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Obrienp

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Everything posted by Obrienp

  1. Gregor in the Bass the World video said that the Satellite bass would look really good with a big humbucker in place of the precision pickup set. I guess he thought more in keeping with the 60s bass vibe. Anyway, that has been eating away at the back of my mind and I happened to have a DiMarzio DP145 Will Power in my last remaining long scale bass (a three pickup bitsa I put together). Long story short, I decided to try Gregor’s idea. It meant making a new scratchplate to accommodate the different pickup up shape, which was a challenge but it’s done now. Result in the pictures below. I think it looks the business and it sounds immense without being too muddy. I wired it up with a DPDT switch to give a coil tap option. Tapped it sounds a bit like a Jazz front pickup but not quite as woody. I’m pleased with the result. I may leave it this way.
  2. Funny, quite the opposite for me. 38mm much preferred but we are all different.
  3. Interesting. Of course, a Squier Sonic Bronco costs less than £170 (new, less used) and that gives you a neck and a Mustang-alike body. However, this neck may be better quality.
  4. Unfortunately, I can’t manage a full scale Rickie these days: the necks are too wide and the overall weight is too great (even the rare walnut ones), so that severely limits choice. The old 3000 series SS look like proper shorties, although they were not a shrunk down 4000 series, which is what would have appealed to me about 4030. However, I’m sure I could get my local luthier to make me a custom Rick-alike shortie, or even have a go at it myself, for much less than the 4030s are likely to sell for.
  5. The 90th Anniversary semi short scales (was it 4005?) seem to sell for over £4K, so the pricing doesn’t surprise me. The semis might arguably be a better attempt at an SS bass. I doubt Rickenbacker will have any trouble selling the 4030s though, even at that money. I guess it is supply and demand; limited run and no doubt they will at least hold their value, if not appreciate. I would still love to own a Rickenbacker but that sort of money puts it well out of range, even if it were a perfectly designed and executed short scale. Shame.
  6. Played a gig at the Glaven Bistro at Glandford near Holt yesterday evening with Bandwidth (covers and originals). This is our third gig there. Unfortunately our keyboard player had a lurgie and couldn’t make it. TBH I don’t know how we managed to fit all 5 of us into the available space before. It felt cramped last night. Essentially we get the space against the wall half way down a very long converted barn. Hard walls and floor, straight up to the roof. Acoustics are tricky and I wasn’t happy with my sound all evening but apparently the overall band sound was good out front. It is very intimate, with the dinners literally a couple of feet away and I always wonder if we are an appropriate act. Smooth jazz or lounge music might be more appropriate but we always get a great reception. I guess we are people of a certain age, playing music for people of a certain age 😏. We got lots of praise from the punters and another invitation to return early next year, plus the possibility of playing for a Christmas party to celebrate their 2 year anniversary. Lovely people who looked after us as always. Free coffees to start and bowls of chips during our break. Home by 10pm (result)! Sorry no pics yet. Gear: Guild Starfire 1 and Sire U5 fretless, Bass Flyrig 2 into Harley-Benton GPA-100 power amp (and the PA), LFSys Monza sitting on Auralex isolator. Black suede desert boots.
  7. Just echoing what most other people have said: how lame can you get Rickenbacker? They had an opportunity to come up with something that would tick all the short scale boxes: less reach, smaller lighter body (important for Rickies), pickups in the sweet spot (but still different fundamentals from the scale), etc. it could have been a Rickenbacker for players who hanker after one but can’t handle the size and weight of the standard offerings. They could even have taken the opportunity to fix some of the other shortcomings like the bridge/intonation and the sharp edges! Opportunity lost IMO!
  8. It’s usually the way with short scale variants unfortunately. The same way that fretless versions tend to cost more than fretted. Less is more…. Cash in this case.
