LukeFRC

Marcus Miller Jazz V is a USA made bass costing about £2000. You were able to buy one for £120. There's enough information there that will stop most people being stung

[quote name='Badass' timestamp='1382716550' post='2255889'] Great stuff. I off to check those pedals out. Massive thanks for all the help you guys have given me. [/quote] where you based? surely we can find someone with an ACG pre not far from you. (though you have ACG in your sig?)

Possibly thinking of selling up my Tecamp rig, am I going to regret it? (Disclaimer, this isn't a cheeky sales post, and i'm fully paid up on here anywho.. )

isn't that what a wah does? My ACG preamp does it too... for a pedal it wouldn't be too dificult to build a state variable filter in a pedal that does it.

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1382650144' post='2255146'] I agree, best place for it...I don't listen to radio 1. A demonstration by technically gifted people indulging in showboating and making music completely soulless. [/quote] the technical gifting is a step up from most the stuff on the radio....

Jon! Welcome back! Soo so so so so so so so good to see you again hope you're well! Oh and I already bought a '77 BB1200 this week thanks.

I would love it if this sort of thing ended up on radio one.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1382630403' post='2254713'] Not wishing to de-rail the topic, but when I want to check out rare & exotic (or just plain old expensive) basses I don't go to a shop ... I go to Basschat. If you spend any decent amount of time on this site, you will end up knowing people who own just about everything and who will (usually / often / invariably) be happy to welcome you into their lovely home and let you play with their toys. As to deciding which of several instruments will work best in the band(s) I play in, I would never try to do that either in a shop or at a show. The only place you can do that is in the band. [/quote] +1 [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1382631042' post='2254725'] I should clarify - there are two music shops within walking distance of me, but their bass sections are the mere slightest nod to the fact that basses actually exist. The only places in Scotland worth a damn for basses are in Edinburgh and Glasgow (and Glasgow is better than Edinburgh in my experience). KiOgon - I would love to only have to travel the distances you quoted to find some decent bass action [/quote] Glasgow is a lot better. Red dog in edinburgh is nice but lots and lots more bass shops in glasgow.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1382620069' post='2254495'] I would say that the sound has got a very strong midrange fundamental to it and has very extended frequency range compared to a Fender i.e the treble extends further and the bass goes deeper , so you could say that compared to a Fender , it's just got more of everything . The Yamaha sounds a lot more modern than a Fender by virtue of the laminated neck-thru construction and chunkier bridge , but it's still got plenty of Precision- like.growl to get it placed just right in the mix . The reverse P pickup probably helps a bit with that , too . The BB1200 is a lot less muted-sounding that a typical Fender , with much more sustain and a wider "ping" of overtones to the note. Imagine what a revelation that sound was in 1977 nwhen the choice for most bass players was between a bog standard Precision , Jazz Bass or Rickenbacker ( if they were lucky) . Bear in mind that this bass of yours was taking on the market at exactly the same time as the then brand new Music Man Stingray , so exciting times to be a bass player in 1977 , no doubt . You may be interested to know that , if I recall correctly, that Yamaha were so keen to make a big impression with the first production run of these BB basses that were allocated to the North American market that , rather than just send them from Japan to their U.S distributor , they were instead shipped to Alembic, the most revered guitar builders in the World at that time ( and probably still are now) to be given a final check-over and setup . The resultant uber-Yamaha's were then presented to , among others, the cream of California's bass musos who took to the immidiately and Yamaha's reputation for making great basses was established . Players like Lee Sklar , Jimmy Haslip , Larry Klein , Verdine White and Abraham Laboriel ( to name but a few ) adopted Yamaha basses and used then to great effect on loads of records from that era ( I can tell you which ones if you are interested . ) Like so many Japanese companies of the time , Yamaha had a long -term plan to establish themselves a major force in their chosen market and were willing to invest time, money and effort in achieving that goal . Like so many other Japanese business modelsin other industries , it worked, Not so long after these basses were introduced , Yamaha introduced its; PB1 bass preamp , and if you ever get a chance to buy one of them cheap I would grab it with both hands . They were relatively affordable , beautifully made and had one of the best sounds of any bass preamps I have ever heard right up to to the present day . A monumentally good piece of kit , but you don't see that many about secondhand, for some reason . One of the best bass guitar -orientated products ever , I have got my own conspiracy theory that it was discontinued because it was too good and made most other companies products look like a waste of money by comparison . A lost classic that will still beat most of the competition hands down , no doubt . [/quote] Oddly the closest thing I've played to this before now was an alembic, didn't want to say before cos it would sound odd - but it's got a similar playing feel, musicality and evenness to it.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1382617687' post='2254454'] Nice one, Luke. 2 questions from me - how much does it weigh and how wide is the neck? [/quote] 10 and a bit pounds, and 41-42mm sounds and feels so so so different to your JV!

