BOD2

[quote name='DrGonzo' post='10788' date='Jun 1 2007, 09:24 PM']If you are using effects - especially distortion / OD - then it is often best to run a DI send that is clean (i.e. no fx) and put a mic on your cab. Unless you know for sure what your OD sounds like DI'ed and like the sound, this will always give a better overall sound. Obviously, this is only really applicable if you're in a venue where you're micing guitar amps too, but useful to know![/quote] That makes good sense. OD sounds often need "softened" a little by the speaker cab otherwise they can sound a bit "fizzy". A DI taken after the FX wouldn't benefit from this softening effect whereas a mic in front of the cab would. There's a lot a flexibility in blending a DI sound and mic'd sound like that, although it's probably beyond the scope of the average 2 minute sound check you're likely to get.

It's usually the other way round - you get radio stations coming through your amp ! The only thing I can think of is that the amp will be generating a reasonably strong electromagnetic field (all electrical devices to to some degree) and that this is somehow interfering with the FM aerial. I've seen problems where a freestanding power supply caused serious mains hum to be picked up by an amplifier. Moving the power supply (only a by a foot or so) or rotating the power supply would fix the problem so I figured that it's electromagnetic field was being picked up by a lead or by the amp itself. Sounds odd, but have you tried turning the amp a little, or as much as 90 degrees. The change of alignment might lessen the pickup.

IMPORTANT ! If the US amp has a "hum cancelling switch" on it then this MUST be disconnected from the circuit, as using this switch while connected to a UK or European mains supply (even through a step-down transformer) can make the amp dangerous.

I think the thing about slap bass is that it's quite flashy and good for solo spots, therefore it lends itself very easily to bass players who solo. Many of the higher profile bass players are known for their soloing, therefore slap often comes into play. CK's list of players is a good starting point. But the thing is, a large part of the object ofd laying a solid groove is that it becomes part of the music as a whole and doesn't stand out on its own. For that reason the "fingering" won't be as noticable as slap playing.

Well the only thing I can think of is that it's probably been decided that it's not a great idea to set the maximum output of an active system to be much over the normal output of a passive, otherwise it would cause problems with some amplifiers. The maximum output of an active will be when the tone controls are boosted up full. So if you're playing with the tone controls lower than this then the output will be down accordingly. I have two very different active and passive basses and the outputs are quite similar. When EQ'd flat the passive is probably slight louder but then I can boost the bass/middle on the active and bring the level right up. Remember, that a high output is not necessarily the object of an active system.

I think the problem with paint stripper is that it doesn't really work. A "poly" finish is very tough and most paint strippers struggle to remove it. Then it's also layered so you get one layer off and have to do the same fo rthe next layer...and so on. Then you end up having to sand it down to finish off anyway.

I had the same problem on a Squier P-Bass. But when I removed the neck to shim it I found that it had already been shimmed in the opposite direction that I wanted. So al I had to do was to remove the original shim, refit the neck and everything was ok. "Shimming" sounds drastic but there's really nothing to it, and plenty of advice readily available (as shown above). All you are doing is tilting the neck slightly within the neck pocket. The "shim" should be made the full width of the neck pocket but only about 2cms in length. If the shim is placed at the bridge end of the neck pocket this will raise the strings slighty at the bridge. If the shim is placed at the neck end of the pocket it will lower the strings slightly. Sandpaper, thin plastic, business cards, wood veneer can all be used as a shim. It seems to make no difference whatsoever to the sound of the bass.

There might be a difference between a "dead spot" and a "dead fret". I believe "dead spots" can be caused by resonances in the neck and are often cured by changing the effective mass of the neck, which then changes the resonant frequency (this is what the "Fat Finger" clamp does). A "dead fret" might be different and caused, as suggested by your luthier, a problem with the installation of a particular fret. rdlb - if you have a "G-clamp" in your toolbox at home, try clamping (carefully) this onto the headstock of your bass. If it solves the problem then you probably have a neck "dead spot". You could then buy a [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/Catalogue/ViewProduct.aspx?productId=406"]Fat Finger[/url] which does the same as the G-clamp but looks prettier.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='7863' date='May 27 2007, 10:37 PM']If you do the post, we'll make it sticky...[/quote] tsk tsk CK ... don't you read the forums There already is a luthier "sticky" above. Although they call it "pinned" now on IPB. Anyone feel free to add any recommendations to the topic.

Have never used one myself but I do recall seeing a couple of favourable posts about them on the old BW. They can be very good at eliminating dead spots on the neck if you have any. Check out [url="http://www.vintagebass.com/thedudepit/archive/index.php?t-1369.html"]this dudepit thread here[/url] for more info

[quote name='Breakfast' post='7649' date='May 27 2007, 02:46 PM']I was just thinking maybe there's an evolutionary element as well- the instruments that have survived from the early sixties and not fallen to pieces are probably the ones that have the better build quality just cos the more rubbish ones already fell apart.[/quote] Slightly off-topic but that's something that has always puzzled me. Where are all the basses and guitars that were manufcatured over that last 5 decades or more. There must have been millions of them made. And when you add in all tjhe copies etc. etc. Where have they all gone ?

