mcnach

Mark just bought my Boss LS-2. Good communication and he paid very quickly... Very smooth. Thank you Mark! I hope the LS-2 will serve you well.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1438284701' post='2833304'] The shuttles have great EQ/boost controls but in most other respects I prefer my RH450 being a dirtier sound and all (I play with a flatish sound can live with E.Q being a bit more fiddly). Great amps if you like a clean sound though to be sure. [/quote] Nice way to make the OP nice about his purchase! (kidding)

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1438278060' post='2833213'] So I'm just out of the first rehearsal with the Genz Benz. I have to say. By far the best sounding amp I've used. it sounded excellent with my ACG and I found the low/high boost switches boosted just the right amount for my needs. All that and I didn't have to put the volume above 3! It certainly didn't lack any oomf! [/quote] Glad you are liking your new amp! There was one thing I didn't like about my Shuttle: the feet. They're hard plastic and on some surfaces it makes the amp too prone to drifting about. Because it's so light, it's too easy to pull it around by the cable! I replaced the feet with nice rubber ones, easily... Here's a link in case you find the same issue: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/231593-replacing-feet-on-a-genz-benz-shuttle-92-with-pictures/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/231593-replacing-feet-on-a-genz-benz-shuttle-92-with-pictures/[/url]

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1438283828' post='2833296'] [/quote] curious

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1438273745' post='2833161'] Proving every bass player really wants to be the guitarist. [/quote] ha!

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1438265047' post='2833042'] Watch out for the installation instructions. [/quote] eh???

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1438251179' post='2832864'] I got that email this morning, too. And I'm officially [s]bi-curious[/s] cobalt-curious. I'd be interested to know what you think of them. [/quote] THAT email... indeed, successful email. I resisted for about, erm... 30 seconds

[quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1438250258' post='2832846'] I played guitar in my bedroom for 25 years before my first proper gig depping on bass. I thought I was never good enough to play guitar live, but having played in a few bands now I realise I was more than capable. [/quote] something similar happened to me. I played guitar for many years (not 25, but still a while)... I never thought myself as "good enough". In fact, I thought it'd be impossible for me, if I played in front of anybody my hands would shake and I could not play a thing. Totally psychological, if the other person had a guitar, or was a drummer, I could relax within a couple of minutes and play ok. So, bands playing live? Forget it I did take part in "regular jams" with friends but that's all. I was "forced" to play guitar live three times, always just for a short slot (well, the first time was 45min), and I was glad when it was over. Then I discovered bass. I felt bass was not as fun alone as guitar was, at least when you're starting. So I joined a band with the same idea of just jamming for fun. Only I discovered the bands I joined wanted to gig. And I found that my ability grew exponentially, simply from the pressure of having to do it well, and playing in a band regularly, actually playing in three bands, different styles and different approaches. During my first 2-3 years playing bass I tried a bunch of different bands. Quite often I was not the worse guitarist in the band It was actually quite funny to find people often were surprised I could play guitar: the old idea "bass player is just a guy who could not quite play guitar" is still alive and well.

[quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1438244718' post='2832767'] Checkin' On My Baby in A. A simple line which I can play at gig level and is quavers throughout so the sound man has plenty of opportunity to adjust the gain if needed. [/quote] yes, keeping it simple is definitely the thing to do, in my opinion. It's not an audition... give the guy something consistent for him to tweak and play with... simple and repetitive is best

Has anybody tried these yet? I like stainless steel strings over nickel ones, and when they came out with their cobalt ones I gave them a try. I liked them a lot. After a week or so they lost the initial harsher zing, and they sound great. They're the ones I always use on my Stingray now. I'm not a big fan of flats. I enjoy them to a point, but in practice in my bands, roundwounds are what I want. I do like the feel of flats 'though. The new flatwound cobalts are supposed to sound more like roundwounds, they're certainly rating quite high in their "brightness" scale compared to normal flats, similar to nickels and only less bright than stainless steel ones... That looks interesting... I was wondering whether anybody has tried them yet. I just ordered a set to try myself... could not wait for answers, but I'm still curious

[quote name='The Funk' timestamp='1438215067' post='2832678'] I'll play some fingerstyle stuff and some slap stuff to see if the engineer can get a good level even if there's a big level difference between the two. [/quote] pretty much... playing something repetitive low, and something higher. If it's one of the bands I use effects on, I'd try that to check level is ok... overdrive, and in particular envelope filters as they can give surprisingly hefty lumps of bassage

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1438180302' post='2832327'] Ive been watching in the shadows waiting to see if someone else was going to say the GB Streamliner. Must agree. Might have been me but i didn't get on with it at all. [/quote] Yes, it was you. Definitely you.

