The Dark Lord

I have to say that the well-known shop chain people have been very nice. They expressed disappointment in themselves for doing this and have ordered another from another branch .... although they are not sure whether this other one is a "warehouse" model or another one that has been hanging on a wall. They want me to pop down (they are only 4 miles away from my office) and consider swapping mine for the other one they are getting in and they will get me all of the case candy. I'm happy with this after service - but still a bit let down that I didn't get that special new guitar experience. I will insist on a new set of Ernie Ball Slinkys for it at least ...... and I'll see what else they say. If we reach a reasonable solution then I think I should not name and shame. If they fall short and start to treat me with disdain - their name is going on every review site and forum I can get my hands on.

Just become the proud owner of a new Gibson. Okay, it's actually a Gibson SG Standard SG [u]six-string-guitar[/u] - but the point I'm making here is as relevant to new bass purchases. Courier delivers the guitar in new box etc. When I open it up - it doesn't seem [i]entirely [/i]new. There are no body dings or scratches, but it is missing that new guitar woody smell that new rosewood Gibsons have. It's covered in thumb and hand prints (it's a gloss black guitar) and there are quite a number of scratches on the pickguard (which still has the plastic cover on). I'm 98% sure they won't have made a mark when I remove it. On the back there are sort of micro-scratch swirl type things. Not massive, but detectable. I guess the guitar has been hanging in the shop and some people have played it. To what degree I don't know. The shop say that 90% of their new stock [b]does indeed[/b] hang in its shops and can potentially be played. Although they are very apologetic and say that it should have been polished up and cleaned perfectly. Also missing the case candy (strap, lead, cloth, polish, spanner etc) I won't mention the very well known chain store whom I ordered it from - as they are being co-operative and I am negotiating with them right now. I'm just disappointed as I was expecting a bright shiny new Gibbo. Should I expect this - or is this actually an ex-demo rather than a bight shiny new guitar? I mean, I will take it to rehearsals and it will end up like this after a few plays anyway - but should I accept this?

..... although, it is better to wait many years for a USA Standard Precision than have any other bass today. Prepare to be amazed ..... and hope it comes soon.

[quote name='The Admiral' timestamp='1355181212' post='1895227'] I was trying to think of some bands which featured 2 female vocalists, as that could be a starting point for some interesting stuff : Abba obviously, Rumours era Fleetwood Mac, Heart, The Corrs (kind of), errrr ......... Any more? Probably loads, and I'll kick myself for forgetting. [/quote] Baccara. Believe it or not, "Yes Sir I Can Boogie" is the number 7 (yes that's right seven) best selling single of all time! Worldwide.

I gotta go stage left - with the drummer to my right and the guitar dude to his right. Don't feel proper any other way.

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1355090774' post='1893975'] What makes the Lakland's so much better tan the Fenders? [/quote] I've tried a couple of Laklands. Once in my local shop and once in a chain outlet. Good basses - but they don't sound, or feel like a Fender Precision. They have a cleaner and clearer sound. They feel a bit lighter - although I'm not sure how they compared actual weight-wise. Maybe the neck felt lighter in the hand - might be a balance thing as you can feel the weight of a Fender (more on a Jazz than a P) in your hand. Probably good basses and all that. But they are not better than the industry standard that is the Fender Precision. They got no clank and rumble.

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1354885363' post='1891596'] Doesnt work for me as a solo instrument, I wont play solos, and I hate hearing them. A good strong bass line, in a bass driven number speaks for itself, but doesnt matter how well done, bass solos bore me just as much as drum solos do. [/quote] Word.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1354836727' post='1891206'] So, you suggest that the OP sells his new amp and buys a new cab instead? [/quote] Well, he has gone about it the wrong way/

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1354814803' post='1890800'] OTOH there's not much point in directing sarcasm at someone just for having a budget, and it comes across as sneering. Pointing out workable alternatives within the OPs budget is a lot more helpful than that... [/quote] Where is the sarcasm in my comment? Do you even know what sarcasm means? I was being straight. I thought Lawrence was spouting nonesence. I thought what he said made no sense. But, to be back on topic. Start with a good quality cab first. Not the other way 'round. There are plenty of low priced amp heads that will sound great with the right cab.

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1354813353' post='1890780'] You don't need much power at all, you just need more power the louder you want to play. 'Maximum performance' is basically getting the SPL and tone you need for your gigs - if you don't need to be very loud then you don't need lots of power. Cabs with larger voice coils and higher excursion are louder than cabs with smaller volce coils and lower excursion of equal 1W sensitivity when both are driven with a mere 100W amp, because they maintain more of their 1W sensitivity through reduced voice coil heating and greater motor linearity. Use more power and the difference becomes even more obvious but that doesn't mean it isn't still there at lower SPL. I'd have expected better from you Lawrence than referring to a passive loudspeaker as 'overpowered'! [/quote] Good shout. The nonesense that gets spouted on here is surprising.

[quote name='Ultima2876' timestamp='1354798316' post='1890475'] There are good reasons for this. Once you've got a fantastic amp head, you likely won't need to upgrade for a long time (if ever). He may have blown the majority of his budget on his head, and wants to get a cheapish cab to get his rig up and running for now. Then he can upgrade, swap and generally reconfigure his cab setup later - but the amp will always be excellent. If you do it the other way round and buy a cheapo amp with a fantastic cab (or even 50/50 and get a decent amp and decent cab)... the whole rig will sound like sh*t, then you're just going to need to buy a new amp soon to justify the money you wasted on that fantastic cab. And then what if your new amp doesn't get along with the cab in question? You have an expensive logistics problem on your hands. [/quote] So, you are saying that the speakers (the things that the music actually comes out of) are the least important part of the chain?

