TRBboy

I've just put Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pickups in mine and they're awesome! VERY powerful and punchy, yet clear and defined. Because they're split hum-canceling I'm finding the neck pickup soloed to be much more usable than I did before. I had SD Quarter Pounders in previously, but I didn't find them to be that meuch different to the stock US pickups I replaced. They were ok though.

Does anyone know what my MarkBass rig would be worth? It's in very good condition, and is always kept covered when not in use so not even dusty. I do like the look of the TC BG-500 combo's, but it depends what I could get for my MarkBass as to whether it would be worth doing or not. The Fender Rumble 350 looks good for the money too, but it might feel like too much of a step down from the MarkBass. Anyone tried one?

I'm usually both pups 100%, tone about 40 - 50%, although in my current rock covers band I do tend to play with the settings a bit more to try and get closer to the record. Until I recently installed Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pups, I'd never really found the neck pup much use on its own.

Does anyone have any opinions about the TC combo's? Particulary the BG500.

[quote name='algmusic' post='1213272' date='Apr 27 2011, 10:37 PM']+1.. always win over GK in my eyes.. er ears :-) Maybe you should look at keeping the amp and changing cabs.. maybe barefaced???[/quote] Well it's a combo, so not really an option unfortunately.

Does anyone have suggestions for any other possible contenders?

[quote name='martthebass' post='1213148' date='Apr 27 2011, 09:10 PM']I'm interested what the CMD102P is like, considering letting my LM250 and 115HR go to get one.........sorry for the hijack.[/quote] It is an awesome amp! I think it stands up pretty well on its own, although if you're playing rock/metal in a reasonable sized club, you'll probably want an extension cab. I use mine on its own for rehearsals and I never get much above half volume (and we're pretty loud!) But I always get the 15" out for gigs. Depends what sort of music you play, and what sort of size venues, but it is the most compact but capable combo I've come across yet!

[quote name='chris_b' post='1213178' date='Apr 27 2011, 09:27 PM']You've got 4 basses and one rig!! You can see where I'm going with this....?[/quote] .....should I have 4 amps? ;-) Yeah I see where you're heading. I can't sell my Jazz cos it's my go-to, and we've too much history together, the Sandberg is just awesome, and the RBX just isn't worth selling cos I wouldn't get much for it (and I love it!) I have considered selling my TRB as I don't use it at the moment, but I'm hoping for some gigs with the local soul choir this year, and I'll probably need a 5er.

Just having a look again at the MB series, and I wonder if I could get away with using just the MB212 on its own? I've never had 12's in a bass rig so I don't know if they'll give me enough depth, or whether I'll miss the 15".

I have a need to free up some cash at the moment, but I don't really have any basses that are surplus to requirements so I'm eyeing up my MarkBass rig. It is perfect for me, although perhaps a little overkill as I rarely do anything more than pub gigs (and the occasional function) these days. I would want a similar sort of set up but cheaper, although it does depend what I could get for the MarkBass and how much the new rig would cost as to whether it's worth doing or not. Does anyone know what it would be worth? I've got the CMD102P combo and Traveller 115 cab. I like the mix of 10's and a 15", and I would want a silmilar amount of power. The new setup would also need to be lightweight - that is after all why I sold my Trace stack and bought a MarkBass rig! I was looking at the GK MB210 and 115MBE/400 cab online today - looks pretty good for the money - any opinions? I should just add that I am a rock player for the most part, and I like a powerful, gutsy sound but with plenty of definition. Your pearls of wisdom are, as always, greatly appreciated.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1208508' date='Apr 22 2011, 05:51 PM']No tone on the G&L?![/quote] Yeah, that's what put me off buying one a while back....... can't understand why you wouldn't have one! Although it's my cheapest bass, my RBX270 (fitted with Dimarzio Model P/J) absolutely nails any sound I want in the rock covers band I'm in at the moment. None of my other basses give me such a variety of usable rock sounds, active preamp or not.

In my days as a carpenter, I found that fine sawdust mixed with normal PVA-style wood glue to make a sort of putty, makes an excellent filler with much better bonding properties than regular filler.

