LukeFRC

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1387377852' post='2311276'] BF was born in part out of online forum discussions about DIYing a better speaker... think that history makes it more prone to certain types of criticism/hyperbole on here. Especially when that scene was all about addressing shortcomings in mainstream commercial designs, meaning they were vocally critical of said designs! I've been (somewhat harshly) critical of Alex on here in the past, as I think he sometimes comes unstuck when he tries to speak 'marketing-ese'. But he seems to offer a very tailored, honest service in terms of one-to-one advice, and his belief in his product is backed up by very sound engineering/design practice. I've built a fair few speakers starting as a child in the 90s, and run a ton of live sound systems, a field where design advances tended to be implemented far earlier than in basscabland, more expensive components were commonplace, and good operator technical understanding is a prerequisite. I don't own a BF cab, but feel I know enough about speakers to say I wouldn't bother buying any commercial cab [i]except[/i] Barefaced. Does it make me a fanboi if I can back it up with explanation? Oh & I can always change the screws for black ones... Main criticism I'd level at BF cabs btw, is that they are probably overkill in many situations! Most common amps people are using won't push them to the limits, and the popularity of the 212s suggests people underestimate how loud a single-driver cab would go, clean, driven by the right amp (or I guess they don't have the right amp). [/quote] this is the most sensible post i've read about barefaced for about 3 months.

[quote name='jimbobothy' timestamp='1387391779' post='2311509'] You do know you can get 'Calvin's Institutes' online for free! I think if I went for this option I'd need the Aubergine as well, if you have eaten/are thinking about eating half of it that's fine with me, at least you could give me your opinion on if it's got a woolly, sharp or fat tone, oops, I mean taste ! [/quote] well I do know how to cut it in a way that the cut matches the volume of the vegetable to tune it perfectly. Eq with salt to taste. My two volumes published in 1935 were free too, one day I may even read them!

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1387390741' post='2311479'] Yup, can't get on with mine either. I can twiddle the controls on my amps to make it sound nice but then all my other basses sound rubbish, it just doesn't seem to fit in. I'm 100% certain mine's gotta go, but if you're not sure I'd say keep yours if you can. [/quote] ? so you've got one - and you can set your amp to make it sound nice.... but because your other basses need a different amp setting you're going to sell the stingray? did I understand that correctly? and Aende..... yes you are. Let me put it this way if you started the post with "I played a ..... and now want to sell my ray" I'ld say go for it. - but.... PJ's are just odd in most cases (Yamaha BB series has grown on me, worth a look) and PM puts the M pup in the "wrong" place. I don't think you know quite what you're after... so don't jump before you know...

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1387392585' post='2311523'] Surely if you need an external pre-amp you bought the wrong amp in the first place? [/quote] good point.

little cards left in phone boxes?

Interesting post Phil, cheers

You have used a preamp all your bass playing life. Your rig has 3 parts. 1 Preamp 2 Poweramp 3 Speaker/cab. A combo combines all 3. A normal bass or guitar head contains 1 and 2. Something like your powered speakers in the PA or the Bergantino IP series is 2 and 3. (and sometimes 1 too) If you've got an active bass that's a preamp too!

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1387162711' post='2308924'] What they've done is to take a bass reflex cab and put a reflector inside that directs the driver rear wave out the ports. It's been known since the 1940s that if you do that the front and rear waves will meet at various angles of phase, resulting in major reponse peaks and valleys. And since the 1940s bass reflex cabs have used damping inside the cab to prevent that, allowing only bass frequencies close to the port tuning frequency to come from the port. Damping the rear wave is one of the most basic tenets of speaker design, but these guys have managed not to learn that. The other feature they use is cross-fired drivers, but that's hardly new or unique. They use extremely expensive drivers, so their prices are off the charts. But they look cool. [/quote] Hmmm I think the back side is being treated as a horn of some kind. I expect when we see the inside there will be lots of curves, and circle type things. And phasing problems. thing that gets me is that people will spend money on something without knowing how it's working.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1387146785' post='2308809'] Those speakers attempt to defy the laws of acoustics. They fail in that attempt. But as our President Lincoln famously said (and probably paraphrased Shakespeare in so doing) you can fool some of the people all of the time. [/quote] I heard your Omni and was dead impressed so trying to learn about different speaker designs and what a horn was, what a folded horn, tapped horn, how they worked and all that... still not really sure of everything but understand a bit... your posts are helpful thanks! anyway stumbled upon the physics defying cabs and tried to work out what on earth they were talking about... well reading their interesting explanation and a bit of googling and I think I worked out what tech they're trying to use - but for my life of me I couldn't work out how it supposedly works - doubt it's patentable mind. Anyway some day I'll build my own cab, to your or someone cleverer than me's plans

