are unhappy with how things are going. Me and Mr.drums (sorry got to steal that) think everything is fine, we gig regularly and are building up new material. The others feel it's slow, boring or whatever else. They call a band meeting and basically call the shots, they don't want to do any more gigs until we have a whole new set. "WTF?" was my answer but in a more polite and long winded way. We end up agreeing that we will focus on writing new material. But since then only the rhythm guitarist has bothered to turn up, the others with claims of being "ill" and having to look after siblings. Later we find that the singer "cba" and the lead guitarist made himself busy. I don't understand how they can be so demanding then not bother to turn up to rehearsals. Before myself and the drummer joined they had been together 9 months and had 2 original songs, in the 10 months we have been with them we have roughly 45 minutes of originals and covers. So it's hardly been as slow as they think in my eyes. I just don't understand what's up with them really, I feel as though they are being mardy and pathetic with no good reason. How can they expect more from others when they don't give more themselves? I dunno.... Im rather vexed at the whole situation.[/quote] A couple of months should be long enough to get a complete gigs worth of covers ready but, unless you have a truly fantastic songwriter amongst them, coming up with enough original [b]and[/b] quality material to do a complete gig is going to take one hell of a lot longer. I guess the question "what do you want out of this?" needs to be asked of your AWOL band members. If they want to gig then they need to understand that it's going to be a long time coming if they refuse to do covers. If they want to songwrite then they need to understand that it's going to be quite a long time until you have enough quality material to do a complete gig. The best compromise would be to have a mixture of covers and originals - that'll open more doors for gigging and allow you to perform whilst spending some quality time on writing material (if thats where they want to go). However, neither option is going to work unless they put the same effort into it that you and Mr Drummer have been trying to. I have to say that you're a lot more patient than me - I certainly wouldn't stay with a band that had taken 10 months to get 45 mins of material together!

That really sucks but there is a good side to this. It means you can sit back and concentrate on sorting out the other stuff you're not happy about without band politics distracting you or adding to the situation. It gives you a chance to get some practice in, learn some new tricks and get your act really polished. Once you're stress free and polished a band will snap you up and value your input more than you've been getting of late. A band that truly values you will bend over backwards to keep you onboard. So, you sort out the first two things and the last two will just fall into place. See - told ya there was a good side to it

[quote name='barneyg42' post='1040534' date='Nov 28 2010, 10:14 PM']Just re-aquainted myself with a bit of Jude, downloaded Road Noise,The Official Bootleg having got rid of the vinyl ages ago and it has to be said that John"Rhino"Edwards is a fine bass player. I sort of realised this years ago and when he went to Quo I thought what a waste. Still, he's been with them some time now so it was definately a good career move even if it did nothing for his bass playing. And hey I'm no Quo detractor, always like their stuff and work ethic! Just seems strange for such an accomplished player to go down down the 12bar rock boogie road. £££s?[/quote] I never clicked that it was the same John Edwards! Used to love his slidey harmonics on the more atmospheric JT tracks and he played what "needed" to be there as opposed to just shovelling notes into empty spaces. I guess, like the rest of us, he has to eat and a job with Status Quo once Judie Tzuke started to be less "popular" put bread on the table. Shame though

[quote name='Moos3h' post='1040472' date='Nov 28 2010, 09:26 PM']Geoff no longer owns it, it's a chap called Dave who's a very nice guy, but to my eyes the shop has seriously lost its way and is feeling very tired these days, especially in the bass department. They also don't have Barrie (their old tech), he defected to Gig Gear in Harlow - that room seems to be used as a photo studio now for some reason :S It's still well worth a look, and providing you get a sensible sales dood, then the service is still good but it's a bit pricey and you can't park for miles - grr![/quote] Ah - I've been living up here for about 5 years now so am out of touch with whats been happening down there. I first started going there in the 80's when Keith & Pam owned it. Parking was always a nightmare on Saturdays from what I remember - I used to try and avoid market days . I now feel very very old...

[quote name='machinehead' post='1040439' date='Nov 28 2010, 08:59 PM']Yes, I own it. [/quote] I seem to recall that Bucklersbury was in Hitchin not Northern Ireland... even someone of my limited geographical ability probably would have noticed leaving England

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1040405' date='Nov 28 2010, 08:36 PM']I've been going to fix this for ages but haven't had the time. I have an Epi Explorer that someone did a refinish on without taking the pickups off. The pickups are put to one side until I look for something that may be able to remove it without melting the plastic but in the meantime I have the ones from my Thunderbird to put in. When I got it it wasn't working at all, the switch had completely broken off. I'm in need of a wiring diagram but can't find anything - does anyone have one handy? It may very well be the same as the Les Paul bass I'm not even sure what the switch is for, I'm assuming its a pickup selector with vol/vol/tone controls[/quote] Not an Epiphone expert I'm afraid but I'd hazard a guess that they didn't reinvent the wheel for the Epiphone range - anything here of any use? : [url="http://www.gibson.com/Service/Tech/Schematics/"]http://www.gibson.com/Service/Tech/Schematics/[/url]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1040345' date='Nov 28 2010, 07:44 PM']Have a wee butchers [url="http://www.bassesbyleo.com/trussrod.html"]here[/url].[/quote] Wow - that is one very clever piece of design!

