tauzero

[quote name='BOD2' post='138675' date='Feb 12 2008, 09:19 AM']I reckon it's only a matter of time before some company sticks magnets around the outside of the lead at each end and claims that the magnets "align the electrons in the signal path, reducing loss of energy through random scatter thus increasing the top end, reducing muddiness in the middle range and allowing the bass frequencies more headroom"[/quote] They're already doing it [url="http://www.fuel-optimiser.co.uk/how.html"]for petrol[/url] and obviously have managed to make a profit on it...

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='138550' date='Feb 11 2008, 11:16 PM']You got it in one! I've had this done to me when I've bid on things in the past; even though it was what I had bid and I wouldn't have minded paying that in a decent auction I have on occasion refused to pay and said that I'd ask eBay to investigate if a seller pushed it. Cut off nose to spite face... maybe![/quote] Trouble is that you can't see who Bidder 3 is and there's no way of telling whether the 20 minutes he took to withdraw the bid were the 20 minutes he spent trying to talk his other half down from the roof when he told her he was about to spend 800 quid on a bass. Of course ebay won't change the system because they get higher FVFs like this, but a fairer system would be to say that a cancelled bid cancels all of the bidder's bids. Then any suspicious activity is much clearer. If all Bidder 3's bids got cancelled and then he put in a bid of 795, it would be rather obvious that something was going on. His other auctions don't seem to have any suspicious bidding on them. BTW, the cables have just got here.

[quote name='s_u_y_*' post='138558' date='Feb 11 2008, 11:22 PM']That's why I usually don't bother with TB unless I need to use it as a reference.[/quote] It's not that useful even then. When they were banging on about the relief on WAV-4 necks, it would have been very useful to know at what points they were putting the strings to the fingerboard (and in which units as well). Um, cables. Mains lead - brilliant for speaker cables (as long as it's decent stuff). Decently thick coax and plugs that have the tip securely rivetted to the terminal, they'll make decent cables.

[quote name='dood' post='123911' date='Jan 20 2008, 04:12 PM']Jaguar actually had a limited addition Fender Statocaster made! IIRC it was a glossy british racing green with luxury gold hardware and the Jaguar logo. The price tag was absolutely ridiculous!!![/quote] I thought I'd get a photo of the one in PMT Brum when I was last in there: [attachment=5611:Image_697_.gif]

[quote name='Jamesemt' post='138132' date='Feb 11 2008, 01:15 PM']Is there much difference in volume - comparing 2x8ohm to 1x4ohm? As 8ohm cabs seem to be cheaper...not to mention more futureproof.[/quote] Haven't tried the experiment yet, and it's a bit impractical to do it here (at least at significant volume). My reasoning was that 250W into 4 ohms would most likely give around 200W into 8, so I'd be powering the 200W speakers to their optimum effect. They're not terribly efficient drivers either. I've got a couple of 8" speakers too, so I may knock up a smallish 2x8 to go with the other cab. Long term I want to build a couple of Omni 10.5s, which I'll quite happily put 8 ohm speakers into.

I'll let you know when (or if) my cables arrive... He told me the same - I didn't relay it to BC though. Not sure about easily establishing his registered address, if he hasn't registered with a full address then you can't find it. He does seem to have a fair bit of feedback from different buyers too. I agree that bidder 3 does show the signs of a shill bid as s/he cancelled a winning bid to leave the winning bid pushed quite a bit up.

Looks like the uk.people.consumers.ebay FAQ has moved (if I'm not mistaken, it's now being hosted by my old mate Humbug). Thanks to paul, the for pointing that out. It's now at [url="http://upce.toffee.net/"]http://upce.toffee.net/[/url]

[quote name='RyMed' post='136597' date='Feb 8 2008, 02:49 PM']It got everywhere! Any tips on cleaning the insides once dried out?[/quote] Take everything apart. Wash it in clean water. Rinse and repeat. Dry in the airing cupboard for a couple of days. Remantling is the reverse of dismantling. Works for computer keyboards, anyway. Except that I put them in the dishwasher.

