icastle

[quote name='Big Mick' post='1020579' date='Nov 11 2010, 07:26 PM']Looking for a cheapish head (but not cheap sounding or unreliable) what should I be seeking out as a used choice? Cheers, Mick. [/quote] There are a fair few Hartke users on here, what about one of those? I used one until a little while back and although it wasn't super posh it coped pretty well.

[quote name='owen' post='1020575' date='Nov 11 2010, 07:25 PM']I like the way you are thinking![/quote] Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. In the past I've even managed to persuade a police force to provide me with a body bag so that I could put dead dog into it that was buried in someone elses back garden - you just have to be nice, smile lots and get people on your side...

[quote name='paul h' post='1020393' date='Nov 11 2010, 05:00 PM']That's right, I'm sitting on the fence, what you gonna do about it? I'll tell ya...NOTHING.[/quote] That'd be the reason why the human ar5e is shaped that way.... so we can sit on the fence without falling off

[quote name='silddx' post='1020308' date='Nov 11 2010, 04:00 PM']Why not?[/quote] Complete taste violation

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1020303' date='Nov 11 2010, 03:57 PM']Coat hangar wire can make very acceptible welding rods.[/quote] I was going to threaten him with snapped G strings, but however I tried to phrase it, it sounded just a little bit "wrong"... [quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1020303' date='Nov 11 2010, 03:57 PM']Also, tin solder is still bad for the enviroment, because it leads to formation of 'whiskers' or 'fingers' over time, which in turn lead to shorts and failure, meaning the whole item gets binned: [url="http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/photos/pom/2004april.htm"]NASA stuff[/url], [url="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/03/research.engineering"]Gaurdian article.[/url] but hey, you can drink orange juice out of your electrical equipment now.[/quote] The whole problem has been created by consumerism. Years ago if my TV or HiFi went wrong I could take it to a repair shop who would diagnose the fault and replace the offending component(s). Today, if my TV (I don't actually have one!) or HiFi went wrong, there are very few repair shops about, and those that are about will diagnose down to board level only. Retailers and manufacturers want us to purchase "the latest xyz123 model". Thats where the issue with lead waste comes from - not the fact that its used, but the fact that entire products are dumped in landfill for the sake of a 2p resistor. Recycling doesn't work because shortcuts are taken to meet targets set by people with no interest or understanding of what it is they are trying to manage. Over in some of the poorer countries there are mountains of broken kit, wire burning on massive open air bonfires to burn off the plastic so they can get to the copper, piles of PCBs floating in stagnant puddles of water. There is concrete evidence that some of those items are assett tagged and are trackable back to UK police forces, schools, universities, councils and businesses. Those previous owners have "policies" in place to stop this from happening by using only "approved" recycling facilities... so how does their stuff end up in a mountain of waste, clambered over by 10yr old kids with no shoes on the other side of the world? Controlling solder is farcical in the big scheme of things - the electrolytes from leaking capacitors are a carcinogen and gets washed into the water table far quicker than lead - don't see anyone trying to do anything about that... [size=1][color="#808080"][b]THIS HAS BEEN A PUBLIC SERVICE RANT ON BEHALF OF THE "IAN HAS GONE OFF ON ONE" PARTY.[/size][/color][/b]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1020299' date='Nov 11 2010, 03:56 PM']Sorry, no offence meant. I wouldn't want you travelling all this way [i]up north[/i] with your coat (or kagoule) hangers ;-) I actually threw my lead free solder out last night as i felt the new stuff was easier to work with. Im glad i started this thread now. Ill impress the rest of the band with my new soldering knowledge on Sat.[/quote] LMAO - either that or they're gonna tell you that you need to get out more!

[quote name='silddx' post='1019965' date='Nov 11 2010, 12:52 PM']So why did householders in the '60s and '70s paint all their wood and nail hardboard over their Victorian wood panel doors then? [/quote] For the same reason I would never let Laurence Llewelyn Bowen through my front door?

[quote name='owen' post='1020278' date='Nov 11 2010, 03:42 PM']I have tried, but to no avail. However, another email cannot hurt [/quote] Is there perhaps a friendly luthier on this site that could act as an intermediary on a "don't come running to me if you can't get it to work" basis? Of course, you "could" always become "Owen Bass Research" and order one for a new prototype you are working on... but that'd be sneaky and we'd never condone that.... would we?

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1020238' date='Nov 11 2010, 03:29 PM']I was going to ask about National railway route numbers next........;-)[/quote] Watch it Dave - I have a vague idea of where London is and will hunt you down, replace your solder with a coat hanger wire and watch you suffer...

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1019618' date='Nov 11 2010, 03:19 AM']But I should not have to remind you that men do not moisturise.[/quote] No... we dampen...

