Top Tips and DIY Hacks

[rushbo]

I always mark my plugs with Tipp-Ex, so I know who they belong to and what they're for...a few years ago I managed to plunge a pub into darkness by unplugging the lights for the bar instead of my bass amp. Hilarity ensued. We never played there again. 

 

[alyctes]

If you're using a webbing strap, run a couple of stitches through it where it doubles.  That stops it changing length unexpectedly.

[Rich]

A few of my favourite hacks:

Mains IEC chassis socket mounted permanently in the side of my 4U rack case, just under the handle so it's protected from accidental bashes. This in turn feeds the mains 4-way inside the case. Makes setting up even easier.

I carry a 1ft square piece of 1" foam inside the rack, which allows me to store the bag of mains/speaker/misc cables inside the rack without them rattling around damaging things. At gigs, the foam goes between the cab and the amp and stops vibrations. The cable bag itself is an old school PE kit drawstring bag. Ideal size.

Kiddie's night light plugged into the rack's 4-way. Provides enough illumination inside the case to allow me to plug stuff in without fumbling around.

 

Edited March 18, 2018 by Rich

[Rich]

12 hours ago, rushbo said:

I always mark my plugs with Tipp-Ex, so I know who they belong to and what they're for...a few years ago I managed to plunge a pub into darkness by unplugging the lights for the bar instead of my bass amp. Hilarity ensued. We never played there again. 

 

Yes! I fitted orange mains plugs to all my leads for the same reason 😄

[Rich]

14 hours ago, skankdelvar said:

Never Miss Another Gig!

Oh no! The car won't start! And there you were, just about to set off for a prestigious unpaid 'exposure' gig. What a disaster!

Not if you're the proud owner of the Del Var Industries Emergency Bass Bike Kit! Simply attach the quality engineered front and rear wheel assemblies to your bass* with the bolts provided and you'll be pedaling off to fame and fortune!

Impress your friends and baffle your enemies with the Del Var Industries Emergency Bass Bike Kit. 

Only £199.99 (exc VAT and Shipping) allow 28 months for delivery

* May involve drilling and / or  modification. Not recommended for use with vintage basses.  Goldbrick Ltd (trading as Del Var Industries) accepts no liability for any injuries sustained during the use of this product or any loss consequent upon failing to acquire a record deal. E&OE. 

I have a friend who sustained a very embarrassing injury from the 'saddle' of his Del Var Bass Bike. It took surgeons 2 hours to remove it and now he has to wear special pants. Small print notwithstanding, I demand compensation. On his behalf, of course.

[stewblack]

Think yourself lucky it wasn't the Thunderbird model

 

[SpondonBassed]

2 hours ago, Rich said:

I have a friend who sustained a very embarrassing injury from the 'saddle' of his Del Var Bass Bike. It took surgeons 2 hours to remove it and now he has to wear special pants. Small print notwithstanding, I demand compensation. On his behalf, of course.

'He' should've considered it a gift to be able to play bass with no strap or indeed hands.

Cuh!  I dunno.  Some people do look a gift horse in the mouth sometimes.

Edited March 18, 2018 by SpondonBassed

[goblin]

Some of my favourite hacks:

On my pedalboard, my IEM receiver is on there (got a Cioks DC10 so plenty of power!), and my pack is always in my bits box. Hey presto, instant monitoring wherever I go.

On the sides of the pedalboard, one side has a PowerCon and a jack output socket hardwired to the Cioks and the output of the pedals, and I've got a 6m loom in proper sheathing and heatshrinked at the ends - one simple coil end of the gig, also neat and tidy on stage. Other side has jack in and XLR in, jack goes to signal chain, XLR wired to the IEM receiver - keeps everything neat on stage. Entire board is self contained too! 

Not done it yet but will be, each side of the board has a spare space on the plate for another socket, so another input is going with the inputs, and an XLR out on the output side too - under the board I'm installing a slimline DI box - acoustic bass goes into one side, signal to PA the other back down the send loom - neat and tidy on stage, everything contained.

On tour, I carry microporous tape everywhere in the bits box, and another in my clothes case - tape my IEM buds cable to my back with plenty of slack - stops it sliding down my back and pulling, and also makes changing basses much quicker and easier.

Silent jack on the acoustic bass - means I can plug and unplug it as I wish on stage without relying on sound engineer to mute / unmute.

At home, I've got a compartment of my wardrobe (big IKEA Pax system) where my tour gear all goes when I'm at home. Basses in the bottom (double and a single Harvest bag), stand up next to each other and a perfect fit. Cases go on the shelves above - neat and tidy! 

[goblin]

Also, everyone should invest in a roll of ProGaff - you can tape leads down with it and it doesn't leave awful residue. Comes in numerous colours! Lots of flight cases on the tour, all of mine have a white strip of tape on, with my name and what each case is for. Same with the guitar stands, plus, strip round the bottom of the legs, show up under minimal light so you don't trip over them!

[stewblack]

5 hours ago, goblin said:

Some of my favourite hacks:

On my pedalboard, my IEM receiver is on there (got a Cioks DC10 so plenty of power!), and my pack is always in my bits box. Hey presto, instant monitoring wherever I go.

On the sides of the pedalboard, one side has a PowerCon and a jack output socket hardwired to the Cioks and the output of the pedals, and I've got a 6m loom in proper sheathing and heatshrinked at the ends - one simple coil end of the gig, also neat and tidy on stage. Other side has jack in and XLR in, jack goes to signal chain, XLR wired to the IEM receiver - keeps everything neat on stage. Entire board is self contained too! 