  9. Are they going to be coming to the UK I wonder. Also what kind of premium for short scale?
  10. Reading through this I have gained the impression that you won’t get full power out of most power amps using pedal preamps, because their (preamps’) output is insufficient. However, there are some power amps on the market specifically aimed at pedals, modellers and preamps for guitarists/bassists. Examples being the GRBass Pure, Seymour Duncan Power Stage series, Harley Benton GPA-100, Fryette Power Station, etc. Are these not designed to match the output levels of typical pedal preamps? If not, their marketing promises are very misleading. Personal experience of using the (cheap as chips) Harley Benton GPA-100, is that I seem to be getting the full oomph out of it driven by my Bass Flyrig II into an LFSys Monza. The Monza does seem to have great sensitivity, which may explain some of the apparent volume I get from it. It works fine as a combo for rehearsals and coffee shop/bistro type gigs (our drummer uses an electronic kit, so can be turned down). This positive experience had encouraged me to consider a more powerful (and expensive) preamp like the Palmer Macht 402, or even the GRBass Pure. Reading this thread has made me question whether I might be very disappointed with the resulting output. Any thoughts?
  11. Have to agree with @Wolverinebass and @Phil Starr : my two Monzas seem perfectly stable stacked and the corners do interlock. However, we all have different standards for these things and perhaps a heavy head makes the OEM setup feel more precarious. I have had issues with the rubber feet on my BF Two10, I think caused by over enthusiastic helpers dragging it out of the van at a gig. Basically one foot was torn out of the wood and another bent at an angle. I had to remove the remaining feet to play the gig. Fortunately I had my isolator pad with me so there was no damage to the tolex as a result. The mounting holes needed a little filler repair in order to replace the feet. Not the end of the world but it would be better to have them mounted into captive nuts IMO. I understand why manufacturers don’t do this, as it would add cost and time to the build. Interlocking corners seem to be a good low cost solution.
  12. Have you thought about a two channel amp with independent EQ? Most of these have a footswitch control for channel switching.
  13. Absolutely no connection with the seller but there is this in the BC listings: I have a Maruszczyk Elwood 4a 32”” and I can safely say it is the best playing bass I have ever owned. This price looks like a bargain. I have several medium scales now. One problem is the limited range of strings available for genuine medium scales but some people say they do fine using full scale strings. I happen to like D’Addario nickel rounds and chrome flats, so I am catered for at reasonable prices for medium scale strings but if you prefer other brands, their medium scale strings can be hard to find and seem to command a price premium over standard scale. BTW: Gretsch now do a medium scale for around £500. There is also the Hartwood Satellite for £199 (Gear4Music), if you like slightly off the wall designs. I also picked up an 80s Greco P/J for just over £200. Various similar Yamahas, Arias, etc come up occasionally for much less than your £1K max. Happy hunting! P.S. Warwick do a few medium scale variants including the Star Bass that comes in under £1K.
  14. I would refer that one to @agedhorse. Perhaps worth starting a thread in Technical and Repairs.
  15. Many thanks for the advice: @Joe Nation, @PaulThePlug and @MartinB. When I googled a scroll saw, it came up with electric bench tools starting from around £100. I’m tempted, simply because it looks like a handy tool to have but it does somewhat inflate the cost of making the scratchplate. I think I could get a custom plate made for around £50. I’m just wondering how many times I’m going to want to do this and whether it is worth the investment. Otherwise I guess a coping saw with a fine tooth blade would fit the bill.
  16. Reviving this thread as I am contemplating making a replacement for the massive oval scratchplate on my Hartwood Satellite (https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Hartwood-Satellite-Bass-Guitar-Metallic-Blue/6TIG?origin=product-ads&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22258054978&gbraid=0AAAAAD_kjLRZrTmqxuNITBkj63RrM5LPQ&gclid=Cj0KCQjw267GBhCSARIsAOjVJ4EhqfQLPBb9Mn9Rcrr-nD8s_SwO4igob7SJTID7XJOdCy7ekpJS1tUaAhrREALw_wcB). Gregor from Bass the World reckoned a big mudbucker style humbucker would look and sound really great in it. I happen to have a D’Addario DP145 Will Power that I want to try in it but I want to make it a reversible mod, so want to cut an appropriate replacement scratchplate, rather than messing with the original. I was wondering what electric jigsaw blade people are using to cut the shape? Is one available for acrylic type plastics? Has any body tried a tile cutter blade, or would that be a bad idea? I need to find an oversized blank as the Satellite’s scratchplate is 48cm long! Any suggested sources?
