Bloodaxe

I've been keeping a rough tally of all those who've expressed an interest & it's now hit 30. I think I'd want it to hit 50 or so before committing, as there's bound to be those that want to go but won't be able. P.

[quote name='cocco' post='786462' date='Mar 25 2010, 11:05 PM']Yeah it's lovely. I'm tempted but I'm holding out for a thunder 2. The temptation is 100% there though.[/quote] 2 & 3s are hen's teeth. I reckon the 1A's are a choice buy at the moment - seem to be holding around that mark for nice ones, so virtually risk-free IMO. And DiMarzios!

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='786371' date='Mar 25 2010, 09:37 PM']Ok folks Jacks chocolate factory has dropped out of the race for now, although an alternative may be on the way..... So, it's between Creekside studios and Molan's school for now. On the face of it; Creekside seems to be the least hassle option, won't require catering and is located Southern London. Readily available on the day ? Molan's school does have far more unknowns at the moment, located Northern London. However, if it is available, it will hopefully present more rooms to use, which will allow more flexibility on the day. Any other ideas / observations ? cheers T [/quote] If my maths is working... Creekside's rate for the whole rehearsal studio (5 rooms) comes in at £395 from 10am to 6.30pm. So we'd need 40 bodies to keep it at £10/head. I'll be in the area next week, I'll ask what they've got booked for June (& if they'll do a deal). Pete.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='786388' date='Mar 25 2010, 09:59 PM']Electronics are comparatively easy to rectify. Not having more info about the problem, the important thing here is whether or not the active circuit is encased in resin (therefore inoperable) or a standard PCB type circuit board. Bad wiring is a piece of piss to fix. If it's all that's wrong with it then AFAIC it would be worth a punt - worse case scenario is you end up replacing the stock circuit with something else.[/quote] SB-1000 = Epoxy-potted Black Box (at least on the Series 1, not sure about the S2). As far as I could make out from some terminal forensic examination of mine, it's just a unity-gain buffer. All the tone controls appear to be passive. So not really "active" as we generally use the term. I binned mine & wired it all passive - simples. Pete.

[quote name='cocco' post='786376' date='Mar 25 2010, 09:41 PM']Is the trem on yours an addition?[/quote] Very much so. As are the extra holes, the dings & welts, and the extra pole-pieces on the bridge pickup. I ought to record the staggering buckle rash as well! The Westone Thunders punch well above their weight, as do the Aria Cardinal (CSB) series - never liked the CSB styling though. You've seen [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=75875&view=findpost&p=732880"]this[/url] I take it? Pete.

The current [i][b]bid[/b][/i] is £950! As they say on the interweb... WTF? Are they really [i]that[/i] rare???

[quote name='cocco' post='786356' date='Mar 25 2010, 09:27 PM']Cheers dude. I'll hold off on this one and see if I can get a twin pup I reckon. I'd just never seen one before and it caught my eye. What would you say was a fair price?[/quote] I reckon he's a ton out. Keep 'em peeled for a TSB-650. Single p/up but through neck.

[quote name='cocco' post='786317' date='Mar 25 2010, 08:53 PM']So there's an aria tsb (Thor Sound Bass) on eBay that's tempting me. I'm just after some info on them. What's the tone like? What's the quality like? How does it compare to an SB? Has anyone got any experience with them?[/quote] I've had a TSB-400 since 1982. Tone - Lots of it Build Quality - Stunning. Built like a tank. Tri-laminate maple neck, Nato (a sort of mahogany) body. Poly finish. 32" Scale. Very good ergonomics, but tend to be rather heavy. They're not an SB, but they're fine things. I'm of the opinion that £360 inc P&P is a tad on the high side - even with the branded hard case (assuming I'm looking at the same one) notwithstanding that it's an early example (in-line tuners instead of 2+2) in very nice order. I'm sure I've seen this one listed before. Some data... TSB-400 Width at Nut: 45.5mm Width at 1st Fret: 45.8mm Width at 12th Fret: 52.4mm Depth at 1st Fret: 22.2mm Depth at 12th Fret: 23.9mm String Spacing 1st Fret: 36.7mm (avg = 9.2mm) String Spacing 12th Fret: 44mm (avg = 11.0mm) String Spacing Bridge: 52.6mm (avg = 13.2mm) ...and a photo: OK 2 photos. Pete.

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='786177' date='Mar 25 2010, 06:53 PM']Would still like to hear more about the proposed venues though. Cheers T [/quote] [url="http://www.creeksidestudios.co.uk/index.html"]Creekside Studios[/url] Pros... Ample secure FREE parking, Buzzer entry system (so you can leave the Uzi at home), Walking distance from DLR (Deptford Bridge) & National Rail (Deptford) - less than 10 min walk, Bus Routes [url="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/deptford-10316.pdf"]47 (Catford Garage to Shoreditch, Deptford Church St. stop P)[/url] & [url="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/greenwich-2106.pdf"]199 (Catford Garage to Canada Water [for Jubilee Line], Creek Road-Creekside)[/url] go past the end of the street, Local Greggs, Percy Ingle, Tesco Express, a takeaway Curryhouse, Barclays & HSBC within a 10 min walk. Cons... None - they'll all be up the market on Deptford High Street fleecing the punters. You know it makes sense.

