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[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1391774408' post='2361111'] Doesn't sound right to me... all my digital systems are super quiet - as in faultless transmission, no fizz or anything. [/quote] Thanks, I thought as much. I've finally received an acknowledgment email from StageClix... on the third attempt. Hopefully I should get some sort of response from their 'Technical Team' in the next few days. I'll post when I do....

[color=#000000][font=Helvetica]I just bought a StageClix Pack system, and although the overall sound quality is good, there is an audible 'fizz' behind the sound when I play my basses through it. It's not present when I stop playing (when no audio signal is being sent). I have adjusted the outputs of the different basses I've used to ensure the transmitter or receiver aren't being overdriven, but the fizzing sound persists.[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica]When I use a cable, the sound isn't there, which would eliminate the amp or cabinet. I use an EBS TD650 and EBS Proline 410 cabinets. I have tried a variety of active and passive basses, but there is no difference. It's not excessively loud, and in a live setting it probably wouldn't be too noticeable, but it's still irritating.[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Helvetica]Is this normal, i.e. some sort of background carrier signal, or is the unit faulty and should I return it to the supplier?[/font][/color]

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1390770062' post='2349360'] we did forget to put the drip tray down under the drummer one night so it could have been some of the splashback i guess [/quote] Hmm, I see. Sniff your strings. If there's vague whiff of Hai Karate or Censored, it's the keyboard player. If there's a strong smell of Vick's Vapour Rub, it's the drummer.

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1390746201' post='2348887'] is it just me or does anybody else see any difference regards steel v nickel strings?? i am only a recent convert to nickels but have noticed that particularly if you leave a bass unplayed for any length of time that the nickel strings develope a strange sort of tacky sensation that i dont seem to get with steels [/quote] It's hair gel condensing on your strings from standing too close to the keyboard player, simple as that. Keep your distance, no more sticky strings, I guarantee it.

Chris came down all the way from Wakefield to buy my SR5. Excellent communication, a very nice guy, and a great player as well. Buy/sell/trade with confidence. Thanks Chris!

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1390736510' post='2348736'] Yes i understand now but they are just copies of the 1960s VOX Teardrop and Phantom basses. [/quote] I was forced to use an original 60's Teardrop at an impromptu gig once... it was hideous to behold, and even worse to play... something I'd managed to push it to the back of my mind.... now I'll need more therapy to deal with the unleashed repressed memories...

[quote name='topo morto' timestamp='1390687183' post='2348396'] You don't need an amp, or a drummer. what's not to like? [/quote] No drummer? Who am I going to hang out with??

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1390693661' post='2348454'] These have been around for a couple of years now and can't see what's hideous about them at all. Perhaps you can tell us why you find it hideous? [/quote] Ugly. UG-LEE. Not aesthetically pleasing, to my eyes at least. Yet the concept - a bass with a built-in drum machine, and its own internal speaker, I find attractive. What can I say, I'm torn!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VOX-APACHE1B-SR-4String-Travel-Bass-Guitars-with-BuiltIn-Amplifier-and-Rhythms-/121262433456 Hideous, and yet strangely alluring...

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Precision-Bass-Guitar-1978-USA-Left-Handed-LH-/131102053851"]http://www.ebay.co.u...H-/131102053851[/url] Not a leftie myself, but rather nice all the same...

[quote name='blamelouis' timestamp='1390510137' post='2346308'] Funnily enough Numan then fell out with Pino , which is why Joe Hubbard got the call for Numans warriors album. Joe Hubbard says in an interview on Scott Devines bass site he fell out with Numan and ran into Pino and asked Pino why he recommended him to Numan "I didn't ,that's the last gig on earth I would've recommended you for " Numan must be a tough guy to work for. [/quote] Either that, or Pino and Joe Hubbard didn't get on....

[quote name='lonestar' timestamp='1390504136' post='2346201'] He's a pretty hot fencer too. [/quote] Wasn't he considered for the Olympic fencing team at one point?

