Shaggy

[quote name='Clarky' post='311299' date='Oct 21 2008, 01:47 PM']like this? [attachment=15052:sid_vicious.jpg][/quote] That's the one. Say what you like about him as a bassist or as a person, he was pure rock n' roll.

White with black p/g and maple neck? There’s an iconic pic (in fact so iconic I can’t find it!) from the American tour of him on stage after some member of the audience had decked him right on the nose. Blood all down his front, all over the bass, but he’s still sneering that defiant “Sid” sneer. Rather like Hendrix’s flambéed Strat, it would probably be worth ten times as much with the bloodstains.

[quote name='dmz' post='310815' date='Oct 20 2008, 09:39 PM']Indeed my first ever gig was the Stranglers at the Glasgow Apollo - Black and White album - 1979 ? ( with strippers !)[/quote] Snap - but Cambridge Corn Exchange! Great gig. Who's on vocals/guitar now?

[quote name='dood' post='310485' date='Oct 20 2008, 03:02 PM']Smaaaart! Do you have a linky to the auction/ebay shop?[/quote] Here - [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Single-24cm-LED-Waterproof-Aquarium-Moonlight-Fish-Tank_W0QQitemZ200264472859QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200264472859&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Single-24cm-LED-Wate...id=p3911.c0.m14[/url] Sorry - couldn't figure how to shorten it! - same item & seller, this one's £6.99 with 45 min to go Similar LED lighting kits for car interiors at eg; Halfords, but you'd need to connect the lighter socket plug to a 12V DC adapter

After getting fed up of fumbling on darkened stages I thought I’d go for a rack light, but had (a) no money for one and ( no rack space! Figured all I needed was a couple of stick-on LED’s at the top/front edge of the rack. On t’bay I found a brand-new 24 blue LED strip intended for night illumination of aquariums – neatly sealed in silicone to be waterproof - with integral 12V DC adapter - £9 posted. Very slim; only about 1 cm profile with LED’s upright, or 0.5cm with the LED’s on their side. Fitted it last week in a hurry for this last weekends gigs, so just siliconed it behind a bit of “L” section wooden beading, glued the beading to the top/front edge of the rack (just out of the way of the front cover) and painted the front of it matt black so it’s pretty much invisible. Better would be a nice polished alu mount that could slide in and out. Or I could even buy a rack light…… Did look very nifty on stage, better than the fuzzy pics suggest.

Fastest most hassle-free deal on this forum ever with Phil - clearly a great guy and knows his bass.

Thanks for that Thunderhead - an imminent visit to my tech methinks! That info should really be pinned for posterity somewhere NB; I confess to being the idiot doing the silver paper/fuse thing, just once, just to get me though a gig! :wub: .

[quote name='Thunderhead' post='308357' date='Oct 17 2008, 09:00 AM']That's a completely different thing - although it was designed as a bass amp and can still be used as one (for a very specific, old-fashioned sound at pretty low volume) it's really a guitar amp nowadays, and is highly desirable for that. Even then it sounds like too much money. A 70s Bassman 100 head is worth, as Hamster posted, about £300 to £400 - possibly a little more if in fully overhauled and excellent cosmetic condition, but no more than £500 even for the very best example. This makes them among the best value for money valve bass amps. £80 sounds a little low to replace all the valves - there are four 6L6s and three 12AX7/12AT7s, although you almost certainly don't need to replace them all. In particular, do NOT replace the preamp valves unless they are faulty - the original US-made ones can very well be in perfect working order even now and will sound better than any new-production ones. The same even applies to the power valves if the amp has not been used that much, although they do wear out somewhat faster - but again, original US-made 6L6s outperform and outlast any more recent versions. It's a complete myth that valves need replacing 'regularly' - they don't unless the amp is being used VERY regularly. But, if the amp is a '77 and has never been overhauled, you should budget for replacing the filter caps since they will be at the end of their life expectancy and could fail without warning. Electrolytic capacitors DO degrade simply with age, and actually worse if the amp has not been used regularly than if it has. Even if they don't fail, you will get better performance from the amp with new ones (especially for bass - some guitarists like the sound of tired caps). You need to replace all the caps in the tray under the chassis, the bias cap on the little board near the power light, and if you're being really thorough, all the preamp cathode caps on the main board. Don't replace any non-electrolytic caps unless they're failing. This job is about £100-worth too. The resistors that need replacing are most likely the power tube screen resistors, and it's a good idea to at least check the power tube grid stopper resistors while you're at it (these are the smaller ones under the screen resistors and easier to get at when those are out) since these can also crack with the heat from the valve over time and if one fails you will blow the valve. If in any doubt, replace them. Use modern metal-film, metal-oxide or wirewound resistors for the screen resistors and metal-film or carbon-film for the grid stoppers - these are much less prone to heat damage than the original carbon-comp type. Changing them does not affect the tone in this location. Hope that helps! (I do this sort of work professionally by the way.)[/quote] Stonkingly good advice which I wish I’d known years ago. Just to confirm your observation on pre-amp valves; one of the three in my late ‘70’s Bassman 135 is “Fender” branded and so probably original, and the other two Mullards which I don’t think have been made for donkeys’ years – still going strong. So how would you know if the non-valve components were starting to fail (capacitors etc) – how would it affect the sound / operation of the amp?

