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Bigwan

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Posts posted by Bigwan

    Vigier Passion for Hard Rock/Metal?

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    1 minute ago, itu said:

    I only have two Passion II basses, and their preamps are capable of anything I need to play. So my understanding of the Excess is therefore limited, but I do not have any reason to believe they are very good in any genre.

    String choice affects the outcome quite a lot, so for twang I would choose Vigier's basic strings, 40-95 SS RW. For more middle nickel strings work better, and naturally you can go down to flats if needed. I think string choice is crucial to the basic sound of any instrument.

    As the necks do not have truss rods, you can only adjust the bridge. If you are after a very low action, my instruments have been steady since 1980's and I am confident that Excess is no exception.

    That's extremely useful. Thanks @itu! It's a Passion IV I'm interested in.

    • Like 1

    Vigier Passion for Hard Rock/Metal?

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    32 minutes ago, Bassman68 said:

    I do love a Vigier, a friend of mine plays an 80’s passion in a Rock/metal covers band & it sounds glorious?

    I think it all depends on what sort of tone you are looking for, The graphite necked Vigier is very full sounding, with a clear top-end but IMO more traditional sounding than say, a Spector or a Dingwall, even a Warwick, which can all provide a real ‘growly mid’ more modern metal sound, especially if you like that overdriven sound?

    I really don't like the modern rock/metal tone. The Dingwall & Darkglass thing is EVERYWHERE and it sets my teeth on edge! Think more James Lomenzo/Billy Sheehan tones (not playing-wise I might add!). 

    Vigier Passion for Hard Rock/Metal?

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    18 minutes ago, itu said:

    If the instrument brand dictates your playing style... no, I won't continue.

    Make a test ride and choose the one that fits like a glove and sounds incredible.

    The brand name means absolutely nothing. I'm asking about the tonal attributes of a specific model... A relatively rare bass, I've never seen one in the flesh in my 30 years of playing. 

    It would be simple if I could try everything I wanted to... It's not something a bass player on this island ever has a chance to do on an instrument of the level we're talking about, not without significant travel. That's why I've always relied quite heavily on basschat input, since before day 1 of the basschat forum - some of us remember basstalk.co.uk. If you haven't anything better to contribute maybe you should be on a different thread... 

    • Like 2

    Vigier Passion for Hard Rock/Metal?

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    Vigier are a brand I've been interested in since I used to read Guitarist magazine in the very early 90s and saw a review of the Passion - I never thought I'd be able to afford one, but I recently received a little bit of inheritance money from my grandfather so I'm in bass shopping mode! 

    A used Amethyst Passion 5 at Bass Direct has caught my eye and is just within my budget... The other basses I'm considering are a Dingwall D-roc 5 Standard (currently on order with Mark as it was floating my boat originally) and a Spector Euro 4 or 5

    What I'm looking for is a bass that feels ALIVE... Punch and growl are what I'm after. I don't see many reviews for the Passion that would cover my style (hard rock to metal) so it's hard for me to really judge and visiting Warwick is out for the foreseeable. What are the thoughts guys? Would a Passion 5 fit the bill?

    Vigier Porn!

    in Gear Gallery

    Posted · Edited by Bigwan

    Vigier are a brand I've been interested in since I used to read Guitarist magazine in the very early 90s and saw a review of the Passion - I never thought I'd be able to afford one, but I recently received a little bit of inheritance money from my grandfather so I'm in bass shopping mode! 

    A used Amethyst Passion 5 at Bass Direct has caught my eye and is just within my budget... The other basses I'm considering are a Dingwall D-roc 5 Standard (currently on order with Mark as it was floating my boat originally) and a Spector Euro 4 or 5

    What I'm looking for is a bass that feels ALIVE... Punch and growl are what I'm after. I don't see many reviews for the Passion that would cover my style (hard rock to metal) so it's hard for me to really judge and visiting Warwick is out for the foreseeable. What are the thoughts guys? Would a Passion 5 fit the bill?

    Like lomenzo

    in Effects

    Posted

    21 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

    Might the Ashdown Triple Shot be worth a look? It's a three band overdrive, so just the mids could be dirtied up. Hopefully the mid frequency centre is similar to the freq knob at 12!

    https://ashdownmusic.com/collections/pedals-1/products/triple-shot-drive-pedal

    Same idea as the VFE Triumvirate. I don't know if the Triple Shot has adjustable frequency ranges like the Triumvirate, and at 239 quid I'm unlikely to find out!

