mcnach

I haven't tried a Quilter, but every MarkBass amp I played (all in the LM range, actually, so others may be different?) had this thing where the volume will increase until the knob was at around 1 or 2 o'clock max. The Mesa D800+ seems to just keep going (I never maxed either amp). I think a lot of the difference you mention is to do with the taper of the volume control.

+1 Stewart or Designacable are both great options, very good quality and reaosnable price. Been using Stewart's cables ('Cleartone') since around 2001, and they are still in great condition (I lost a few in the usual chaos post-gig, which is why I started buying from Designacable, as they do coloured ones, and I don't seem to 'lose' them if they're bright red, orange, etc...)

Yes, I have used them on two Stingrays. Do it! That's all. Great preamps and the semiparametric mids are very useful. I also prefer the "2-band" character they have, as opposed to the EBMM 3-band, which I find a bit 'thinner' somehow.

oh crap... 😍

Oh no! That means I may be looking at their TT800, which I only put aside in my mind due to the price in the UK... hmmm

Soooo glad I bought the BAM200. Tonight we had our first 'gig' in months. One of our usual venues, doors closed, no audience, live-streamed into the interwebz. I was going to use the house amplifier, but I decided to put the BAM200 in the gig bag. It was, after all, the reason I bought it, a 'just in case'. Well, during sound check the volume would be erratic, louder, quieter, louder again... So here comes the BAM200. Beautiful. It looked ridiculous on top of a 410, but it sounded really good. As I had already noticed, I had to bring the mids up and bass down a bit to get it into the territory I prefer, and yes, it definitely is not a super loud amp, but it is loud enough for this purpose. It is pretty good sounding!

I didn't feel I gained anything, I never need to hang my bass from the cable. However I forgot *many times* that it was locking, and I'd be absent-mindedly talking to someone while pulling on the plug. It's not that it makes the instrument unusable, but it adds an extra layer of faff that I don't see a reason for. But the main reason for me, is that I prefer to have a system where if you pull accidentally, it'll give way before it snaps. Looping through the strap protects the plug/socket enough and the slack in the loop seems to offer enough leeway, I think. Beyond that, I prefer if the plug can come off rather than continue to offer resistance until it breaks. All those are considerations that don't really seem to have a huge impact, but I fail to see the advantages of locking sockets. I never gave them much thought, and when I got a bass that came with one I said "oh goody!", but hated it pretty soon. Are you considering using them? What is it that you're hoping they will improve?

Loop through the strap. I had a couple of basses with locking sockets... it seemed like a good idea until I used them. Not for me.

If you put it like that... yeah, I mean, nope. I find it hilarious when people don't take well being told that you went with someone else. I've only had to block one person, but that was insane... he kept sending us individually messages on FB and collectively in a chat, telling us how we made a mistake not choosing him (guitarist) and that it must be because we were threatened as he was so much better than us (he wasn't very bad, but he had an awful super distorted tone that he would use for everything, no dynamics, no leaving spaces, a real 'guitar hero' -in his mind-) and he kept going. If you ignored him it was worse because he'd get annoyed we were not engaging with his... monologues. As far as I know he may still be messaging us

True. Years ago I was in a RHCP tribute band and we needed a new singer. The auditions were amazing, for all the wrong reasons. It's incredible how many people think they can sing. The one I remember the best was this guy who was very nice, great attitude, good presence... and not only he could not sing (although, to be fair, it's not like Kiedis is much better ) but his sense of timing and melody was non existent. His phrasing was all over the place, out of key... We finished the first song and our guitarist, ever so polite, smiled and said "well, that was a song... it wasn't THE song, but it was some kind of song". The 'singer' took it as a compliment. We played two more to be sure, and we figured there was no way it would work. You can learn the lyrics if you don't remember them, you can learn many things, but if you don't have a sense for timing...

This is the guy who got back to you with a recording in 3 hours, right? That suggested he was able to come up with cool parts, but maybe he needs a bit of time to work out parts by himself and is not used to just jamming? Maybe his muse was not in that evening, we all get off days. Just trying to find a reason to give him another try... although if the rest of the band really did not like his playing, maybe they're right (but we all know that their judgement cannot be as good as the bass player's... )

ah, what a shame... it sounded so promising from that recording!

It shouldn't be a problem. I bought my VM4 with a black pickguard, and later I contacted them to order a parchment white one. They do sell all sorts of bits and pieces.

Yeah, how dare you not play steady 8ths... know your place, Andy, know your place.

For balance... Years ago, we had a band rehearsal space within the grounds of a local storage company. It was great, after 5pm we could go there and make as much noise as we liked. There was CCTV, two locks... it felt safe. Until the day we show up and EVERYTHING was gone. The CCTV cameras? "oh, they are not working". I felt the thieves knew it because they much have come with a large vehicle, and were probably connected to someone in that place... but could never prove anything. We reported it. An officer was assigned to the case who was a guitar player himself. It was very useful as he knew exactly what our gear was worth. He also had a good list of people and shops to check. We gave him all the photographs we could, serial numbers when known etc. He said our stuff would probably show up within a couple of weeks, and if it didn't... then the chances were slim. Six month slater we got a call. They got EVERYTHING back. Well, except for the footswitch for my Laney VC50 amplifier. They took two guitar amplifiers I had in that place. I was very pleased to get them back, although by then the band was no longer, as some of us could not afford new equipment and had moved on. Pity.

Proper bampots, those two were.

I had two drunks reaching into our open van and grab a saxophone case. I was standing right there Needless to say, they did not leave with anything, although they very nearly took home a couple of knuckle sandwiches. One of the guys backed off immediately, but the other acted offended that I called him a thief (I WAS THERE! I SAW HIM GRAB IT AND ATTEMPT TO LEG IT!) and I had to very clearly and unambiguously threaten him with violence if he didn't go away. Ugh... drunks.

More like a fat Jazz with additional options, given the position of the pickups. I think it's the single pickup version that can sound a bit more Stingrayish, with its pickup farther from the bridge than in the HH version. But yeah, it's the first decent new shape they offer that's not a direct version of an older design, with a range of sound options not found in other Fender instruments. For Fender, that's not just novel, it's positively groundbreakingly futuristic!

I think after the M&Ms it's going to be hard to find someone that excites us as much

On Tuesday my main band will have the first rehearsal since this started. At a local venue. They've made it available to us and we pay the sound guy who will be there. It works out only marginally more expensive than the usual rehearsal studio rates and we've got the whole place to us. We figured it was a very reasonable way to help in some small way a place that helped us a lot. On Saturday we'll go back, and have our first 'virtual' gig that will be live-streamed by the venue, and we'll record the audio plus film it using a bunch of static cameras and 2-3 people with hand-held ones. If someone, a year ago, had told me that I would be this excited to be able to play like this, I would not have believed them. Strange strange times.

The Dimension was the first real novel bass Fender has come up with in ages... and they discontinued it How could they?

That would save e a lot of money! I don't think I'm getting the Harley Benton... but I already looked at sources of black pickguards without pickup routing, so that I could put a different kind at whatever position in there... and my birthday is coming soon But for my birthday I was after a purple Telecaster. However, if I don't find it... hmmm

It's decent, but it lacked 'something' compared to the other two. He seems to be better at lead than Maurizio, but something about it makes me feel he sounds a bit too much like a potential 'guitar hero', while the other two played more for the song, if you know what I mean. Maurizio lacks a bit of finesse/control but overall I think he's more musical.

I don't need another bass I don't need another bass I don't need another bass... but damn, I'd love a 'stealth' Precision... I don't need another bass I don't need another bass...

By the way, what model is that bass exactly? Such a lovely finish!