Kiwi

Hi Nik, thanks I might post the occasional photo here if people are curious about what life on this side of the planet is like. We had a sudden hailstorm here about an hour ago and now its blazing sunshine. Talk about four seasons in one day...

This is the first of a series of messages to let you know that there will be a few changes to how Basschat is managed in the future. The reasons for all the changes are: [indent]1) To allow Ped & Kiwi to focus more on development and promotion of the forum (although they will still be around if needed by any members). 2) To allow the increased moderation workload that has come with the growth of the forum to be spread over an expanded number of moderators, while retaining some degree of consistency. 3) To reduce the potential for personal reprisals in the event disruptive behaviour needs to be managed by any individual moderator. 4) To keep Basschat a pleasant place to use for the majority of members.[/indent] The biggest change is that Ped and Kiwi have decided to formally delegate the day to day management of the forum to the Global Moderators. After discussion with the Global Moderators, some of these changes are likely to include reducing the number of warnings before further action is taken from 10 to 5, start to weed out undeclared duplicate accounts and make some minor changes to the wording in the Terms and Conditions. For the sake of clarity, the moderating team will also be placing greater emphasis on the Terms and Conditions when addressing any instances of disruptive behaviour in the future. For the 99% of Basschatters who currently use the forum in a considerate and responsible manner, these changes are being made with your browsing experience uppermost in our minds. This message has also been sent using the bulk email facility but has been posted here to respect any admin email opt-out settings in members' preferences. As ever, we welcome constructive comments. cheers, Ped and Kiwi

[quote name='hubrad' post='501561' date='May 30 2009, 12:48 PM']I'm just going to stick my head under the car and let the suspension down! [/quote] lol

I had a stunning meal tonight at a restaurant down the road which would shame a lot of reputable London restaurants. Seafood spaghetti main where the seafood actually had bags of flavour and the spaghetti was perfectly aldente for $25. I'd probably have pay £25 for that in London.

Crying maybe but you only have to listen to More FM to hear the whinging just before an All Blacks vs Lions rugby match. I don't know much about the rascism apart from knowing the Tongans and Samoans fancy a pot shot at each other occasionally. But petty point scoring does seem to typify the NZ approach to managing inter-personal conflicts in general anyway. And the if-it-takes-too-long-to-solve-it-then-force-it approach to problem solving (which often results in breakage/personal acrimony and subsequently some scratching of heads while wondering where it went wrong). Jeez. There's some stuff coming up that I've forgotten since leaving here - or maybe I'm just more aware of it now that I've returned. However, theres the odd dramatic view here and there if one fancies a drive... [attachment=26185:Port_Hil...yttleton.jpg] Not bad, eh?

[quote name='foal30' post='501358' date='May 29 2009, 11:55 PM']Christchurch is a great place to live it's not like the 1950's at all[/quote] Indeed, some of those cars were from 1963 at least. [quote name='foal30' post='501358' date='May 29 2009, 11:55 PM']I should know because I was born in 1972.[/quote] I like Christchurch people, because for residents of a provincial city, they are broadminded and able to laugh at themselves.

[quote name='JPAC' post='501077' date='May 29 2009, 04:21 PM']That's just how I thought it would be, thanks. Or like this, [url="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_Street"]http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_Street[/url][/quote] Thats a Peter Jackson film set. They couldn't afford to create a set at an extreme angle so they built everything at 15 degree angle and set the camera up so the verticals were true. See the clever positioning of the fern? Thats to hide a couple of 6 inch bolts through the blokes shoes. This is how it looks in reality. [quote name='JPAC' post='501077' date='May 29 2009, 04:21 PM']My dad still insists on Anchor butter, despite the high price and carbon footprint of travelling half way around the world.[/quote] Does he pop back there to get it then?