    The Triumvirate didn't work nearly as well for me as the Lomenzo though... While the mid range drive was OK I couldn't get it as focused as the Lomenzo and the high or low ends didn't sound as nice either. Good for other sounds, but not the same sounds as the Lomenzo.

    Like lomenzo

    in Effects

    Posted

    The Lomenzo is the best drive (for me) that I've found. I have a few issues with it: the form factor, the useless VU meter and the overabundance of controls... and being of a diy bent I've always fancied tackling a redesign of it but "real life" keeps getting in the way... 

    I like it on its own for what I do, but you're not alone in liking to stack it! I've seen that a few times - Peter Iwers, formerly of In Flames, stacked it with an MXR DI. 

     

    • Like 2

    Speaker experts - ceramic equivalent of Eminence 3015/Faital 15PR400?

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted · Edited by Bigwan

    I have in my possession a Laney B215 cab. It looks awful, but it's physically sound and measures suspiciously like 2 TL606 cabs pasted together. It's currently loaded with 2 Peavey Black Widows (the non-bass variety strangely) - the cab came to me like this. I'd like to load it with something a bit more appropriate, but weight is absolutely not an issue. I don't plan on moving the thing more than a few times in its life and the rougher it looks and heavier it is the happier I'll be as I'm intending to use it in a rented rehearsal space. Can anyone suggest a driver with similar/equivalent specs to an Eminence 3015 or Faital Pro 15PR400 (which model reasonably well in the cab with some tuning) that weighs about the same as a neutron star? Or should I spring for the Faitals and a few rolls of roofing lead?

    Told to buy new basses

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Certainly could be a bass issue - but having played in downtuned bands on and off for 25+ years I'd say it certainly doesn't warrant a £2k outlay! Last downtuned band I played in (drop A) I used a Sire V7 mostly with stock strings, but swapped the B string for the heaviest gauge D'addario single string I could find. Worked REALLY well, although I couldn't intonate the string particularly well due to the "high-mass" bridge design... Having said that I don't thing I played that string above the 7th fret so not a massive issue.

    Having said that I have a Dingwall D-roc 5 Standard on order from Bassdirect... Just because!

    NUX Mighty Bass 50BT

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted · Edited by Bigwan

    On 27/04/2021 at 21:17, eude said:

    I have one of their Mighty Plug practice amps >> https://www.nuxefx.com/mighty-plug.html
    I have to say, it's bloody brilliant!
    The effects are the same as the ones on that wee amp, as are the IRs, although there's only two amp heads.
    It works great for just plugging in and playing, you can also sync it to your phone as a Bluetooth audio device and play along with whatever audio you have on there, you can even jam along with YouTube. And finally, it works as an interface for recording too, and it sounds really really good.

    I am very much tempted by the MG-30 too!

    Eude

    Bought a "warehouse" Mighty Plug from Amazon the other day. Sounded great, app integration seemed good for editing sounds. No compressor in the effects list though, which I found a bit odd....

    Unfortunately it failed in its primary function as the battery (or charging circuit) was goosed so it only functioned when hooked up to a charger - probably why it was for sale on the cheap from Amazon. Still undecided if I'll replace it, but Just ordered a replacement because as I say it sounded pretty good... But nobody buy a warehouse one in the next while because it'll probably be the one I just returned...

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    Ampeg PF50 or Ashdown Little Stubby?

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted

    I've not owned or played the little stubby, but I own the PF50T and have owned the LB30 and CTM30 at separate times in the past. They kind of overlap a little sonically. If I was pressed I'd say I probably SLIGHTLY preferred the tone of the LB30 over my current Ampeg, but not enough to change... Buying today I'd probably opt for the Ashdown myself, but there's nothing not to like about either of them really! 

    Rock Up My Rig

    in Effects

    Posted

    I'd start with the Behringer BDI for sure. The best value for money pedal out there. The blend knob is your friend!

    If you're a fingerstyle player I'd also consider adding an Ashdown Hyperdrive (James Lomenzo signature). Still my favourite pedal after years of trying out all sorts. 

     

    • Like 1

    Joyo American Sound!

    in Effects

    Posted

    On 24/02/2021 at 15:02, Yawn_Blah said:

    interesting! how? what was the difference between the two? other than the mid control

    There's a thread on one of the DIY pedal forums with a list of components to change. I'll be honest - other than checking the thing worked before making the mod I didn't spend any time with it in its original form. I wanted a VT bass pedal on the cheap!

    • Like 1
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