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1382550722' post='2253583'] Well done , Luke , you have got yourself a very usable vintage bass there for a great price , by the sound of it . These basses are what I would describe as a congnicenti's choice in so much as they might not appear particulaly glamorous to some folks , but to people in the know they are a classic bass with a prestigious history . A lot of top players used these in the late'70s/ early '80's , and for a good reason . They are well-made and fabulous sounding basses, and I'm not surprised that you are shocked at how different the tone is to a Fender Precision . The only real similarity is the style of pickup and its placement . Yamaha basses of this era have their own distinctive sound , and it's a great sound . I hope you get a good few years playing pleasure out of this one . [/quote] how would you try and describe the sound to someone? it's not a P bass, it's a little more like my warwick streamer, but very different

forgot to add.... for £300 and also I have no idea if that's a good bass or not!

theres a fella local to me selling a japanese [color=#333333]Ibanez BTB 6 String Bass... PM and I can try and get more details and hook you up if interested[/color]

not the best photo either. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1981-Yamaha-bass-guitar-limited-edition-a-vintage-instrument-/181238563983?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&nma=true&si=NtdQodEq6TDZXFvl8u93v8Dx%252FkM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc more there

So... I had no money and saw a fella selling a bass on a local forum, messaged him a few times and he's a really nice old guy. retiring and his bass was too heavy for him. Asked about it on here..... Offered him a trade, he needed the cash... thought nothing of it. The I sold my beautiful JV precision. An amazing bass, really old vintage fender tone, played amazingly. But, as much as I like precisions just wasn't playing it and the nut width was just that little bit wider than was a comforable jump from the warwick and back. So I have a bit of money from the sale and am looking on ebay for an old warwick... and notice that the old fella has stuck up his bass on ebay. He's also written one of the worst auction listings I've seen for a while with a lack of keywords in it. I go and post links several places on here saying "really nice bass, I can do the pickup for you if you want" and expect a bit of bidding on it. I take a punt at £50 more than the starting price thinking if I did win it for that it would be a good price, but I would probably make sure the nice old guy makes a bit closer to it's worth.... .... spend the week watching the auction, wondering.... aw, no one else has bid, I've won it! So I've got an accedental new bass day, of an amazing 1977 Yamaha BB1200 - a really early one! And I don't really know what to say, I picked it up on monday, and not really done much of a set up or changed strings.... but it sounds like no precision I've ever heard (it's not a precision I know, it just looks kinda like one) It's more modern sounding and loads of mids, and you know when you play a really really good instrument and it all just seems very even and musical when you play it (the JV had it) well so does this. On monday I went from playing my warwick at practice to plugging this in and the tone I had dialed in on my wick (with the fancy ACG preamp) was pretty much the tone this thing puts out..... So yeah, I picked up a japanese yamaha BB300 in a trade last year, sold it on, but it was a nice instrument, so I was expecting it to be nice... but this is... special. It's kinda hard to work out- I think every time I've bought something before it's been from months of saving up and anticipation. This I wasn't supposed to get and has just knocked me sideways. Oh and cheers to noelk27 for the advice about this too!

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1382515535' post='2252970'] IMHO it's not that simple - for most folks who make DIY anything, it's not the cost that's the main driver, it's the satisfaction of fully understanding how to make something from scratch, and the enjoyment of realizing the end result from the raw materials. As for the low price of DIY cabs second hand (even if they're made to plans which have been professionally designed), I guess the reason is you don't really know anything about the quality of construction, so it's much more of a risk than buying from an established manufacturer. I think anyone building a DIY cab in their shed (myself included) knows the resale value will be relatively poor. I'm sure that BFM cab linked is really awesome, but FWIW I think you'd need to spend some time sorting out the wiring, as it (IMHO) looks, uh, a bit dodgy: - None of it is secured, so it will rattle about and eventually wires will fall off. - Same goes for the crossover, which should be constructed on a bit of fiberglass or phenolic board with turrets/tags, not a bit of ply which can absorb moisture and become conductive. - The components in the crossover (capacitors in particular) have non-secured long bits of wire hanging off them which will vibrate and eventually the component legs will fall off. - Also, for some reason, it seems to have a 12v bulb from a car interior light wired into the tweeter part of the circuit, I assume instead of a resistor, only bulbs filaments will fail with vibration whereas decent wirewound resistors won't. - The wires on the right are close to the speaker cone, so will probably make a buzz and eventually fall off due to vibration Sorry if that sounds harsh, I'm sure the cab is otherwise awesome, and I'm very aware that no DIY cab is perfect (mine isn't, but I like it!) [/quote] not going to disagree with any of that... but... isn't a bulb used quite commonly as a fuse to protect the tweeter?

