JPJ

So after much humming and haring and lots of internet research I have plumped for that five string KK Baby Bass that was up on eBay for a very reasonable £750. Will report back once I have my hands on her, but the videos I've seen online suggest I'll be able to get the tone in my head, and the body shape/size means its a bit more appealing on the eye than the 'stick' style Yamahas.

I had one when I was going through an 'effects phase' and liked it but found it performed much better when powered from a transformer than when battery powered.

So as promised, I'm reporting back after a full band rehearsal. Generally, the Fanes are a big improvement over the OEM speakers. Volume was definitely louder for equivalent control settings, and the overall sound was fuller and fatter. Anything below a G on the E string is obviously the limit of these speakers / cabinet size, and the volume noticeably dropped off, but the speakers held up well, no farting out or any other nastiness. I'm still in awe of this little combo, the speaker upgrade has only enhanced my feelings. An unbelievably simple little amp with a great inherent tone, way superior to any other TC offerings I've tried in the past. True, it's not loud enough on its own to gig with in the main electric band, but for the acoustic band it's perfect. On the whole, I'm very happy with the upgrade.

I've used both softwood and ply to brace my builds, but always rebated into the panel. My 'test' was far less scientific than Stevie with his test tones, but I found that whilst ply 'on edge' added a lot of rigidity to the panel, the softwood wasn't far behind and it definitely had a damping effect which i guess is because the softwood would have a different natural frequency to the ply.

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1486054845' post='3228889'] That's a good price for a SLB 200. I'm local to the seller so if you want someone to check it out, just say the word. Dave [/quote] Thank you Dave, I am chatting to the seller at the moment. If I decide to pull the trigger I will take you up on your very kind offer. Cheers Kev

Without wishing to sound negative, I'd recommend a good quality filter face mask with the right filters for nitro, and spraying in a well ventilated space. In my experience, nitro is also pretty temperature sensitive and if it gets too cold whilst still flashing off it can go milky.

Happy to contribute to the process 😎

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1485973357' post='3228188'] Here's a screenshot Tom, if you're on Facebook you might be able to message the seller..... [attachment=237109:Screen Shot 2017-02-01 at 18.15.31.png] [/quote] Cheers Andy, interesting!

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1485948571' post='3227887'] This? [url="https://m.facebook.com/groups/298259546971359?view=permalink&id=958531427610831"]https://m.facebook.c...958531427610831[/url] Not mine btw! [/quote] Sorry that's a link to a closed group, any clue as to what it is?

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1485949379' post='3227896'] Yes, we originally planned a slot port and I built one and showed it around to a few people. It did look nicer than the round port version. The problem was twofold, the design was meant to an easy build for someone at home, I found I needed no fewer than eight clamps whilst glueing up which I didn't think most people would have to hand. Without extensive clamping the round ported cab was an easier build. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly putting the slot in meant the speaker was effectively operating into a square space and we got an unfortunate and clearly audible resonance on some notes giving a slightly artificial sound (I quite liked it, but that's just me). We killed that in the end by putting a big slab of wadding on top of the port shelf. It wouldn't be a problem with a 2x12 as you wouldn't have a short squat cab any more. If you want me to talk you through a 2x12 version I'm happy to do so at the cost of asking you to post up your progress on BC [/quote] Deal! I was thinking of a central slot port, with a driver above and below in a sort of homage to the Acoustic designs of old which always looked pretty cool to me, plus the side slot port is pretty much the exclusive territory of Barefaced these days. Having said that, the Berg OBBM is selling at the moment looks pretty cool with those corner ports that remind me of my old Schroeder 21012 (probably the best cabinet I've ever owned for 'tone' and 'projection').

Another thought. I did want to build a 2x12 version of the original 1x12 design but really prefer a slot port design. Without trolling through the whole thread, can someone point me at the relevant posts as to why a slot port wasn't used?

I've built a couple of small bass cabs over the years, and I've found that rebating softwood battens into the cabinet panels not only adds strength but can also damp the panels. It's not a difficult thing to do once you own a router.

Pleased to hear of your delivery time. I waited almost two months for my Micro Thumpinator to arrive, which it did last week. I plugged it in and it works so well that no bass whatsoever made it to the output socket, just a mild white noise Currently on its way back to SFX for diagnosis, I will keep you lot posted with progress. As an aside, what power supply are you intending to use with it, as they do not come with one?

So I was the buyer of Grandad's Fane speakers. They arrived safe and sound two weeks ago, but due to working away Mon-Fri I only had a chance to fit them this weekend, and even then late on Sunday. Firstly, I bought my BG secondhand and I noticed that the front grill badge was 'the wrong way up' on mine (bottom right instead of top left). I'd wondered why this was the case until yesterday when I opened up to fit the Fanes; the previous owner had taken the time to fit proper acoustic wadding. So the Fanes installed without any fuss, and my immediate impression is of a slightly brighter, more middle biased overall tone, similar to when I reconed my SWR Goliath 4x10 with Deltalites. Absolute scientific testing using a reference Behringer SM58 clone into my X-Air mixing desk showed a like-for-like volume increase of around 4-6db for the same volume & tone control positions. The Fanes are a much more substantial speaker than the OEM drivers, pushing the overall weight of the combo up slightly, but not that she's gone beyond the one hand lift convenience of the original. I'll give her a run out in rehearsal next weekend and report back on whether simply reducing the onboard ohmage results in a real terms volume increase or whether this was a fools folly.

