Musky

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='57093' date='Sep 7 2007, 04:58 PM']Well, Thank you very much, not sure I remember that one. We must have been there with my mate Sandy - He's played didj with Rolf Harris as well as with Plant & Page, but he sometimes has trouble playing in different keys for some reason. [/quote] Thinking about it, that night was a jam night rather than a O5B gig - I think your guitarist was missing. I love your regular set though, so different to most other covers bands. Any gigs coming up? Just took a look at your website and there weren't any listed.

Yeah, I'd noticed that seller. I can't help thinking that it's a bit of a shame to break up old mags like that though - a bit parting out an old bass. Great way of maximising your income though, you'd only have to sell a couple of reviews to make more than most mags would probably fetch.

[quote name='Oxblood' post='57138' date='Sep 7 2007, 06:42 PM']Phew! Breathe a sigh of relief, BB. Those aren't blemishes: they're "gettering" - a perfectly normal metallic deposit that is formed when the valves are manufactured. In the majority of valves, you see this deposit at the top end of the valve envelope, but not always. With your valves, it's on the sides of the envelope instead. What's gettering (I hear you cry) ? When a valve is manufactured, it's essential to get as pure a vacuum as possible inside the glass envelope. They pump out as much air as they can, but even the most powerful vacuum pump can't get rid of every last molecule of the gases that make up our atmosphere (nitrogen, oxygen, CO2 etc.), so inside the valve, they coat an electrode with a small amount of a barium compound in powder form. Once the glass envelope is sealed, they then pass a large current through this electrode and the barium compound explodes like flashbulb, throwing a thin coating of molten barium metal onto the inside of the glass. Barium is a 'hungry' element: it grabs hold of any molecules of gas that might be left inside there and reacts with them to form other harmless compounds. In this way, the gas molecules are 'eaten up' by the gettering, so they can't pollute the vacuum of the valve.[/quote] Wow, I love your posts Oxblood. Always so informative. A slight digression from the OP, but are two leads really better than daisy chaining? If a lead fails when daisy chaining you risk losing the sound out of both the cabs, but if a lead fails with two separate outputs doesn't that mean you could be using a single 8 ohm cab with the amp set to 4 ohms? I know using too low a cab impedance with a valve amp can be pretty disastrous, but there was some discussion on one of the older forums that using a valve amp into a higher load than it was set to didn't do it much good either. Or isn't that quite as bad? It's just that I'd prefer to abandon a song half way through to sort out a lead rather than abandon a set and kiss goodbye to a nice valve amp at the same time. Or am I just misunderstanding what would happen if a lead fails and the dangers of using a valve amp into too high a load?

I haven't tried the Geddy Lee, but others on the board seem very happy with theirs. Plenty of people swap out the pickup of Fenders, though there are just as many (if not more) who use the stock ones - just like some people swap pickups on strats to get a sound they prefer. It's down to a matter of taste and the sound you're after. If it's your first bass you should try getting down to a shop with a decent stock and try out as many as you can. They're all going to to feel and sound different, and it may be that you prefer the feel of a wider neck. If the Geddy Lee feels good to you and has the sound close to what you're looking for there's no harm in checking round for a pickup that will provide more of what you want, but don't close you're ears to other basses. Just like guitars, finding a bass that does what you want can be a long process.

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='56299' date='Sep 6 2007, 12:43 AM']In response to a PM about this thread here is an example of a song recorded recently at the Boom Boom Club in Sutton when we opened for Stan Webb's Chicken Shack. It was recorded using the Zoom H4 with its built-in mics on a camera tripod pointing at the stage about halfway back next to the PA engineer on the left side. I'm playing the NS CR5M upright through my bassamp, two guitarists with amps and the drummer was not miked up. Only the vox went through the PA. Normally I'd run this through some mastering processors before distributing it but here it is unmastered as an example of the H4's raw sound quality. It was recorded on the H4 as a CD quality WAV and converted to MP3 just to shrink the file size. Our version of Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl: [url="http://www.o5b.co.uk/mp3/o5b-cinnamongirl.mp3"]obviously 5 believers - Cinnamon Girl[/url][/quote] Obviously 5 belivers! I've caught your band a few times (including that jam with a digeridoo player on Whole Lotta Love - classic ) Hats off to you sir. Very impressive.

