Lfalex v1.1

I have a Duncan MMHB in one of my basses (A Zoot) it has exposed polepieces, but the G and E poles are flush with the housing, and the D and A only protrude by about 1mm. That said, I don't suffer with my stock SR5, and they stick out miles!

I've never taken drugs (of the illicit narcotic variety... Sure, caffiene and alcohol get a look in...), and never understood the appeal particularly. That is until I played a simply awesome gig one night in London and drove home alone. It's at times like those that you are susceptible to a really bad post-gig come-down, and there's nothing to offset it. I can see why "rock stars" might need something to fill that kind of emptiness, especially during a lengthy tour. I've never had it run on into the following day, only the fatigue if I had to work. (I'm not in a band at the mo' as my schedules at work preclude it)

[quote name='solo4652' post='255087' date='Aug 5 2008, 09:32 AM']Hi - I bought a new Hardpuncher just like yours for £300 last week. Great neck, and full, mellow sound. I was struggling a bit with my right hand positioning, so I put on a thumrest. Looking at your photos, I'm completely confused, because I've installed my thumbrest on the other side of (ie above ) the strings! Try as I might, I'm struggling to see why yours appears to be underneath the strings. I've probably missed something completely obvious here, but please will you help me to be less confused!? Steve[/quote] Ah! You did get it, then! I hope you like it! The thumbrest below the strings is a vaguely "retro" affectation upon which one rests their index/middle fingers and plucks the strings with a slightly hooked thumb. Fine if you play like this, but few do these days! Equally fine for the retro vibe! Fender moved the bar to above the strings, at which point it became a thumbrest between pickups and back edge of the the neck. This is an equally legitimate position for it, and it's arguably more appropriate to the majority of players! You haven't missed anything!!

Whilst I haven't played a K5, I have owned an Ergodyne EDB600 (with fixed mid freq 3 band eq), and played a BTB with a vari-mid 3 band EQ. I managed to wring some excellent sounds from the Ergodyne before I accidentally broke the body, and that was with a fixed Frequency mid. The BTB only improved on the experience for me. In no time at all, I managed to dial in a tone which I liked, and had people in the shop commenting positively on the sound (rather than the playing!?) To set variable mids (for me, and I like the bass to "sing" in the upper-mid registers) ,I centre all the controls (vol at max-ish), and crank the mid level right up, and work gently thorugh the frequency range from bottom to top. I then adjust the mid-level down to taste and tinker with the bass and treble to suit my taste. I then use the pick-up pan to voice the bass to suit me (often 60/40 bridge/neck) and away I go. Amp stays FLAT and with all gubbins like copressors, pre-shapes etc. OFF, so I can hear what the bass is doing without too much contribution from the amp. I reckon the K5 is oft overlooked because of its "metal" image. Given that the vari-mid eq isn't just tailored to give a massive mid-cut like Fieldy's, it should prove fine. The K5 has a nice body wood, and if Ibanez have stuck to their normal neck profile, it should prove eminently playable. My only concerns? Weight (not often an Ibanez issue!) Mid-voicing of the EQ. As ever... Try before you buy. If you can!

Ultimately, it pays to look at the whole picture; You've purchased an instrument for what you felt was a reasonable price. You find said instrument perfectly satisfactory (save for the serial # ambiguity) If it plays well, sounds good and continues to do both, then it is a good 'un. It's just a pity that we all get caught up in the brand paranoia thing. FWIW, I own a 2004 MIA Jazz! Welcome to the forum. Stick around if you like it . It's a good place!

Ha ha! Love the Magnus Single-cut (with handle) More of a Neck-on-Bolt than a bolt-on neck...

[quote name='neepheid' post='252442' date='Jul 31 2008, 11:48 PM']Pristine or p*** off. Or serious money off. I equate basses with cars.[/quote] Plus the one. Suffice it to say that I don't wear Jeans with rivets in or shirts with buttons when I play... I don't like belts anyway, so I don't wear them. Yes, the basses have some knocks, but they're strictly accidental. To use a car analogy, why abuse a nice one. Keep a "beater" for beating. I have, however (to my shame) destroyed a bass. An Ibanez Ergodyne EDB600 (Luthite) I dropped it. It cracked irreparably. I finished it off in a fit of pique.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='251770' date='Jul 31 2008, 12:06 AM']You is correct. The NT have 26 and as has been mentioned the NT Dolphin Pro I also has 26... though who the fook uses more than 12 is beyond me [/quote] Me Infinity SN4 has 26 also...

Yep. Ibanez= goodness. Esp. This one. Okay, it's not an ATK... it's a (discontinued) SRX700. The comment still stands. The only thing that might match this (other than an ATK!) would be a Stingray or a G&L. At twice the price. And neither of those are neck through or 24 fret.

