mcnach

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1431778317' post='2774869'] I usually see the trade-off on this as if headlining then happy to provide backline as it`s easier for all the bands before. If not headlining then happy to use the headliners backline for those exact same reasons. [/quote] Sometimes headlining is fancy speak for "you'll play last". It sometimes isn't the best spot, or play a longer set or anything. So, sometimes it becomes the place for "the fools who agree to provide the gear, having to arrive a lot earlier and leaving a lot later than the other bands, and they play the crap slot when half the crowd have already gone elsewhere. We got that a few times when I joined my current band. I still remember the "we're the headliners! wooo!" from a band member who shall not be named. When I explained to him what it meant, in practice, he was not as happy as previously.

[quote name='IanA' timestamp='1431775339' post='2774823'] +1 I used to detest them and now it is my go to bass! Mine weighs in at 3.5kgs so nice and light on the shoulder compared to my jazz. [/quote] That's light! Mine is not quite so light, but the three Fender 75RI Jazz I have are all quite heavy, even for Jazz standards. So that's a bonus! I'm expecting a Maruszczyc PJ soon, which will be reasonably light too, and adds that bridge pickup that I sometimes miss... but I also like the simplicity of a one-pickup bass. The more controls and options I have, the more I feel tempted to tweak, and that distracts me

[quote name='IanA' timestamp='1431634620' post='2773548'] I am a recent convert from a jazz to a precision... It is the tone in my head and I can't ever see myself having a need for the Jazz again, I am keeping it just in case though. [/quote] I used to not seeing the point on a Precision, when I could just use the neck pickup on my Jazz and sound the same. It does not sound the same, at all... but it took me a while to "get it". I hated Precisions, then... I don't know what happened, but it's the #1 bass/sound for me these days.

I'm afflicted with GAS like the vast majority here, judging by the posts I see. Lately I've gone through a phase where I've been letting some instruments go and trying to rationalise my "collection" (for there's no better name for it), as I realised that over the past year I could have just owned two basses and I would not have really missed anything. Still, I like shiny new objects. I must have been a magpie in a previous life Between Thursday and Friday, however, I've gone "wow, I love this" several times, about gear I already have and that it just works and sounds great. Little things... 1) Entwistle neodimium Precision pickups. I have this little Mike Dirnt Squier Precision I got for peanuts a while ago, for no reason, which has a really nice neck and became my "throw around" bass. A bass that works well that I'm not too precious about so I use it when we go busking as a band and in other situations where there is a high risk of it being mistreated or misplaced. I recently decided to replace its pickup with one of those Entwistle neodimium pickups. They were cheap and I keep hearing wonderful things about them. They do sound very good. It transformed the bass. So, on Thursday I used it for my band's rehearsal. I was late because of work, so when I arrived they were starting one of our newest songs, practicing for Friday's gig. I am listening while I set up my things, and I just joined after a chorus. First impression... "damn! bass just makes any song better!" and second "damn! this bass sounds fantastic!". Those pickups are brilliant! I have a Maruszczyc in order (P/J) coming in 2-3 weeks now (see? I told you I have GAS) for which I did not specify any particular pickups as I like to hear a bass first before deciding on changing things... and an Entwistle P/J set will be just the thing if I think the originals are not inspiring enough. The screw polepieces are not very pretty, but it sounds so good, I don't mind! 2) Fender Precision Classic 50 Gig on Friday. As usual, the Precision comes out. Bloody brilliant. That's all. What a great bass! Nice wide fingerboard, meaty neck, comfortable, and with the snap of the DR Fat Beams (steel), this bass is just the best sounding and playing bass I currently own (sorry Stingray ). I barely play it at home, and then I take it on gigs and everytime I end up thinking "why do I bother with any other bass?". Ok, the Stingray will stay, and a Jazz or two but, seriously, the "lowly" Precision can do so much more than people often give it credit for. 3) MarkBass CMD121P combo. Last night's gig was one of many where I only need a stage monitor. There is an Ampeg 410 and PF350 head provided, but I'm not a fan. So I generally bring my own amp to these gigs. It can be a single cab and a GB head, or the MarkBass combo. Last night it was the combo. Tiny, yet powerful enough, and just sounds great. So much sound in such little box! One of the best purchases I have ever made. This small combo is a jewel. The Precision through this was great last night: a bit of ska, a bit of funk, some reggae hints here and there, 98% fingerstyle, some slap. I loved it. I just use an EBS Multicomp pedal set to "multiband" for a bit of compression, I love what that pedal does... it's not transparent but I love the colour it confers. Smiles. 4) Sue Ryder bass. Yes, you heard it. A few years ago I bought three of the beasts to play around with. I didn't even like Precisions then! One was stripped, and I never finished the "project", sold recently as a set of parts. Another one was modified with a new pickguard and a Wizard pickup, and apart from the odd busking session and appearing in one video of my band I barely paid attention to it. I played one gig with it, I think. So I sold it too, last month. The third one... the third one was converted to fretless and installed a Model P pickup on it. Nylon tapewound strings. I have had other fretless basses, but this is the only one I have now, and it's a hoot to play! I just spent an hour this morning (girlfriend away for the weekend, I can make noise! Yay! ) jamming along to a Lettuce album with the Sue Ryder fretless... GAS... [i]"GAS[/i], huh, yeah. What is it good for. Absolutely nothing. Say it again, y'all. [i]GAS[/i], huh, good God What is it good for. Absolutely nothing" Ok, it is fun, 'though. However, sometimes a lot of us get too focused on gear and forget that we probably already own all we really need to have fun playing music, and we should focus on that more. Much more rewarding.

