tauzero

While trying to find out what trademark legislation might apply to Rickenbackers and copies in the UK, I happened across [url="http://www.rickenbacker.com/model.asp?model=660/12"]this description[/url] on Rickenbacker's website. What made me curious was that they refer to 'Rickenbacker's trademark "checkered" black and white binding'. Now I know that, at least in the US, there is trademark on the headstock and body shapes, and RIC is obliged to pursue breaches of that trademark in the US otherwise they stand to lose it, but is the chequered binding really a trademark or are Rickenbacker using the term in a rather less than strict legal context?

First, if you like the way it feels, that's good. Keep it. You just need to make it sound how you want it to sound. Second, have you considered string choice? There seems to have been plenty said about the hardware, but no-one yet has mentioned the actual boingy things that make the noise. If you're playing flatwounds and want sizzle, that's your problem right there.

There's quite a lot of Rick copies that look uncannily like real Ricks. Perhaps all auctions for what are purportedly real Ricks should be flagged to Ebay - after all, as I'm sure Mr Hall would agree, you can't be too careful...

Real men don't need fret markers at 3 and 9...

If you're about to head off to Bass Direct, make sure Mark is back off his hols first (think he's away till the 10th).

I had one too - a fretless with slap plates, and IIRC a little piezo pickup in the neck joint that would pick up the percussive sound of the slap.

It's worth looking on That Ebay for components. I bought a big bag of ceramic capacitors for very little (just checked, 40 each of 50 values = 2000 caps for £11-30, free P&P).

I didn't do any soldering but did have a good inspect. It's a Bartolini TBIBT, with passive pickups. Battery is 9.5V with a lead plugged in (ie. under load). The preamp has two buffer preamps which feed the blend pot(s) which then feed the tone control section. My suspicion is that something has gone duff in the neck pickup buffer circuit, perhaps an electrolytic gone to meet its maker. Looks rather like it's encapsulated though (it's tucked away and I didn't want to try persuading it out). I've also found a reference to a Pedulla with the same issue - it uses the same preamp. However, the owner swapped it out for something else so there's no further diagnostics.

I have an AX3000B which I like. One nice feature is that you can edit the sounds with a (Windows) PC with a MIDI interface.

I use those bits for links, although I think a couple of moves and a total reorganisation of the electronics area have seen them off.

[quote name='tommorichards' timestamp='1332017215' post='1582245'] im planning on making my own sabre bass as i cannot afford a real one, so im using this preamp. The wire ive used to go to the controls is rubbish though as they keep snapping off the board, so ive ordered some copper wire for it. [/quote] You could use Veropins to do the connections rather than solder flying leads straight to the board.

I replaced the concentric knobs on my Jack with non-Hohner. I'm pretty sure that I got them from [url="http://www.axesrus.com/axenob.htm#Knobs"]AxesRUs[/url] after measuring the inner and outer shafts.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1333224320' post='1599016'] Adjustment is from the headstock. Sandberg web site suggests anti-clockwise to curve the neck a bit more... but from which end of the instrument???? [/quote] The end that you're adjusting it at.

I hadn't noticed this on the Sei when I bought it, but today at rehearsal it was rather evident. The bridge pickup is making some rather odd noises (other than my playing, that is). Not humming, not major crackling, but irregular thudding and crackling. I've either got a social club secretary sat in the bass tapping a microphone, as social club secretaries are wont to do, or some issue. When the blend control is fully to the bridge pickup, there is no extraneous noise. Moving it even slightly to the neck pickup brings the noise in. I've made a recording at [url="http://tauzero.co.uk/MP3s/sei_noise.mp3"]http://tauzero.co.uk/MP3s/sei_noise.mp3[/url] - this is initially on bridge pickup only (no noise), then I strum a couple of strings, then move to the neck pickup and strum again. The noise is pretty clearly audible. Not sure what the pickups are. Preamp is a Bartolini. This happens both in my lounge (where the recording was made) and in the rehearsal studio, and using three different leads, three different amps, a bass trainer, and no effects. Does anyone have any suggestions as to cause and remedy?

[quote name='paul j h' timestamp='1333133411' post='1598002'] Hi, i am still unable to put the pics up, but if someone can for me i will e-mail them the pics and they can include it in the post somewhers. The ebay seller was a guy called James his ebay shop is Bristol guitars and he really is a top bloke, between him and me we had to do all the leg work. Still the police get a "clear up" after 11 years! Cheers Paul. [/quote] Congratulations on getting it back. Doing the legwork yourself rings a bell, my garage was broken into many years ago and some bike parts, computer parts, and a bass cab were nicked. I happened across the bike parts in a local bike breakers, who were helpful, and rang round a couple of second-hand shops myself, one of which had the bass cab and had taken the name and registration number of the bloke who'd sold it to him. So I passed the info on to the police. Sadly the subsequent prosecution failed, as the magistrates were happy to believe that the perpetrator had bought the stuff in good faith.

World's best guitarist ever... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v7LzOeTkfM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v7LzOeTkfM[/url]

I have been on the quest for the ultimate 5-string fretless for ages. The Mazeti I got from Wooks is good, but I always knew there would be better. Anybody who's been monitoring Bass Direct's 5-strings of late would have seen a Sei headless fretless appear a few days back. I went down to Bass Direct to have a look. Action was high enough to need a ladder, so Mark did some judicious tweaking and got the relief and bridge height about right. A complete lack of output which initially seemed to be due to a dodgy battery connector turned out to be a jack socket which had been unused for years (apparently the previous owner hadn't used it for ages, which is a shame for an instrument like this). It proved very comfortable to play, with a shallow asymmetrical neck and 16.5mm (I think) string spacing. The sound is rich and complex - not sure what the pickups are but the preamp is Bartolini. So I bought it, and Mark kindly threw in a Gramma pad. Both the garden guardians approve of it too.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1332884733' post='1594554'] I played a gig once where backline was provided and it was one of these.... they get flipping hot don't they? [/quote] The Superfly does - the Superduperfly has a fan fitted, which I don't remember ever coming on apart from at initial switch-on, and runs only mildy warm.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1332861122' post='1594096'] I always leave a nice long end on my guitar strings hanging out, means i can tie them back together when they break at the bridge end. It's my guitar I can do what I like with it [/quote] I do the same (an old buskers' trick, taught me by an old busker). I do coil them up neatly though as otherwise Mrs Zero might get an eyeful of guitar string ends and she wouldn't like that.

Went for about the going rate. I had a Jack 5 - slightly chunkier neck than I like but very handy to have something compact as a back-up bass. The 4-string Jack neck seems nicer to me.

Nowhere Man would be worth a shot. A chance for some nice harmony vocals.

"With a little help from my friends", the proper (Joe Cocker) version.

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1332851876' post='1593917'] Also, if I carry on playing with Dik Guru, you never know I may end up on the same bill as Tauzero one day. It seems they have played at the same gig before! [/quote] I was going to say that I'd like to see you playing with Dik sometime. Oh dear. Bucket of cold water for discreet please. There's a few BCers bands I'd like to see but they're mostly rather far away.