Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

[Pelham Bleu]

That looks promising, black pg? @askrere

 

[Blank_0101]

That looks promising, black pg? @askrere

Mmm this and chrome.

 

[kleinenenten]

Just realized I could add a few of my guitar pedals to my bass board and have a totally friendly dual-use board. May have to try it, and add a few plugs in the 1Spot.

 

[Korladis]

So probably gonna get that weeping demon sometime this weekend or early next week.

Was also thinking a tacky synth would be fun. Anyone ever use a cheap goodwill Casio with there soon rig for fun?

Also what a good way to mount my voodoo power block on a pedal board? Zip ties? Longer screws?

A tacky synth through some fuzz pedals could sound monstrous. Especially if you got that one whirly pedal to go with it.

As for the power block, why not just use velcro?

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San Antonio sounds like it's not doing well... Yikes.

Like it's trying to give Florida a run for its money.

I always make sure that my lady ditches any purse held fetuses whenever we ride dirty. That's just a major faux pas.

Show went pretty well. Shorter than usual set. The venue just built a larger stage, so no more barely squeezing two full stacks and an 810. 415 from here on at that place. The V4B could probably rise to the call of duty solo at that place. The 2000s was certainly formidable. There was a good balance on stage last night. I felt my tone was a bit dark, but I could here myself.

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum on TB and here likely, but lazy prevails. For anyone tuning to C standard, what gauge strings are you using across the board? Barring custom gauge sets ordered, if you are to buy a 5 string set, which string do you toss aside?

I've been tossing the E string and just swapping in the B. Yesterday, when stringing, I got rid of the A string and used the E in its place. I'm considering tossing the G out, but since all of those gauges would essentially be untuned from their intended pitch, I'm wondering if excess tension could be an issue. Thoughts?

I tune to just use the bottom four gauges of a 5 string set. I tune to BEAD, though. Lately I've been using 130 100 80 60. It's also nice and easy for the shop I go to to remember if I have them throw new strings on a bass during a setup. If I were tuning to C standard, I would use slightly lighter gauge strings than that.

or maybe 120 90 70 50 .. now that I think about C standard some more. Depends what kind of tension you like. They also sell nickel strings too.
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That's probably the set of gauges I'd use for C standard, myself.

Both. Tried it in the early days of the current band when guitarists were in C standard. Difficult to play because the strings were so tight, also caused instant significant front bow. Your mileage may vary, of course. Didn't work out for me, luckily it's a 5 string so I just bit the bullet and transposed on the fly.

I transpose in one of my bands. In Dustern, the guitarist tunes to D standard and I tune to B standard so that I can use the same basses in both Dustern and Catapult. Helps give them a different sound, too.

 

[Turkeypills]

or maybe 120 90 70 50 .. now that I think about C standard some more. Depends what kind of tension you like. They also sell nickel strings too.
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I'm kind of picky with strings. The T40 requires hi beams. It's just such a dark sounding bass that without that super bright zing I feel it lacks quite a bit of definition if the neck pup is involved at all. My preference for other, brighter, basses at DR fat beams. I also really like Kalium strings for those basses. I don't really like nickel strings at all for anything. Kaliums are as close as I get. Nickels just feel too slick, give my fingers the funk and always sound way too dead after like a week.

Both. Tried it in the early days of the current band when guitarists were in C standard. Difficult to play because the strings were so tight, also caused instant significant front bow. Your mileage may vary, of course. Didn't work out for me, luckily it's a 5 string so I just bit the bullet and transposed on the fly.

Hmm. I actually like the higher tension. I feel like I can pick faster and my low notes sound thicker. I'll have to keep an eye on my necks for bowing.

 

[Bassic Playing]

I use the bottom four of a RS66 5 string set, I think the low C is 120. It was a little light for my taste at first, but I like the wobbly downtuned sound it gets when the note decays with fuzz on, so I stick with it.

Phaser or wah? Ive always liked phaser but I think a mutron sounding envelope filter migjt be more noticeable in the mix.