[quote name='JPAC' post='500829' date='May 29 2009, 12:49 PM']You know your sheep all right and so big.[/quote] That one came runner up in Miss Eweniverse 2007. [quote name='JPAC' post='500829' date='May 29 2009, 12:49 PM']I've heard that NZ is the way the UK was in the 50's.[/quote] I think it would be fair to say that NZ has moved on a bit now. For example, Christchurch residents now enjoy a modern lifestyle: They have access to modern lifestyle conveniences including fully enclosed cars and airplanes with two engines: Christchurch is also economically competitive, and is taking a leading role in developing and exporting cutting edge technology for overseas markets. Like rubber widgets for car battery terminals and recyclable spankulators: So I think you might find that all these 1950's references are probably malicious rumours.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='500842' date='May 29 2009, 11:55 AM']Good points! But I do think that if you use cabs with more true bottom and less reliance on mid-bass boom whilst exhibiting less distortion in the lows, plus good off-axis midrange then you'll never need a parametric EQ. Not a lot of cabs like that though! [/quote] cabs can't compensate for poor stage acoustics or noisy bandmates either.

[quote name='steve-norris' post='500611' date='May 29 2009, 09:26 AM']Cheers Kiwi, would it be a scope job or could I just check the voltages are within spec? One thing I found interesting was the preamp board,it reads Trace Elliot V8 so identical as it's bigger brother apart from output.[/quote] I'd imagine it would depend on your level of confidence and skill. I don't know how to test a transformer myself though unfortuantely. One tip for fuse holders might be Halfords. Its not unknown for amp manufacturers like Eden and SWR to utilise automotive parts in their products. [quote name='steve-norris' post='500611' date='May 29 2009, 09:26 AM']The other thing was the weight, I assumed the combo was so heavy due to the amp but the head is very managable on it's own. The cab section however is bloody heavy for a 15" it must be made of lead![/quote] Good ol' MDF maybe? FWIW, I was watching a very old Jamiroquai bootleg vid from a taped broadcast on US TV screened in 1997 and Zender is playing through what appears to be either a V4 or a V6 plus matching green 4x12.

[quote name='chilisfan16' post='500156' date='May 28 2009, 06:10 PM']the status basses ill have to go out and find, and check out how they play, do you know any records which use this bass?[/quote] There are plenty of clips on Youtube. Definitely try before you buy, as they can vary in brightness depending on the woods, age and neck joint but if you like attack, nothing compares to a Status. I'd recommend going for something with a neck joint if you don't need the sizzling treble. Chances are you'll be choosing what to cut out of your sound rather than looking for something to add though. Spectors can sound very tight and defined, the maple adds a nice compression to the treble but again, try before you buy as they can vary. Sadowsky Metros are a nice choice too. If you need versatility from one instrument then Laklands are definitely worth a look. The 5501's do a nice impersonation of a 70's jazz bass and a passable impersonation of a stingray (but needs more depth). I guess you could say the upper part of the body is jazz-esque too!

sgh - what does the switch by the output jack do?

I've ended up being disappointed by the two pickup variants. The neck pickup lacks authority and it feels like its just not translating all of what the string is doing (presumably this would change with the addition of a healthy dollop of low-mids). I'd place money on the same spec pickup being used in both bridge and neck positions. I think the colouring of the Markbass combo would help the stingray sound a lot fatter that it might though other set ups.

Valve amps are generally very robust when all the bits are working. But given your description and assuming there hasn't been some serious shorting, it might be worth getting the transformers checked out as well as a first step. Congrats on joining the V-club BTW.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='498695' date='May 27 2009, 12:01 PM']A good parametric EQ can be very effective if used correctly but it really does strike me as overkill.[/quote] Sometimes people don't have the flexibility to move cabs around if they're on a crowded or small stage, Alex. Parametric eq is also used by every competent sound engineer with access to a mixing desk at a gig.

