Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

[El_Charro]

Hehehe, the cheapo B-50 I string as BEAD does just great with it. I bought a 5 string set and just ditched the G. After filing out the width of the nut to fit, it's great.

The band I'm in right now has no use for the B string. But if I want to play that bass, the band I'm in right now also has almost no need for the G on my normal bass (I touch it once during an intro at most shows, we have one song where I use it regularly). I could probably get by with a 24 fret 2 string strung with just E and A if I wasn't lazy and didn't want to change positions.

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Lol-Well...Based on the kind of music I like to play, I constantly find myself going after the two lowest strings in standard tuning, so I suppose stringing to BEAD would make me actually play the third string since it would now be A...

Then again who knows...Maybe I would still be in the habit of wanting to camp out on the bottom two strings given how good a really low angry B sounds...

Thanks! \m/

 

[Flamingo21]

given how good a really low angry B sounds...

I'm missing out on something here. I have a set of TI Jazz Flats on my fiver, and that 136 B string is quite friendly in character.

So... what does an angry B string sound like?

 

[kleinenenten]

1. Bring that fiver, tuned normally.
2. Tell him every note is there.
3. Stare him down.

Don't practice the music, practice the staring.



Of course, you then produce that capo, giving you the right tool for the job.

Minus the staring and capo, I've done the same thing. It backfired when the guitarist had no concept of adjusting his finger positions when I wrote a song - he just assumed his fingers when where mine did. Hopefully your guitarist is better than that!

 

[Flamingo21]

Now that you mention it, I have been wondering how to write songs down once I start making any. The two guitarists communicate in tab, which I can't follow, so I just listen and write notes, which baffles them. (But at least we're in the same tuning.)

 

[YawningJorin]

Hey doomers! Spending more time on songwriting lately. Kind of finding a consistent challenge I face is pacing the energy of a song. I have a tendency to energise a song by my mood more so than finding a clear line in the structure. It becomes easier once most of the content of the song is down and you can start re-arranging sections that are already written, of course, but I believe I am a concept first writer at heart, and I want to hone my writing skills with that approach.

 

[br1qbat]

Hey doomers! Spending more time on songwriting lately. Kind of finding a consistent challenge I face is pacing the energy of a song. I have a tendency to energise a song by my mood more so than finding a clear line in the structure. It becomes easier once most of the content of the song is down and you can start re-arranging sections that are already written, of course, but I believe I am a concept first writer at heart, and I want to hone my writing skills with that approach.

I have this tendency to want to repeat structures, so I find challenging/limiting myself really helps. For example, I may tell myself that the next song will have no real intro, or that I want a song that's under 3 minutes, or no chorus. Whatever. Doesn't always work, but it gets me out of my box.

 

[lucas303]

Now that you mention it, I have been wondering how to write songs down once I start making any. The two guitarists communicate in tab, which I can't follow, so I just listen and write notes, which baffles them. (But at least we're in the same tuning.)

Have you tried Guitar Pro? I'm only scratching the surface of it but you can write stuff out on staff and it automatically gives you tab as well. I don't know if the inverse is true. I think it can also convert what you've written from one instrument to another (convert is not the right word...but you get my drift).

 

[Flamingo21]

I think it can also convert what you've written from one instrument to another (convert is not the right word...but you get my drift).

Err... "transpose"?

 

[oZZma]

Help please...
My JCM800KK doesn't work anymore, no sound at all coming out of it, not even the normal hum.
My drummer says that seems like one tube is not glowing anymore. I hope it can be "only" the preamp...
I hope it's enough for a diagnosis.

 

[arbitrary]

Help please...
My JCM800KK doesn't work anymore, no sound at all coming out of it, not even the normal hum.
My drummer says that seems like one tube is not glowing anymore. I hope it can be "only" the preamp...
I hope it's enough for a diagnosis.

can you replace the tube that isn't glowing?

 

[oZZma]

can you replace the tube that isn't glowing?

I don't think so...
Apparently the problem is somewhere in the power amp section. I feel so down. This was the cherry on the sh!t cake.

 

[Nekomata]

Are all cables properly connected and are all fuses okay? You have probably looked at that already, but if not, that's an obvious starting point...

 

[oZZma]

Are all cables properly connected and are all fuses okay? You have probably looked at that already, but if not, that's an obvious starting point...

yes all the cables are connected and I also plugged the bass directly to the amp to exclude any external problem... Tried different cables as well... BTW the amp is completely silent (no hum at all) so in any case doesn't seem a cable problem
No idea about the fuses. But there was no burning smell.

 

[220_Hz]

yes all the cables are connected and I also plugged the bass directly to the amp to exclude any external problem... Tried different cables as well... BTW the amp is completely silent (no hum at all) so in any case doesn't seem a cable problem
No idea about the fuses. But there was no burning smell.

