Bottle

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1020630' date='Nov 11 2010, 08:09 PM']May I just add how generous Clarky, Bassmanandy and Silddx are? Love this place sometimes. Truckstop[/quote] [quote name='silverfoxnik' post='1020633' date='Nov 11 2010, 08:10 PM']+1 Absolutely! It's one of the things that makes the Bass Bashes so brilliant...[/quote] Can I add my thanks to everyone that's putting stuff into the draw - good on yer, guys. This'll be my third 'bash, I'm sooo looking forward to it! Ian PS Likely to be bringing my Ibby as well as the P-Special now

[quote name='Wil' post='1017838' date='Nov 9 2010, 04:50 PM']Hideous. Probably very comfortable, but... yuck.[/quote] Oh......my What have they done there? That lower horn just looks......wrong, kinda like a candle that's been left in sunshine and has all melted and 'flopped' Hmmmm, there's a new name - the Ibanez 'Mr. Floppy' Ian

Last few in the build Ian

More piccies Ian

Fuzzy Elephant build diary (Woolly Mammoth clone) Please PM me for the schem and stripboard layout HTH, Ian

More gear photos - amp rack Ian

OK, This is now evolving into a general gear and build thread - I've had several requests for info on the Woolly Mammoth build HTH, Ian Gear List (Copied from old signature) Basses - Squier Precision Special - Walnut (Tuned ADGC!!) | Ibanez GSR180 - Black/Tobacco grainburst (Tuned EADG) (Modified S1) Amplification (Gigs) - Gallien-Krueger MB[sup]2[/sup]-500 > EBS Proline 410 (4x10), EBS Proline 300 (1x15) Amplification (Rack) - ProSound PS1000 Amp, ProSound PS12 (1x12) PA Cab x2, Behringer Ultra-Comp 2ch compressor, Ultra-X 2-way crossover (with sub out) Amplification (Practice) - Line6 Lowdown 110 > DI > M-Audio FastTrackPro > Toshiba A20 Satellite laptop Pedal Stuff - Boss TU-2 > SansAmp Para Driver DI Old Pedal Stuff - Boss ODB-3 > Woolly Mammoth clone > Digitech Bass Synth Wah envelope filter

I'd certainly second (or third) the suggestions put forward already, and have a go at one of the Veroboard layouts first, and always get more components than you need (double up on all the cheap stuff like resistors, caps and stuff like that). Also have some spare, clean stripboard to practice on first, especially if you've never used it. Sharp scalpel/craft knife or small drillbit is essential for making clean, complete track-breaks (practice those too, and check with a continuity tester to make absolutely sure you've broken the track). Some emory paper is really useful for cleaning up older stripboard which might have oxidised. A good soldering iron and good quality solder. Side-cutters and wire-strippers (I used to use my teeth to strip wire until my dentist told me to stop - smart man). Maplins can sort you out with all the basic parts, tools and boxes you'll need. My first stompbox was a Woolly Mammoth clone. Not difficult to build. After that, and if you're happy with the results, you could look at building some clone stompboxes (try [url="http://diystompboxcom.1a-shops.eu/"]DIY Stompbox[/url] or [url="http://www.beavisaudio.com/"]Beavis Audio[/url]) HTH, Ian

