Please help me before I kill another bassist

[Mr Bassman]

How about getting a cheap bass and hardwiring a lead into it with a retainer, (or a knot) and just tell them "use this bass or non at all"

[chrismuzz]

Hilarious but genius idea Mr Bassman!

[mcnach]

[quote name='Toasted' post='1147528' date='Mar 2 2011, 07:10 PM']My band almost always plays last (note: not headlines). As we play last we have to provide drum shells and bass amp for the other people sharing the gig.

Most of these people with basses (note: not bassists) seem to have difficulty with the idea that they have to unplug the amp end of the cable before the unplug the guitar end otherwise they make my speakers boom. You know the one. This f**ks me off no end as my amp is normally worth more than the rest of their band's gear combined.

Is there a widget that I can buy that will stop this happenning? Will a limiter do it?

I'm at the point of buying a second, sh*t, amp for the support acts to use. Seriously.[/quote]


When I have provided my amp in a multi-band situation, I always make sure I talk to the other(s) bass player(s) before they use it. I just give them a quick overview, and emphasize 1) where the mute button is and 2) to make sure they either mute or turn down volume before plugging/unplugging. If someone forgets, I don't care what they think, I'm there like a shot and make it clear I will not tolerate more forgetfulness. I don't really care what they think of me. If they're cool, they'd understand. If they're not cool, I can't care less about their opinion. And I have no problem getting to the stage of "sorry mate, you're just not going to play through my amp today". It hasn't happened yet, but I would do it if someone is not respecting my gear. The gear I paid for and I transported. Those multi-band gigs we normally don't make much money, so I have no problem pulling the plug if I have to (for another band).

[mcnach]

[quote name='Toasted' post='1147528' date='Mar 2 2011, 07:10 PM']I'm at the point of buying a second, sh*t, amp for the support acts to use. Seriously.[/quote]

I forgot. I almost did that too. Then I thought "hey, what are you doing? are you now carrying your amp, and another amp for some total stranger too?" I slapped myself around teh face with a big trout for a bit, and didn't do it.

The quick word before using it seems to have worked until now. The trick is to be just friendly enough, but to also look a bit "just don't mess with me", I think.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='1148624' date='Mar 3 2011, 05:25 PM'](I have issues with people putting drinks on amps. Should carry a death sentence.)[/quote]

+100

I would vote for you and apply to be the executioner.

It can get a little tricky when it's your own singer doing it, other people I'm very direct with.

Heh... one night I was giving the same singer a bit of an earful trying to get him to place his beer soemwhere else. he was putting his pints over a box, to my left (I'm on the left of teh stage) and he had to go over my pedalboard everytime. I didn't want him spilling anything there, so I asked him then told him to leave his drinks elsewhere. No problem. So what do I do? I put my G&T on that box, and manage to drop it over my pedals... much muttered cursing ensued. Argh!!!
It did work as an example, 'though. And I was able to tell the singer "see? it can happen! The difference is if I do it on my gear, I will get annoyed at myself. If *you* do it to my gear i would have to kill you"

[mcnach]

[quote name='daz' post='1148850' date='Mar 3 2011, 08:19 PM']I had assumed that everyone used Neutrik cables these days? I mean whats the downside? There is none. If anyone needs any then you can do no better than to buy a few off this guy quoted below me here. ( [b][url="http://www.bassic-bits.co.uk/"]obbm[/url][/b] ) He builds his own high quality cables.[/quote]

the downside is they don't seem to last, and people like reliable stuff.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Mr Bassman' post='1149101' date='Mar 3 2011, 11:55 PM']How about getting a cheap bass and hardwiring a lead into it with a retainer, (or a knot) and just tell them "use this bass or non at all"[/quote]


and make it a PINK one!!!!

[Musicman20]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1148183' date='Mar 3 2011, 11:16 AM']You could get a DI box and tell them the sound man is sorting them out tonight.[/quote]

Plus one. Just tell them to DI.

