Bloodaxe

Greetings & Welcome - Fine piece of JapCrap there! I'm no expert on this (but we do have a couple), but I'd say the dating sounds about right roughly ish. That back pickup looks interesting - any chance of a photo of that? Also there's been a logo nailed to the headstock at some point in the past, if you could get a clearer & bigger shot I'm sure you'll soon know as much as you ever will. Cue the Cap'n!

[quote name='blind pilot' post='688590' date='Dec 18 2009, 05:49 PM']fashion cafe in colchester saturday night.[/quote] So? And? It's Sunday Lunchtime.... C'mon.... Spill the beans, how'd it go?

Hmmm... I've thought a bit & had a hunt around the net for some info, apologies if any of this sounds a bit patronising, but I get the impression that you're quite new to the world of Bass & it's a type of question that gets asked regularly on most forums - only the Artist's name seems to change. There seems to be a lot of "parroting" with regards to CB's gear that makes me feel a lot of people have just copied stuff wholesale from someone who just copied stuff wholesale from someone who just copied stuff wholesale from someone who etc.etc. so there isn't as much info as you'd expect. What I gleaned was this. Cliff Burton's signal chain: 1: Cliff Burton 2: Aria Pro II SB Elite I 'Black 'n' Gold (there were others, but that & his Rick are what most people think of) 3: The effects you've listed (found a claim that it's Power Wah first, then Big Muff Pi), rumours of others. NO clue as to settings. 4: Some amplification. If you haven't seen it there's a 5-page [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=386133"]thread on Talkbass[/url] that discusses CB's gear, & there seems to be a lot of unknowns regarding his amps & cabs. There's also a lot of gassing in the thread. The single most important part of the chain is 1 - CB, & that model is sadly no longer available. Which leaves the rest... What bass do you have? This is, I suspect, fairly crucial. If you've got (for example) a Squier Precision, you've got an uphill task straight off - not saying it can't be done, but it's an extra factor. Rickenbackers and the old 80s Aria through necks are very distinctive animals with their own qualities. Do you use a pick, or your fingers? Both have different effects on your tone which need to be factored in. & finally, the most contentious question... Why do you want to do this? If you're in a hard-core Metallica tribute band, then fair enough. If you're not but you need to get close 'cause your band plays a few Metallica numbers & you want them to sound "right" then personally I'd adopt the "close enough is good enough" approach. If it's the case that CB is a hero of yours, I'd urge caution. Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, Neil Murray, Jon Lord & a whole bunch of other guys have sounds & styles I love to bits, but what would really make my day is someone saying "I couldn't see, but thought it sounded like you were playing". 28 years in & I'm still trying for that. Sounding like yourself can be the hardest of all Pete.

[quote name='blind pilot' post='688561' date='Dec 18 2009, 05:26 PM']Can you guess what Genre of music we favour[/quote] Progressive Lounge Jazz? No, Wait. Ermmm... Nu-ShoeCoreMathGrind? It's not disco, is it? [quote name='blind pilot' post='688561' date='Dec 18 2009, 05:26 PM']TBH the bits i am most worried about ... the Small bass solo in No One Knows thats right up in the dusty end![/quote] Self-inflicted. I have no sympathy - just go for it! (& don't forget the Small bass). One more thing... WHERE & WHEN????

[quote name='Linus27' post='688530' date='Dec 18 2009, 04:50 PM']You can call me tigger. I am usually bouncing up and down. ...I am always bouncing.[/quote] Could you PLEASE refrain from using such terms as long as you have that avatar!

Did the same in October! Trust me, it's the best fun you can have with your clothes on! I'd add... Write out a set list/crib sheet on A3 paper in thick black marker - here's a couple of examples from one I prepared earlier (title/key/structure/notes): Dollars & Cents - F, 142*, 14 Bar, Start on 4 (Bb) [PICK] 50lbs of Bone - G, Rumba, Swing the solos *progression (could be I-IV-II if you prefer) Everything will be a LOT faster than you play it in rehearsal - combination of adrenalin & excitement with a touch of nerves - so try not to dig in too much early on or you run the risk of cramping up. Gaffa Tape, fuses & a spare 4-way extension. Spare lead, tuner & a towel (all compulsory). Try & start with something that's "up" yet simple - As 51m0n posted, once you're into the second number you'll be away. If you smoke, one of those plastic Nicorette fags to help during the first set - you won't need it on set 2! Get a TRUSTED friend or two in the audience to be your ears. After the first or second number use hand signals to see if you need to turn up or down or if the level is OK. If they reckon you're loud enough & you can't hear yourself move as far away from the amp as you can - you might feel exposed, but it'll help. Pete.

