icastle

[quote name='TimR' post='1064127' date='Dec 19 2010, 10:44 PM']It would also explain how so many people can claim to own a bass once owned by Entwistle [/quote] In which case... I have a very rare bass that was never owned by John Entwhistle...

[quote]Once he was able to afford it, one of his passions was collecting bass guitars - at any one time he could have up to 250 of them. This wasn't just a rich man's indulgence - John was always searching for a better tone, and tried every different bass he could get his hands on, trying to find the sound he longed for.[/quote] Well I reckon that makes him the Godfather of GAS

[quote name='leschirons' post='1063799' date='Dec 19 2010, 06:10 PM']I just use one of these.[/quote] Got to be careful with those - if they work too well you can end up with an expanded top end...

[quote name='thinman' post='1064002' date='Dec 19 2010, 09:13 PM']Dry joints sometimes look more dull or "wrinkly".[/quote] You callin' me a dry joint?

[quote name='Slipperydick' post='1063867' date='Dec 19 2010, 07:05 PM']Bass Player, Bassist, Bass Guitarist etc. Which do you prefer to be called ?[/quote] "Sir"

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1062479' date='Dec 18 2010, 02:09 PM']Who here doesnt use any effects... i have never felt the need to use any..maybe im missing something? Not that i wouldnt but im just not knowlegable about effects... I used to have a Korg Effects unit but didnt feel the need to use any of the effects apart from a little reverb what are the effects you use the most and what music do you use it for..[/quote] Just a little smear of Chorus which stays on for everything and a smidgen of OC3 if playing a fretless. Other than that it's just compression for me.

[quote name='JMT3781' post='1062467' date='Dec 18 2010, 01:58 PM']I'm about to start on a trek to derby football cllub for 2 x christmas partys.. anyone else bothering lol?[/quote] Nope - I've got this weekend off. My next one is Thurdsday

[quote name='thinman' post='1062433' date='Dec 18 2010, 01:17 PM']Yes - but some of that power can be in the PA. I'm not saying people shouldn't have a powerful amp because they can always turn it down - my point is that once your bass backline starts to drown out the drum kit and the venue dictates that the band needs to be louder, you're into drum micing territory and probably feeding a bit of bass into the PA too.[/quote] Yes, but that scenario supposes that the bass player is a daft git who has no realistic comprehension of their role within the music making process. It's about having the correct level of output to complement the overall sound. [quote name='thinman' post='1062433' date='Dec 18 2010, 01:17 PM']Having plenty of headroom in an amp is fine but I still don't get the need to match that with a lot of big cabs (and by that I'm taliking about multiple 4 x10"etc ) and above.[/quote] I must admit that I've never been tempted to go down the two 4x10 route because I don't play the sort of material that needs that degree of volume. I have a 4x10 in the rehearsal studio (saves lugging other gear about). I have a 2x10 that I use for small gigs and supplement that with a 1x15 for larger gigs. [quote name='thinman' post='1062433' date='Dec 18 2010, 01:17 PM']I'm NOT saying no-one shoukd have such a rig - each to their own and all that - I just don't really get the point![/quote] I think that's the crux of the matter. Although we are all bass players, we are all working in different types of venues and playing different musical genres. Some people advocate using a preamp fed into the PA system and that gives them a comfortable working environment, others advocate using 8x10 cabs and others are getting along perfectly well with a 150W combo. If you don't get the point in using a larger rig than you're using then you don't need one as you're getting exactly what you need using what you are using!

[quote name='JTUK' post='1062428' date='Dec 18 2010, 01:14 PM']Funniest thing you'll see on a band stage that can just about accomodate a 4 piece inc vocal who doesn't play an intrument, is the bass player will lug in 2x4x10's.. Jeezz... Really..?????[/quote] Stacked on top of each other, two 4x10s don't take up any more floor space than one 4x10 - unless the stage area is so small that you're using shelving to slot the band members into

