BigRedX

I finally got a reply from Adrian. Unfortunately the 5-string version is currently just an idea for the future. He's still trying to sort out how to design the headstock for 5 tuners in a way that isn't ridiculous. So I think it will be a while before we see any let alone be able to order a custom version :-((

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1510234638' post='3404866'] I'll set my pedal up with the same setting on two patches but one with a compressor for this weekends gig and see if can tell the difference in a band situation, but I do use a touch of overdrive which sort of compressors the signal anyway. [/quote] How much overdrive are you using? If it's more than just a subtle bit of dirt it will be doing the same as most simple compressors anyway.

Really you just need to get out there and play as many fretless basses as you can. That's what I did when I started playing fretless. I started with a cheap defretted Wesley Acrylic and worked my way up from there. In the end because of what I had worked out I needed, I had Sei build me a custom Off-set Flamboyant: If I hadn't wanted a 5-string I would have probably kept the Pedulla Buzz I bought which was easily the next best fretless I have ever owned.

I've sold lots of musical equipment. Some of it would be very desirable these days and most likely command a much higher price than the one I got at the time of selling. However the gear I sold was sitting unused, and the gear I have now is, for my needs, superior in every way. I have no regrets.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have sent [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Maruszczyk another email this time from the address I use for my work and which has no problem reaching all my customers/clients, so hopefully it will reach [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Maruszczyk as well![/font][/color] Email is my preferred means of communication in situations like this. It ensures that there is a full record of all the questions and answers. As a supplier I have been badly bitten in the past with a misunderstanding between myself and a customer on an order that was only conducted via telephone conversations, and I ended up doing lots of work that was both unnecessary and unbillable. This would not have occurred if there had been a full permanent record of our "conversations". I can understand that maybe a lot of the questions I have asked are at this point in time still unanswerable as [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]Maruszczyk don't actually appear to have made a 5-string version of the Phoenix yet. But if that is the case a simple "we can't answer these question yet, but we will do as soon as we can" email in return would be fine.[/color][/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]I'll wait and see.[/color][/font]

I'm lucky enough to own mine already. I had been lusting after a Gus since I first saw the prototypes sometime in the 80s, and back then they weren't even making basses. I decided that if I found myself with enough disposable cash I'd treat myself to one. Now I have 3 (and a G1 Guitar). At some point I would like to swap the 4-string fretless for a 5-string version, but for now these are fine!

Personally I'd go for the series/parallel options, as the pickup will still be humbucking in either configuration, and IME parallel isn't significantly different to single coil in sound (certainly not on the context of a band mix).

[quote name='howdenspur' timestamp='1510053356' post='3403518'] I got a pretty quick response via Messenger. [/quote] That's probably because they know the average Facebook user is probably going to post something snarky on their page if they don't answer smartish. IMO if a company isn't prepared to use email to communicate with potential customers then they shouldn't publish an email address.

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1510047989' post='3403418'] My options for switching are: swapping out the volume pot for a push-pull to enable a coil tap; or fiddling around with the rotary pickup switch to see if I can get more settings out of it. It currently clicks through three different positions, but I see it has a lot more terminals - is it possible to 'unlock' more positions and make use of these? [/quote] Depends on the type of rotary switch. Some (especially the plastic-bodied type that you would get from electronics hobby shops) have a collar the sets how many positions the it will click through (up to 12 IIRC). If there is one it will be accessible when you unbolt the switch. You will need a multimeter to determine what all the currently un-used contacts do.

I'm seriously interested in a 5-string Thunderbird, but right now I can't afford Mike Lull prices (and I'm still not 100% convinced about the bolt-on neck). So as soon as I saw the OP, I got in touch with [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Maruszczyk through their web site contact email. A week later and... nothing. Not even an [/font][/color][font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]acknowledgement that they have received my email, but right now are too busy (or don't as yet have the required information) to answer my questions.[/color][/font] [font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]I have the money to place an order right now, but I'm a bit reluctant to want to do business with a company that hasn't even the manners to fire off a quick email to let me know [/color][/font][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]they have received mine, and will be sending me a proper reply once they have the time and the information I was asking about.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Before I give up on [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Maruszczyk does anyone have a more reliable contact email than the one on the web site which I can try?[/font][/color]

What did you buy, how much did you pay, and what were you using before?

