Mottlefeeder

I had a bubinga/wenge 4-string Corvette which I restrung BEAD as a trial and decided to go for a swamp-ash/ovankol 5-string Corvette tuned BEADG. With a lighter body and a wider/heavier neck, the 5-string had serious neck dive and I eventually sold it on as I couldn't work with it. Try before you buy. David

I think it's a prop like the Marshall ones. A local music venue also has one. David

Depending on the level of sophistication that you need, a plug-in wired headphone amp would probably be the simplest option. However, going wireless at the cheaper end of the market may give you distortion and latency problems. Going upmarket to a small mixer would give you the option of mixing in a backing track from you phone/pc etc. (I have a Behringer XENYX 302USB doing just this, and it is versatile enough to remove most of the bass from the track I want to play along to.) Some of the multi-fx pedals will also allow you to mix in an Aux signal, and include a tuner. The output jack socket doubles as a stereo headphone out and a mono line out. A dedicated bass trainer will do much the same, but probably with the option to slow down the track, or change its key. David

When are you back in the UK, and where will you be based? I'd be happy for you to check out my Hohner if you are anywhere near Warrington / Manchester. David

I think these are intended to be fitted to the end of the neck, replacing the existing metalwork, so you would need to check neck profile, string spacing and trussrod access. A string clamp that works with the existing metalwork might be an easier option. David

It is a workable solution, and the bass can be used in normal situations. Things like the Yamaha silent bass, or the traveller bass https://www.bandtmusic.co.uk/guitars/bass-guitars/travel-basses/traveler-guitar-ultra-light-bass-maple.html are sufficiently odd looking that they might detract from your performance. David

If you haven't already found out, most cricket bat style headless bases have a hinged metal flap that mimics the lower horn when you use them seated. David

There may be circumstances when it is in the national interest for a few people to be lumbered to noise annoyance, eg wind farms, airport flight paths etc (but even these are debatable), but for the population in general, they have an expectation that they should not be subjected to loud music at antisocial hours, dogs barking all day, drum/bass/guitar practice playing the same thing over and over, and the law appears to be on their side. Just because we always used to do it does not make it right today. The current trend for wedding venues to require IEMs, no stage amps, no stage monitors, and all PA speakers pointing at the dance floor to keep external noise down is the way forward. David

Let's be clear about the 'health problem'. It isn't about volume which can damage your hearing, it's about the stress caused by the regular annoyance which you refer to. David

Noise pollution is a common cause of stress, so keeping it down, or keeping it in, will reduce ill health and the resultant load on the NHS. I have no problem with people who want it loud, but I think it is wrong to expect the rest of the neighbourhood to pay for soundproofing. The polluter should pay for the reduction/treatment of their pollution. If that results in most pubs being quiet, and purpose built venues for loud music, with prices to suit, that seems fair to me. David

I have copies of some of the Eminence designs. David Basslite_S2012_cab.pdf

The signal and safety earth should be the same thing as the amps will use the normal earth. Possibly an over-simplification. As an example if you run two extension leads from a generator, and one powers digital equipment and the other powers old school amps, the current dumped in each earth wire, caused by the equipments' interference suppression circuits, will be different. This means that the voltage on each earth wire will be different, and if your bass amp is on one circuit and your mic is on the other, that voltage difference might be the cause of the shock tingle you get. If you can't run from one extension lead, so all your gear is connected to the same local earth point, you probably need some professional advice / installation. David

I have had a mixer on top of my rig and mixed a pa feed, an ambient mic and my bass feed, and fed that back to my in-ears, so it can be done, but if all the mix controls are at the back of stage, they are not easy to adjust. Also, I found that an ambient mic at the back of the stage will not pick up a mid-song shouted comment from a band mate. The closest I have come to my ideal is to wear the ambient mic and mix it and the bass in a belt pack, but that assumes you can pick up the band mix from a monitor speaker. I hope this helps you avoid some of the unworkable solutions. David

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+1 for Leathergraft. I have the 100mm wide strap and I can busk a 5 hour set without shoulder pain (but my brain is totally knackered) David

Something to be aware of is that the original rack specification was for 19" by 1.75" modules, but as a result of standardisation in Europe it is now a close metric equivalent. Although the new standard allows compatibility with older gear, building your sleeve around an unknown panel may mean that not all panels will fit. David

Just to add my thanks to Rob for the organisation and pizza, and to say that it was great to meet other bass players and listen to their playing style, and talk about bass gear. Also, thanks to our drummer for the day, whose name I didn't catch. David

Planning to arrive about 10 - satnav tels me it's about 90 minutes from home. David

I replied to James' wanted advert for a Zoom B1-4. The resulting sale was smooth, quick and stress-free. I'd be happy to buy from/sell to James again. David

Great, count me in please. I'm vegetarian too. David

Have you got room for one more body? I can bring - 5-string acoustic Ibanez EW205WNE 5-string fanned fret headless Ibanez EHB1265MS 5-string Hohner active cricket bat Home brew Eminence neo 10" in cab *2 Home brew briefcase combo Battery powered amps (and batteries) Vong variable HPF,LPF & DI David

Yes, that's the plan. Most of my busking is done on 240v from street furniture or battery power packs provided by the event organisers. For those I would use the Meanwell power supply. Where there is no 240v supply I would need a little under 2 × 7AHr batteries to run for the 5 hour set. For open mic nights, and / or Victorian pubs where the only power socket is on the wrong side of a gangway, I can play for a couple of hours on one battery. For 'acoustic' rehearsals and the like, the smaller amp and battery will reduce the weight by about a third. David

And finally, fully assembled, the slightly briefer briefcase:

If your band has a drummer, then your target is to be loud enough to be heard alongside him/her. If they can play quieter for rehearsals then one of the Elf/Gnome etc heads should be enough. If not, then you probably need the same wattage as your performance rig, and wear earplugs. David

Two more pictures: The back of the cab, with the amp connectors in the recess and the power connectors besides the battery compartment access. Amp and battery options - Top left: 90w per speaker Kenwood car amplifier Top right: 7AHr battery with fuse and one way only plug Middle right: Meanwell 12v 5A mains power supply. Bottom left: 15w per speaker ebay amplifier for home practice or 'jamming with a friend' - work in progress. Bottom right: 2.3AHr battery to power the smaller amp, giving a reduced weight rig for travelling - also a work in progress. David