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I was looking for a compact but powerful combo, so rang one of my local shops (Aire Valley Guitars, Keighley) and they had this Ampeg in, 2nd-hand. Funny thing was, I'd had this model before, about 6-7 years ago. So I knew it was up to the job. Tried it out and it was all I wanted. In top condition too. Almost, as new. It's got a load of digital effects which, to be honest, won't get much use. But that Ampeg sound is so strong. I love it. £275 for a US made combo. Result

Started on a Columbus Tele Bass, back in the 70s. Sold my racing bike to get it. Very influenced by melodic bassists, like Chris Squire, Martin Turner and Macca. Played in many bands, mainly rock based outfits. Up until very recently, I was a confirmed 4-stringer. Love locking in with the drums but also see the strong value of counter-melody and the expansive effect, a good bass line can have. Had a break from bass (7 years(ish)) and concentrated on steel-string acoustics. But back where I belong now. Mainly inspired by songwriting, so even when I wasn't a bassist, I was always writing bass lines, anyway. The Rickenbacker was my main love, in my teens and 20s. After that though, I preferred the Fender design. Recently acquired an Overwater 5-string Jazz bass and now I know I am home.

Here's a good link for Watkins/Wilson basses: [url="http://www.watkinsguitars.co.uk/basses.htm"]http://www.watkinsguitars.co.uk/basses.htm[/url] I used to own a Wilson Merury bass. 'cept mine had an ivory type finish. Too much hardware on this W-type, I think.

[quote name='Muzz' post='1089667' date='Jan 14 2011, 07:47 PM']Erm, the D-Bass 115x IS a powered speaker - 330w, 15" and tweeter. Could be the ticket...and they're even less fashionable than the main combo, so if you see one for sale on its own, you could be quids in...[/quote] Sweet! Now that sounds ideal

I'll keep an eye out for the D bass combo but may still splash out on a Mark Bass combo. No rush, for now. I was thinking, it's a shame you can't get powered bass cabs. Use your little combo for getting tone etc and have a cab with say a 200watt power amp, when more oomph id needed.

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1087685' date='Jan 13 2011, 11:37 AM']Have a try on the Roland D Bass combos & see if it's a similar tone. They can be gotten fairly cheap nowadays.[/quote] Cheers. Looks a nice combo, though no one seems to stock them. It reminds me, a little, of the Fender Bassman 250 210, I used to have. That was a very decent combo, with a sound that really walloped you. Very loud, for a 2X10 combo. It could keep up with some loud backlines.

Thanks guys. The more I think about it, the more I am inclined to keep the Roland for practice, and small sessions and get a larger rig for when it is needed. I really like the Roland and it's tone but there's only so much you can get from a small combo, like this.

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1087020' date='Jan 12 2011, 07:41 PM']Adding a 4 ohm ext cab should successfully fry it, leaving you free to do the done thing & buy a decent combo [/quote] As the amp output says, MAXIMUM 8 ohms, I can't see why it should fry, with 4. I guess you were attempting humour but this is a decent, small combo.

Overwater J-series Classic. Back & front.

[quote name='guylewis' post='1086784' date='Jan 12 2011, 04:14 PM']I used to have one of these and my impression was that it is 2 x 50 watts into one speaker and splits it 50w/50w into two speakers . . . if you see what I mean. I built an 8ohm extension cab for mine and when using both speakers it was "fuller" but not much louder. Nice amp but heavy for what it is and I eventually went down the route of "separates". There's quite a few threads about it on TalkBass btw.[/quote] If I got an ext cab, I'd get a 4 ohm, which should beef up the volume, more than an 8 ohm, I think. The Cube-100 is only 17Kg. I wouldn't call that heavy. Mind you, I am surprised at how light stuff like Mark Bass is. Separates may be an alternative, I should look into. Cheers

[quote name='Conan' post='1086778' date='Jan 12 2011, 04:08 PM']How would you link the two combos together? Line out from one into the input of the second one? A Y-splitter to run the signal from your bass into the inputs of the two combos separately? [/quote] I'd planned the: Line out from one into the input of the second one.

