BigRedX

I've decided that it's time for me to leave OS9 behind and start making music in OSX. I bought a Logic 8 as it's now super cheap and at the weekend tried to install it on my Mac.

My MDD 1.25 G4 is right at the bottom end of the minimum system requirements but it's on there. So I poped in the first (of many) DVDs and double clicked the installer. And up popped a message saying that my video card didn't meet the recommended system requirements. However it turns out that recommeded system requirements really means minimum system requirements as the installer doesn't allow me to proceed any further and quits.

Checking the Apple Logic forums it turns out that my problem is that I have replaced the stock AGP graphics card (Radeon 9000) that came with the Mac with the superior Radeon 9200 PCI card which gives me much better performance with my dual monitor set up. However OSX doesn't support Quartz Extreme via PCI (which is the sticking point for the Logic installer). There was a hack available to get around this but its broken for 10.4.3 and above and Logic requires 10.4.9.

What I am not happy about is firstly that the dialogue box is misleading - surely it should say that my card doesn't meet the MINIMUM requirement - after all if it won't run without a Quartz Extreme then that to me is a minimum requirement. Recommended implies that it will run, I might just be missing out on some eye candy and graphics performance may be compromised in places, which I could probably live with for now.

However there is also no mention of this requirement on either the box for Logic 8 or on the Apple web site, and although I probably wouldn't have realised that my choice of graphics cards would be a problem, it would have made troubleshooting easier.

Also while I realise that I have configured my Mac in a non-standard way, however, the problem in my case isn't the absence of the AGP graphics card, but the presence of the PCI one. Logic is one one those programs that greatly benefits from multiple monitor set-ups. It was the app that convinced me of the benefits of a dual monitor set up and one that could easily make use of at least 3 monitors. However this of course requires the use of PCI cards to get support for more than 2 monitors.

Not at all happy...

As I've said before fingers/pick is not an either/or but depends on the sound and feel you want for the song.

Also I can get a variety of tones using a pick (and by using different picks) they're different to the variety of tones I get using my fingers. That's why I use both techniques!

You'll be surprised how little material you need to add to the neck pocket to significantly change the neck angle. On my Lightwave Sabre A thin piece of plastic cut from the blister pack of a set a TI strings approximately 60mm long in a neck pocket 130mm deep was enough to give me the couple of mm extra hieght adjustment I needed at the bridge.

I did the Lonestar Strat wiring mod to our last guitarist's HSS strat and was mightily impressed with the sound and versatility. Mind you I also replaced the horrible pups he had fitted with a set of Bare Knuckles at the same time.

For alternative Strat wiring schemes you can't beat [url="http://www.guitarnuts.com/index.php"]Guitar Nuts[/url]

However be aware that the site now pops up new windows for other sites in the background. Those of you running less than secure systems might want to tread carefully there.

Lightwave Sabre A. 3.1kg due to the chambered top and the massive control cavity in the bottom for all the Lightwave electronics!

Just finished working my way through all 106 pages.

And now I know where are the trem-equipped Tune Basses are!

Normally J-style basses don't really do it for me, but I could be persuaded to find a home for the following:



Atelier Z Beta-5 28FL



Crews Maniac Sound Be Bottom' Jackson 5



and Crews Maniac Sound Jackson 5 Hollow/JH (TigerEye)

And this:



The first time I saw a PRS bass I was distinctly underwhelmed, but this is definitely sex in a bass form...

I use a Marshall Power Brake on my Hughes & Kettner Tube 50 guitar amp, and the sound is so much better with this in place and the master volume cranked up to nearly maximum and then reducing the volume on the Power Brake to less ear-bleeding volumes, than just having the master volume to control the output. With guitar you still don't get quite the same speaker compression effect, but for everything but the most critical recording sessions this is the business. Unless you're using something pretty old-school in the speaker department you're unlikely to notice this on bass. Do remember though that because you're running the valves at maximum all the time their life will be correspondingly shorter.

This is doing nothing to relieve my Tune GAS.

And also I find myself strangely wanting a Fernandes Gothic Hello Kitty Travel Bass...

Gosh!

plus Retrograde

Saturday 1st March 2008

At The Rose Of England, Mansfield Road, Nottingham

Starts just after 8.30pm

Admission Free!

Any links to some better pictures of that Kinsman case. It looks as though it's got a 'bass-shaped' body cut out which make it less than suitable for anything that isn't a P or a J?

I've done a diagram to show the when to shim and when to adjust the truss-rod.



You should check the relief of the neck first, but in my experience when I've run out of bridge adjustment the it's been the neck/body angle that needs adjusting not the relief of the neck (except once when both needed adjusting!). The tilt the neck back to lower the action the shim needs to got at the body end of the pocket.

Hopefully the diagram makes all this clear.

