LITTLEWING

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1508365216' post='3391788'] I have buggered heads on the pickups of my Sterling. Most annoying, I have tried umpteen methods of getting them moving and none have worked. Short of shelling out for some kind of Dremel, I'm.....screwed.... [/quote] Can you press the pup right down into the cavity to allow the screw head to be proud and grab-able and get pliers or small mole grips on and turn it bit by bit till it's moving freely enough to tweak out?

[quote name='casapete' timestamp='1508248929' post='3390822'] I can't help thinking the easiest solution would be trying to get the level of the guitars and drums down. Having to mic up for a [i]rehearsal [/i]does sound like hard work to me, and if it's that loud you're going to need some ear protection too. Sorry to sound negative, it's just I've been there with a big loud band and it's not conducive to rehearse that loud, and it's certainly not a lot of fun either. [/quote] I can't agree more!!! Who the heck rehearses at stupid volumes? (I've been there too!) You don't benefit in any way whatsoever. Whoever's singing is going to struggle and as just mentioned, there's the ears 100% to protect. Just say no, kids!

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1508088310' post='3389672'] Return them and get some from our own Obbm. Top quality cables, so I've heard [/quote] I have two from OBBM and after four years they're still perfect and have never let me down.

Get a quality jack to speakon from a guy under the name OBBM on here. The best will never let you down.

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1508089198' post='3389677']I tried the cabs out in seller's houses before buying but as usual you can't really turn up the volume or hear it within the full band scenario. Fortunately I managed to move them on or in the 8 X 10 instance actually swapped it for the said 1 X 15 which came in much more useful. I, like most people, have always gone for 'name' gear because we foolishly think they're the latest Holy Grail. Right now I've actually got my eyes on a Harley Benton 1 X 15 cab for £129. It looks fantastic and has some good reviews. If it sounds good to me then that's the main thing. Ouch! Definitely a wise warning to "try before you buy" when it comes to cabs (or any major piece of bass gear, I guess?). Out of interest how many of these cabs did you buy without having had a chance to first try out? Were you able to return any of them and get a refund? [/quote]

I've tried quite a few amp heads in my time and I've found it's not always the head that can sound rough. I had a good old workhorse Peavey 4 X 10 that filled most venues with an Ashdown Mag 300 head powering it. Then I saw on here a Hartke 2 X 15 cab going for a good price. Bought it but wasn't exactly filled with butterflies and bullets. Bought an Ashdown 8 X 10. I won't even go into that, just say that I could have farted louder and bassier. Bought a Hartke 350 watt head. Very nice with an Ashdown 1 X 15 and 2 X 10 stack. Took the head to a rehearsal room recently where they had a Peavey 4 X 10. Right then, stand back....half hour of tweaking every knob and slider simply could not stop the cab from sounding like a metal dustbin hurtling down concrete steps in a block of flats. Plugged it into a no name badge 4 x 12 in the same room and THERE was the sound. Stood there with a semi for the rest of the evening. Happy hunting .

The odd little riff in a toon adds colour and emphasis if done tastefully, other than that it's a bloody annoying noise you wish would stop, a bit like bagpipes. 5 and 6 string basses will die out next. Waste of wood and strings.

Looking at making my old style 100watt 1 X 15" Ampeg BA-115 combo a smidge louder when required. It copes reasonably well at smallish venues but slightly larger gigs it runs out of breath when nearly max'd out. Would a volume hike at the front end (say an Ampeg Classic Analogue pedal) push the amp/speaker towards eventual doom or would things be fine long term? I have a Hartke 350 head and two cabs but the combo is just so handy!

Ronson lighter fluid. Cleans brilliantly and evaporates quickly so won't soak in, then fine wire wool. Lightly do the frets too with wire wool including the fret ends and the edge of the fretboard. Lemon oil when all clean.

It's surprising how string volume differs when they're in different aspects to the pole pieces. Bend a note and listen to the change as it moves around over the pickup. It's possible that your neck is out of line and the strings are misaligned with the pups. Lay the guitar down and look at the relationship of the strings with each side of the fretboard. A simple slight loosen of the neck screws and a sharp pull will sort things out. Might just get the A string picking up better.