Not done it yet but will be, each side of the board has a spare space on the plate for another socket, so another input is going with the inputs, and an XLR out on the output side too - under the board I'm installing a slimline DI box - acoustic bass goes into one side, signal to PA the other back down the send loom - neat and tidy on stage, everything contained.

On tour, I carry microporous tape everywhere in the bits box, and another in my clothes case - tape my IEM buds cable to my back with plenty of slack - stops it sliding down my back and pulling, and also makes changing basses much quicker and easier.

Silent jack on the acoustic bass - means I can plug and unplug it as I wish on stage without relying on sound engineer to mute / unmute.

At home, I've got a compartment of my wardrobe (big IKEA Pax system) where my tour gear all goes when I'm at home. Basses in the bottom (double and a single Harvest bag), stand up next to each other and a perfect fit. Cases go on the shelves above - neat and tidy! 

Have you a picture of this set up? Sounds so well thought through!

[SpondonBassed]

5 hours ago, goblin said:

...At home, I've got a compartment of my wardrobe (big IKEA Pax system) where my tour gear all goes when I'm at home. Basses in the bottom (double and a single Harvest bag), stand up next to each other and a perfect fit. Cases go on the shelves above - neat and tidy! 

I'd need help finding my way out of an IKEA wardrobe.

Good tip for the IEMs.  Cables are a drag in more than one sense of the word.

[chris_b]

Top Tips:

If you think you sound good with 1 cab, use 2 you'll sound even better.

If you think you  need 300 watts, get 500 watts, turn up and play lighter.
 

[goblin]

5 hours ago, stewblack said:

Have you a picture of this set up? Sounds so well thought through!

I'll see if I can dig some out from when I built the board. Can't take any now as it's back up at my lockup, and filthy so wouldn't photograph well!

[neilp]

Quote

On ‎18‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 10:07, Rich said:

A few of my favourite hacks:

Mains IEC chassis socket mounted permanently in the side of my 4U rack case, just under the handle so it's protected from accidental bashes. This in turn feeds the mains 4-way inside the case. Makes setting up even easier.

I carry a 1ft square piece of 1" foam inside the rack, which allows me to store the bag of mains/speaker/misc cables inside the rack without them rattling around damaging things. At gigs, the foam goes between the cab and the amp and stops vibrations. The cable bag itself is an old school PE kit drawstring bag. Ideal size.

Kiddie's night light plugged into the rack's 4-way. Provides enough illumination inside the case to allow me to plug stuff in without fumbling around.

 

My Rack is set up very similarly, but I have tuner and compressor in the rack, all plugged up, and my Smoothound wireless hidden in the back of the rack case, again all plugged up ready to go. I have a snake that I made up to go to my pedal board.

Set up consists of taking front and back covers off the case, putting it on top of cabs, plugging speaker cables into cabs, effects send/return to pedal board, pedal board power to the rack, then one mains plug. Switch on, hey presto

 

[Jimryan]

Another useful little idea.  I’m going away to London for the weekend.  Packed a bag and noticed that the zip has come off.  Don’t worry though, a pedaltrain nano+ bag can hold a shaving bag and all your weekend essentials.

[Jimryan]

I’m telling ya, it’s a great idea...

[stewblack]

An empty guitar case will often get you into a gig for free.

[bazzbass]

7 hours ago, stewblack said:

An empty guitar case will often get you into a gig for free.

a well known guitarist in my city used to do this all through the 80s and 90s all over Australia hehe. Genius

[bazzbass]

If you have to hide bass purchases from your significant other, walk out with an empty case saying you're taking a bass to the tech to look at. Come home with that new bass you wanted that she who must be obeyed had denied you  

[ianrendall]

3 hours ago, bazzbass said:

a well known guitarist in my city used to do this all through the 80s and 90s all over Australia hehe. Genius

Important to note two specifics here. Guitar case and guitarist. Not bass case or bassist. 😜

Which leads me nicely to another tip;

An empty banjo case will often get you into a gig for free - as long you inform the bouncer that the case is actually empty. 

Edited April 14, 2018 by ianrendall

[bazzbass]

20 hours ago, ianrendall said:

Important to note two specifics here. Guitar case and guitarist. Not bass case or bassist. 😜

Which leads me nicely to another tip;

An empty banjo case will often get you into a gig for free - as long you inform the bouncer that the case is actually empty. 

Bouncer: Sorry sir, you can't come in with that violin case

Me: But I have a machine gun in there, I swear it's not a violin

Bouncer: In that case, enter

[lozkerr]

On 15/03/2018 at 18:56, stewblack said:

Of course I now have nowhere to hang my clothes.

Obvious, innit? They go in the floordrobe 

[BrunoBass]

Only buy black basses so your missus doesn’t realise when you’ve bought a new one... 

[Maude]

Repair other people's guitars and basses so you've always got a flow of different instruments going through the house. 

"What that one? Of course it's not a new one, it's [insert name]'s, he wants me to fit new pick ups and give it a quick once over and set up"....... "I know it's been here a while, tell me about it! He's only gone to South America for a few months"........ "No I don't know how people afford either, I'll never be able to doing these little guitar repairs, oh well". 

[discreet]

48 minutes ago, Maude said:

Repair other people's guitars and basses so you've always got a flow of different instruments going through the house.

I claim to do this. But of course, no repairs are ever carried out...