My vintage ampeg v4b had an issue where the jack for the speaker input was bent & it was permanently making connection to ground even with the cable plugged in. It killed a set of power amp tubes that were otherwise fine

It may not be your issue but it’s a good place to check. All that needed to be done was to bend the jack back in place (and new power tubes)

 

[oZZma]

My vintage ampeg v4b had an issue where the jack for the speaker input was bent & it was permanently making connection to ground even with the cable plugged in. It killed a set of power amp tubes that were otherwise fine

It may not be your issue but it’s a good place to check. All that needed to be done was to bend the jack back in place (and new power tubes)

Thanks... The cables are all fine tho. It was the first thing I checked.

 

[220_Hz]

Thanks... The cables are all fine tho. It was the first thing I checked.

Apologies if I’m still suggesting something you already tried, but I meant the internal part of the jack. In the pic where it says switch was what got bent on my amp

 

[oZZma]

Apologies if I’m still suggesting something you already tried, but I meant the internal part of the jack. In the pic where it says switch was what got bent on my ampView attachment 4279439

Thanks for the clarification... Once the amp is repaired I'll plug with a brand new cable, just to be sure. Although the cable was quite new... never even moved the amp from there. There's a very small chance it was faulty.

 

[Novarocker]

Thanks for the clarification... Once the amp is repaired I'll plug with a brand new cable, just to be sure. Although the cable was quite new... never even moved the amp from there. There's a very small chance it was faulty.

That sucks! Hope it was just the end of life for the tubes and not something else.

I think he may have been talking about the jack on the amp itself. If he is, I know that I tend to bend that connector as they wear out on my basses and became more loose, but never on an amp. Granted this is talking about 30 year old basses with cheap components.

A safe way to verify if that tube is toast is to power it down and give it time to dissipate power, then after cleaning your hands or wearing rubber gloves pop the tube out. Gently holding the base of the tube and carefully rocking it in a circle to loosen the connection until it smoothly pulls out works best for me. Then just shake the tube near your ear like a light bulb. If it has that light bulb rattle it's for sure dead, but if it doesn't, that doesn't mean it's good.

That's about the extent of my tube amp knowledge. You may luck out, I think power tubes in amps typically work in pairs so you may not have to spend a ton. tube. Could be way off on that though. The biasing, if your amp needs that would be the cost, along with tubes.

My Vox runs the tubes real hard. When I was gigging regularly I would replace the power tubes every other year or so. I kept the old pair and a spare preamp tube in my gig box in case I had any issues on a gig. I think the pair of EL84's were $40-50. I only had to do this a few times, I think 3 times in 6 years of heavy practice and gigging. To make it easy on myself, I just set aside the cost in my savings when I could afford to and left it alone till I needed it.

 

[oZZma]

That sucks! Hope it was just the end of life for the tubes and not something else.

I think he may have been talking about the jack on the amp itself. If he is, I know that I tend to bend that connector as they wear out on my basses and became more loose, but never on an amp. Granted this is talking about 30 year old basses with cheap components.

A safe way to verify if that tube is toast is to power it down and give it time to dissipate power, then after cleaning your hands or wearing rubber gloves pop the tube out. Gently holding the base of the tube and carefully rocking it in a circle to loosen the connection until it smoothly pulls out works best for me. Then just shake the tube near your ear like a light bulb. If it has that light bulb rattle it's for sure dead, but if it doesn't, that doesn't mean it's good.

That's about the extent of my tube amp knowledge. You may luck out, I think power tubes in amps typically work in pairs so you may not have to spend a ton. tube. Could be way off on that though. The biasing, if your amp needs that would be the cost, along with tubes.

My Vox runs the tubes real hard. When I was gigging regularly I would replace the power tubes every other year or so. I kept the old pair and a spare preamp tube in my gig box in case I had any issues on a gig. I think the pair of EL84's were $40-50. I only had to do this a few times, I think 3 times in 6 years of heavy practice and gigging. To make it easy on myself, I just set aside the cost in my savings when I could afford to and left it alone till I needed it.

Thanks a lot... I think I'll bring it to a tech, I would not even be able to bias the amp myself. So even if it's the tube... I would like to learn, but I don't feel like trying on that amp. I am too scared

 

[ConfoundedBridg]

but I don't feel like trying on that amp. I am too scared

Feel that. I just got my first tube amp and still need to insert the tubes. I'm kind of dreading it just because I don't want to screw it up and there ain't no way I'm paying amp tech prices just to insert em so we'll see how that one goes. No doubt that tube amps are a little intimidating, at least for me having never used one.

Finally got a cab for it, and should be picking it up today. Fender Rumble 410 from the early 2010's. So anticipate a rig pic