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1387144039' post='2308768'] I agree that a quality website can be a quite an expense, but I would be critical of bands using Myspace, for example. or having a poor hash job, in general, so I think it is pertinent. It just all goes to ...IMO...if you are going to do something, do it properly, so build is part of that, as is presentation. If you need to cut costs ..and that may be very critical in these days... then that goes to how you can position yourself in the market...?? I don't see how you can try and proclaim or position yourself to be a top brand when there are flaws in the whole deal. So, things like build QC, website, etc etc all kick in as far as I am concerned. If you skimp on one thing, where else might this apply? That is my thinking on things of this sort... oh..and you should never support Spurs over West Ham..what on earth were you thinking [/quote] Well.... we've seem to have gone backwards now King has retired, but that Bale hat trick in the champions league... we lost the game but that was worth all the Darren Anderton injuries, the defensive frailties, Rebrovs, Berbatov sulks, the new manager every 3 months... My background is visual and marketing, I'm a graphic designer. So it's with that hat on I'm talking. Yes visuals and brand are very important, a good website is vital - I may have bought a East J retro in the past and didn't as their old website was such a pile of poo.... but I don't think in the market we're looking at it matters. Yeah Barefaced's website isn't the best (and new info hasn't been put on in the most logical way) and the logo is.... well it would be a fun rebranding project... but I don't believe it matters. Why? Simply Barefaced aren't and "top brand", they aren't ampeg or Cort or Warwick or FMI corp or someone. They are a small operation who are currently running at manufacturing capacity, but their customers aren't relating to them in the same way we would a big brand. Say FMI corp - they produce this product called a Fender Jazz bass, they have the history and heritage to play on and it's a good product, they own a factory in america to make some, and a factory in mexico and get Cort to make versions in China and taiwan or wherever - badge them differently at different price points and bob's your uncle. We buy our Fenders. What separates the fairly generic product made by Cort with Fender on the headstock to the one with one of their own brands is partially down to the brand. Fender need to spend money on their website and marketing and dealer networks and whatever - they need to have "professional" presentation because that professional presentation and brand value is their profit margin on the reasonably generic product. Barefaced's profit is in their product, not their presentation. Let me put it this way - say I knew a bit about bass speakers, or pickups, or preamps or something.... and I went away and came up with a, say a pickup that was in some way 10% better than anything else on the market (and here's where better is subjective, hence why we can stop all the hating ) Now I would go visit Alpher my local luthiers and show them, I might show a few others word would get out and pretty soon I'm sure I could have a reasonable amount of folk wanting to buy my pup - cos it's 10% better than the rest of the field. So it goes on, and lots of folk suddenly want my product, maybe it's good value (Wizzard Pickups) or maybe its pricy but amongst the best out there (J Retro) if it's a good product people will want it. Maybe then I go into R&D, try and improve it, I look to how I could use Facebook and twitter and forums to promote it. Maybe I would write for a magazine and share my knowledge on pickups with others - knowing that it's the fact I'm considered knowledgable enough to write in a magazine about speakers, sorry pickups validates some of the claims I'm putting behind my products.... and it works, my new pickups are even better, people want them cos they work.... and if the product works it doesn't matter that much what the website looks like. Yeah in the future maybe, maybe he'll branch out into PA stuff and the big money in installs and suddenly a £100k marketing budget is worth it... anyway, If someone swaps me one for an [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/224555-solution-to-your-barefaced-problems-found/"]aubergine[/url] I'll test out scuffing the paint for everyone...

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1387135186' post='2308559'] Subscribed. I just paid for a set of BFM plans because I wanted to see how Bill designs a bass reflex cab. I am grateful he continues to post here, now that Talkbass is forbidden territory. I am also extremely grateful for seeing input from regulars here too, I'm learning a great deal from Stevie and Phil on this and other threads. [/quote] +1 I didn't even realise until yesterday Bill wasn't on TB anymore, no idea why (I don't want to know) but it's their loss! I heard an Omni 15 last month and it was EPIC. Mind you TB is an odd place I was reading all this hype for some "vortex" speakers and then went and looked at other more pro audio design forums... different response there!...