[quote name='chrismuzz' post='1206671' date='Apr 21 2011, 03:19 AM']Have you ever tried using fast fret? If you put it on before playing it coats the string in a fine protective layer to prevent as much dirt and sweat from getting in the windings. As an added bonus you cna also use it to clean your strings to get back a little extra brightness.. and it lubricates them a little so they don't feel as rough to the touch, or as it says on the pot 'Lets you play faster'. It's only about £6 for a pot and it'll make many sets of strings last a lot longer. Well worth a try [/quote] +1 I've had a pot of Fast Fret for about 5 years now and it's still fine!!! It will help to keep your strings clean and fresh, but usually IME when you're getting a recurring problem like this, there's something else afoot. For instance, I had a similar problem a while back and eventually traced it to the nut. As the slots had worn over the years, and the string was no longer a snug fit, it was killing the vibration of the strings and not transferring it cleanly, resulting in decidedly dull sounding strings.

All responses courtesy of The Sandberg Appreciation Society!

Usually, if you're gonna put a strap button on the back, it would go about where the neck join is. The Pro's are thru-neck aren't they? So I would probably go for about an inch back in from where the neck starts on the flat of the body (hope this makes sense!). Ideally, you would make a small pilot hole with a battery or hand drill that's just smaller than the shank of the screw. A Bradawl or something similar will do a pretty good job if you just keep gently turning it to create a small hole. I've fitted numerous strap buttons just by turning the tip of my penknife to create a small, countersunk hole! You should just be aware that screwing straight into wood without any pilot hole will increase the risk of the wood spliting, although with the size and density of a bass, and the screw being so small, this is highly unlikely.

SWEEEET!!! Glad you're enjoying it dude! Looks awesome and I bet it sounds even better!

Ouch! £534! But that does include shipping and VAT by the look of it, and is probably by far the best quality DIY kit available - you might actually end up with a playable instrument! They also do a 4 string active and 5 string passive and active versions (more dosh obvs.) [url="http://www.carvinworld.com/catalog/guitars/index.php?model=bk40"]http://www.carvinworld.com/catalog/guitars....php?model=bk40[/url]

Carvin used to do a really good bass kit, but it was about £350-£400, and I don't know what the availability's like. It's basically the same as one of their main models, but a DIY version.

[quote name='chrismuzz' post='1201221' date='Apr 15 2011, 09:54 PM']God that's a terrifying prospect! I wouldn't do it myself, especially not on a fender. Good luck dude[/quote] Yeah......... but I just really can't think what else to try. I'm not planning to bend the neck right backwards, just a touch more than straight I guess.

[quote name='bigjohn' post='1200114' date='Apr 14 2011, 11:41 PM']Sounds like of the frets has risen. Anyone local with a fret hammer? you can buy them, cheapest off the internet, but it would probably cheaper to take it somewhere. 10 minute job.[/quote] Good shout, but I already checked that and the frets all seem well seated. I did wonder about really overtightening the truss rod and leave it for a few days to stretch it out and see if I can make the neck a bit more uniform again. I've nothing to base this on, it's just one of the few ideas I have left!

No matter how I try to set my Jazz Bass up at the moment, I get loads of fret buzz particularly on the E string. I can only avoid it if I have the action a mile high! If you look down the neck, there seems to be a slight kink back around 12th fret, and all the relief seems to be toward the headstock end. As a result, from about 5th fret up to about 10th or 12th is really buzzy. Anyone got ideas, or should I just take it to a luthier? I've got quite a lot of experience doing setups and repairs, but this is driving me mental!

Awesome dude! VERY jealous, it looks stunning! Can't wait for a review and some decent pics. I'll be interested to hear what it sounds like, and how authentic the p-bass sound is.

I think the 25 fret idea is great, it's a bit more interesting than just having a 25th Anniversary logo on the headstock. It's nice to see that they've produced some more unusual variations on their models too. I wish I could have one!

Has anyone looked at the Sandberg site recently? There's some serious porn going on with their 25th anniversary models! Plus, my prayers have been answered; theres a Cali J-shape with twin 'buckers! I don't even want to know how much. I'm gonna assume that they're completely unobtainable so that I don't seriously start looking round the house for stuff to sell! [url="http://www.sandberg-guitars.de/basscat-overview"]http://www.sandberg-guitars.de/basscat-overview[/url]

[quote name='longtimefred' post='1197178' date='Apr 12 2011, 07:03 PM']Lol I love it that my bass buddies are excited for me, everyone else just thinks I'm nuts! Yeah I had sandberg GAS and had to buy one straight away! I know I will want another but it's a lot of pennies![/quote] Ha ha! That's why I was glad to discover Basschat, so that I could geek-out about gear without boring the missus! I'm half considering selling my jazz to fund another Sandberg, but I'm emotionally attached to it 'cause we've been through a lot together, even though it's by no means my favourite any more...... another dilemma!