BassBod

For me its all about the deal - which band (music, people)/fee/distance/how busy I am that week/could it get me more or better work. I do very little for free, but I do a fair bit in the £20-£50 range. Less in the £50-£150 range. I live in Brisitol, so my general radius is an hour from home, stretching to Cardiff, Brum, London and Exeter for the right deal. BB

Thanks for that elom, pleasure to meet you (and hope you like the bass!)...any others out there?? BB

Have you used the Alembic preamp through the GoliathII? I use to use an F2B/ Stereo800 pwr /GoliathII setup and it had absolutely no mids, without some serious bass cut! I ended up using an SWR 220 instead, just so I could hear which note I was playing. I learned that some fantstic bits of kit don't always complement each other... BB

I think you easily win the poshest gig award, and probably the tastiest gear - but tell me, how does the Polytone stand up in all this? I haven't seen one in years. I liked them (years ago, before GK combos arrived) but its so long since I saw or heard one...its got me thinking? BB

The same format from different makers can give very different results, I'm afraid. I've heard 2x10's that were thin and edgy, and some that were thick and muddy....sorry! I'd suggest a secondhand Euphonic Audio CXL112 as the best all rounder I've used, and the more recent Wizzy's are cheaper and lighter (and 4 ohm?) BB

Somewhere, I've seen small brass collars, designed to make split shafts work better with set screw knobs. Can't remember where but I'm sure someone here will know..... I'd think that would do the job BB

Try saitenkatalog.de (or something very similar to that) usually a bit cheaper (and arrives in 3-4 days). BB

Oooohhh yesssss, indeeed.... BB

I use an active DI from Orchid Electronics in Exeter. Very clean active DI box, with a mute footswitch, red light, tuner send, amp output - plugged into a Boss floor pedal tuner. Very easy to use, runs on battery or phantom power and it gives me a choice of DI from pedal or amp. BB

No idea about Martin in the UK, but I read somewhere that they only warrant their electrics for 3 months! I also explored the Fishman site and they described the problem exactly, with a "sh*t happens"...approach. I could've got a Fishman replacement pretty easily (its nothing special as far as I could see) but instead I had a K&K fitted (well, glued) under the bridge plate, and bypassed the internal preamp. I think it sounds better (more woody, less stringy) so I'm happy. BB

The superglue method works fine. You can also shim the nut slightly higher (superglue a strip of veneer to the bottom) and cut the slots down to improve the fit, but it depends if they are way too wide or just a bit. If its a P or J type you can get shaped and pre-slotted (and curved, if needed) nuts for a few £, using this interweb thing so I wouldn't spend too much time fettling to perfection if the original is a lost cause. Whatever method you use, decide on the strings first and take it from there? BB

[attachment=3751:DSCN0885.JPG] Mine was given a good (ie low) set up before I got it - it plays nicely, but aggressive playing (ie with anyone else!) does produce some rattles and clacks. I tried the Thomastik acoustic strings - they sounded fantastic (think big classical guitar) but were far too thin and flexible to play with the current set up, hence the Thom flats which are still a bit floppy, but a better balance of sound and feel for me. I think your approach is better than messing about - the standard Martin strings are fine, just let them age a bit more and most of the "clack" will probably be gone in a few months. I should also mention the p/up died - started humming suddenly. Its wrapped in a thin shield (paper thin) and this is easily damaged. If you ever take out the bridge saddle be very careful. I'm guessing it was the set up that damaged it (only a tiny fray in the outer shield) cause I only changed strings! BB

Hi Sparky, I've got a similar Martin - how do you get on with strings for yours? I liked the Martin bronze ones, but found them too "clacky". I've ended up with Thomastik flats....like the mellow sound and feel, but can't help feeling I've lost a bit of volume and presence? BB

Looks like a version of the Alembic system - using a "dummy" pickup as a noise canceller? Can't imagine that was ever standard on a Kramer? I've never owned a Series I or II Alembic, but I recall they have trim pots (active gain adjustment) to fine tune the effect of the noise canceller in relation to the main pickup outputs. My guess is that to work well they should ideally be physically close to the real pickups so they "hear" the same noise? Worth some investigating... BB

[attachment=3700:DSCN0858.JPG] My Clifton's passive - never got round to putting the pre-amp in! One day...maybe? BB

I've used a Sansamp for 10+ years (with SWR, GK, Eden and now EA amps) to give a bit of added "warmth" or "edge"when needed. Its easy to overdo it, but with a bit of messing around you can use it in subtle ways (as well as full blown fuzzzz). The blend control is the key, a well as being careful with the eq. I've also got an old Alembic preamp - its fantastic, as valve as valve can be etc but there are plenty of times when I don't want to be carrying 19" racks about. BB

Glad you like it! How about the Jbitsa... BB

Maybe talk to Mr East? I recall he can make some pretty nifty piezo buffer/mixers - probably better than Fishman?? I bypassed the Fishman pre on an acoustic, and used an external LR Baggs (para DI). Sounded a lot better. BB

I've had similar experiences sometimes - I usually just stop playing in the soundcheck, to make it obvious that the problem isn't (only) the bass. I also ask everyone to take a bit of "low" off their amp - an attempt to get everyone involved in solving the problem rather than complaining. Doesn't usually work, obviously. I've learned that some musicians actually expect to hear themselves "above" the band - violdin players as well as gitartists. I've been told a few times that the gamma things help a lot in boomy places - its just another option for those tricky places? Good luck BB