  17. Is the EQ section passive? The way the numbers are arranged on the controls would suggest it is.
  18. My experience with the two band EQ Ibby preamp is that it is horrible! Far too aggressive and it will amp up any single coil buzz. Shielding always helps with jazz pickups but I reckon it is worth spending about £100 on a Glockenlang two band replacement. It is much more civilised, transparent, has a passive mode, is pre-wired and is pretty well a drop in replacement for the Ibby OEM junk. Otherwise go passive but by the time you have bought 4 decent pots, caps, etc and paid to have them wired up, you will be well on your way to the price of a Glockenlang preamp. Other two band replacement preamps are available of course.
  19. You guys are making me feel even older! 70 this year and I don’t remember whether we had Vim in Oz back then. Probably had another name if we did.
  20. No probs here and they stock stuff you can’t buy in the UK. They are not the cheapest for everything but normally very competitive.
  21. Looks good and you don’t have to shield it as it is already conductive. Just need a couple of bits of conductive tape from the graphite paint in the control cavity to a screw hole on either side and you should have really good shielding. 👍
  22. Think I would be inclined to plug those holes with short lengths of toothpick and wood glue. It won’t make them entirely invisible but they won’t be quite that obvious. P.S. Those Gotohs must have cost about half what the bass cost!
  23. Thanks for the reassurance. I’ve basically been doing that for more than 3 years. Unfortunately, he seems to be moving in the opposite direction politically but that is his prerogative. Of course, there is always the possibility that he is right and I am wrong🤔. As far as I am aware he doesn’t actually participate in physical acts against immigrants. I think that might be my red line.
  24. Just came across this thread and it is actually a situation I have on my mind. No names, no pack drills: a bandmate in one of the bands I play in expresses very anti-immigrant views, given the chance. He is a radical Reform supporter and reposts some really poorly researched, utterly false claims on Facebook. He seems to be a sucker for far-right conspiracy theory. I am OK with people holding opposing views to me but I lose sympathy when they are based on the most transparent misinformation and involve little to no critical thinking. Trouble is, this apart, he is a really nice person. The only person in the band who expressed any real concern, or interest when I was in hospital for 10 days a couple of years ago. The only person who visited me at home, to see how I was doing, once I was discharged. He is also very generous and willing to help friends out. I can’t reconcile his political views with the rest of his character. I think he has realised that I don’t share his views (I am not sure about the others, equally divided I suspect). Consequently, we just don’t discuss politics at all in the band. I once pointed out to him that, although I hold British nationality, I am a dual national and an immigrant myself, as is my other half. Apparently, that doesn’t count. I suspect because we are both white and not Muslim. Apart from that instance, subjects that could cause contention are avoided and I never acknowledge, or mention his Facebook posts. Am I being a coward, should I leave the band on principle, or is this respecting other peoples’ right to hold opposing views? I am inclined towards the latter position: there is too much polarisation in our society. However, it still troubles me.
  25. All this talk of GR Bass gear made me look at Bass Direct. Now I’ve seen the Dual 800 head I have serious GAS. Wow! What a lot of bang for the buck! Returning to the subject in hand. The One 350 does seem to be a good fit for @andyhaines requirements and much better value for money than the Mini One, which is only about £70 less but has much fewer features. I guess the only reason you would choose the Mini over the One 350, is if you absolutely needed to fit it in a gig bag pocket but then it is a lot more expensive than the Gnome, Elf, BAM, etc.
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