[quote name='Jamesemt' post='137159' date='Feb 9 2008, 04:50 PM']Hi guys, I currently own a Superfly and am looking to upgrade the rig slowly (ie cabs first). The Superfly is 2x250watts at 4ohms. Is there any way for me to run both inputs to one cab?[/quote] Yes. You need more than one speaker and the ability to do a bit of rewiring (of the speaker, not the amp) though. I've got a Superfly which I'm running into a homebrew 2x10". I've wired two jack sockets on the cab so that I can either run into one socket and have the speakers in parallel at 4 ohms, or run a separate channel into each of the 8 ohm speakers. You could do something similar with a 4x10" - if it's an 8 ohm 4x10, it would almost certainly be 4 8 ohm speakers, which could be wired up to give you two separate pairs of 4 ohm speakers.

[quote name='johnny dissident' post='137121' date='Feb 9 2008, 02:57 PM']Do any of you chaps gig with both double bass and bass guitar ? If so ,what rigs do you use or have used ?[/quote] I'm still in something of a state of flux, playing EUB and bass. I have been using a GK 200MB (predecessor to the MB150), getting the sound set up for the bass guitar which I use for most of the set and compromising on the EUB sound. The intention is to use an Ashdown Superfly and switch EQ as I switch between EUB and bass. [quote name='johnny dissident' post='137121' date='Feb 9 2008, 02:57 PM']Also, does anyone have any advice for switching between instruments mid gig, as I'm finding it a bit of a 'mare at the moment.[/quote] Which bit of it is the problem? Physically, my EUB is on a stand and my bass has straplocks so I just swivel the bass round behind me to play EUB. I can see that being a bit less satisfactory with the bulk of a double bass body. Electronically, I just press the Behringer A-B switch (and will in the future also be doing a little tap-dance on the MIDI program control footswitch).

[quote name='Mike' post='137978' date='Feb 11 2008, 09:33 AM']I flew back direct from Phoenix Skyharbor, Arizona to London Heathrow with BA, and they were absolutely terrific. Going through customs Stateside, I attracted only amused glances and a few questions from staff, including an "Oh, I love Paul McCartney" ![/quote] Presumably if said member of staff had loved Heather Mills instead, your bass would be on its way to the bottom of the Atlantic by now...

[quote name='Paul Cooke' post='137002' date='Feb 9 2008, 10:09 AM']some guy named *4music* got it for £1028... was that a good price?[/quote] List price is about £3500, I believe. So yes, a good price.

Many years ago, I was in a band of which the singer had a Kramer Al-necked bass. I tried it and I thought it was a dreadful thing to play.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='136143' date='Feb 7 2008, 10:52 PM']For those of you who missed the thread last time this bass was discussed it's from [url="http://www.mikeyguitar.com/index.asp"]Mikey Guitar[/url]. An interesting idea but I can't help thinking that the fretless conversion works the wrong way round. Instead of lowering the frets it should really raise the fingerboard otherwise the fretless action will be too high.[/quote] Given the way that it works, by rotating the frets, I think that would be impossible. What might be feasible is to have cams to raise and lower the bridge and nut.

+1 for Stringbusters. There have been two occasions of getting the wrong item (once was them, once was me), both times sorting it out was absolutely hassle-free. Plus they're cheap. If I was richer, I'd change my strings more often simply for the pleasure of dealing with them

[quote name='OldGit' post='135430' date='Feb 7 2008, 12:23 AM']My brief to Jon was "62p bass with 5 strings please..[/quote] I bet it cost you more than that, but top marks for trying.

[quote name='barneythedog' post='135152' date='Feb 6 2008, 04:57 PM']For more info on this seller see my post in the "how to spot a scam" sticky I will gladly post my full email exchange with him should anyone be interested [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9854"]here[/url][/quote] There seem to be quite a few people who are happy with him (141, in fact, with one neg from over a year ago). Are you sure the second chance offer actually came from him and wasn't a forgery?

[quote name='joegarcia' post='134017' date='Feb 4 2008, 11:56 PM']Can't think of a use for it at the moment though.[/quote] A very very small Omni cab?