I've an ME-8B. [Messerschmidt related aviation joke] I prefer the ME-109, or better still a Focke-Wulf 190... [/Messerschmidt related aviation joke] I'm not an FX kind of guy, though. I can never get the thing to behave with regard to variation in input level upsetting it (on dynamics sensitive effects) The principal culprit being the synth bit. The chorus sounds [i]okay[/i] The Tap delay is excellent. So is the way you can regulate the flanger with the tap function. The tuner's good (small but accurate) The overdrive's based on the odb3 and the distortions on the turbo guitar models, so that'd probably divide opinion to say the least! The Fuzz is right harsh, but in a good way... The EQ is semi-parametric, and way better than the 7-band pedal. Nice colour scheme. Wasps, Hornets and Hover-flies keep trying to mate with it... Edit - without the EXP pedal to tone it down, the ring mod is well OTT. Not that I'm a great fan...

[i]Rumour[/i] has it that Warwick changed from the recessed Dunlop-compatible design to the exposed Schaller type due to instances of natural (ie requiring wax) finished basses shrinking due to moisture loss caused by infrequent (or non-existent) waxing. The shrinkage caused cracks around the metal inserts, as these (obviously) don't shrink! Another interpretation would be that Schaller straplocks are more widespread, and that compatible buttons are a lot cheaper to fit than the recessed ones...

An alternative; Warwick Yellow labels are reasonbly priced and sound /feel good.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='248261' date='Jul 26 2008, 07:37 AM']In theory, if someone was prepared to go to the place where the instruments were stored and collect, it could work. Similar thing already operates with super car clubs. You pay an annual subscription fee plus a booking fee and agree to get the car back in the same condition as it left. However there's no accounting for the recklessness of some people.[/quote] Would gigging be the car club's equivalent of a day at the stock car races?

I saw that one the other day! I have one that I don't use at all. I've even got the exp pedal and two footswitches for it, plus the box and manual! Might put it up for sale having seen this.

I own a Trace AH300SMX, 2103H, 1153 & 1048H... Really DON'T spend ANY money on your cabinet. It's a DIY job! It's all big, chunky engineering in there, and if it's all currently working okay, there's nothing that you'd need to do to it other than check that there are no damaged components in the horn crossover and ensuring that all the drivers are still connected properly. Simply pull off the port trim rings, unscrew the grille screws, remove the grille and rubber mounts. You can now remove a driver from the front baffle and just have a Hoover out in there. I usually clean inside the bottom edge of the front face of the cabinet. It's where all the dust and gunk falls... The only point to be aware of is to take care not to damage or tear the cones or surrounds of the drivers. The drivers aren't usually soldered to the cables, just tagged & crimped, so they're easy to remove completely should you so desire. Prepare to be surprised at how naff the internal cables are! As for the AH300SM, it's as others have said. Unscrew the 4 bolts under the plastic plugs in the top of the carcass, withdraw the bolts/washers, and the amp will slide out of its box. The 300SM's not got a valve in the input stage, has it? If it does, they can go from time to time, but are a doddle to source/replace. It's only a 12ax7 / EC833. The biggest flaw in the design that I know of is due to the fact that the amps are modular inside (as you will see) Basically, there's a Transformer / power supply for the other boards, a pre-amp board, a Power amp module, a board for the various rear sockets, plus one at the front that carries the EQ sliders, compressor and other controls (plus the green illumination). The weak point seems to be in the cabling between the pre and power stages. Again, they're only spade connectors, and these can work loose over time. Just make sure they're all snug! Otherwise, Hoover it out, look for loose cables, burst/ bulging caps, dry joints and any signs of scorching on the circuit boards. Clean the fan and vent slots. Contact cleaner is good for the EQ sliders, pots and switches. If you do use this, give it plenty of time to dry out before you fire it up again or it may short out! Never work on the internals with the unit connected to the mains! Sorry for the Essay! Hope this helps!

Both of these cost less than your budget... New. Ibanez SRX700 Yamaha Attitude 10th Anniversary BS signature So... +1 to Ibanez or Yamaha basses. But do check out used Musicmen and Warwicks. There's some good value to be had.

£10 seems entirely reasonable to me. The manager has to compensate the Homeless guy he's just evicted somehow.... (Gets greasy Mackintosh. Leaves)

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='245539' date='Jul 22 2008, 05:10 PM']oh and a pair of glasses. have you seen the price of the bloody things?[/quote] Nope. If I could, I wouldn't need the damn things... Meanwhile, on the GAS front; Bongo H/S Corvette $$ G&L ASAT It's all gone a bit Humbucker, hasn't it?

I've broken 2 in 12 years. 1 was a faulty "G" that broke when I first tuned it up after putting it on. 1 "G" broke when a case lid fell shut on it. And I [s]think[/s] know I play too hard...

