Bloodaxe

I went fretless about 10 months ago, & I'm now more inclined to ask ...advantages of [b]fretted[/b] basses? Pete.

[quote name='zephead' post='762169' date='Mar 2 2010, 08:06 PM']Help! - Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City by Whitesnake has been added to my band's set list. I want to do it justice but there is no tab for it anywhere! I've tried listening closely to the recording but i just can't work out what he's doing. I can muster a Janet and John version but it sucks compared to what it should sound like. I am under time constraints so any help would be appreciated. Ta![/quote] Which version - Studio (Snakebite EP) or Live? Edit! Found this... the Snakebite studio cut (OVNO): Neil Murray's bass is quite clear on this, have fun with it! Can't help with a tab, I just mash it up tbh Pete

Could be a duff solder joint somewhere along the line, they can cause weirdness like distortion, phantom rustling noises & intermittent cutting out. Give 'em the once over, all the joints should be smooth & quite shiny - if there's one that looks dull or even slightly crystalline that may be the culprit.

[quote name='Clarky72' post='761332' date='Mar 1 2010, 10:55 PM']Noelk27 or Bloodaxe, You guys sound like you're the authority on the SB's here. Can you help me out please? I'm after a SB1000. As far as I know the SB1000 has a MB1 pickup on the 1977-1980 models and a MB1E on the 1981-1984 models, is there a marked difference between them? Are there any other differences between them aside the headstock shape and logo, and the LED? Are there any reasons you'd pick one over another? Cheers for the help, Steve[/quote] Eep! A Reputation! errmmm I'll have to pass this one over to m'learned colleague noelk27. My (now heavily butchered) 1980 Batwing SB-1000 had a stock p/up - 2-wire humbucker (I guess wired in series) & an apparently defective "noise killer" "active" circuit. I suspect the latter somehow fried the p/up so I've never actually met one in the flesh, as it were. The early SB-1000s have a bit of a reputation for going tyttesup tbh (hence the aftermarket replacements from Kent Armstrong), so it may be worth endeavouring to snadge a Series 2 example. Interestingly, [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/bass/sb/sb.html"]the specs given on the Matsumoku site for the SB-900[/url] state that it also has MB-Is. Mine are 4-wire, not 2-wire as came out of my 1000. As I've stated elsewhere, the 900 is a tone monster - plenty of output & a bit of a middle hump, cuts right through the mix. If there are tonal differences between the MB-I & MB-IE, I'd be surprised if they were especially marked. Noel? Pete. Pete.

Can't help with the tabs, but this one seems to have better definition: I've only the one Climax album - "Tightly Knit" from when they still traded as The Climax Chicago Blues Band:

I'm in for "Any of these".

Had a quote from the Co-Op last year (October-ish) - £21K Contents + £2500 Instrument for a tad over £140. I asked the rep if the intruments were covered out of the house & he said they were, so I upped the ante & asked if it'd still be covered at a gig in a pub if someone chucked a pint over the amp. He had to go & ask, but came back with another Yes! I've banked with the Co-Op for yonks, so I've no idea if I got a preferential rate. Pete.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='755778' date='Feb 24 2010, 08:00 AM']Ta Jon. BTW: What does the multi-position switch on an SB1000 do? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-11-SB-1000-Vintage-1980-Bass_W0QQitemZ190375482876QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2c534355fc"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-11-SB-1000-...=item2c534355fc[/url][/quote] It's a 6-step tone selector with a separate bypass switch. Each position switches in a different fixed resistor+capacitor, which makes for very quick & precise on-the-fly changes. It's a useful feature, no idea why it wasn't extended to the rest of the SB range. Pete.

