Bloodaxe

Looks like it might be connected to this rather excellent [url="http://ariabasses.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B09%3A00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B09%3A00&max-results=10"]Aria Blog[/url]. Latest article is on Cliff Burton's Black 'n' Gold.

That's come up a treat I like that it doesn't appear to have the harsh shine of chrome, which would tend to support teh interwebz opinion that you've exposed the nickel plating. Good job with the old pants too - Y fronts or Boxers? Socks work well (especially ones with terry soles) as do old t-shirts.

[quote name='HJCcustoms' post='1224409' date='May 8 2011, 07:32 PM']I like to change my Avatar pic to represent what I am working on at the time(usually builds only) not repairs and mods, those are relatively less photogenic...LOL[/quote] Please don't restrict yourself to a 'teaser' pic - we like a build thread around here Same goes for some of the repairs, especially if they're out of the ordinary. Welcome Abroad. Pete.

[quote name='neepheid' post='1221996' date='May 6 2011, 10:13 AM']Another thing I heard they don't like is jack plugs with the sprung loaded collar on them like these: Could be BS, but that's what I seem to remember hearing, and I certainly try to avoid using such plugs in my G&L.[/quote] Not BS, they're pure evil & totally unnecessary. Way back when the very first SE Bash happened in Guildford, I took my Ashdown Superfly & Epi UL 110. One of the other 'bashers' had a gorgeous trans-blue Spector 5-string with a barrel jack into which he'd religiously plugged a Planet Waves cable with the collars as per the photo. I handed him my usual lead (10' of Van Damme cable with a Neutrik on each end) & it rattled around in the barrel jack making all sorts of worrying pops & crackles - I think the phrase 'p***k in a bucket' got used. A swap was made & I was surprised (& not a little alarmed) at how much force was needed to persuade the PW jack into the Ashdown - it was a two-handed job, one on the back of the amp & the other pushing like buggery trying to get the damn thing in. I used the Superfly as the House Amp at a local jam night a year or two back, & someone used a cable with oversized plugs. Result? at the end of their set, the chrome bezel on the amp came out with the jack & wouldn't screw back in as it had mangled the thread in the socket's plastic body. Subsequent inspection revealed that Ashdown had come up with a stupendously daft means of attaching the socket to the front panel which resulted in it being cross-threaded from day 1, so there was a sporting chance of it failing sooner or later, but the oversized plugs killed it in two hits. Never again. PW & Monster cables are banned from my rig & basses. Pete.

[quote name='toys19' post='1218929' date='May 3 2011, 06:04 PM']I am learning (still after umpteen years) and have joined a little band locally. we have an unpaid gig coming up at a local music festival, my very first.. So there are some tracks that the band already play but I need to provide some basic bass lines for, unfortunately I cannot find anything on the bass tab sites so I wonder if anyone here knows these songs or is sharp enough to work out the tab without going to too much effort. Songs are James River Blues by Old Crow Medicine Show I hear them all by Old Crow Medicine Show My Oklahoma Home by Bruce Springsteen I can provide mp3's of all three taken from my cd's if you want.[/quote] They're all on YouTube & that's a lot safer than offering to post/send mp3s as that gets into all sorts of copyright issues. A quick listen suggests that a simple Root-5th Country style line ought to work with all three, so you really just need the chords to get your head around the changes... [url="http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/o/old_crow_medicine_show/james_river_blues_crd.htm"]James River Blues[/url] [url="http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/o/old_crow_medicine_show/i_hear_them_all_crd.htm"]I Hear Them All[/url] [url="http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/b/bruce_springsteen/my_oklahoma_home_crd.htm"]My Oklahoma Home[/url] Caveat: I haven't tried them, so I don't know how accurate they are. Good luck with the gig & don't forget to A) post a thread telling us when it's on - you never know, some local BC'ers might chip up, & we'll expect a full post-match report. Oh, forgot one... C) Enjoy it - it's the best fun you can have with your clothes on Pete

Letts has pretty much covered it, but [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5094"]this thread[/url] might be of interest/use as it's got all pictures & that plus a couple of variations on the template theme. Pete.

