Chienmortbb

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1460655547' post='3027677'] Yes you'll get get a humbucking combination with both coils on (provided that you wire them up the right way around) but only with the coils in parallel and not the more useful, and tonally different series configuration. You can get quite different sounds out of two pickups close together but only if they are wound differently which the two coils of a single humbucking pickup will not be. I'd consider replacing the pickup selector toggle switch with one that is capable of giving you the more useful single/series/parallel combination. [/quote]The way I understand Humbuckers, series or parallel operation can both be humbucking as long as the RWRP configuration is maintained. Is that wrong?

Great thread. I have been thinking of a U bass and the has not helped alleviate GAS.

They look great I have to say that Gotoh are the most underrated parts manufacturer out there. The last for years and to my mind last better than some US makes. I have some of the GB350, modern style that I am going to fit to my Aerodyne (or maybe my Peavey) got them after a sale fell through on fleabay. Aerodyne machine heads are almost 140gm, or nearly 560gm for 4 (thats 1 1/4 lbs for you luddites out there). Fitting the Gotohs at 60 gram halves the weight but due to the lever effect, the reduction in weight is much more than that. I wonder how much of the perceived weight of a bass is due to the lever magnified weight of the tuners.

passinwind has been using Cobalts for a while. he liked them when he first put them on but I don't know how well they have lasted. Cheap as chips in the States, Dears as funk over here though.

[quote name='Grahambythesea' timestamp='1462010184' post='3039535'] Believe it or not but you can buy a product called"sticky stuff remover" by a company called De-Solve-It. It works really well. [/quote]Yes I use this as well and it s great.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1461753083' post='3037295'] But if you have 2 basses made by the same CNC machine, finished with the same pups, pots bridge and other fittings, but they sound different, what do you have left that's making the difference? Setup does account for a lot of course. But if there are no intangible differences other than a tweek of the bridge, why do folk bother owning more than 1 precision bass with the same strings? But back on the subject. I've worked in the wood industry. Different planks of the same timber don't all weigh the same. [/quote] You have it in the last sentence. The variation in density is what affects tone. So if two identical bodies weighed the same, but were from different species, the would sound the same (with the same neck).

I am sure the PJB Bighead is great but as a simple headphone amp is is expensive. Granted you have the USB interface but if you only want a headphone amp.... Surely there is a cheaper one? Oh go on then I'll design one.

As an electronics engineer, the Cafe Walter HA-1A always appealed http://cafewalter.com/ha-1a/ha-1a/ but it has been discontinued to be replaced by the HA-2 sometime soon . However the technical info on the HA-1A on the site gives an insight into what a good headphone amp should be. As for the Amplug, it is what is is. Not perfect but if you lay off the "effects" it does a job. It also seeme to pick up less noise that either my Zoom B3 or Korg AX3000B when used on headphones.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1406398893' post='2511238'] The problem is that real wood is a natural material. The density of the specific piece of wood, the closeness of the grain and sizes of knots etc all affect the weight. If only... [/quote]Careful Granger, you are close to straying into "Tonewood Debate" territory. I will pile in full force though. It is the density of the wood, not the species that affects the tone. However with magnetic pickups it is only a small part of the tone.

Firstly, what are these lbs things? Secondly, even if the scales are not really accurate, the comparisons between basses are valid.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1461690050' post='3036834'] Yes and of course the Mosfets weren't susceptible to thermal secondary breakdown so reliability improved. About that time there was the introduction of integrated circuits as well which made a further huge difference in mass produced amps. I suppose I was answering the OP's question about why early SS amps were so poor. They were under powered due to the cost of high voltage components and unreliable/unstable due to the technology available. We went a long way in the ten years following the early attempts at high powered ss amps. I guess underneath the OP's question is the thought that we are in the first few years of commercial Class D amps and the problems of these will be sorted as more reliable and better engineered solutions are worked out. [/quote]Except that I worked on a Sony switching amp (they did not call them Class D then) in the 1970s and there were others around. I think the reality is that Class D has been victim of outrageous marketing claims. There are many low cost modules that are not very good and even the good ones need to be used correctly. For my 'Work In Progress' home brew amp, I studied most of the commercially available modules and most of them will perform well if properly used. ICEPower, Pascal, Hypex and Anaview/Abletech as well as some of the Chinese Manufacturers, Connex and BoHoYo make really good modules. Reading the Connex application notes really gives a good insight into the issues associated with Class D.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1461572503' post='3035660'] I was under the impression that a typical SMPS does use a transformer for isolation purposes, but that they can be very much smaller due to the high frequency they operate at. [/quote]Some do, some don't but the main point is that in SMPS any transformer is post rectification whereas on a linear supply the TX is the thing connected to the mains, with rectification coming after. However you are correct about the size and frequency. As frequency goes up, size goes down. This also applies to US equipment running on 60Hz. A 60 Hz transformer will be less efficient when run at 50Hz.

