pete.young

[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='1011088' date='Nov 3 2010, 05:15 PM']As for somewhere I can try one… 'Find someone that owns one' was the answer! [/quote] Great offer from Ped, if I were you I'd snatch his hand off. Make sure you get that the right way round ;-) In the meantime, if you can get to the SE Bass Bash it looks like both Ped and I will be there, and I will bring my unit and bass so between us there should be an opportunity to do a bit of tinkering.

[quote name='Dusty' post='1007828' date='Oct 31 2010, 08:44 PM']The bad news for most of you, is they are on CANVEY ISLAND !!! [/quote] Ha ha, King Kong walks on water, watch out Canvey Island :-) Immense result , well done and I wish you success with this venture. Definitely yes from me, if you can persuade the great Wilko to turn up for a guest appearance that would be better still!

[quote name='charic' post='1007228' date='Oct 31 2010, 12:17 PM']Would people be willing to travel this far?[/quote] Personally, no. It's just as easy to go to the SE bass bash from Ipswich.

Look what just popped up on eBay. Dougal's old Carvin XB-75P [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Carvin-XB-75P-5-Superb-5-String-Bass-/130447246650?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1e5f43053a"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Carvin-XB-75P-5-Supe...=item1e5f43053a[/url] Looks like I'm fated never to own this bass - what kind of numpty runs an auction for an instrument like this that finishes at 7.30 on a saturday night, when anyone likely to be interested is playing a gig. Mutter mutter. I wish personal circumstances had allowed me to buy it when it was for sale on here. Oh well.

I have a V-Bass floor unit and a GK3-B pickup installed on one of my basses. It's a great unit but it's not without problems, and if you're like me at some point you will find yourself thinking - I cant' be arsed with this. The sticky tape idea is fine in theory, until it falls off in the middle of a gig. It will do this, the only question is when it will happen. If you're doing any kind of paid work and relying on the unit, it's unprofessional to think that you will get away with the sticky tape. It's also pretty difficult to get the pile of shims that need to sit under the GK3-B to the right height. This adjustment is much easier if the pickup is screwed to the body and sitting on a couple of springs. I clamped the controller on the front of my bass not the back like Ped did, which means it's easier to fit into cases. The V-Bass has a huge range of sounds, which means that it's really hard to get your head around picking a small number of useable sounds. The other challenge that I've faced is getting a consistent volume with all the effects and pre-sets - synth sounds seem to disappear in the mix, ditto things like the upright bass sounds, anything with distortion or boost leaps off the stage and you end up setting the gain to 25% or less just to keep a consistent volume across a set of patches. I do use the synth voices for a lot of the modern synthy stuff in our set. Prior to this I used a Korg G5 - I never tried the Markbass synths but the Korg was better than all the others on the market including the Akai for tracking. The V-bass tracks better, though I'm told that basses fitted with Graphtec Ghost saddles and Midi Expander track much better. I do use the amp and guitar modelling and some of the effects. Is it essential? Absolutely not. I'm finding more and more that instead of trying to use models for Precision, Jazz, Ovation (for Don't Stop...), Ricky, ... just find a decent sound from the on-board guitar pickups and the amp, and stick to it. No-one in the audience will notice the difference anyway. I've just bought a small Novation keyboard synth and am experimenting with the sounds, but I'm already pretty close to realising that (a) it's 100 times better to use a synth for synth sounds and a bass for bass sounds and ( if I'd spent the money on a synth instead, I could have bought a mini moog! Eventually this will replace the V-Bass and I will be free from the tyranny of only being able to play one bass. It's a really close call and for me it's been a painful learning point, but if you have any kind of ability on a keyboard you're better off to buy a keyboard synth and just use the bass to sound like a bass. Even if you haven't any keyboard skills it's probably still easier to learn how to play a keyboard (after all Depeche Mode managed it with no discernible talent) well enough to play synth basslines - OK we're not all Greg Phillinganes but it's a lot easier if you use both hands.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='1005273' date='Oct 29 2010, 03:00 PM']Couple of days ago I received a mail from 'Grant at Korg' offering discounted behringer gear from the Behringer Distributor Clearence (sic) shop on ebay. Which I couldn't find.[/quote] Me too. Here. [url="http://shop.ebay.co.uk/behringer-distributor-clearence-stock/m.html"]http://shop.ebay.co.uk/behringer-distribut...ce-stock/m.html[/url] Despite the supposed discount most of the gear seems to be at the same prices you'd already find it on the net. Didn't have any AD121s so I lost interest.