So from what I read.... some people don't like them cos they think they don't look nice and/or question the quality of the build. Or as JTUK said think the website isn't that well presented, which I don't think affects me mid gig but fair enough, I decided as a boy to support spurs over west ham based on the colour of the kit. a lot more folk are possibly just a bit annoyed about all the fanboys (and girls) constantly hyping it up? I guess that's a problem with internet forums, much more on the other side of the pond - where you get one brand or something which is flavour on the month and everyone raves about them being the best... and then 6 months later something else is the best. Incidentally while talking about fanboys hyping products - and to put the barefaced stuff on here into perspective.... there's a load of love on the other side at the moment for a set of cabs of a design that claims to rewrite the laws of physics and seem to be selling based on the hype with no info or response charts released. Search for info on pro audio and industry design forums and you'll get a very different response to the claims made. Even if you don't like the paint Barefaced seem to give the impression that they know what they're doing with their cab/driver designs!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1387063027' post='2307955'] Using a different module to the ICEpower thing virtually every other Class D uses will be a good start. [/quote] I do wonder why so many class D use the ICEpower thingy... IMO and purely subjectively and with no evidence to back this up... it's got it's own sound that I seem to hear through every amp I've tried with it in. The older Tecamp stuff used powersoft modules and sounded very different In a way I liked (but were more expensive).

PB-62-EX means precision bass, 1962 reissue and export. No idea of date my guess from the 90's. No idea where the serial and MIJ or CIJ has gone - it would be a pain to try prove what it is if you ever come to sell it. The good news is that japanese fender are awesome so you'll never need too.

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1387128039' post='2308454'] A lube called "epic ride"? This topic is on the wrong forum. As to the Asterix books, do you have Asterix does Britain featuring the British king Mykingdomforonos? Might advance a Pratchet or two against that and throw in so e old viz mags for one of the extra Barefaceds you're going to have. [/quote] I do, I have it at an odd A5 size- ex Essex Libraries. So will fit into your gig bag. And while it is half the size and weight it still has the full tone of the larger version, all the comic punch you need. It possibly will not work with very low sensitivity eyes. The NHS can help out with high tech and precision crossover they call a "Varifocal"

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1387125504' post='2308429'] Indeed Avocado is food of the gods. You can't eat a Midget!! I might visit Morrisons and see if they have any, then start a trade post. [/quote] the morrisons at the end of our road shut at 4 so you've missed today's avocados. Maybe try tomorrow?

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1387096873' post='2308093'] Does the chain lube come out of the tube? Will the lid remain on? These are serious quality control issues. I confess I have a BF Dubster and previously a Big One so I am clearly deranged and devoid of judgement. [/quote] it's in a wee plastic bottle, with a screw lid. It's called epic ride. I don't know about your judgement but it will make your bike ride better so you can get to wherever you're going quicker- derangement and speed.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1387122467' post='2308381'] Actually, in terms of finish and weight, a large avocado (with the stone removed) would look similar to a Midget. [/quote] I like a good avocado - you know there are some with slightly smoother finish and some with more bumpy finish. I mean skin.

[quote name='skychaserhigh' timestamp='1387091360' post='2308055'] I could have done with that aubergine last night. Luckily had a couple of sweet potatoes as back up....phew !! [/quote] how was the finish on them?

