mcnach

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1467096123' post='3081076'] Are you using the vpf filter? IME that pulls all the guts out of the sound, so I'd try turning it off if so, and set the eq flat. Good luck! [/quote] That's also a good point. Some people don't realise at first that off is all the way anticlockwise and set it at 12 o'clock... which is going to seriously scoop the sound.

[quote name='modelreject' timestamp='1467043157' post='3080721'] "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]That's surprising! I'm currently playing my Mark Bass Big Bang through one single 300W cab (meaning my head is running with a max of 250W), and I don't even need to push the gain or master past halfway, and our drummer is the loudest guy on the planet."[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]There may be other frequencies interfering as it is quite synth lead and no guitars.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Hmmmm. Maybe my ear drums are already shot :-) I will have to run through a few more settings at the next re[/font][/color]hearsal. [/quote] I think next time I'd have a chat with the synth person to make sure they don't have tons of bottom end, and maybe experiment with the position of the cab. Maybe that room is difficult, maybe you're getting a lot of boom that makes it all indistinct and you're trying to get better definition by turning up. I generally use a much less powerful single 12" cab for rehearsals. Drummer, three guitars, trumpet and sax plus 2-3 vocals. We are not quiet, and the cab (with an LM3) is more than fine for any size rehearsal room. I used to use a BF Compact a while ago, and although it's a more powerful cab than what I use now I sometimes found myself pushing harder than I do now. It appears that my new cabs give me the sound I want more easily. It's their voicing. Before adding a second speaker or giving up on the LM3, I'd experiment a bit more with what you have. If you end up realising that it's that you don't like the speaker you have, adding another will not be a good idea.

[quote name='lowhand_mike' timestamp='1467042553' post='3080712'] you'll only be using about 150watts (ish) with the one cab, adding another 8ohm cab will make the load 4ohm and you'll get the full 300watts edit: ^^ yeah what they said [/quote] No, the LM3 is 500W at 4 ohm. You get ~300W at 8ohm

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1467040536' post='3080692'] ...and not always on the bass amp! Is/are your guitarist(s) clogging up your sonic space by cranking their own bass controls too high? [/quote] this is a very good point.

[quote name='modelreject' timestamp='1467034914' post='3080629'] Just my own woes here. Had a band practice on Sunday. Had my Markbass cranked. Full gain and master but had to roll off the gain because it was clipping. 300W through my 8Ohm Barefaced Super Compact. The cab could handle a lot more and I needed the extra volume. Can't return the amp now so will be out a bit of money if I do upgrade :-( Only had it a month so still under warranty. Hopefully someone will take it at near fill price. Fingers crossed. [/quote] I'm a little surprised. I use the LM3 too. Before giving up on it, I would check that it's not something to do with EQ. Are you boosting lows a lot? That can make you run out of power relatively easily. Are guitars/keyboards producing a lot of lows that you're trying to compete with through sheer power rather than adjusting EQ so that everybody has their sonic spot? It seems very strange that you may need to push that amp so much for a rehearsal. Aside from that, I doubt a more powerful amp will help you much. I made that mistake a while ago... I had an LM3 and got the LMT800 because I thought the extra oomph would be useful. It wasn't. I no longer have the LMT800. I do have a Streamliner 900, but I have in the past few months do a few tests with various speakers and amps, and I'm not sure the Streamliner is noticeably louder than the LM3. However! What will give you more volume is adding another speaker. Going from 300 to 500W will not be very effective if using one speaker.

[quote name='Westenra' timestamp='1466786192' post='3078863'] Ok from the nut; Bridge - 86 cm Poles of the bridge pup - 80 cm So is it 60/70s? [/quote] That would be the standard 60s position for a bridge pickup. The neck pickup is 91mm apart (poles to poles) in a 60s spacing Jazz. So you can convert your bass to 60s spacing Jazz.

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1460449014' post='3025711'] Here's one for fans of Led Zep III. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0hG3Gib-Is[/media] [/quote] bloody hell! how can they get away with it???

Well, I guess Maruszczyk basses will cost us a bunch more now!

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1466701916' post='3078042'] Measure from the nut. Everything else is variable as the bridge is adjustable. Frank. [/quote] This. These measurements always from the nut, or the 12th fret etc...

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1466691774' post='3077935'] Great review Mark and superb pictures. Glad you are liking the bass. A laugh a minute as ever dealing with you. It will certainly be put to better use in your hands rather than mine. Cheers bud, enjoy [/quote] I'm glad Mark took it... because it was tempting me too much! But now I'm envious

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1466665754' post='3077619'] Not really, sorry. Jonas Reingold*, for example, uses a J that sounds less typical because he slightly favours the neck pickup, as does Geddy Lee. But I am basing my thoughts on my own experiences. For example, although my band play predominantly our own material, we have a few covers. Two of them are the Stranglers' Hanging Around and Here comes your man by Pixies. I used to swap basses (from my J to my P) for these two tracks, but after a while i found that I could get [i][b]nearly[/b][/i] the same effect by using only the neck pickup on the J. The key word , of course, is [i][b]nearly[/b][/i] - and it really depends on you personally whether you are prepared to accept that. IMO of course! *An example of JR's playing... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lhyJVEtiN4[/media] [/quote] That's beautiful, thank you for posting! (although it sounds very Jazz to me)

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1466511223' post='3076331'] I have had a similar internal debate this morning about posting in the Morrissey thread... Thus far it appears to be some enthusiasts suggesting tracks for a new listener of the band... all very good natured I suspect that despite the thread being the best opportunity for me to use the phrase "monumental bellend" since the recent Kanye West thread, doing so is not really much of a contribution and probably not in the community spirit... [/quote]

Summer is here, I guess...