The thing I really don't get is that this only seems to apply to Fenders. How is it that a knackered /damaged finish on a Fender = "Mojo" and doesn't noticably detract from the value (it may even add to it), whereas on virtually any other brand it's labelled as "Damage" (& photographed/described as such) and downgrades the value accordingly. Baffled.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='752584' date='Feb 21 2010, 10:35 AM']Well - he's actually added a pic of the headstock (and nothing else!) to the listing now. It's presumably the actual bass he's selling unless he randomly found a pic with 3 strings... J.[/quote] Ooohh!! Can narrow the field a bit from that... "Open Book" style headstock end, what look to be Grover-style tuners and a seemingly wooden truss-rod cover all point towards an SB from 1981/2 or later. The paragraph is the Aria LAB version, so perhaps Noelk can don his deerstalker again to narrow the field a bit further! Potential bargain here especially if the seller remains reticent on details, I reckon (5 days to go though...) Pete.

[quote name='noelk27' post='752377' date='Feb 20 2010, 11:51 PM']Of the graphs quoted, the first was in service for the shortest period of time, the second the longest. As for the third, that's one that I've not previously seen. (I'm suspicious that if it's only to be found in publish materials that it's, perhaps, a typo. I could be wrong.)[/quote] Headstock from my 1981 TSB-400 (shame there's a string in the way, but you get the gist): TBH not sure if it applies to the Lazers. Typo in the Pat No is mine, should be 555719 Pete.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='752253' date='Feb 20 2010, 09:40 PM']i think it will be mint. go and get it jon, i'm a wee bit jealous! mint as in good, not as in mint condition[/quote] I reckon so too... If it was a Cardinal, Thor or Lazer then surely the seller would have put it in the listing as the headstock's so clearly labelled. The SB & Elites tend to be rather enigmatic though. Ask the seller if the body is all stripey & what the S/No is - if it starts with a 0, 1, or 2...

[quote name='Bassassin' post='752227' date='Feb 20 2010, 09:15 PM']Well, that's not far up the road from me, don't think it's a scam (collection/cash only) and I'm slightly interested because on the whole, basses in (presumably hard) cases with the clasps off, are usually quite old. He's answered a question by saying it's an "Aria pro II custom body part No 555719" - that number ring any bells, Mr Bloodaxe? J.[/quote] That's the patent number in the "paragraph" on those with 2+2 headstocks. Full text reads: "Designed & Approved by H. Noble Original Custom Body P. No. 555179 A Product of Matsumoku 4.11. N.M." There's another variant that goes: "Specially Designed & Approved By ARIA Research & Development LAB Original Custom Body Pat. No. 555719" And finally... "(Model Name) Original Custom Body Pat. No. 555179" Probably others, but the first one is the most common. Pete

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='752181' date='Feb 20 2010, 08:35 PM']This is not the most informative ebay listing I've ever seen. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-String-Aria-pro-II-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ170448938437QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item27af8c65c5"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-String-Aria-pro-II...=item27af8c65c5[/url][/quote] Hmmmm.... "Buyer must uplift" eh? Interesting turn of phrase, but my ScamAlarm has failed to go off (unless the seller is Maddude16 in disguise!) I see that the Patent No. is quoted, which might make it interesting. 3 strings? That could just be the super-rare "Blugrass" Series! I do wonder at times why people bother.

[quote name='JTUK' post='751372' date='Feb 19 2010, 09:11 PM']There are notes and then there are notes..[/quote] Get a fretless & there are notes between the notes...

[quote name='Bassassin' post='751441' date='Feb 19 2010, 10:47 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARIA-PRO-2-SB900-BASS-EARLY-80S-MADE-IN-JAPAN_W0QQitemZ120533478455"]APII SB900 for £325 BIN[/url] Which I think qualifies as something of a bargain for one of these, ne c'est pas? J.[/quote] It certainly is (although it [i]is[/i] rather tatty, modded & that crack worries me a bit - beautiful body grain though), & what a surprise... It's sold! Anyone round these parts bag it?

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='751108' date='Feb 19 2010, 04:49 PM']I was saving this for later in the series, but you might be a candidate for jumping ahead to this one: [/quote] Oh, [i]that[/i]. tch! That's just the bass part to John Cage's "4'33"... need to watch for the stops in measures 32 - 40 & then there's the awkward stretches in the 19/23 section before the coda. Other than that it's pretty simple stuff tbh.