3Leaf Audio Groove Regulator - 4 Adrenalinn II - 1 Aguilar Agro - 1 Aguilar Octamizer - 1 Akai Unibass - 1 AMT Slap Bass -1 Ashdown Chorus - 1 Ashdown Drive Plus - 2 Asdown dual band compressor - 2 Ashdown sub octave plus - 1 Barge Concepts VFB-2 - 2 Behringer BDI21 - 2 Behringer chorus - 1 Boomstick Bottom Feeder - 1 Boss CE-2 - 3 Boss CEB3 - 1 Boss DD-20 - 3 Boss DS-1 - 1 Boss LS-2 - 6 Boss ME-8B - 1 Boss OC-2 - 9 Boss OC-3 - 1 [b]Boss ODB-3 - 5[/b] - don't really like it, probably gonna sell it now I've got the SansAmp Boss PS-3 - 1 Boss PW-10 - 1 Boss SD-1 - 1 Boss SL-20 -2 Boss SYB 3 - 2 [b]Boss TU2 - 10[/b] Boss TU-12H - 1 Boss chorus ensemble CE-5 - 2 Bugbrand Bugcrusher - 1 Catalinbread SFT (clone) - 1 Catalinbread Teaser Stallion - 1 Chunk Systems Octavius Squeezer - 1 Danelectro French Toast - 2 Demeter opto comp - 1 Devi Ever Hyperion - 1 Devi Ever Cherry Pop - 1 Devi Ever SodaMeiser - 1 Digitech Bad Monkey - 1 [b]Digitech Bass Synth Wah - 1[/b] - don't like this one either! Digitech Whammy - 4 Dunlop Bass Cry Baby - 3 DHA VT2 - 3 EBS Octabass - 3 EBS Multicomp - 3 EBS Dynaverb - 1 EHX Memory Man with Hazarai - 1 EBS Unichorus - 1 EHX Bass Balls - 1 EHX Bass Big Muff - 1 EHX Bass Metaphors - 1 EHX Bass Micro Synth - 4 EHX Big Muff Pi (Black Russian) - 2 EHX HOG - 1 EHX Octave Multiplexer - 1 EHX POG2 - 1 EHX Small Clone - 1 EHX Small Stone Nano - 2 EHX Small Stone (Black Russian) - 1 EHX Qtron - 1 EHX Qtron+ - 3 Ernie Ball VP-Jr - 1 Fishman Platinum Pro EQ -1 FuzzHugger ABsynth - 1 Guyatone MD-3 delay - 1 Guyatone PS-3 Phase Shifter - 1 HBE Psilocybe -1 Ibanez PD7 Phat-Hed Bass Overdrive - 2 Ibanez SB 7 - 1 Ibanez WD7 Weeping Demon - 1 Korg DT-10 - 1 Korg Pitchblack - 3 Line 6 M9 - 2 Line 6 Bass Pod XT Live - 1 Line 6 DL4 - 2 Line6 FM4 - 1 Maestro Brassmaster (clone) -1 MarkBass Super Synth - 1 Marshall Guv'nor (MK1) - 1 Marshall Jackhammer - 2 Marshall Echohead - 1 Marshall Regenerator - 1 Maxon CP9+ - 1 Mellowtone Clean Chan Dirty Chan - 1 Mojo Hand Cream Pie - 1 Moog MF-101 - 3 Moog MF-102 - 1 Moog MF-105b - 1 Moog MF-107 - 2 Moog MP-201 - 1 Mr Zinky Master Blaster - 1 MXR Blowtorch - 3 MXR M-80 DI+ - 5 MXR Super Comp - 1 ProCo Tubro Rat - 2 Radial Bassbone - 1 Radial bishot io - 1 Rocktron Cyborg Reverb - 1 Sansamp Bddi - 6 [b]SansAmp Para-driver - 1[/b] Seymour Duncan Tweak Fuzz - 1 SFX Micro Fuzz - 1 SFX S&M - 1 Subdecay Noise Box - 1 TC Electronics PolyTune - 2 TC Electronics Nova Modulator - 1 Tech 21 VT Bass - 2 Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe - 3 Toadworks Mr Squishy - 1 Way huge swollen pickle - 1 Yamaha OD-10 - 1 [b]Z.Vex Woolly Mammoth - 4[/b] - although, mine's a homebuilt DIY clone Z.Vex Mastotron - 1 Z.Vex Wah Probe - 1

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1016103' date='Nov 8 2010, 10:27 AM']I guess if you're in church and you screw up you will be forgiven.[/quote] Hehehe, although it's better not screw up in the first place! I have a lot of grace with my fellow musicians - we can all have a laff about it later Had a doozie last week, at a student event our church was hosting. One of our guitarists couldn't make it, so I had to double up on one of the guitar parts on one song and play the intro (bearing in mind that with this particular song I generally only play on the root note), so I had about ten minutes to learn how to play the intro before we started - guess I needed a bit longer . Plus with no drummer (just me, an acoustic guitar player and a singer), I had to set the pace and I couldn't get that bit right either . Still, the students all got behind me and started clapping the beat and we just went from there. Worked out in the end. Just hope we don't do the same song tomorrow night Ian

I do use a couple of cheap 'Maplin Special' 1x12's in my rig, but usually paired up to get the most from the amp (if I'm using them on their own). Mostly, I'm using them as part of a bigger rig to handle some of the mids/highs from the 'grit' side of the rig. Still, seems to work OK (but a real bastard to shift everything around, so they don't go out to play very often) HTH, Ian