Thanks for the further input, people. After Extra Time I reckon it's a score-draw Finnbass 1 - 1 Basschat Doddy, try as I might I can't hear it in the one & only recording of 'Blue Monk' I own (a live one), I'm not doubting you in the least, it's far more likely that I don't yet know how the progression sounds outside of a very constrained box - it may well be "standard" to you, but to me it's largely Terra Incognita. (I tried 'I Got Rhythm' as well, but that seems to be universally played at 900 mph so it was all a bit of a blur tbh.) I need a few 'Janet & John'/'Spot The Dog' examples to expand my Blues vocabulary. To that end, I'll turf out my Best Of Big Joe Turner CD - everything he ever did seems to have a 251 turnaround in it. Pete.

Sorted now. Finnbass 1 - 0 Basschat.

So, I've been staring at it semi-vacantly for a bit & put it into Numbers: 1/4/1/1/4/b4/1, b7/6/2/5/1, 6/2, 5 Does that make any sense? A 6-2-5-1-6-2-5 Turnaround? Bit of a mouthful that, is there a more succinct way of calling it?

Specifically Boz Scaggs' "Runnin' Blues" [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8453031/Runnin%27%20Blues.pdf"][b]PDF - Notation Only[/b][/url] Finally got around to jotting this thing down. I've just done the 12 bars that comprise Verse 2 – Bars 11 & 12 of which are really the subject of this post (I’ve left out all the little grace notes etc. to keep it down to the basics.) The video is the studio version, but, as my script comes from Live Greatest Hits album, there are slight differences, but nothing really significant. It’s a common enough jazz/blues progression across the 12 bars, but is there a shorthand term for it? Especially for the turnaround in the last two bars? Pete.

It will be real gold, but as it's over polished nickel ([url="http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Remove+gold+plating+but+leave+chrome&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB%3a%6ffficial&client=firefox-a"]according to the internetz[/url]) it's only a few microns thick & won't stand up to much. Much as I like a vile chemical dip, I'd steer well clear of it for this as the only thing I can think of is [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrochloric_acid"]Spirit of Salts[/url] which might well attack everything else too. Try a nylon pan scourer & some T-Cut, paste-type metal polish, or some gunky Brasso. If the underneath is gold plated, you've got plenty of room for experimentation. A Dremel with a felt wheel might be useful for getting in corners & the like.

[quote name='mcnach' post='1211847' date='Apr 26 2011, 05:47 PM']I'm not keen on dealing with large amounts of corrosives... especially when they get very hot dissolving them. Hence my "small amounts" rule.[/quote] Pah! Did our ancestors forge an Empire by footling about with tiny amounts of harmful substances? Did the 'eck as like! A body of chaps in overalls sporting flat caps, 10 Woodbines, a 28lb sledgehammer & with access to a few turret lathes & vats of boiling caustic soda & even a Thousand Year Reich gave in. IdunnoyouthoftodayIblametheparentsandtheGuvingmintetc.

[quote name='mcnach' post='1211502' date='Apr 26 2011, 10:26 AM']Caustic soda would eat the sealant away? Hmm, I can take a few pellets from work and make a strong solution to try it. Again it would be used is smaller sections not a whole body at a time. I'd rather deal with small amounts at any one time.[/quote] Ah, maybe Caustic is Not For You... Caustic is at it's best when you have a very hot near-saturated solution (i.e. the water can't physically dissolve any more crystals) - hence the need for a 'Bosh Tank' of some description that can allow for a good long soak. One of those old Butlers' Sinks is great, but I have used the bath before now (which has the added benefit of both cleaning the bath & taking care of any incipient drain blockage at the same time - not recommended if you're married or living with Mum though ) The only things to avoid with Caustic Soda are Aluminium (it etches it, & will eventually dissolve it), Oak (turns it almost jet black), and Bakelite (f***s it completely). I dare say there are more, but those are the ones I've found by experimentation so far. Pete.

