velorush

There are threads here and there since right after I joined about first gen Cruisebasses, always in rough or semi-rough condition and typically for not too many dollars. One popped up on the radar yesterday, just happened to be the right color, right condition, the right deal.... I called about it and was assured it played and sounded fine and didn't smell of cat pee or cigarettes, so I had at it. Scheduled to be here (at work) on Tuesday - excited! Until then (seller's photo): Chewed up headstock is also new avatar. It would be cool to come up with some original DiMarzios (no idea what those are in there now), knobs and especially a truss rod cover. ETA: I really haven't had any problems holding off buying guitars (six string variety); I am really quite satisfied with the three or four I'm playing right now, but bass is still new to me and I've been wanting a first gen Cruise for a really long time.

That looks fantastic! Definitely a very professional job. The most important thing, though: how does it sound?

Is it that you're using a new bit, low speed, going slowly, or something else that you don't have any dark marks in the route? The few times I've run a router I may as well have been using my soldering iron! Granted, I was routing shelves out of red oak, but I can't imagine that maple would be any softer.

I was told the reeds on the blues harp were easier to bend. Honestly, I could never tell the difference between the two.

What does the cross harp actually mean? Why select A for playing in E? Without getting too theoretical, cross harp gets you the Mixolydian mode for blues playing. C harmonica Richter tuned gets you: Blow: C E G C E G C E G C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Draw: D G B D G A B D F A G Mixolydian is spelled G A B C D E F (rather than G Major, with the F#) so you get the Dominant (i.e., flatted) 7 ETA: after playing for a few years by myself and mastering everything from "Oh, Susanna" to the "Marine Hymn," I tried playing with a guitar player - it absolutely didn't work at all. After I got to college an older guy who played in a blues band told me about playing "cross harp." All he explained was I should get the harmonica in the key of the 4 chord. Worked great! It was years later I actually looked into why it worked so well.

I started in the 6th grade, but I don't play much any more (since my wife hates it). I do keep a few around for when she's not. I prefer to play cross harp, so I pick keys that are the 4 chord of popular guitar keys: C for guitarist playing in G, A for guitarist playing in E and an E for guitarist playing in B. I did play the big Hohner 364s and 365s in college, but those are tuned differently and don't lend themselves to be played cross. In the past five or so years I've really been impressed with the Hohner 560 Special 20's. It took me a while to get over the plastic comb, but they don't swell up and require trimming and the action is really great. I'm amazed at the prices these things are bringing. I saved up my allowance for a couple of weeks to buy my first Marine Band for $3.25. I bought my second Blues Harp the following month for $3.50 (I had to save up again). That was 1975 though.

Make my HFC FSR Standard a Bubs-burst!

Too bad neither is an '83 - those were the best, I hear? (sorry, couldn't resist) 'Bout everything I know came from here and here and here, but you've probably already explored that. Alternately, Andrew's site has this along with some additional info.

Actually, this: Followed closely by this (when I play guitar): If I can get my Strat tweaked properly it could be a fight, but I've been saying "if I can get my Strat tweaked properly" for three or four years now - it's closer than ever, but I just can't find the time to work on it and, with the Senior available, I'm not particularly motivated.

Wow, shred, yes! But incredibly interesting, as well. Do let us know how we can further his status.

Apologies. Sorry about that. The carpentry work on the Thiele (regardless of how it is pronounced) looks phenomenal. I have wanted to try a true Thiele cabinet with my Mesa Subway Blues for all the time I've owned it, but issues discussed above (new ones are said to be not as "good" as the old ones, weight, etc.) have always prevented me from pulling the trigger. Your build has me thinking about perhaps building my own. That was the reason for my questions on possibly lightening it up. I do like the idea of finding an EV that is well broken in for reasons of economy as well as tone.

Now see, I thought Porsche was "Porsh" and was only pronounced "Por-sha" by pretentious hacks who had it confused with the Italian name Porcia or alternately, Portia. The guys on Top Gear (BBC America) seem to use both pronunciations, but you never know when Jeremy (who typically throws rocks and garbage at Porsche) is having a dig at James (the Porschephile); this would be just the sort of thing Jeremy would do. Would one of our German friends help a brotha out? I really would like to know and this seems a great opportunity! ETA: just checked Wikipedia and they say "por-sha." It would appear I am the hack! It will take a good bit of conditioning to get me to add that second syllable as I've held this disposition for years. I think what I need to do is buy that Cayman sitting on the lot in the town in which I work. That way I could practice saying it as I drove it to work every day! They don't provide a pronunciation for Thiele.

