neepheid

Small update and hopefully the end. I rewired the tone/mid controls with log taper pots. Big whoop, you can't see that. But you can see the (somewhat amateurly) restored Mallory 374 dial plate which now sits under the transfer switch... A very kind soul on the Gibson forum sent me one which was a little scuffed and scraped so I masked the numbers and tidied it up. Too scared to make it 100% smooth across the numbers for fear of sanding/polishing too deep, but not noticeable at a distance.

An Inevitable Teaspoons rehearsal isn't a rehearsal without at least two cups of tea. Rock and roll At the gig? Nurse one beer then go on stage with a soft drink.

250W - my RedSub 1x10 combo in combo mode. There's no point in me getting a specific practice amp, the amp I've got is compact enough and has a volume control which turns both ways.

The way I see it, it's small, it's not in a place where your hand would normally be when playing, it's on the underside so you won't see it when you're playing and neither will anyone else notice. Not worth the ballache to argue the toss with someone who doesn't deem it as important as you, however "right" you may be on a logical level. I'd probably be mildly irritated, resolve to do something about it then never get round to it as if the rest of the bass is sound then I'd be too busy playing/enjoying it to worry about something as minor as that little flaw. So, I'm in the "let it go" camp.

Well, if the one or two (hell, even five) Class D amps which one has tried aren't producing the goods versus the one or two (or even five) Class AB ones one has listened to, then of course it stands to reason that all Class D amps are crap and all Class AB are awesome. QED?

Nice rescue, looking good. I sometimes miss my G-3. It maybe doesn't bug you, but the (suspected) hand painted Gibson logo bugs the heck out of me. I managed to get a gold waterslide Gibson logo done by a certain well known provider of comedy Fender decals for my Ripper rescue (although my hand was forced as the original one had been scrubbed off completely). So maybe something for the future - if it bugs you, of course.

I don't think these basses come with a hard case as standard, so how do you think they are transported around the place from factory to distributor to retailer to owner? In a cardboard box, in a gig bag if they come with one, in nothing but bubble wrap or one of those opaque white foamy bags with polystyrene blocks to keep the neck OK. It'll be fine, and if it isn't, that's (unfortunately) what insurance is for.

Is this the same variable mid control found in the BQC/BQS preamps, just used in isolation? Seems to have the same frequency range/boost and cut levels according to the graphs on the user manuals. In that case then yes, the EMG mid control is a lot of fun - even after you stop putting the mids to max boost then rotating the sweep ring for a wah-like effect

I have no cheesemaking skills whatsoever. Does that mean if a cheesemaker hands me a piece of defective cheese I have to just chow down with a straight face and say "mmm, that's delicious"?

June 5th 2015: The Moorings, Aberdeen. Photos by Matt Jolly of Matt Jolly Photography, reposted with kind permission.

When I dismantle anything, I try to keep track of which screws came out of which holes. Dunno why, probably OCD or learned by dismantling laptops with their myriad screw sizes.

Design flaw, or pay attention when dismantling/reassembling?

When are these ruddy couriers going to start doing such a good job that it's a negligible risk to send anything anywhere? Why should it be at either the seller or the buyer's own risk? Something is rotten about the whole thing. I should be able to send a reasonably packed duck egg via a courier and expect it to be in one piece at the other end AND if it's broken whilst in the possession of the courier then it's THEIR fault - shouldn't need insurance for that.

There's a house amp? Love it, saves me lugging one to the gig.

No problems with the two Tributes (L-2000, M-2000) which I have had the pleasure of owning, if it helps add to the statistical reassurance.

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1434627183' post='2801289'] I did not! I shall next year though. The funny shapes intimidated me I think [/quote] Ha, you mustn't worry about that. I'll bring the freakshow circus with me next time

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' timestamp='1434629431' post='2801318'] I played three different levels of t bird the other day at Andertons. The entry level bolt on neck sounded terrible, but played ok, whereas the classic (?) set neck epiphone kicked even the USA version to the curb. The epiphone had a clarity and bite that the USA didn't. The USA sounded weak and lifeless to both myself and the guitarists I took with me. The USA left me cold, and wondering why it cost over a thousand pounds more than the epiphone model [/quote] If it's the rather wordy Epiphone Thunderbird Classic IV PRO you're talking about, then it's through neck and uses exactly the same pickups as the USA model. If that particular Epiphone sounded better to you than that particular Gibson, go get it and save yourself a packet. Epiphone gear is decent, just ask any Jack Casady owner.

Have I not bored everyone to death about it yet? My wife bought me my Gibson RD Artist, I never want to sell it for that reason alone but it's also a fantastic bass and if I was reduced to only this one, it wouldn't be the worst fate in the world but I hope it doesn't come to that

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1434616538' post='2801153'] This may be a stupid question but bear in mind I know nothing at all about Thunderbird basses. Do they naturally sound very muddy and fuzz effected or is that a sound coming from the amp? [/quote] No, they don't, but that's just my ears talking and I only have experience of the non-reverse Did you not have a shottie of my NR at Moffat?

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1434483587' post='2800101'] Just out of curiosity are the pots the same ones that were on my NR that I sent you? You know all about my woes there. Maybe they were just cock. [/quote] They are the ones you sent me, nothing wrong with their values, it's the taper that's wrong for (Gibson) tone controls so all their action is concentrated at the end.