Clarky

[quote name='Clarky' post='909245' date='Jul 29 2010, 01:58 PM']Waterfront - Simple Minds[/quote] Actually it was 'Crocodiles' by Echo & The Bunnymen

Waterfront - Simple Minds One note, repeated

Not sure that I have ever owned a genuinely bad bass. The most disappointing relative to my expectations is a tie between a Gibson SG Reissue bass (the short scale and I did not get on and the hardware was more than a bit rubbish) and a vintage 70s Jazz (awful heavily lacquered but ultra-skinny neck was so uncomfortable)

That is great news. Nice one! Big label mates ...

[quote name='jazzyvee' post='907751' date='Jul 28 2010, 12:03 AM']I've heard of people who have asked the seller to down value items in the customs declaration in order to get a lower import tax bill on delivery, but it's a risk as if it is insured shipping and there is a breakage or loss you could find yourself under insured and out of pocket.[/quote] The California-based seller of my stealth black Alembic Spoiler quoted the shipping value as the maximum insured price under the USPS service ($650). My tax bill was not very big as a consequence. As the internet is open to all readers, I will leave it to you to judge whether $650 is the actual price I paid! Had it been broken or seriously damaged in transit I would have been seriously upset, mind ....

Macca's OK but he's not a patch on Tony Goggle

[quote name='Musicman20' post='907115' date='Jul 27 2010, 02:12 PM']Thought it would get sorted Are you enjoying the tone of it? (Before it went wrong!)[/quote] Yes, the one time I used it before last night (through my BFD cab for 30 minutes) Managed to get a very Mesa-like tubey tone from it

The wonderful Mark at BD is sorting everything for me. Huge relief and yet again kudos to BD for great, customer-friendly service

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='906628' date='Jul 27 2010, 06:56 AM']Fingers crossed for ya.. I'm sure Bassdirect and TC will sort it quickly.[/quote] Thanks WoT. Just dropped Mark at BassDirect an email so fingers crossd here, big-time.

Looks like a cap-in-hand phone call to Mark at BassDirect tomorrow to see what he suggests

[quote name='molan' post='906532' date='Jul 27 2010, 12:06 AM']I think that crackle is very common - mine often does it & so did the only other one I've tried. Have you checked boring stuff like the fuse in the mains plug & the plug itself to make sure there isn't a loose wire somewhere?[/quote] Just changed the mains plus fuse, no change unfortunately

[quote name='Paul_C' post='906490' date='Jul 26 2010, 11:35 PM']I stand to be corrected, but a solid state amp doesn't need to see a load in the way that a valve amp does (so not plugging in a cab will blow the output transformer) and the reason you shouldn't use an instrument lead is because it isn't designed for the current from an amp output and might well catch fire Reading the manual suggests there are a number of safety devices built in and those should protect the amp up to a point. I suggest if it still doesn't work after a period of cooling off (and it's not just a blown fuse) then just send it back as faulty.[/quote] Thanks Paul. I've read the manual and there is no mention of a fuse anywhere (it does say "do NOT use instrument cables" but no mention of the consquences), so there appears to be nothing I can do. Just turned it on again and there's a slight electrical crackle from the on/off switch at the rear and nothing else.

[quote name='Beedster' post='906482' date='Jul 26 2010, 11:31 PM']Mmm, you might be lucky 'cos you can get away with it, but I've seen a few amps go that way. There's a reason manufacturers discriminate between cables! Let's hope it's a fuse mate C[/quote] If its not a fuse, have I just blown five hundred quid in one absent-minded moment?

[quote name='Beedster' post='906473' date='Jul 26 2010, 11:23 PM']So an instrument cable not a speaker cable mate?[/quote] One of those double-ended cables you use between pedals, yup. Stupid I know but it looked very similar. Only realised the mistake too late when I was looking for reasons.

Took brand new TC 450 Classic head to band practice this evening. Big ugly Fender combo in the practice room. Great, I think, I'll disconnect the in-built 15" speaker and feed the TC head into the speaker and - bingo - my own tone. Except ... I plugged the TC into the speaker socket without realising I had grabbed a pedal-connecting cable not an amp cable (this may or may not be relevant). The red 'on' light came on with the TC ,then after few seconds it faded and died. No noise came out (apart from a faint electrical whistle when I turned it off and on again), no bang, nothing. It is now dead as a dodo, albeit when left for a while there is this slight whistle when I turn it on. What have I done and is it fixable? Was it the incorrect cable somehow overloading the amp? Is it a faulty amp (although I tried it last weekend through my Barfaced cab and it sounded just fine)? is it a simple fuse issue (not that there's an obvious fuse to change)? Its a brand new amp (was my birthday pressie last week) and I am horrified ... All help gratefully received

[quote name='Bilbo' post='905800' date='Jul 26 2010, 01:40 PM']Nothing!!! Why would everyone need to know any one line more than any other? If I never play a Motown/Stax line ever again, it would be too soon.... Personally, I find thousands of famous (and profoundly memorable) basslines so jaded by over-exposure that they bore me rigid. (oops argument already rehearsed and requisite scolding undertaken) Learn some scales (Major, Minor, Melodic Minor, Augmented, Diminished, Chromatic), play them in thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths and sevenths, in 3, 4, 5 note patterns - in all modes and all keys and there you have it. Its all under your fingers.[/quote] You really know how to scare off a beginner, Bilbo! You are also ignoring the fun bit that - when learning - it really reinforces your enthuiasm to be able to play along to music you really like or appreciate. Learning scales may make you a better musician but it ain't fun, in isolation

Dock of the Bay - dead easy and very chilling to play Jammin' (Bob Marley) - for the same reasons as above

Take it back and list the points you mention - some may be easy to fix (eg, the foam may be a bit compressed under the pickups so that they don't move with the screws as they should), other may be more worrying (eg, loud G or dead spots). if they have a decent on-site set-up person, they may be able to sort these out with little/no difficulty. Either way, they are obliged to replace if its not fit for use. RW Fenders are not cheap and should be perfect!

I don't have the brain or fingers to be a very good bass player (that isn't false modesty, its a fact) so I don't ever expect to be technical "musician" (cue Bilbo telling me to learn to read ). What I do want to do, however, is to make a joyful noise with like-minded individuals and for the occasional live audience to get pleasure from it.