dmccombe7

Think we are at different levels in how we approach bass playing. For me its always been just a hobby that i enjoy. Did a lot of gigging in 80's / 90's then took a break until 2010 and now busier than ever before but i still view it as just a hobby. I like to gig once or twice a month and no more and don't want a band to become a job as such. Because i view the whole thing as a hobby i often indulge myself with something expensive and nice. My Overwater custom fretless 6 is the best example. Its probably more sentimental value as my wife bought it for me when i turned 50 in 2010. I just enjoy picking it up and playing some fretless bass at home. I went 6 string to push myself to learn new techniques and improve my general playing. Its a bit heavy to play a full 2-3 hr gig but i have used it in studio projects on occasion. I think (and its only my own impression) that you are more a working bassist and your bass is more a tool for the job (albeit an expensive tool) so you have a different viewpoit of bass ownership than me. Maybe i'm wrong there ? I would add that if i had bought a £3k bass that worked in my current band i would probably be using it. Think i've just contradicted myself on this post 😂 Dave

Listening to that clip i posted i'd def agree that it looks and sounds like a very good active Fender. They look nicer than Fenders tho. I liked the sound and if looking for a new active bass they def look like a good choice. Quite rare tho so the chance of being able to try one up here is gonna be limited. Dave

Had a look at Carmine Rojas clips but oddly enough the talking ones where he was talking about different songs he had a different Fender bass in each one. Obviously not his as the labels were still on the headstocks. 😀 Did see his clips with Bonnamassa and it sounded ok but not a lot different to many other active basses. From what he said in one clip with an Xotic bass they are "beautifully made" basses. Without trying one its hard to judge what the bass can do. Think this thread is being hijacked on a different topic so i'm gonna go to bed and hopefully let it get back on track. My apologies to the OP Dave

Know what you mean. Compared to other passive J basses my Geddy CIJ jazz has felt and sounded better than many more expensive passive J basses i've tried

Just had a listen to an Xotic J bass and it definitely sounds very nice. Very sharp and clear sounding on the bridge pick up. For me it has the sound of many expensive boutique basses including my Overwater 6er. A modern clear almost clinical tone. My Fender J certainly doesn't give me this tone but its not active.

Off to have a wee listen to some of them and maybe check out youtube reviews just to see what they are like. I have a wee notion for an Alembic at the mment but probably won't and will end up buying a Vintera P bass as its stuck in my head. If i do decide to buy another bass that is.

First thing i judge a bass by is how the neck feels then the general feel of the bass in total.I do that with any bass, cheap or expensive. If it doesn't feel right on the neck its a no-goer for me. Then its how it sounds. I generally have an idea how a bass should sound before trying it. Talking about your typical Fender / Gibson / Ric basses rather than the boutique style basses. Never tried an Xotic bass. Can't even say i've heard one. Are there any famous bassists that you could point out to me for a listen Pete.

Might have been skyline basses i've tried but not 100% sure.

My gigging bass is my Sandberg VM4 or was when i was gigging a year ago 😂 I've gigged expensive basses and even allowed other bands to use it altho i did know the bass players at the time including a WAL, Warwick Thumb, Ric and obviously Fenders in the 80's. I don't gig my Overwater Custom fretless 6 altho i've used in studio or at a rehearsal but its mainly down to weight. Same goes for my Warwick Thumb. Its a bit heavy to do a full gig plus doesn't fit in with my current 70's Glam covers band image. As i get older i'm moving more towards simple passive basses for gigging and quite fancy the white Vintera i tried in GG. That just felt right and sounded as a P bass should. I can't quite get that P bass sound from my VM4 or my Fender P/J bass when on P pick-up only. Its close but just not the same. Dave

Not saying a cheapo bass will knock the socks off every £2k bass but certainly beat many Fenders i've tried. Tried a few Laklands that weren't that good IMO but can't remember what models they were.

Our singer has a Squier Jazz CV model that is an excellent bass and a better feel than some of the high end Fenders i've tried in Guitar Guitar. Not tried it in a band setting but i don't see why it would make a difference. It sounded and felt the same as my Geddy CIJ which is another bass i'd put up against any US Jazz i've tried. Mates Yamaha active bass was circa £500 altho 2nd hand and that's a fantastic bass to play altho i'd much prefer the passive version. Not sure what they are new tho. No idea what these basses would be like to gig with but mates Yam was being gigged almost every weekend. Oddly enough the Fender bass i preferred in GG was the Vintera P bass mainly because the neck had a nicer feel and the frets were more shallow which is something i prefer on a fretted bass. I don't like tall frets on a bass but that's just a personal preferance. For playability i'd have to say yes i've tried a few cheaper basses that were excellent. That might have been down to the fact the basses had been properly set up and felt better. Maybe the new Fenders in GG weren't set up yet. GG did have one Fender J in that was outstanding but it was a custom finish at a ridiculous price if i remember it was circa £4.5k but the finish was a weird black and grey design with maple neck. Gorgeous but not worth the £4.5k they wanted. I'm generally one of those people that thinks you get what you pay for but some basses have proved me wrong. I wouldn't trade my Geddy CIJ for a US model. Dave

For me boutique basses tend to start at £2k upwards and usually by luthiers who make limited numbers rather than a production line bass. More hand made if you like. My Geddy CIJ Jazz cost £625 which is cheaper than any other bass i have at moment. £1k bass is for me a goto point and i work from there. Not saying all expensive basses are the best and certainly i've tried a few cheaper Yamahas or Squiers that would knock the socks of a £2k + bass. I like the idea of gigging with cheaper basses if i can find one that is good enough quality and playability and then i don't need to worry about getting it knocked about a bit. Dave

