JimBobTTD

It has been quite a while since I posted here. I still pretty much look the same, but nonetheless...here is a photo of my Ibanez bass in all her beauty on stage, 6th March 2010, being played and held by me. I'm having a bit of a bad hair day, but my playing was on top form that night so I'm happy.

I am in a band called Metal Liquor. We play - yes, you guessed correctly - Metallica tracks. But we also do all sorts of 80s thrash covers. No, it isn't original. Yes, it is a lot of fun. We are based in Örebro. Our somewhat rudimentary MySpace page is here: [url="http://www.myspace.com/metalliquor"]Metal Liquor[/url]

I've never played one, though.

I nearly always buy online, as my dream instruments aren't made any more. I also hate the idea that Joe Public has been all over my bass, and showroom wear and tear is usually from neglect rather than use. No thanks. I have never owned a new bass. I don't need them pristine, but I don't want them bashed. I wince when I ding them, but my Ibanez SR705 is dinged and there is a wear patch above the neck pickup down to the wood...and I love it. I take great care of my basses but I use them and they get played quite hard. So I could tick three of the five boxes above, even though they contradict each other in places!

I'm tuned down to D in one band, then back up to E for my other. No problems with my Ibanez 5er. I'm using chunky strings though - 50 - 105 (135 for the B). Edit: curse this B ) smiley face thing!

4F - flat? Forward, f***face. Vulgar, but I've never forgotten it.

Can you send it back and get the one you tested earlier? If it is bothering you, it would be better to take the extra hit on it and buy locally. My peace of mind is worth quite a bit...what's the price difference?

Yep. I usually look for the tab, but I find myself more and more playing without it after a few bars. I wish I didn't need the tab to get me started, though. Mind you, right now I hardly have the time to learn the songs, let alone work out the music and then learn how to play them. Tab is a godsend.

Although they aren't really cheap, the high-end Ibanez SR models are often perceived as such. I'm drawn to them more than I'm drawn to any other bass, regardless of the price.

This:

I played a Viper (? the SG shape) bass a while back - felt great and was very well made, but lacked a certain [i]je ne sais quoi[/i]. I have an ESP Les Paul guitar which is possibly the best guitar I have ever played. I've only heard good things about ESP. I've heard mixed things about ESP's budget line LTD, especially the lower end of the range.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='776369' date='Mar 16 2010, 04:55 PM']And also Northworthy Instruments on top of the garage at Hulland Ward near Ashbourne. Rich.[/quote] We're North Worthy, we're North Worthy Kudos for considering the custom route. I toy with the idea myself sometimes. But the expense and resale value if not happy etc just kills it for me.

I rest my thumb on the neck pickup. On the tremendously rare occasions I use my thumb (arpeggios and the like), I'll move it and use it and it will find its way back again afterwards. On the pickup seems natural for me. I picked up a Burns Bison in a shop a while back and couldn't play it - it had funny bars and wotnot over the pickup, so with my thumb in its usual position, my fingers couldn't hit the strings. Almost the same with Fenders and those chrome covers - they make it almost impossible for me to play without what seems like a major (and unwanted) change in technique.

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='774477' date='Mar 14 2010, 06:44 PM']You could go one step further with a simple blend pot to have the ability to alter the amount of signal sent to the FX loop, so you could switch then between bypass or blend, with wet/dry blend ranging from 0% to 100%. Do a search for a simple blend circuit which adds a transistor, a couple of caps and resistors.[/quote] A blend function, you say? Challenge accepted! A: straight to amp B: FX loop blended in.

Thanks for the suggestions, though, Mr Foxen and Doddy. I like to make my own things, especially something as simple as this.

Of course...! I knew I wasn't thinking straight. I'll put a buffer circuit in there: Switch (A)------------->Buffer------------>FX Loop------>Output Switch (B)------------->Buffer----------------------------->Output I'll sort out some kind of schematic and layout and put it up here. I'll also build it and see how it works. Edit to remove smiley face instead of (B)!!!

I'm in a 3-piece band, so I'd like some effects to thicken the sound but also keep my clean bass tone. I need to split my signal and send half through my effects and half clean, in other words. I'd like to switch in and out too. Am I right in thinking that I simply need to: Input ---->DPDT (middle) ------------------------------------------------------------------------->output DPDT (top) ---------------->effect loop send [...] effect loop return -------------->output DPDT (bottom) empty So, press down on switch and the signal is split between output and FX loop. Press again and the FX loop is bypassed. I'll draw a schematic and layout diagram in a while, but am I thinking along the right lines? It seems pretty clear-cut to me, but I'm not thinking all that straight today. Feedback appreciated!

[quote name='iconic' post='774178' date='Mar 14 2010, 12:23 PM'][...] too sharp everything on that line (stave)?[/quote] [quote name='Paul_C' post='774200' date='Mar 14 2010, 12:44 PM']yes, if you see an F you play an F# because the # on the F line tells you to. the ♮ cancels the # on that line eg. the D followed by a D# in bar 3[/quote] No wonder so many people don't/won't/can't read music. That sounds so illogical and unnecessarily complicated. I'd like to learn too, but things like this suggest it is going to be a real uphill battle, and I'm still uncertain how I will benefit from it.

[url="http://www.guitarandampshop.co.uk/acatalog/EMG_A25KX2_Stacked_Dual_Volume_Pot.html"]http://www.guitarandampshop.co.uk/acatalog...Volume_Pot.html[/url]

You probably won't need to change the resistor. I have found that a 4k7 resistor has been fine for ultrbrite and standard LEDs.

Very nice!