Just a thought... II wonder if it's a "feature" of Mobile Broadband? I use a 3G dongle for convenience & it quite likes to "hang" for no readily-explained reason. I've had it do this on more than one occasion when I've been posting (not just on BC, but FB & TB as well), I've hit Stop & then Send & found that I've double-posted. I see it happening on Yahoo Groups as well. There are a good many people on here that access using a variety of portable devices so maybe that's it? Pete.

Chap I know down my way has what he claims is a '69 P with a J neck that he bought in Manny's in NY in 1970 or thereabouts. Sunburst, bound & blocked. He says he was told at the time that there had been a bit of a fad for these on the NYC scene at the time & Fender had responded by supplying a small quantity of PJs to meet the demand. I've no reason to doubt his anecdote - the bass is genuinely roadworn, the headstock is filthy with many years of accumulated nicotine & yuk, & he's not the kind of bloke who'd be capable of swapping them out himself. I should be seeing him next Tuesday, If I can remember I'll bung a camera in the gigbag & bring back some evidence. Pete.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='785384' date='Mar 25 2010, 12:46 AM']Good spot sir - the Yam ones are identical apart from having nice cast keys. I doubt they were made in-house, Gotoh supplied a lot of hardware to Jap factories, as did other light-engineering concerns like Chushin. I've never had the adjusting tool for mine (I also have a Cimar P/J thing with the same ones) but finger-tight seems to hold 'em OK. I think it looks like it would be straightforward enough to improvise/bodge a tool though. Might have a go tomorrow. J.[/quote] The SB-series Arias have a similar feature - I nicked this pic off Graeme Fyfe's site to give you something to aim at:

[quote name='skampino' post='784735' date='Mar 24 2010, 02:29 PM']So are you saying there is no protection? If so, what is the point of an RCD? I don't gget it....have I missed something?[/quote] Yes. The Time Factor (sounds like a Dr Who episode!) A fuse can take anything from 1/10th to several seconds to blow & isolate the equipment from the supply. An RCD should trip in less than 50 thousandths of a second. Could be the difference between a sore arm & a stiff drink and looking at the lid of a pine box from the inside.

[quote name='chris_b' post='784605' date='Mar 24 2010, 12:43 PM']Some tell us that you can't successfully mix speaker sizes, that cables are all the same and that power conditioners don't do what the manufacturers claim. As I have positive experience of the first 2 (you can and they're not) it leaves me thinking I'd like to know more about power conditioners from unbiased sources.[/quote] (Note: [b]escholl[/b]'s post above says it more succinctly, but I've spent an age on this & I'm damned if I'm chucking this lot down the pan now!) A couple for Power Conditioners: [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_conditioner"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_conditioner[/url] [url="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-power-conditioner.htm"]http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-power-conditioner.htm[/url] & one for Line Conditioners: [url="http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/ext/protLine-c.html"]http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/ext/protLine-c.html[/url] A Google search didn't really bring much else up, tbh, apart from manufacturers & retailers, who aren't likely to be "unbiased sources". I find it odd that it's dead easy to find a layman's explanation of an RCD - with diagrams - & yet next to nothing on power conditioners. My interpretation of a "power conditioner" would be a device that removes noise from the mains supply leaving a pure 50Hz sine wave nominally 240V peak-to-peak. Co-incidentally that's [i][b]exactly[/b][/i] what I'd expect of the Smoothing & Regulation circuits in a well-designed on-board power supply such as I'd hope to find in any item of signal-processing equipment. It's a lot easier to do this [i][b]after[/b][/i] rectification & smoothing, as you're then removing an AC component from the DC which is a lot easier than filtering out a bunch of overtones. Pre-filtering the mains supply seems a tad pointless to me unless your supply is unbelievably noisy. I'd doubt this would be the case unless you live in an extremely rural area or were reliant on a petrol/diesel generator. I'd expect there to be stated tolerances for line noise, but couldn't find anything under any search term I could think of. Surge suppression is a useful feature, especially if you're dealing with switch-mode power supplies. If you add in extra connectivity [i]and[/i] cool slidey-outy lights then it's a no-brainer of a winner. Pete.

[b]R[/b]ighteous [b]I[/b]mpresario [b]C[/b]arries [b]K[/b]alashnikov, [b]E[/b]specially [b]N[/b]ear [b]B[/b]latant [b]A[/b]sian [b]C[/b]opyright [b]K[/b]leptomaniacs; [b]E[/b]xpect [b]R[/b]etribution.

Some data I prepared earlier: Aria Pro II RSB Deluxe-5 (1984) Width at Nut: 45.8mm Width at 1st Fret: 47.2mm Width at 12th Fret: 59.3mm Depth at 1st Fret: 23.4mm Depth at 12th Fret: 24.8mm String Spacing 1st Fret: 40.2mm (avg = 8.04mm) String Spacing 12th Fret: 50mm (avg = 10.0mm) String Spacing Bridge: 60.8mm (avg = 12.2mm)

[quote name='silddx' post='784435' date='Mar 24 2010, 10:23 AM']Silicone treatment apparatus turned us sterile[/quote] Ahh, but Synthetic Techniques Achieve Tonal Uniformity, Sir.