I recently got a Roland Cube-100. Basically becasue I really liked it's sound and for a small 1X12 combo, it's pretty loud and deep. Obviously it'll struggle in louder situations. Initially I thought of getting a 4 ohm ext cab (1X15 or 2X10). As the speaker output says "maximum 8 ohms". Then I though, for that money I could just get another Cube-100. Then having 2X12 and 200 watts. Does this make sense, or should I just get a much larger combo, when required?

[quote name='woodster' post='1084802' date='Jan 10 2011, 08:34 PM']Welcome to the OW family![/quote] Thanks woodster I've been aware of Overwater for a long time but for some reson, had not played one before. Better late than never. I remember seeing a blues band, many years ago, called the HarpBreakers. Their bassist had 2 basses, one of which was an Overwater and I remember being seriously impressed by it's tone. I suppose I've been a Fender man, over more recent years, but I have to say, that to my eyes and ears, this is a big step up.

Before I saw this bass, I was a confirmed 4-stringer. Never owned a fiver and had only played one, in a shop, a few years ago. It was a Lag. And on that bass, the strings had been too close together. Although it had been a very well made bass, there was no solidity, in the tone. The shop I was in, this time, is more known for acoustic and folk instruments, so I was very pleasantly surprised to see 2, high quality basses, this one and a Warwick 5-stringer. Both at much reduced, sale prices. Immediately I thought, “but I don’t want to play 5-string bass”. But the obvious quality of the instrument and it’s low price, meant I just had to pick it up. It is a weighty beast but not excessively so. It felt good in my hands but I had to acclimatise to the wider neck and the fact that the E-string was no longer at the bottom of my range. But it was a fun challenge and I was quickly falling for this bass. I always like to play any electric guitar/bass, acoustically first. Gives me a better feel for the instrument and it is easier to pick up any physical flaws too. The Overwater passed, with flying colours, so I put it through the shop’s rig, a Genz Benz combo, to see how it sounded, all amped up. Once the amp settings had been taken off distorted and put to flat(ish), the 5-stringer had a lovely rich sound. It was very nicely balanced, with a slightly throaty edge. Being quite different from my Fender P-Bass and in a most positive way. It didn’t take long to realise I really wanted this bass , do the deal, buy a stand and strap for it and head home, very pleased with myself. This English made, Overwater, is an, active, 5-string, J-Series Classic bass. It has a 35 inch scale, with a one piece, bolt-on (4) maple neck, and a rosewood fretboard. Not sure what the 46mm nut is made of, possibly graphite, possibly plastic? The body is 2 piece Tulipwood, finished in a sunburst, high gloss, with matching headstock and comes with a nice, off-white scratchplate. The two pickups (middle & bridge) are Kent Armstrong, stacked, single coils. The controls are Volume, Pan and a double/stacked knob, for cutting/boosting treble and bass. It has a Hipshot B style bridge, with 19mm string spacing and Hipshot tuners. The funny thing is that, when I first played the Overwater 5-string, I thought the neck was a handful. But after playing it exclusively for a few days and growing to love it’s feel and then going back to the 4-string. The 4-string felt all dinky and insubstantial. I guess I’m still in that honeymoon phase; you get with a new instrument. There is no denying the quality of this Overwater bass. Beautiful woods, beautifully crafted and fitted with solid, professional hardware. The 2 pickups and active eq controls, give an excellent range of tones. Powerful and solid, they can blend or penetrate, as you wish. It’s probably the heaviest bass I have owned but balances beautifully, with a strap. If I could change anything, I’d probably have an ebony fingerboard. The least attractive thing would probably be the headstock. The sunburst looks a lot better on the body, than on the head and I have to say, I think the Overwater logo just doesn’t look cool. But those are trivial things. The sheer presence of this bass, is a real knockout. Just holding it feels nice and when the notes sing out from my amp, I know I want to do it justice, with my playing. I’m hoping to spend a lot of time with this bass and perhaps even become a confirmed 5-stringer.