[quote name='Earbrass' post='687501' date='Dec 17 2009, 04:59 PM']The only explanation I can come up with is that the length of string between the first fret and the point in the nut from where the string starts to vibrate freely is too long: I can't see any damage to the nut, but perhaps the bed of the slot is not even, and the string is vibrating from a point within the slot rather than the "bridge-end" edge of the nut? Is that possible?[/quote] Yes, very. Especially if it's been "adjusted" by someone who's... [quote name='Earbrass' post='687501' date='Dec 17 2009, 04:59 PM']...not the world's greatest with tools of any kind, and (...) a bit nervous about trying out a new (...) procedure.[/quote] Probably best subbed out to a tech in this case [quote name='Earbrass' post='687501' date='Dec 17 2009, 04:59 PM']Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks! Earbrass[/quote] Emergency backup bass? How sharp are they? Try jamming along with your hi-fi & let your ears be the judge as to whether you can get away with it. Pete.

[quote name='raze' post='687257' date='Dec 17 2009, 12:58 PM']thing is I dont mind paying but it is not a £200 job however good it is i been building custom bikes for 10 years and am used to paying that sort of money for a pro job on a complete bike I could almost buy a new painted warmoth body for that looks like its destin to stay a relic [/quote] Fair enough, but metal ain't wood. Pete.

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='433281' date='Mar 13 2009, 09:24 AM']I'd recommend a misty buff...[/quote] Is that the one that fades to "Jodrell Cream"?

[quote name='noelk27' post='686946' date='Dec 17 2009, 01:55 AM']Would be interested to know what the text on the headstock of the "SB1000F" reads. I suspect it says "Specially Designed & Approved By ARIA Research & Development LAB Original Custom Body Pat. No. 555719", and the bass is an SB1000/2R, first introduced in 1990.[/quote] Noel. Thank you. That's the single biggest compliment I've had from anyone regarding this bass - you missed the Batwing headstock though. The full story is [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5094"]here[/url]. Thank you again. Pete.

[quote name='Mykesbass' post='686904' date='Dec 16 2009, 11:43 PM']$500 was a lot of money in 1978 - £2,800 in 2009 is as well [/quote] You're not wrong! I've got an ADA MP-1 midi valve pre-amp that cost me £750 in 1987 - so by his rates of inflation I could probably retire on the proceeds! [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nice-ADA-MP-1-Unmodified-Guitar-Amp-Professional-Gear_W0QQitemZ120505531989QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0eb07e55"]or possibly not[/url]

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='686818' date='Dec 16 2009, 10:11 PM']resprays are tricky jobs & therefore not cheap. I reckon you are looking at a minimum of £200. It's not worth skimping on a respray. A link I got from Basschat which came highly recommended [url="http://www.simscustom.com/html/links.htm"]http://www.simscustom.com/html/links.htm[/url][/quote] +1 I hear good things about Sims, but the question of cost always (& quite understandably) raises it's head. Sad, but true fact: A quality paint job costs. Decent spec materials can be expensive, proper equipment to apply them ain't cheap, & the whole job will be compromised if the preparation is skimped. Oh, and the craftsman that does the job will want paying as well as it's rather labour-intensive. I know a thing or two about paint & its application, being a semi-semi-pro signwriter who's had to hand-prep, brush paint, coach-line, gild & varnish a couple of these beasties to museum standard in my time: It takes a while, but oddly enough didn't prepare me for the experience of finishing my fretless rebuild using car aerosols: (Photos taken after respray, but before cutting/polishing) It took months (mainly waiting for the finish to harden), & used far more materials than I thought it ever would! I'd guess at approx £40+ for paint & I lost count of the hours I put in flatting it down with various grades of wet & dry (finishing up with 1500 grit) & hand polishing it. I'm still not entirely happy with it & if I'd had to charge it out as a job I'd have taken a hefty loss. Never again. Not that way at least. I'd have been better off brush painting it, & if I had a Tardis that's exactly how I'd do it. According to Sims' price guide you'd be looking at £235 - £325 depending on whether it needs stripping first. With what I learned on the SB-1000F project, that seems a fair price for a pro refinish. Would yours just stand a polishing? Pete.

Not [i]quite[/i] twins, but close... SB-1000F & SB-900

Those tuners look familiar, exactly the same as on my 1981 Aria TSB-400.

[quote name='owen' post='685906' date='Dec 15 2009, 11:32 PM']Due to my truly stellar woodworking skills I fancy building a short scale Rob Allen Mouse-esque headless 5 string. One of those those statments is not true. Anyway, never one to let details get in my way, I know that there are a few shorter scale 5 strings around. The RA Mouse (a 4 string) is 30". Has anyone any experience of a 30" B? I'm guessing it would be way too floppy and I am wondering perhaps about a 31" or 32". Comments?[/quote] Just a thought... How about an inventive compromise? Like this... Double Bass with a low C extension on the E & preset Capos. Just an E capo ought to be enough provided it doesn't foul your hand when disengaged.