I don't think that maplin module would help. It's a filter designed to remove "ignition noise" in a car installation. That's quite different to ground hum. This could be quite tricky to resolve. It's unlikely to be wall socket (I was suggesting you try that because I thought it would be relatively simply to try) and, as Bill points out, that wouldn't necessarily solve the problem. The transformer isolation Bill suggests should cure the problem but it might be tricky to obtain what you'd need and you'd still need to identify where to put it. Can you disconnect everything that reconnect the items, one at a time, and identify at what point the noise starts. That might help identify which device is creating the problem. Also, if you can connect things up in a different order check to see if the noise again starts when the same devicve is connected. Switch off the TV. Does the noise stop when the TV is off ? (TV screens can be very bad at generating noise that is then picked up by other equioment). Is all the equipment positioned very close together ? In particular - is it all close to the TV ? Try moving the mixer further away or even (if you can) pick up the mixer while everything is switched on and move it around and rotate it a little. Sometimes moving equipment out of the electrical field of other equipment can help. Are there any wall wart power supplies close by ? Try moving things away from these to see if this helps. This advice might not seem very scientific but sometimes repositioning equipment is enough to reduce the noise to an acceptable level.

From previous threads on the old BW, it seems the only practical method of removing a poly finish is to sand it down. A day or two of hard work but it does seem to work. Start with course sandpaper to remove all the finish, taking care not to "recontour" the body. To get a good finish you really need to spend a lot of time with fine sandpaper smoothing down the wood and getting any marks outs. Try doing a Google search for refinishing/stripping a guitar. There are a few "projects" online that should give you an idea of what is involved. You should get some finishing suggestions from that too. An oiled/waxed finish is much easier to achieve for a DIY-er but this will require periodic maintenance. As to what's underneath the paint ... there's no way of knowing until you strip it down. It's almost certain that he body will be made up of two, if not more, pieces of wood joined along the length of the body. The grain pattern could be anything.

[quote name='presoulnation' post='7085' date='May 26 2007, 12:19 PM']I often wonder whether things like that are just gimmicks or whether it's actually the real deal.[/quote] That's a good question. A couple of things come to mind, though. 1. As companies go, Yamaha seem fairly "honest" and genuinely into innovation and development. 2. This idea was started on high end acoustic violins, not guitars. I woudn't have thought professional violinists would be that bothered by a gimmick like that, if there wasn't some substance to it. Maybe this is one worth watching out for.

Interestingly enough, Yamaha are now selling electric guitars with what they call "Initial Response Acceleration Technology". Essentially, after the guitar is fully assembled and ready to play they put it in a vibration rig and determine the resonant frequency of the guitar as a whole. Once this has been identified the guitar is vibrated at that resonant frequency for 15 minutes. This is something they developed originally for their high-end acoustic violins and have only recently applied to electric instruments. The theory is that this process replicates what happens in real life to the instrument over a much longer period, as the instrument is played. The end result is said to be better, longer and smoother sustain, and a more linear response. Could this be what makes and older, aged instrument sound better ? Or is it just smoke and mirrors ?

[quote name='MB1' post='6794' date='May 25 2007, 08:40 PM']MB1. 2 guitarists+ 2 pedalboards + 1 bassplayer +1 pedalboard +drummer= mush.[/quote] I actually would agree with that statement (although for some I accept that the resulting "mush" might be the sound the band want). I'm not a big fab of too many FX for bass guitar (certainly not all at once) so I use the Bass POD mainly for its amp modelling sounds and only use the FX very sparingly. As for guitarists...I've never understood a guitarist spending my £1000 on a great guitar, another £1000 on a great backline amp and then £70 on a fuzz box. Then when you listen to their sound, all you hear is the £70 fuzz box ! To get the same resulting sound it could be any guitar and any amp because the sound is so coloured by the fuzz box all the tone of the good gear is lost. Just my opinion/

[quote name='stanton119' post='7028' date='May 26 2007, 10:21 AM']Im getting a lot of noise through my speaker from my iPod. The mixer is connected to a different wall socket than the iPod. I think the problem is a ground loop.[/quote] Can you connect both to the same wall socket to see if this eliminates the problem first ? Also check the "pinned" notice above about humming and buzzing to see if anything mentioned there might help.