Yup. I asked for one for my first Jake and I got it.

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1466441389' post='3075824'] I struggle to think of any track on IWY which doesn't sound like an active MM pup. [/quote] The adventures of Rain Dance Maggie jumps to mind...

[quote name='MilkyBarKid' timestamp='1466448033' post='3075899'] Don't do it - until they start treating Palestinians like people.! [/quote] Because I'm sure the guy selling the bass has a lot to do with the stance of the country as a whole...

[quote name='HMX' timestamp='1466424680' post='3075659'] First impressions of the album: Few decent pop songs on it, but a the rest is a little dull and lacks energy, for me. Best tracks: The Getaway, Dark Necessities, Sick Love (feat. Elton John, don't ya know, which is why it sounds like Bennie and the Jets), Go Robot. [/quote] ... and you just selected the only four tracks that I remembered after the first listen! Those are the best for me too, but there are a couple others that seem to be growing on me...

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1466420763' post='3075620'] I saw them last week and was completely disappointed. They looked and sounded like a band going through the motions. [/quote] funny, the main criticism from my gf was about Kiedis' voice. She said he sounded bored.

I got the album on Friday and waited until Saturday night to listen to it with my gf, by request. Upon first listening I was a bit disappointed... but it was obvious after the first few songs that the disappointment came from wanting another 'classic' RHCP album from the 80s/90s, and that's just not where the band is at right now. However, once we 'ignored' it was RHCP... I actually liked it more the more I listened to it. There's nothing that sounds amazing to me, but there are a few pretty cool tracks and overall I like it a LOT better than 'I'm with you' which I thought was very disappointing except 3 tracks. So... pretty happy with it. I just have to stop expecting another 'Blood Sugar Sex Magic', 'One Hot Minute' or even another 'Californication'...

Bombskare!!! Yeah!!!

[quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1461157385' post='3031954'] They're German, everything the Germans do is expensive (and generally pretty damn good too) [/quote] They must have been on an off day when they designed my Audi A3

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1459787910' post='3019638'] I bought some EB Cobalts the other day. I had my first proper play with them today and I must say that I'm impressed. None of the stickiness and grot that I have experienced with LaBellas (I gave them a wipe before fitting and there was even the hint of a mark on the white cordon I was using). Tension-wise they seems very similar to my normal 45 -100 D'Addarios and, therefore, I guess similar to Super Slinkys. Do they sound like round wounds? Well this is hard to tell as I have them fitted to a fretless with an MM type p/up on it, whilst my D'Addario round wounds are fitted to a Ric. However, plucking the open strings on both acoustically does produce a similar tone, although the roundwounds seem to have a little more treble, but they may be the Ric's maple construction imparting that. Amplified, the EB's produce a nice parpy tone with a slightly attenuated top end compared to the steel roundwounds this bass came fitted with. They have a good bottom end without being dubby or boomy. In conclusion, I think EB have pretty much achieved what they set out to do with the Cobalts; flatwound feel with roundwound-like tone. I'd buy them again. [/quote] +1 another fan here. They're unlike any other flatwound I ever tried. Mine are on an ATK300. I can still get a decent slap tone out of them if I want to, but I can also get the more traditional flat sound... and they feel great.

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1466238352' post='3074297'] If you're booked, you play imho. It's all about professionalism and the good name of your band. Sometimes you just have to make the best of a situation - especially if you're being paid for it. At the very least you can treat it as a free rehearsal, and it will be something to tell your grandchildren. Often the "challenging" gigs are the ones that you remember when you've racked up several hundreds over the years [/quote] a free (or paid ) rehearsal is one where you're booked and show up and do your thing as if the place were full, when it isn't. It's not as much fun, obviously... but you act professionally and that's it. However, I'd expect a place to be ready to have a band play. If the place is not ready, there's nobody in charge who knows what to do, promoter not contactable... I'd walk, unless the place is full of people eager to see you play. Reputations work both ways. No, you don't want to be the unreliable band who show up late or walk out etc... but no reasonable person is going to blame you for walking out in a situation like the OP describes. You also don't want to be that band who plays the shittiest gigs, because then you become a 'sh*tty band' by association. You play bad gigs often, then you'll get lots more of those. Life's too short to waste it like that.

Awesome! It makes my RATM band more authentic now

DiMarzio Area J. They are humbuckers but still sound very 'Jazz'. I liked them a lot because I tend to use the bridge pickup a lot in a Jazz, and this one sounded pleasantly meaty compared to others.