Through-neck headless five, twin neck, fretted and unlined fretless, neck profile the same as my Antoniotsai fretted 5, probably EMG pickups, body shape similar to Sei Flamboyant, wenge fretboards, maple/wenge laminate, not sure about body wood but probably a spalted or burled maple cap. Week after next would be fine.

[quote name='Rich' post='133095' date='Feb 3 2008, 04:03 PM']Shame, because the Fly guitar is simply brilliant... if I was a gtrist, I'd have bought one years ago.[/quote] I was seriously underwhelmed by the Parker Fly g**tar when I had a play on it, although that was because I didn't like the neck.

[quote name='ARGH' post='132955' date='Feb 3 2008, 12:23 PM']Its still E when you play an E,but I just think the only way to develop now is to develop the instrument....styles and techniques come and go,like fashion(80s slapola,Sheehans Tapping),as do types of instrument....but standards change...and as Ped says,groove..or feel is unquantifiable,you have it or you dont. but thats personal,the instrument will change...[/quote] Well yes, after all, in the guitar world, there had to be a significant change in the instrument for an innovator like Hendrix to play so wildly differently to a twangy conservative like Hank Marvin. I don't see why there shouldn't be innovative playing on four-strings. And I played the 7-string at the barn dance band's rehearsal on Wednesday, and it's difficult to get more conservative than 300 year old tunes. So you can play old tunes on a new fiddle as well as new tunes on an old one...

A bit of an odd one last night - return visit to the social club where I played my first gig with this band. Reasonable room, upstairs though. It's about three weeks since the singer's mother died, and last night would have been her birthday, so there were assorted sisters, brothers-in-law, nephews, and nieces sat in the corner getting hammered (and having some sort of shouting match outside afterwards, as well as one niece getting abusive about the ents secretary). As far as gigs go, it was about standard for us. The drummer and I are both getting a bit pissed off with the fact that we've been doing an identical set for two years though. Oh yes, and the singer went and invited this bloke up to sing, so he did a couple of numbers which Denis just about knew and I busked. I told the singer afterwards not to get any guest singers up again as it made us look like a bunch of amateurs. In equipment terms, it was the first time out for the cut-down 2x10" homebrew, which proved to still have plenty of bottom end to it. Needs some acoustic foam in it, I think. Need to have a good session programming the Superfly for it - not easy while we're in the flat... Oh, and the ents secretary had a word with me when I arrived - she wants to do an open mic night there and knows I regularly play at the one just down the road at the Roadhouse, so I (or Kaz and I) may finish up hosting one there. And the other band might get to do a barn dance there too...

Obviously a psychiatrist would be the best person to ask about this. As none was at hand, we asked Clement Freud to speak for a minute on the subject of Gear Acquisition Syndrome: "Gear Acquisition Syndrome, or GAS, is, according to Grandfather Sigmund, a form of kleptomania. The sufferer feels a compulsion to own a piece of equipment, be it an instrument, an amplifier, a speaker, or an effects unit. This feeling is not extended to the point of outright theft, however, and legitimate means of acquisition are pursued. The drive behind GAS is, in fact" Bzzzzzzz! Paul Merton has challenged. Paul? "He repeated GAS." That is a correct challenge. Paul Merton, you have fifteen seconds on the subject of Gear Acquisition Syndrome. "I remember once acquiring a gear. When I started driving I had a Mini, which I later replaced with a Maxi, which had five gears instead of four, so I had acquired a gear. Some Formula One drivers have taken this to the extreme, with seven gears in their" And there goes the whistle to mark the end of the minute.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='133063' date='Feb 3 2008, 03:05 PM']Ugly. And if you really wanted an upright bass guitar (apologies to those who are offended by the "g" word - you think of a more apt one) why not just put a really long spike where your bottom strap button would be? Or perch it on a barstool? [/quote] Or, indeed, screw it to a cymbal stand. Or get a Dean Pace (6" fingerboard radius my arse) and get it fretted.

If it helps, I'd never heard of Laklands until a few months ago, and I've been playing bass for thirty years.