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1016092' date='Nov 8 2010, 10:13 AM']The serious band carries on playing as if nothing untoward ever happened. You don't look perplexed, or glare at whoever made the mistake. Just ignore it because on the next beat it will all be history. Also the majority of your audience won't even have noticed it and the few that did will have forgotten all about it before the end of the song.[/quote] I'm really trying with the first one!! Still, I know when I've made a mistake, and the other bassist, who's usually in the congregation, will also smile at me when I've done it! But we encourage each other - us bassists have to stick together, you know! So when she's playing and does a run or a fill that I think is cool, I'll give her a little thumbs-up or something. Amen to the second, it's generally only the musos in the congregation or audience who'll notice a minor error - I know I do. Ian

Don't often have a bad gig - occasionally will screw up an intro or fill or bridge, but generally just gaze at my shoes in shame and get on with it. Half the time the congregation don't even notice. Most times it doesn't bother me. Sometimes, if I know I've made a complete hash of it, afterwards I'll have a chat with the worship leader or another musician that I trust and just go through stuff with them, identify any areas where I could improve i.e. timing and scales etc. Obviously, if you've not practiced or not slept well the night before, then it shows, and a couple of times I've had to phone the other bassist to get them to dep for me or ask them to take over during the set. If I'm playing in the funk jam open-mic night, then it's a bit more complicated, but generally I dig in and keep going - it's all meant to be a learning experience, after all. HTH, Ian

I auditioned the GK against the LMIII and a Genz-Benz Shuttle 3.0. Found the Shuttle the most disappointing of the three (maybe because it wasn't the 6 with the valve pre). The LMIII and the GK were close - and I agonized over the choice (both were a similar price, with similar power output and features), but at the end of the day I just found the GK more user-friendly and easier to get a sound out of it that I liked. The LMIII just felt a little more 'fiddly' if that makes sense, just found it harder to get a sound dialled in with the VLE/VPF controls. I guess also the sound was a little too 'transparent' through the LMIII, maybe a bit 'harsher'. The GK just ticked all the boxes so I ended up taking one away with me! HTH, Ian

Dave I've got one of the older MB2-500's - got it from the Bass Merchant last July, so I've been gigging for about 15 months. Had no issues with it (apart from a sticky 'pad' button - solved that by leaving it permanently engaged ) Paired up with the EBS 4x10 or the 1x15 is fairly monstrous - lots of clean low end. It's a killer amp, very light-weight, fits in my gig-bag pocket with my bass. Worth auditioning one - I'm taking mine to the SE bass bash, so if you wanna have a noodle through it, you're more than welcome!! HTH, Ian

Nice job there, fella Like the pickup arrangement - those MEC pups look the dog's danglies (BTW, is the MM style pup 2-wire or 4-wire i.e. do you have it coil-tapped? Just wondering how easy it would be for me to retro-fit one into a project bass) How are you getting on with the East Pre? Take care. Hope to see you at the SE bash in a few weeks Ian

[quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1009224' date='Nov 2 2010, 01:58 AM']Are those the Roto 66s? I hear they are like hacksaw blades with the teeth up on your fingers.[/quote] Yep, them's the fella's. Worst set of strings I've ever had the displeasure of caressing with my fingers [quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1009224' date='Nov 2 2010, 01:58 AM']I have a set of Roto 45s for my VM-Jaguar when the 7250 Fender NPSs die - which doesn't seem to be happening too fast I think. The Roto 77s I have on my P are what's gonna stay on it until I die. They are over a year old now and make no untoward sounds or have any problems which I can foresee. (now that I've talked about them, they'll break - you betchum!)[/quote] I quite like the Fender strings - my Squier P-special had them on and seemed perfectly OK being downtuned to DGCF. I've put them out to pasture while I'm experimenting with an extreme down-tuning down to ADGC using the bottom four strings from my Hartke 5-string set. [quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1009224' date='Nov 2 2010, 01:58 AM']The English don't seem to make much good wine, but [i]day-um[/i], they can make bass strings![/quote] Hehehehe - having said that, we do a fair line in real ale and cider Ian

[quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1008543' date='Nov 1 2010, 02:04 PM'][font="Comic Sans MS"][color="#FF00FF"][size=4][i]Meow! [/i][/font][/size][/color] I love the kitty fur and it's sure fun to see the look on a guitarist's face when he notices it. I tell them it's an optional extra-charge for those strings and that's how it gets such a mellow tone.[/quote] When I bought my old ATK-305 second-hand, it still had the original Elixirs on it, was strange using that bass for the first time if you're not used to them.. [quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1008543' date='Nov 1 2010, 02:04 PM']Just be sure that if you have Elixir Nanos, or any other coated strings that you don't use any string cleaner that rubs on the strings, as it will break through the coating and it will really fall off. Normal use will make them fuzz-up a little (or a lot if you're aggressive or use a pick) but it never harms the tone or voice of the string AFAICT.[/quote] Good point. In the end, opted to replace them with Rotosound Swing SS strings (not the best choice in retrospect). Has currently got a set of Hartke Bass Attack's on it - seem to be OK. HTH, Ian

