Kiwi

I've pulled the trigger anyway and bought two. I'm extremely pleased with them! Definitely a chimey, Fender-ish tone to be had from the wee beasties and they go about as loud as you'd ideally want for home practice without being disruptive. The tube screamer circuit does a nice job of providing gritty break up and overdrive tones but, contrary to the marketing blurb, metal tones are definitely not available without super hot pickups or a booster. More reviews here: [url="http://www.jemsite.com/compare-guitar-amplifiers/Ibanez-TSA5-Combo-Amp/reviews/"]http://www.jemsite.c...bo-Amp/reviews/[/url] One of the reviews talks about replacing the stock Ruby tube with an 'upgrade' but I have ruby tubes by choice in my Trace V8. They're a very reputable and warm sounding brand. Other suggestions involve replacing the stock Celestion Tube 10 speaker with an Eminence Rajun Cajun. Again - Celestion have a solid reputation and the Tube 10 gets five stars on Amazon and has been described as particularly impressive. But a youtube video here does a compare and contrast. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqr5AWJ5o80"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqr5AWJ5o80[/url] So I won't be replacing bits soon. But I'll be taking both to a local amp tech soon for a sag modificiation to the rectifier. All in all, I think these amps are outstanding value for money.

It was complicated Kev...sealer went down after I stained the wood with a light blue tint and sanded it back to give the grain more contrast. Then Jon sprayed the sides dark blue to hide the mahogany after I masked off the front and back. Then I took the mask off and then applied a new mask to the sides so he could do the blueburst on front and back. After the colour was down he put on 2-3 coats of clear for protection and we then started assembly of the hidden bridge.

Yesterday - there was just sanding. Lots and lots of sanding. 40 grit, 100 grit, 180 grit, 240 grit and finally soaking the wood and finishing with 400 grit...to a point where we're now ready for the finishing...

Tuesday we discuovered two issues. The neck heel which wasn't quite square and there was a dip in the top bout on the back facing where the orbital sander from last time had dug too deep. Old school is often better because although it takes longer, there is also plenty of time to reflect on progress and avoid over working areas. [attachment=162688:DSC09907.JPG] So I decided to recess the heel back to a greater depth than the dip and blend the carve back into the rest of the body. This was a trial and error process, it would have been easy to carve it smooth and just leave a straight line in, but I wanted there to be more flow connecting the top and lower bouts. So more determined carving was needed, again finishing with 40 grit to take the carving marks out. [attachment=162689:DSC09910.JPG] To take care of the unsquare heel I decided to resaw the heel so it reflected the angle of the bolt locations on the neck more closely. I fashioned some pointers out of old bolts Jon had lying around so I could locate the position of the neck bolt holes in the pocket without too much guess work. I pilot drilled the positions so I could see them on the other side of the heel. [attachment=162691:DSC09911.JPG] This was a bit awkward because the heel had already been bound and the new heel angle would need a new rebate for the binding. However we managed to peel back the super glued binding to make enough room for filing the heel straight and to let the router to carve the rebate. [attachment=162690:DSC09912.JPG] Despite my best efforts, the binding eventually broke off on the upper side but with some deft gluing and sanding, the join is almost invisible.

OK time to resurrect this thread. I've been at Jon's since Monday and I have the body to the point where its ready for staining. Monday was spent carving the arch into the top. By hand. Using a mini plane. I have blisters on my fingers but that's old school I guess. [attachment=162685:DSC09892.JPG] Then rough sand back with 40 grit to get rid of any edges. [attachment=162687:DSC09893.JPG] This had to be done for both the front and back of the instrument.

I spotted this on [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RTO-ES335-Type-Electric-12-String-Guitar-with-Patented-Relative-Tune-Tremolo-/251512896836?pt=Guitar&hash=item3a8f563d44"]Ebay[/url] and was curious. The sound is mesmerising. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioPcjG1pJPc

I'll stick a shout in for Michael Spalt too - some very innovative features in using aluminium frames for bodies and necks, adjustable body widths, sliding pickups etc. I haven't tried one but I understand they sound good too. [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1399717379' post='2446908'] I've seen Pedulla's for sale, was offered one in a trade once even... know very little about them - care to elaborate a bit more about them please? [/quote] My Pentabuzz is an extremely well made instrument with some very robust detailing - for example, the grain of the neck laminates are symmetrical, they use brass bushings even in the control cavity cover, the necks are super stiff which means I can achieve very low action. The only thing that lets them down a little are the woolly sounding Bartolinis. Apart from that, they're instruments that are designed to last a lifetime.

Ned is top of the list for me - his designs are an inspired combination of elegance and function. I think Ned stood on Leo's shoulders and took things a step beyond what Leo accomplished. Possibly because he was able to take advantage of technological developments in materials and manufacturing. But most of the stuff Ned has worked on would not look out of place framed on a wall and yet his instruments remain functional and innovative without being gimmicky. So there's some integrity and authenticity to his work. Honourable mentions: Michael Pedulla - for his buzz basses, beautiful and distinctive. The necks on his instruments are amazing. Geoff Gould - for his pioneering work with composites Rick Turner/Ron Wickersham - for pioneering neck laminates and studio quality electronics in Alembics

I have tapped factory original HB's by Kent Armstrong in my Yammie MSG Deluxe. I actually prefer the funkier sound of the single coil setting to (what sounds like) both coils in series. I'm hoping to find a reasonably priced MSG standard (without the trem) or maybe a higher spec Ibanez Artcore semi hollow and try a few things out to turn it into a hardcore funk machine - i.e. mostly for clean sounds. P-rails are top of the list of mods.

