mcnach

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1340731886' post='1708845'] That's Loanhead for you! They still point at planes in Loanhead. [/quote]

[quote name='BassPimp66' timestamp='1340454642' post='1704632'] The quest for the perfect sound is endless... But, I feel marketing is sometimes a lot of b*******.What do you think of the below? - True Bypass = big switch that goes click, how difficult is that? - Oxygen Free Copper cable = overpriced cable with no proven benefit - Vintage Tone Circuit = could not be bothered to design something new, so I stole schematics from old Fender stuff - High Mass Bridge = a little thicker and less flimsy than average bridge - Phenolic Fingerboard = plasticky fingerboard - Made in USA = so what ???? - High excursion speakers = isn't it the speaker job to excursiate big time? etc... Feel free to add. [/quote] Generally agree, but: - phenolic fingerboard. I don't think they normally advertise it as being "better", and I do like them. - high excursion speakers: this is genuinely a good characteristic

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1340712192' post='1708380'] Back in the days when there were Working Mens' Clubs (yes, I know there still are a handful left) I decided to take along my old 70's practice amp for a wheeze. It had a tiny little 8" speaker that could barely fart, and the amp looked like it was made out of cardboard. This I set up in front of the curtain on a chair. Behind the curtain was my 2 x 15" Traynor beastie, daisy-chained from the practice amp input. As is usual at these type of places, the majority of the audience didn't even notice (most left after the bingo) - but all credit to the handful that did [/quote] brilliant, I must do soemthing like this!

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1340647624' post='1707581'] Not quite as impressive a feat, but I got by with an 80W amp (Trace Elliot BLX-80) yesterday, on a lorry trailer. DI-ed into the PA. Thankfully it wasn't the full band - I was up against keys, vocals, guitar, 2 djembes, a violin and a flute so it wasn't too bad on stage. The amp was cranked right up, of course [/quote] It was probably cleaner too, the stage I mean. I only took a bass in a gigbag. I tuned backstage, and just used a single cable. I took it out today... caked in mud whatever part of it was on the floor. Blergh. To think I almost brought a couple of pedals!

[quote name='ian' timestamp='1340579895' post='1706665'] thanks but my computer wont let me do it that way for some reason does he have another link thanks tho [/quote] in those situations, try right click and "copy" over the address link. Then just paste on your usual email client.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1340560694' post='1706258'] John gave him some of those guitars as they are mates, if you looked closer you would see he actually used all the John guitars for old songs but always his own black strat for anything he has been a co creator of almost as if to prove a point and make his own style IMO [/quote] I was not convinced by Josh in the album... then I saw them live in Glasgow last November and I changed my mind. I think he has his own style, which is good to see. New album... meh... but live they were great.

[quote name='davidlovellbass' timestamp='1340618308' post='1706930'] He was from Spain, new member on here and he deleted the message so i can't report him. I've asked him to take pictures of the amp with his email written on a piece of paper in clear view next to or on the amp. If he responds with this then i'll keep his email address private, if not then i'll post it on here [/quote] Avoid. If it smells... don't step on it. It happens from time to time. I actually fell for something like that once, buying a cheap squier jazz bass. Something made me wonder and I looked online and discovered an ad at some other site where the pics had been lifted from. I oepened a trhead about it and found two others who had fallen for it (different items). Fortunately the guy was an idiot and it was easy to get our money back. Paypal refunded me and another guy, but would not refund a third person who had paid using the "gift" option. However we managed to pressure the scammer into paying him (under veiled threats, I guess we sounded convincing enough and he paid up). You can't stop them, they will be around, always. Just keep an eye on things. If someone is new, he is probably genuine, but it's worth doing a couple of extra checks. Google images is surprisingly effective as scammers tend to be lazy and do not go far beyond the first few hits. Check the activity of the would be seller. Does he post at all? Check who browsed his profile... is he only checked by people with "wanted" ads? If so, tread carefully.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1340556705' post='1706158'] Sounds like an interesting one! I bet I'd have recognised a few faces there. I've played events with a similar crowd a few times, and it's always a hassle in terms of organisation but a fun audience once you're actually playing. [/quote] Totally! We felt a bit out of place at first. We are not hippies, we are certainly not punks... one of the organising guys invited us after seeing us play elsewhere... and we thought "how on Earth do we fit here?". But it was an enthusiastic crowd at the very least. You just have to make sure you didn´t hold eye contact too long with certain colourful characters, or you´d not get rid off them Organisation: 10 points for ideas, 2 points for having a clue (or not having a clur, rather) Audience: 10 for enthusiasm. Pity about the ending, because even with the less than impressive monitoring situation and general lack of microphones for vocals (we use three vocal microphones and one for trumpet... we had to do with a single one), it was a LOT of fun.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1340551655' post='1706039'] If I ever make it big I will get a Gorilla amp then just have my monitoring put through the wedge in front but not until I have bought dozens of old gorilla amps off ebay ready to sell to the punters in the FS section [/quote] I would love to do this