I see where you are coming from. Not sure its for me but i'd certainly like to try it out. What pre-amp are you using to get those different cab sounds. ? Dave

Surely all cabs are tuned for what they are to be used for ? The bit i dont follow is why a PA cab is better tuned than a decent bass cab if i'm only using the cabs for bass. EDITED to say i think i follow you now that i've thought about it. A good quality PA cab is electronically tuned to give a flat response for that particular cab assuming that's what DSP does. Some new terminology and abbreviations used that i'm not acquainted with cause i'm old school. Dave

Running the Mpulse almost flat with maybe 1 o'clock on bass and sometimes same on mid or treble depending on bass i'm using. Recently tweaked the low mids up a bit on the para EQ but not used it with the band as yet to see how it sounds. I do use the EQ on my Sandberg quite a bit between different songs.

Remember reading some of that thread few weeks ago. Does make a lot of sense but does my Berg HT322 cab not do the same. It has a 12, 2x10's and horn with crossover ? Obviously its powered from the amp rather than a built in cab power amp. Maybe i'm missing the point in the argument but happy to listen. Dave

Pretty sure the Markbass combo i had was class D It was a very lightweight combo. No weight at all. Mine wasn't the earlier Italian version tho. If i decide to sell the Mpulse it will be thru BC first. I'll try and remember to give you a shout Pete. I use it with an 8ohm cab and typically run Gain at 1 o'clock and Master at 12. Changing to my Berg 4 ohm cab in the house i def need to drop the master volume a fair wee bit even at lower volumes in house. Its a bungalow in countryside so neighbours not much of an issue for me. At some point i'll take the Mesa head with Berg 4 ohm cab to rehearsals and see how it sounds. At same settings as my PH212 i reckon it will be louder and clearer sounding. Dave

The EBS head is a lightweight head but its not the sound i prefer. Great back up amp tho. What is FRFR ? Dave

I normally use the Mesa rig at home fro practice. Rehearsal studios have good gear usually EBS amps and Ampeg 810 cabs. Even at home i prefer hearing the Mesa rig to the EBS and Berg cab. Interesting point about the D800 amp Pete. The TT800 has valve preamp much the same as the Mpulse only difference being the power stage and lack of graphic secction which i generally never use except on boomy stage and not that many of them. Talking with our very own @Steve Browning about his thoughts on the lightweight kit he finds very little difference between the TT800 and the heavier amps he had. Steve has been a great help to me offering me loads of advice on how to get the best out of the amp and i've followed his progress from Powerhouse range thru to the Subway. I have to admit that in the past i've found most lightweight gear lacks something in a band situation altho my Markbass rig seemed to be the opposite. It just seemed to sit nicely in a full band with keys yet it didn't have a lot of depth or "heft" (sorry but its the best word to describe what i find from the Mesa rig) My Genz Streamliner was a great wee amp but again didn't come thru in the band mix. Same with the Berg ae112 lightweight cabs and i even tried them with an Ampeg SVT4 and they just didn't have it. As soon as i brought the Mesa rig into existing band everyone commented on how much more it filled the sound and you could feel the bass as well as hearing it. Not louder and i'm very conscious of not being too loud in a band to the point singer or guitarist has told me to turn up a bit. I'm getting to that age where the heavier gear is a bit of a pain to be honest. The trade off might be worth it but i'll buy the new gear before selling the old Mesa rig. The EBS head and HT322 cab will go first. Dave

A man should never feel guilty about bass.😁

Some of those rigs have moved on since the pics.😂 Current rig is Mesa Mpulse in Mesa PH212 (8ohm) Berg HT322 i kept in case i needed a more powerful cab as its 4ohm and would let me get max out the Mpulse if ever needed. To be honest i've just never needed it. I have an EBS Reidmar 750 as a back up amp as well. The Berg AE112 cabs got me into the HT322 because of the quality and tone but the AE112's lacked something that i put down to depth or heft for want of better description. Plan is to sell some of those off and get a Mesa TT800 with the new Subway 2x15 cab. The Ampeg was what got me interested in a more reliable tube pre-amp head and started looking at the Mesa and would have bought yours but just a bit too far away. Mesa gear has been the best gear i've used in 40+ years with a mates Orange all tube head into an 810 cab that was also very nice coming a close second. Dave

The GK1001Rbii and Berg HT322 combination was impressive giving fantastic definition with great depth but the GK amp just wasn't doing it for me. All sounded a bit too clean and "clinical" if that's the right word. ? I've still to try my Mpulse thru the Berg cab. The Berg sounded fantastic with the Ampeg SVT4 Pro but the weight of both was too much plus the Ampeg head kept breaking down too often altho never with the band just at home. I bought the GK as a back up amp. Dave

Forgot about this baby i bought from @karlfer few yrs back now and is one of the best cabs i've ever known and its still in mint condition. Very heavy tho so at some stage i might let it go as my Mesa rig now does everything i need and might be looking at Subway lightweight range once band starts gigging again Bergantino HT322 with a 12 and 2x10's with horn.

Not the bass i've had the longest from around 2008 /2009 i think but its the cheapest bass i own at moment. Its my Fender Geddy Jazz CIJ that i bought in a shop sale. Its the bass i use most at home and when suits within a band setting too. I just love the feel and playability of it.

Most of the pics before page 14 of the thread are no longer available. Guessing they were before the updates we had on BC. Maybe repost if you still have them.....would be nice to see them. Dave