mcnach

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1462963972' post='3047288'] Hmm, I'd been thinking about trying these. My Sadowsky flatwounds are good in an old-school way, but I'll be doing some stuff this summer with a guitarist who likes to be loud, and a bit more brightness might not go amiss. Shame they cost a larger number of pounds than they do dollars! [/quote] I can't remember what I paid for them but I guess it couldn't have been much different from my usuals or I wouldn't have felt inclined to try them when I really don't have a *need*. I suspect they'll last a long time at this level of brightness, 'though... If you want to give the ATK a try, just let me know.

Do you like the feel of flatwound strings but you want the zing of roundwounds? Cobalt Flats! I bought them a few months ago to try them but stayed in my drawer until the weekend. I have just bought a nice Ibanez ATK300 which needed new strings... it had DR High Beams but they had lost a lot of their brightness and I like a bit of top end, especially as I get to slap a bit. The ATK300 has a Bassculture pickup that is more like a Stingray one than the original... but as I haven't heard this bass with the original I can't say how close it is to one. The preamp is very different though and it does not sound much like a Stingray, to me... but it sounds very good. The preamp is nice. The midrange is in the right spot to add a bit of 'nasality' to give extra presence to the bass, or to cut it and blend in more in the background. The bass is phat city, yet not boomy, and the treble is not shrill and allows you to tame extra clang... The cobalt flats seem a bit lower tension than I'd expect for the gauge, which is not bad. They have a nice bounce in them. They feel smooth, as you'd imagine. But the sound is nothing like any other flatwound I've ever tried. I've often tried half-rounds etc to compromise... nah. I never liked any of those. These ones sound like rounds after they've been on a bit on the bass, and retain a LOT of treble. Finger funk type basslines are a joy to play, and you can move quickly from low to high positions in the neck without sliding noises, so it sounds like your technique is a lot better than it is :-p I am really liking them. I still want to try this bass with my usual steel strings for comparison, but I already know these strings are *the* flats for me. If you want a more traditional flatwound sound, it's easy to roll off treble and a bit of the mids (it may be the bass, but I feel these strings have a prominent midrange output regardless)... I used the bass last night at rehearsal with my ska(ish) band and it fitted right in. There are a couple of songs where I have a bit of slap going on, and it sounded glorious.

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1462878830' post='3046477'] I was not suggesting that the BF One10 would be moving at all. The DOD was making the cone move in truly alarming ways. [/quote] A high pass filter may be a good thing to use then. I use an SFX Thumpinator but there are others, some adjustable (mine is fixed). They work subtly most times, but when you really need them they're great to have. They generally reduce a LOT the amount of cone movement that you see, yet the sound you hear is unchanged, or sometimes I even feel it sounds a bit tighter and 'better;' (subjective, I know)... and no, you don't get a weaker low end. I noticed that I end up pushing my amp less when I have the HPF in the chain, without reducing volume.

Just played a bit with mine yesterday, simply going through the presets... uffff, soooo many possibilities! It sounds great, I'm going to have to spend some serious time on this, editing and figuring out what the different parameters do... really cool!

The Artec parametric pedal is pretty good for this. And cheap.

They do have a bit of bottom end, eh? I played at a largeish bar once with the 1126s, and there was a reggae band before us who would used our equipment. The amount of bass that box can pump out was remarkable.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1462529098' post='3043759'] Another thing is, given how loud an amp is at 500 watts, your ears will probably give out long before the cab. [/quote] Dunno. That cab isn't the most powerful... So I can see easily situations where you might be tempted to push it harder in order to get that little bit more oomph. The cab won't get a lot louder but you can stress it. As others say... just don't go crazy boosting huge lows, and listen to it. If it starts sounding like it's struggling, then back down. I have used a (putative) 900W amp into 2x S112 (500W together)... no problem at all. It has the ability of causing trouble, but if you're sensible it'll be ok.

... not missing the 1126 cabs. They were beautiful and sounded very sweet... but a pair of S112 is much more my kind of thing. I've been singing praises elsewhere about them. I ended up with 4 of them in fact! but I only need 2. For 'bigger guns'... a pair of BF BB2 are pretty cool. And they do fit in the boot of my car after all!

I don't, normally. But sometimes I want that sound that you get with a pick so... I'd use a pick. It's just another way to get other sounds. No better, no worse.

