silverfoxnik

[quote name='BOD2' post='42360' date='Aug 7 2007, 10:44 AM']Well you're right about not being able to use an adaptor. The PSA is designed for US voltage and would probably get damaged if plugged into our higher UK voltage. What you need is a UK dc adaptor capable of putting out 9.75 Volts @ 820 mAmps (I presume this is written on the adaptor). 9.75 Volts might be a problem, in that off-the-shelf adaptors usually put out 9 Volts. However, it's possible that 9 Volts would be enough to make it work. I suggest you contact DBX and explain the problem, asking if you can use a 9 Volt adaptor or if they can supply a UK adaptor for this unit. Failing that, it is possible to get adaptors with variable dc outputs (using a rotary control for setting the voltage). You'd need a voltmeter to measure the output voltage. With any dc adaptor make sure the current capacity is 820 mAmps or greater at the required voltage. I'm probably just confirming what you already know - sorry I can't actually suggest a source for a dc adaptor.[/quote] Had to email Dbx in the end and they put me in touch with their distributor (Digitech) and so I ordered it and it'll arrive Friday, which is great. Not so great was the price - £29.99!!! Nik

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='37726' date='Jul 27 2007, 11:14 AM']Galli are one of the oldest string makers around. Not used these strings myself but the other Galli strings I've used have been tops.[/quote] I played a bass with Galli strings on at the weekend and they were great! Anyone know where to get them? Nik

[quote name='Beedster' post='42740' date='Aug 8 2007, 08:45 AM']That would be my point on this issue. I find that when I play active I can't help thinking that what I'm hearing includes some artifacts introduced by the active electronics not necessarily present in the passive tone of the bass. As such I would disagree with CK's point above that EQ can only add or subtract from what's already there (I think that was the point, apologies if I'm misquoting you Steve). I keep going back to my Fender Precision with a J/P combination strung with flats on which I simply never have to touch the controls (well actually I do use the blend pot but rarely the volume and never the tone which is always rolled back 50%). Yes, I loved the East Preamp Nick was referring to above, it gave a huge range of tones, amd yes, I love to occasionally do a slapfest on the Modulus, but, like my GF says, it doesn't sound like a bass when I do Chris[/quote] Hi Chris Have to say I agree with your comments there, though certainly, I'm not anti active basses at all as I've got three of them. It's just about realising what you like best for certain situations I suppose...... Are you coming to the Bash on the 18th - I'd love to hear your Fender P with the J/P combination and flats!! Nik

[quote name='dub_junkie' post='42460' date='Aug 7 2007, 01:59 PM']great bit of business.these are great basses with bags of character. and I know someone else on these boards who snagged a USA G&L this week for the same amount but I'll let him tell you himself congratulations in the meantime are in order for the L2500 DJ[/quote] + 1 Nice bass and a really good price...Especially for a USA model!!

[quote name='funkle' post='42590' date='Aug 7 2007, 07:12 PM']Passive. I spent years playing active basses because they were meant to be 'better'. However, I have gradually found the sound of passive pickups to be more 'airy', 'open', and 'natural' to me. Pete[/quote] +1 That's my view in a nutshell. I've owned so many active basses over the last 20 years or so, including top-end Tobias, Ken Smith, MM, Yamaha, Warwick, Wal, Goodfellow etc, etc and in the end I find myself coming back all the time to passive basses. The only active circuit I've liked the sound of and have stuck with over the years is the one in my Wal Pro 2e bass and that has a very 70's vibe to it and it isn't too 'hi-fi' sounding. What is it with all this emphasis on +18db cut/boost anyway - it's way too much! Having said all that, I'm totally aware of my own bias towards certain bass sounds and certain recording techniques etc that are definitely 'old school' and that what works for me is probably anathema to another person's ears! My main gigging bass at the moment is the MM SUB5 that The Beedster modified and had John East put in a very specific active circuit that makes it sound like an early SR4..It's really good but even that sounds just a little too synthetic tonally for me, though it is very versatile! Maybe that's what it comes down to; passive basses are more authentic tonally but active basses give you loads of variation?? Nik

