LewisK1975

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1464712079' post='3061720'] Sandberg VS4 Passive. The Mk1 version, as the Mk2 has a slightly different shape. The necks are all the same across the VS and TT range - very jazz like but with a flatter 'board. Very comfy indeed. [/quote] This is what I was about to say!

[quote name='Muppet' timestamp='1464536229' post='3060165'] It's far more versatile on a Jazz than on a Precision. I took it out of my Precision as it just switches to a weedy pointless sound. [/quote] Ditto, first thing I did on a 2006 US precision I had a while back.

[quote name='jaketheape' timestamp='1464635230' post='3061039'] Hi, just reopening this topic. I recently bought a second hand EVO II (uk manufactured) and the VU Meter bulb flickers on and off all the time. Nothing wrong with the output from the amp at all, but the flickering light is annoying. I've tried as others have suggested, removing the 4x screws from the front plastic in front of the vu meter, but they are firmly in place and just turning - 1x of the philips screws is badly worn so I am assuming the previous owner/s had already tried at some stage. Is there another way I can access the vu meter maybe from the back? My amp is one of these ones that fits into a Gator case, so has a chrome front. If anyone can help or provide any suggestions I would be very grateful? Thanks in advance. [/quote] Take the 'lid' off the amp and get at it that way.

We have 2 Mackie SRM1801 subs and 2 JBL PRX625 tops. 5k total. It's a spectacular sounding rig.

The low tension on them is exactly why I like 'em so much, I've been using the 45-105 nickels for a while now. I was looking for a while to get away from high tension steels and these seemed to fit the bill. I don't have my action super low as am a heavy handed bugger, but the OP is correct, they will usually require the truss rod to be adjusted if you've had other higher tension strings on. I will say you can get them cheaper than £25 though. My last ones (last week) were £17.50 delivered.

I suggest having a look for a used Tecamp Puma. I had one (PUMA 500) and it was SUPER clean, perfect for fronting up with effects if you ask me. I used it set flat through 1 or 2 BF supercompacts and got all my sound shaping from my pedal board. Worked very well. Obviously if you can afford to buy new, then EICH amps are the 'new' Tecamps. But they are essentially the same thing.

Yep - the Tom in the top photo is a great guy, did me a great deal on a Fender Geddy Lee a few years ago, and sourced me a couple of thing I was looking for too. Excellent!

Update - Mark at Bass Direct was a real help and spoke to Sound Technology about it - upshot, it's been sent to them today and they will return directly to me! Let's hope it doesn't take too long, I really love that pedal!

Again Top marks from me - had to deal with them today to get my EBS Billy Sheehan deluxe pedal fixed under warranty. No hassle, got back to me with 30mins, with a returns authorisation number and where to send it. I thank ye!

Update - Sound Technology told me I have to go through the dealer I bought it from to get it fixed. Bass Direct about to get an email! Hope this doesn't turn out to be a tortured path to resolution!

There's been a bit of a situation with these - on some of the pedals, there is a volume issue on the clean channel - you have to max out the volume of the clean channel to achieve unity gain. EBS have identified the issue as:- [b] [i]Do you need to crank up the Clean level all the way to achieve unity gain?[/i][/b] [color=#444444] [i]We have discovered a misaligned factory calibration with some of the Billy Sheehan Drive Deluxe pedals that has been shipped out so far.[/i][/color][color=#444444] [i]The fault is recognized by the fact that you need to crank up the Clean level almost all the way to achieve unity gain when the pedal is engaged.[/i][/color][color=#444444] [i]If you experience this issue with your pedal and want it properly aligned, please contact us at[email="[email protected]"][email protected][/email] for further assistance. It is covered by warranty.[/i][/color][color=#444444] My Pedal definitely has the issue and I contacted EBS who are doing the fix themselves if you're in Sweden, but as I'm not, they pointed me at Soundtech in the UK, who I think are the distributors. I emailed them but have had no reply as yet, sigh.. [color=#222222] [/color][/color][color=#444444] Billy Sheehan has chimed in on this on the Yamaha Attitude Facebook page and reckons the fix can be done DIY, and is going to share how to do it. If he does post the fix, then depending on the difficulty I'll either have a go myself, or use a local guy I've used before who knows his stuff.....[/color]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1464098888' post='3056533'] Definitely have a go on a Ric before taking the plunge... they are VERY different in both tone and playability to pretty much everything else. [/quote] Can't argue with this - I'll just add that IMHO it's also worth trying it in a standing playing position as well as sitting down. That's where I went wrong.

These for me:- [attachment=219955:Capture.JPG] Still give a nice attack, but not as snappy as a thinner pick. They give a nice thick tone somewhat like using fingers, I find them a good compromise..

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1464091712' post='3056461'] ....I've compromised.... [/quote] Therein lies the solution! If everyone is willing to compromise somewhat, then everyone is generally as happy, or as unhappy as everyone else is. Sorted!