 

[The_Janitor]

I ran my crappy keyboard through the odb3 into the lh1000 and 2x15. Once I figured out how to play power chords on the keys I had a blast. Sounded awesome.

 

[Blank_0101]

So is stewmac catering to less search savvy hobbyists as a one stop shop?

I don't know if their tools are any better or worse for the $$$, but even their basic parts are wayyy more than everyone else, or steeped in disproven mojo, even though they are well known respected repair and luthier people.

 

[The_Janitor]

So is stewmac catering to less search savvy hobbyists as a one stop shop?

I don't know if their tools are any better or worse for the $$$, but even their basic parts are wayyy more than everyone else, or steeped in disproven mojo, even though they are well known respected repair and luthier people.

Lots of places do this, like fliptops selling $10 worth of capacitors for $50 in a kit.

 

[Turkeypills]

So is stewmac catering to less search savvy hobbyists as a one stop shop?

I don't know if their tools are any better or worse for the $$$, but even their basic parts are wayyy more than everyone else, or steeped in disproven mojo, even though they are well known respected repair and luthier people.

I would only use Stew Mac for tools.

 

[Blank_0101]

Lots of places do this, like fliptops selling $10 worth of capacitors for $50 in a kit.

Never shopped there before, I mostly do Amazon/eBay or guitar fetish. That's the ampeg restoration site yes?

I would only use Stew Mac for tools.

Even then a lot can be found cheaper elsewhere. Maybe less customer service if there's an issue, but $29 radius sanding block or $129?

 

[The_Janitor]

Never shopped there before, I mostly do Amazon/eBay or guitar fetish. That's the ampeg restoration site yes?

Correct, only started checking out their site when I got the AC12, for the prices they charge I'd expect shipping to be quick and customer service to be solid. Nope.

I need to get the tremolo module for it, and I'd really rather not buy it from them, but I think I'm going to have to.

 

[Blank_0101]

Correct, only started checking out their site when I got the AC12, for the prices they charge I'd expect shipping to be quick and customer service to be solid. Nope.

I need to get the tremolo module for it, and I'd really rather not buy it from them, but I think I'm going to have to.

Is it just a opto one like blackface fenders? You could probably make it yourself. They just put a light and light sensitive resistor together with black tape to block out outside light.

 

[Turkeypills]

Never shopped there before, I mostly do Amazon/eBay or guitar fetish. That's the ampeg restoration site yes?



Even then a lot can be found cheaper elsewhere. Maybe less customer service if there's an issue, but $29 radius sanding block or $129?

A lot of SM tools are top quality. Those expensive radius blocks are the hollow aluminium models. I would say that's a worthwhile investment for someone like Mike Lull or Fodera or something like that. I bought a wooden radius block from SM for like $17 I think.

 

[D.M.N.]

So Levitation was cancelled due to flood threats, and it hasn't rained a bit. It's a total shitshow trying to get tickets to makeup shows, but I managed to see Uncle Acid last night and am going to Sleep tonight.

 

[The_Janitor]

Is it just a opto one like blackface fenders? You could probably make it yourself. They just put a light and light sensitive resistor together with black tape to block out outside light.

It is optical but it's way different values than the fender one. It's got crazy high impedance values and a bunch of other weird specs that make it difficult source parts.

In the end, it's only $35 to order a replacement and I'm still way under the value of the amp in parts and labor so it's a sound investment in the value of the amp.

 

[Korladis]

So is stewmac catering to less search savvy hobbyists as a one stop shop?

I don't know if their tools are any better or worse for the $$$, but even their basic parts are wayyy more than everyone else, or steeped in disproven mojo, even though they are well known respected repair and luthier people.

Dunno. I usually get my parts through my local shop. If they don't have something in stock I just have them order me one. Probably costs me a little bit more, but it's worth not having to go through the hassle.

So Levitation was cancelled due to flood threats, and it hasn't rained a bit. It's a total poopieshow trying to get tickets to makeup shows, but I managed to see Uncle Acid last night and am going to Sleep tonight.