My current stable of basses (all two of them) are in different tunings now, so I don't bother to take both, unless I know for definite what tunes I'll be playing, so can choose which bass to take - it's usually the Squier. The Ibby only comes out occasionally for practices and the like. I think if I was gigging regularly with an active bass, then I'd probably take the Ibby as a backup. Miscellaneous spares: ordinarily I take a screwdriver and Allen keys, spare battery, guitar leads, patch cables and spare tuner (Boss TU-88) - it's amazing how many of my fellow muso's tip up without a tuner (guitards mostly). Occasionally will pack a Leatherman Wave as well. DI-wise I have a SansAmp now, so that always comes with me. Usually sits inline with the amp input so my amp/cab is purely for backline/stage monitoring; the effected signal goes straight to the PA desk then. Touch-wood not had a problem with a bass that (1) couldn't be sorted straight away with the spares I carry, or (2) was a show-stopper in any shape or form (i.e. completely deaded, capitan). Guess that's karma set up for me now - next gig'll be the one time it all goes Pete Tong HTH, Ian

After reading Circle's post, I just remembered that my Ibby [i]still[/i] has the [i]original[/i] strings on it - crikey, they must be two-and-a-half years old already, and still sound awesome. Plenty of [i]mojo[/i] left in 'em!!! Just goes to show what a little TLC can do. Body is still in good shape, even after I've drilled some new holes in it - I think it just adds to the character of the bass - [i]roadworn[/i] the old-fanshioned way i.e. by being played and not worried about [i]ding[/i]ing it HTH, Ian

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1007632' date='Oct 31 2010, 06:10 PM']How does the MB with 2x1x12s cope for volume at practices and gigs? That's what I'm tempted to go with. [/quote] Not bad, although the 1x12's are a pair of cheap-ish PA cabs from Maplins - can't really handle a lot of low-end, so usually end up with them crossed-over with the 1x15. Occasionally I'll run 'em clean through the GK at moderate volume if I've got PA support. Good to have as a standby in case I can't lug the EBS cabs around with me. I'm still looking for something to replace them with, all kinds of goodies over in Claber-land HTH, Ian

Just thought I'd add some more comments. Just got my Ibanez GSR-180 back from the guy I'd lent it to...and OMG!!!! I'm blown away by it, all over again. I think not having played it for months, I'd forgotten how bloody good it is (especially after popping in the series/parallel switch). Damn, those are some hot pickups. It kinda puts the Squier in the shade for certain songs that I play. I'm going to have to do some comparison recordings - see what you guys think. Anyway, got back from church this afternoon, and I though I'd stick the full stack back together. Talk about wall-rattlingly good! Just noodling, but there's some serious low end grunt (even with the bass control on the head and SansAmp rolled off). I'm a happy bunny again! Go check 'em out if you're still in the market for one...... HTH, Ian

See the siggie! Seriously, I have two rigs; one based around the Line 6 Lowdown 110, which I use for small gigs, practice, and church events with(out) PA support. I can take either bass, but prefer to use the Ibby, mostly because it's in standard tuning (the Lowdown don't like the low down tuning of the Squier ) The second rig is more modular; based around the GK head, I can use any of my cabs with it - 4x10, 1x15 or 2x 1x12's, or, just for shits 'n' giggles - all of it with the amp-rack in tow. Mostly used for larger Sunday morning gatherings when we have a drummer, some PA support etc. Use either bass, but prefer the down-tuned Squier, mostly because the songs we play can be in appropriate keys (A-major/F#-minor, G/Em or C/Am), and I prefer having a two-octave range for some of them to complement the electric/acoustic guitars. HTH, Ian

If we're thinking of going outside of the immediate environs of Cambridge, then maybe Foxton village hall would be suitable - two function rooms. It's also about half-a-mile from the mainline rail station to Cambridge and Kings X. Just a thought (and I've used it before for band practice - could get 20 people or so in there plus gear) - costs I can find out about HTH, Ian

Gotta be 'The Matrix' - sorry, fellas Ian