I briefly had the SWR Marcus Miller pre into a QSC power amp, the idea being this would be a lightweight alternative to the SM1500. In reality, it was marginally lighter, but the voicing of the MM preamp didn't really suit me, so it was added to the list of amps I've owned.

Thinking aloud here, it is clear that the acoustic properties of a double bass are fundamental to the overall tone, even when that tone is amplified using a bridge mounted piezo style transducer. Part of the physical size of a double bass is down to the need to be heard in a pure acoustic environment and it is that physical size that prevents me from moving to an acoustic db. As an amateur wood butcher, this has got me thinking, how big a body do you need to leverage the tone of a 3/4 size db via piezo?

[quote name='Merton' timestamp='1485435074' post='3223935'] I hope you're not mixing drum sizes? That way madness lies..... [/quote] I've been using two 10" 4 slice toasters and a 15" Hotpoint for quite a few years now and no one has complained about my tone! 😤

Ooh I so want this, but it leads me on to a related question. I know its conventional to stack the tumble dryer on top of the washing machine, but surely with the larger drum, the tumble dryer will give a better low end response if you stack them the other way around?

So I used to own one of the original Stagg EUB's that the previous owner had upgraded with a nice set of Corelli strings. I 'upgraded' the pickup and she became a lovely playable fun thing to own. Then I was offered money I needed at the time and she went off to a new owner. I now find myself wanting to get another EUB (I don't have the space for a full double) and I also have the cash to go a bit more upmarket, so what do you knowledgeable lot recommend? Style-wise, it will be used with an acoustic blues rock type thing, played pizz, although I would like to experiment with arco playing in the future.

Thanks to Phil (and Alex, and Bill) and the other contributors. It's threads like this one that keep me coming back to Basschat, and as the saying goes, your never too old to learn. I have in the past fried speakers and its an expensive hobby. Mine was not understanding how the amp shared its load across two cabs, meaning I fried two cones in my 500w cab whilst my 700w escaped unharmed. After that, I have been a lot more careful matching watts and ohms. Oh and I have a Microthumpinator on order to act as the first line of defense ;-)

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1484742752' post='3217961'] Only if it's posh Birch ply... [/quote] Er posh 'voidless' birch ply

So I read the comments on here about the TC SpectraComp pedal and was seduced by its diminutive size so I ordered one. First impressions are really favourable, and the extent of the TonePrint editor software is phenomenal. Only had limited time to play with this so far, but I'm liking the Nathan East TonePrint a lot and this will probably be my 'go to' until I get to grips with the editor.

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1484600398' post='3216761'] I have been thinking about the only thing I don't like about the EB3 - neck dive. I appreciate some don't mind it while others find it annoying beyond belief. I am fairly sure I fall in the second category. So what can you do about it? I could add a pound of lead behind the bridge, not ideal, I could covert it to headless, interesting, but no. Or I could have a think and see if there was way to maintain the lightweight overall and good looks whilst sorting the issue without spending a fortune. Lightweight tuners make a difference I understand, but how much? Varies depending on who you speak to but most agree it's not a great deal. So the only real way is to make the front strap position move closer to the head. I could just drill into the neck but that seemed an ugly way to do it and could cause other issues. I love working with different materials and this seemed like a problem that could be solved with a bit of lathe and miller work. With a couple of lunchtimes devoted to it I have come up with a prototype as seen in the pic below which moves the pivot point quite a distance but doesn't interfere whilst playing (well it doesn't with how I play). I still have to finish the final policy and wire up so haven't had it all together yet but the balance is so much better and will improve further when the bridge, electronics and covers/ knobs are on. When I know it works properly I will spend some time and make a 'pretty' one. [/quote] Nice work, I like the way that is hidden behind the neck

I love my AG500SC, its the only non-SWR amp I've gigged with, and I have played some pretty big stages with it and haven't found it lacking in the either the horsepower or low end department. As Lozz196 says, the two mid controls are a bit too close together sonically, but other than that it ticks all the boxes I need ticked. As to reliability, save for both the power and mute LED's giving up the ghost (at separate times), mines been super reliable to date.

So I've just used mine at a rehearsal for the rock band. Just about kept up with the band with the master at about 3pm on the clock face (I.e. about 80% of its travel). By then it was starting to sound very 'boxy' which you would expect given the size of the drivers but it didn't object to running at this level and the amp didn't even become warm to the touch. Very impressed, now thinking of building a second 2x8 to sit under it and liberate the full output of the amp.