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1438172038' post='2832220'] Controversial here, but I think the worst amp i've ever gigged was a Genz Benz Streamliner 900. Awful, un-intuitive (to me) controls (Gain, Volume & Master?!) [/quote] I actually found the Streamliner controls pretty... you know, streamlined, simple. It's one reason I like it. You want unintuitive? Try the Aguilar ToneHammer.. everything interacts with everything else *a lot*... I could get lots of good sounds, I just wasn't able to do that in a directed or reproducible manner The TH sounded really good, I have to say... it doesn't belong in a "worst amps" thread.

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1438172038' post='2832220'] Controversial here, but I think the worst amp i've ever gigged was a Genz Benz Streamliner 900. Awful, un-intuitive (to me) controls (Gain, Volume & Master?!) and just couldn't get a workable sound through my Barefaced cabs. Quickly sold it and bought another Markbass LM2 (which sounds infinitely better and louder lol) Oh well Si [/quote] oh, you blasphemous infidel!! Burn him! BURN HIM!!!!!!!!! (I love the Streamliner 900, through my Barefaced cabs) (But I'm partial to the MarkBass LM2 tone, so I'll let you off this time )

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1438079788' post='2831392'] Why would anyone pay £100 for a poor amp/combo just to play at home. A little class D and a cab wouldn't up up any room.. outperform most pratice amps by miles and you could amp it up at a gig and still get reasonable performance. The 60w or less combo has one use.. the bedroom..which is fine if that is all you do, but useless elsewhere, IMO. [/quote] That's my view too. Today. But when people start they're probably not thinking they'll ever need a gig-capable amp, and most will never gig, so I can see how there is a market. My first bass amp was a 45W combo. I did play live in front of people before I got that, but it was a fluke... I was supposed to play guitar but bass player in a particular situation disappeared and I took the bass... Only then I "discovered" that I liked the bass So I went and bought a bass and a small practice amp, because I never thought I'd be in a band playing bass as I didn't think I'll persevere beyond the "guitarist playing a bass" phase. BUt what do you know, eh? One thing small practice amps have that bigger ones often lack is the ability to use headphones (even 'though most practice amp's headphone output I experienced has been pretty poor) and connecting an mp3 player and/or a drum machine to it, which is important in a home practice amp, I think. I don't think the aux input is that important, as there are small powered mixers that one can use to add a number of inputs to an amp. I have a small 4-channel one, only a bit bigger than an effects pedal, which can run on a 9V battery: I use that to plug in the audio from my laptop, or a second instrument sometimes, into my small Markbass combo. The same combo I may take later to a gig as a stage monitor, or to a small bar gig with an additional cab.] I can also plug in the DI out into another mixer I have by my desktop PC, and use headphones if I wanted to (rarely). So, for me, today, a 300W small combo, or a head plus a 1x12" cab, make a lot of sense as a home amp. But when I started on bass... £100 was probably all I was willing to spend (my current solution cost a lot more), and let's face it, it did the job beautifully: It sounded good enough at home, I plugged in a V-Amp guitar modeller thingy to have guitar plus bass playing simultaneously (with a friend, I'm not talented enough to play both instruments at one ), or a drum machine... and if I hadn't moved to playing live on bass, I would probably still have a similar setup and use software-based solutions for headphone-based playing/recording.

[quote name='Manton Customs' timestamp='1438078628' post='2831372'] Ha, no not close at all! I wasn't after the work myself, just trying to help out a bit . Try Ben at Crimson guitars ([url="http://crimsonguitars.com/"]http://crimsonguitars.com/[/url]), he's in Dorset and I believe he does repairs. It'd probably be somewhere around £100 from someone (like Ben) who knows what they are doing. Perhaps you could get the shop where you bought it from to reimburse?..Or try to! [/quote] seconded, about the relatively low cost of fixing the Warwick. I have a bass I defretted myself and then took it to a local luthier to fill the fret slots with a sycamore veneer and plane the fingerboard and set it all up nicely. £100 sounds about right if it doesn't involve lacquering etc. I understand it's in a disappointing condition right now, but if you like it, like the sound, etc... it would not take too much to turn it into a beautiful and good to play instrument.

[quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1438077723' post='2831364'] yuk!! Tell me about your[size=4] Maruszczyk [/size][size=3]​would that make a decent active fretless??[/size] [/quote] yeah, first time I heard that description I was disgusted... for it was about a bass I had just bought, therefore it was not *my* finger cheese let's move on to nicer matters Maruszczyk? As far as I know, they would make *anything* you want to. For less than you expect, too. The Jake I have is only minimally customised: I only specified the neck dimensions/profile and that it should be glossy lacquered... everything else is stock Jake model, well, one of the various Jake models. It is without exaggeration one of the nicest basses I've ever played. Of course, a lot of it is the neck, because I specified the neck profile I like and I got just that. I have another in the making, this one I specified a lot more things about it, including pickup type and position to the millimeter, hardware details... I'm actually adding a little logo of my band too. They will do customised inlays too, anything. Just ask. Some people specify how much the bass has to weight and they come up with ways to achieve that... Essentially, you name it, they'll make it. The more "crazy" you get in the specs, the more it adds to the cost... but a lot of the options do not add much, some don't add anything. So, in short, yes, I believe they can make you a great fretless active bass. Spend some time thinking about every detail of your ideal bass, and I mean *every* detail so that you can tell them exactly what you want, and approach them for a quote. Adrian is pretty good at replying quickly, and to the point, don't expect extensive emails from him... but he'll read yours and will reply to everything making sure the order is just right.

[quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1438072856' post='2831297'] They said they had cleaned it but hand't the neck was filthy with [b]gunk[/b] and hiding all these issues [/quote] also known as 'finger cheese'

[quote name='gapiro' timestamp='1438064236' post='2831225'] I'm with Mykesbass - one favourite, and i had 3 other shortlisted..... I've picked 3 in the end, and glad to see my favourite is currently in the lead [/quote] same here!

[quote name='gsgbass' timestamp='1438051786' post='2831210'] I have to ask you, what's a "bling" pickguard? [/quote] you know, pearloid effects etc. I'm a plain old Joe me

[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1437921951' post='2829993'] I've posted this here, rather than the amps section, as it's not a question related to any individual brand/model. Essentially, I'm thinking of changing my Orange practice amp - think it's 25w. Looking at a Fender Rumble, as it would match my main rig. So no gear enquiry there! However, I like the options on the 40w model. Just a bit worried that the size is a bit of overkill for a practice amp. For our trio, it wouldn't be gig size...mainly for indoor use unless I'm backing some Morris dancers! So how big is yours......?! [/quote] My practice amp is 300W. It does have a volume knob, 'though No, seriously, in these days of small/light/powerful amps, you can easily have both in one. I use the MarkBass CMD121P both for home practice as well as some gigs (either as stage monitor or with an extension cab if I need it to make more noise). It's small, only about 13Kg, sounds good... It doesn't have an aux input, but I have a small 4-channel battery operated mixer that I use for that. I would not worry about wattage for a practice amp: buy the amplifier that has the features you want. Any amplifier will be loud enough for home use, and if is more powerful than what you need... just don't turn up too high! Frankly, the difference between a 25 and a 40W amp will be more due to the actual speaker and cab design than the difference in power.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1438012673' post='2830846'] People just aren't getting the three vote thing, are they? [/quote] ooops! corrected!

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1437990525' post='2830513'] Shuttle 9.0 so the 900 I believe [/quote] sorry, I meant 6.0/6.2 or 9.0/9.2, the 600/900 is the Streamliner model numbers (I'm not entirely convinced about the 600/900W but they're not weeny wimpy amps) I think there was a difference between the 6.0 vs 6.2, with the 6.0 being a bit shy in the lows, people claimed, but not such thing with the 9.0 vs 9.2

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1437986933' post='2830468'] Noticed there was a Genz Benz Shuttle in the marketplace here so I've now bought it and look forward to try it. The way they were described 'clear, punchy, modern, hifi' is what I have in my mind (Whether or not it's actually want I need is a different story!) Cheers for the help folks and I'll report back after using it for a while [/quote] Good choice, I think Is that the 600 or 900? Just curious.