KingBollock

I haven't gigged in over twenty years and never got paid when I did. Being paid never even occurred to me, it was just supposed to be for fun, and it was. I believe that if you throw money into a mix of people doing anything, it changes the dynamic, most often for the worst. But if I was having to do gigs that weren't any fun I'd want something for it. When fishing I have always said that if the weather is nice and the lake or river is a pleasant place to be, I wouldn't be bothered if i stayed all day and didn't catch a thing. But if it's pissing it down or snowing and I'm sat next to a cold, muddy hole in the ground, I won't be happy if I'm not catching.

My initial thought went something like: Bollocks! Why are they so far away? I'd love to play in a band again, it has been far, far too long. But it would have to be fun, it would have to play music I liked (I'd prefer something a lot heavier, something like symphonic blackened death metal, but 80s metal would be fine). I'd have to get on very well with the other band members (I'm not into drama and band politics and I'd rather that if someone was doing something detrimental to the band, that it could be discussed freely with them without awkwardness or bad feelings). It would be good to play live again but I wouldn't be that bothered if it never got out of the rehearsal room, as long as we rehearsed regularly and often, and I'm just not bothered about making any money at it, throwing money into the mix encourages drama and politics, so I'd rather it not be an issue. For me it would be a hobby anyway, and I have other hobbies that I happily pay to do. And on top of all that, I now live in the middle of nowhere and can't drive... I'm looking for a miracle. I ain't ever going to get to play with other people ever again. Which saddens me. Bugger.

Get a drill. I've got a cordless drill/driver that I have been using for years. It's just a cheapo Challenge one that cost £7.50 new. Even if you have to spend a it more they are incredibly useful things to have knocking about.

So with everything being in such a state, the only valid response is to get angry about it? How is being angry all the time going to help matters? Why begrudge someone trying to be happy?

A second cab won't take up any extra usable space, only vertical, it will have the same footprint. And, as has been said, the bottom cab will bring the top cab up to ear level, so you won't need to turn it up so far to hear yourself. Also, I don't know what your home arrangement is, but because my music room is upstairs, if I was in a band again I would find it useful to be able to keep a cab downstairs, maybe even in the garage with a cover on, making it easier to move. But I would still be able to use both cabs should I feel a venue could take it.

[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1414012454' post='2584925'] I have a circuit and vero layout somewhere for a variable 20-200Hz HPF. I'll have a root around and see if I can find it. [/quote] That would be ace, thanks. The only one I have been able to find is also a preamp, which I don't need.

As Andy says, if it is for just one song you'd only really need to detune the E string.

I got a bit distracted half way through building a double bypass looper/blender/booster pedal, and haven't done anything since, but I intend starting again this coming week. My next pedal was going to be a chorus but I can't find one that I really want to build, one where it's not a hassle to get some of the parts (whether rare or unreliable or needs matching), but the looper will allow me to use the guitar chorus pedal that I already have, so I'm going to leave it for a while. Something I have decided I do need is a compressor. Anyone know of a good one to build? It would need to be buildable on veroboard. I am looking at the Keeley four knob at the moment. I would also like to build a hpf like the Thumpinator but I can't find a layout. And I'd quite like a noise gate, too, but they look rather more complicated than I was expecting. I am having a problem with my Big Muff pedal at the moment. Each side, the Muff and the Musket, are fine when on alone, but if both are on together they are incredibly noisy. But I get the same problem if only one of them is on (either or both and placed both before and after) with a separate dirt pedal (the Hyperdrive or the Digitech Bass Driver). It is fine with other, non dirt, pedals. The current power supply situation is far from ideal but the last of the parts for the PSU I am going to build came in last week, so I will sort that out soon, but I'm not sure it could be the cause of [i]all[/i] that noise. I know there is a simple noise gate mod for the Big Muff so I might try that. It is so noisy that a noise gate after the pedal wouldn't work, and because the noise seems to be generated in the pedal a noise gate before wouldn't work, either. Such a shame because, otherwise, using mixes of the four pedal options makes some amazing sounds.

How about using the label Pantheon and then having sub-names based on gods for each style of amp, based on each amp's appearance and attributes? There are plenty to choose from: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Greek_mythological_figures Mind you, naming stuff that I make is a big part of the fun for me (I have a huge list of words, phrases and even verses that I have made up, just for naming effects pedals that I might build sometime in the future. The first proper pedal I built is a Big Muff and Musket in one box, it's called "Dank and Fetid Earth beneath a Doom Coloured Sun"...), but I could imagine it being a bit of a hassle every time you change the colour of something, if you don't find it as much fun as me.

Neptune or Poseidon. Both gods of the sea, so go with the colour. And they both wield a Trident (a three pronged spear), to match your three power options.

They say accuracy builds speed. Practice the parts slowly, let your muscles learn the notes and build the speed up only when you get it consistently right.