Regarding your indestructible sealing coat... Before you go down the power sanding route, consider hand-sanding. Get a heavy rubber block from either Halfords or DoItAll & some coarse grit wet & dry (120 - 180). Use the block on the front & back, then freehand around the contours & edges - much less chance of inadvertently re-profiling anything. Then work up through the grades to 400 - it'll feel erotically smooth Before [i]even that[/i] though, think about hoying yourself back to the DIY shoppe & pick up that yellow tin of Nitromors. Be warned, it bites. It's a very runny liquid, & really needs to be used outside as the fumes are interesting. An old 1" paintbrush and some sort of heavy-duty gloves are a good idea ([b]not[/b] Marigolds), and don't bother with the bin liner as it'll just melt it into an ungodly mess of caustic black goo - a Sunday broadsheet is your best bet . To neutralise it, you must use white spirit/turps/paraffin or similar - water won't touch it (unlike the green tin); have some to hand all the time just in case you get any on your skin - unlike the green version it'll start to burn like buggery in seconds. It's one of those products that I'm amazed can be still bought on the High Street tbh. Cautions aside, there are very few finishes that will withstand this stuff. It'll see off two-pack without breaking sweat. A possible alternative (but may not be cost-effective) is to see if you've got one of those Pine Door-stripping places local to you. They usually use a strong Caustic Soda solution which will also destroy most finishes. You can adopt a DIY approach with Caustic, but the trick is to find something big enough to contain the entire body, as it needs to be fully immersed. Pete.

Glad it worked out - what did you use in the end? All it need now is a Candy Apple Red paint job P.

Shameless repost: 1984 Aria ZZB-Custom in Factory-Stock 'Bloody Red'. 32" scale & 54" tip to tip.

[quote name='Horizontalste' post='1210324' date='Apr 24 2011, 08:25 PM']Again not wishing to hijack, but how would this chisel/ dremel method work on basswood? Id doesn't seem as dense as Alder.[/quote] Personally I'd shy away from using a Dremel for this sort of thing as there's a great risk of burning it out, knackering the bearings, and shattering the bit. It's almost a given that the blade will become blunt very quickly resulting in a lovely charred effect as it burns its way through. Chisels will do it all, [i][b]provided they're sharp[/b][/i]. What you buy in the shop is really a bit of metal with a handle on one end, getting it to the point where it'll cut nicely takes a bit of work. These links might be of use: [url="http://www.antiquetools.com/sharp/index.html"]A Guide to Honing and Sharpening[/url] [url="http://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesArticle.aspx?id=28819"]A Video[/url] The video is a bit hardcore tbh, you don't need to go for the mirror finish that guy's achieved, but the key part is right at the end where he's cutting end grain. Listen to the sound each blade makes - his uberhoned chisel sounds markedly different from the other two & leaves a staggeringly clean cut. Diamond stones aren't expensive these days. Every so often Aldi get them in for around a tenner. They're also superb for putting a razor sharp edge on cooking knives. To answer your question about Basswood vs Alder; Basswood tends to be softer, so the chisel will compress the fibres before it starts to cut. The cut fibres will then spring back after the edge has passed which can result in a ragged cut with a tendency to 'tear out'. The sharper the blade the less chance there is of this happening. Pete.

Prostitute myself on the Altar of Capitalism? Where do I get undressed?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUPERB-VINTAGE-BASS-RESTORATION-NO-RESERVE-/170631240778"]JapCrap or RussianRubbish?[/url] I'm sure I've seen one of these (or something very similar) a year or so back that surfaced in Lithuania or thereabouts. It looks absolutely shocking, but if it stays sub-£20 inc. delivery, could prove tempting.