Saturday's gig was a blinder for us. Venue we've played twice (I think) before in the Newport Valleys. Shockingly bad load in/out (stairs to concert room and then carry through crowd), but we knew that anyway.. In the covers band, we have a primarily modern pop setlist, so we usually go down better where there's a youngish primarily female crowd, and try and keep most of our gigs to venues that are populated in just that way, for them as much as us... This particular venue we played on Saturday night has an older crowd, very much a workingmens club really. We've met with everything response-wise there, rapturous whoop-whooping, through to polite applause and even complete indifference. We've obviously noted that for the venue concerned and we made an effort to learn a few (and I mean a few, 3 actually) older songs. Don't know if that's what made the difference (we didn't play them until the 2nd set), but they went mad for us this time, my particular favourite moment being during 'Jealous' by Labyrinth. We play it with just the guitar player and a very subdued, thumb stroked bassline, and let the vocals shine through. During the course of the song, you could actually hear the conversations stopping and the attention turning fully to us (well, our singer anyway!), it was one of those moments a regular gigging working band gets every so often and it'll stay with me for a while I reckon. Even made the load out quite bearable!

I think it's a case of everyone being flexible when it comes to this. In our band, if we turn up at said gig and the space is smaller than expected, we all just work together to make it all fit, I've even seen our drummer just go down to Kick / snare / Hi-hat and 2 cymbals, to help make it fit, Cabs go 'on-end' etc...I've long since gone past having the patience to deal with egos in bands. I do realize I'm lucky to be in a band with other like-minded people though..

Met Dan yesterday having bought a stunning Yamaha Attitude 3 from him. Excellent dealing with Dan from start to finish, no problems at all, very responsive to all communication beforehand and very welcoming even though I turned up earlier than expected! Thanks again Dan, pleasure doing business with you!

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1463561436' post='3052255'] I think it's very easy and reversible to change wiring around / get some different pots. I'm going to change my jazz from VVT to Master Volume - Blend - Tone once I've worked out the easiest way of doing it [/quote] The '75RI I recently bought had the east j-retro fitted, but didn't have the original control plate with it unfortunately. I'm really considering changing it back to passive. If I do it, I'd like to go vol / blend / tone as well, can't be that difficult surely? EDIT: Or maybe even Vol / tone & a 3-way switch? Controversial?

Look at it this way - I had a Fender Steve Harris sig and a Geddy Lee recently, both of which had BAII's on them and both had the saddles filed coming out of the factory. That's good enough for me!

[quote name='AndyF' timestamp='1463412883' post='3051136'] It is indeed the same CRS - under new management since the Ezra days but I remember them well (before I became involved with the organisation I was a regular CRS punter and played for them several times). I have the first CD on the Cyclops label...my band at the time were signed to the same label! [/quote] Small world. I shall pass on to him that the CRS is alive and well and in good hands! What band were you in?

[quote name='AndyF' timestamp='1463403603' post='3051038'] Prog? In Yorkshire? Surely not! :-) Have a look at classicrocksociety.co.uk - as the name implies we cover "classic rock" as a whole, but for the 25 years of our existence our remit has always been to give as much support as possible to bands that would otherwise receive very little coverage..there is a thriving community of new prog out there. Despite all of us being dotted around the country, historical reasons mean the CRS is based around Rotherham. In the past we've been responsible for giving bands such as Spock's Beard and Mostly Autumn their first breaks and we continue to promote gigs as often as we can (on a voluntary basis - none of us take any money from the CRS). This weekend we've got a sold out Pendragon show, and we've had Magenta, Steve Rothery, Renaissance and Arena in the past few months as well as more obscure artists like Franck Carducci and Lazuli. Sorry for the advert(!) but if it's prog you want....check out the CRS! [/quote] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Hey Andy, Not sure if I'm barking up the wrong tree here, but if I've got it right, is it the same CRS that welsh prog band Ezra used to do shows for back in the 90's?[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]If so it might interest you to know that the drummer of 'Last Flight to Pluto' (who I've mentioned above and put youtube links up for in post#31) is none other than Daz Joseph, of Ezra fame. [/font][/color]

Blimey - That guy makes some beautiful Basses don't he?

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1463401362' post='3051000'] Don't think it's completely an age thing. I'm 31. In good health. No issues carrying weight, but if i have the option not to, why would i? My lightweight rig is as good as anything else i've played through. If you want to analyse it, i'm sure some people would say it isn't "because x or y" , but to almost everyone else, in a gig situation, it does a cracking job. Weighs less than 10kg. So i just don't need to have heavy gear. [/quote] This! Apart from being 31. I'm not 31.

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1463390224' post='3050867'] Didn't know this was your band, had the album a while and enjoyed it. Lots of prog bands with female singers though - Mostly Autumn, Karnataka, Touchstone, Magenta, Panic Room to name a few of the current ones Then there are those from yesteryear but still working like Renaissance and Curved Air... [/quote] Thanks Kev, you learn something every day! Good to know, I'm relatively new to prog music (Rush & 70's Genesis apart). I got to know the guys after the lion's share of recording was already completed, but it's all me on 'House by a lake', and large chunks of 'Heavy situation'. Some other touch ups here and there too. I think it's a top album personally and I hope after the Prog magazine feature comes out, that it gets more attention than it has just yet..