Snake oil... - Power Cord: a measly $149

[stingrayPete1977]

What colour mains cable is best for a crisp top end?
Did it have the EQ button engaged and where was the contour knob?
Would a music stand alter the tone of the mains cable if they were on a stage together?
Should I walk out of a gig if the bassist does not use the correct mains cable? and if so how would I go about looking down the back of the amp without getting on the stage?

[discreet]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1419435365' post='2639953']
Should I walk out of a gig if the bassist does not use the correct mains cable? and if so how would I go about looking down the back of the amp without getting on the stage?
[/quote]

You shouldn't have to - clearly you can tell which power cable is being used by the sound of the bass!
The correct cable will have changed the sound before it happened and be moving a different type of air, obviously.

Edited December 24, 2014 by discreet

[stingrayPete1977]

Of course I forgot, I am meant to walk out during the sound check not the performance arent I, silly me! I have Crabtree chrome sockets throughout my house they work well with the Stingray but I find them a bit thin for the Jazz bass, thinking of fitting some screwfix plastic ones just in my practice room to see if the tone improves? Does anyone know which make of fusebox is best for metal?

[blue]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1419388131' post='2639531']
It wasn't even an instrument cable, it was a power cord, from mains to amplifier!
[/quote]

Well, that makes things different.

I use Speak-On connectors. Improved main to amp signal is something I'm always interested in.

Blue

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1419439459' post='2640011']Does anyone know which make of fusebox is best for metal?
[/quote]

Don't buy MK ones; they sound Dire!

[Bassman Sam]

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1419635473' post='2641563'] Don't buy MK ones; they sound Dire! [/quote]

[size=4] [/size]

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1419635473' post='2641563']
Don't buy MK ones; they sound Dire!
[/quote]

Very good sir ,well done!

[lurksalot]

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1419433350' post='2639919']
I only ever have my amp in a straight line from the mains, I find the electrons having to slow down to get round bends or corners in the mains lead affects my tone!
[/quote]
A very important observation , you have to be very careful especially with the likes of extension leads that are coiled up , make sure they are unwound all the way, as otherwise with the cable cores , 1 core will have further to travel around the outside of the loop, and the negative electricity will arrive before the positive electricity (or vice versa) . This will mean that your phase is the wrong way round and your speaker stack will thus act as a giant microphone.

[taunton-hobbit]

Just a cautionary note:
Extension leads on drums should always be unwound completely - there is a very real risk of the cable left on the drum overheating/igniting if sufficient load is imposed -

[Michael J]

[quote name='taunton-hobbit' timestamp='1419676223' post='2641765']
Just a cautionary note:
Extension leads on drums should always be unwound completely - there is a very real risk of the cable left on the drum overheating/igniting if sufficient load is imposed -


[/quote]
Or you could tell the drummer to hit things harder, no need for leads then.

[yorks5stringer]

I find Snake Oil keeps the fingerboard from drying out however...

[discreet]

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1419635473' post='2641563']
Don't buy MK ones; they sound Dire!
[/quote]

Finally got this - d'oh!!

[The Admiral]

[quote name='taunton-hobbit' timestamp='1419676223' post='2641765']
Just a cautionary note:
Extension leads on drums should always be unwound completely - there is a very real risk of the cable left on the drum overheating/igniting if sufficient load is imposed -


[/quote]

Yep, been there, done that. Lesson learned, and fortunately without cost or injury.

[merello]

Not read the whole thread but this strikes me as being an example of a [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good"]Veblen Good[/url].

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1419672337' post='2641719']
Very good sir ,well done![/quote]

I'm here all week!

[merello]

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1419433350' post='2639919']
I only ever have my amp in a straight line from the mains, I find the electrons having to slow down to get round bends or corners in the mains lead affects my tone!
[/quote]

No! No! No!
For every gig you should use a virgin cable gently stored in the freezer for at least 28 days. On the night of the performance, the cable should be unwrapped very slowly using :

ut = (l/d)x(1/n), where ut is unwrapping time in days; l is length of cable in km; d is mean distance from amp to bass in km and n is estimated number of crowd.

Anything else and I walk.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='merello' timestamp='1419709511' post='2642148']For every gig you should use a virgin cable gently stored in the freezer for at least 28 days. On the night of the performance, the cable should be unwrapped very slowly using [/quote]

We tried that but it made the chords sound cold and stiff.
We tried to pretend it was deliberate but no-one was having it; when you've got a cold core chord cord called cryogenic crap it just doesn't wash.

[Diablo]

I have spent 3 days in my workshop solving this cable problem. Having made a foot diameter cable from copper ore mined from the moon (man, that place is harder to get to than Kings Cross after network rail have been "fixing" things) if you run the cable at crynogenic temperatures and voltages over 1 million bagillavolts you have a 3% gain in bass skill over a standard £10 cable from the local music shop. It sounded awesome on my ebay Rickenfaker I bought for £18 and restrung with fencing wire.