stewblack

Just bought a Gruvgear strap from Paddy. Arrived well packaged in good time and the whole transaction was, quite simply, a pleasure. Delighted to recommend this most splendid Basschatter.

That's wonderful, thank you so much @FDC484950

To be honest, I can't imagine my gigging career amounting to much (boring health reasons) so it's time I tried to wean myself off this shopping addiction.

Apparently not. They can't sell some products to the UK, they can't guarantee delivery, the post office can hold goods and demand tax payment before releasing them, there is a long thread about the various problems.

I don't need anything. Got more than I need on every conceivable area, from straps to mic stands, pa speakers to bass heads. However I intend to save for a Plethora X5 and incorporate it into my 2021 three tier mega board. Just for the sheer hell of it. As to my wishes just one. Please can Thomann be allowed to find a practical way into the British Market, maybe open Thomann UK. The thought of never getting another Bentley Hardon bass makes me very unhappy. See also HB patch cables, strings, cases, bass amps and cabs.

When pig5hit wants to describe someone who is thick it says as thick as Stew Black

Aha! I watched this too today. Brilliant isn't it?

You probably worked this out a long time ago, but just in case anyone else is as dim as me - when setting up these tests use a looper, record a good 20 - 30 seconds up and down strings and fretboard. I literally only started doing it this way yesterday 🤦🏼‍♂️ No more play, stop, reach over bass, fiddle with pedal, play, stop, reach over bass, fiddle with pedal repeat.

Fascinating stuff BB. I am new to the practical, nuanced application of compression. I just used to turn it on and go for it. Sounds like the toneprint is the perfect tool. I won't buy any TCE pedals though because I am saving up for the Plethora so any money spent on individual TCE pedals is money wasted. Obviously now Thomann is off the table I'll be saving a lot longer. UK retailers, already more expensive, can pretty much charge what they like from now on.

Lockdown has largely proved to be a time of learning for me. The latest subject has been the often maligned bass compressor. I have acquired a Markbass (valve) Compressore, a Behringer limiter, and a Behringer Compressor, to add to my Joyo and the various digital offerings on my multi pedals. The Behringers are interesting. I can dial in so much compression that the effect is clearly audible (not always the case with compressors). This in turn has allowed me to play with the controls and put in to practice all I've been learning. Observations: It's very easy to overload the Behringer pedals and they then clip with a percussive 'blat' noise at the start of the note. Tame this, and it actually becomes useful, if not always desirable. It lends the bass a blunt punch, not unlike a sixties soul bass. Solid and rhythmic. The Markbass allows me to dig deeper as it has more controls. All the reading I've done pays off here. An understanding of the interactions between settings is slowly dawning. The biggest revelation has been discovering a compression which is fairly strong and yet doesn't kill the openness within the sound. I have also found, contrary to my opening post, that the compression is actually much more useful placed before the envelope filter rather than after it. It enables a better defined, almost restrained funky sound which again is more rhythmic and percussive. No a compressor does not make me a better player, but it helps me get closer to the sound I'm after. Think I might buy another one!

Us discussing this is like a group of flies discussing what it's going to be like when the cow they're sat on walks to the other side of the field. Seriously why bother? What will happen will happen whether we guess what it will be or not. We have no power, no control. The only thing to do is wait and cope as best we can when what happens, happens.

I know we mustn't talk politics, with that mind here are my views on the matter

I read this on TB: If wired properly, the battery ground is only attached to the ring terminal of the jack. So another way to check for drain would be to use the resistance (ohms) or continuity setting of the meter, and see if that ring terminal is connected to ground anywhere without a cable plugged into the jack. I did as suggested and got readings in all sorts of places.

Ultimately I shall take it to someone. I'm just keen to learn all I can, and if there is anything I can do myself I'd like to try it. Oh and don't worry about theoose nut on the barrel, I loosened that on purpose.

More pics.... I wondered if the bolt (circled) might, when the whole thing is screwed down, short against the E string piezo?

Hi folks,, today I have a break from the worst of my symptoms so I'm tackling this problem. I appreciate nobody can diagnose with certainty a fault over the internet but something might leap out at you. Here is the socket and I see no short. Checked all three joints for continuity between them and found none.

Yes! Our singer gave it the heave ho from our set, because it really needs that bv line and I couldn't get it.

I would have been building a pedal board as the flames licked around my brogues

Am I right in saying that the more colourful ones (9,11,13) should be played higher than the scale?

I know what you mean @Al Krow my whiny board was absolutely fine when I used it for an Internet gig a while back. I realised just now that I used to run it off two battery packs and I only had one connected when it was so noisy. I have a horrible feeling that was all that was wrong. But I couldn't for the life of me tell you how the power was routed when it worked! In other words, I fiddled when there was no need. 🤦🏼‍♂️

Thank you both. I am edumacated

What is it, what does it do, and how do I know if I need one?

Just bought myself a Thomann solderless cable kit. Why? I hear you cry! Cheap cables will onle exacerbate your noise problems. And off you go shaking your head. And I don't blame you one bit. But I bought them after watching this guy's review. I know he's not everyone's cup of tea, can appear a little too pleased with his own jokes, but the research he does is there for all to see. In the spirit of sharing the wealth, I wanted to share it with you.