tauzero

If anyone does know of any PAT testers that they'd recommend for doing band gear, I've just started a topic in Gear/Repairs and technical issues for it. Any entries welcomed (especially if they're somewhere near Brum ).

Having looked through the various PAT testing threads, I think I've only found two places mentioned who would do PAT testing. So I thought it might be useful to have a thread on PAT testing which echoed the "Recommended Luthiers" and "Recommended Amp Tech" threads. Especially as I don't know of one around Birmingham, and I admit to a certain amount of self interest. So, who do people use for their musical equipment PAT testing and how much do they pay? And can you save money by gathering your gear up and taking it to the PAT tester, rather than vice versa?

[quote name='rayfw' post='155026' date='Mar 11 2008, 12:28 AM']Oh man! Why?! [/quote] One of the techniques used to counter neck dive is to add weight to the body. It's just a different sort of weight to normal.

[quote name='P-T-P' post='155115' date='Mar 11 2008, 10:00 AM']Alright Now - Free[/quote] Which reminds me, that and "Honky Tonk Women" must be the two tracks that bassists listen to least before playing them - there's no bass in the verse of either, but how many bands actually play them like that?

Get a light or medium gauge 7-string set from [url="http://www.overwater.co.uk/bass_guitar_strings.htm"]Overwater[/url] and discard/sell/give away the bottom string.

I think I'll bring a GK 200MB and a pair of headphones. And perhaps a Digitech BP200 and another pair of headphones...

[quote name='SimonLove01' post='154493' date='Mar 10 2008, 01:08 PM']I play a Dean Edge Q6 bass with EMG HZ pickups. It's a great bass and sounds wicked but the strings have been on there for an age and I've never got round to changing them. Can anyone recommend a decent place to order them on the net that won't cost me an arm and a leg??[/quote] [url="http://www.stringbusters.com/"]Stringbusters[/url]

[quote name='jakesbass' post='154168' date='Mar 9 2008, 08:37 PM']I think we should ask ourselves what level of criticism should take place in this environment, and being relatively new to the online world I'm beginning to feel that caution is the better part of valour, or to put it another way, the thick skinned can handle anything (me included) but the thin skinned can't and perhaps we should all have consideration for the thinner skinned end of the forum, so as to maintain a friendly atmosphere.[/quote] A thick skin is vital for anyone posting on any but the most heavily moderated forums, and always has been necessary in most newsgroups. There are [url="http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/"]all sorts of flame warriors out there[/url]...

[quote name='OldGit' post='154410' date='Mar 10 2008, 11:06 AM']Jon's finally got his [url="http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/access.htm"]Shuker Bass Tee Shirts [/url][/quote] That's a disappointingly short build diary.

[quote name='finnbass' post='153294' date='Mar 7 2008, 06:31 PM']I'm thinking about putting up prize money however, for anyone who can stand more than 60 seconds of this:[/quote] I just watched it all the way through. It's well worth putting up with the long intro to hear them burst into "Mustang Sally" at 6'37", after an allusory reference to "Down down" at 4'55".

[quote name='clauster' post='153175' date='Mar 7 2008, 03:57 PM']'twas a late 80s Warwick Thumb and it virtually pulled the notes from my fingers. It was effortlessly easy to play and it just wouldn't let me play a duff note. Fantastic stuff and I'm still gassing for an 80's thumb over 18 years later.[/quote] I have one, and it's the only instrument I've ever felt I had to have. And there's one for sale on Basschat right now...

[quote name='P-T-P' post='152908' date='Mar 7 2008, 10:18 AM'][b]P[/b]arabolic [b]A[/b]luminized [b]R[/b]eflector[/quote] Ta. Is the number associated with them, like 64, 36, etc, a dimension then, either area or diameter/radius (or, come to think of it, focal length)?

Add me to the interested parties list.

Axl Tiger. I had one and it had a less bulky neck than any other 6-string I tried.

