mcnach

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1430893035' post='2765554'] Does this mean if you can vary playing behind , on and just after the beat during the same song you are a good bassist , if so I was better 25 years ago than I am now. [/quote] if you do it consciously for a particular effect, and you remain in control, sure!

[quote name='largo' timestamp='1430826832' post='2764886'] I'll probably wait for the Gen 4 options, you know the Tolex finish ones... You heard it here first [/quote] Now that would be nice!

[quote name='largo' timestamp='1430816005' post='2764722'] I'm sure I'll be told otherwise, but I do wonder about the thin-ness of the ply being used on some of these cabs now. Standing up to the rigours of the road. [/quote]I I'm sure if acoustic guitars survive, so will a cab Unless you are touring in Afghanistan, maybe.

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1430781402' post='2764594'] I see this has 2 speakon sockets. Why is this? Sorry to be dumb [/quote] If you have an amp with only one speaker out and want to use two cabs, you can use one cable amp-cab1, and another cable can1-cab2 using the second speakon socket. The sockets are almost-always-but-check-manual-please wired in parallel.

[quote name='Salt on your Bass?' timestamp='1430732043' post='2764020'] My band don't like coming home with me to schelp it up two flights of stairs from 30 yards down the road..... I like having big cabs that I can carry around myself (excluding any tonal considerations i find as a plus with them) the weight is a bonus but not my sole consideration. [/quote] That sums up my point of view too. From time to time I've said "ah, whatever, just use a trolley, go big". But the balance "pain in the arse" (or back!) vs "sonic enjoyment" has generally been tilted away from enjoyment. I used to use a 4x10 + 2x10 for a while and it was pretty nice. I was really happy with the sound. If felt hefty without having to be loud. It was "present". The 410 alone was about 45Kg. Between two people is not a big deal, but I used to load my car at home by myself as I didn't want to have someone come over to help. My girlfriend helped at times, but I could manage by myself... However, it was awkward. Now add bad weather, rain, wet streets...moving a bulky item through a crowd of people was never fun, even with help. So in the end, small/lighter wins for me. And it's not like you need to compromise a lot, I don't think. My BF Compact (Gen2) remains a fave for me. I heard nicer cabs, but this one can sound pretty damn good, and can deal with an amp pushing it, so you can get loud enough with it alone. It doesn't feel as hefty as the 610 solution I used before, but it's not a joy-killer at all... and it's just so easy to move and set up. This also means that if I play a festival or any other situation where backline is provided in order to make changes smooth and save hassle, I can still use mine and be happy rather than using an often substandard battered old combo (why guitarists get good gear and bass seems to be almost an afterthought?). IN most situations, I go through the PA, so the amp is mostly a stage monitor. With the Compact + BigBaby2 I never felt I didn't have enough power or presence (I'm not playing stadia ). I have used that, without PA, in a few village hall type of venues without PA support. I use my wireless to go around and see if the levels are balanced etc while we sound check... Those two cabs move a lot of air. They don't sound half bad either! I think that's a pretty good compromise for size/weight/power/sound quality. The only places I didn't like its sound in, were places where I'd never be happy anyway because teh acoustics are poor and there's little you can do, except not being too loud). Now I have an even smaller set of cabs, a pair of TKS 1126. They have a markedly different sound, and they're smaller. I can fit both in the boot of my car, which was a deciding factor in my buying them: I don't like to leave gear in plain view in my car, so that way the only thing not in the boot is my bass, which stays with me. I have not used that as extensively as the BF, but they can also move quite a bit of air. I feel maybe not as much, but I have never tested them side by side. They also have authority and sound pretty good. Soundwise I can't decide, I think I prefer the TKS, at gig volume, but there are too many factors involved and never used the two rigs in the same situation/venue. They are smaller, but they're a bit heavier, therefore more awkward to move around staircases, with people etc, if you have one in each hand. In short, each solution has definite pros and cons, but those pros and cons are weighted differently for different people. I find that the notion that one of the solutions is inherently and substantially worse, from a sonic point of view, ridiculous. There are differences, and there are combinations that make me smile and others not... but not a single one makes me go "ugh, that sounds disgusting" after I've had a chance to tweak the amp/bass controls. You know what makes me go "ugh!"? Having an underpowered combo, which you need to push too hard, and you end up having to choose between a decent sound or being heard. I've played my share of gigs with provided backline that meant I could have just mimed. Smaller lighter gear allows me to never go through that again. Barefaced may not be my absolute favourite when it comes to pure sound... but I do like it, however, where they gained my appreciation, was in working hard at making small/light solutions that REALLY worked, where I did not feel I was compromising too much in terms of sound (quality & 'heft'). Yeah, I can get help. But I prefer not to *depend* on other people. Especially when we play places where they provide backline... asking band mates to help bring my own feels a bit extravagant. They would help, no question! But I'd feel a bit bad asking. I just bring my own "little" solution, and I can manage by myself even if I always get asked if I need a hand when they see me. It's nice to say "nah, I'm ok, thanks!" and still be set up and ready to go before the guitarists are

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1430697258' post='2763857'] I have - one of those Washburn Statuseses which went "plunk plunk plunk". [/quote] I don't play any of that new fangled plunk music...

