Dood

[quote name='budget bassist' post='806590' date='Apr 14 2010, 09:58 PM']Get a gotoh 201, they're about £20 or so and worth their weight in gold. EDIT: if it will fit, that is.[/quote] wow! Where are they £20? I just bought a 201 clone elsewhere cos I couldn't find one that cheap! {edit} mine had to be gold too - so there appears to be a premium on the price for some reason.

[quote name='Dubs' post='805950' date='Apr 14 2010, 12:32 PM']Any idea about Wilkinson tuners? They look good for the money, less than half the price of Hipshot as well...[/quote] Yes, good - just ordered some myself!

HERE infact ;o) [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=31247"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=31247[/url] and pictures so far [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=31247&view=findpost&p=782747"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...st&p=782747[/url]

Pete 'PETED' is having a 6 string Fan Fret Singlecut bass built to his specs by Jon Shuker - go have a look at the build thread on this very forum!! Jon Shuker is in my experienced opinion (and very modest one at that) is one of the BEST luthiers in the UK right now and this build guarantees to be 'jaw dropping! Can't wait to see when it is finished!!!!!!

The SVT 610 is very impressive - Stag should be along shortly with what's left of my hair after I stood in front of his cab, when he fired it up!

[quote name='Earbrass' post='807069' date='Apr 15 2010, 12:51 PM']That'd be long-scale, then. <sorry, couldn't resist>[/quote] Ha ha ha!! I hadn't spotted that! Very good!! - Oh the intricacies of the English language eh!

No problem! I hope you can fix on the cheap - but I do like a good active preamp too!

[quote name='lee4' post='807048' date='Apr 15 2010, 12:31 PM']Myself and the drummer(he builds PA cabinets for a living;knows his stuff.)checked the leads ,cabinet and conections. These seem fine,but I will double check everything tonight. I am in contact with Stevesamps at Godalming,so if the idiot checks fail,it could be a bloody dear repair.Or a new amp. Any suggestions for a 300w to 500w head that won't break the bank?[/quote] Hartke LH500 / LH1000 are cheap as chips - especially second hand - and will do very well as a stop gap at worst ;o) and they have gotten really good reviews, as they share a preamp that is very similar to Alembic and Trace V-types.

[quote name='bassmeg' post='807038' date='Apr 15 2010, 12:25 PM']No it wasnt. As far as i know apart from the new pups, its original.[/quote] Definitely rule that out first then ;o)

I'll only add the same as above. First rule out each individual component of your signal path first. Try a different cabinet, different leads, a different bass - then try a different amp with the rest of your set up. Then, if you can prove it's the amp distorting and nothing else, then it's time to visit the repair man - as I'm pretty sure, that like the F1 the components inside are all SMT - and thus will require a skilled hand to fix.

[quote name='bassmeg' post='807020' date='Apr 15 2010, 12:13 PM']The bass has had this issue with both the original and new pups in it. so i would have thought that would suggest somthing else being the cause of lack of volume/output. I relly would like a j-retro, as i like an active sound, but just the cost at the moment- could do with trying to sort this the cheapest way. I think i am looking for more output from the bass.[/quote] Was the harness changed for a new one at the same time as the pickups then?

[quote name='bassmeg' post='807025' date='Apr 15 2010, 12:16 PM']Errr, whats a harness?[/quote] wires/volume pots/components, not including pickups.

Like this [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-CHANNEL-FOOTSWITCH-FOR-GUITAR-AMP-MARSHALL-TYPE-99p_W0QQitemZ150432779656QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL?hash=item23067e0d88#ht_500wt_1182"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-CHANNEL-FOOTSWITCH...8#ht_500wt_1182[/url]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='806973' date='Apr 15 2010, 11:31 AM']Should be able to chop of the jack and put a new one on from Maplins or wherever, just note which wire is connected where.[/quote] Yep, Maplins get a +1 - though - if the plug is moulded - checking which lead goes where would require a continuity tester of some sort to find out which of the three wires connect to tip, ring and sleeve. I will bet a cup of steaming cappuccino that the wiring for your foor switch is: So, you could (if it's possible to unscrew the footswitch casing) find out which wire goes to the different terminals on the plug. If I hadn't have butchered my own dual footswitch at home for another purpose I would have sent it to you for free to help you out! It was a Marshall one - infact thinking about it - you could probably find a suitable footswitch on ebay far cheaper than 20 quid.

[quote name='bassmeg' post='806997' date='Apr 15 2010, 11:50 AM']Yeah, the C & D strings just dont have the volume power of the Icon series. I was thinking, newer technology would improve the fender. I love playing the fender, ive had it for years, so how do i know if its a pile of poo? I want to believe that its electronics. Would changing the resistors increase output, or am i looking at this the wrong way round/[/quote] Well, trying different pickups/ different harness would certainly rule the existing ones out for sure! You *could* wire each pickup directly to the output to test with, if you are handy with a soldering iron so that you can hear them on their own. That would also rule out the harness. As for the 'resistors' I think your guitarist friend is refering to the 'Variable Resistors' - ie - the volume and tone controls. There are no other (fixed) resistors in a standard jazz bass harness. They are usually of two values - either 250K Ohms or 500K Ohms. It has been said that 500K Ohms for volume pots will give you a 'better' tone. No boring with technical stuff.... Or even replacing them if they are old and gnarly - as the tracks in them maybe worn / contaminated. My first port of call, which will cost you nothing will be to try bypassing the harness first to see if the problem goes away. If it doesn't - then see if you can at least borrow some jazz pickups to drop in and test.(With and without the harness) If that doesn't sort the problem, you can rule out buying a preamp - as it won't solve the problem - maybe just hide it! The 'proverbial sticking plaster'.

p.s. - I just thought I'd add, on the whole £150 vs £1000 debate - years and years ago I went shopping for a new bass and spent many many hours in the presence of thousands of pounds worth of basses including Alembic, Warwick, Musicman etc - and I didn't really have to worry too much about budget (wow - can't do that these days!!!) - and the best sounding and playing bass that day was less than half the price of all the 'TOTR' instruments. I bought it and always had compliments about it's great tone.