Aria - Aesthetically Right In Application Atlansia - Acutely Tortuous Labyrinthine Aesthetics Notably Surreal In Application Odd to think the same designer was responsible for both. And, just to be controversial... Fodera - Frankly Overpriced Designer Ego-Ramping Accessory

[quote name='skampino' post='784146' date='Mar 23 2010, 11:10 PM']Is a surge protector the same as an RCD? What amp RCD should I use? Is it one per instrument or can me and the guitarist use it for a 4 way extension?[/quote] An RCD is a different beast from a surge protector. Think of it as an incredibly fast-acting fuse that'll also detect dodgy wiring. A fuse will blow - eventually - after it's passed more current (amps) than it's designed to handle. "Eventually" is the key word here... This from the Wikipedia entry (my bold italics): [quote]The speed at which a fuse blows depends on how much current flows through it and the material of which the fuse is made. The operating time is not a fixed interval, but decreases as the current increases. Fuses have different characteristics of operating time compared to current, characterized as "fast-blow", "slow-blow" or "time-delay", according to time required to respond to an overcurrent condition. [i][b]A standard fuse may require twice its rated current to open in one second, a fast-blow fuse may require twice its rated current to blow in 0.1 seconds, and a slow-blow fuse may require twice its rated current for tens of seconds to blow.[/b][/i][/quote] An RCD will typically trip in less than 50mS (50/1000 or 0.05 Seconds) at a fraction of the current of the fuse. More on RCDs here: [url="http://www.explainthatstuff.com/howrcdswork.html"]http://www.explainthatstuff.com/howrcdswork.html[/url] More on fuses here: [url="http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_12/4.html"]http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_12/4.html[/url] They've also got a page on how little electricity you need to be lethal given the right circumstances: [url="http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_3/4.html"]http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_3/4.html[/url] Maplin do a 13 Amp RCD that you can plug a 4-way extension (& your guitarist) into: [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=29769"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=29769[/url] They also do several surge-protected 4-way strips: [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?menuno=69640"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?menuno=69640[/url] Pete.

[quote name='Toasted' post='784125' date='Mar 23 2010, 10:55 PM']I have no idea why anyone would tell you that you need a power conditioner unless they were trying to sell you one.[/quote] Agreed. They can be of some use if you're doing little local outdoor gigs as diesel generators can produce lumpy electric which digital gear may not care for. RCD on the other hand is compulsory given the state of some pub & rehearsal space electrics. An RCD can be a life-saver - literally. Pete.

[quote name='bobbass4k' post='782581' date='Mar 22 2010, 05:13 PM']Embrace instrumentalism, just like a guitarist can be replaced by a distortion and an octave pedal, a singer can be replace be some nice melodies and expressive playing[/quote] ... and some sharp suits, NHS Specs & a bit of interpretive dance: I find I rely on the vocals for cues - probably much more than I should. Try singing along in your head, I found this a great help when trying to remember the lengths of the changes in Led Zep's "Rock & Roll". Pete.

[quote name='BigBeatNut' post='781961' date='Mar 21 2010, 07:16 PM']Any recommendations on soldering irons ... particular the wattage suitable for this kind of repair ? Andy[/quote] About 30W should cover most eventualities. Better still, keep an eye out for deals at Maplin or even Aldi - sooner or later one of 'em will do a temperature-controlled solder station for stupidly low money. These give you the ability to tweak the power about so that you're delivering just the right amount for the job in hand. From personal experience, stay away from the gas-powered ones or the "miracle" battery-powered stuff like "Cold Fusion". Too prone to damage &/or too bloody awkward to use IME. Pete.

[quote name='The inglourious bass turd' post='780451' date='Mar 20 2010, 07:32 AM']I can play - a bunch of scales and arpeggios, the beginning bits of - paranoid, iron man, seven nation army, satisfaction, that bit from the chain , the beginning of badge - but not one whole song! What's the first whole song you guys learned? Andy[/quote] Can't possibly nail it down to the first song... but 3 albums that were on heavy rotation when I started in 1982 were: Status Quo - Live (1976?) AC/DC - If You Want Blood... Deep Purple - Made In Japan After these I moved on to John Mayall's Bluesbreakers & Stevie Ray Vaughan. Then it's all a bit of a blur tbh. Pete.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='779591' date='Mar 19 2010, 11:28 AM'][b]I have some involvement in the heritage railway scene[/b] (no I'm not a trainspotter before you say anything) and you should try taking a picture of a train in some places. You'll be nicked or thrown out within seconds of the CCTV operators spotting you. If you get mugged on a station nothing happens of course.[/quote] You're not alone! (GWS C&W Dept.) I draw the line at gricing though.

[quote name='xgsjx' post='779732' date='Mar 19 2010, 01:26 PM']I love getting out in the dessert too! [/quote] What you do in the privacy of your own home with the contents of your 'fridge is up to you Welcome Abroad nbtone, from a quite clement - if rather damp - London. Pete.