[quote name='Si600' timestamp='1354793711' post='1890386'] I'm not sure that's quite fair This looks a good option, possibly a little too large physically, [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/193603-fs-eden-n410rs-4x10-cab-l190/"]http://basschat.co.u...-4x10-cab-l190/[/url] Are Eden classified as "cheap speakers"? [/quote] Which Eden's do you mean? The ones on their website which are described as for "the budget concious musician", which retail for about £288 for a 4x10 .... in which case they ARE cheap cabs ......................or do you mean the D Series cabinets, retailing for nearly £900 for a 4x10 in which case they are not? Really.

[quote name='Si600' timestamp='1354792365' post='1890359'] If anyone says Barefaced I'll be very rude to you as I want one anyway but I can't afford one, at least, not new, and even second hand they're a bit frisky for me. [/quote] So you buy a relatively expensive and good quality amp head, but you're after cheap speakers? Nice one.

[quote name='Seb_C' timestamp='1354789262' post='1890309'] Of course it can be a solo instrument! I said it doesn't work for ME as a solo instrument The thing is, I spend some of my time practicing, and some of my time just playing. Sometimes when I'm playing I treat is as a performance, usually one without an audience, but sometimes my fiance is around. In that situation, with my ability and my style, an acoustic guitar or a piano gets me far closer to the sort of thing she may actually enjoy listening to! And sometimes, on those days when I'm playing well (by my standards) I enjoy listening to myself play... With bass, I don't really get that. Partly because I'm not good enough, and partly becuase the kind of thing I like to play on bass lends itself entirely to ensemble performance. In the same way, the kind of thing I like to play on acoustic lends itself to solo performance and not to ensemble. So if a few friends are round and want to play some music I'd much rather pick up my bass than my acoustic. So, really, I need all three. Bass, guitar, piano. Four, if you include my voice. [/quote] It's not a solo instrument. If it's used that way, it's just wrong.

See. This is what I call a forum. I have learned something new. Thank you. When you think about it, that makes sense. I am thinking of getting one of his amps - but would have been reluctant if he didn't even use one himself. I am reassured.

I much prefer the new classified section to the old marketplace forum. When people want to sell things - I'm not really interested in all of the stuff that other people say about what they have to sell. I just wanna see what they have, how much they want, one or more pics .... and then I can manage the rest myself. Also, it's cleaner and simpler and you can more easily see all the things that are out there in one place - without all of the extra comments that i don't need. Might also be more difficult for hidden traders to hide.

If you look at the picture, I think I'm right in saying that JJ appeared to be using 2 x Ashdown ABM amps and NOT his own JJ500 signature head in the latest Australia gigs. Is that the norm ..... or is it just an Australia thing?

Won't be getting my money. I think it's a really poor quality publication which smacks of "one-man-band publishing village syndrome". Just take a look at their online review of the 2008 American Standard Precision. It's all about a Fender Jazz! I think the problem there is not enough time to check things ..... and when proof-reading takes a back seat in a publication, you know the quality has hit the floor almost everywhere else. The review, for what it is, looks like a regurgitated press release anyway, so I can't imagine I'm missing much. And the final funny is ... the reviewer gives the bass 3 out of 5 stars. The same as a Gibson Thunderbird Studio. Icon of rock n roll. Staple of the industry, rated as highly as a Thunderbird. I suppose that means, that according to that rag, I should go check out one of those? Yeah right. I'll pass.

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1354465468' post='1886257'] That's a bit of an over-simplification? I have an amp that i like, i just wanted to know more about the internals and how they operate. [/quote] Aha. Okay. In that case, I have no idea. Sorry. What's inside doesn't interest me in the slightest. I just plug 'em in and they either make the sound I like or they don't.

When it comes down to it - there's no real difference. They're both boxes that you stick a bass lead in one end and a speaker lead out of the other ..... and you end up getting a deep tone. There are plenty of good, brilliant, band and terrible examples of both. Just a case of finding a bass amp that you like the look, sound and features of - that also fits your budget. Best bit is to get out there and test 'em, listen to 'em on ebay, read the reviews etc.

I say [u]don't[/u] do it.

By choice. I remember watching TOTP in the early 70s and was spellbound by the deep pulsing sound. I thought it was coming from those flashing light panels they used to have. Then I saw JJ and that was it. I also play guitar and have a collection of (black obviously) guitars ...... but I don't feel as much of a geezer when I play them.

It's good to hear I'm not alone. I guess we all make some sorta mistakes here and there - except perhaps for the really top-notch pros among us, but then again they can even be thrown by someone else's errors. Like I said in the original post, I make a few minor mistakes here and there which are sometimes noticed by the others in the band. I guess in a three-piece (guitar/bass/drums) combo mistakes could potentially be more noticeable? Maybe. I've never seen it as an issue, and as I said, I can forgive myself .... and can't even remember my last real clanger. It's all about "do the audience enjoy it" ....and looking out at them ... they seem to. Off for another 2 x 1 hour gig in a pub tonight .... and I'll probably drop a [u]real[/u] clanger now that I've said all this. But hey, what's the worst that can happen?

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1354223796' post='1883937'] I love my Fender, in in my model year the MIA ones definitely had natural. I have to say though, if I was buying a 'Fender' today, it'd be a Sandberg. I look at Fenders exactly how I look at Land Rover Defenders. For the right person they're great but you have to put up with a few compromises and you'd have to be bat dropping crazy to buy a new one these days. [/quote] I went out with this girl for a while who looked just like Kylie. Except much better. She was a bit taller, bigger boobs and no annoying Australian accent. All my mates liked her but they said, when it comes down to it - we'd be far more impressed if you actually brought Kylie down the pub. [i]Fender USA Precision. No substitute. Accept no copies. Nothing comes close. Strap on. Rock.[/i]