[quote name='silddx' post='1019941' date='Nov 11 2010, 12:34 PM']It's as if they will feel closer to god if the wood grain is visible.[/quote] Nah - she usually stays at home when I'm gigging

This discussion about lead free solder got me thinking, so I looked it up. Can't believe I did, but I did and I'm gonna hold [b]YOU LOT[/b] responsible if I end up going out and buying a kagoule [b]J-STD-001 Rev D states: [/b] [i]The primary difference between the solder connections created with processes using tin-lead and processes using lead-free alloys is related to the visual appearance of the solder. Acceptable lead-free and tin-lead connections may exhibit similar appearances but lead-free alloys are more likely to have: • Surface roughness (grainy or dull) • Different wetting contact angles Lead-free alloys often go beyond dull and surface appearance may actually be grainy. Inspectors will have to adapt their thinking away from smooth, bright and shiny and realize that rejecting a grainy lead-free joint could be just as bad as accepting a defect.[/i]

[quote name='owen' post='1019666' date='Nov 11 2010, 08:01 AM']It's a bass made by a company called Bolin. They are a high end US custom maker who bought out a line of production models and then stopped. Fishman have told me that this kit is only available to OEM manufacturers so I am guessing that my search is futile. It is the only piezo system I have tried that has worked for me. I'm sure that there is other stuff out there, but without direct experience of it I would be reticent to drop the £ on them.[/quote] Ok. Clutching at straws here but the only realistic thing I can think of now is have you considered dropping Bolin a mail (they look like very laid back guys!) to see if they have any systems left over? As it was a standard production model there are usually a few odds and sods left over in dark corners...

[quote name='owen' post='1019270' date='Nov 10 2010, 07:53 PM'] No it is in a Bass Guitar with a piezo bridge. It is an internal pre-amp.[/quote] Can't find any trace of a product from that description - what bass is the one you have in? Ian

[quote name='Gazza 2905' post='1019309' date='Nov 10 2010, 08:23 PM']Hello everyone, this is my first question on the forum, - so be gentle with me please! My girlfriend asked me the other day: "What would you like for Christmas?" And my immediate reply was: "Another Bass, please!" Now, I've been playing for about a year so far, having decided to try & master the bass, as best I can, after several previous failed attempts! And I thought that an acoustic bass might offer me something different, & would be a worthwhile addition to my growing collection! However, I have a couple of questions. Firstly, as there is no pickup to rest your right thumb on when playing, do you have to make any changes to the way you play? And secondly, the few acoustic basses that I have seen so far seem to have a 32" scale length, is this the case with all acoustics? as I am used to a 35" scale length. I play only for fun, so no intention of gigging etc.. but I would welcome any general advice that anyone could give me on this matter. So if anyone out there has an acoustic bass they love to play, please tell me what I'm missing out on. After all, if she buys me one, & it ends up sat in the corner gathering dust, - I'll never hear the last of it! Many thanks, Gary.[/quote] Hi Gary, Your thumb shouldn't be a problem. You can either rest it on the E string (when you're not using it of course!) or rely on the greater depth of the acoustic bass to provide an elbow rest and leave your thumb floating in mid air! Whatever comfortable and workable solution you find will become second nature (I had to go and pick a bass up to work out what I do because I never think about it). I haven't really looked closely, but I kinda think that thumbrests have been left off of many basses over recent years - certainly I have 5 basses here from 5 different manufacturers and none of them has a thumbrest! The 32" scale length "standard" is there for several reasons. Being an acoustic instrument it means that there is a finite limitation to the physical strength available - too much string tension and the neck will fold or the bridge\saddle assembly rip away from the soundboard. The longer the neck the more tension that is required to bring the strings up to concert pitch. Scale length also affects the overal tone of the instrument. While I guess it is theoretically possible for a manufacturer to make a longer scale instrument, the weight would increase, the tone would change, a complete redesign of the manufacturing plant would be needed and that cost would be passed onto the consumer. Playing an acoustic bass is different to playing a solid body bass in exactly the same way that playing an electric guitar is different to playing an acoustic guitar. The notes are all in the same place, the strings are tuned the same and the basic techniques are the same, but some things work better than others. The best thing you could do is go and try one on for size - I know bassists who have really taken to them and enjoy using them and others who just don't get on with them at all. HTH Ian

[quote name='Marvin' post='1019502' date='Nov 10 2010, 11:17 PM']Obviously as you play more the calluses on your finger tips build up, and to aid this one you use such things as surgical spirit et al. My problem is that because I work outside, the cold (dry/frosty bits) weather dries my hands out to the point sometimes my skin splits - similar to a [b]very[/b] deep paper cut. So how much will moisturising products compromise the building and maintenance of the calluses on my stubby mitts? Or is it irrelevant? I'm in a slight catch 22 because if I don't use something to prevent drying out then I can't play anyway as the splits in my hands can be very painful. [/quote] If your fingers crack in the areas that you don't use to play with then there shouldn't be a problem (as long as you aim the cream carefully). If they are cracking in places where you [b]do[/b] play the my wife reckons that Neutrogena helps to heal the crack without softening your hands. HTH

