TRBboy

Looks like it might not have been a duff battery that came in it....... The one I put in the other day is dead now! I'll contact them later in the week.

Just soundchecked and there's about the same level from both basses now. Thanks for your help guys!

Well there's no trim pot inside, but there was a good 1.5mm difference from one to the other. I've adjusted the old KT5 down, because I felt it was too close, rather than the new one being too far away (the B sometimes hits the pole pieces when we do "Killing in the name of"!). Dave, just last week recieved my custom spec KT5 (thread in bass forum) and its awesome! Sold all my 4s now, just got the two KT5s and an old Yamaha BB605 as a backup/living room bass.

At our gig on Saturday I had a guy come up to me afterwards and say "you don't really use that 5th string at all do you?" I answered that I do on most of the songs! It's not just about thudding away on the open B....... I definitely started using 5s again for economy of movement, added versatility, and of course the extended range.

[quote name='nugget' timestamp='1356965906' post='1915734'] Hi Oli - might be a bit daft, but are the pickups low? even a few millimeters has a big effect on output [/quote] Hi Dave! Yeah might try giving them a tweak, it just seems like too much of a difference to be that. I've never had to crank the input gain so high, even with a passive bass. I'll compare them properly to my other KT5 in a bit. Thanks for the suggestion.

Will be rocking in the new year with Two Push Charlie (link to FB page in Sig) at The Victory in Hereford. Probably be 3 x 1hr sets again! Good deal this year, free entry, free hot buffet and free soft drinks for designated drivers! Can't wait!

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1356956218' post='1915502'] Only thing i can think of is does the pre amp have an internal trim pot that can adjust the volume level? [/quote] Well I didn't think that they do, but I'm gonna whip the back off and have a look in a bit. Thanks.

[quote name='Inti' timestamp='1356954209' post='1915464'] Absolutely! One tries to better his field. The other doesn't give a damn but craves recognition anyway... Ironic isn't it? As I said before: laziness and lack of skills desperately searches for justification. Call me whatever you want, nazi, elitist, fascist, snob... I love music and I'm really tired of people raping this art in the name of entertainment. [/quote] Sorry, but I think your attitude is pathetic! You clearly have some issues...... I don't crave recognition and I'm not lazy, but I do try to better myself and I do give a damn about my playing. I play for my own enjoyment and to entertain others. How does this fit into your logic? I've met people like you before, pretentious $%@#* who think that anyone without a music degree shouldn't be allowed to enjoy music.

[quote name='Inti' timestamp='1356948857' post='1915375'] One of you is a musician while the other is an entertainer. Simple. Entertainers don't like the idea though so they think they are musicians...hence the confusion. A true musician doesn't approach music from an economical or an image-fixated standpoint. A musician cares about sound and creation, not how many chicks he'll have because he looked cool or the check he may get for moving his ass behind a fender. f*** the music industry. [/quote] I thought that music was supposed to be fun and entertaining for both the player and the listener/audience? I don't care about looking fashionable, chicks, money, whatever, I just play because I love playing! Why do you play!? A musician IS an entertainer, especially from a live performance perspective; why would anyone bother going to SEE live music if it wasn't entertaining? Back OT, I've never had any trouble getting gigs playing a 5er or any of the 4's I've had, but to be honest chances are that any prospective band that wanted me to look like a chart pop group wouldn't be my cup of tea musically. If I got a call for a gig with a band that was well enough paying to give up the day job, I'd wear whatever they wanted me to and buy a different bass if necessary (although it would probably be a Sandberg California)! I'd rather be playing music for a living instead of sat behind a desk, even if it meant making a few compromises!

So I gigged my new Sandberg for the first time last night, but weirdly I had to crank the input gain on my amp right up. When I did, there was no noise or other symptoms of a weak signal you'd expect to hear, in fact it sounded great! It's just weird because my normal gigging bass is exactly the same model, so I've got something to compare it to. Checked the battery, tried going straight in instead of through the pedal board, etc, etc, but couldn't come up with anything..... Tomorrow night I'll compare it to my backup bass which will hopefully conclude whether its the bass or I have a problem with my amp. I would have expected to hear some noise or something if it was either though. I'd be grateful if anyone has any suggestions!

I needed a double bass sound when I was doing panto one year, so I bought a Yamaha BB604 fretless and strung it with tape wound nylons and it nailed it.

