BOD2

You can happily drive your 250W cab with a 350W amp up until the point where you start to hear unexpected distortion. That's the limit that you will reach at some point, although the volume at the point could only be determined by trial and error. If you expect to reach that point then you'll need higher powered speakers. Because your current cab is rated at 4 ohms, adding another 4 ohm cab would give a load of 2 ohms. If your amp cannot drive 2 ohms, then you would have to replace the cab, rather than add another one. There is NO PROBLEM in driving an 800W cab with a 350W amp as long as you are sensible. By "sensible" I mean if you hear the amp distorting like crazy because it's being overdriven beyond its limits you simply turn it down a little. All sensible players who care about their sound would notice this long before it reaches that point. The articles you've seen indicating that damage can occur refer to hifi speakers and amps and NOT bass/guitar speakers and amps which are designed tio handle quite different frequency ranges. You can play through virtually any combination of different powered amp and speakers as long as you listen to the sound and control the volume accordingly. An 800W cab with a 350W amp might seem a little excessive, but it will work fine and if you ever change the amp for a higher powered one in the future then the cab will be able to cope ok.

Have you noticed how nothing is "manufactured" anymore ? It's all "crafted". Amazing how clever these CNC machines are these days

[quote name='R,5,R,5...' post='198760' date='May 14 2008, 02:42 PM']There aren't many sights I loathe more than that of the botoxed mug of ALW.[/quote] [attachment=8653:jabba_real_v.jpg]

With any "wet" treatment there's always a risk that it might be a solvent for the ink (which is probably what happened with the hairspray). You could try VERY light coats - so light that the ink doesn't get a chance to dissolve into anything. If you build it up in that way it should be ok, but give it plenty of time to dry between coats.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='198551' date='May 14 2008, 10:25 AM']And both basses still have "Squire" spelled wrong. Somebody [i]really[/i] should tell them. Jon.[/quote] They must have bought a truckload of decals in the eighties from Arthur Daley, guvnor. [attachment=8650:minder.jpg]

Is this any help ? [url="http://www.diyguitarist.com/DIYStompboxes/WahTrueBypass.htm"]True Bypass Vintage Wah[/url] Or this [url="http://www.muzique.com/lab/truebypass.htm"]True Bypass[/url] If you go for a separate box then the size will be limited by the jack sockets and footswitch. Remember to allow fo rthe length of the jack plug in the socket as this sometimes protrudes from the end of the socket. Also, it can sometimes be quite difficult to drill some metal boxes very close to the corners so allow for that.

[quote name='bremen' post='197989' date='May 13 2008, 02:23 PM']But either way, you should not be getting shocks from any part of your bass.[/quote] +1 Can I just repeat this and add - do NOT be complacent about getting electric shocks from your gear. It is NOT normal and indicates that there is a problem somewhere which should be fixed as soon as possible. People have died from this type of thing ! Always use an [url="http://www.blue-room.org.uk/wiki/Residual_Current_Device"]RCD device[/url] when playing and always investigate any electric shocks no matter how small.

Check that the extension lead has an earth wire. I've seen some older, orange extension leads that only had a live and neutral inside them.

First, rule out a weak battery by replacing it with a new one. If that doesn't change anything then the next suspect would be an earthing problem. You'd have to open up the control cavity and check the wiring, looking for any loose or disconnected wires inside. There should also be an earth wire that goes through the body and connects to the metal bridge (it usually just emerges from a hole under the bridge and is sandwiched between the bridge and body when the bridge is screwed down). If you have a multi-meter then check continuity between all metal parts and the earth connection on the jack socket.

Both ! I'm happy to play "dull" basslines in songs that feel great to play but I find it more difficult to play similar basslines in songs that I don't like. Conversely, an interesting bassline can make a song I don't like more enjoyable....but it will wear off eventually. So I'd probably rather play the songs I enjoy than ones that have interesting basslines as, in the long run, the enjoyable songs are more fun to do.