That's quite a silver lining. Well, green and hazy, really. Saw Sleep a couple months ago with Neurosis, and they were fantastic. Kinda envious of all Al's Rickenbackers, lol.

 

[mc_muench]

Thanks buddy, that's just great.

I built an OCD clone yesterday. It has a switch to select between mosfet, LED or no clippers. Another switch for the HP/LP except this switch has a 3rd position for a mid peak. Finally has a 3rd switch to select either 9v or 18v via internal voltage doubler so I can run on 9v. I spent most of my time at home working on it yesterday. I felt really good about it all; soldering was clean, all parts were on hand and I was really digging the final look I had going. I realized right when I was soldering the last 2 wires just before closing the case that I had made a fatal error. The 9v/18v switch was an add on to the circuit board and a tight squeeze in the MXR sized box. I did some "Kentucky windage" style measurements and thought everything would fit. Well, everything just barely managed to squeeze in except that I had forgot to account for the ribbed border of the base plate. Now the base plate won't fit flush. It was pretty upsetting. Made me feel like the whole day of seeming productivity was a waste. Today is anew and I have mended the cuts to my pride. I think I am going to take a dremel to the base plate and grind away the section by the switch. It's either that or buy another case and recase the pedal, possibly with a boost or blend. Anyway... The LED is ultra brite yellow.
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Gig tonight with Honky ft. JD Pinkus of the Butthole Surfers and Melvins. Reconciled with the band a bit and found some low gain OCD and ODB-3 settings that they loved and I can live with. Got a fresh set of RS 66s for the Jazz to get a good cleanish sound for tonight. 3 days off work to facilitate the gig. I'm pumped for it. Taking the freshly retubed 2000s and an 810. Have some promising deals in the works for my Kramer and possibly sending the SVP to Austria. If those things happen, dually two is getting ordered shortly.

Any recommendations for a high wattage 2 ohm stable class d head? Ideally with a flexible preamp. If I'm going to gig the tube amps exclusively I should probably look in to a decent backup amp.

looks clean and bet it sounds nasty!

also cheap 2ohn stable back would totes be a cravin.

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New cab day: Peavey TXF 412. Was at a pawn shop for $199 and I paid $150+tax.

Sounds pretty good, loads of low end. Rat fur is clean. Casters are a bit undersized but they roll really cleanly.

Made big noise in garage tonight. I must have another one.

when you sell it, like i know you will soon in a couple months, let me know first!

 

[mc_muench]

Got my pvy EQ and have been able to try it at home with the small rig and at full volume with a big rig. The effects of how boost or cutting frequencies and how it changes the drone are much more noticable with the big rig, because the speakers in the 810 go lower and i can push things more sonically, its amazing how much more the drones "open" at volume. Keeping the drone setup simple as to deter me from over complicating things when the goal is minimalism. Drone synth > supermoon > EQ-27 > power section of da MACE.

Im really starting to get the itch to drone out of the bedroom/basement and in the wild. Whether that means, start booking shows in the mke noise scene, or should I literally start droning out in the wild...like load up some cabs and amps in the van and go find some serene forest off a dirt road and drone there. Think that might be fun. Hike, fish, hell even camp and drone sounds like fun, legal, Im not sure...looking into that. Im also getting a big car wall outlet converter thingy to turn the van into a generator. lnvite anyone to some Frequency Therapy in nature, and if no one comes, Ill play a song for mother nature. sounds like a perfect way to spend a beautiful summer day in wisconsin to me.

 

[dukeorock]

Been away too long!

A few weeks ago I rekindled my love of cycling and got back into it big time. Can't believe how out of shape I let myself get! Working pretty hard on it (lost nearly 30 lbs in the past two months). Got a couple new bikes but am selling one now that I have a preference

Gonna hang on to the Bianchi. Just seems to suit me better.

Even better. A buddy just sold me his 1976 P bass! This neck is amazing. A tad heavy at 10lbs, but worth it!