pictures?

SQUIERRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We need a subforum for handbag fights.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1431686148' post='2773935'] Besides, most people who run any sort of bass related company get banned from Talkbass at some point - Alex wouldn't be the first. They're kind of touchy about what can and can't be said there. [/quote] Touchy indeed. and that's being diplomatic...

[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1431674292' post='2773777'] No problem at all powering Markbass Booster off my Feultank. [/quote] same here.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1431673373' post='2773768'] It's all about some people needing to feel superior to others. It runs through a lot of threads on here recently... [/quote] unfortunately, +1

[quote name='12stringbassist' timestamp='1431598756' post='2772933'] We need pictures!!! [/quote] on the link in the post above yours

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1431599094' post='2772941'] Seeing a lot of these pop up for sale now on ebay to makes me wonder if they are so good why are they getting moved on so quick? or do you think people just bought them cos of the hype? I still am interested in trying one some time though [/quote] whenever there's a hype, there's a lot of impulse buying... and people later think "I don't really need this"...

[quote name='razze06' timestamp='1431602710' post='2772999'] I really enjoy my briefcase, and I can imagine that a 200W version would make it usable for more occasions than the 100W version. I'm using mine mainly with the stagg EUB for band practice when we do our swing/jazzy set. Stick it in a corner of the room, and it holds its own very well with drum, keys, guitar (clean), and loud vocals. I don't really use it for the full funk/pop/rock set, perhaps a 200W version would work for small, not too loud gigs. It's all down to what the speakers and cab can do with the watts I have gigged in a medium sized pub with a 100W HH head into a 4x10 cab... [/quote] I never saw this as a giggable amp, I have other solutions (some tiny) for that. The fact that you can manage for a (not very loud, but still with drums) rehearsal, is a real bonus. From that point of view... 100W or 200W won't make much difference to me, although we always want the bigger version, don't we? But as they'll use different speakers etc, I wonder how different they sound. Also, do they have different controls? An aux input would *really* make me want to buy one asap. Although there are simple and small battery operated 2-4 channel mixers that I could use with that (thinking of the battery-operated function, out in the wild... at home I don't care so much).

[quote name='MOSCOWBASS' timestamp='1431594795' post='2772865'] [url="https://youtu.be/BQD99KtNxlM"]https://youtu.be/BQD99KtNxlM[/url] these are also coming out, looks interesting. [/quote] it does!