[quote name='Rumple' post='1082946' date='Jan 9 2011, 11:13 AM']What Overwater did you get?[/quote] A 5-string Jazz

After an eternity on 4-string, yesterday I couldn't resist an Overwater 5-string, in a sale, at half price. So now I'm getting used to the fact that the E-string isn't the bottom of my range. It's a lot of fun, so far.

I think it's a shame that, as a "collectors" item, it'll probably just stay in it's case, after it's been bought and then until the next collector coughs up for it.

I remember seeing Upp, supporting Wishbone Ash, at the Fairfield halls, Croydon. 1974, I think. Very much a musos band, rather than entertainers. Great bassist, was Mr Amazing.

I wanted a combo that was small, yet large enough to give a full range of bass guitar tones and loud enough to rehearse or do smaller venues with. Also, I wanted to be able to add another cab to get more oomph, if required. I tried a couple, of the cheaper Ashdown, 1X15 combos but was quite disappointed with their sound. They had the usual design, often found in cheaper amps, which make the tone go very middley, when turned up. Especially on the lower notes. Next I tried the Mark Bass - Jeff Berlin combo. It was a little more than I wanted to pay but if it had really wowed me, I would have stretched my budget. But to be honest, it didn’t. Although, I may still get a Mark Bass cab, to go with the Roland. The 3rd shop I tried, mainly stocked Ashdown but also had the Roland Cube-100. As soon as I plugged into it, I was impressed. This is a small, 100 watt, 1X12 combo, that doesn’t weigh that much. But it really sounded good, in a very large room. It wasn’t all mid-range or boxy, at all. It was very full and well defined. Only when I cranked it right up, to the top, did the bottom end become slightly limited, compared to the other frequencies. But it didn’t fart or go woolly. I even tried it with a big, 1X15 extension cab and was very happy with the results. I also did a head-to-head comparison with an Ashdown 2X10 rig, and the Roland sounded louder and fuller. The Cube-100 is 16 inches wide, 12.5 inches deep, 18.5 inches high and weighs 37.5 pounds. It has an impressive output section, which for me, was important. Having one stereo, for phones/rec., one for an ext. speaker (max. 8 ohms), a line-out jack, a tuner out jack and a balanced XLR out. Controls are extensive: Power Switch, Input: Pad Switch, useful for adjusting to active/passive basses. Compression: Knob, always useful for recording and live too, of course. Gain Knob, Volume Knob, Equalizer: Bass Knob, Low-Mid Knob, High-Mid Knob, Treble Knob, EFX: Knob (Chorus, Flanger, T-Wah), Delay/Reverb: Knob, Balanced Out: Select Switch (Pre, Post), Gnd Lift Switch (On, Off) COSM Amplifier: Shape Switch-Type Knob, Roland’s amp modelling section: Super-Flat: This amp type provides faithful reproduction of the connected bass’s own sound. Flip-Top: Models the Ampeg B-15 (1 x 15”). B-Man: Models the Fender Bassman 100 (4 x 12”). T.E: Models the Trace Elliot AH600SMX + 1048 (4 x 10”) + 1518 (1 x 15”). Bass 360: Models the Acoustic 360 (1 x 18”). Session: Models the SWR SM-400 + Goliath (4 x 10”) + Big Ben (1 x 18”). Concert 810: Models the Ampeg SVT + 810E (8 x 10”). Octave Bass: Not so much a model, as an octave divider. There is also a shape switch that gives a sophisticated mid-boost, to all the amp-models. All these controls may seem like over kill to some. But it’s easy to get a good sound and then it’s up to you, whether you want to bother with all the effects and modelling malarkey. I was sceptical but have found I have taken to the B-Man and Session amps. The effects are easy to access and quite useful. Overall the amp section is impressive and very good quality, for not a lot of cash. The speaker and cabinet perform to an exceptional standard, again, considering their size and price. Yes I do like this little combo and consider it quite an unsung gem.