I take the bass down to about a quarter then turn the volume up until it's level with the band, get a comfy sound that's not too harsh or glassy then bring the bass up until it fits in the mix. Last of all play a number with the whole band and adjust the final volume to suit the mix and the ambience of the room we're in.

Zeppelin, Lenny Kravitz, Meatloaf, Neil Young, Joe Bonnamassa, Gregory Porter, Michael Buble. Rather see the dentist.

The only worrying part is the heavy transformer which would normally sit nicely due to good old gravity will now possibly be wanting to fall sideways as things get warmed up and go pliable. Just a thought.

Sadly true. I grew up through Steely Dan. Must be some gig going on up there.

I picked up a neglected old style Westfied for £20, upgraded the pups, bridge and electrics and it's one of my main giggers. Not too fussed if it gets injured, adds to the mojo.

Just a quick tip with Entwistles P bass pups - they're VERY deep and you'll possibly find they ground the bottom of the cavity and won't adjust enough height-wise. I had some and (sorry Mr Entwistle) actually wasn't blown away by the way they didn't sound like a Precision should. I put in a set of Wilkinsons and thought I had a Fender in my hands. Just sayin'......

Our of curiosity and boredom, I cut a slice of foam off a new sponge (don't tell the Mrs) and fashioned a perfect section to fit nicely under the strings by the bridge on my four string Precision as a soft mute. Oh my goodness, I was in Tamla Motown heaven for hours on end. It just opens up a whole new world and adds a new feather to the cap. For the first few seconds it sounds kinda 'whoah' like a set of dead strings but suddenly 'that vibe' kicks in and you're off. Give it a bash, you can thank me later.

Brilliant show completely spoiled as usual by the incredibly hapless mixing by the BBC. Could have been fantastic.

I got two basses on the wall on hangers for those quick 'working things out' moments and two sitting in hard cases ready for gigs. I couldn't relax on a journey if my basses were in gig bags, however much they're padded. I can always see something falling over and cracking the neck off.

You say 'as usual', I had this phenomenon a while back and after messing with different pickups and heights etc went the route of adjusting my amp settings. I found for me using volume as your first step with everything else at twelve o'clock EXCEPT the lower bass dials (take these right down), get the top end nice to the ear then gradually adjust low to mid until it sounds pleasing, THEN bring the bass up until too much then back it off a notch or two. Try it in a full band scenario and record it on your phone or whatever. It's an eye (ear?) opener.

Cheers G, long day. Don't know how I put caps for pots!!

Possibly the existing caps are 500k which are usually quite harsh and 'middly'. The best P bass tone I've found is with both pots at 250k and a .47 cap. CTS are very good, stick an orange drop in and you should get every P bass sound up and down the tone pot. If you really want to experiment, fit a 0.1 cap in if you want to grab that swampy reggae rumble any time.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1500994245' post='3341583'] I don't want to say it's all in the fingers but to be honest it's all it the fingers! I get a generic decent sound as best I can then alter my playing style to suit the song, up near the neck, side of the thumb, slap, fingers over the pickup, fingers near the bridge, plectrum, palm muting etc etc etc I just knock a bit of treble off when using a pick other than that I'm good to go. Some people say a Stingray is a one trick pony, I'd say those people have a limited technique [/quote] 100% me too.

Ernie Ball 45 - 65 - 80 - 100 on my OLP Stingray. Keeps that D and G fat and gives nice flexibility on the A and E. I find I can play lighter too and that's actually added fingering accuracy. Putting some on my Precision once the 45 - 105's go dull.

I've always said that people who have to read music to play have no musical soul. A bass guy, keyboard or guitard who've learnt 300 or more toons in their lifetime and can rattle them off with the odd little inaudible mistake, then play an improv solo from somewhere inside their heart - THAT'S a musician. I've seen guys on cruise ships backing mini stars that have to read to play and actually sound great and spot on, but I often wonder if they could really hold their own in a jam situation.