Norris

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1508240364' post='3390719'] Yes. It reads 18 ohm in the one direction, off the scale in the other. WOuld that indicate that the issue is elsewhere? [/quote] Yes - you need to keep looking

If it's a diode, have you checked it both ways? Swapped the positive and negative leads around? Diodes allow current one way but not the other

If you play in a band regularly you are not going to have much of a weekend social life outside of it You don't need an expensive bass (certainly not nowadays) to make a good noise The groove is more important than the actual notes

A school hall in Munster, Germany. Around 1983 aged 17. A diabolical Kay SG copy through a home-made amp that also had guitar and vocal going through it. We played the two songs we knew - both originals.

Titebond and as many clamps as there's room for. No need for dowels

Maybe we are unusual in still only putting vocals through the PA and using backline amps. There again for the pubs we play in you really don't need a multi-kilowatt PA. So many landlords tell us it's refreshing that we get a great sound without taking the roof off or spending 3 hours sound checking in the Dog and Duck.

I'm lucky enough to have never been nervous about playing. I suppose it's because I don't think too much about it beforehand. When I get in the car I become a musician on the way to a gig - that's about the extent of my preparation, a mental switch away from the day job and family life. Arrive, set up, have a shandy. Eventually it's time to step up and do your stuff.

Yes, it only works with the switch in one position. As for the crackly sound, give it a squirt of Servisol switch cleaner and wang it backwards and forwards a few times

If it's like my 1980 one there is no true passive mode. IIRC it bypasses the varitone switch. Does it sound any different when you use the switch? There are circuit diagrams on t'Interweb, so any competent guitar repairist should be able to tackle it

Beautiful

Excellent tips Andy. I've got an ebony board to do soon and can't say I'm looking forward to it. Ebony can vary in hardness in different parts of the board - which makes your chalking tip even more valuable. Checking with a decent long straight edge every now and again will also help keep it on track

Mine is my nickname. It was given to me when I first joined a paying band in 1985 and stuck. For several decades it was the only name I was known by in musical circles, and even now most of them don't know my real name.

Around here most gigs are on a Saturday. A few Fridays and Sundays. There are very few bars that have bands on the other nights of the week. It would be difficult to get four gigs a week for a covers band let alone an originals band. Maybe once in a blue moon, but not week after week. Then as has already been mentioned, even four bar gigs a week will not pay the bills. Lack of opportunity and fairly low pay rates means that most musicians do it as a hobby. Then if you have a day job you probably don't want to be out that often either - it hurts too much after only 4 hours sleep

I didn't really start playing until the 80s but then I recall that 70s guitars and basses were considered crap - CBS ruined them all. Of course now they are worth a fortune. I always hankered after a Fender Bassman stack but couldn't afford one. Pretty quickly they were simply not powerful enough. Nowadays my back twinges at the thought of one. Sod vintage tone - I'll keep my class D

Build diaries, repairs and technical usually. Occasionally general and off topic. Now and again other musically related items for sale.

I used an adhesive called Weld-On for my celluloid binding. It has a high acetone content. I had no issues getting it to stay put and with no visible glue line. The only slight issue was the 10 minute working time, but that's not an issue if you've pre-bent the binding and prepared your masking tape strips in advance

A resistor would convert the power into heat. If you recall how hot an old 100W filament bulb used to be... Edit: Actually I wonder what the resistance of one of those would be. It wouldn't do your amp much good when the bulb eventually blows though!

It all started when Henry coiled one

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1505068051' post='3369281'] I once played a gig with the drummer who played on Lucky Number by Lena Lovitch. [/quote] Well if drummers are fair game... Once in my youth, back in the 80s, after a few beers, I was told that I was drinking with the drummer from Liquid Gold (one hit wonder: Dance Yourself Dizzy) and then proceeded to take the piss out of the tiny shiny gold shorts he wore on TOTP. He stood up to hit a cymbal at a certain point in the chorus which what made me remember them

Perhaps the higher action allows the fundamental frequency to ring better? It will have a larger string deflection than the overtones. There again if you are getting no fret crashing at all, then I don't know. I keep my action in "dig in" adjustment

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1505484944' post='3372308'] It might actually end up bieng left in the flat/house as it belongs to a family member. [/quote] Buy a small amp and have it delivered there direct? Then you don't have to carry it around

Definitely try an Ampeg BA-108 if you can. Lovely little practice amp and probably suitable for lower volume gigs

If anyone has ever wondered about the quality of a KiOgon loom - it's fabulous

I might be a little late to this one, but I've been gigging my V3 500 combo regularly for about 3 years. I've never found it lacking in oomph even on outdoor gigs and it is so much more articulate than the Peavey Databass combo it replaced. The tone controls have a large effect on the sound but I tend to use them fairly neutral - the natural tone is very good. The overdrive is also very good. I don't use the tone shaping buttons though. The best bit is the light weight - a one-handed lift, which is a revelation compared to my old Peavey

My current builds are lacquered but I'm definitely going to use oil on the next one - it seems a lot easier to get a good finish. Beautiful work Jez