[quote name='wombatboter' timestamp='1390496267' post='2346054'] A funny thing about Palladino is the way he plays... I'm always convinced that people play like their personality is. If you're flamboyant you'll play like that; if you're a shy person it reflects in your playing, if you don't really listen to people irl then you won't on stage when someone else is doing their thing.. But Pino plays rather "busy" imo (but in a fabulous way) but it wouldn't match with the "you play like you are". I talked to him twice and he is this really easygoing person while on stage he's someone who doesn't disappear in the shadows musically.. [/quote] His mild-mannered demeanour in person could be a little misleading, I would say. I interviewed him a number of years ago for an article in a music mag. He was very polite, forthcoming and pleasant to talk to, but he insisted on seeing the article before it was published, and asked for several changes to be made. That might well have been due to my poor journalism in part, but he's a very astute man, and much more aware of his profile than you might think from his public persona, and with good reason - any potential employer who was to read the piece might decide whether to hire him or not based on what he was reported to have said. I'd class him as one of the finest bass players of his generation. He plays for the song, as well as adding great warmth and character to any performance, but his personality plays an important part in the equation. Wherever you're working, you want people around you who are not just great players, but good company. You really don't want to be trapped in a studio or a tour bus with someone who's a pain in the a*se, regardless of what they can do on their chosen instrument. Pino's show himself time and again to be a master of both.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1390322647' post='2344050'] There's a load of guys selling off gear on ebay which are on the wrong frequencies in the hope that somebody will snag it up as a bargain. I've bought wireless equipment off eBay and it's always the first question I ask if they haven't made the frequency specifications clear. If they haven't made it clear, they either genuinely don't know (like yourself) or know full well and have deliberately hidden the fact. (You'll know the latter when they fail to respond or don't answer the question directly! - fobbed off with things like, no interference anywhere, it works on a range of frequencies, it's perfect etc...). I would hazard a guess that retuning is going to be economically not viable - and a lot of the manufacturers will only rehash the top end equipment - usually at a cost of hundreds of pounds. The most economically viable solution is to buy yourself a new unit, or sell it on as spares etc on eBay. In the UK, you are looking primarily at channel 38 and 70. There are fixed site licenses/event licenses but you have to apply serperately for those - and I guess you and the typical wireless user are looking at using the unit on your travels. The thing which sucks about this unit is that it looks like it has come from Europe (or been bought without knowledge of the licenses from somewhere like Thomann and imported) - and like everybody, Europe have closed down that frequency due to 4G. I can't imagine you being able to use the unit legally anywhere due to the 4G networks taking upmost priority in the spectrum allocation. It looks like Australia has still got some of the band available but is shutting it down by the end of the year. I'm sorry but it sounds like you've been duped You weren't the first and you certainly won't be the last. [/quote] Thanks for the info - the system has now been withdrawn from sale on the forum, and I'm looking at various options from selling it online in Sub-Saharan Africa, to propping up the wobbly wardrobe in the spare room. The second option seems the firm favourite at the moment...

I bought a rather lovely pair of Barts from Sabian - great communication, fast delivery and a pleasure to deal with!

Pete bought my 55-02. Great communication, and a pleasure to do business with. Buy/sell/trade with confidence!

As a footnote, I sent the seller of the bass a message saying it had arrived, and I was very happy with it, but also highlighting the shortcomings of eBay's GPP. They replied saying they would not use it again. Here's hoping the whole scheme will flounder. Unfortunately I fear there would have to be a lot of unpleasantness for a lot of buyers along the way before it does.

[quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1390144274' post='2341866'] Thanks for the support, fellas. I know that this is not [i]my[/i] mistake. The problem is this: I paid (x + y) for the jeans, x being the price of jeans plus postage and y being the extra postage and customs charges. The seller received x. Ebay received y. The worry is that the seller will only (or even only be able to) refund x and Ebay will say that I received the package etc etc. Anyway, it seems that the seller is very keen to make this work…probably as she sold the vase for 6x! Thank Heavens that my seller is willing to pay all costs plus a bit for the inconvenience, as Ebay made it rather apparent that they are going to do nothing about it. The initial purpose of my post - to highlight that the Ebay Global Posting Programme will likely leave you high if there is a problem - still stands. Be advised! I, for one, will be avoiding it for the foreseeable. [/quote] Fair point - I hadn't thought about that! OK, how about this - if the vase is valuable, take delivery of it, and hold on to it until the seller sends you the jeans PLUS the cost of returning the vase to them. If they can't or don't want to, at least you have a quite nice vase you can sell to recoup your losses... it sounds like your seller is going the extra mile though, so perhaps ransom demands may not be necessary!

Another horror story about eBay and Yodel.... http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jan/19/yodel-fail-deliver-ebay

[quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1390130666' post='2341693'] Sigh…word of warning, folks. I am in the middle of a MASSIVE HASSLE to fix someone else's mistake. The Ebay Customs thing is what is turning this from a simple thing to solve to a major problem. I bought a pair of jeans from the US and paid for customs and duties through Ebay. This means that the seller is given an address in the US to which to send stuff and this central place takes care of relabelling and shipping. I then receive an email from the seller stating that she has accidentally sent me a vase. How one would muddle up the two boxes is beyond me, but there you go. I call Ebay to see what to do. If I collect the vase, how will I get the customs fees refunded to me, how will I get the return postage refunded etc etc. Ebay initially tried to tell me that they will not "shoulder the costs of the import fees" and tried to fob me off. It looks like I am going to be screwed here. They expect me to pick up this vase, relabel it and send it back. Upon receipt, I will then be refunded at least what the seller took off me. Whether I will get the customs charges refunded is a mystery. I would try and choose standard p&p and take care of the import fees yourselves if I were you, at least until Ebay trains its staff to deal with problems arising from this new thing! [/quote] I would try leaning heavily on the seller and insisting they send the original item at their expense - it was their mistake after all. The vase is their property, and they should have to arrange for its return, not you. If they won't play ball, don't accept delivery of the vase, open a dispute through eBay for an item not recieved, and leave them to sort it out. You've bought and paid for jeans - that's what you should get, and if they don't arrive you should receive a full refund.

A new acquisition... none more black... apart from the white bits... [url="http://s1141.photobucket.com/user/lowwregisterhead/media/Lakland5594Black_zps4f8a39e0.jpg.html"][/url]

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1390041597' post='2340746'] Did the actual process of paying for everything up front work out ok though? I'm thinking of buying from the us as the fx rates are so good at the moment so would be good to know... [/quote] The procedure of paying import duties is straight forward enough - you just get a letter from the delivering agent asking you to pay up before they will release the item. A rough method of calculating what you'll end up paying is to add about 25% to the combined cost of purchase and shipping.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1390040068' post='2340715'] How did going through the eBay Global Postage Programme compare to if you had imported it yourself? Was it cheaper or more expensive? [/quote] I've imported a number of basses from the States over the years. By my calculations, the GPP charges were exactly the same as the import duty and VAT I would have had to pay to receive the goods myself. That said, the shipping costs were a little on the high side. When the item first appeared on eBay, GPP wasn't being offered, and on contacting the seller they quoted me $190 to ship insured using their own carrier. The price of the bass was a bit too high anyway, and it didn't sell. They relisted it at a lower price, at which point GPP was introduced to the listing, but shipping was $225. All in all, it worked out fine cost-wise, as I had none of the hoopla and delays of waiting for customs clearance and then having to pay the duty before the bass is released to me. My only concern is the lack of tracking and the pitiful method of final delivery! I'm assuming eBay are making money on the whole shipping process by cutting costs to the bone by using the cheapest delivery agents throughout, but that will undoubtedly end in tears for some unfortunate buyers. As I said, I think I've been lucky, and I won't use GPP again. Whether sellers have the option to ship the item themselves if the listing stipulates GPP and the buyer doesn't want to use it, I don't know. I'm guessing that eBay give the seller a financial incentive to use GPP in the first place.