KiOgon

[quote name='The Bass Doc' post='775102' date='Mar 15 2010, 12:03 PM']Meters read low so 8 ohms it will be.[/quote] Many thanks Bass Doc & G for replying while I was typing Cheers

I have a 12" speaker - Celestion Truvox 1220 with no other markings of power handling or impedance. It measures 5.6 Ohms with my multimeter so is it most likely a 4 or 8 Ohm impedance wise? I know you can't actually measure impedance with a meter - but as a guide - will the meter read lower or higher? BTW the speaker works fine, I just want to know before I try it on another amp. Cheers, John

Bludy marvelous, seriously impressed

[quote name='chris_b' post='772906' date='Mar 12 2010, 04:13 PM']Now stop going all sentimental on us!!![/quote] I'm not sure I can actually remember a lot about them 70's, I'm sure I was there but _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - there seems to be a lot of gaps - though sentimental I am I went to every shop in 'that London' trying Ricks, I had saved up £400 somehow, all the Ricks were crap & then I found the Gherson, it was instant love! I still begrudge having to get rid of it, strangely - shortly after the wedding (November 75) & the HiWatts & the monster Orange 2x18. If I knew then! [quote name='Ou7shined' post='772915' date='Mar 12 2010, 04:20 PM']Pity it's only got one then. [/quote] Yeah - very true So - What's it worth?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220570379886&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...=STRK:MEBIDX:IT[/url] Just like the one I bought new in 1973 & was my main gigging bass until marriage did us part! I never expected to find one on ebay So enormous sentimental value but I really have all I need

Finally back together & sounds amazing Exactly how I hoped it would + Looks fantastic Thanks again to Alan - his info was spot on - Cheers I o u 1 After all my work, I'm wondering if that's why it was sold in the first place, 'cos it's now sounding a hundred times better!

[quote name='AlanP2008' post='767634' date='Mar 8 2010, 09:46 AM']I hate to disagree here... but here it goes... *Normally*, you'd wire a pup to the top of the pot, ground the bottom, and take the signal from the middle tag (the wiper). That is the conventional way to wire a volume pot for (almost) any occasion. However, whenever you have *two* volume controls, you simply can't do that, because when one pot is turned right down, it is connecting the output signal directly to ground. That's fine when there is only one pot (it is what you want...), but when there is two volume pots, the signal from the wiper of the other pot is also connected to ground - that is to say, the two pots interact big time. So the method used (electrically it's rather kludgy, but it works) is to connect the pup to the wiper, and take the output signal from the top tag on the pot (which sounds exactly like the way you were describing it was originally wired). So as one pot is turned down, it is progressively loaded down by the decreasing resistance to ground, but at the same time, the part of the track between the wiper and the top of the pot is progressively increasing the resistance to the output jack. In the end, the pup is shorted to ground, but the output isn't - the result is that there is little interaction between the two pots (well, there is interaction, but it is largely in your favour). If you wire it like this - you could still end up with pups out of phase (which can be fixed by reversing one of them). You can usually tell they are out of phase if turning one volume pot down a bit actually causes the overall signal to get fatter and louder. If this isn't happening, and switching the wiring on one of the pups isn't helping either, then your problem lies elsewhere (ie. not phasing)... Maybe this? In the (6-string) guitar world, single-coil pups are usuallly wired with a 250k volume pot, and humbuckers are usually wired with a 500k pot. A 500k pot on an SC *usually* sounds too bright, and a 250k pot on an HB *usually* sounds too dark. You should perhaps check what pot value is recommened for the pups you have (although mixing types, and hence pot values, is always a bit of a compromise...) Hope this helps. Alan[/quote] Yes - thanks Alan, great help ta. I'll read that again & I think a bit of trial & error is coming my way Cheers, John

This is what I was talking about:- [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?moduleno=498"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?moduleno=498[/url] Looks exactly what it needs - I think? I can get to Maplins Expert help required please as to exactly how it should be wired in?

[quote name='exup1000' post='767052' date='Mar 7 2010, 04:59 PM']hello, looking at getting a new lead.has any body used/got fenders gold and platinum bass lead if so is it any good??[/quote] +1 for the platinum - top quality lead & plugs - bit stiffer than most but will no doubt last forever & lifetime warranty Like most things - worth a little extra outlay for decent gear & of course it sounds better as if my ears could tell! soundslive usually have them at good price:- [url="http://www.soundslive.co.uk/categories~name~Guitar-Cables~ID~69.asp"]http://www.soundslive.co.uk/categories~nam...ables~ID~69.asp[/url] Cheers, John

As above, is there a mod I can do? I'm thinking a capacitor across the switch? I'm fine at soldering & doing the job but wouldn't dream of trying it without knowing what value & where the cap should go exactly, for obvious reasons! I remember using a 'PMR' in the past, was that a capacitor & resistor encapsulated in a package? Is that what I need? Cheers, John

[quote name='Musicman69' post='766856' date='Mar 7 2010, 01:31 PM']Hi All, Any ideas what I should do about this.. [attachment=44332:RIMG0033.gif] It started cracking and flaking (bad skin!) last year and is steadily getting worse. Ive no plans to sell this bass so a DIY job will do unless its a serious issue. Its a StingRay and I look after it very well, ie never expose it to extreme temperatures, no sharp buttons or buckles etc. Mystery to me why this happened in the first place! Any advice appreciated, thanks. John[/quote] It's a bit late but: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI[/url] Nothing short of a refinish will really sort that!

