Paul S

The old Westone Thunder active basses used to have a tone knob that worked whether active or passive. Great feature. I am sure the Westone info pages would have a link to the wiring diagram. Page is here: [url="http://www.westone.info/wiring.html"]http://www.westone.info/wiring.html[/url]

I have learnt a few things. The three main things being: Being in 3 bands was too many for me, so I left one. I should have done it years ago, really. I learnt that not only can I get on with (some) 5 string basses, I actually prefer them. Didn't see that one coming. The most important thing I learnt was that being willing to compromise more has not resulted in my willy getting smaller, as I had always previously believed. As a result I am happier in the band.

Well, you nudged me along a bit in the right direction! I've ordered a set now from GAK, out of stock currently but I'm in no hurry. £185 for a pair, which is some way cheaper than anywhere else. Mind you anywhere else could justifiably say that when they haven't got them they are also £185

Heard back from the man at Aguilar [size=4]'[font=Calibri, sans-serif]The DCB G3 would be an excellent choice for your bass. You are correct that the G3 will be an exact fit. Since the bar magnet runs the entire length of the pickup, it will work fine'[/font] [font=Calibri, sans-serif]Perfect![/font][/size]

[quote name='Chris Sharman' timestamp='1482105375' post='3197736'] I use TI Jazz flats on my fretless Westone Thunder and love the sound. [/quote] Best value for money fretless out there, imo. Really gorgeous tone.

Possibly a bit 'belt and braces' but if I am shipping a bass abroad, not shipping with a hard case or using anything longer than an overnight service I will endeavour to double box it, with a layer of padding between the boxes. Within the UK I would always use Interparcel, and usually use their UPS next day service. Cost will depend largely upon insurance you take out ie value of the bass but somewhere around £20-£25 for a sub- £500 bass.

A bit like 'lipstick' can have anything inside it, as I found out when I asked some while back! Yes, some notional reading around told me that. The Aguilars say they have ceramic bar magnets, which implies they should work across the whole width but, just to be sure, a bit earlier I shot off an email to the Aguilar tech people so they will hopefully be able to give me a definitive answer. They are not cheap to buy without absolute certainty they will do the job!

That is the exact answer I was hoping for! Thank you.

A while back I bought a Hohner B2V that wasn't working properly by way of an introduction into the world of 5ers. Someone had converted it at some point from passive to active and I have now put it back to passive as I prefer passive basses. I now like everything about it apart from the tone, which hasn't changed a great deal going from active to passive, so I am considering changing the pickups to something better or, at least, more to my liking. It is currently sporting Duncan Designed EMG type pickups that are small! EMG35 sized, even though it is a 5er - it has very narrow string spacing. However, all the 5 string soapbars I look at are bigger! And yet these current ones work just fine. So this is the daft question - is a soapbar pickup capable of working equally well with a 4 string or 5 string bass? So if I bought, for example, an Aguilar DCB G3 4 string set, which are the same size as the EMG35 shells on my current pups, would they work? My guess is that they must do, otherwise it wouldn't work properly at the moment, but that comes from a position of not knowing anything Muchas gracias!

[quote name='itsmedunc' timestamp='1481946911' post='3196496'] I've got 2 bulldogs, 2 Boston terriers and the wife snoring away next to me on the settee. Sleep is not happening. There must be some more beer somewhere... [/quote] There's your problem, Dunc. Try sleeping on the bed with everyone, not the settee. Should be more comfortable.

What about a Yamaha?

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1481790272' post='3195094'] If looking at hard cases Hiscox always get my vote. [/quote] Hiscox are great. Also the SKB fitted ones - not so much potential for moving about inside.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1481735095' post='3194707'] When John Lennon was asked if he considered Ringo the best drummer in the world. His response was "He's not even the best drummer in the Beatles!" But they still kept him. [/quote] He didn't, as it happens - that is an urban myth.

I've had a selection of Precisions and a few short scale Fenders - A 70s Fender Musicmaster, a Squier Vista Series Musicmaster and a Squier VM Mustang. None of the s/s Fenders sounded like Precisions, they sounded like their own thing. For example the Musicmaster I had modded with a Precision Wizard Thumper pickup in it - it ended up sounding like a Mustang, not a Precision. However, I would say that all three of them were pretty aggressive in tone in a way that the Precisions aren't. Here is some early Average White Band with, unusually, Hamish on bass using a Mustang - this is what they sound like, even the Squiers. http://youtu.be/bSq93Hsn0Bg For my money the Squier VM Mustang was the nicest instrument out of the three to play - it was the lightest and had the slimmest neck - and had the best tone. It was also the cheapest!

Linky here: [url="http://www.westone.info/indexbasses.html"]http://www.westone.info/indexbasses.html[/url]

As far as celebrity death goes, for me (and perhaps others) there is also an element of introspection. Certain people - whether through music, film or TV - become part of the framework of your existence. You don't know them as you would a family member or friend but you still kind of form attachments to them, a sort of fondness, almost as if you did somehow know them. When they die they no longer touch your life in the same way and so that part of your life has passed. As you get older the number of those people will have got older and start dying off in greater numbers. Therefore you are reminded that the end of your own life is approaching ever nearer. I expect the '2017 - what a crap year' posts to be even greater. People I don't know or don't like are another matter.

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1481625387' post='3193745'] I'd of done the same thing [/quote] That doesn't make it any more acceptable as far as I can see. Just means there are two people on Basschat who are happy to commit a crime with, IMO, very little justification, not one.

You could do worse than ask the same question on the Westone guitars forum. [url="http://westone.netboarder.com/"]http://westone.netboarder.com/[/url] But I suspect you'll need a custom one.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1481615394' post='3193650'] There's only one answer to this. I'm as loud as the rest of the band. In practice that means being as loud as the drums. [/quote] [quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1481621616' post='3193715'] I turn my amp up as high as is needed, the numbers mean nothing. [/quote] This.

[quote name='Bassman Sam' timestamp='1481564008' post='3193327'] While they were on stage, we ran up a 350 quid bar bill, saying that they would settle it as they had the control of the money then we legged it. We had already been paid by them. [/quote] That is pretty shabby behaviour in my book. Criminal behaviour, in fact - I mean that literally as you were lucky not to get nicked over it. Shows we all have a different moral compass, I guess, if you are boasting about it on the internet.

I have a Sterling 5 - a particularly lightweight one became available on here. The build quality is fantastic. I used to have a Ray SB14, which was extremely good for the money, but the Sterling is a level or two better. 5 string with Ultralite tuners it weighs 3.9kg, so just around 8.6lbs. Neck is 43mm at the nut. The only thing I wasn't happy about was the sound in as much as I am basically a Precision bass person but couldn't get a Precision tone out of it. Precision 5s are too heavy and the neck too wide, so having a P pickup put into this was the obvious answer. And I had it changed to passive, which I prefer. Now I couldn't be more pleased with it.

I saw Los Pacaminos last Thursday at The Borderline in London. I've seen them several times, this was possibly the best they have been. Always loads of fun and, actually, Paul Young is looking fit and sounding good! Jamie Moses is a true star, though - effortlessly tasteful guitar playing all night. Support was a kind of country act called Sarah Vista - great image, great sound but quickly ran out of strong material. My first time at The Borderline - I'd definitely go again, nice atmosphere, good sound. Stood on the raised bit at the back by the sound man and could see all night as well. Easy transport links from SE Essex, nice Mexican food at Chipotle just over the road - good night all round.