[u]PART II:[/u] Continuing the story on the 'worst gig ever' front, I had a gig Saturday night on Brighton Pier which was great except for two drunken, pilled up twats who started trying to damage or steal some of the guitars and generally cause trouble. Throughout the whole of our 2 sets they were giving us more and more problems - trying to get up and sing songs, asking us to change our set, hanging around the stage area, fiddling around with gear etc, etc!! Typically, Security were nowhere to be seen! Finally, when we were in the middle of an extra half-hour the venue Manager asked to play and doing 'Rebel Rebel', all hell broke loose as one of the 2 guys tried to nick a guitar off the stand and suddenly bodies and fists were flying everywhere, guitars, keyboards and one half of the PA went toppling over - it was ugly!! Fortunately, a combination of punters and security guards helped bring the situation under control and the 2 morons were escorted off the pier but not without having caused a whole lot of trouble first! Anyway, suffice to say, it was not pleasant and the gig stopped and everyone was asked to leave... As we were setting up the gear again to test it and see if it was working (which fortunately, it was..), the crowd who were still in there all started clapping and gave us a big cheer which was nice... Gigging in pubs can be brilliant but very ocasionally, it can be bloody awful! Am laughing now about it but at the time it was pretty horrible!! Personally, I blame shows like the X Factor and Pop Idol myself that have encouraged punters to want to be performers, regardless of their ability or talent... Nik

[quote name='BOD2' post='42360' date='Aug 7 2007, 10:44 AM']Well you're right about not being able to use an adaptor. The PSA is designed for US voltage and would probably get damaged if plugged into our higher UK voltage. What you need is a UK dc adaptor capable of putting out 9.75 Volts @ 820 mAmps (I presume this is written on the adaptor). 9.75 Volts might be a problem, in that off-the-shelf adaptors usually put out 9 Volts. However, it's possible that 9 Volts would be enough to make it work. I suggest you contact DBX and explain the problem, asking if you can use a 9 Volt adaptor or if they can supply a UK adaptor for this unit. Failing that, it is possible to get adaptors with variable dc outputs (using a rotary control for setting the voltage). You'd need a voltmeter to measure the output voltage. With any dc adaptor make sure the current capacity is 820 mAmps or greater at the required voltage. I'm probably just confirming what you already know - sorry I can't actually suggest a source for a dc adaptor.[/quote] Thanks BOD2 - very helpful.. I'll contact DBX Customer Services first and go from there, Thanks Nik

Hi Folks, Just bought a DBX MC 6 compressor via an Ebay seller in the states. The MC 6 is based on the DBX 160 (apparently) and though it's not well known, it's highly rated compressor that has rave reviews for Bass on Harmony Central. Anyway, it's arrived all in one piece which is great but the PSA which has two thin pieces of metal on it instead of our three piece plug design, is intended to work off USA power supply of 120volts and it converts that into 9.75v and 820mA (think that's right??). At first I thought a simple adaptor that you use on holiday would do the trick but after coming to my senses, I think that would not work and would probably blow the unit.. Has anyone here had experience of this kind of issue before and have any good advice, suggestions etc for solving the problem? Thanks, Nik

[quote name='owen' post='41413' date='Aug 4 2007, 09:47 PM']I wish that someone could say that I had a bit of a glitch getting over the second bridge after I had been touring with Bowie for years.[/quote] +1 !! What a great gig to have .. Gail Ann Dorsey is brilliant and has been in Bowie's band for years now which says something in itself. And IMHO, amongst all the technical, slightly overblown guitar histrionics of Belew, Earl Slick etc, she brings something different to the party for an artist like Bowie in that she's really cool and very funky.. Have always enjoyed her playing too because she plays the song, which is what really matters at the end of the day.