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1340551655' post='1706039'] A punch in the face would of been my suggestion, have you learnt nothing living up there? it's a sign of affection Im told. [/quote] No, that´s Glasgow, I hear. I´m in Edinburgh (runs for cover)

So, last night Sea Bass Kid was to play at this outdoor gig. It was an interesting one, at Bilston Glen, the protest site with the tree houses etc, protecting a bit of forest from some planned roadworks. 10th anniversary party last night. Hippy/punk crowd. It was... interesting, like I said. They had a pretty amazing setup, to be honest, a wooden stage, covered, a mixing desk in front... right inside the forest. I loved the site. They said they would prvide nearly eevrything. A bass amp was there "it´s a bit sh*t" I was told. I said I don´t care, I was not going to drag my gear through the mud there to play just for fun. I get there, and I could hear bass. Loud. Not bad sounding at all. From where I was I could not see the amp. When I go onstage... I see a tiny tiny tiny 30W Gorilla practice amp It was DI´d at the back... and all I had to monitor onstage was that amp. I propped it upon some boxes, tilted it towards me so I could hear anything, something. Once the band was playing, I could barely hear anything. If I leaned towards it, I could sort of hear a bit. If I went to the front I could feel a lot of bass out there, although no pitch information for me, however it sounded good out there I was told, and I heard it myself before with another band. so no, it´s not exactly ideal... but at a push, it worked. It sounded really big at the front, it was just too funny to see what it was actually generating the sound. It was a fun gig, at least until 5min before I walked out The police showed up. Not sure exactly why, we were too far away from any houses to create any significant disturbance. The people organising it asked us to stop a bit. We did. Then to carry on. Then some guy that was never introduced to us just came onstage from the front, and came to me *ordering* me to "turn this amp down". I said "what?". He insisted. I stopped playing, told him that was not my amp, that it belonged to that guitarist in front of me, and that if volume is an issue he should talk to his own people at the mixing desk, as we were all in through microphones/DI and the amps onstage were not producing the volume he heard at the front. He had none of it, but didn´t touch the amp, instead he asked the singer. So we had stopped midsong for that. We were all a bit confused. We turned down a bit, to make it like we were collaborating. We had played for about 40min at that stage and I said to the guys "let´s play one more and leave". Singer and one guitarist insist "no, come on, we can play these 4 more songs and itll be ok". I said "fine, but if someone else comes up with a rude attitude while we play, I walk out". Sure enough, second song in this guy comes up... and this one at least is not rude, but he walks up to *me* to tell me that we should turn down a bit, to appease the police. I tell him that he is at the wrong place, that he should get the mixing desk guys to turn us all down to whatever level they wanted. He said "the bass is very loud". Part of me laughed. Part of me screamed. "I´m playing through THAT", believe me, what you hear out there is not controlled by me, volume wise, but by your own guys at the mixing desk. He gave me a look like I was just talking crap. So I just unplugged. Meanwhile the band had played for a few bars without bass. Now the unmistakeable sound of a bass being unplugged without muting first was produced, and I proceeded to get my case. The rest of the band stopped. Singer said thank you (they were an enthusiastic audience) and good night. And we left. Pity. For 40min it was a lot of fun despite a number of technical inconveniences, we managed to sound ok and we sincerely had a great time while these punks and hippies were dancing a lot in the mud. But I get very annoyed if I am going to the trouble of doing a gig for no money whatsoever in a not very convenient location, so, just for fun... and someone is being rude to us while not grasping the most basic concept of their own set up. I don´t go on saturday nights to muddy fields to be treated like an annoyance. Still, it was an experience ;-)