One thought that comes from this talk of "professionalism" and large turnovers.... Before you begin, draw up some sort of agreement between the band members so that if someone chooses to leave (or, perish the thought, is asked to leave) they will know what they are and are not entitled to in the way of any payments (e.g. through share of PA etc.). It's not much fun but could prevent a lot of problems later on should someone leave. Make sure everyone understands and agrees to it.

+1 No. 10 For example [url="http://www.bluearan.co.uk/menu/index.php?id=SKT701100&browsemode=category"]Bluearan.co.uk[/url] This is one of these case where "preventetive maintenance" helps. Try to get in the habit of spraying your jack sockets maybe twice a year. It prevents any build of dirt. If you don't want to spray "into" the socket then spray onto a jack plug and insert the wet plug into the socket. Turn it while in the socket and unplug/replug a few times to distribute it evenly.

Mine is/was getting distracted at the last moment just before we were about to start our first set. Like Phaedrus, I looked after the band PA. I remember one gig, we'd been out for a something to eatc, came back and started switching everything on ready to play. Then one of the audience asked me something about a CD she wanted to hear in the break and totally broke my train of thought. We started the first number, and I'm listening to the sound thinking "..Hmmm - seems unusually quiet ?" then I visually checked the gear while playing and found I'd forgotten to switch on the active PA speakers and all I was hearing was our monitors ! Another time we were saked to play a particular song as a start number, different to what we'd normally start in that the drummer took lead vocal. Of course I forgot to turn up the drummer's mic...

1. Probably not, unless someone is selling a "set" of recovered electronics on eBay. Shops will sell the pots singly, unwired. 2. If it's standard pups then it's generally best to stick with the standard pot values - 250kOhm Audio (log) pots for both volume and tone (as shown in neepheid's diagram). You'll also need a small capacitor 0.05 uF (or 0.047 uF) for the tone control. 3. Pots made by CTS or Alpha are generally thought to be the best. Scroll down here [url="http://www.axesrus.com/axeknobs.htm"]axesrus.com[/url] for a complete set of CTS pots and capacitor for a P-Bass. "Split shaft" pots have splined shafts to match push-on knobs with a splined collar. "Solid shaft" pots are for knobs that have a little grub screw to hold them on. Check your knobs to see which type you have.

[quote name='Huge Hands' post='193763' date='May 7 2008, 12:17 PM']Ha ha, My technical terminology certainly improved after meeting you - your descriptions of how badly the mics smelled will stay with me forever, and have been copied on several occasions![/quote] Ah yes - you know you've been sound engineer for the same band for too long when you can indentify which mic belongs to who simply by smell alone.....

Hi PEACHYUK, OK - the simpler questions first. I'm not familiar with you particular bass but a quick look at the pictures on the website gives me some idea about. There are two pickups. A "Fender Precision"-type pickup nearest to the neck. This is a "split pickup" design so comprises of two half-width offset pickups that act as one. From it's position this would be referred to as the "neck pickup". The other pickup is a "Fender Jazz"-type of pickup and is nearer to the bridge. They're called Fender Precision or Jazz-type pickups simply because the mimic the style of pickups on these classic bass designs. Your bass has two volume controls and one tone control. That'll be one volume control for each pickup and a master tone control that affects both pickups. I would guess that the control nearest to the left as you look down on the bass will be the volume fo rthe neck pickup. The middle control will the be the volume for the bridge pickup. The one nearest to the right will be the master tone control. Note that the tone control generally doesn't do much on many bass designs - it only cuts off the treble (brightness) and often not very subtly. As for the action - this is a little trickier. Firstly the buzzing could be "beginner playing" as you suggest. Stopping buzzing is one of the techniques that takes a little while to learn (it's not as easy as you would expect). Try playing more gently as this can help quite a lot. If you still need to raise the action it's done at the bridge. I can't see the design of your bridge from the pictures, but there are usually allen key (hexagonal) slots on each of the bridge pieces that the strings pass over. Gently screwing in these allen bolts will raise each bridge piece. It's a little tricky first time so you might want to ask for help with this. There's a guide here [url="http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/adjusting_string_height.html"]Tunemybass.com[/url] that might help explain it.