They did the same thing with the Superbly I seem to remember.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1461619104' post='3036253'] Most of the first generation SS amps used the 2N3055 transistors as output devices. These were cheap and handled quite a lot of power but were limited to 70volts and only developed just over 60W into 8ohms. Like all bipolar output transistors they were liable to breaking down very quickly when hot and many did. Protection circuits were developed but many of these sounded awful or even shut the amp down when triggered. A lot of the early amps also oscillated at high frequencies which didn't help either. A lot of early class AB designs also suffered from a lot of artefacts (distortion) at the point where the output transistors crossed over. More consistent component manufacture and the adoption of split rail power supplies helped. When the HH amps came along they used the superior 2N3773 which ran at 100V and better protection circuitry was developed. The price of components also fell rapidly and for bass and PA a load of output transistors were run in parallel increasing the power handling. Is that geeky enough? [/quote]Phil the first solid state amps like the Vox T60 were not even using 2N3055 transistors. Of course the real boost in power came with MOSFET. They could be paralleled up to get more current as in the latter HH professional power amps, Trace, Ashdown and Ampeg among others used this technique.

There are two companies called Alpha, Taiwan Alpha, the original and The US/Korean company. The best posts to use are Cermet but they cost a lot. The second best is conductive plastic. The last more than twice as long as the carbon pots fitted to most guitars. I use Omegs in all my guitars although the metal backed ones are hard to get. The green ECO ones are great. No you cannot solder to plastic but if it ain't metal it won't act like an aerial.

`i have had a Washburn D10SCE for years and its great. A recent upgrade includes a fishman preamp. Sells for just over £200.

UK Made in Derbyshire, Has anyone tried them? http://www.newtonestrings.com/products/#category=bass

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1461361734' post='3034128'] It isn't, it's down to current delivery. A powerful SMPS will far outperform a less potent transformer+smoothing caps supply. Big bass notes need high current and sustained high voltage without sag for much longer than most Class D modules are designed for. [/quote]Not quite true Alex. Most class D amplifiers are designed for high power in a compact footprint. However adding more heatsinking or fans allows you to achieve the full performance. Take for example the TH500. On its own, the ICEPower module used by Aguilar, rated at 500W, would probably only achieve 25% of that. However Aguilar add two fans and this allows the module to give everything. For home use the heat management is fine. For professional use you need more heat management. Once heat management is correct then the limiting factor is the power supply. So if you see a 1000W amp in a box the size of a small box of chocolates, walk away. If you have an old SVT, you can't walk away.

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1461521381' post='3035378'] Without wishing to appear pedantic, doesn't the current comes from the mains supply via the transformer? [/quote]Only if an amp has a transformer in the power supply. Most switch mode power supplies don't use transformers at all.

Sad that this has turned into another Valves are great, SS is bad thread. One thing about the aesthetics of Ampeg. I came to bass late in life but even as a guitard in a former life I always thought Ampeg amps looked cheap and nasty. Look at an SVT against a Marshall or Sound City head. No wonder most wanted to be guitard.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1461527227' post='3035471'] The first SS amps were quite horrid, especially where noise is concerned. [/quote]Our Guitarist in the late 60s decided a Vox T60 would be netter than an AC30. It was basically one channel of a (not very good) HiFi amp. Noisy as hell and no real power. It and its ilk are probably why SS amos have a bad name to this day. On the other hand, the HH 100W amps that came a few years later were awesome (although still a little noisy) Still got two of their 100W bass amps.