[quote name='steverickwood' post='1040319' date='Nov 28 2010, 07:32 PM']Oh well - shame to hear such things. Seriously, I've never had a prob with them. Some of the old denmark street gaffs on the other hand...[/quote] God yes! Some of those places years ago would tie knicker elastic to their grannies and sell her as a vintage P Bass!

[quote name='leonshelley01' post='1040273' date='Nov 28 2010, 06:55 PM']After waiting over six weeks for a wah I has ordered, I never recieved my voucher. Probably out of stock.[/quote] LMAO

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='1040318' date='Nov 28 2010, 07:31 PM']Been pondering a suspected similar problem with another bass. Wondered if the truss rod end is a solid barrel. If so, would it be possible to drill a hole in the back of the neck, through the face that sits in the neck pocket ? If so, once the hole is bored, would it be possible to thread a hole drilled in the truss rod barrel and screwe a bolt into the rod ? If that is possible, the protruding bolt would prevent the rod from turning. If it's possible, of course. It's just an idea, I've never tried it or heard of anyone doing it, so don't know if it's even feasable. If you're going to throw a neck away though, what do you have to lose ? Is it possible to discover more about the end of the truss rod to see if may work ? I dare say a friendly Luthier will know if something like this will work.[/quote] Well I guess it's a possibility but one has to wonder why they don't fit them like that in the first place if that was a workable solution (it'd save a lot of woodworking if it was as simple as that!). Truss rods are generally fitted from the fingerboard side (prior to the fingerboard being glued into place) but I think some are inserted from the rear prior to having a go faster "stripe" added. Either way round it needs a luthier to take a look and price the job up I reckon (this from a man who puts up shelves using blutak!!!)

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1040248' date='Nov 28 2010, 06:38 PM']Nearly all my gear that was brought there was ordered in, even though they had demo gear.[/quote] I did notice that they promise: [i]Any order not completed within 6 weeks will receive a £20 Bass Centre gift voucher [/i] Lets face it, you're not going to come up with that as your No.1 service promise unless it's something that happens on a regular basis are you..?

[quote name='Jigster' post='1040205' date='Nov 28 2010, 06:09 PM']Have a 1983 G&L SB2 and the truss rod seems to have stopped working - it just turns and turns with no effect on the neck - trouble with this being, there is no skunk stripe, no entry at the bottom end, and the neck seems to be all one piece so no taking off fretboard - getting at the truss rod seems all but impossible - anyone got any ideas on what this might cost as repair in the hands of a good luthier? Or even if it's worth it? The body is sound and the pick ups VERY special - new neck?? My worry is that any repair work on the truss might cost more or at least as much as the bass is worth? Thanks for any info [/quote] The truss rod is fixed at one end and open at the other for adjustment - it sounds like the fixed end has come adrift from it's mounting. It [b]is[/b] repairable (if they got the truss rod in there in the first place then there will be a way in) but I really have no idea how much a luthier is going to charge. I suspect it would probably be cheaper to try and source a new neck.

[quote name='jonthebass' post='1040041' date='Nov 28 2010, 04:02 PM'][i]Who on earth would know if you didn't tell anyone[/i][/quote]

[quote name='jonthebass' post='1039124' date='Nov 27 2010, 06:43 PM']it's only a forgery if you try and sell it on as the genuine article.[/quote] And do you know that as a [b]fact[/b] or is it an opinion based on what you would like the answer to be? I'm happy to be proven wrong, it's all just a learning exercise to me, but I remain unconvinced.

[quote name='Martin E' post='1039979' date='Nov 28 2010, 03:04 PM']Well, as a relative newcomer I was unaware of their reputation and bad feeling on here and just phoned them up and had a perfectly acceptable transaction with them and a good price. They explained that as an online shop they didn't have a showroom as such but I was welcome to call in and try an instrument at their office which seemed perfectly reasonable to me. Unlike most people on here it would seem I'm not constantly changing or buying new gear so am a bit out of touch with dealers – in fact this was the first new instrument I'd bought since 1997. Coincidentally I've used Elites ever since I can remember but usually get them from Stringsdirect. Can't say I've noticed a drop in quality over the years and they are half the price of many brands.[/quote] Well any business that has nothing but bad transactions\experiences isn't going to last very long and the Bass Centre obviously get things right for a lot of their customers. There is the age old adage about "upset one customer and they'll tell 1000 people, make a customer happy and they might tell two others". The important thing for any business trading in a competitive market is to have a plan in place to look after those customers who have had a less than happy experience with them, to learn from those situations and to implement measures to reduce or prevent them from happening again. That, in my opinion, is where the Bass Centre are going wrong.