Sean

I have East U-Retros in all my Spectors and they suit the EMGs beautifully. My NS-5XL is slightly quieter than Euros (maple vs. maple/alder and maple/poplar) but I don't have an issue with volume when slapping though if it's a solid maple one you will find that the wood has a natural compression effect to it. I wasn't over the moon with the original pre in the NS-5XL and I swapped it out after only one gig and rehearsal and the U-Retro is a panacea that I wouldn't be without. I'd suggest that it isn't the pickups but the preamp. Lots of stuff on fitting East preamps to Spectors on here if you do the search.

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='652066' date='Nov 11 2009, 10:20 PM']I did a 110 mile round trip for years and it only stopped because the singer split. Distance is less of an issue if the group is right for you. Now I have less than a 3 mile round trip but I'm less busy. Happy with it though[/quote] Mine's a 110 mile roundtrip every Saturday. Rehearsal room is free for us and we use the place to store gear too. I also write this up as expenses, the mileage is brilliant at reducing tax bills We generally use the rehearsal space from 11am or 12pm to about 6pm on a Saturday so it's a long session and worthwhile. It's absolutely the right band too so it never becomes a chore.

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='651290' date='Nov 11 2009, 08:13 AM']I reason that if you switch to passive to cope with the onset of a low battery then the pickups will drain a lot less and be less effected by a reduced voltage.[/quote] Cunning

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='650896' date='Nov 10 2009, 06:07 PM']So that will be vol/blend, treble cut and boost/bass boost (with bright pull), sweepable mid frequency/mid cut and boost, passive tone (with pull for passive) and no switches.[/quote] Peter, will the push/pull "de-active" the pickups too? I tried running my EMGs in the NS5 with the U-Retro off and it sounded really thin and horrible. John East is fab - he did a modded U-Retro for my Spector Euro 5 and I'm absolutely over the moon with it. If anyone is thinking of putting a U-Retro in a 4-Knob Spector, you can do it with a standard 3-stack U-Retro. You just tuck the toggle switches away in the cavity and use a spare pot with an extra East knob (ordered seperately) in the spare hole; it means you have a functionless redundant knob (yes, I know there's miles of material in that statement ) but it will look good and you can do the upgrade to your Spector using a second hand U-Retro (£100 ish). I've done this exact thing to my Euro 4 and its great.

[quote name='fingerz' post='648771' date='Nov 8 2009, 01:57 PM']If you like their stuff buy the album, they seem to be working really hard to get it on the map at the moment. Nice One!![/quote] I bought two copies right after the show and got them signed. One for me and one as a birthday pressie for another basschatter.

I managed to see the band, Mamas Gun playing in Bristol on Thursday night and it was the first time in ages that a band has had me hooked from the first bar. They also look great, which is all part of show biz, I know but they looked absolutely right for what they were playing. Check them out [url="http://www.mamasgun.co.uk/#/home"]here[/url] if you haven't already. I couldn't believe these guys had stayed under my radar; it's melodic groove based soul/funk with vocals that are very reminiscent of The Stylistics, Marvin Gaye, The temps, The Four Tops etc. The bassist and drummer were fantastic and grooved as well as anyone I heard. The bassist is Rex Horan, I'd not heard of him before but chatting to him afterward he seems like a really great guy and is a self-confessed gear nut. He has a really ballsy sound and his style reminded me of Jerry Jemmott, Stuart Zender, George Porter Jnr and a few others. If you get the chance to see them, go; their stage show is fabulous and the moves will make you grin. I was feeling a bit grumpy and down in the dumps on Thursday but this lot turned me round and made it a great day in the end.

[quote name='The Admiral' post='648578' date='Nov 8 2009, 09:59 AM']Such is also 10 years older than JBJ (Such is now 57) and left the band in 1994 I think (when he was 42) : which is pretty old to still be knocking around the world doing huge 200 date tours, especially if you have been on the road for the previous 10 years too I would think. Fine if you are as big as Metallica are now, where the guys are now in their 40s, but are further into their career than BJ were in 94 - and consequently set the agenda for touring : 2 - 3 weeks 'out' and then 2 weeks at home.[/quote] Just for the record, Hugh is 2 years older than Alec John Such and has spend much of his adult life touring.