[quote name='Sibob' post='765146' date='Mar 5 2010, 02:04 PM']Cheers for the ideas guys! John, you think it might be a manky string?. They're new, although cheap (not Newtones), so I'd hope not lol. I'll try having a closer look to see if there's any frets higher than others etc, it's my OLP Thingray bass, so a bit of a frankenstein/project, so I don't mind having a go at 'dressing' the fret myself Si[/quote] Was thinking if you'd changed the tuning, you might be bringing into use an area of string that was previously flattened but gone un-noticed until the change in tension. Maybe not so if they're new though.

[quote name='SteveO' post='764944' date='Mar 5 2010, 11:34 AM']Is it just me that finds this a little weird? 3 basses of different colours, but only one is for sale. he doesn't care which, just let him know at the end which one you'd like. unless of course this is a feeler auction and he's planning on adjusting the BIN when it comes to selling the other two.[/quote] I read it as 'you're only bidding on one bass - let me know which colour you want'

When I saw all the discussion about the UPS driver picture, I thought it was going to be this well known picture. [/quote] Ah! That's more like it - must be worth £95 if she delivers

[quote name='Sibob' post='765096' date='Mar 5 2010, 01:30 PM']Hurrow! I've just taken my second Drop C bass back to standard tuning after a number of years, and while I'm happy with the setup (ie no buzzes or rattles anywhere else, neck is basically straight with just that tiny bit of relief that Jerzy Drozd suggests lol), there is one note that is buzzing horribley. It's the High G# on the G string (13th Fret), notes either side are fine, and on different strings on the same fret, but that one note is yuk, buzzy and dead. Is it a funky part of the fret that needs attention perhaps? It doesn't look particulaly knackered, no more than the other frets. I can't see that it's lifting from the fretboard or anything...... Any ideas? Cheers Si[/quote] Hi Si, Have you lifted the G string around 13th fret & run your finger along the underside? Cheers, John

Looks worth a punt - anybody tried one? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOP-NEW-4-STRING-FRETLESS-BASS-IN-3-COLOURS_W0QQitemZ370343063421QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item563a2aaf7d"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOP-NEW-4-STRING-FRE...=item563a2aaf7d[/url] Just don't mention the UPS driver! Cheers, John

Thanks robocorpse - very helpful cheers, I get exactly what you're saying about the wiper picking up along the track, sounds right. 'Goofed at the factory' indeed. No worries about the warranty - if only they got it right in the first place & customer service is as much help as a hole in your boat! No problem changing things, I have a decent Weller iron & the right tools + skills for the job, I have already tried each pup direct to a jack socket & the bridge SCN is certainly lower lower output but I don't think it is faulty, just not as strong as the 1/4lb, causing a mis-match IMO pity Fender didn't fit 1/4lbs in both positions! The behaviour of the pots was peculiar, the first 60 degrees or so of rotation had practically no effect, then at fully clockwise the volume & tone wasn't quite right, I had to back off both a little to achieve the max output & best tone. Used individually they're better but certainly not 'quite right' together. No amp problems BTW, using my TE Boxer 65 - with settings the same as when using my '51P for comparison. As soon as my copper tape arrives I'll get it back together, wired as you suggest & let you know. Thanks again for your help, it's much appreciated, John [quote name='robocorpse' post='764665' date='Mar 5 2010, 01:01 AM']The pickups sounding "thin and wimpy" would be both of them, not just one, if it was out of phase (one black/white pair reversed) so its not that. The diagrams are correct, pickups should go to #1's and exit at linked #2's which feeds the o/p jack. According to the wiring you describe in your own bass, the pots are wired wrongly, if you connect the pickup hot to tab 2, thats the wiper, and you are giving each pickup a variable resistance between hot and ground whenever you turn the pot. It will work, but it will vary the circuit characteristics. What you should be wired for is a constant resistance from hot to ground by connecting the pickup hot to one end of the track (tab 1), and the wiper picks up the signal somewhere along that line, so you get volume control, but the pickup side of the circuit stays at the same impedance. Maybe Franks bass is wired oddly, but I would think more likely it was goofed at the factory, and it might cause problems in the real world. Tab 3 is always connected to earth, leave that alone. You are obviously not averse to changing the wiring in the bass, so why not swap the #1 and #2 connections and see if that cures it? While you are doing that, it would be worth temporarily hard-wiring each pickup in turn DIRECT to the output jack, and see if there are still wimpy sounds coming from the bridge pickup, in which case you will know its knackered. Only problem then is Fender will not honour the warranty as soon as you touch the solder joints. Catch 22...[/quote]