Check out this shop called 'amps-n-bits in Worthing: [url="http://www.amps-n-bits.com/"]http://www.amps-n-bits.com/[/url] They have an ebay shop and luckily, they happen to sell nickel 5 string sets for about £10-12. They're pretty good strings too - made at the same factory that Picato strings are (or were) made. Hope that helps, Nik

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='34595' date='Jul 20 2007, 12:54 PM']Welcome - maybe we should change the name to basschat-sussex.co.uk![/quote] +1 to that... Welcome clauster and enjoy the forum, it's a great place for a bass player to be! Nik

[quote name='Sharkfinger' post='37692' date='Jul 27 2007, 10:08 AM']Why on Earth would you sell that??? I don't use my P much, I must admint, but I wouldn't sell it. Why sell it to buy something that won't be much better but that will decrease in value? The JV will at least hold it's monetary value and probably increase. Having said that, I'll now be using it more in my covers band as it weighs much less than my Jazz that sometimes feels like a mill stone about my neck![/quote] I've no idea what made me sell it - money probably, as I was offered twice what I paid for it! In truth, the reason I sold it was that it was so immaculate, I never played it and was too worried about gigging with it for fear of damaging it. I'd got it from a guy in Liverpool who'd bought 2 identical JV P basses and 2 identical JV Jazz basses in 1983 and he kept them all under his bed for almost 20 years. The P Bass he sold me even had the original shop receipt with it when I bought it that's how 'unused' it was. So in the end, I sold it to a collector and I expect it's either hanging on a wall somewhere or locked away safely never seeing the light of day...what a shame as it was a great sounding bass! Nik

[quote name='Sharkfinger' post='37478' date='Jul 26 2007, 06:53 PM']Not sure if you'll all agree that it's "Porn" material but I think they're lovely.[/quote] Definitely is "Porn" material! Two great basses I used to have a beautiful 1983 JV P-bass - it was a fantastic sounding instrument. One of the ones I wish I'd never sold... Nik

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='37560' date='Jul 26 2007, 10:38 PM']Thats a bit insulting to those who think wood does make a difference and particularly to those who are interested in exploring other alternatives to ash/maple. The way I see it, you can't rule out the influence of wood, any more than you can include the effect of all the other elements you've mentioned. As I stated before, its a balancing act and each part contributes to the overall whole. In any event I happen to own two basses that are, for all intents and purposes, identical apart from their neck material. Any bass player doing an A/B of these instruments would hear and feel for themselves that neck material has a substantial influence on the sound of an instrument. I think it's a no brainer.[/quote] Looks like the 'can of worms' has been well and truly opened here!! Here's my 2p worth on the subject.. I used to have two Wal Pro 2e basses about 12 years ago that were made of the same body wood (Ash), same neck (maple with rosewood board), same Wal electronics etc and yet they sounded quite different and felt different to play. The key difference was in the weight of the Ash used for the body - there was probably about one and a half pounds difference in the weight of the two basses! A bit puzzled by this, I spoke to a brilliant luthier (in Harrow, North London) called Bill Puplett about it and he said that when two instruments are tuned and strung the same, the energy produced by each string is the same but if the woods are of different density/weight, then the two instruments will resonate differently. Bottom line is, the difference in the resonance of the wood affects the feel of the bass in your hands and also, in the sound the pick up is reproducing... I can't prove that scientifically of course, but Bill was a guy who's opinion I respected greatly and his explanation is still good enough for me! Nik

[quote name='Alpha-Dave' post='37063' date='Jul 25 2007, 10:52 PM']+1 OBBM: I use 6 of his patch leads on my pedal board, 2 of his muting leads and a speaker cable. I couldn't be happier because the components and work are top quality, but especially because the cost of him making them and posting to my door was less that the cost of buying the bit from Maplins and making them myself![/quote] And here's another +1 for OBBM! You also get to deal directly with the person who's producing the gear for you (how rare is that with things like leads?) and Dave is a brilliant bloke to deal with. Nik