Four for me. Westone P/J [size=2](because I didn't have a bass at the time and it was cheap. Plays nice, too)[/size] Aria Pro II MAG-20/5 [size=2](it was cheap and I wanted to see if I could get on with a five string. Like the Westone, it is too cheap to bother going to the effort of trying to sell. I might defret it)[/size] Cort T-35 BC Rich Warlock NT I have only had two other basses and I only want one other. I'd like a fretless Cort Curbow, preferably in piano white.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1411814313' post='2563007'] Sorry, I didn't notice that this thread was still running. Still don't have a kazoo, I might as well pick a cheap one up today. I had a look at buying a 'french horn kazoo' from www.kazoos.com, but shipping would have been US$45.90, which is a bit much. I've just had the thought that Sheehans in Leicester might have something interesting, I'll email them. [/quote] Ohh, I used to love that shop! Wish there was somewhere around here like that place.

I've got a record sleeve that looks like that. It used to be used for rolling spliffs on.

I'd have a look in your local Army surplus store. Anything from waterproof duffel bags to metal cases you could park a lorry on.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1411056547' post='2556063'] Well, I've got a Windows PC, and iPad and an Android phone - will that do? [/quote] Me too, I think... I can't remember the last time I even picked my phone up. It's certainly not an iPhone. I have had it for years and I'm at least it's third owner.

I prefer it's use on the early Macc Lads stuff, especially Barrel's Round from the Bitter, Fit Crack album. I shan't be linking to any of it from here.

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1411161560' post='2557244'] I have no doubt that Mr BCFGI's labours have brought affordable quality into the hands of vulnerable, hard working little people up and down the country at a time when it was neither profitable nor popular. Will that take some of the heat off, d'ye think? [/quote] Don't forget the big people, like builders with big hands!

My wife got a new sewing machine from her mum for her birthday, to be delivered by My Hermes. When the delivery date was a long forgotten speck on the horizon my wife called the place it was coming from. They said they'd call back. When they did they said it had gone missing and that they'd send a new one. A few days after the new delivery date a sewing machine finally turned up. The box was a mess but the contents were fine. Then, a while later, the second machine turned up. It was supposed to be signed for but had been put in the utility room with no note. Then she got a call from the mail order place asking her to renew her membership, they didn't mention the sewing machine, so neither did she... The second one is still sitting there in its box. As it has already been written off and it is from a large mail order store, she's thinking of swapping it with a friend for a fridge, which she has two of due to very similar circumstances. If it was me the guilt would kill me, but she's not as sensitive as me.

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1410048583' post='2545723'] No, but I've got a 12v transformer and some voltage regulators - I've been meaning to have a go, but mains scares me. [/quote] If you've got an unregulated 12v wall wart you can just make an inline filter/regulator in a separate box, just to get started.

I just rescued an old 12v transformer, one that was knackered but got thrown in a drawer, instead of the bin, for just such an occasion. It was just a transformer and bridge rectifier, no filter caps at all, and no regulator. So I fitted a regulator and a cap either side. While I was looking for suitable cap values I found plenty of schematics but none of them agreed on values, certainly not for the big cap. I saw mention of 1uf per mA, but it was said that this allows for a 1v ripple and in a 9v supply that is rather a lot I think. Has anyone here built a PSU for effect pedals? What cap values should I be looking at? Is there an upper limit beyond which it makes no difference? I have a couple of other transformers knocking about that I would like to sort out. I also have plans to make a multi PSU using three transformers, each with two secondaries, to run my pedalboard in the future.

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1409931602' post='2544745'] If you PM me your address I'll send you a couple of 072s. The layout of 072-based klon clone at the tagboard effects blog deffo works as I've built a couple. [/quote] Thank you for the very kind offer. I am going to carry on with other stuff for now, I am fairly happy with the blender I made so I'm in now hurry. I will come back to ICs when I think I can get my head around it (I am still a bit muggy headed after rather nasty news a few weeks ago, it has effected me rather badly and I tend to dwell on that sort of stuff). I seem to be putting in an order with Bitsbox every month at the moment, I shall tag some on to the next one, or the one after that. Again, thank you.

Amon Amarth - The Fate of Norns

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1409781855' post='2543419'] I built the Bass Paralooper too and it didn't work. It;s not just you, I think it's a dicky circuit. I've not found a blend circuit that I'm happy with yet, and I've built probably 5 or 6. It's a bit of a minefield really. [/quote] I am actually quite happy with what I have ended up with, considering. It's very simple but it seems to work. I won't know how useful it actually is until I have it boxed up and start using it in my pedalboard. I haven't tried it with a non-inverting pedal in the loop yet. This is what I ended up with: [url="http://freespace.virgin.net/alison.jackson/list/ElectronicProjects/BlendLoopBoost.pdf"]BlendLoopBoost[/url] I've put a battery clip in there because there isn't a DC jack to use. I wouldn't use a battery, though, it distorts if it gets less than 9v. I might even try it with 12v.