[quote name='uke' post='1205331' date='Apr 19 2011, 10:57 PM']OK here we go! Cheers got the gist now![/quote] It depends what you're looking at it on... In my browser (Firefox) & at my current screen resolution (800 x 600), the little info bar at the top of the thumbnail says 'reduced 39% of original size'. That would suggest that if you were to resize your image from its current 1024 x 768 down to 400 x 300 it'd fit with no scaling on my monitor. Dougie's image is showing me a reduction of 50%, which gives the same end result of 400 x 300. P.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1205249' date='Apr 19 2011, 09:38 PM']I think the one thing I disagree with about that is that there are no "Antis"! J.[/quote] I only adopted that (after much pondering & crossing out) as 'Can't See The Point Of It As It Applies To Me-ists' was, I felt, a tad on the long side. P.

[quote name='Krysbass' post='1204695' date='Apr 19 2011, 01:05 PM']As a music non-reader who’s happy to also admit to not being able to name most of the notes on the bass fretboard (though not saying I’m proud of that) I think my lack of musical theory is due to one simple reason: As a bassist in covers bands and currently an originals band, I’ve never found myself in a situation where I’ve needed it and never had any difficulty in communicating with other musos due to my lack of it. Believe me – if I thought it would benefit my playing in any tangible way, I would somehow find the time to do some swotting up on it. <snip>[/quote] This pretty much sums up where I'm at right now. However... On Saturday I did a dep gig with 24 hrs notice for a guy who's very well networked (if he wasn't, I'd have blanked him). Whilst the gig went OK, we got compliments, & I got paid, I'd have found it a metric sh!tload easier had I been comfortable navigating a chart (of which several were available). I've decided that This Must Change. For the moment, my complete inability to read the dots can stay as it is, as I have no need for it [i][b]at present[/b][/i]. There may come a time when this attitude will change, but I'll deal with that one as, when & if I ever need it. Another factor in all of this is people's individual learning style. I have great difficulty with 'learning for the sake of learning', but [u]not[/u] when I have a focussed application. I suspect that a good number of the 'antis' here are in the same boat & no amount of proselytising by the 'pros' will change that. Pete.

[quote name='Bassman Sam' post='1204353' date='Apr 19 2011, 02:39 AM']Hi Guys and Gals, I'm trying to find the best way to remove white paint from my gold anodized PG. I bought my P-bass thinking it was in original condition 15 years ago but now know, thanks to Basschat, that it has been strip and varnished. The PG has at some point been painted white and is now chipped so I thought I would remove the paint but don't know what to use so that I don't bugger the original finish. Any suggestions welcome.[/quote] Assuming it's aluminium, stay away from anything abrasive & also anything that contains Sodium Hydroxide (e.g. Oven Cleaner, Caustic Soda etc.). Abrasives will damage the micro-thin anodised layer, and caustics will attack the aluminium. So... What's left? Chemicals! Either good old-fashioned paint stripper (e.g. Nitromors), or some nasty solvent like Acetone (Cellulose thinner), MEK, or Xylene. Of the solvents, Xylene is probably the easiest to get as it's freely sold as Hammerite Thinners. You might get lucky with Acetone from a car spares shop. Personally I'd try the Nitromors first. Plenty of newspaper & an old brush, then lard it on. Leave it for half an hour or so then apply some more. With any luck the paint will start shifting & you can then just rinse off the yuk with the old paintbrush and plenty of washing up liquid. If you opt for the solvent approach, the trickiest bit will be finding something that'll allow you to fully immerse the pickguard - have a look in Poundland or similar for a roasting tray perhaps. You could try repeatedly swabbing it with cotton wool soaked in solvent, but a full soak will be less work - with any luck the paint will almost completely dissolve & then you can clean it up with a coarse cloth (like an old flannel) & plenty of washing up liquid. You may also find that there's a slight haze left on the surface. Other than repeating the process with fresh gunk there's not much can be done; the anodising process can be slightly porous & paint that's got in there can be a bugger to get shot of. If you do need to use a scraper, make sure it's plastic & go [i]very[/i] gently. There's a good chance that the solvents will make a mess of it though & it'll only be fit for the bin afterwards. Patience is a virtue with this kind of thing, it may take several applications. Oh, wear gloves & open a window.

6 here. A moderate case of JapCrap Fever, but with the twist of being brand-specific: Is there a cure? If there is, please keep it to yourself. Pete.