[url=http://strangecircuits.com]Strange Circuits[/url] In Isolation will be supporting them on Thursday 16th November at The Tap 'n' Tumbler in Nottingham.

Thanks everyone! The video is now on the [url=http://www.trappist.one]official Trappist-1 website[/url] (in the stories section). More exciting news to come soon...

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1509740232' post='3401392'] Not being a fan of these basses what's the issue with the positioning ? I always assumed bass tuners were heavier duty because of the string size but everydays a school day. Do the larger size tuners not help secure the strings and prevent string slip and de-tuning. ? Dave [/quote] Remember that the highest tension strings on a bass are the D and G which are the same gauge as the heavier E and A strings on a guitar. The other bass strings get lower in tension as they get thicker. The larger diameter winding post can be useful but only if the gear ratio has been adjusted to take that into account. You only need 2 complete turns of string around the machine head post to prevent slippage, and you should only wind more if you need to for the break angle over the nut. The biggest issue with using guitar sized machine heads is making sure that the thicker strings fit through the hole in the post.

If you like Fender designed get the Squier Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz. If you don't like Fenders get the Ibanez Gary Willis bass.

Unless not has improved massively over the last year or so Android isn't very good at timing critical apps like musical ones.

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1509801006' post='3401735'] My other guilty pleasure is ownership of a Roland TR606. How I wish I'd sprung for the 808. [/quote] In 1983/84 I was lucky enough to be in a band that owned a TR808. Compared with the affordable competition, it was streets ahead in terms of programmability and the range of sounds available. Up against the other fully programmable drum machines of the time such as the LinnDrum it was quite a bit cheaper. There was fair amount of tweak ability to the sounds, and the individual outputs meant that there were even more possibilities. Programming patterns was simple even for someone who was a bit rhythmically challenged like myself. However that's it as far as the good stuff goes. Pattern memory was limited to 32 1-bar patterns or 16 2-bar patterns. Most songs unless they were very simple used up nearly all the available patterns. Programming the patterns into a song meant running it in real time changing the patterns as required while the device recorded what you were doing, and while it was possible to edit a song, it was almost always easier to start again from the beginning if you made a mistake. While it remembered everything when powered off, there was no way of saving your programming for one song so that you could work on another. Not even the good old cassette dump interface. I had hundreds of photocopied sheets with pattern grids drawn onto them, so that we could write down the rhythms for each song. And the sounds while they were adjustable, you very quickly discovered that there were only really a couple of good sounding variations for each drum. And unless you were doing hiphop/electro no-one used the cowbell! I did see a band who somewhat managed to get their complete set into an 808, but they only used a handful of different rhythms for all their songs and all the fills had to be triggered manually. And the fact that they had managed to achieve this was unfortunately the most remarkable thing about their music. We sold ours and replaced it with a Yamaha RX11.

Every "song" is an instrumental until it has some lyrics written for it.

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1509716243' post='3401139'] look like guitar tuners to me ? Maybe not up to the job of bass strings ? I'm just guessing here. Dave [/quote] Guitar tuners are perfectly capable of dealing with bass strings. Plenty of basses have used them successfully over the years. You don't need those massive ugly things that Fender insist on fitting to their basses.

What about them?

The fewer mics you use the more important the room and the basic sound of the kit become. 1. Make sure the sound of the kit is exactly what you want. Tune the drums properly, damp as required and make sure that there aren't any unwanted rattles and other noises (squeaky bass drum pedals etc) being produced. 2. Spend plenty of time experimenting with the best position in the room for the kit. You also want to experiment with acoustic treatment around the drum kit. 3. Only after you are completely happy that you've got a great sounding kit in the best place in the room to produce the drum sounds that you want, should you start to play with mic positioning.

I was at the WGW last weekend. Highlights were: Hands Off Gretel, Massive Ego, Vince Ripper & The Rodent Show, and The Birthday Massacre.

Nice John Birch guitar...

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1509710475' post='3401072'] I'm not sure I've still got the project. If the band reject them then there's no point in keeping them IMO. It was 5 years ago DAW has had a hardware refresh since then.... [/quote] I keep everything that has developed far enough for it to be worth committing to tape of disk. You never know when it will be useful.

If you've done it on your DAW then you'll be able to go back on listen to each part solo'd to work out what is playing what.