grunge666

Thanks for all the input guys - please keep your thoughts coming - really useful! I do like the SVT3, no, I love it but, I can feel a change coming on! LOL

I'm in a dilemma! I've used Ampeg for the last 4 years - I wanted an Ampeg rig for 20 years and (following a divorce!) got an SVT 3 and 410HLF along with a Sansamp RBI. . I loved it but, the last few weeks it's all changed. I've sold my HLF and now the geezer wants my SVT3! The HLF is being replaced with a Barefaced Super Twelve and I'm wondering if its time to move on from the mighty Ampeg ? My immediate thought was Mmmm, PF500. But, I do love the SVT3 'valviness' so, Orange? Genz, GK? MOM!!! To be honest - I'm scared!!

[quote name='Clarky72' timestamp='1326498171' post='1498234'] There's a few Ampeg owners here wanting these Barefaced cabs! Everyone else fed up with the weight and want some of the easy life too? [/quote] The weight was one issue - moving the 410HLF twice a week was a pain but, for me its the mids - I can't hear myself live! The HLF in the low range is awesome but, that's all i could 'feel' - no definition on stage - 20' away it rips your face off but on a small stage - nothing My Spectors are mid scooped too so, no way around it, it had to go (I did nearly cry when the dude picked it up yesterday!) I went for the S12 purely on what I'd read on here - nothing but praise and I can't wait - I've sold my HLF at a loss and a USA P bass as a loss to just to raise the funds for a cab I've never heard! Mad ain't we!

I've just hit the button!

I'm trying to sell my SVT 410 HLF Classic to help fund an S12 - purely due to everyone raving on about how good they are! I've never wanted a piece of gear so bad!!

[quote name='algmusic' timestamp='1323200834' post='1460577'] change that for a Barefaced super twelve or two compacts and you'll be very happy.. also there's a sale on the compacts [/quote] 1st place I'll look! Cheers!

I'm about to put my SVT 410 HLF Classic in the For Sale section. I love it but, it's killing me to take it to rehearsals twice a week. Gigs though, man it's awesome! I run it through a Sansamp RBI & an SVT 3 Pro. I'm looking to downsize and use the rehearsal rooms' ashdown cab for now. and look at a Neo later on. PM me if your interested at 1st dibs!?

I've got the rack Sansamp RBI and it's righteous! I run it throught the effect loop into my SVT3Pro, it's a killer.

LOL I love that!

The long gone Bass Place in Birmingham used to have the odd shirt. My fave was: "Bass Players Do It Deeper"

[quote name='chris_b' post='1337943' date='Aug 12 2011, 05:40 PM']Can they get you a Variax bass, if there's such a thing. Sounds like the best solution to me.[/quote] The Variax bass doesn't do tuning, just the tone modelling.

Had drum lessons at school - Mom & Dad couldn't afford to get me a drum kit so, sold my ZX Spectrum and a suitcase full of games for £99 and bought a beat up Fender P from a second hand shop. I still use it! Played along to the first 3 Iron Maiden albums on vinyl and with a bit of shock therapy* never looked back. * the record played was 2nd hand and it used to give me electric shocks. The fuse blew one day and when I looked the live & earth wires were attached to the same pin!!

Thanks for all the suggestions - It was interesting to see there were so many ideas and I apologise if some didn't get what I was on about. BottomEndian did get exactly what I was on about. It's the open strings that I need/love! [quote name='BottomEndian' post='1337471' date='Aug 12 2011, 12:01 PM']That's probably the problem. Judging from your username, you're playing heavy rock and grunge stuff, right? If so, then loads of those riffs and basslines are written with things like pull-offs to open low C, or playing a riff quite high up the neck, interspersed with open strings that are far from standard tuning. Not to mention drop tunings. You probably could just about play some (or many) of them note-for-note on a BEAD-tuned 4-string (or CFBbEb or whatever), but chances are it'll be much harder work than sticking to the original tunings. Taking a popular tune as an example, it's equivalent to tuning a standard bass down a tone (say) and then trying to play Muse's "Hysteria" [i]in the original key[/i]. You can't rely on any open strings so it'll be awkward fingerings all around. My personal suggestion would be to try transposing the tunes from the D tuning down to the C tuning, and the standard ones to Eb. Then you've only got 2 tunings to deal with, and you've halved the number of bass changes. (You could, of course, tune some up instead, but your singer might have issues with that. ) Alternatively, don't try to nail them as close to the originals as you can. Make them your own.[/quote] Ironically, we do Hysteria by Muse and at other end of the scale No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age. I think the 'much harder work' bit is exactly what I'm trying to avoid!! I've never played in a covers band before and in the 30 odd years I've been playing (less the 9 years I was married to a witch and sold most of my gear!) I only ever played in pitch or half a step down! The range of stuff we're doing now is basically quite new to me with regards to the different tunings and dropping the whole bass is logical, it just made sense, to me anyway & now I know it's probably not the best way! Our guitarists both work for Line 6 and use Variax's - so a turn of a knob and they're sorted (Gits!) I can' t see me going for a 5 string (you're probably thinking a 4 string is too much for me now!!) but, there's a load of suggestions from you all that I'm going to look into, I think the BEAD tuning will be my first stop. If I can't get my head around it quickly enough (gigs planned), with some of the suggestions I can leave at least 1, maybe 2 basses at home. Thanks again for your suggestions and advice - some may think I'm a bit of a tool going the long way around with this but, I'm loving playing again - I'm finally happy with my gear & tone and more importantly the band I'm in now. We set out to get the tracks as close to the originals and it does work with the variations of the tunings (it certainly gives the singer a workout!) and it's not a test for the crowd to work out what the song is before the chorus kicks in! Cheers again, very much appreciated.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma with my basses at the minute and this may be a rhetorical question to be honest. I'm having to take 4 of my 5 four strings to gigs due to the tunings of the songs we're doing. We do rock covers but, try and nail them as close to the originals as we can (with great success I might add! ) The tunings are Pitch, Eb, D & C. I tend not to drop a string tuning - just the whole bass I hate 5 strings and there's no time to retune between songs (+ it looks a bit cack!). I can't see a way out of taking all the planks along - At a gig on Saturday we did 40 mins and I had to change basses 3 times! Madness. I'm trying to convince myself that this is fine - "I've got the basses, may as well use them" but, is a pain in the ar$e to be fair. Anyone else have this problem or anyone got any suggestions? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

Unbelievable! I'll flog my SVT3 for that!

Dan! you lucky devil!! That P used to be Lake Placid Blue, I notice another in the background - Is that another West Ham one? I'm more intersted in his rig though! Any insider info?

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1324291' date='Aug 2 2011, 02:27 PM']Gibson, Epiphone and Tokai Thunderbirds are all completely different instruments in terms of construction, woods, hardware and electronics. About the only thing they have in common is a similar body shape. Which one is best is completely down to personal preference.[/quote] Completely true - having tried all 3, I like the Tokai. I would like to replace the Pup's - and wait for more posts on this subject with anticip....ation!

I want one of their Gene Simmons Punishers.

I had an original black hardware one a few years ago - I tried a Gibson - didn't get on with it and preferred the Epi. Put the price difference to my Ampeg SVT3 Pro. I sold the TBird last year for £100 more than I paid for it! Then missed it! So, got a Tokai Antique White of've EBay for £116!! have to say - it blows the Epi away!