You need to shim the neck.

Take the neck off and cut a piece of thin plastic (I used the plastic from the blister pack from a set a of TI strings - it doesn't need to be very thick) the width of the neck pocket and about one third to half the depth (the smaller the shim depth the greater the angle). Fit this at the body end of the neck pocket and re-attach the neck. It may take a couple of tries to get the right combination of length and thickness and you'll be surprised just how much difference such a small amount of "padding" makes.

The truss rod should be used to set the relief of the neck only.

I've never got on with D'addario bass strings. They're my first choice for all my guitars, but the bass strings I've tried - steel, nickel and half rounds just don't do it for me.

Today's basses come from [url="http://www.watsonguitars.net/index_1.htm"]Watson Guitars[/url]

I found these through the Luthiers Access Group and this immediately caught my eye:



The 7-string Alien Queen. As LAG says this ain't a run-of-the-mill bass. There's a slightly more manageable 4-string version on the Watson Guitars web site as well.

Most of his other basses are more conventional single cuts like this:





But still full of beautiful design and constructional details. Check out the control cavity covers. There's a mini-build dairy on the web site for each bass as well. Full of fascinating stuff.

Liking that TB-2000!

bass_ferret has hit the nail on the head here.

Yes you can spend more and yes they may sound better, but 99% of the time a good quality robust cable and connectors will be completely adequate for what we need.

And as others have said the criteria for hifi cables where you keep your runs as short as possible, bulkiness to overcome interference and whole plug once and forget that goes with a permananet installation is completely different to connecting a bass to an amp.

I know it's not all that good on Windows but iTunes will convert WAV to MP3. You need to go into preferences and change the default conversion from AAC to MP3 first.

I simply don't use this bass anymore so it's time to move it on to someone who will.

Wasburn Force ABT B-105 5-string. Bought this new in 1990

Very narrow string spacing. 15mm between string centres at the bridge. Neck width 43mm at the nut, 57mm at the 12th fret.

Upgraded with EMG J (set) active pickups.







There's a few dings that have chipped the finish - one on the front of the top horn, two on the back of the lower horn and one by the jack socket.
I've just put a new set of Elites string on there and a new battery for the EMGs. No case I'm afraid.

Make me an offer around £100

Like this one?

Welcome!

Lots of us from Nottm now.

I'd certainly be up for a local bash...

I've never had any problem with my Kramers or the Fake Duke, but they don't really get subjected to extremes of temperature.

It was however a major reason why Mick Karn switched from using his TB-2000 to a Wal.

The Mini Bass has come up on these forums before. However at the time his site was full of really slow flash animations for each picture. I would have been considerably older than I am now if I'd wanted to look at every bass there! The new site is still slow, but that's down mainly to the size multitude of images (which can be fixed with bandwidth...) rather than the actual working of the site.

The single-cut bass, was like this one:



Also if you look at the neck profile of the first two basses I posted, on the bass side above the 12th fret it almost squares off so even the double cut basses would feel more like a single-cut to play.

Matt - If it's the headstock shape you're after for J-style bass, then you'll be wanting a Kramer neck with 20 frets. However as you can see from the photo you posted the neck attachement is quite a bit different to Fender's. I would imagine that the neck pocket will need some attention and you might be better off having a J-style body made to fit the neck. Also be aware that Kramer necks are pretty chunky compared to the average J neck and it's not as though you can get your friendly neighbourhood luthier to just shave a bit off! If you want a custom aluminium neck I'll there are a couple of people making them although AFAIK they're all in the US. I'll post links this evening.

dangerboy - I see from your sig you have a TB-2000 (nice!) and obviously a 450B. What are the other two?
I have a 450B and an XKB-10 as well as "The Duke" copy with aluminium necks (There's pics of the two short scales in the Short Scale thread here)

If you specifically want a Kramer one like the pictures you've posted, you'll needed to buy second hand. The prices in the UK are curently stupidly high unless you're very lucky. Anything under £400 on eBay is a bargain, there are a couple for sale at various Denmark Street shops at around £900 mark! US prices are better, but by the time you've factored in shipping (they're not light basses) and customs you'll be around UK prices. Also be aware that Kramer made two different scale lengths. The necks are the same length but the have different numbers of frets on them. 20 frets like the bass in the post are 34" scale. 24 frets are 30.5" scale.

Alternatives do exist. It depends what ratio of metal to wood you want. For re-enforcing and a funky headstock you could buy [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hartke-Vaccaro-Aluminum-Core-Bass-Neck-Extrusion_W0QQitemZ320216094930QQihZ011QQcategoryZ41423QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]one of these[/url] and get someone to build you neck around it.

I'll post some links of luthiers building aluminium-necked basses this evening when I have access to my guitars bookmarks...