Clifford Bao 777

The Rickenbacker 4005 WB (stands for "White Binding") is a variant model of the Rickenbacker 4005 Bass. Much like the other variants of the 4005 Bass such as the 4005/6, the 4005/8 and the 4005 Light Show Bass, the 4005 WB was a variant model of the 4005, however the only difference was the body of this bass had a bound top and sharper edges. the production years were relatively the same however the 4005 WB was a rarer model, yet like the 4005 the 4005 WB proved to be fairly unsuccessful with more appeal going to the 4001 Bass.

Got this pedal a few months ago and I haven't stopped using it. First, the setup is simple as can be, a 7-year-old could use it, it's got a Depth switch, Rate knob and On/Off button, so I think it's the best you can get for such a simple pedal. The sound is great, when paired up with a good amp you can get any sound you want, on a clean amp channel you can get Watery sounds on the low end, and Chimey sounds on the high end. On the Driven channel with the right settings you can get a really thick driven sounds which *vaugely* remind me of the tone from "Mississippi Queen" by Mountian. And of course I have to mention this was the same pedal used on "Come As You Are" by Nirvana, so with the right Amp settings, a Drop-D tuned guitar you can get the exact sound Nirvana had. The construction is good, however it's *just* good, it's not exactly built like a Boss Stompbox as it does feel a *little* thin and hollow, it feels like they wanted to go for a bigger pedal for looks there, however it is strong enough to survive, just as long as you aren't **Stomping** on it. Overall, this is a 5-Star Pedal, I would recommend this to a friend, and I will definatly continue to use this pedal.

Since I started playing Bass/Guitar I've always loved heavy gauge picks, in fact the first picks I ever bought were Dunlop Tortex 1.14mm, and Dunlop Big Stubby 3.0mm both in standard and triangular. Of the two, the 3.0mm picks were always my favorites, but they always wore down really fast, especially on heavy gauge strings like Bass or Baritone, as I found the Lexan material wasn't hard enough. These are perfect for me and my style of playing, the sloped edge provides a smoother tone, as you don't hear as much "pick-grind" from the edge of the pick scraping/catching against the strings. I've tried a few 5.0mm picks from Dunlop, but I kept finding the tip profile to be too blocky and took too much wearing in, so I keept falling back on these ones. I personally love the thicker-than-usual profile, the textured grip catches your fingers real well, and with these being made of Ultex, they're harder than the 3.0mms and very durable, so they last practically *forever*. Bottom line: It's everything I could ever really ask for in a pick. Overall, I might *not* suggest these to my friends, but I might let them try one first and then see if they're interisted, as I don't belive everyone would like picks this thick. **One Year Update** I'm still using the same pick from last August, the tip & grip texture very wore down, but strumming is as smooth as a knife through butter. I notice the tone is a bit duller/smoother/rounder, but I also notice there's a brief, kind of "Glassy", "Harmonic" sound whenever it contacts the unwound strings. I can only describe it as kind of "Slide-like", as-in like the sound a slide makes swiping against the strings, but only for a brief moment, it's most noticable with the Tone knob set to full. I don't consider it a bad sound, but I can see where it might bother some people, I'll actually tap it or swipe it on the strings and use the sound in the same way some people might use a pinch-harmonic squeal to end a riff or lick. **Still five stars.**

I use Thread Tape on the tremolo systems of my guitars. The screw-in style of tremolo arm can get a bit loose/wobbley after extencive use, so from time to time I'll take some thread tape and apply it to the threaded part of the arm. You have to put the tape on backwards or else it will unwind as you screw it in, I usually do 3-4 winds or however many I see necessary for the particular trem system. It makes the threads bigger but still threadable creating a snugger fit when screwed in, it might feel too tight at first but it'll loosen up to a comfortable level. However this only works for a while, I'll have to reapply the tape every two weeks to a month due to heavy use.