[quote name='MB1' post='6659' date='May 25 2007, 05:02 PM']i really dont want to get into an argument if it works for you it works,bear in mind though it might not work for others[/quote] That's ok - there's no argument, just a valid difference of opinions. And everyone seems to agree that whatever works for you is best for you. The original question was simply - "Are modelling amps - accurate ?". I would say that the answer is "Yes - the professional quality modelling amps are accurate". That's not to say they are better than the real thing - just that they offer an alternative for those that want to use them. They're very useful in a studio setting (we're talking about pro quality ones here, not the cheaper toys) and can be used live if you're happy with that concept as opposed to having a specific backline. [quote name='MB1' post='6659' date='May 25 2007, 05:02 PM']... with all them different amps you gotta be an engineers nightmare[/quote] Not necessarily. There's no need to change amp on every song - you might do a gig with the same amp setting all the through. If you do want to change amps then there are level controls to allow you to balance all the sounds to the same level - no problems for the engineer. You can also use the presets to balance different basses. Save two sets of amp models with different input gain settings and you could have one set for a low output bass and another for a higher output bass. [quote name='MB1' post='6659' date='May 25 2007, 05:02 PM']...sorry i come from the gerry mcavoy plug and play school![/quote] No need to apologise. We're back to "use whatever gear works best for you". It would be a very boring world if we all used the same equipment.

I'm not going to start an argument about which is best, lol. At the end of the day you should always use what works for you. BUT... bass_ferret, MB1, chris_b you are missing the point. Amp modellers are perfect for home studios where you don't have the space or sound insulation to mic up the big bass rig, and you might want several different amp sounds for different feels. Also, plug a good amp modeller directly into the a big PA and you have a full bass sound that you can carry in rucsac. Amp modellers will never replace big rigs on pro band stages that need the visual impact of a big backline but they do offer a workable alternative for other situations. At the end of the day it's the same as every other gear argument (e.g what's best - SWR or Ampeg, Fender Jazz or Fender P). You use what suits you best.

I use a Bass POD XT Pro exclusively, but I've never had the opportunity to A/B test the amp models (I suspect few of us have). I look on it as a tone generator - I don't really care what amp or cab model I'm using as long as I like the sound, although it helps when creating a new sound to have some sort of idea of which amp you would like to be using for that sound and then start from there. Bear in mind that the sounds generated by most of these modellers are meant to replicate the [i][b]recorded[/i][/b] sound of the amp in question - i.e. the sound picked up by a mic in front of the cab - and not necessarily the exact sound you hear in a room. These two sounds may not actually be the same. With this in mind, the POD has different mic types and different mic placement settings which again change the sound. So when you're doing an A/B test it;'s complicated because which modelled mic should you choose and where should the modelled mic be placed - you obviously don't have to consider that when just listening to a real amp. Also, if you're listening to the modelled amp through a speaker system and not recorded, then that speaker system will also impart it's own signature sound onto the modelled sound. This all makes it pretty complicated to really A/B test. But at the end of the day I think it comes down to creating sounds you like.

[quote name='stewblack' post='5292' date='May 23 2007, 07:34 PM']There must be a problem with the smell though?[/quote] Yes - you notice people farting a lot more You can actually watch the crowds open up around the culprit sometimes

The fanned frets, slanted pickups certainly give it an unusual look when you're used to looking at straight lines. Would love to play it to feel how the fanning works in practice - it's such an original idea. I like it. I really like the headstock - it's a real "craftsman-like" take on the Fender concept.

[quote name='Rich' post='3664' date='May 21 2007, 03:13 PM']I was quite intrigued by the idea of an “evening out” of the overall sound... do you take it to the pub? The flicks? A romantic meal for two? [/quote] lol, I was going to edit the post then I realised no one would have a clue what you were talking about, so I've left it in. Actually "evening out the sound" is best done in conjunction with treating the neck.

I can see both points of view. Firstly it helps to know what sort of things shouldn't be posted. But secondly we don't want a whole list of "rules which must be obeyed at all times". Perhaps a few "guidelines" rather than rules might be helpful. Along the lines of "please don't do this ....... or the mods may have to step in" ?

Here's some info - hopefully you'll get more Reliability - assuming it's been properly looked after then it should be no less reliable than solid state [b][i]but[/b][/i] bear in mind that the actual valves do wear out and you don't always get warning when this is about to happen. If you can carry spare valves (just one or two, not necessarily a full set) then that should solve that problem. Expensive to maintain - yes, they can be. If depends on the type of valves and how many there are. Preamp valves are relatively cheap and can last a long time, but a set of 4 power amp valves can be quite expensive (perhaps anything from £50 upwards, depending on type). The valves may also mneed "biasing" when replaced which requires fitting by a service engineer rather than poppomng them in yourself. The life of valves varies enorrmously and wil depend on the valve itself and how often you play. You might get 2 years out of power amp valves, you might get 10 years ! Wattages - you need someone with more experience to answer that one. It's said that valve amps sound louder for the same wattage but the same general rules apply for selecting the required power output as for solid state amps. Practicality - aside from having to replace valves occasionally, they are just as practical as any other amp. They can be quite heavy but so can some solid sate amps. "Hybrid" amps offer a compromise. They use valves in the preamp (preamp valves are relatively cheaper and often last longer) but a solid state power amp.