[quote name='JPAC' post='498488' date='May 27 2009, 08:10 AM']Mmm that would be nice. Just the cute ones though. [i]Kidding[/i].[/quote] I know, but anyway...just for you. Freshly picked this morning after I went for a drive. [attachment=26149:DSC02126.JPG] baaa-aaa-yoootiful! [quote name='hubrad' post='498582' date='May 27 2009, 11:12 AM']Only just noticed this, and it's a fait accompli already! All the best CK![/quote] [quote name='SteveO' post='498524' date='May 27 2009, 09:36 AM']Glad to read that you made it over relatively painlessly, and good luck with the jobhunting.[/quote] Cheers Steve, Hubrand The meeting I had last night seemed to go well and the Director of the larger practice has asked me if I'd like to come up to Auckland to meet the rest of their office. Unfortunately in relation to the other job, one of the agents is trying to play games with me over the cost of airfares to Auckland just because he thinks he has me over a barrel now I'm here. Hays Recruitment have a goddawful reputation in the UK for being cowboys and I thought their NZ operation would be better but it appears not. Having said that, I've set up another meeting with the city council here who turned me down for two team leaders jobs. The aim is to discuss further opportunities. Whereever I end up, it looks like I will be expected to blow my own trumpet a bit. There seems to be an opportunity to influence how current NZ planning legislation recognises urban regeneration issues.

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='499846' date='May 28 2009, 12:39 PM']I've never noticed that... but that's not to say it doesn't happen as I haven't got the system installed on any of my basses hence not had a lot of time with the system. It may be beneficial for the OP to shoot urb a PM as I know he has it installed on his Sei and he seems pretty happy.[/quote] He and I have already chatted about it. Jon Shuker's also been talking to Graphtec about increasing the size of the tranducer element for basses so this doesn't happen. It might also be that Urb's bass has a slightly different bridge design to mine resulting in a more acute string break angle over the saddle and therefore more pressure. Piezos are renowned for being tricky to set up properly. [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='499865' date='May 28 2009, 01:02 PM']The Godin thinline acoustic basses do that - just a piezo in the bridge. I had one of the first ones (the old "Acoustibass") and it sounded ****ing lush, frankly.[/quote] Mine sounds very nice too but its a signal lacking in a lot of upper mids so probably not suitable for heavy kinds of music. I love the sound of the Godin Acousti-basses though. Very responsive and resonant instruments.

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='499707' date='May 28 2009, 11:28 AM']The Graphtech system is a top system, if you can get it into your Stingray, that would certainly be the route that I would attempt to follow. But that's just me.[/quote] The transducers inside each bass saddle are still designed for guitar and so small, they slip between the windings on bass strings. This results in uneven contact and inconsistent volume and this state can change with tuning up, pitch bends or changing strings. Bascially anything that is likely to change the position of the string on the saddle. The only solution at this point in time is to use exposed core strings. Not all piezo's are created equal though. RMC make some that might be worth investigating.

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='497654' date='May 25 2009, 11:13 PM'] yeah sorry, I’m sure it does, it just sounds like one of those jokes that sounds like it could be feasible but is a complete piss take.[/quote] Imagine if he confuses forehead with foreskin

There was a BC1 on Ebay last month. So they're still coming up for sale occasionally.

Have an interview tomorrow afternoon with one practice and the other practice asked me to let them know what I'm offered. Meanwhile my sister seems pretty well connected within the retail business owners/managers and developers in the city (being a shop manager herself) and there seems to be some potential to go it alone too if I can win them over.

[quote name='JPAC' post='498488' date='May 27 2009, 07:10 AM']Tomtom just released an update for NZ maps if you have one, very useful. One guy I was an apprentice with wanted to go to NZ but they wanted £100,000 in savings to allow him in. [/quote] Yeah I downloaded and installed the NZ maps before I left. I thought 70 quid was a bit steep but its not like I had a lot of choice. Those savings criteria come into play if he's not one of their preferred professional groups, such as dentists, doctors, lawyers, IT etc. etc. Insurance in the UK is a bit of a con, but I think you'll find loads of posts on here about that. Owning a mobile phone and accessing the internet are both more expensive in NZ and gas/electricity is about the same cost as the UK now (despite NZ being self sufficient in both). Prices are usually higher because of monopolies.