Yeah I've suffered exactly the same thing, only it seemed just as bad when using a precision. In fact looking at my wrist now I can see a small round mark were the skin usually wears away, but it doesn't seem any harder than the surrounding skin so I don't think it's going to toughen up any time soon. The only way round it that I've found is to play less energetically or wear a fingerless glove that covers the wrist - as you've probably found, wrist bands just ride up. I'm sure this is really a technique problem, but I tend to get a bit carried away live.

It does appear that the power supply in the attachment is 120V input, which of course is no good for use with a UK 240V supply, so I assume yours are actually 240V versions. You can buy adaptors for converting boss type connections to mini jack plugs. You could of course just wire up a daisy chain yourself, but if it's not your strong point going the adapter route would be your best bet. Try Diago - [url="http://www.diago.co.uk/component/option,com_virtuemart/page,shop.browse/category_id,3/Itemid,206/"]http://www.diago.co.uk/component/option,co...d,3/Itemid,206/[/url]

I only came across Russian Circles the other day, and was quite impressed. They're playing the Underworld tomorrow, so I might pop along. Just a shame I missed their Water Rats gig the other night.

As far as I know these were reissued fairly recently, though I think they are made in Korea know. There was some discussion of these on BC, or maybe BW, and the consensus seemed to be that older ones were better.

[quote name='Oxblood' post='50546' date='Aug 25 2007, 01:10 PM']+1000 Dagnabbit, Musky! * - y'took the words right outta my mouth.[/quote] Sorry, I almost fell off my chair laughing at that!

I wouldn't actually bother telling them they suck, just that they're not in the band anymore. Depending on the circumstances I'd qualify that with something like 'we don't things have worked out', or 'you're standard of playing hasn't kept up with he rest of the band'. Whether you want to carry on with the band, or leave with the other members you like and start afresh really depends on the position the band is in - if you've got little or no fanbase, there's nothing to lose by starting over.

Maybe Bass Cellar has upped it's game since I was last in there. I gave up going there after getting fed up with either their total indifference or else being made to feel as welcome as a turd in a swimming pool. Wunjos a couple of doors down is far better, though not bass only so the stock is smaller. Still worth poking your head round the door for some nice oddities they get in though.

[quote name='MB1' post='49007' date='Aug 22 2007, 03:16 PM']MB1. Sure they did an active model of this ![/quote] I thought you used to have an active model? It was called the Classic BTW - I happened to come across an old review for it while looking for some info the other night. Incidentally, that CAT is back on the 'bay after the last buyer failed to stump up - BIN £70.

Rather depends what you describe as 'fair' condition. I take it you've seen the Aria thread in the ebay forum? It gives a flavour of the kind of prices Matsumoko era basses go for, and unfortunately for you they tend to be on the cheap side. The exceptions are generally the SB series (which can still go for bargain prices, considering their original cost and quality) and truly mint condition items. On the plus side, people are sloooowly coming round to the quality of these instruments and prices are (slowly) rising. At the moment though, I suspect you'd struggle to get half of the £250 you mention. But ebay is a weird place - if you read that thread you'll notice that an Aria CAT (bought for £26) sold for £76, but only after the guy listed it three times. Meanwhile, here's a laser that sold in Italy recently - [url="http://cgi.ebay.it/ARIA-PRO-II-HERITAGE-MADE-IN-JAPAN-1985-TIP-IBANEZ_W0QQitemZ150135552993QQihZ005QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.it/ARIA-PRO-II-HERITAGE-MA...5QQcmdZViewItem[/url]

1. Is a light bass cabinet important to you? Yes 2. Would you be interested in a smaller designed cabinet for maximum portability? Yes (only if capable of enough bass) 3. What is the weight of your current rig now? 32 Kg 4. Have you ever had portability issues with this cabinet before? Yes 5. Would a Neo speaker make the amplifier more appealing? Indifferent 6. Would you want casters on the amplifier for added portability? No (if light enough) 7. Would you want the input to be in the back? Yes 8. Would you want the Ohm rating to be 4? No 9. Would you want the power rating to be over 200 watts? Yes (spot on would suit me fine) 10. Is a metal grille cover attractive on an amplifier? Yes Reminds me that I really ought to get a BFM Omni 10.5

If your tuner does turn out to be knackered, try your luck with getting a replacement from where you bought it. All electrical equipment is covered by a statutory one year guarantee.