Hugh's website has been down for ages. [url="http://www.hueymcdonald.com/"]Hugh's Website[/url]

[quote name='Higgie' post='644929' date='Nov 4 2009, 02:27 AM'][url="http://www.myspace.com/rawbiznesentertainment"]http://www.myspace.com/rawbiznesentertainment[/url] Listen to "Caught Up". Not usually my kind of music, but damn, just listen to the playing on that song. Amazing groove and chops...and still it fits the genre. Absolutely amazing.[/quote] Sort of disppointed in a way, I was expecting to see one of our very own Welsh Spector players!

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='641705' date='Oct 31 2009, 10:03 AM']I guess something like that will be correct but the DJ wasn't a straightforward Lakland design because it was an Albey Balgochian design first. So it might depend on whatever Lakland's deal with Balgochian and Jones was and what rights to the design remain with Lakland.[/quote] I've just been reading about that over on Laklandowners. Looks like that cute body shape is gone from Lakland. Going back a while there was an Albey original DJ for sale on here for a stupidly low price, it was stunning and lingered with very little interest for ages - I really wanted it but was skint at the time due to having spent a wad on putting the house right to sell it. I wonder where that is now?

I'm guessing that it'll resurface as an Adam Clayton Model too. When I got my Special Edition DJ it even had "AC Model" on the box but Dan Lakin said that no one was allowed to call it the Adam Clayton Model and asked the Lakland forum members not to refer to it as anything other than a special edition DJ. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=28962&st=0"]Here's[/url] mine in case there is anyone left on planet earth who hasn't seen it.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='640989' date='Oct 30 2009, 12:21 PM']b ) At the gig, roll the horns off on your caps, and crank the treble on your amp. Flats and horns are uneasy bedfellow.[/quote] Interesting. I'm going to try this tonight and tomorrow and see how it goes. I'll get a recording of one versus the other if it's possible to leave my H4 unattended.

Lakland are keen on signature instruments so I'm proposing a middle market Lakland Skyline Mike Mills model in a nice creamy colour with maple board and an alternative white one with roseboard board. Kinda like a Bob Glaub model for people who can still get it up (just)!

Cheers, guys. If you want a good idea of how versatile flats can be listen to some tracks off the new REM live album. Mike Mills uses flatwounds on his Precision and strikes them with a pick. His tone is just fabulous.

I got into flats a few years ago when I was playing in a Blues Brothers tribute band and had them on a Jazz, an Aerodyne (P/J) Jazz and a Precision California Series (P/J) and loved them. I always keep one of my Lakland DJs strung with TIs and recently recorded some songs with my covers band with them on the DJ. I've recently bought a CIJ P from Jonthebass and that came with TIs and it's really made me nuts about them again, they suit a P even more than a J for my taste. I've started gigging with the P and it's given the band a huge textural change when I swap between the P and my Spector NS5 with Elixirs. I use a plectrum with the flatstrung P on a couple of songs too. It's almost as much of a difference as when our guitarist switches from his PRS Custom 24 to his Epiphone Mandobird! You can hear the tracks if you click [url="http://www.amyandtheaviators.co.uk/Music.htm"]here[/url] Walking On Sunshine, She Will Be Loved and Take Me To The River (All Lakland DJ with Aero pups)

[quote name='alexisonfire' post='637829' date='Oct 27 2009, 01:00 PM']Does anyone have a clue why my E string would sound dull and muddy in comparison with all the other strings on my bass even with new strings on? I have tried adjusting the pickup height but that doesn't seem to work? I usually have the E string dropped to D but I still have the problem even in E? Any help would be great![/quote] What strings are they?

Not fantastic but a half-hearted attemp from me with a cheap Fuji.

How do you show what you've spent on purchases from fellow Basschatters? Loads of us spend huge sums without any paperwork changing hands. It's quite a concern of mine. Shoule we be asking fellow Basschatters for receipts? Sean.

Yes, it's perfectly fine if you get the levels right. I ran an Aguilar Tone Hammer through the Return of my LMK and it was really nice. I'm going to be running a DHA unit into the LMK soon too.

Bought a nice P from Jon. Top bloke. Given me terrible gas for Barefaced cab though!