When I, for some reason, cannot get a full rig to a gig, or their is no time/space, then I just take the Tonehammer or Sansamp. Yes, you wont have that 'rig sound' behind you, and your guitarist(s) might be wary of it, (I know mine are) but it works and does 80% of the job, the other 20% is relying on the monitors to hear yourself so that depends on the soundman. If you dont DI though, and you tell them they have to, then its not your problem.

DI-ing bass with a decent pedal/DI box has come on leaps and bounds, so its not like they are going to sound really poor.

[51m0n]

[quote name='Toasted' post='1148647' date='Mar 3 2011, 05:41 PM']If it works I don't care what it costs. You've seen the price of my other gear so you know I have the means and I'm not afraid to use them... [/quote]

Oh mate, you really shouldnt say that, not ever:-

[url="http://www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Universal-Audio-1176-LN-Peak-Limiter/73T"]UA 1176 LN[/url] is the daddy of studio limiters. Yours for a mere £1725. It will work though, better sounding than almost anything else you care to try too...

[umph]

you can blow speakers with pops? speakers can handle thousands of watts for a fraction of a second without going poof. If the speaker was going to go it would've gone while they were playing it.

[Toasted]

[quote name='umph' post='1149367' date='Mar 4 2011, 12:12 PM']you can blow speakers with pops? speakers can handle thousands of watts for a fraction of a second without going poof. If the speaker was going to go it would've gone while they were playing it.[/quote]

Point taken, but pushing the cone to maximum excursion like that can't be good for it.

[gillento]

I think if you forced the other bass players to use their own amp (not necessarily the cab) they might be more conscious about possible damges to their own amp head.

I know, this is not a perfect solution. But it might avoid a number of situations.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Toasted' post='1149465' date='Mar 4 2011, 02:04 PM']Point taken, but pushing the cone to maximum excursion like that can't be good for it.[/quote]

and normal playing is that: normal and necessary.
pops from careless unplugging/plugging is just not necessary.

what about plugging in an active bass while the cable is attached to the amp? Does the amp see the 9V for a fraction of a second, rather than the milliV it would normally get? (I don't know, I'm asking)

[Blademan_98]

You can damage amps and speakers by constantly plugging / unplugging while the gain / volume is turned up.

It shortens it's life span.

It may not blow there and then but it will do long term damage.

Besides which, it sounds awful

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1147627' date='Mar 2 2011, 08:18 PM']I had one of those Neutrik leads with the pop out bit to silence the cable. Great idea, but only lasted about 3 months & had to take the red pop out jack off & put a normal one on [/quote]

When was this? I bought some a few years ago and had the problem that the sleeve would jam in the 'on' position. E-mailed Neutrik to complained and they free sent me samples of the revised design, which had just come in. I've since had no problems with the straight connectors (the 'new' design has the rubber cover), and far fewer problems (but still some) with the right angle connector (no obvious visible difference from the old one).

They seem to have made the sleeve a looser fit on the shaft (Ooer missus) and made the springs a bit softer.

The main problem with the right angle one seems to be that the shaft assembly is just push fit into the main housing, and it can move (if you wrench the cable while its in the socket, or stand on the plug etc). With the right soldering iron you can run some solder round the join which seems to help.

Overall I think that they're a good bit of kit.


Edited top add:
However they don't work always work well with some active basses (others seem OK) - if you plug them in quickly the connection is made while the electronics is still powering up and you can still get a bit of a thump. Plugging it in up to the sleeve, waiting a second and then pushing it all the way generally works, but the bloke whose borrowed your amp/lead it wont know that!

Edited March 5, 2011 by Count Bassy

[xgsjx]

[quote name='Count Bassy' post='1150182' date='Mar 5 2011, 12:56 AM']When was this? I bought some a few years ago and had the problem that the sleeve would jam in the 'on' position. E-mailed Neutrik to complained and they free sent me samples of the revised design, which had just come in. I've since had no problems with the straight connectors (the 'new' design has the rubber cover), and far fewer problems (but still some) with the right angle connector (no obvious visible difference from the old one).