[quote name='Geek99' post='308330' date='Oct 17 2008, 07:38 AM']very interesting, where did you get the copper shielding? I know you can get shielding paint from Maplin. My jazz is quite noisy.[/quote] I got mine from Allparts - comes as a self-adhesive sheet or roll; very "Blue Peter"! And like hamster said it should be earthed, the jack socket outer pole or bridge earthing wire is handy to connect to. I couln't get the paint at Maplins except the stuff you repair car rear windscreen heater elements with - that the one?

[quote name='molan' post='307873' date='Oct 16 2008, 01:53 PM']My valve tech called me last night and said that he removed each valve. cleaned all the contacts and put some sort of contact grease stuff on them & says it sounds much better just doing this - he's testing to make sure there's nothing else wrong but is recommending I try it again with just the overall clean up & service carried out. Worth trying anyway [/quote] Ha! To borrow a favourite phrase of the missus; told you so!

He's playing an Ovation Magnum 1 on that track and that's all I know!

Carlsbro Stingray - my first “proper” amp (head & 4x12), circa 1978, complete with red "fart" button (it worked). How I gloated over it, and the name sounded a bit like "Marlboro" so had to be cool. No idea if it was any good, I was playing a Columbus Jazz copy through it that would have made a pro rig sound naff. Sold it to the keyboard player.

Of the T’bird type basses out there around that price, definitely my choice would be the Spector Rex (/Rex Brown) – especially in the “holoflash” finish like the pic. There was a 2nd hand 5-string recently in a local music shop for £350, sweet player and sounded v "rock" but with a modern “hi-fi” edge to it too. Stretching to £500 or so you might even get lucky and pick up an old unloved genuine Gibson RD or RD Artist, which have a more rounded T’bird shape and 2+2 headstock. These were Gibson’s top of the line bass in their day (late ‘70’s / early 80’s), but never really caught on mainly due to weight and complex Moog electrics, and as they’re so unknown these days can sometimes be had cheap. Not especially neck-heavy, just …… [b]heavy[/b]. Heavier than anything you’ve ever played. But the sound is worth it, massive and brutal - love mine, just swap to the Rick now and again to rest the back...... :wacko:

[quote name='4000' post='305071' date='Oct 12 2008, 10:14 PM']Seriously, my 72 (which also has walnut wings) is my most treasured position. It's the standard by which everything else is judged, my favourite sounding bass that I've ever played.[/quote] That is one [b]stunning[/b] 4001 – I’ll have to steal it before Bassassin does! Out of interest though - what are the two little screws between the bridge and treble p/u for?

Bit of compression helps too!

Briefly lived just down the road from there (Angus St) - good venue

[quote name='Clarky' post='302013' date='Oct 8 2008, 11:22 AM']Spooky, I just thought that and had saved the very same pic of Phil LYnott from google images to post on here Are you me by any chance?[/quote] Jeez, I don't think so..........are you crap at dancing and do you collect obscure tankards? Also you do seem to have some of my basses, including a Rick - Thinking of putting a mirror guard on that in fact (Jetglo with knackered white p/g) But where are my others, eh?

2 slick deals with Mr eubassix within a week – new set of DR strings and a Korg Pandora PX4B. Top guy, sent the stuff quicker than probably anyone I’ve ever dealt with, and remained stubbornly good-humoured in the face of my obsessive/compulsive tendency to haggle (see market scene of [i]Life of Brian[/i]; “[i]what, ten dinarii for this fine gourd, me with fifteen children to feed[/i]”…...etc etc) Deal with in confidence, plus he gets lots of goodies from shows (which I can never be bothered to go to)

+1 on BWB, but a mirror guard is so cool .......

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='300220' date='Oct 5 2008, 11:30 PM']I have a 1984 BC Rich Eagle that has the P/P configuration and it sounds fantastic! Admittedly, the pick ups are nice old vintage DiMarzios but nevertheless, I think there's a lot to be said for that configuration. In this particular case, there is one volume pot for each pick up and one master tone control.. Oh, and it's passive. There are no buzz or humming issues and you can blend the levels of the pick ups any which way you like.. Very simple to use and very versatile.[/quote] +1 on the Eagle – BC Riches are considered pointy “metal” basses now, but back in the late ‘70’s / early ‘80’s they were in the same league as Alembic, making hand-made boutique instruments, with custom electronics. The P at the bridge definitely gives more punch than a J. I thought they were all active though! (switchable to passive) I’m sure there were some other ‘80’s basses that were P / P – Kramer or Westone maybe??? Would be a good DIY project on a cheap P-bass.

You have to try both ways and see what feels most natural, especially playing continuously for an hour or so. My left-handed son (13) has just started on bass, and immediately went for playing right handed, I didn't push him either way Personally I'm thinking of getting a left-handed Wal and playing it upside down as they're the only remotely affordable ones I ever see!