Bloodaxe bought a lefty laser heritage off the 'bay for £69 recently, albeit with kent armstrong pickups. I'd say that was a bit of a bargain, but matsumoko Arias can be quite variable in their selling prices for some strange reason. Some very clean models can get a few people chasing them, others get no interest at all.

I couldn't find the original review I read (maybe it was in one of the weekly inkies that used to gear reviews at the time), but I did dig up a couple of reviews on the Demon (15w practice amp) and the VSQ 65. The review (in Guitarist June 1990) was of a prototype and had a RRP of £749. Designed by John Cooper, who also seems to have designed for Selmer. I googled his name and it seems he left a comment a year ago giving his email as [email protected] - maybe you could drop him a line for more info. They liked the amp, by the way - "an excellent, Britsh built, versatile valve combo". Meanwhile I'm back off to read a bunch of old Matsumoko reviews!

I remember a company called ProAmp from the early eighties (probably around '84). Two models that I know of, the demon and the viper - one was a biggish valve combo (100W?) and the other a tranny with a lower output. Can't remember which was which though. They stuck in my mind because they had a very good review at the time - if it was in international Musician I'll probably still have it somewhere. If these are the amps you're trying to get info for I'll dig out the mags.

[quote name='neepheid' post='47138' date='Aug 18 2007, 02:26 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160148168787"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=160148168787[/url] DIY.[/quote] Hmmm. DOA more like it.

No you're quite right, it would be ridiculous to suggest that quality somehow plummeted the day CBS took over, and that wasn't my intention. More that it was a process that reached it's nadir by the early eighties, and to be fair Fender were actually using poorer quality woods just before CBS took over (something that CBS would inevitably take the can for, in some punters eyes). Having said that, I've seen enough early 70's basses to realise that quality control wasn't up to todays standards, for instance. There are plenty of nice ones, but plenty of dogs as well - hence the comment about buying blind.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='47110' date='Aug 18 2007, 12:11 PM']With respect, this is utter cobblers. For a looong time after the CBS takeover, Ps and Js continued to be made using stockpiled parts, on the same production lines, with the same machinery, by the same employees who had been there for years. Things only started to deteriorate when there were wholesale changes to the process aound '73.[/quote] Actually, I really don't think it is. CBS [i]did[/i] look for ways to cut corners, including Indian rather than Brazilain rosewood fingerboards, plastic fingerboard markers, messing with contours (something that was probably most visible on telecasters, particularly changes to the neck pocket notch) and poly finishes. And although Jazz didn't get the 3 bolt treatment until '73, the telebass and guitars got it in '71. The same machinery and personnel may have been involved but a huge increase in output accompanied the CBS takeover. It may have been pure snobbery, but even in the early seventies this 'utter cobblers' was common currency.

I don't have an issue with 'mojo'ed' basses per se (though there are limits - when does a nicely worn in bass become a hammered piece of junk?), though I do have serious issues with some of the unplayable heaps that Fender turned out throughout the 70's and early 80's. Fender quality took a downturn soon after CBS took over a basically got worse right up until 83(ish) when Bill Schultz took over and started addressing quality control. There was a time when people gassed for pre '65/'66 basses - now it seems that pre '75 is the magic date, and people are paying accordingly. To my mind it's the playability of a bass that counts, and that's where too many 70's Fenders fall down. Not that there weren't good basses being turned out during this era, just that you're buying a real pig in a poke if you don't try it first - ie, off ebay. Personally, if I was buying blind I'd prefer to take my chances with two 80's MIJ's rather than one 70's MIA. And to hell with the mojo.

I kind of suspect this would be a Burnside by Guild bass, produced in the far east in the late eighties. I know they produced super strat type and tele guitars, so it might be reasonable to assume they did a P style as well.

A bit hard to tell from the picture you've got in the 'For Sale' section, but it looks looks it may be a basswood body - basswood lacks any real grain structure (though curiously the two outside pieces of wood seem to have more grain than the central one). If you whip the neck off, try pressing a thumb nail into the bare wood - if it marks fairly easily it likely basswood. Basswood tends to 'fur' in screw holes as well. The pickups are more than likely Japanese. I've read about the odd E series Fender with US pickups, but they seem to be far from the norm. I've never read that US hardware was shipped out during this period (unlike in '82) and production never ceased altogether in the US, with a handful of people still turning out instruments. Mind you, I stand to be corrected on this.