[quote name='such' timestamp='1340357113' post='1703180'] I used to own a GB94 a few years back. It's very similar, but no pickguard, spalted maple veneer (too thin to call it a "top") and upgraded pickups/preamp: Seymour Duncan SMB4D and QuaretPound Jazz plus Duncan Designed preamp. I recall it being very light, and I was getting a lot of compliments on its tone, especially from bandmates (they knew the difference, as I was bringing other basses to the rehearsals as well, including few different Warwicks). The Cort was by far they favourite of my basses. And yes, there was a fretless version (not sure if it's still available anywhere). There was a limited edition called GB74P-Dao (or 75, as there was a 5-string version as well), never appeared on Cort's website, but I've seen it in a few internet stores. Had a dao wood (whatever that is) veneer and piezo in the bridge. Bound/blocked rosewood board on fretted, plain rosewood on fretless. found some net pics, looks like fretless board is also bound: [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/802/img0156zg.jpg/"]http://imageshack.us.../img0156zg.jpg/[/url] [url="http://www.woodbrass.com/images/woodbrass/GB75PFLBBS.JPG"]http://www.woodbrass.../GB75PFLBBS.JPG[/url] quite sexy. [/quote] quite sexy??? quite an understatement!!! I gigged my GB74 last night. I have to say it worked a lot better than at rehearsal the previous night, but still not fully satisfied soundwise. I really don't like the preamp, so I'm gong to get some nice pickups in there and probably leave it passive to start with. It is a lovely bass to play and I really like how it is very light, yet it is well balanced. Tonight I am taking the SUB for the RATM gig in Inverness, and I was planning to take the Squier VM Jazz for backup... now I'm thinking maybe the Cort will be the one.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1340326869' post='1702997'] Nope it's a.... I bought it on a whim because ever since Gibson guru Neepheid took a Tokai T-bird around to mine for a jam one time, and despite me thinking they look a bit showy and vulgar and the fact that the indie kids have taken them over... I quite fancied having my own one. It was a good choice - I honestly would never have thought a bloody Epiphone could sound this brilliant. The strange thing is that since this thread started I have been asked to join another band. The music is a bit more mainstream than I'm normally associated with and the guitarist plays a Gibson Explorer. This bass wouldn't look too out of place in that band. None the less I've chosen a bass from my old armoury that suits this band's music better - it's my homemade Surf Green '51 P (Betty, for those who've met her). I chose her because of her super fast neck and hot SD pup with it's the gritty, biting tone... but who knows, maybe one day I might actually bring myself to play the T-bird in public. So there you go, that's another bass of mine about to get some action.... just as well I have so many to choose from. [/quote] I'm not a fan of the Thunderbird, but... I think that one looks quite cool!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1340293339' post='1702450'] I have another question for you but it's pretty OT so will PM you. [/quote] Fire away without fear edit: but I must say, just in case, that I am already spoken for

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1340299271' post='1702575'] So come on, own up, who is it in Edinburgh that hates all mid frequencies? [/quote] LukeFRC is quiet now. I bet it is him!!!