[quote name='Toasted' post='1078626' date='Jan 5 2011, 03:48 PM']If I got that bass I'd send it back. [/quote] Well spotted, toatsed. I think that's some sort of glitch. Fortunately the reall thing doesn't have that

[quote name='bigjohn' post='1076481' date='Jan 3 2011, 06:06 PM']Nice bass. I've got a passive one. Do the US Deluxes have their own pickups then?[/quote] I've not seen a passive one. I'm not usually bothered about active electrics, but they work very nicely on this bass. I read somehwere, that the US version of my bass has different pickups but I can't confirm that. I really like the mix of precision and jazz pickups. It gives you so much choice. Having a pan control is excellent too. I like it, with about 2 thirds P. to 1 third Jazz.

[quote name='gary mac' post='1076613' date='Jan 3 2011, 07:42 PM']Good review and glad to hear that you are enjoying the bass. That's my American Deluxe on the left.[/quote] That looks a very cool bass, g.m. I think the US model has a slightly wider nut. If I was going to get another bass, I quite fancy the Fender Jaguar bass. The neck looks very similar to my bass and it's a real looker too. perhaps to many controls though.

FENDER DELUXE P-BASS SPECIAL This is a Mexican made, Fender, active bass, with a 34 inch scale, a Precision bass body and a Jazz bass neck. The neck and fretboard are of maple. It has 20, medium-jumbo frets and a modern-C profile. The fretboard radius is 9.5 inches and the nut width: 1.5 inches. The neck is a bolt-on (4) and the fret markers are black dots. The alder wood body has a pearl blizzard finish, with a matt gold scratchplate. The headstock is a standard precision shape, with standard open-gear chrome tuners. There are 2 pickups. The bridge pickup is a Dual-Coil, Ceramic, Noiseless, Jazz Bass Bridge Pickup with Nickel Plated Pole Pieces. The middle pickup is a Standard, Vintage, Alnico, Split Single-Coil Precision Bass Pickup. There are 4, chrome, knurled, control knobs: Master Volume, Dynamic (Pan) Control, 2 stacked knobs: Treble Boost/Cut & Bass Boost/Cut and lastly a Mid Boost/Cut. The jack input is side mounted. The bridge is an American Vintage 4 Saddle Bass. The nut is synthetic bone (plastic). The bass came with Fender USA Super Bass 7250ML, NPS, (.045 - 100) strings. And a deluxe gig bag. I read somewhere that the US made Deluxe models have better pickups. They must be very good then, as these are very good performers indeed. With the full range of active controls and the 2 types of pickup, there’s pretty much any bass tone you want here. With that solid Fender construction and set up, this bass has a full range of tones, applicable to most settings. I suppose this could be called a mid-priced bass guitar. And the set-up and finish is all you’d expect from that price range and more, I’d say. There is nothing flimsy or shoddy here. The neck is a joy to play and in my opinion, this bass punches above it’s weight. This is a Fender. It is solid, reliable and very workmanlike. Take it on the road and you’ll not be let down. That’s what it was made for. I’d tried out a Rickenbacker 4003, just before this bass. Now I know they are very different beasts but this bass, for me, won hands down. For versatility, quality and amazing value, I was seriously impressed. I’ve owned a Standard American Precision and a Fender Precision Lyte before. I’d have this, over those 2, good as they were. And that pearl blizzard body/gold scratchplate combination, make this a Fender to feast your eyes on.

I suspect this has been done before (more than once, probably) But I thought I'd give newbies, like myself , a chance to say who inspired them to take up the bass. 1. CHRIS SQUIRE (Yes): Inspired me to get a Rickenbacker, in my teens. A dynamic, ensemble player. 2. MARTIN TURNER (Wishbone Ash): A solid player with a sense of the dramatic and melodic. 3. PAUL McCARTNEY: In his mid-late beatles days, he wrote some great bass-lines. Counter-melodic and great song enhancers, too. 4. DANNY THOMPSON (Pentangle): Master double bassist, who played with many of my favourites, Nick Drake, David Sylvian, John Martyn etc. 5. TONY LEVIN (King Crimson): A real entertainer and gifted bassist, who has played with many of the greats.

I only caught half an hour of it but that was enough. Most of the acts were loathsome and the sycophantic talk was nauseating, as usual, with JH. Missed Daultrey, unfortunately. There was some nice basses on show, though. The guy in Vampire Weekend, seemed to be playing an Italia. And the house band's 6-string bass, looks amazing. Hootenaney