My Frank Bello bass has low output from the bridge pup ( Fender samarium cobalt noiseless) compared to the neck pup SD SPB-3. I know it's a bit unusual having only a volume pot for each pup but - easy - NO! I've bought a SD SJB-3b to swap for the scn, so upon removing the back cover I find the usual birds nest of black & white wires. The white wire from each pup goes to #2 on each pot, blacks to pot bodies, (shown on diagram to #1) White wire linking #1s on each pot, (shown on diagram to #2s) #3 on each pot soldered to pot body, (shown on diagram not connected). Jack socket wired white to #1 link, (shown on diagram to #2s link), black to body, black wire from each pot body + bridge bond to earth tag, + 1 extra black wire that goes into neck pup hole, (not shown on diagram at all). 2 or 3 days ago I emailed SD for info on using the 2 1/4 lbs together but no reply. Checking the online Fender wiring diagram:- [url="http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdf_temp1/basses/0130095306A/SD0130095306APg2.pdf"]http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdf...0095306APg2.pdf[/url] shows different wiring, (as comments in brackets above). Seymour Duncan website says:- "If two pickups sound thin and wimpy when used together, they’re out of phase with each other. If you’re combining your Basslines pickup(s) with Fender® pickup(s) in the same bass, you’ll need to reverse the black and white wires on the Basslines." As mine could have been described as 'thin & wimpy' I tried reversing black & white = no discernible difference. I phoned Fender UK & explained, then sent an email explaining again:- "Hi Scott, We spoke about the pup wiring on my Bello. The output of the bridge jazz pup SCN is not as good as the neck pup SD SJB-3 1/4 pound (standard), so I'm fitting a SD SJB-3b 1/4 pound to the bridge position. Seymour Duncan website says:- "If two pickups sound thin and wimpy when used together, they’re out of phase with each other. If you’re combining your Basslines pickup(s) with Fender® pickup(s) in the same bass, you’ll need to reverse the black and white wires on the Basslines." In the control cavity I find the original wiring is the mess I expected - both white wires from pups go to centre tag on each volume pot, both black wires to pot body. That is in contradiction with what is shown on Fender wiring diagram:- [url="http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdf_temp1/basses/0130095306A/SD0130095306APg2.pdf"]http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdf...0095306APg2.pdf[/url] Hence my confusion! I have emailed Seymour Duncan via their website a few days ago regarding using the SJB-3b in conjunction with the standard SPB-3 neck but not got any reply. Now I need the correct wiring information in a hurry - please can you get an answer for me - which way should the new SJB-3 be wired in? Cheers," Their answer:- "Hi John, Thanks for your email. I have had a word with a guitar tech about this and he has said that basically the Frank Bello bass is a ‘quirky’ model as it is a signature made to his specifications. It is possible that due to the differences between this bass and a more standard version, the Seymour Duncan info you have is referring more to the standard version rather than the Frank Bello which was wired up in a more unconventional way! Unfortunately I cannot provide any further information on this as the guitar techs are unable to comment on how the SD pickups should be installed. You said previously that you have the wiring diagram for this model (I have attached it again in case this is incorrect). I believe Seymour Duncan should be able to provide you with more specific details as to how it should be wired. Sorry I cannot be of any further help on this. Thanks," (The wiring diagram attached is identical). I'm sorry this is long winded but could do with some technical advise please, I understand wiring & pots etc, (at least I thought I did!) Does it make any difference the way the pups are wired to #1 or #2 on the pots? Does it make any difference that #3s are soldered to the bodies? It's all in bits at the moment, waiting for some copper shielding tape & some help please! Thanks for reading John EDIT: I've just seen on performanceguitar.com > # Shielding : $80.00~ !*80 bloody dollars*! # Put Shielding Material inside of the Control Cavity # (It makes your guitar noiseless)

What sort of strings are they? CatGut?

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='762708' date='Mar 3 2010, 10:49 AM']As per title, what's the best way to do this? Preferably something cheapish too. Thanks Thom[/quote] Hang on - the g/f's got a book on jams & preserves - I'll have a look Clear varnish? What 'ink' is the signature done in & where is it? Sellotape? A clear self sticky vinyl?

Might be good for someone: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-EXTENDER-HIPSHOT-FENDER-PRECISION-JAZZ-MUSICMAN_W0QQitemZ120537201319QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item1c1093baa7"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-EXTENDER-HIPSHO...=item1c1093baa7[/url] Nothing to do with me, I was just looking! I want a Fender Lite one as it happens.

[quote name='Flanker' post='761349' date='Mar 1 2010, 11:20 PM'](If your budgets 3k mine should be 5k)[/quote] So for next January - mine should be £6K

My Skjold is 35" 4 string 24 fret, it's no big difference to play from my Fenders (P or J), but with GHS black nylons on it's really smooth & easy downtuned at DGCF Sweet Edit: The black nylons are on the Skjold - not me! Just in case you were wondering