They seem to have made the sleeve a looser fit on the shaft (Ooer missus) and made the springs a bit softer.

The main problem with the right angle one seems to be that the shaft assembly is just push fit into the main housing, and it can move (if you wrench the cable while its in the socket, or stand on the plug etc). With the right soldering iron you can run some solder round the join which seems to help.

Overall I think that they're a good bit of kit.


Edited top add:
However they don't work always work well with some active basses (others seem OK) - if you plug them in quickly the connection is made while the electronics is still powering up and you can still get a bit of a thump. Plugging it in up to the sleeve, waiting a second and then pushing it all the way generally works, but the bloke whose borrowed your amp/lead it wont know that![/quote]
When I was typing that about my issue with the Neutrik plug I could vaguely recall reading your very post but wasn't totally sure if it was the Neutrik ones or not. It was probably about 3-6 months before then, I think @ 3 years ago.
After reading your post back then, I was tempted to get in touch, but I had already lopped it off the wire & put an ordinary 1/4 jack on & my cats was just kittens & had popped some needle like teeth through part of the wire, thus making me cut 6' off it (salvaged a short bit of that too to make a TRS lead for CV), so I didn't think they'd accept it back & just went & bought a standard (braided) cable. One of the joys of having money to spare that I miss

[obbm]

The very first production batch of the straight SILENT jacks had their sliding collars made with the wrong tolerances which caused them to seize or jam. The later ones can be identified by the rubber body. I've also seen a couple of the right-angle ones fall apart. In every case they were replaced by Neutrik without question. It is possible that some sellers may still have a few of the early ones in stock.

On a different tack, Neutrik make the following statement on their web site:

"Please note that the signal isn't muted with active electric bass guitars which have a tip-ring-sleeve tap to activate the power supply."

I'm not sure that this is true for all active basses as I have no problem with my SR5, so it's really a case of try it and see.

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='umph' post='1149367' date='Mar 4 2011, 12:12 PM']you can blow speakers with pops? speakers can handle thousands of watts for a fraction of a second without going poof. If the speaker was going to go it would've gone while they were playing it.[/quote]

You'd never blow a woofer like that, but I think you can wipe out a compression driver - pretty sure I've seen/heard that happen with PA cabs

[daz]

[quote name='obbm' post='1150303' date='Mar 5 2011, 09:15 AM']The very first production batch of the straight SILENT jacks had their sliding collars made with the wrong tolerances which caused them to seize or jam. The later ones can be identified by the rubber body. I've also seen a couple of the right-angle ones fall apart. In every case they were replaced by Neutrik without question. It is possible that some sellers may still have a few of the early ones in stock.

On a different tack, Neutrik make the following statement on their web site:

"Please note that the signal isn't muted with active electric bass guitars which have a tip-ring-sleeve tap to activate the power supply."

I'm not sure that this is true for all active basses as I have no problem with my SR5, so it's really a case of try it and see.[/quote]


I have both the old and the new type of Neutrik cables purchased from [b]obbm [/b]and neither has ever let me down.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='daz' post='1150418' date='Mar 5 2011, 11:37 AM']I have both the old and the new type of Neutrik cables purchased from [b]obbm [/b]and neither has ever let me down.[/quote]

+2

The two curly leads that Dave made for me a while back (a year? 18 months?) have both performed impeccably, with a variety of basses and a variety of amps. No pops or thumps, no blown speakers, no drama or crisis, no need to explain to people [i][b]that [/b][/i]they work or [i][b]how [/b][/i]they work.

They have right-angle Neutrik plugs at each end. The amp end is a 'normal' plug, while the instrument end is an 'auto-switch' type.

They'd be ideal for jam nights.

I've also tried the Planet Waves leads with the 'mute' switch. Unfortunately the spring loading on the 1/4" jacks is overdone and they have a habit of wrecking the input socket on the basses they're used with.

Also, there is no visible evidence of whether they're on or off, which can lead to all manner of foolishness.

Definitely NOT suitable for jam nights.

IMHO.

Edited March 5, 2011 by Happy Jack