[quote name='alexclaber' post='36985' date='Jul 25 2007, 07:14 PM']I've always liked Michael Tobias's way of describing the tonal effects of different woods: "A wenge neck and board add compression and focus to the speaking voice of the bass. A maple neck and rosewood board is more open and slightly warmer than a maple neck and maple board. Ebony on maple is very quick in its response with lots of snap. I have been trying ash as a neck material and found it to be leaning towards wenge but more open." I agree! Alex[/quote] Thanks for all the replies folks! Really helpful.. Seems to be then that, as a rule of thumb, wenge is a 'darker, more compressed' sounding wood than maple. Mike Tobias is well known as an expert on tonewoods and his comments make a lot of sense and also support what you've all said here, which is good as it shows that the BC community members really know their stuff! Just gotta decide what to do now about the bass now. Nik

[quote name='Muppet' post='36960' date='Jul 25 2007, 06:07 PM']FWIW I think the stance Chris has taken is excellent and truly representative of the BW community. He's not legally obliged to act in this way which makes it all the more laudable.[/quote] +1 to that! Chris is a great guy and IMHO, his attitude and behaviour over this issue is a perfect example of what makes the Basschat community what it is - almost without exception, a privelige and a pleasure to be part of. Have to say Chris that I feel for you on this one mate! And I definitely would support these comments below by Bald Eagle: [i]"If you're sure he's pulled a trick on you I'd name & shame the seller here 'Without prejudice' then on every other bass forum on the planet. Gauging by his defensive response I'd say he knew it was dodgy in the first place probably why it was bumped on the bay in the first place, what an A.Hole. Just sleep tight on knowing what goes around comes around."[/i] The key phrase there is 'Gauging by his defensive response'. Sums up the situation perfectly to me. Legally, financially, geographically, I think this situation is too dificult to pursue and will only take up valuable time and energy which I'm sure you could put to good use elsewhere. But getting the bass properly repaired would be a start point to making things a little better... All the best and look forward to seeing you at the Bash on Aug 18th. Nik

[quote name='obbm' post='36927' date='Jul 25 2007, 04:20 PM']Glad to hear that you got through it OK.[/quote] +1 on that. See you at the bash!

[quote name='obbm' post='37074' date='Jul 25 2007, 11:20 PM']Did Bognor Live in 2002. Halfway through the third number on the main stage the heavens opened, the audience disappeared and we eventually finished the set with the sound crew zipped in their tent, the stage crew on stage with us and the 2 security guys in waterproofs standing out front in case someone rushed the stage. We did hear applause from somewhere but couldn't see where. In 2003 on the second stage we couldn't get down to the stupid sound level set by some jobsworth in the district council so they faded us down. The unamplified drum kit was over their limit. We walked off, had a big row with the organisers, the mayor and the police. Put all the kit back in the cars and went home. What a waste of a beautiful afternoon. I'm not sure I ever want to go to Bognor again.[/quote] [i]"I'm not sure I ever want to go to Bognor again"[/i] Lots of people say that Dave, unfortunately! Bognor is a wierd place.....lots of small town politics and jobsworths! In my work, I come up against that all the time so I'm not surprised to hear of your story. Look forward to seeing you at the Bash, Nik

Hi Folks, I'm looking to get another 5 string and have been considering different options, one of which is Eubassix's Valenti Modern Jazz 5, but I've no idea what the difference is between a wenge neck (which the Valenti has) and a maple neck, which is more commonly used on Fender's. So I wondered if any of you BC'ers have had experience of both types of neck and can describe how they affect the sound, feel and playability of a bass? I know loads of other factors come into play like elctronics, p/ups etc but any words of wisdom on this would be much appreciated as ever!! Cheers Nik

[quote name='WalMan' post='36608' date='Jul 24 2007, 10:39 PM']Hi & welcome from another Newbie. Didn't make Rox this year. The rest of the band were in London to see Spamalot arranged ages ago so it was a bit of a bugger that we were asked this year. Mind your the last two times we almost did it as a band it was either hurling it down (so we ended up doing the gig in an obliging pub on the front) or started hurling it down 2 songs into the set, so our record with the weather as a full band is not good. [/quote] Hi Alan, Good to see you here again! Must try to catch up in Littlehampton sometime. Hope all's well... Nik