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1340297750' post='1702542'] YES! Pre-shape/contour buttons pressed in then graphics at smiley face, and lows boosted, all at once with a crazy dose of compression to boot so the signal is getting utterly mutilated...add in a sub-octaver if it's an Ashdown for the icing on the cake. I think we must've used the same rehearsal spaces, but it's not me who leaves the amps set up like that [/quote] Probably the very same spaces, indeed. But I think we could be in different towns and have the same experience!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1340293339' post='1702450'] Eden, SWR, Thunderfunk do, on multiple bands. Isn't the Yamaha East Eq modual essentially a mid sweep too? The mixing desk I use has two, fully sweepable with varying Q too +1 but I do think you often overestimate people's ability to make gear sound good. I think sometimes you hear the idea of the sound realised but wonder how musically that has been achieved. It's fairly easy to suck the life out of bass tone with Eq. I have another question for you but it's pretty OT so will PM you. [/quote] You quoted a few. You still missed more. Yet there are a WHOLE LOT MORE out there without it. Do you really need me to show you a catalog or something? The Yamaha NE-1 preamp is nice, but not quite a mid sweep. It's cut only, from what I recall (I owned one). Changing the Q and freq parameters you get really nice sounds. But it's nothing like a straight cut/boost midsweep, which is (to me) totally intuitive and direct to use. And, at my fingertips, woohoo! :-D BUt yes... all the controls in the world do not guarante a good sound, and people sometimes destroy bass and guitar through overuse of EQ. Those graphic equalisers on those amps (Trace Elliot, Peaveys...) that you often find in rehearsal spaces tell some amazing stories, when you walk in and find what the previous band was using My routine upon arrival is turn master volume down (often left high), set EQ flat, turn on, then adjust gain... and cut or boost a *bit* to get in the ball park of that "basic" sound I hear in my head with my bass controls set flat. It varies in different rooms, or course. Then adjust my onboard one to give it that personality I like about it.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1340292709' post='1702429'] I just think that sometimes people don't fully think through the reasons for fitting (or not) a pre amp in their bass. I would hazard that unless the controls on your amp are very subtle or the EQ points aren't sympathetic to the bass (in which case you've either got the wrong amp or the wrong bass for you) that the amp should be able to do everything that built in pre amp can and then some. It's far easier to build an effective and musical sounding EQ when you're not constrained with having to fit it into a typical bass guitar and power for a decent length of time off a PP3 battery. [/quote] Reasonable points. But that's how you roll. There are many ways to make a stew, and if the final result is tasty, it's all good. Unlike you I don't think that any piece of equipment *should* be able to do anything in particular, and just try and see. I personally use the amp to give me a "basic sound", generally. Then use the preamp (sometimes) onboard to go for something thicker for a particular song, or part of it, and something treblier there, etc. Generally I don't really fiddle with the onboard too much, but I get the sound I'm after with it, and no, I don't get it from an amp. I could probably get something with my amp (4 semiparametric controls), but that's a lot more fiddly than using my onboard, which I can in addition adjust wherever I am (I don't necessarily spend all my time one foot away from the amp). If I have one bass that is in teh ball park but I miss certain something... and I know that preamp X allows me to tune in to that "something" easily, why would I look for another bass? Do I really have the "wrong" bass? I already have what I need within my reach... I could continue searching for that holy grial of bass, but... I'd rather slap that preamp in it and spend my time playing I do not object to any preferences... whatever you prefer is fine. I like some passive basses, some active, oranges and strawberries and detest cucumbers... What I object to is the idea that any particular option is unnecessary (or even wrong) by default. I agree that many preamps, especially but not only the most inexpensive ones are pretty lame. I know, I tried them all! And I agree that many people slap one of those in their bass without a clear reason other than "because I can". I know, I have done that a few times. It never really hurt 'though. Sometimes there was nothing there for me. Sometimes it was quite interesting. Let people get the sound they want through any means they want. Some are bass+amp guys (and girls). Some love a big pedalboard and a 17-band semiparametric with multiple LFO onboard preamp/synth. If we want the "pure" sound of an electric bass, we'd put a microphone and play it unplugged... We want a sound in our heads. Get it in any way you can, even if you already know that you will never get there and you will always look for yet soemthing else. Especially if you read BassChat.