Great job! Curious: what does the end product weigh? The EV web site gives a weight of the speaker, alone, of 16 lbs. Could the cabinet be constructed of pine to reduce weight?

Id'n that what 0000 steel wool is for? You can always buff it back out to shiny if you go easy with the steel wool. Well, paint me peculiar, but I kinda prefer it when it doesn't look like a Scotch-brite pad or 4 ought steel wool just chewed it up. My Custom Shop Charvel came from the shop with a satin neck finish and it still looks factory new. Chewed up? Not talking about an SOS pad. I'm not sure how 0000 would lead to it looking like it was chewed up. Always worked fine on those 70's Fender maple necks with the ultra shiny finish; on the later ones, too (but less necessary). But hey, it was just a thought.

Id'n that what 0000 steel wool is for? You can always buff it back out to shiny if you go easy with the steel wool.

Using the effects loop (for me at least) depends on the amp / setup. When I posted the two mini-board ghetto rig back in '09 I was playing a Fender Supersonic that had a cascading gain preamp and benefited greatly (okay, it benefited somewhat, greatly would be a stretch) from having delay and chorus after the preamp. I have different amps now, and none that develop great amounts of overdrive in the preamp. I run it all into the instrument input and it seems to sound fine. As evidenced by that old board (and specifically, the bike chain links), I have an aversion to sticking Velcro on my pedals. I'm trying to get over it as the new TC pedals and some others I've recently acquired can't be attached with the links. If I finally succumb to Velcro, I suppose I'll go with one of those Pedal Train units. They look pretty cool.

Has anyone heard the remaster of "Roll the Bones?" I feel the same way about that album - great songs but really really thin! Hope to check our local store (i.e., WalMart - where we rednecks buy everything) tomorrow - hopefully they'll have a copy of "Vapor Trails." The day "Clockwork Angels" came out, I got there early and bought THE copy... they had another (few) the next week...

Streaming at Rolling Stone ETA not more than a minute in to One Little Victory: Good grief what a difference! I can actually hear... instruments! Vocals! Wow!

About the only thing I can add was this band out of Bowling Green (KY) that used to hit the Murray State campus fairly regularly: Government Cheese (which in '80's was a pretty witty name). Just a great rocking band! It appears from a quick Google search they are still out and performing now and then!

I'm thinking we kick-start the economy with a 2014 "Buy Guitars" Challenge - see who buys and sells the most guitars for the year. (the buy/sell allows those with the "one in, one out" spousal mandate in place to still be competitive...) I don't mean to be defeatist, but who on earth could keep up with Bubs and Feynman? Maybe that's the Challenge for 2014: Bubs vs. Feynman Mano-a-Mano The Buy All Guitars Challenge I for one would certainly pop some popcorn...

What I been tryin' to tell you Edit to add this: Watched this. I liked it. Hey! [couple of minutes in] I just enjoyed listening to Slash! I don't know that that has happened before! The fall of 1987 I started nerd school and, while I had a private room, it was joined by a bathroom to a room shared by a couple of Pike (πKA) pledges who were hell-bent on seeing just how far hedonism could be taken - "Appetite for Destruction" was chosen as their soundtrack. AFD was constantly played wide open ad infinitum, with the only thing louder being the rhythmic slapping sounds and his girlfriend's synchronized, "Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny," emanating from the shower (try to work through the Transportation Algorithm with that going on!). To me, Axl's voice always sounded like a cat caught in a meat grinder (not that I've ever actually placed a cat in a meat grinder, mind you). I've never really listened to Slash because he always seemed to be tied to singers for which I didn't care. Thanks for posting this. I'll continue to listen. ETA: an hour and a half in (exactly): Sweet Child of Mine! I am actually enjoying this! This may be the first time I've [voluntarily] listened to the whole song. Any chance this Myles Kennedy could re-track the whole album? He really seems (to me) to breath a life into these songs that they just never had.

4030 Transactions with 444 (100% positive - one neutral) in the last year? eBay does indeed suck, but probably not because of that guy. Is there any visible physical damage to the instrument? Could the tone cap solder joint have come loose in shipping or something freakish like that? ETA: at any rate, all easily confirmed (Skype, anyone?) and all easily fixed.

My parents bought it at Sears (along with my guitar). The album is completely comprehensive, covering All the Chords and Rhthms: Vocal Accompaniment, Ballad Styles, Folk, Country & Western (both kinds), Rhythm & Blues, Shuffle Beats. After giving this a listen, lessons were unnecessary.