In spite of looking fiddly, 2 piece Warwick bridges are solid and good to work with. Points to consider (above and beyond those in the guide above); Make sure your tuner/tuner pedal has fresh batteries in it (or use a mains adapter / mains powered tuner). There's nothing worse than having your batteries run out half way through! DO Plug your bass into an amp or something that'll amplify it whilst you check the pitches at the various points. It helps you to establish how the pitch is changing as you make adjustments. To further fine-tune your intonation, repeat the process again at the 19th fret. The Harmonic at this point is also equivalent to the fretted note at this position. This is especially helpful for those of you that play chords/ up at the dusty end of the fretboard! You can fine-tune further at the 24th fret, but I'v never noticed much difference between that and the results from the 19th. Once you've fine-tuned it (should you wish to do so!) Re-Check the intonation at the 12th fret to ensure all is well. [This one works for me, and AS FAR AS I CAN TELL it makes no difference to the results, and helps during the process] As far as I can ascertain (and I'm willing to be corrected!) you can intonate a given string at any pitch. If you drop tune to "D" go through the procedure and tune up to "E", everything [i]should[/i] still be fine. To this end, I often de-tune the instrument to work on intonation, as it makes the bridge saddles easier to move to and fro, and it's less likely to kink your new strings in more than one place, or wear flat spots in them on the underside around the bridge area. DO have new strings on for intonation work, especially if you like 'em fresh and change them regularly. Also re-check periodically if you keep your strings on for a while. Any change of gauge, type or make of string will require re-adjustment (though this is rarely much of a change) When you change strings- even for exactly the same string, check it again anyway when you tune them up / stretch them in. After I'm happy, I'll play each note on the fretboard and check it against the tuner. The odd note being a smidge out is fine. Most should be well "in" Never assume that instruments in a shop are correctly adjusted, no matter how good the instrument! (A quick nod to the old Wapping Bass Centre, here. I NEVER picked up a badly set-up instrument in there. Chris was a wizard on the tech side!) Don't let a poorly intonated instrument put you off. Learn to recognise what's wrong with it, and know you can fix it. I bought a Warwick Infinity SN4 from new that was dreadful in this regard, but once set-up, is terrific. When I try out basses I tune them first. If the shop won't give me a tuner, I'll thank them and leave. Then I check the intonation at the 12th fret. Then I play each fret on each string to check the action and listen for dodgy frets/buzz. Then I'll start playing... Hope this helps! Alex

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='242362' date='Jul 18 2008, 08:26 AM']your main point of concern should probably be to check if there are any brass bridge bolt anchor ferrules inserted in the body and check whether any of the screw holes in the badass are likely to line up with them. Digging those suckers out will be a very difficult job.[/quote] These are the big cylindrical boys either side of the saddles, right? I'd never realised that there were ferrules beneath them, though in retrospect, it makes sense as they have Allen heads, and these are seldom seen on self-tapping woodscrew threads. Looking at the OLP pic that Hamster posted, you MIGHT be able to get the middle 3 screw holes of a BadAss II to align with those on the body, then mark and drill the outer pair. I don't think that the BadAss mounting screws would clash with any ferrules, but I would query whether or not the backplate would cover any holes the bolt anchors might leave. As for the aesthetic angle, everyone's going to have a different opinion! Personally, I prefer Leo's later effort with the locking saddle G&L unit. Locked saddles=less energy diverted away from the string in making things rattle about! BadAsses aren't very pretty, but they do perform their function well. I Reckon I'd quite like a Ray4 with a replacement pickup, a 2-band EQ and a Status Graphite Neck (with an Ebony fretboard, Kiwi!!) and A BadAss III strung through-body. The only other modification I'd embrace would be a Series/Parallel switch... Uh-oh. Food for [s]thought[/s] GAS!

Looks similar to their Hardpuncher model... That's a (very good) P copy. Try looking that up, too!

It [i]does[/i] look like a G&L... I was reflecting just yesterday on the number of basses that the MMHB seems to have inspired / brought into being; Stingray, Sterling and Ray5 SUBs and OLPs G&L ASAT, L1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 Modulus Flea signature Warwick Jazzman, FNA, Corvette $$, Streamer $$ Ibanez ### SRX (insert number between 300 and 705!) Numerous Sandbergs... You can complete the list! As for the 'Ray in question, not for me, I think! I'm not sure about HB/HB. I like the scratchplate! 'Rays look better plain to me. The only specials I've liked are the Bluebursts and that Coppertop doing the rounds recently. And then there's the price... Both of these together cost less! Second one isn't a 'Ray, but it's definitely along the same lines.

That Blueburst Passion S3 V is exactly like the second fiver I played (Serial #191 for the Anoraks!) The fretless Passion S3 IV was #1144. I like low-volume production instruments. You can keep track much more easily than the truly mass-produced instruments...! [i]Edit- I've seen that purple flamed Passion before, too. 'Twas a custom order for a lady in America IIRC...[/i]

Count me in. Had it for about 11 years. Marvelous instrument. I've played several; Mine, Luke's Passion S3 V, Ped's Passion S2 IV string and the good Doctor's Arpege S2 IV Plus An S3 Arpege IV, a fretless Passion S3 IV and another Passion S3 V All were excellent instruments. All a bit eccentric, but excellent nonetheless. The Maple "Customs" seem to sound a bit deeper than the Alder "Standards", which are a bit growlier...