neepheid

I was playing my Gibson EB at a band rehearsal recently and all of a sudden in mid song I lost volume. First of all I reckoned it was the amp, but I found that when I turned the neck pickup down, the overall volume of the bass returned to normal. Bridge pickup is working fine, but the neck pickup is quiet and it brings the overall volume down when both pickups are turned on. I guess there's only 3 places to look - the pot, the pickup itself or some weird wiring issue. The coil split seems to be working, although the pickup is quiet I think I could hear a slight change in the sound when it was toggled. It's less than a year old, but I bought it online so I'll have to spend £20-30 just returning it to see if they can do anything. Reckon it'd be better taking it somewhere local for a look if I can't figure it out myself and forfeit 3 months of warranty? I hope it's not the pickup.

What am I doing? Not enough. I find bigging up my band really awkward. Not because I don't think the band is great, but stemming from a fundamental lack of confidence/brass neck required for this task. I think people sense this from me and that translates into people thinking that the band isn't very good, because they expect me to be being all cocky about it. Bloody ordering people around in their spare time - "check out our Facebook", "give us a like", "come to our gig, because we're awesome and you'll have a brilliant night", "look at this video", etc. etc. I hate doing it, because when it comes down to it I'm a shy, quiet soul. I suppose I'm in the wrong game, because the days have long gone where simply playing good music, writing good tunes and trying to carve out some kind of niche for oneself out of the densely overpopulated musical rock face is enough. You're a product, a service, a commodity to which people listen with their eyes and their smartphones. I'm out of step and out of line, to quote The Beach Boys - I just wasn't made for these times.

It's certainly helpful if people are willing to post stuff to me, I'm in Aberdeen. The shops here do not cater for my tastes, I've travelled before to trade (met half way within Scotland) and a trip to Glasgow/Edinburgh with better shops can yield results from time to time, but if I want to sell anything quickly and for the price I want I have to be willing to offer postage. Last 4 basses I've sold have gone local, Germany, local (buyer was coincidentally in the area), Cambridgeshire somewhere I think. Gumtree, here, here, Gumtree. Even score on local vs. remote and here vs. Gumtree. It's the seller's choice if they don't want to post - people in big places like London will have no problem shifting anything without getting off their backsides, so why should they? I totally understand. It's my choice to live in the middle of nowhere, relatively speaking. There are benefits and drawbacks wherever you live. But believe me when I say that local collection only in London for example ain't gonna happen with me unless by some luck I have another reason to be in the area. I've got a threshold for the lengths I will travel solely for a bass I might not buy and that's pretty much limited to within Scotland. Transport costs and TIME are more than I'm prepared to spend when one can courier a bass anywhere in the UK for £30. That's my call. I've had success in the past with "local pickup only" items just simply asking the question, "would you be willing to post?" and explain my location. Sometimes, people list things as "local pickup only" simply because they haven't even considered posting an option, and if their bass/whatever isn't moving as quickly as they'd like they might come around to my way of thinking. Worth registering the interest anyway, don't be pushy and don't get pissy if they say no though.

Good work fella, keep it up. You may even have shamed me into doing some practice tonight

[quote name='headstock' timestamp='1415201028' post='2597813'] and loosen the strings a bit, if it is going on a plane. then in the box lot of bump - stuf, like paper, foam, egg boxes etc. fill it up. Wrap the whole bass in plastic before putting in the box.secure the headstoch with carton (like in a bass case). the carton on the outside can be protected with xtra ducktape etc. make a handgrip on the box, just small enough that is doesn't het thrown. [/quote] I think the OP is talking about sending a neck on its own, so I don't think there will be any strings to loosen...

I use Hercules mini stands and have had no issue with them. I not in a band with clumsy oafs, and I only leave it on the stand on stage when I'm there, or if we're first on and we've finished sound checking. I've had my RD Artist and my NR Thunderbird sat on one, you just need to adjust the position of the bottom bits to suit. I've had 3 basses sitting on them at bass bashes in close proximity to other basses without issue also. It's like anything device, fine if used sensibly. If you expect it to keep your bass upright when there are crazy band members flailing about the stage with scant regard for their surroundings or if there's a minor earthquake then you might be disappointed

The black headstock club:

My wife tolerates (and even occasionally encourages) my bass guitar habit and she has only one rule (which I agree with) - "instruments are to be played", so if they're not getting a gig, they get sold. To that end, I make sure I play a different bass almost every gig/rehearsal. Fun for me, it's like picking which shirt to wear

I have nothing useful to add, but when I read the subject of the post I thought to myself "depends on how desperate you need to go" Sorry.