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='750819' date='Feb 19 2010, 12:58 PM']I present the first in my series of studies designed for the Pre-Novice. This is called "Étude in E": [/quote] Can't be doing with Jazz.

[quote name='noelk27' post='750383' date='Feb 18 2010, 11:40 PM']Did the Laser (Lazer) series ever have a neck design other than the capped, laminated three-piece maple one? LEB models featured in the APII catalogue in '85 and '86, but production continued beyond that. I currently own an '87 Classic, and recently sold an '88 Heritage, and both featured the three-piece design.[/quote] Confusing wording on my part I guess. What I was attempting to get at was that the laminated neck seemed to be standard across the range in the early 80s, but was generally superceded by the one piece Fenderesque necks (a la RSB) in & around 1983. The LEBs seem to be a curious exception to this (& quite possibly better for it). Pete.

I won't claim 100% veracity, but I reckon this is pretty close: G B D E2 G2 E2 D G G# A Bb D F2 G2 E2-F2 & slide down (or you could go G G# A Bb D F2 G2 E-F) D# D# slide->Bb & back into the walking C E F G F A Bb B C thing Close enough for Licenced Premises anyway, IMO. Pete.

[quote name='thunderbird13' post='747753' date='Feb 16 2010, 09:26 PM']Just found out there's a jam night near me in the Beaverwood club - does anyone know anything about it ? I might check it out if anyone wants to join me give us a shout[/quote] Don't know anything about it, but it turns out that a 160 'bus goes from Catford past the door! I can't do owt for the next 2 weeks, but if you're local & want to scout it out I may well be up for it. Pete.

[quote name='Jerry_B' post='747476' date='Feb 16 2010, 05:15 PM']Did the Thor have a similar pup to the Westone Spectrum DX? I ask as I have the latter and it's pup looks very similar to the former's...[/quote] Might well be... Westone called theirs a "MagnaBass II" & Aria referred to [i]theirs[/i] as an MBII. Hmmm........ The casing is different however. My TSB-400: I modded the bridge p/up with extra pole pieces, but the neck is still stock. Pete

[quote name='Kev' post='747687' date='Feb 16 2010, 07:54 PM']well the 'been in a damp shed for 20 years' look has killed all my gas for it[/quote] Probably nothing that a quiet night in with a Dremel & a wire brush couldn't put right. EDIT! looking at the photos that Tyron has put up, I'd say it's been pretty comprehensively dropped. I don't like the look of those splits at all, not one little bit. Caveat Emptor with this one I reckon (unless the seller could be beaten down to £50 or so)

[quote name='Tyron' post='747212' date='Feb 16 2010, 01:44 PM']What would one of these be worth if it was in good condition and full working order?[/quote] Probably not much different from the seller's original price tbh - maybe £150 on a good day with a following wind. The "lesser" Arias are generally hugely undervalued, so bargains are there to be had. This model was produced from 1985 - 1986, & examples do turn up every now & then - I bagged a lefty passive version off that EBay for about £80 a couple of years ago, heavily modded with replacement p/ups though. Pete

[quote name='BassJase' post='747123' date='Feb 16 2010, 12:36 PM']Oooohh... Its down to £110 now and I'm starting to get tempted if the electrics could be sorted out on the cheap.... [url="http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html"]http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html[/url] So is this worth a punt fellas? Should I take the plunge or wait another week or so and see if he drops the price by another £20?[/quote] Definitely worth a punt IMO. Offer him £90 & see what happens. By this time the active circuit was on an exposed PCB with the wires soldered directly to it. Odds are that one of those has broken off. Even rebuilding the board with new bits from Maplin ought to cost less than a fiver tbh. I've had a hunt around on the Matsumoku forum & turfed up some pics of the control compartment & PCB (the OP there had broken wires too). The core component is an LM358 op-amp that currently goes for 56p. Pete.