My initial thought is that it might be more trouble than it's worth ....BUT.... half the fun of having gear is trying it out in different combinations to see what works best. You need a A/B/Y type of box that splits one signal into two. There can be some pitfalls with this type of device - notably the potential for ground loops and the loss of signal strength split between two preamps. Have a look here [url="http://www.monkeyfx.co.uk/routers.html"]Monkey FX[/url] as I've seen these devices highly rated. It might even be worth contacting them directly with your question as they'll be expert in this type of application (I'm also sure that the man behind Monkey FX was a regular on a previous incarnation of basschat). Ask around and try a Google search on A/B/Y splitters.

You also need to know if it's a stereo or mono jack socket. If it's got active electronics (i.e. a battery) then it will be stereo.

It sounds like a "resonant peak" in the amp. This would be a narrow band of frequencies where something resonates in the amp producing excessive sustain. This could be physical resonance (i.e. a component actually vibrating slightly in the amp) or electronic resonance (i.e. the electrical signal is resonating - a bit like feedback but not so out of control). It could be caused by minor component wear or bad design in the amplifier. Unfortunately there's not much (cost effectively) you can do with it other than to try and adjust the EQ to minimise it. If you're confident to do so, you could try opening up the amp and tightening any visible screws to ensure nothing is loose but there's no guarantee this would help - and if you do open the amp make sure you disconnect it from the mains and work safely !

You can measure the DC resistance of a pickup. You need to temporaily disconnect the pickup from the rest of the electrics in the bass then put a DC meter across the hot and ground wire from the pickup. According to the Seymour Duncan website the DC resistance of the SJB-5 should be Neck SJB-5 = 11.37 kOhms Bridge SJB-5 = 20.11 kOhms As a general guide the higher the DC resistance the higher the output, but this is only a very general guide - there's more to a pickup than DC resistance. More info here [url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/basslines/cutting-edge-1/sjb5_stack_for/"]Seymour Duncan SJB-5[/url] It's described as a "moderate output" pickup. Also, check the wiring diagram at the above link as the SJB-5 is a four conductor pickup so there is the possibility of wiring it wrongly or of wiring the two pups out of phase with each other.

Yes the wiring diagrams are effectively the same. All I can suggest is that you check all the ground connections and make sure they are all good. I'm assuming that both halves of the pickup have equal output ? One easy way to check this is connect to an amp (keep the volume fairly low) then to take a small screwdriver and very lightly tap each polepiece in turn. You should get a clear "click" from each of about the same volume.

Check the wiring first of all. Is it just the quarter pounder you have in the bass or are there any other pickups ? The correct wiring diagram for a P-Bass is here [url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=std_pbass"]P-Bass Wiring[/url]. In particular, check the ground wiring. If you grounded the pickup to shell of the volume control (as shown) make sure it's a good connection (nice and shiny - not dull and grey).

[quote name='stevebasshead' post='190676' date='May 2 2008, 04:15 PM']iColour4's get the thumbs up from our band but if LED's had been more widely available and not as expensive (at the time) we'd have gone for those instead of searing our skin off under the iColours! Anyone know what the bottom line spend is to get a controller that can be pre-programmed with a lighting sequence/pattern on patches, a la multi FX units?[/quote] Probably this [url="http://www.limitedgoods.com/itemView.php?ProdID=67149&source=FroogleUK&medium=free&campaign=FroogleUK"]Behringer LC2412[/url]. But if you think MIDI programming is complicated prepare yourself for the wonders of DMX512 !! To be fair, I've never actually programmed a DMX console before but when I looked into it I was having real problems getting my head around some of the concepts as applied to various different manufacturers' equipment. Maybe it's simple when you have the gear in fornt of you to play with ?

[quote name='charic' post='190509' date='May 2 2008, 01:46 PM']Sorry for hijack but whats fret stoning.. [/quote] Well it's NOT this .... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFhoiVV2JwE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFhoiVV2JwE[/url]

Are the Mackies worth it ? Difficult question. They are very robust, very good quality and have almost become something of an "industry standard" if such a thing exists. They should also hold their value well as the brand name is well known. Never done an A/B test on these other speakers, though. p.s. just noticed your username and avatar.......DINSDALE !