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1340274342' post='1701995'] I have a J-retro and it doesn't make my bass sound any better than if I just tweaked the controls on my amp. I bought it to make it easier to alter the sound of my bass between songs and to be able to adjust my sound while I was standing out front at soundcheck. If you have a problem with the sound of your bass I think upgrading your pickups would be the better option. [/quote] You didn't find the mid sweep useful? Not many amps offer something like it. My gripe with the J-Retro is that it colours the sound even when you set it "flat". Flat does not really exist with that preamp (but it does with others), and I really like a passive Jazz sound. But even then, I love the oomph and versatility it gives me. But I could use just the mid sweep module and be happy, to be perfectly honest. I use that a lot.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1340273638' post='1701976'] I have upgraded a passive bass to active and I think the difference is overrated. [/quote] It is not an "upgrade". It is a modification. Not intrinsically better or worse. It's different. And sometimes, not very different at all.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1340269773' post='1701871'] 1. The EQ structure would be a fair point if people actually looked at it, but AFAICS most don't. They buy the pre-amp that's cheap or easiest to fit rather than considering if the EQ centres are going to complement the overall sound of the bass. I can see the point of the pre-amp in MM bases because it's tuned to enhance the sound of the bass with its particular pickup. Also there are some pre-amps that offer features not found on the amp like filters or being able to EQ each pick up separately and these again are useful. However a set of generic EQ centre points on a circuit designed mostly to be able to fit in the average sized control cavity and run of a 9V battery not so much. 2. The controls might be near my finger tips but when I'm playing, I'm too busy to be fiddling with EQ controls. In between songs my amp is just as easily accessible. Most f this was brought home when I fitted a J-Retro to my short-lived Squier VMJ. While it didn't make the bass sound any worse, it didn't make much of an improvement either and didn't do anything for me that another 15 minutes playing with the gain and EQ on my amp could achieve. [/quote] I agree with 1 to some extent (most people don't look for the sound of a particular preamp, but just fit whatever they find convenient), and 2 is a matter of personal need/preference, so fair enough. But I'd use the J-Retro as an example of a "special" preamp. It has the mid sweep control... which is very very useful and I whilst you can use soemthing similar in pedal form, or in teh shape of a semiparametric tone control in your amp... I love it at my fingertips. Same preamp... two different experiences, yours and mine. It's all fine, whatever works... but asking someone who wants a preamp "what's wrong with your amp's controls" is not very useful. Because they do but they don't do the same thing.

So I used it for rehearsal last night. A bit underwhelmed, but it wasn't bad at all. I missed my MM SUB a bit, but I was using an amp that I never liked and actually not even my SUB is nice there. PLaying with the band I find that the bridge pickup is decent, improvable but decent. The neck pickup is the one I'd me most interested in replacing. I played passively all but the initial 10 minutes. I am not liking that preamp. Gig tonight at the French Institute, for their annual Fete de la musique thingy. We set up our gear last night. Nice big stage, decent room. I'll bring the Cort, and see what it feels like through my own amp etc. Tonight will be the critical test. It does play really really nicely. IT feels really good, well balanced etc. I think it's a great bass to spend just a bit more to improve on the electronic part of it.

Thanks! UNfortunately it's too early for me to consider making an offer...

[quote name='the_krysh' timestamp='1340262126' post='1701745'] well, difficult question, since the pros and cons probably are equal and it depends on the existing tone of your instrument. in my 2 custom jazzes I have an obp3 (active/passive switchable) and an only active audere in the other one. both sound great, but a little bit I miss the possibility to switch the audere to passive - until I use it . I'd suggest to go with a tonehammer or sadowsky pedal first and if you really dig the tone then get a preamp installed. but if you do that, you should only use a high quality one like aguilar, nordstrand, audere, glockenklang, john east, etc... everything else might not be worth it. [/quote] I'd agree. Artec preamps work, but they don't really offer anything extraordinary. In addition they have a big block of a preamp, unlikely you'lll fit that plus battery in a Jazz control cavity without modification. My personal favourite for a Jazz is the J-Retro. More expensive yes, but it really gives you a lot of control. The mid sweep in particular is very cool. You could even just buy the mid sweep module alone. It'll fit without alterations, but the knobs will not be the originals as it uses concentric dual pots and knobs.