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1382472146' post='2252665'] I wasn't sure how I would like the 12/6, but its fantastic. Not only that, but the build quality and finish is on par with Bergantino and Aguilar. I'd like to see the new BF range in the flesh but purely on a aesthetical design point of view I prefer the TKS cabs. That is without seeing the BF Gen 3 in the flesh. I just don't like the coating idea very much...unless its like the Berg AE range, Silly, but you pay the price so may as well have something that looks good at the same time, (to whoever is buying it). I've only briefly looked into PA desks....they bore me to tears to be honest. I love playing with bass/guitar amps, but PA's seem rather boring to me. I'd always leave it to the soundman, who probably hasn't got clue and has no real qualifications in most situations. Pre/post? A P bass plugged straight into the DI box to the PA sounds pretty limp...I've tried it many times. A Stingray...not so much, the active EQ gives more control. Still, a decent pre-amp like a Tech 21 or Aguilar pedal and you are again colouring the tone. But colour can be great. Nothing wrong with having a defined and coloured sound. Most the players I like have a coloured tone. [/quote] We may just have differing oppinions here - a P bass into DI and PA to my ears sounds awesome - but and the big but- is that you'll be able to tell the good instruments from the bad striaght into DI.... also if your sound man is an idiot then yeah you're best off doing it yourself! I also know from seeing you about on these forums for years that you tend to have great gear so I presume it sounds good too .... so maybe differing opinions! I don't mind the finish on barefaced to be honest. I know Alex knows what he's doing sound wise which is what would swing it for me.

Buy the bass secondhand off here from someone with a fair few posts and good feedback - you'll probably get a better set up bass than the shop and it will be cheaper.

http://www.banzaimusic.com/Knobs/ Banzai music - german based and some of the best knobs in europe... what you're looking is in the metal knob section I think

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1382444264' post='2252156'] Try the TKS 12/6....and you can add a horn...(there is one on demo in Newcastle if you pass!) Very 'PA' like full range quality. Ridiculous amount of clear bottom end, very 'flat' and quite dry sounding, excellent if you want that kind of tone. The mids are super clear with the 6. I would personally want the horn...just to add the extra treble bite. For a small cabinet...it really is shockingly good. It also looks stunning and weighs hardly anything. [/quote] I was looking at their website yesterday... bit of a lack of info for me to make a plunge... -10dB at 33Hz - I would be interested how quickly that rolled off... but converting the price into GBP and it's pretty much the same price as a barefaced BB2 which is lighter. [quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1382453817' post='2252329'] Surely any decent soundman can use post EQ as its the sound you desire, and he can tweak to the room? [/quote] Hmm quoting two posts in a row, I'm not getting at ya honest! Having done a tiny bit of PA stuff... I would prefer my own DI straight from the bass (or effects if used) and then split the DI to the desk and link to the amp. I'm pretty sure that almost any half good bass plugged into a DI I could make sound good, once it has gone through an amp... it's less certain. I know the bass sound will probably work well and then I can add compression and Eq from the desk... ideally then you mic the cab and blend the two....

nice first post - someone else already did this I think!

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1382460103' post='2252436'] Dead strings and scooping mids can have a big effect on this. Up the mids on your amp til the sound is clanky to start off with. Re the tone knob, I have mine installed with the screw-fixing at 6 o`clock when it is fully on. When I want to cut some treble I move the knob to about 2 o`clock (level with one of the screws on the pickguard) and this has the desired effect - still enough treble/mids to not be slushy with no definition, but a much warmer motowny type tone. Mine is a 2011 Precision so should be the same. Re this, the pickups in this series have a reputation for being scooped (and I kindof agree with this). [/quote] I think Lozz makes a good point about how your amp is set in the Eq....[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1382458643' post='2252407'] I've checked it against wiring diagrams and everything is definitely wired up correctly. [/quote] I don't doubt it - so must be another problem.... - how new is your lead? damaged leads (and they all get damaged with time) have the effect of acting as another tone control and taking some high end off. -how high are you pickups set? The height of the pups have a massive effect on both volume and tone. If it's all a bit boomy and little difference raise the pups a turn or two and it should add in some mids. - still no difference. Is it your amp? how is it Eqed? try sticking the bass straight in the effects return socket and playing and see what that sounds like.

[quote name='Magic Matt' timestamp='1382457293' post='2252384'] Still worth it even though it's going to be around £45 in fuel to go and get it? I know nothing of how expensive they are to make... [/quote] how much has your planned build been costed out to? How valuable is your time? add them together... if more than that cab and petrol money... then yes