Recent content by pravus

Mass is energy.

When you decide to get some new tubes it might be worth contacting some guitar amp manufacturers (like Friedman) to get a recommendation for a particular brand. Many of them use el34s in their 50w/100w heads. I seem to recall there being a short stint of JJ el34s having quality issues, but...

I seem to recall Steven Fryette saying that it's possible for NOS tubes to leak which will contaminate the vacuum inside the bottle and potentially lead to premature failure. All of the amp builders I listen to have no issues with current production other than a few particular issues that are...

It has been answered. The knocking on the wood gives you a rough impression of how that specific piece of wood vibrates which (with experience) can inform the builder about how that specific piece of wood will interact with other components of the build. It depends on what you are trying to...

I was primarily talking about the feel of the neck and not its sonic qualities what that statement. In theory, however, yes those would transfer with the neck since they would be an intrinsic property of that specific piece of wood. But you also have a lot of variables at play so testing...

The physics of it is pretty simple. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. The energy that is transferred from your hand to the string is a finite amount and represents the maximum amount of energy that can be inducted through the pickups. If any part of the instrument (body wood, neck...

It still amazes me that topics such as this stir up so much negativity, derision, and conflict. I'd like to see a double-blind scientific study that shows that complaining about tone wood does anything.

I have multiple basses for primarily two reasons. The first is having access to both a 4 and 5 string. The second is for alternate tunings. I play material in E-standard, Eb-standard, D-standard, drop-D, F-standard, and a couple of others. It's just easier to pick up another instrument...

I currently use an Ampeg PN-410HLF and Bergantino 2x10, both of which I very much like but they don't seem to have the depth of the Fender 1x15 I used years ago. I'd be interested in trying some GK 2x12s but my next cab purchase will be a couple of 2x15s.

Your gain staging is part of your tone because it will affect how much parts of the circuit clip/overdrive/distort. Turn knobs until it's good.

There is no right or wrong with amp settings because there are at least four factors at play: 1) how the amp is voiced along with its controls, 2) the electronics in the instrument/pedals and how they interact with the amp, 3) the physical interaction between you and the instrument, and 4) your...

I own multiple Dingwalls and the last one was an unlined fretless. I haven't had any issues adjusting to it. The muscle memory from practice on fretted instruments is still there and I use my ear to make the necessary corrections. It's not as hard as you'd think. I disagree. I own 4 and 5...

One thing that comes to mind is trying to position your strap so that the load is distributed more across your shoulders and upper back rather than your neck or any one single place. I try to keep my instruments very tight to my body so that it feels more like it's attached rather than just...

One more thing I would add to the "practice slow" mantra is to periodically push yourself to go as fast as possible while staying focused on proper technique. Don't worry about mistakes too much and instead try to pick out specific areas where those mistakes are most pronounced. I find I...

The diagnosis really isn't much different when working with PCBs. The biggest issue you have is the "micro" part of it since the components are extremely small and tightly packed on the AG-500. It's all surface-mount technology (SMT) and doesn't seem designed for maintenance. I've done...