Well, first gig tonight and what can I say......... AWESOME! Soooo effortless to play, and sounded killer! Glad I didn't tweak the setup because its absolutely perfect. Don't know if it's brand new strings or partly the ebony board or what, but it sounded really clear, punchy, authoritative and growly, deep lows and crisp highs. In fact, I thought it sounded quite MTD-esque in a way, I felt like Andrew Gouche for a minute! Don't think he plays rock covers in pubs though...... Can't wait for my next gig with Hereford Soul Choir! The only weird thing tonight though was that the output from the bass seemed really low, I had to crank the input gain on my amp right up. It sounded great then though, and there was no noise or other signs of a weak signal that you'd expect if there was a problem. Maybe my amp's playing up, but it seems unlikely. Guess I'll have to email Sandberg and see if they can shed any light on it.....

I'll have to check out Galliano and Push, I LOVE this guys playing on Incognito's Surreal album! I'm still not bored of that album in the slightest. Great bass sound and great playing! I think if I could only pick one album to own, it would have to be Surreal.

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1356705560' post='1912679'] I think the Zoom set up method suits some more than others. TBH I needed to use the manual before my B2.1 made any sense, so I can only suggest a session of RTM while twiddling. [/quote] Yeah, I'll have another go with it this evening. Got a bit despondent last night, but I'll give it another good try before I throw the towel in.

Well I got chance to spend a little while with it tonight, but didn't get on so well...... It just seems really difficult to set up the patches I want, and incredibly complicated to use! I didn't seem to find any sounds I liked much, and it all just sounded a bit too processed and multi-fxy to my ears. Glad I hadn't got rid of my pedal board yet! Seriously considering returning it at the moment, just don't know if I've got the time or patience to see if I can coax any useable sounds out of if. Bit gutted to say the least! Clearly I'm just thick, because noone else has had any problem setting it up!

[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1356645455' post='1912074'] I'm guessing that bass was a fair sized wedge and they can't be arsed to fit a decent battery in it, I'd be erm, displeased, its the small things that matter! [/quote] It was a cheapo Chinese battery, maybe a duff box. It is a bit frustrating because Duracell Procells don't cost much to buy in bulk, so it wouldn't exactly eat into their profits much to buy some decent batteries! I'm more bothered about the strings, but being as I use stainless roundwounds anyway I thought they'd be fine. That's the cost of a set of strings gone to replace a brand new set! I guess it's all down to personal preference, but it does seem that most people decide that they don't like the Sandberg strings pretty quickly!

FWIW, I believe you can buy a brand new Sandberg California for less than a 2012 USA Fender Jazz at the moment.....

Father Christmas delivered the goods, just need to figure out how to use the thing now! Read the manual a bit last night, but need to find the time tonight to sit down and programme all the patches I want. Got next gig on Saturday, and I'd love to be able to use it if possible! I'm very pleasantly surprised by how solidly built it is, not how I remember zoom pedals of the past being!

WD40 or lighter fluid and a soft plectrum has worked fine for me in the past.

I know this is an old thread now, but just thought I'd say that the Rotos I put on back in June are only just starting to dull to my ears! Think I will be sticking with these strings for the foreseeable future (in fact, I've already put a set on my brand new Sandberg!).

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1356562467' post='1911275'] I think I want one! [/quote] Well, if you're ever anywhere near Hereford, you're more than welcome to pop round for a noodle and a brew!

+1 try as many basses as you can. Definitely worth trying a Sandberg California TT of TM if you can get your hands on one!

Great bassline, one of my very favourite Christmas tunes!

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1356470133' post='1910446'] It's lovely! What's the neck profile like? [/quote] It's mainly the necks that originally sold the Basic series to me. Hard to explain in words, but they're fairly slender front-to-back but very comfortable. The profile is kind of a shallow "D" at the nut end, and then flattens out down the centre line as you get further up. The fretboard is fairly flat (feels like quite a large radius), but not too much IMHO. The other thing I like about them is the weight and balance. I haven't weighed this one, but my other KT5 weighs in at just over 7.5lb on my (crap) bathroom scales, which I think is pretty light for a 5er, and a good pound or so lighter than an equivalent California model. I know they're not everyone's cup of tea, but they just feel perfect in my hands, and sound great too! Easy and comfortable to play with a massive range of tones. Not that I want anything crazy looking, but the fact they don't look like a fender is a plus point in my book.

Well, definitely don't seem to be getting on with the Sandberg strings, they seem to feel incredibly elastic, and sound pretty dull for stainless roundwounds (particularly noticeable on the E and B strings. Think I'll stick a set of Rotos on tonight. Not terribly impressed that the battery in it was dead too, but I guess these are pretty minor things in the grand scheme of things: a small hassle for such a supremely awesome bass!