[quote name='ped' post='1003878' date='Oct 28 2010, 03:29 PM']I agree with this indeed, but still probably best to keep it private anyway because we don't want to come up on google if someone searches for 'Pope Visits UK' or something, it may attract unwanted attention. Fixed now, as you were ped[/quote] No worries and thanks for that.

OK. I didn't realise that you'd done it deliberately. I must have missed the announcement.

[quote name='thelinebass' post='1002713' date='Oct 27 2010, 05:09 PM']Has anyone got a link to a user manual for a Nanyo SGC Bass Collection 5 string? I think its the CB10 model, it has 2 jazz pickups Thanks in advance [/quote] The nearest you'll get to a manual is the huge thread in this forum, which the mods resolutely fail to re-sticky every time I ask for it to be done. Something like 'Obscure musical backwaters'. Here it is. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=697"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=697[/url] Anyhoo, what is it that you want to know?

I was looking at the site when not logged in earlier today, and the off-topic forum was visible. The ebay one wasn't. I could be wrong, but I thought off-topic and ebay were both hidden unless you logged in.

Geordie from Killing Joke, and Burman Pro 4000 bass heads!

Well, that's true - Zoot cabs are no longer made. On the other hand, Purple Chilli cabs are. I think that was a marketing thing, because of the basses. It's your call, but I know Mike Walsh and I know that his customer service is legendary - if there's anything he can do to help you I'm sure he will. What have you got to lose for the price of a phone call?

I beg SK8's pardon. Hiwatt do use Partridge transformers, not sure whether these are made to Hiwatt's spec or the original Hiwatt spec which may be different. The Partridge Transformers brand is now owned by Transformers and Rectifiers Ltd and claims to be making them to the original design. As Mr Foxen says, if it works, it works. I'm sure they're fine amps. The point that there's no connection between the old and new Hiwatts other than the name, and no continuing manufacture or development and hence no consistent history or historical links still stands.

If I were you I'd have a chat with Mike Walsh at Zoot before you do anything drastic. Even if it is out of warranty.

Well, we'll see. I've emailed Steve at Hawkwood Guitars and he's about 15 minutes up the road from me so I'll be checking it out. Sheldon: you don't wanna mess with that Broon stuff, it's isn't even proper beer, just a blend of leftovers. Much better to come and visit sunny Suffolk and we will check out some decent Adnams and go and knock on Andrew Guyton's door :-) Dingwall spotters, hope you noticed that Big Dave from Jools Holland's band was using a Dingwall bass when they backed Cindy Lauper last week. Is ver' nice.

I bought a rack bag from Nik - an excellent transaction all round and Nik was able to cope with me forgetting to send him the delivery address in his stride. Nice one - buy with confidence folks.

The reason you are struggling is that there is no connection between the Hiwatt amps produced by Dave Reeves company up until 1984 and the 're-issues' produced by the owners of Music Ground in the current century. When Hiwatt folded in 1984 Dave Reeves widow sold the rights to the name to one of the guys running Music Ground. That's it - end of connection, end of story. Don't know what the revival amps are like, but they're probably made in China. They're definitely not hand-wired by Harry Joyce, they definitely don't have Partridge transformers. Other than the name, there is no connection. All this is explained in painstaking detail on the hiwatt.org site and there's probably more information on plexi palace.

[quote name='silddx' post='995020' date='Oct 20 2010, 04:26 PM'][b]I'm still looking for some form of guitar amplification or Mackie SRM - Can anyone help?[/b][/quote] My gig is cancelled, so I'm hoping to make this. I suppose I could bring the 100W Burman Valve combo - do you think that would be loud enough? I'd need someone to give me a hand getting it out of the car.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='994953' date='Oct 20 2010, 03:34 PM']Mustango Sallyana[/quote] Ha ha ha, is that the one that goes on for 45 minutes without a break? (Please give my regards to Gione, he's a lovely chap and a pleasure to work with)