Not surprised by the similarity in the least. It's not proof absolute (what is in this organic, analogue, subjective area?), but things like this go towards confirming my suspicion that a lot of time spent discussing, analysing, fretting over and dissecting "tone" (and all that catch-all term encompasses) could have been better spent. Nice playing too.

No ruler in the house? For shame.

It looks like no-one's able to go to the pub or whatever on the Saturday night. No matter, I'd still like to attend the bash, I've arranged to visit some friends near Edinburgh on the Sat night and kip over so it breaks up the journey a bit. I will bring as much of the black headstock club as I can manage, so I will have some or all of the following with me: 1979 RD Artist 1981 Victory Artist 2007 Les Paul Double Cut 2012 Epiphone Jack Casady 2012 Non Reverse Thunderbird 2013 Midtown Standard 2014 EB and my RedSub BT5110 1x10 combo. See you there

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1414665609' post='2591935'] Of course, another way that could go is people get annoyed by the regression in range and move their custom to Gibson [/quote] HA!

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1414657694' post='2591798'] Thanks , I was wondering if you could get away with using both these cabs with a 4ohm amp . [/quote] I'm all for discovery and experimentation but I wouldn't risk it with an amp I care about. At best it might work. In the middle, it'll have some sort of protection in it and shut down. At worst, the magic smoke will be let out of somewhere.

Try a Precision for yourself, you might like it. There's very little I can tell you beyond that. My pros and cons won't be the same as yours, so there's little point in sharing them.

It's getting close to decision time, need to sort out my accommodation. Any other people feel like meeting up the evening before for a beer?

Thomann are going to be the ruin of me if they're going to keep offering brand new Gibson basses for sale at second hand prices. I pounced on a Midtown Standard. And to press the point home that I might have a problem - here's the black headstock club:

I am friends with the rest of the guys in my band. We've had meals together, been to the pub together and seem to have plenty to talk about when we're having a tea break at rehearsal. I find it most agreeable to get along with the people you make music with. No airs and graces, and no-one takes the hump if someone doesn't like what we're doing to their song idea I don't want to be in a band where people don't get along.

Direct tapping with screwdriver and mallet from the back for me too. Small taps, circle around the bushing, take your time.

What is this "main" bass you speak of? All mine are set up the same way - intonation set right, a smidgen of relief and the action set by winding it down until it buzzes then raising it a tad until it stops for the way I play. No numbers for you, never measured, sorry. I set them up by feel/sight.

The Neotech Mega bass strap makes playing a 12lb+ bass bearable for me, so I imagine it would do a job for a 9lb bass. Nice and wide neoprene job.

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1413746850' post='2581534'] Fender's lack of innovation: every time Gibson, Fender or RIC bring out something new everybody goes 'Squee! That's awful'. The buyers don't want innovation or we'd all be playing Gus's. [/quote] Damned if they do, damned if they don't and all that. Gibson look like they're about to retreat back into their shell next year, only the SG and the Thunderbird announced so far as 2015 models. I fear for the EB - first time they've done a bass exclusive model in some time and as far as I can tell, had as many detractors as admirers (I'd call that a win, personally). So it hasn't outsold the Precision, so it'll get binned. Not surprised in the least. Ho hum. Fender in bother? Won't be the last time. Didn't CBS run it into the ground, just as Norlin did to Gibson? They'll be back, don't worry.

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1413710835' post='2580995'] Over-priced and over-rated dogshit. [/quote] Don't hold back, tell us what you really think!

Well this took longer than I thought it would to get all haughty. Well done Basschat.

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1413375765' post='2577636'] Or just pay what you can afford for a bass that sounds good to you and that you like playing. And then play it. [/quote] Absolutely 100% agree. For the record, I find this obsessing about such a minute detail gets in the way of the simple pleasure of enjoying a particular bass for its own sake on its own merits and while I do not deny anyone's right to be as prescriptive and meticulous as they deem appropriate, as such I do not indulge in it.