Lozz196

Ah, each to their own, and all down to preference/opinion rather than right or wrong. I`m probably a bit (well more than a bit) anal about sounds. I remember being really disappointed when I saw The Fratellis play Chelsea Dagger on tv and the bass was nothing like the recorded version, I`d been sooooo looking forward to hearing that cracking bass sound and it just didn`t come through. I wasn`t upset for days mind, but the fact that I can still remember my disappointment shos it figured highly - no idea which tv show it was, or when.

It wouldn`t ruin the songs imo Pete, it would just make them sound unlike the recordings, and we`ve always prided ourselves on delivering live versions of our songs that sound like the recorded material. I don`t understand why any band would want any different, unless intentional, by way of performing either a stripped back version, or a version with added orchestral accompaniment. Otherwise why not deliver the same sound as what you`ve recorded, and what your fans have bought, and what when they come to see you play they hope to hear?

Try Castle Cases, they might be able to knock something up.

Drop them a message direct, they`re on here, Ashdown Engineering. Always pretty good with help & advice.

Well that`s what I`ve been doing, probably not explained myself too well. It`s post some EQ-ing, as per the EQ on my Para Driver, but not Post on the amp. On the amp itself, if they really want to DI from that rather than the Para Driver I always go Pre, so they`re still only getting the bass/pedal, without anything from the amp. Most engineers seem to really apprciate the simplicity of DI-ing from the Para Driver, probably the same with the regular Sansamps.

Thanks, I`ll probably just about learn it all when it`s time for another change

As above - haven`t worked out how to multiquote on the new version of Basschat yet. Yes, rooms can have a big effect on bass, but it depends majorly on what bass sound is being used. If a lot of warm low-end I get it, I really do, you can end up with a wall of sludge that wamps over everything. But if your bass sound is completely the opposite, requiring a lot of hi-mids and highs, plus break-up/drive, well at that point it`s now a different ball game. I`ve heard many bands have a pre-EQ bass to FOH. It`s resulted in no definition, the bass has ruined the whole perfomance. Whereas a band with carefully thought out complimentary sounds put through FOH as they are, well these bands - to my ears - have won the day. And usually their performance has sounded like their recordings, which I would hope was their aim. We do many gigs with line-checks only, and the amount of sound-guys who have come up after the gig and raved about the sound of the bass, and how my set-up made their job so much easier, well some might be lying, but if I thought it were all of them then I`d sense a conspiracy going on. One to equal the moon-landings I`d venture.

Have a listen to my band on Youtube - Knock Off, best track to hear the bass is Fingers to The Bone - and then you`ll see/hear why a flat un-EQ`d P-bass out front would ruin what we sound like live. No point in recording with a sound and then doing my damndest to not have that sound live. I use whatever amp/cab is there for on-stage monitoring, my Tech21 Para Driver goes straight to FOH. Given my sound it`s very unlikely it will be too boomy.

Same for me.

I can`t say I dislike rap as whole genre, as I haven`t heard it all, all I can say is that I pretty much dislike every bit of rap I`ve heard so far. Apart from the RUN DMC/Aerosmith version of Walk This Way that is, love that version.

Not really that fussed on the looks/size of these, but they - from the online stuff I`ve heard - sound great.

Well in theory it should be better, given the extra work/cost etc, and that will mean is it`s a fantastic amp, as the ABM600 is a cracker. I really don`t need a DOOM, but I WANT one!

Given the recent thread about Sig Basses, did you get this based on it being Geezers Sig Amp, or that it ticked the box on features (plus looks like the best amp in the world)?

Both the bassline and the tone to Message In a Bottle are excellent imo. Think Sting is a fair bit under-rated as a bassist, as his singing ability and rather irritating smugness (tho I think if I played like that, sang like that, and looked like that I`d be smug too) seem to me to be more at the forefront than his bass chops.

I`m a Roto 66 user, and have tried to get similar sound from many strings, rounds & flats alike, and not got anywhere near. Especially from flats.Yes Rotos don`t last too long, but as a plus point they`re also not that expensive, so a set every month v an expensive set every two months, same monies. And a cracking sound.

That looks awesome, did the Doom come seperately packaged or already in there?

I always send post EQ as well - the sound of the bass in our band is as essential a component of the bands sound as the guitar is, going pre EQ would completely destroy the sound of the band to the point where there wouldn`t be any point in doing the gig.

I`ve had a few sig basses, all have been good but the best one for me - and one which I sold only last weekend - was the Fender Dee Dee Ramone Precision. Others were Mike Dirnt Precision, Matt Freeman Precision, and Duff McKagan Jazz Bass Special. The quality on all of the instruments was great, in all honesty the only one I bought for association to the artist was the Duff. The others were bought purely on the fact that they were Precisions - a must - and that the colour schemes were right. But back to the Dee Dee, why did I like it so much. Well yes love The Ramones, but at the time I bought it I just wanted a white/black/maple Precision, and that one came along so I snapped it up, wasn`t fussed about the sig. The neck was nice and chunky, and the bass sounded great. Really well put together, aside from no thru-body stinging it would be hard to tell it apart from a US Precision. Was Dee Dee that prolific a player, maybe, maybe not. Did Fender get it right, in terms of playability yes, in terms of colour debatable, as many shots I`ve seen of his bass it sported a red/tort scratchplate not black. But as a punk icon he was recognisable for his low slung Precision as much as his "1-2-3-4" call.

If you`re happy with the Ashdown sound, check out their Rootmaster range. Nice and portable, not very expensive, and a great sound.You can get a 500w amp head, and a 410 speaker for around £800 new - possibly less by shopping around used on evilbay or gumtree.

Nail, head. Couldn`t have put it better myself, and in fact was my own exact experience when I bought my first Precision.I`d grwon up listening to Bruce Foxton, JJ Burnell etc make such great sounds with their Precisions but when I played mine, at home through my practice amp I was underwhelmed. And then I took it to band practice and it all made sense. The Jazz on its own is a wonderful sound, much more articulate, better defined low end, add to that active pickups it`s going to have a good all round sound. Plus some players are better suited to certain types of instruments, our old producer once commented that I`m a Precision player through and through, probably why a great sounding Jazz or Stingray is made to sound so poor in my hands.

For me an artist should only really have a Sig Instrument if they are synonymous with that instrument. Duff McKagan for example, he`s just about the only famous person playing a Fender Jazz Bass Special, easily identifiable to him. Similarly Steve Jones from The Sex Pistols, his Gibson Les Paul was pretty unique with the two femme fatale stickers, he`s played it - or versions of it - throughout his career. So makes sense for these two imo. Whereas artists who have a different make/model of instrument every tour, well it`s like replica football shirts and having to have a new design every season to get the most from the fans as possible. A sig instrument should be - again imo - something that is identifiable over the length of an artists career, that you know they`re going to be playing the next time you see them live.

Good points there Dood, I find that most strings lose that initial brightness quickly, and I`m in the camp of being able to put up with partially killed strings, so maybe going less bright but staying like that for longer is the way to go. Will have to give it a try methinks.