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1430141301' post='2758313'] Short of wiping them down with a clean dry cloth after use, do any of you have suggestions for prolonging the life of your strings? I find that even being meticulous I start to get signs of rust after 6 months or so [/quote] 6 months? My strings get replaced more often But even when i keep them longer, I don't ever recall them getting rusty. I don't do anything particular to them. I do tend to have clean hands before playing, and I don't do anything to them afterwards. I may wipe the neck if it's warm and feels a bit sweaty etc... but don't really touch the strings.

Through "Strings & Things": [url="http://www.stringsandthings.co.uk/acchom.htm"]http://www.stringsandthings.co.uk/acchom.htm[/url] click on Ernie Ball/MusicMan and then look for "spares" and find the tuners you want there. I once bought a couple there that were also bent, for a USA SUB that was sent to me with inadequate packaging.

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1430560291' post='2762560'] In a way I'm glad mine didn't come with a singed plate. I appreciate the idea but I think they look ugly. [/quote] it's only on the back anyway...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1430401312' post='2761042'] You see a lot of stuff on the interwebs about Behringer and their alleged low-quality and low-reliability, but it's worth saying once again that they do manufacture and distribute more products than every other brand put together, so statistically you're going to see more instances of Behringer failure than anything else. Of course people don't post anything at all if their products are performing OK, why would they? For what it's worth, the Behringer products I've used have all performed perfectly well with no issues. I think I might buy that £99 bass amp for the hell of it and kick it around a bit, see how that goes... And another thing, I had cause to use a TC bass amp as backline and I did not like it one bit. It didn't blow up, however. [/quote] I used a Behringer BX4500 as my first bass amp head. It was heavy, the fan wasn't the quietest, but I liked the sound. I have had only ONE amp head failing on me, during soundcheck, with a nice cloud of smoke. It was not the Behringer, it was a TC RH450! To be fair, TC reacted really fast and I was able to collect a new RH450 locally three days later. Now, that's service! My little kick-about practice amp is a Behringer BXL450A. It doesn't sound half bad either. I had it since 2007, and I use it all the time. Never missed a beat. See, it's boring to post about success stories... so I won't continue with my Behringer UB1002 mixer, my Behringer V-Amp2, my Behringer AC112 guitar combo... etc

RHCP tribute: Richt Hoat Chillis, inactive since May 2014, but currently in talks with view to resuscitate it. We formed in May 2009. RATM tribute: Radge Against The Machine. Formed in 2011, we stopped in June 2014 when our singer decided to quit. We haven't found anybody suitable since. From time to time we look... and next Monday we are auditioning a guy who seems very promising, we'll see!

[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1430412661' post='2761205'] Sounds a bit ropey to be honest. I'd like ti hear what users can get out it after months of tweaking and gigging etc, but it sounds like quite an expensive toy at the moment. [/quote] yeah, that demo doesn't sound too exciting to me...

[quote name='alembic1989' timestamp='1430143867' post='2758347'] If your pots are noisy...change them. You are just delaying the inevitable by using contact cleaners. [/quote] hmmm, define "delay". If they're really bad, sure, it'll only be a short-lived cure. But I have guitars that I have owned a couple of decades and I've sprayed the pots once or twice when I heard a little scratch... and they're ok.

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1430317406' post='2760219'] This is all about the size isn't it. Sort of the opposite of the mental 8x15" cab, what about a 1 x 15" with totally over sized proportions? How would this sound? Like a 6 ft high 1 x 15" [/quote] with a door at the back, so it doubles as changing room...