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1431591640' post='2772803'] Sorry people, my final stupid questions which I should have asked in the first place. How did the OP expect his bass to be delivered as per laid down procedures if there was nobody at home to receive it and sign for it? I take it that he was checking the tracking information and would have a rough idea when delivery was expected? Why didn't he contact PF [b]in advance[/b] as I have done many times, to arrange delivery or collection accordingly? [/quote] I don't know about the OP, but when I am in that position what I generally aim for is for the green light for me to go collect at their depot in person. Unfortunately I have been unable to arrange that until I get the "sorry, you were not in" card. I have tried. This is with ParcelForce and with CityLink too, as far as I recall. When a company will only deliver to the address your card is registered to, it's got to be a home delivery. When a company only delivers between 9-5, it's going to mean I'm not in most of the times. I tried to arrange collection before they tried to deliver, as it'd save me at least one day. No joy. Maybe where you live the local PF depot people are more inclined to help or something. These days I mostly get deliveries at work, as most companies are finally accepting this, and fortunately my workplace allows us to do so. Not everybody has this option, however.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1431586296' post='2772747'] I think this is a harsh judgement for someone doing a fairly menial job. Surely fraud is where someone has gained financially. The person who has gained is the OP who has got his goods, albeit in an unconventional manner. No one on this forum likes the idea of basses of all things being left unattended and at the mercy of the elements, but I think things need to be put into perspective, the bass was not damaged, not stolen and delivered on-time. All the bad things we talk about did not happen. [size=5][b]Maybe the driver is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't[/b][/size] and It's a pity this was not an opportunity for education and training. [/quote] Quite possibly, unfortunately. There's a guy who delivers in my area for amazon and the other day asked me whether I'd collect something for our neighbours... he was pretty stressed running around. There seems to be a lot of pressure on delivery drivers, and invariably that will mean some corners will be cut. Which is not good for us as customers, but it's also an unfair way to treat workers. Yet, I suppose the companies operate with the knowledge that there will be another person to take up the job so if they fire someone from time to time just to look like they're serious about their obligations with their customers, the business will go on. Not good.

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1431546159' post='2772533'] I played through a 100w briefcase amp. It sounded very clear and defined but it only just about kept up with a quiet drummer. [/quote] I would not use it for rehearsal/gigs, but it would substitute my practice amp and my busking (battery) amp and presumably do a better job than both my current units. I like the size, weight and... shape! It seems really well designed from a portability aspect. The 200W version should be a little louder too, although I'm not sure that's too important. But it seems nobody has seen one in the flesh, let alone tried one! I wonder if they sound very different. The controls seem to be identical (I wish it had some kind of aux input too).

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1431426877' post='2771124'] And here's me thinking that vanderklay is everybody's new beau. [/quote] I very nearly went there, but ended up with TKS in the end. I meant to substitute the BF cabs (Gen2 Compact and Gen3 BB2) but I can't bring myself to do it. I like them both in slightly different ways.

I just noticed that there seems to be another version of the Briefcase, called "Ultimate", which is 200W as opposed to 100W, uses different speakers... not sure if there's any other difference... Has anybody been able to play through both? Any comments? I'm tempted to get a Briefcase but I'm wondering about the two different models.

[quote name='stuckinthepod' timestamp='1431530359' post='2772288'] Ok - now a big outcome plot followers. I just had a call from the Regional Ops Director at ParcelForce to tell me that the behaviour was unacceptable/contrary to what they stand for as a company and they have terminated the delivery guy's contract. [/quote] ... and he knows where you live

[quote name='r16ktx' timestamp='1431509078' post='2771967'] Sorry this is slightly OT but I treated myself to this; [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/keith_mcmillen_batt_o_meter.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...att_o_meter.htm[/url] Neat piece of gear for in situ battery checking, also does some magic to tell you how many hours the battery has left (in the tested guitar I guess) [/quote] cool gizmo! want.

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1431502631' post='2771885'] I got my Sterling three months ago. I'm on my third battery. I never leave it plugged in and it has had about 10 hours playing time through the amp since I got it. I have emailed the manufacturer and I await their reply. [/quote] some people sleep walk,. maybe you sleep play?

[quote name='grunge666' timestamp='1425477657' post='2707724'] I have a L2000 Trib. When you see the wiring in the cavity - I think you'll change your mind! Good as it is IMHO and a go to bass at the minute - I love it. [/quote] Yeah, that amount of spaghetti in that space is amazing. So I ripped it all off mine Then I installed a John East MMSR (3-band Stingray preamp). Then I bought a U-Retro for it, which I never installed... Now... now it's going to be passive, VVT. Can't leave it alone

[quote name='dudi8' timestamp='1431426198' post='2771107'] Great basses and great prices! [/quote] please, will you all stop talking about these basses until I receive mine? it's not helping!!! thank you.