[quote name='bassjamm' post='684434' date='Dec 14 2009, 08:23 PM']Thanks for that mate, and for everyone else's input. So would I just need a normal 9v adapter then use a bog standard daisy chain to whack the power onto the other pedals? Thanks Jamie[/quote] Yes, [b][i]provided it can supply the power needed[/i][/b]. Find out what each pedal draws (probably given in mA), add 'em up, then find a PSU that'll supply a bit more (prob best to go at least +50%, cos I think I hear the dulcet tones of GAS). e.g. 100mA+250mA+50mA = 400mA so buy an adapter/PSU that can give at least 500mA. Similar idea to giving yourself headroom on an amp. Pete.

This has officially taken over: Frets are weird.

Jack Bruce - Politician (the version on "Cities of the Heart" with Ginger Baker & Gary Moore) Neil Murray - Fool For Your Loving, Ready An' Willing (both Live in the Heart of the City), The Time Is Right For Love (Trouble) Colin Hodgkinson - 32-20 Blues (Back Door - 8th Street Nights) Greg Lake - 21st Century Schizoid Man Duck Dunn - Anything from the Stax/Volt catalogue

[quote name='James.2112' post='681681' date='Dec 11 2009, 08:29 PM']Hey there My friend uses this a lot, and I've been lurking! I'm James, mainly a 5 string player. I'm here to learn more, buy, and sell! Oh and to make friends hopefully as well! I'm guessing if I'm selling I do it below in the sale section? Does it matter that I have no feedback yet? Do I pay? James[/quote] Welcome aboard. I guess from your handle you're no stranger to Prog. Whereabouts SaafovvuhRivaaaah are you? Selling, yes in the For Sale bit. Feedback? A bit, probably, - the usual caveats apply, we don't really know you, you don't really know us etc.. but horror stories are very few & extremely far between in my experience. Do you have to pay? Only if you're buying something. Pete.

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='680802' date='Dec 10 2009, 11:12 PM']I must have missed all discussions on Basschat regarding this guy (!?!) but I've been a fan of his listings for years.... purely as a spectator sport of course[/quote] +1 to that. It's always a pleasure to watch a master at work (although I'm not sure exactly what "our man in Mittel" is a master of) P.

[quote name='karlthebassist' post='680443' date='Dec 10 2009, 05:39 PM']Just packing up my bags and stuff ready to leave for a gig in about an hour, felt a bit peckish so am having a quick take away curry... Good idea? Time will tell I guess....[/quote] Go easy on the rice & naan - they're likely to bloat you up after a drink. Save the rest for when you get back. Mmmmm..... peckish now. Pete.

[quote name='bass5' post='680085' date='Dec 10 2009, 11:48 AM']Thanks to both of you gentlemen... ... and you know I am baffled by geoffbyrne comment on the Statocaster neck pickup concept.[/quote] If you hit an open string, the string vibrates along its whole length. If you were to hit the harmonic at the 12th fret, the string vibrates in two distinct sections - the 12th fret point is where they meet & theoretically doesn't move. Each half vibrates out of phase with the other, so when one half is going down the other is going up. The 5th fret harmonic splits the string into 4 equal sections - the 5th, 12th, & 24th fret positions being the "null points" where the swing/vibration changes direction. If you were to put a pickup directly at the 24th fret position & hit a 5th fret harmonic, in theory the pickup would have nothing to amplify as there's no vibration going on above it. Move the pickup a bit either way & it'll get it. Pete.

Thanks for all the niceness chaps - opinions of one's peers counts for a lot dontch'er know. I found these lurking in my camera... Headstock Transfers, a solution: 1: Spray the headstock Gold ( I did try gold leaf, but didn't turn out as i expected) - 2: Print out a reversed image onto waterslide transfer paper - use a laser printer if you know what's good for you - 3: Trim off the excess, lacquer it until it's sorry, flat & polish - The transfer film was very thin & caused much profanity in application. Also surprisingly thin is the black toner from the laser, which allows the gold to show through a bit giving a slightly brown cast - it's not visible under stage conditions though. On reflection I think the "paragraph" is a bit too big. It's a simple matter to correct the artwork but I'm in no hurry to refinish it again. Another little mod was to the edge of the neck. I rapidly formed the opinion that having a lined fingerboard is a complete waste of time (unless you play like Peter Hook from Joy Division/New Order), but having fret markers on the edge is a boon. 1/2 an hour with a razor saw & a bottle of Tippex later... Pete.

Are you Tall, Dark, & Strange?

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='679181' date='Dec 9 2009, 03:47 PM']Please tell me you play C&W with it. That's fab.[/quote] Not until I can afford a whammy bar for it. P.