They're damn loud for what they are, too. The ones I've tried have been a bit noisy but potentially good for modding if someone doesn't have the nerve to do it to a blackface. I think the Roland JC-60 is a bit of a sleeper - same as the JC-120 but 60w and without the wet dry set up. It'll still be loud enough for pub gigs but very reasonably priced due to being overshadowed by its big brother.

[quote name='marcus bell' timestamp='1398635626' post='2436128'] It's just I'm on the iPhone at the moment, as soon as I can get on a computer I'll get them up [/quote] Technically you have now been on the phone for three days.

JTUK beat me to it. If you're in any doubt then use the jack sockets.

Just so you're aware, Joel McIver is a member of BC and checks up on comments about BGM from time to time.

[quote name='Kirky' timestamp='1397219237' post='2421902'] I've just built an ampmaker PP18 (18 watt WEM/Marshall clode) and its plenty loud enough and very clean. It will (I suspect) get dirty if I turn it up even louder but I haven't had the chance yet. It feels louder than my 30W Silverface Vibrolux Reverb. [/quote] I would be keen to see how many lessons could be applied to the Ibanez TSA5 5 combo - anecdotally I understand its based on a champ circuit but am waiting for the distributors to send me a schem. I figure for 95 Euro, its hard to go wrong.

lol

Bernard Edwards did a gig back at the Budokhan while suffering from...as he put it...the 'Tokyo Flu'. Turned out it was actually pneumonia and he died a day or two later.

There have been at least two previous threads on this subject of string through body.

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1398346780' post='2433221'] Graph Tech Ghost - I think you get a bridge, or bridge saddles, plus a box called a Hexpander. [/quote] I have this system installed on my Shuker Headless 6. The hexpander is like a little mixer and filter circuit. [quote name='ratman' timestamp='1398420908' post='2433880'] What about a Sonuus B2M? [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bzrzretvuw"]https://www.youtube....h?v=_bzrzretvuw[/url] [/quote] For a box of tricks, the lag time is impressive. Would love to test the lag on a low B though. Shame Lee Sklar didn't explore that more on the other video here: [u][color="#0066cc"][url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKJeT5wYoME#t=64"]www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKJeT5wYoME#t=64[/url][/color][/u] It's hard to detect lag on this one when there's such a slow legato on the string patches though. I think I will be giving this some serious consideration in the future too: [u][color="#0066cc"][url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDrKJeT5wYoME&v=rKJeT5wYoME"]www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDrKJeT5wYoME&v=rKJeT5wYoME[/url][/color][/u]

[url="http://janartsguitars.com/index.php/methodology/tonewood.html"]http://janartsguitars.com/index.php/methodology/tonewood.html[/url] Not sure if this has been posted already but it's fascinating reading.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1395962990' post='2408564'] So… What's on the market apart from the Roland stuff? I've seen the Axon AX100 but they seem to be pretty rare. Is anything else currently in production? [/quote] The GK system works well with the Vbass set up. However you'll be limiting yourself to the usual issues of lag on low notes. You could go with the new Steve Chick designed, [url="http://www.industrialradio.com.au/"]Industrial Radio[/url] system but you will be paying well over £2k for the bass and convertor unit. Still, its one the only string based system available which is lag free. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGOICWocxVE#t=21"]http://www.youtube.c...GOICWocxVE#t=21[/url] He licensed the technology to Valley Arts, then Wal (MIDIbass) and finally Peavey (MidiBass/Cyberbass). Don't buy one of these basses without the convertor unit or you'll be wasting your time. An ex Pino Wal MIDI was for sale this time last year in the Bass Gallery - really nice sounding and looking bass, but not cheap. They had a Peavey Cyberbass in a number of years ago too but without the convertor unit.

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1392661166' post='2371269'] [quote name='owen' timestamp='1392647245' post='2371012'] Tiltback/monitor form factor as well? If this sounds like a shopping list, it is because it is a shopping list. [/quote] +1 to this feature request! [/quote] Plus two(s)

It's a good way to spend a wet Sunday afternoon. Although when you don't know exactly what it is you are looking for, experimenting with effect order and routing via scrolling menus can be a faff. This is where the user interface of software based systems like Native Instruments Guitar Rig really comes into their own.

I played the TSA 15 (separate head and cab) at the Surrey Bass Bash and was impressed. So I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on it's younger brother as Thomann are asking 95 Euro for them each. I am also thinking about getting it modified so there's more power sag available, probably through a resistor based mod rather than a full tube rectifier. Does anyone know what the amp circuitry is based on? I've seen some reference to Fender Champs on other forums but I don't think that was a technical opinion based on a view of the circuitry.