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1019437' date='Nov 10 2010, 10:19 PM']I took it apart again and re soldered the ground wires. It didnt seem as bad as i thought but i took all the advice posted here and re done it and it is indeed better, and a bit shinier :-) I used the 40watt and the new solder and it seemed a lot easier than last night. Im probably going to re do my other two basses now. Im sure i can do a better job now ive had a bit more practice and proper guidance. Cheers all.[/quote] Brilliant If you've soldered in the other two basses it'd be well worth revisiting them - you might even get an improvement in the sound quality so it's a win/win situation!

[quote name='nick' post='1019482' date='Nov 10 2010, 10:54 PM']Since they revamped a short while ago, it has gone down the sh*tt*r. Not easy to find specific reviews. The HC forum has quite a few threads from users saying pretty much the same.[/quote] Go to [url="http://www.archive.org/"]http://www.archive.org/[/url] and use he "Wayback Machine" - you can use the old site then

[quote name='dood' post='1019202' date='Nov 10 2010, 07:14 PM']It's also due to the build up of additional pressure that electricity has trying to get in and out of the county.[/quote] A bid for freedom?

[quote name='Cygnus x-1' post='1019074' date='Nov 10 2010, 05:47 PM']Is it just me being dumb, but where has the old 'Harmony Central' reviews gone?[/quote] Nope They're having a bit of a redesign it seems. [url="http://www.harmonycentral.com/user-reviews/"]http://www.harmonycentral.com/user-reviews/[/url]

[quote name='squire5' post='1018937' date='Nov 10 2010, 04:18 PM']Just wondered if any body has seen one of these in the flesh?Looks OK.I personally have never heard of such a thing until today. [url="http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500002451&langId=-1&searchTerms=FENDER+BASS"]http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/s...rms=FENDER+BASS[/url][/quote] I've seen one in a display case somewhere but didn't pay a lot of attention to it. They are made in the far east for Fender - if it's Chinese it'll be from AXL guitars, if it's Indonesian it's come from the Cort factory.

[quote name='gary mac' post='1018863' date='Nov 10 2010, 03:09 PM']The overnight soak didn't seem to achieve much really in either of the solutions. Screws still looked shiny and new. Time for plan b, only there isn't one at this stage.[/quote] How about this for a daft idea... My wife uses hairspray and it gets all over the bathroom mirror and is a real b*gger to get off... that'd take the shine off your screws perhaps?

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1018853' date='Nov 10 2010, 03:02 PM']Cheers for coming out publicly lol. That all makes sense. My 25watt is a Antex and the 40watt is a Draper. I did tin the 40watt before using it but i guess i didnt do something right. Yes, i can see some copper and its the iron thats breaking up. Ive got some of that tinning/cleaning power stuff Maplins sell but didnt use it that on that iron. Ive just got the correct tips for the 30watt so might stick with that for now, and picked up some 60 Tin/40 lead solder to see if that helps. Its funny but this is the first time ive worried about all this, but not the first time ive changed pups in a bass. And its the cheap bass.[/quote] I spent my "formative years" as an electronics engineer - so blame them Draper tools are of the budget variety but usually last a bit better than that. 60/40 solder is probably better for soldering onto pots with anyway - it has a lower melting point than the lead free alternatives. No need to worry about it all - you know what you need to do now and nobody got killed

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1018809' date='Nov 10 2010, 02:10 PM']Thanks. The iron has only been used 3 times so i was very surprised this happened. My old 25watt iron is about 7 years old and its tip is fine.[/quote] [b][u][color="#FF0000"][size=5]!!ANORAK ALERT!![/size][/color][/u][/b] The bit is made of copper with an iron coating over it (copper is used as it has good heat transfer ability but reacts adversely with lead - hence the iron coating). An important thing is to ensure that the bit is wetted (coated with solder) before using it the first time - Antex (the bright yellow irons you sometimes see) pre-wet their bits (rest assured - I already regret typing that last statement!), but many manufacturers dont. As I said, if the bit has corroded then just flatten it out with a file (it's knackered anyway), rewet it and use it as normal - only downside is that the corrosion will happen quicker (because there's no iron coating to protect it) and eventually you run out of metal .

[quote name='dood' post='1018640' date='Nov 10 2010, 12:09 PM']I don't think there is an issue. Certainly not with banging 268V in to mine here in Naaaaarfolk. [/quote] 268V in Norfolk - that'd be because your volts are all running on flat land and not getting tired going uphill like they do here...