I like it but... kind of bland. Where's the grunt? I'd have chosen something more 'in your face' as the first single... so I don't have great expectations for the rest of the album, sadly

... another 2x BB2 user here. Just to add that... they even fit in the boot of my little A3! This is just tonight packing the car ready for tomorrow... 2x BB2, LM3 and Streamliner 900 heads (I'll use the LM3 but I like to have a backup just in case), and a small pedalboard. Between the cabs and the back of the seat there's a small space where I can fit a small bag with clothes etc... The bass will travel in the footwell of the rear seats, covered with a black cloth. Between that and the tinted windows, nobody would even know I have a full bass rig on board. Can still take three passengers with me if I need to.

[quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1462444619' post='3043022'] Yeah, I'd pretty much eat my hat if he wouldn't build that for you. [/quote] Oh, I already know he would... it would not be my first M-bass

I want a Jake/Jazz. Jake body but two J pickups spaced as in a Jazz and wired as in a Jazz. With a suitably wider/meatier neck. Purple (metallic?) body and maple fingerboard. I had this idea in mind for a while, but then I saw a picture of Prince playing a Jazz in that colour combination and it kind of said to me 'this is what you HAVE to do'. Then I can sell all my Jazzes. I love the sound but not the neck or the body. Hmmm.

[quote name='mikebass84' timestamp='1462391622' post='3042716'] My very first bass. (Tanglewood Warrior IIIFH with entwistles) Doesn't play the best. Doesn't sound the best but is beautiful! [/quote] I had one of those basses!!! What a beast, I wish I had kept it. I installed a 3-band Glockenklang preamp on it and it was just... beautiful indeed.

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1462383177' post='3042594'] Better send it to me then [/quote]

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1462372871' post='3042478'] I agree with the above, with pretty much every bass I have sold the first question has always been "is the neck straight?" When I have replied "no it has a little bit of relief so as to make it playable" most buyers lose interest immediately, I guess most potential buyers especially on Ebay are not experienced in the physics of a set up so run a mile fearing being left with an unplayable bass. [/quote] that's odd

I'm currently waiting for mine. Any day now. I never played with the original so I'd be no use regarding how it compares to the older one.

great story

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1461965067' post='3039272'] Combo is great value compared with a LIII and separate 121 NY cab. [/quote] what we need is an easy way to take the head in and out of the combos!

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1461943031' post='3039000'] Have to say, I`ve always been very impressed when hearing Markbass amps through Barefaced cabs, the two seem to really work well together. Never had that set-up myself, but every time I`ve heard that particular pairing I`ve thought it was great. [/quote] LM3 + BF Big Baby2 is pretty sweet. And HUGE. LM3 + BF Compact, very big bottom end, it sounded good but not as good as the BB2. LM3 + TKS S112 is nicer sounding but not as big. Very tight bottom end. Love it. My current favourite compact solution. LM3 + TKS 1126... very sweet, very big. A bit scooped, but it works well with the tight sound of the LM3.

[quote name='modelreject' timestamp='1461919195' post='3038677'] Hi, About to take the plunge on a Markbass amp. 500W is more than I will need so looking at the 121 combo or the Markbass 3 Head and Cab. Now, just a bit of advice. I know the combo uses the Markbass 3 head Markbass 3 Head (500W) - £390 Traveller 102 4 Ohm - £384 Traveller 102 8 Ohm - £349 (Not sure what wattage I would get out of each of the Travellers as both 4Ohm and 8Ohm state that they provide 400W) Markbass 121 Combo (300W) - £588 Markbass 121 Cab (Added, allows 500W) - £359 So, there is a bit of a price difference. Initially I will be jamming/rehearsing so the the 300W of the combo will be fine and if need be I can add the cab later. With the Head I would prob prefer owning an 8Ohm cab as it means I could add another to get the full 500W if need be. That would increase the cost, by quite a bit. Finally, there were concerns from users that the tweeter on the Combo was annoying. It's quite divided opinion as a lot of people swear by this little amp. Any advice welcomed :-) Thanks, C [/quote] I was one of the ones complaining about the tweeter... it's a very small issue, I did not do anything about mine in the end, so don't worry about it really. You can improve it. BUt it's not a *need*. I no longer have my combo because I found small very light cabs (TKS S112) that work very well for me, as I also have the LM3 head, and the cabs have more depth than the small combo did with just a little extra size. So, I'd say head plus cab is my favourite option. It's a bit more hassle (cables, can't easily tilt it etc) but it gives a bigger sound and with two cabs it's even better. The little combo was a great tool, easy to just show up, plug in and play. With the addition of a tiny tilted stand the tiny combo was a fantastic onstage monitor. BUt I'd go for head + cab for max versatility