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1386977582' post='2307239'] £1599?. At that price it needs to slaughter the Class D competition. A risky pre order IMO. Would need to hear this thing first [/quote] to do class D SMPS amp well is apparently hard- which is why most commercial bass amps seem to use one of a small selection of amp modules available. I guess what you're being charged for is their preamp before whatever power amp modual it is.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1386971054' post='2307135'] Ha ha you're right! 1 - Cruiser soemthing or another. Two MM style pickups. Wide neck. Too wide (I thought) I sold it after maybe playing it for a total of 3 hours. 2 - Washburn PB2500. Single MM style pickup. Narrow spacing. Similar fate as the Cruiser. Ah no, rather than selling it, I traded it for an Ashdown MAG250 head and a mini 15" cab to go with it. I used the amp in teh first week more than I had used the bass in months. 3 - EBMM SUB5. Lovely. Great sound. Narrow spacing. I used this one a bit more, because at least it had the sound I liked. Still, not much use, and I wished it had a wider string spacing. 4 - G&L L2500 Tribute series. Ash natural and maple. Beast. Awesome bass. Narrow spacing. I sold the SUB5 first, then this one soon after. Eventually I got an L2000, also ash natural and maple. 5 - I sold those two when I found that a Squier deLuxe V felt much more at home. Wide neck and spacing... the pickups were not right. The bridge pickup was farther from the bridge than usual for a Jazz, bringing it nicely into a more MM-like territory... but the pickups were a bit polite and the preamp nasty... Eventually I let it go too. 6 - That Stagg Stingray copy thing... I barely got it fixed and the Lakland has shown up, so I'm not sure whether I'll give up on these two soon or what... But this time I got it right, I think. If I don't get along with the Lakland, then that's it and I'll forget about 5-string basses Edit: I also owned, briefly, a Peavey Millennium. Very very narrow spacing.... [/quote] wasn't the court you got a 5 too?

It looks great - but I think your tital about the horror is a bit misleading - I've lost count on the number of 5 strings you've had down the years!

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1386928663' post='2306445'] I'm starting to see a pattern emerge here. I could be wrong of course, but that doesn't normally stop people on here voicing their opinions! Trawling back through some (most) of the Barefaced threads, there are some BC members who like to bait and antagonise Alex Claber. Several of these threads would have ended in horrendous arguments if Alex had defended his product as vehemently as those members attacked them. That he doesn't is a credit to him. [/quote] This is the bit I don't get about it... I get that some folk don't like his stuff - well we all like different things. I personally can't stand the tone of Mark Bass Little marks but I understand that for some folk they love them - different horses for courses etc.... but I'm not going to go on and on about it and start arguing with er... Mark?? [i]Marco De Virgiliis) [/i]about it. I don't get the hating - if you don't like something don't buy it.... Mind you what I would like is all these barefaced critics to point me in the direction of something like the big baby 2 that I could build myself -that would be more useful!

like warwick's bridge setup, 4 bolts to adjust height, two to fix in place

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1386875289' post='2305871'] That's the problem to my mind, you're possibly suggesting opinions people wouldn't otherwise have. You've also put more than one idea per selection, which means that I can't select, for example 'not tried them' without also selecting 'don't fancy them' with also selecting 'cheap looking but expensive' (not that I would select this of course). I've had a long week so perhaps I'm being a prat, but if i were Alex I probably wouldn't be overly happy about this thread, and given it's his (and I assume his family's) livelihood, it seems inappropriate. If he posts saying that he's happy, I'll accept that I am after all being a prat. Not for the first time [i]I will add that the last person with whom I discussed BF cabs offered an extraordinary level of detailed criticism, yet on further discussion it was evident that he'd never played one or even seen one, he'd just read a few threads on here.[/i] I do see your point re a definitive answer, I'm not sure this is the way to get it, as a lot of the responses will be from similarly uninformed (or poorly informed) people, whichever way they choose to vote. C [/quote] crap, we're turning into talkbass! I agree with Beedster's post though - this constant critiquing of Bf is getting a bit dull. Some people play Fender Jazz basses, others Warwick, Others Sadowsky, and BigredX something odd - surely we can get over the fact that not everyone wants or likes any one brand of bass we can apply that to amplification as well? [quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1386883133' post='2306055'] I was fair in my vote. I've tried a Compact, and gigged it. I would personally like to understand the pricing structure VS TKS, which offer similar cabs, with very luxurious finishes, and have to be imported. Its hard to compare models, but the TKS cabs are actually cheaper and they come from Sweden. But, that is my curiosity, and no one has to even think of answering that! [/quote] Well to really answer that you would need both cabs, of similar types and some sort of way of testing them scientifically. Which I think only speaker builders and a few others would have the gear to do accurate tests. Any and all other answers would just be subjective- so without that look at the way the speakers are marketed- TKS seem to be marketed as being pretty and BF as being well engineered with their own custom drivers.... maybe one spends the money on custom drivers and the other on vinyl, maybe a latte in sweden is cheaper than in brighton? maybe Plywood is cheaper one place or the other? I've no idea.