[quote name='thinman' post='1062388' date='Dec 18 2010, 12:40 PM']This and other threads have reminded me how amazed I am at the size and power of rigs people have or are considering. I imagine some sound mighty impressive by themselves but do they work well in a band context? It's all down to the way human ears perceive different frequencies.[/quote] A 100W bass amp sounds quieter than a 100W guitar amp because the average ear is more sensitive to the upper and mid-range frequencies of a guitar than the lower frequencies of a bass. So, it's not about bass players wanting to blast everything else off the stage, however tempting that may be sometimes - it's about having enough low end volume to allow the bass to be heard! [quote name='thinman' post='1062388' date='Dec 18 2010, 12:40 PM']In my band we've spent more on the PA with the aim of balancing the sound and keeping the backline volumes within reasonable levels. Drums, bass and a bit of guitar all go throw the PA - it saves a lot of rows and issues about one person drowing out everyone else. Given that the kick drum is often the first to get drowned out these rigs used at volume must necessitate more PA support to balance things?[/quote] I have a 750W rig and set it to a volume where I can hear myself and the rest of the band can hear me. I DI out of the amp into the mixing desk and the volume is tweaked there to give the best balance for the audience. [quote name='thinman' post='1062388' date='Dec 18 2010, 12:40 PM']Maybe I'm just suffering from rig envy but I have trouble seeing the need to cart smething the size of my wife's wardrobe around with me![/quote] That's easy to fix - buy your wife a bigger wardrobe

[quote name='greyparrot' post='1061523' date='Dec 17 2010, 01:24 PM']I go as often as poss, good players, and a great atmosphere, we all know each other, different bands etc, so its always great for a chill out. No egos at this place, just fun and yes there is an incredibly sexy chick on sax! Here im using my stagg upright bass. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmVChufZ0rg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmVChufZ0rg[/url][/quote] I'm glad you told me you were playing an EUB - your right hand looks like it's up to mischief!

[quote name='Bass Culture' post='1061356' date='Dec 17 2010, 09:49 AM']I've been trying to source a Hipshot 4 string retainer from a supplier who can also get a couple of other bits from - tuners and knobs - and sort of accidentally came across this company, based in Solvakia: [url="http://www.sollerguitars.com/e-index.php"]http://www.sollerguitars.com/e-index.php[/url] They look as though they've got a decent range of stock and, as they're EU, won't be any more expensive (a little chaper in fact) than sourcing the stuff from the States. Have any of you out there come across them or used them before please? Just wondering if they're reliable, etc. etc.[/quote] I've seen one of the guitars played by one of the local musos here in Leicestershire. Superb looking piece of kit that I assumed was from France - amazed it's come from CZ! If someone managed to get a complete guitar shipped over then I'd guess that shipping hardware would be dead easy.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1060883' date='Dec 16 2010, 07:15 PM']... if you have a car capable of 180 mph do you have to drive it at 180mph everywhere you go?[/quote] Yes [quote name='warwickhunt' post='1060883' date='Dec 16 2010, 07:15 PM']Honestly if you use your ears and a bit of common sense you are fine driving speakers with higher rated amps.[/quote] I thought I'd put a comment along the lines of [i]"amp's don't blow speakers - the person twisting the volume control does"[/i] but seems I thought it without writing it... Not sure if that's senility or xmyth overload setting in...

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1060840' date='Dec 16 2010, 06:25 PM']Am after a bit of advice, re having an amp that is of a higher power rating than the speakers used with it. Currently have 2 Ampeg cabs, an SVT 410HLE 8ohm cab, 500 watts RMS, and an Ampeg 210 AV 8ohm cab, 200 watts RMS. Am looking at getting an Ampeg SVT-7 Pro, which puts out 600 watts at 8ohms, 1000 watts at 4ohms. For regular 100 capacity sized venues, would only look to using the 410, at bigger venues, would add in the 210, not increasing the volume on the amp (we always play to the volume of our drummer) just to add more speakers, so more presence. Am I gonna be ok? I`m aware that I wouldn`t be able to push the amp, but I don`t on my current amps, with volume rarely going above 2/3 at max.[/quote] 1) If you use both cabs you have the potential to overpower the speakers by 30% (ish). 2) If you use the 4x10 on it's own you have the potential to overpower it by 20% (ish). Watching your volume whilst using scenario 2) shouldn't be too much of a risk, but scenario 1) is really pushing your luck!

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='1060669' date='Dec 16 2010, 03:37 PM']Set pre gain and post gain on about 75% (3-o-clock), bass vol on max, plugged into hi gain input then play some slap on the E string. See if the limiter lights up![/quote] In this space I'd end up blowing the windows out!

