BassTractor

Thanks, Clarky! Another great call, that, and sadly another one I think it isn't. I must admit I had no idea Marilyn Monroe was so omnipresent in punk, post punk, new romantic and whatnot. Or had forgotten, rather. The search continues. From experience, I know these things can take a lot of time. I've investigated some stuff on and off for decades before recently finding the info I had been after all that time (this in a larger project designed to activate my memory and fill out the blanks - after a stroke in '94 and resulting memory loss). Thanks for the help so far! bert

Thanks, guys! I didn't want to lock both my memory and your thinking too much, but as I recall it, the cover had the look of an album that just could have been made by Marilyn Monroe herself. I showed it to the shopkeeper, asking whether it was in the wrong section, uponwhich he played it for me so as to "prove" it wasn't. As I'm aware the human memory is evil, I can't be too certain about every detail - or anything really. Dandelion's solution seems charmingly close, but I'm still convinced it was close to 1985, and definitely punk (possibly anarcho). For the time being I'm impressed we even got this far. The Glenn Danzig record was known to me, but I'd never even heard about the Java Jel Band one.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1411380915' post='2558855'] am a bit concerned about it apparently only having a gain control, no volume. [/quote] Er... the volume switch is clearly and visibly to the right of the Treble knob. Glad to be of help!

I'd say that you could still do that one gig, but only after clearly and factually having communicated to the rest of the band exactly what the trouble is with the internet bullying and the animosity, and that the band has to take measures so that one final gig becomes a possibility for you - like for example that these girls are kept away. I feel that if you walk away without giving the band this narrow escape, you may feel guilty for a long time, and you may feel they have reasons for any criticism towards you. But: the band must abide by your demands. If not, then walk away - even if it's five minutes before the gig. One has some self respect to take care of, and needs to be able to ook into a mirror at the end of the day. All the best! bert Edit: in writing! Communicate to the band in writing. Just my halfquadrupence.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1411325844' post='2558472'] Return my library books a week later..? [/quote] In Norway, if you want to wreak havoc and bring The System down, you return your library books in time.

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1411336771' post='2558619'] It's probably some suffocatingly rare vinyl-only release that sold 22 copies. [/quote] Thank you! That gives hope: 50 copies pressed, 22 sold, another 20 taken by band members of which 4 went to their mothers and 1 to the drummer's dad's new girlfriend - meaning there are still 13 mint, unplayed copies floating about somewhere, of which 10 probably are available given that the guitarist's mother denounced him a few years later. Success!

Hey Judy, and welcome! I hope you'll find BC a friendly and informative place, and if you do, you might as well know that the ToU of BC include some lines about not really having to unsubscribe when one leaves that London again. As to meeting others, enough bassists are expected to stand in line to meet a wine goddess, but if not, as London is close to water, you could swim some and meet me here in Norway. It's not really a long swim. Just keep the bass over your head so it keeps dry. I have two amps, so you should be OK in that department. Enjoy BC and that London! bert PS In the mean time, here's an oldie I still love, possibly about your town: http://youtu.be/vgO6kOEdB2s

Thank you, o Laird of Bollocks, Dunans and Glencoe! Sadly, that's not the one, or should I say "happily, that's not the one", as I thoroughly dislike both that song and anything to do with the Misfits? Great call though. As I was into Flux of Pink Indians and the like back then, I'd guess we're more likely talking anarcho-punk or similar, though this is not certain. Also, there's a good chance the cover used overtly "girly" colours like pink and light blue, so I'd guess the band behind it liked some irony.

Story: in the mid eighties (not earlier than '83, but more probably around '85), I saw this album with the words "Marilyn Monroe" on the cover in the punk/hardcore department of the local record shop. I don't know whether this just were two words on a cover, or the album title or the band name. Got to hear some of it, and liked the stuff, but didn't buy it that day. Haven't seen it since. Anyone know of such an album? Just to be sure: I'm (of course) not referring to Brian Hugh Warner, that intelligent and educated purveyor of very boring music.

Don't listen to Grangur, Alessio! He knows nothing of these things. Those EAPs are terrible. Better take my advice: If you like active soapbars then the ESP LTD basses are amazing value for money they're about 380 new. You should be able to get a used one for about 200. The neck is really smooth and fast and the sound is great.

Welcome, mate! Like others, I must admit to not having a white '76 T-bird, but I hope you won't hold that against me, especially since my previous neighbour had the '76 Ford T-bird, and it was indeed white. Ghastly, ghastly car though, and not at all to be mentioned in the same sentence as your T-bird... Demn! Enjoy BC! bert

Buon giorno, Alessio! Benvenuto! I hope you will enjoy BC. best, bert (alberto)

OK, I'll give it a go: From close to distant, and left to right: Moog Polymoog Yamaha CP30 Arp Odyssey Moog Minimoog Moog Micromoog (or that other tinylittle one - name escapes me - not the Multimoog at any rate) Hohner Clavinet (probably D6) Oberheim Eight-Voice unknown 4-octave thing unknown 3.5-octave thing (though I do recognise it immediately, I have no clue) Yamaha CS50 (I'd expect a CS80 there, but this one looks small and with one row of controls on top?) Arp 2600

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1411056547' post='2556063'] Well, I've got a Windows PC, and iPad and an Android phone - will that do? [/quote] I think it will indeed. It already hurt my eyes, so I guess these multinational evil ones are shivering of your and my combined efforts (me also having got a Windows PC, an iPad and an Android phone).