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1430263438' post='2759718'] Looking at this for my markbass mini cmd 121 combo. I have a couple of questions. How do you connect it to the combo? What is the dial on the side for? I have only ever used a bass combo amp in my recent years, and technology has moved on. [/quote] You connect it with strawberry laces. The dial is the talent booster control. I always have mine set to "stun". (you already got the answer, so I felt I had to make up a different one to confuse you )

This is not the same type of resource, but I find it very useful anyway: backing tracks. I loved backing tracks from my bedroom guitarist days, much better than playing by yourself... but they also make learning songs much more fun, at least for me. If I need (or want) to learn a specific song, I listen to it and figure out the bassline and practice it playing along to the original. From time to time I had access to a backing track that did not have my instrument (guitar or bass), and that makes it more fun to practice. Over the years I ended up buying quite a few "Play with..." tab books, purely for the backing tracks. I have recently found a website that is a pretty good source of reasonable sound-alike backing tracks: [url="http://www.karaoke-version.com"]http://www.karaoke-version.com[/url] The cool thing is that you select a song, and you can choose your mix changing a couple of basic parameters: you can alter levels of instruments, and you can mute them. You can then download the result (it's not free, however, it's £1.99 a pop). The thing is also that once you bought a track, you can continue to download alternative mixes. This means you can get a mix without guitars, a mix without bass, without drums, vocals... etc, to suit whatever you want to play. In addition, you could listen to just the bass alone, or just the guitar alone, when trying to figure out something that's not so clear in the full track. Of course, learning a bassline from here means you learn the bassline another guy played, not the original... They are generally pretty good, but I've noticed a couple of occasions where I disagree. Still sounds good, and it works as a backing track regardless. I found it when I rediscovered my fretless Precision and The Police, and bought a "Play with" book+CD that did not have "So Lonely" in it. Their version was pretty good. It's not Sting singing, but does a good impression! Disclaimer: that site has nothing to do with me!!! I'm just a happy user.

[quote name='jonnythenotes' timestamp='1430083600' post='2757890'] I have decided to go for a P bass, but realise a new or second hand American made Fender for £500 is not going to happen, so what is the next best thing, eiher new or second hand that is as good as or even better? There must be one or two gems out there that are ignored or undiscovered as they have the wrong name on the headstock.. There is the obvious in Squier, but anything else that is worth a squint.... [/quote] Without a doubt: A Classic 50 Fender Precision. Made in Mexico, but nothing like the standard MIM range. I bought one in October last year and I barely touch anything else since. Fantastic basses.

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1430152544' post='2758436'] Isn't this topic [i]thoroughly[/i] done to death now ? [/quote] You're right. Enough of this. Let's try something else now: Jazz or Precision?

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1430227501' post='2759175'] I turned up at an outside gig with my Hartke Kilo and Berg NV610 and the sound engineer was telling me to turn down during soundcheck... he looked rather embarrassed when I told him that the amp was muted because I was tuning [/quote] As I brought my 210 and 212 vertical stack speakers into the bar, the sound guy warned me I was too loud. "Really, before I plug in, you can tell?" He said yeah, that was too big. I said "but my amp comes with a volume knob, they're great!". He went away grumbling. I wasn't too loud, it sounded great, and I could hear myself beautifully. Did your sound guy have a brother in Edinburgh?

Love it! It's beastly!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1430172031' post='2758707'] I still view my CDs (and vinyl) as backup for my iTunes library. Back in 2001 when I bought my first iPod I spent a week testing different MP3 converters and bit rates to find what sounded to me the best and then spent the next year ripping my CD collection (as well as digitising the vinyl that wasn't available then on CD). Now that storage is both cheap and plentiful I'm in the process of re-ripping everything as uncompressed AIFFs. However over the last 14 years I've bought quite a few tracks on line when the songs I wanted weren't available any other way and trying to keep track of where they came from so I can add the best quality versions to my new library. I know that I'll invariably miss transferring some over and short of going through around 35,000 tracks to spot which ones I've missed there is no way to ensure I get them all. There will be no problem getting everything on CD transferred across, just the time it will take. I'm still not convinced by the subscription model for software either, and I'm not alone in this respect. Only one of the advertising/design agencies that I freelance for has "upgraded" to Creative Cloud and that's only because they needed more licences and CC is now the only option for adding new seats. [/quote] Same here, almost everything (almost, I still would pay a subscription -price & coverage dependent- in addition to my continuing to purchase music). When I started ripping my collection to mp3, computers were much slower, and I felt storage was expensive... so I ripped at 192kbps (the minimum I thought sounded ok in my mp3 player), and not every song, but only my favourites from each album. I saw mp3 as a supplement, only for music on teh move. After a few months of that I changed my mind... back to rip everything, and at 320kbps. CDs took a while... but vinyl... uf. I have bought many "digital copies" in the past few years, buying only CDs that I felt were more "special". But Amazon lately seems to have many where buying the CD is not much more expensive (and a handful ot times, cheaper!) than buying the digital only, and buying the CD gets you the digital instantly as well, so I started getting a few more CDs lately. I'm considering getting into the Raspberry Pi computer trend, and using one as a server, to have my own "streaming" service, where the server has all my music and I can then listen/download anything I want from my collection. Should not be too expensive and it's great for travelling (or work, I listen to a lot of music at work) But software subscriptions... I detest!