[quote name='bassmeg' post='806964' date='Apr 15 2010, 11:26 AM']I have 2 basses at the moment. 1) A 78' fender jazz, as far as i know original except for wizard pickups i had installed. (still have the original ones though). 2) A vintage icon series (jaco copy) fretless Can i ask for some opinions as to why the latter has a more powerful sound across the 4 strings. I am finding myself using this one all the time now. And unusually people are commenting that the jaco copy sounds better. Guitarist in my band has suggested changing the resistors in the fender. Should i drop in a j-east retro? Any advice welcome.[/quote] You say 'across all the strings' - Does that mean you are finding an uneven volume between strings? If the strings on the bass are relatively new (just to rule any dead ones) - and the strings are all equidistant from their nearest pole pieces - it would suggest something up with the harness. Because the way Jazz pups are wound would make it difficult for an individual 'pole' to be able to fail in volume. Maybe if the harness is wired incorrectly, then the pickups *could* be out of phase. You'd experience a lower volume, more hollow sound when both pickups are on together. On the flipside - it may just be that the output of the wizard pickups is much lower and that can *sound* like they are thinner in tone. Something I experienced with Seymour Duncan actives Vs EMG actives. It wasn't until I dropped in an EMG gain booster that I experienced what I perceived as an improvement in tone. I would makes sure everything 'under the bonnet' is correct before thinking about preamps etc - but being an 'actives' fan - I would expect an improvement if you did choose to drop a preamp in.

The liquid is there as a protective cushion against further damage from too much pressure. If I have had to, I have used a bit of gaffer tape to stop the blister from bursting and to add a bit of protection. Depending on which finger has the blister, it may be possible to work in another finger instead! Sometimes why a three finger technique is useful. I don't wanna teach to suck eggs or anything, but of course, if big blisters are re-occuring it might be worth looking at technique to prevent it happening in the future. Blisters are caused by playing too hard (obviously) and sweaty/wet fingers. Keep 'em dry and you'll suffer less! Also, as has been said already - any methods for toughening up the finger tip skin will be useful too, such as rubbing in Surgical Spirit.

Larry told me t'other day that production starts in July with the product being available at the end of August. - there ya go - straight from the man!

Heh heh ! Thanks for the replies! - It was all a bit of a laugh - but the more I look at it - it's really functional, light weight and the frame is so strong! It wont bend if you stand on it, it just springs back again!

I've never really played any GK gear - well - not long enough to form a proper opinion. However, on the strength of the full interview with Bob Gallien in Bass Gear Magazine a couple of months ago - I have mucho respect for him as an amplifier designer! Real no-nonsense architecture!

[quote name='Wolverinebass' post='804153' date='Apr 12 2010, 09:02 PM']I've been wondering for ages why nobody has done a lightweight amp with a decent graphic EQ. Discounting the Superfly by Ashdown (for reliability problems) and the MoMark by Markbass that have rather primitive 6 or 7 band EQ's how come nobody has done one with a 10 band? For some reason I like sliders rather than dials and yet the fashion at the moment is to have more dials than you can possibly imagine. As much as I love my Hartke, I just can't be bothered with the weight sometimes and nobody seems to do something comparable. Anyone got any suggestions?[/quote] I spotted a TBC on a lightweight unit by Peavey due to come out soon called the 'Headliner': [url="http://www.peavey-eu.com/product_detail.php?flag=GB&lan=UK&key=3009"]http://www.peavey-eu.com/product_detail.ph...UK&key=3009[/url] Picture: [url="http://www.peavey-eu.com/picture_display.php?sys=ALL&type=PDM_6_PL&level=PDM_6&tbl=system&def=A_3&key=7423"]http://www.peavey-eu.com/picture_display.p..._3&key=7423[/url] It may have 7 bands on the graphic - but there's a whole multitude of other tonal options onbaord - so that may make up for it? Errmmm How about the new Ibanez Promethean head? Again, a graphic and additional tone controls. Finally, the Markbass F500 features a parametric EQ which I think is just as flexible as a graphic. Infact I feel that in some ways it's better a graphic with tooo many bands. A phase nightmare if poorly designed.

A smooth and quick exchange today - folding stuff for a great power amp. Thank you Jamie! Oh! and coffee too! )

[quote name='jbasss' post='803244' date='Apr 11 2010, 11:59 PM']I have the schematic somewhere. What I can recall the only difference between bright and normal inputs is a low pass filter, possibly separated with a buffer. Shouldn't be a big issue, most probably a bad solder. Will check.[/quote] Yep, I was thinking a dry/cracked joint / loose connection too. Sometimes the PCB track lifts through vibration or a sudden jolt - it's just a matter of time before another vibration starts to crack it through. Usually a simple fix though.

I'm not sure if it's possible with the Schro', but if you have a cab with push in wheels, pop the back two out and it points the front of the cab upward. I guess the bigger the wheels, the larger the angle it 'kicks back'. Failing that - MB1's idea is by far the simplest.