Being a complete ignoramus as far as lighting goes, I was wondering - what does "par" (or "PAR") mean, other than what Colin Montgomery goes over and Tiger Woods goes under? Anyone feel like doing a Wiki on the subject?

What you really need is perceived hierarchies of importance. I have a friend who used to work for YouGov now runs his own similar company, and a survey he did for me found the following results. From a singer's point of view: 1) Singer 2) Groupies 3) Guitarist 4) Keyboard player 5) Audience 6) Everybody else From a guitarists' POV: 1) Guitarist 2) Bassist 3) Singer 4) Drummer 5) Everyone else From a bassist's POV: 1) Bassist 2) Drummer 3) Guitarist 4) Barman 5) Audience 6) Singer 7) Everyone else No drummer has yet learnt the meaning of the word "hierarchy", so this is where the survey ends.

[quote name='3V17C' post='152106' date='Mar 5 2008, 11:33 PM']varying layers of gaffa tape over the mic can slow them down a bit[/quote] According to the FAQ on the Maplin website, there's a sensitivity pot on the circuit board. Throw away your gaffa tape!

[quote name='Hamster' post='152321' date='Mar 6 2008, 12:39 PM']It's unlikely another Superfly head will be without the same problem.[/quote] Um, why? My Superfly head hasn't got that problem.

[quote name='Shockwave' post='152078' date='Mar 5 2008, 10:27 PM']Hows that? [/quote] Not out! A most impressive job. Good to see an instrument rescued.

[quote name='sticker' post='151744' date='Mar 5 2008, 02:22 PM']For things like fx and stands etc I'd go online more often than not but for instruments It's great to try the actual instrument before you part company with your hard earned and I like to go into a shop and look around at what's new and used and if there are any S/H bargains to be found .[/quote] Kaz bought a Vocalist Live 4 and I've bought as few stands and bits and bobs of late from PMT in Brum, and I've bought a few things including a 5-string Squier P from Sound Control in Brum. Got good prices on them too - the instrument stands were the same price as online, we got the Vocalist Live for about £10 more than total online price, the Squier was a reasonable price. I wouldn't deliberately try in a shop and buy online (except my Variax 300, which actually was from the online department of the bricks-and-mortar shop), though I have on one occasion tried, thought about buying, then seen online a lot cheaper and decided to buy. In the case of the Vocalist Live, PMT had it set up and were happy to demo it, and got someone in to do the demoing (we didn't see it, unfortunately, apparently it was very impressive). The ticket price was £60 or so over online price but Kaz knew the assistant of old and chatted him up and he gave us a good discount. I'd hate to see that sort of level of customer care be lost.

I think it would be rather fun, with the addition of a windscreen wiper motor. Sort of pickup equivalent of the Leslie speaker. I can imagine Fender bringing out the Precision version of the Grabber. "Take our revolutionary moveable pickup. Slide it towards the neck for a deep dull thud. Slide it towards the bridge for a bright high dull thud. Or slide it anywhere between for any sound you want, as long as it's a dull thud."

[quote name='david_l_perry' post='151586' date='Mar 5 2008, 10:49 AM']Perhaps if you are using bits of cheap bellwire or string to transmit the current, that may be true.... ....The sort of power rating Alan is talking about here it makes absolutely no difference...go and chastise yourself Rob[/quote] Paralleling rather than daisychaining does also mean the current to each speaker is only going through two jack/socket interfaces. All still pretty trivial though. Should I mention that I built my 2x10 cab with two jack sockets so I can run it as either a single 4 ohm speaker or 2 x 8 ohm speakers? There is a serious reason for that... [quote name='Merton' post='151588' date='Mar 5 2008, 10:53 AM']I love going to rehearsal rooms where an amp is connected to a cab with a patch lead. That's fun.[/quote] I do that. Not when I'm using anything seriously, of course, just when testing stuff.

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