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1411033482' post='2555713'] it's more the inconsistency [/quote] It's the inconsistency I can't muster. It's a well known fact that 99% of evil corporations aren't even 100% pure evil, and it's about time the people on our planet regained some power so they could force these corporations! I say: buy a Windows pc and hurt Apple, then buy a Mac and hurt the other guys! To battle!

Hey Yan, and welcome from sunny Sufway! Don't pick [i]my[/i] brain though: I've been at it for only about two years and 11 months, so we're not even peers. Enjoy the forum! bert

[quote name='thefyst' timestamp='1410906277' post='2554668'] any chance of some decent photos of the preamp? im kinda interested [/quote] Will try in daylight tomorrow.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1410939257' post='2554765'] Or, if you want to deal in absolutes which are bound to piss someone off, BC is full of lowballing chancers? [/quote] Great reply. The point of course is that it can mean so much. Sellers are wildly different in their approach, and will assume differently about their audience or audiences when crafting their texts. Some of it is honest and dead serious, some is an attempt at manipulation... the works. One of many explanations (which I think may not have been mentioned yet - sorry if it has) is that the seller assumes there are prospective buyers out there who do want the item, but "cynically" wait for the price drops, and then this expression means there is no point in waiting anymore. BTW, for each and every item I've advertised here in Norway, I've got people asking about the item roughly two weeks after the ad timed out. They want to buy a price rather than an item, and many of them clearly are only in it for selling it at a higher price again.

Thanks, Flyfisher! The shop who sold me the bass had possibly assumed the Music Man cases are sturdier and tighter than they really are, and had omitted to pack the bass inside the case. Also, they had omitted to fill the void between the case and the way too wide outer currugated board box. So the bass moved freely about and got the case lid to flex, and the volume pot knob was knocked off by the case innards. As said, the pot shaft is brass and just a few mm in diameter where it enters the pot body. Dunno whether the normally visible thick part of the shaft is in one piece with the thin part of it, but it makes no difference for the repair methods that were contemplated. BTW, I could've sent it back, but chose to be friendly with the seller, and do the repair myself. Thanks for the words on soldering technique. I've soldered electronics a lot before, as a hobby, but haven't done it that much the last few decades - only when necessary. Still got good gear for it, so the bottleneck is me.

[quote name='thefyst' timestamp='1410886032' post='2554341'] yeah id just replace the pot also... allthough cant find any decent images of the pots but they look like they have extended lugs that go straight into a board...might be tricky to replicate with a standard pot. [/quote] Thanks, Thefyst. I saw your post after writing mine (laptop battery trouble). Yup, the pots are a mini type with rectangular body, and three pins coming out from their sides. Trying to use a standard pot here, while probably doable, would require one side of one or two mini circuit boards to be moved out of its way, and there is not that much space, so I think it's is better avoided. I do have the correct pot for it, so no sweat. Dad: I think they're brass shafts, but thanks!

Thanks guys! I went out and bought the tools necessary to get this dismantled (I think it's Imperial stuff), and you know what: replacing the pot seems like a doddle. Several methods are available, and I just need to count the amount of wires I'll have to desolder and solder for each method. For those interested: two and two pots are mounted sideways - directly on tiny circuit boards (with the three pins through the board) that are anchored only on those two pots, meaning I can center the pots in the pot holes and the circuit boards will follow, so there are no special requirements for placement of the pots on the boards other than that I must keep their shafts parallel to each other. I might remove just one of those boards or both or even the whole pre-amp constellation, depending on what I think is easiest. The guy warning me seems to have had little reason to. Like KiOgon says, I could spend hours building small rigs and stuff. Seems quite unnecessary now. Thanks again!

[quote name='Lewbass' timestamp='1410865717' post='2553970'] The looking cool and impressing the ladies part I've got down to a tee, naturally. Its the playing part that I have trouble with. [/quote] I'm sorry to read this. You must be very jealous of me then. The playing part I've got down to a tee, naturally. It's the having contact with a person of the opposite... er... gender! that I have trouble with.

Quit the talking around the bush! You have 900 quid burning. We need to know what you're going to buy. WITH PICS!

Hey Lee, and welcome! There's tons of advice on here in addition to a rich marketplace. Should be no problem getting a good second hand one for that price. Oft mentioned ones are Yamaha, Ibanez, Vintage, Squier VM series, Squier CV series as well as J&D, but there are enough others. Enjoy the forum! best, bert

Bonjour, David, et bienvenue! Je ne connais pas Lyon, mais j'aime la demoiselle d'Avignon. Elle est si belle et charmante! ;-) (You may be too young for that one. Twas a French tv series fourty years ago, and the whole male population of Europe was in love with Marthe Keller, who had one of the main roles.) I hope you will have a good time here! best, bert (that would be bertrand to you)