[quote name='markstuk' post='1060639' date='Dec 16 2010, 03:09 PM']Cheers... I'll take a look....[/quote] No problem. When mine did this I found that, once the amp had distorted and the volume had dipped, I could bring it back to life by gently tapping the front panel. That gave me a localised area to look for dry joints in. Not sure if Hartke had a bad day when they built my amp but there were upwards of 50 'dubious' looking joints on that board!

[quote name='markstuk' post='1060630' date='Dec 16 2010, 02:58 PM']Any ideas as to what might be the matter.. ? Not my week for amps so far (My Geodyne is away for repair as well)..[/quote] My HA3000 had exactly the same problem. I tracked it down to a dry joint on the preamp PCB.

Well, electrically temperamental isn't a major hurdle - at best it'll just be poorly soldered connections and at worst it'll need the guts ripping out of it and replacing. There are no clever preamps in there so even the worst scenario is not an expensive option. The body will probably be plywood (to hit a pricepoint you have to economise somewhere after all!) and there's not a lot that can be done about that (unless you fancy using the original body as a template and making a new body from a piece of solid wood). The hardware won't be great compared to what you are used to (again, pricepoint dictates) but you could replace some of the parts with a little bit of ingenuity. Best part is that you can experiment and 'tweak' to your hearts content without it costing a fortune!

[quote name='thebrig' post='1060051' date='Dec 15 2010, 09:15 PM']Tonally & tension[/quote] Tonally it has a pretty rounded sound with the typical growl that most Bs make. Tension wise I find it just a little bit loose but I compensated for that by putting a slight tilt on the PUPs and playing that string slightly lighter that the others.

[quote name='bobbytodd' post='1060107' date='Dec 15 2010, 10:20 PM']hi just a quick question.now my band have sorted the onstage volume issues i was wondering if any of you lot just run direct into the desk and not bother with a bass amp.our gig on saturday is up four lots of stairs and to be honest im not looking forward to carrying my amp up them.[/quote] Technical answer - Perfectly doable on most desks. Feasibility - Even if your monitoring system is up to the task (and many of them frankly aren't) you'll have enough going on without having to worry about whether your sound is right FOH and trying to position yourself so you can hear what you are playing. I wouldn't do it on a live gig unless I had absolutely no other option.

[quote name='thebrig' post='1060033' date='Dec 15 2010, 08:56 PM']I am thinking of adding a SR505 as well, what is the B string like?[/quote] What tonally, physically or ergonomically?

[quote name='thebrig' post='1059993' date='Dec 15 2010, 08:27 PM']I'd be interested to know whether anyone else out there has experienced the same thing.[/quote] I've owned an SR505 (5 string version of your SR500) from new for some 6 or 7 years now. Definately light and the necks are, reputedly, the fastest around. Tonally it does pretty well but I still have to supplement it with a couple of other basses to cover all the tonal ranges I tend to work in the most. I think I paid somewhere in the region of £500 for mine back then and must have easily paid for itself 100 times over by now. Whilst other basses have appeared for periods and departed, this one has stayed... although the SR5005 has winked at me and whispered "take me big boy" a couple of times...

[quote name='iconic' post='1059839' date='Dec 15 2010, 06:33 PM']the bass isn't in time with the the bass drum....well it is sometimes! maybe just be me [/quote] Do you mean the pops from 2:32 (on the original version) onwards as an example?

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='1059670' date='Dec 15 2010, 03:51 PM']I normally set contour at about 1 or 2 o'clock for a bit of mid scoop - the hartke cabs are quite punchy in the mid range. I never bypass the eq. Maybe I should be a bit less precious about getting the red limiter light flashing.[/quote] I haven't made mine flash yet but I've a little bit more headroom. If nothing else it at least proves that the limiter is working and preventing any damage - mine could just be an LED connected to nothing!

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='1059389' date='Dec 15 2010, 11:14 AM']I'm using the high gain input (the upper one) and with my MM 'ray bass which is active. Not used the bright button as the bass is very bright anyway. Do you have the bass cut in or out? that's supposed to roll off frequencies lower than 80Hz, esp for 5 or 6 string basses if your cab can't take the rumble. If you're boosting signal with a sans amp don't you start to get clipping or distortion into the hi-gain input? I can alsways try boosting output with one of my Mosfet boost pedals[/quote] Try shoving the 'Contour' control to the centre position and make sure you haven't got the EQ bypass button pressed in?