Kiwi

Pretty!

I like Class D a lot, I haven't found any of the Class D amps I've owned lacking in warmth. I don't need to feel rumble because I don't rely on those frequencies to tell what notes I'm playing. If anything the Trace V8 I used to have put out too much muddy low end and made hearing myself much more difficult. I normally let the sound man add low frequencies if thats what the soundcheck needs.

This brought tears to my eyes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbfnP3nhghk

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1436520673' post='2818774'] More importantly, we could then hold Kiwi's wedding at the bash! [/quote] Ironically, I will have to give some thought to the UK wedding next year, once my parents have recovered from surgeries.

Depends on how its made and what wood its being compared to. If its hollow inside and formed in a mould using three laminations like Status and Modulus necks, it'll be a little lighter than maple. Won't be lighter than balsa though. Steinberger necks are heavier than maple because they're solid. Despite its tiny size, my Steinberger XL2A weighs 4.2 kg which is a pretty average weight for a bass.

I've owned/own two Modulus Quantum 5SS basses, a Modulus Sonic Hammer, a custom Jazz with Moses neck, Steinberger XL25A, Alembic Series 1 graphite, Status Series One 5 string, two Modulus Cutlass 1 basses, a Modulus Cutlass II, Pangborn Warlord graphite and a home made Stingray with a Status MM neck. I've also had a go on Ped's vigier and various Status Stealth, Empathy and Series 2000 basses. I'm currently building a couple of 5 string basses with Moses Steinberger necks. Graphite necks have a reputation for being consistent and humidity proof but their properties vary a lot bit depending on how they've been constructed. Monocoque construction (Status/Modulus/Alembic) can be very rigid and brittle sounding, especially with a phenolic fingerboard but if the neck is designed to rely on the phenolic for stiffness and the recipe isn't mixed correctly, the necks can still turn into bananas. With stiff necks, the body wood needs to be softer also to absorb brittle frequencies and fingerboard wood can help with reducing clatter. Moses and Steinberger make their necks using resin injection in a matrix of glass fibre and graphite fibres rather than lamination. The Steinberger design necks (by Steinberger and Moses) are heavy with a but stiff and sound very warm and smooth. The Moses jazz neck I had was porous (constructed like a stick of rock) and not stiff at all and tended to whip and fret out with any sudden turns. Body wood tends to influence the sound more in bolt on necks than through necks. But a well made through neck that is just stiff enough (like Vigier or some basses by Status) have the velvet brick effect - big mids and lows, super clean highs that are slightly compressed rather than piercing. Soft dense woods like alder and mahogany can be quite good for this. Swamp ash, wenge and maple are way too bright unless the wood is super soft for some reason. I'd love to hear a graphite neck on bubinga body at some point - should be a nice combination on paper. All of the above is context to the following point: If you get a graphite necked bass that is well crafted rather than well engineered, you tend to get a faster attack (which is why they're popular for slapping - e.g. Mark King, ) and a lack of deadspots (which is why they're well suited for fretless - e.g. Brian Bromberg and Michael Manring). But no bittleness and plenty of warmth. I like them because they feel satisfying to play and they're easier to hear in the mix - the thup frequencies made when your fingers release the string is very satisfying.

It's great to see Alex moving into supplying retailers direct. What he's achieved is remarkable.

Seems like the tickets for London are no longer available? Or is it a script being blocked by my browser...? Would be hilarious if everyone on here showed up wearing something from BC. You'll be able to spot each other easily, too.

B3 is pretty impressive if you don't need a lot of effects on the signal chain. I've replaced my much loved Lexicon MPXG2 with one.

Al luk sfin to mee.

Sounds like Behemoth is a solution looking for a problem. I don't see the point of a big cab if other cabs already provide benefits...? Oh go on then...light weight servo drive sub woofer.

[quote name='silverfoxnik' timestamp='1436307289' post='2817021'] Would love to hear those fEARful cabs, Steve! [/quote] So would I. Haven't used them in anger yet!

I'm supposed to be getting married early October in China. If I haven't left the country by then and I haven't taken my old Audi back to the mechanics, I'll come along. Will bring the GB Shuttle 6.0 and two fEARful F112 cabs, Spector 5, Status 5, Alembic, Pedulla...and maybe the Steinberger if there is any interest.

[quote name='Vinny' timestamp='1435688729' post='2811521'] If money really were no object, then I'd embark on learning all the spells, potions and other witchery involved to build it myself [/quote] If I wasn't already doing this, then this is what I'd do. I've got all the basses I've ever lusted after and then some. Although sometimes I weaken when watching Jimmy Johnston play his graphite necked Alembic 5 string for Lee Ritenour. So maybe I'd commission Thomas Leiber to build a graphite necked version of JJ's bass given Alembic won't do graphite necks any more. Doesn't mean that I think Thomas Leiber is the best luthier in the world though.

In addition to the cost, there's a significant upfront investment of time and labour in getting CNC to run efficiently - even more so for a first timer on a learning curve. Using a router is much more cost effective for low volume production (<20 instruments a month). Having said that, the bloke who makes Martin Taylors jazz archtops uses a CNC for making the arched top - a risky operation which requires a lot of focus and time to get right.

Any lag? What about battery life?

Love Gene's playing so much. He's all about feel.

I stand corrected!

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1426538515' post='2719145'] Very interesting connecting the dots here. I always wondered how our local guitar hero ( Milwaukee WI ) Daryl Strummer got that gig with Phil Collins? [/quote] Alphonso Johnson recommended him to replace Steve Hackett. Steve Hackett was focussing on his sick daughter and being given a lot of grief by the others at the time over his lack of committment to the band.

Its a bit hit and miss, if the truth be told. No piece of wood is exactly the same and there's no way of knowing what the instrument will really sound like until its built. Plus how its built will change the response of the instrument as well. However, some companies have managed to achieve remarkable consistency in their instruments - Wal, Celinder, Musicman and Dingwall to name but four. They tend to use a fairly simple approach to construction and the same woods. Dingwall and Musicman aim for a specific weight for their bodies and necks. Alembic and Status produce very consistent instruments as well but their construction is more complex and doesn't always rely on wood. Having said all that, its still possible for an experienced luthier to get within a reasonable ballpark of a particular result. But they need to have a lot of experience using the woods they've selected to know how the qualities they percieve in sawn lumber translate into a finished instrument. Ironically luthiers who use a very wide variety of woods often don't have enough experience in using each species to deliver a specific outcome. So they'll be able to make you a great bass but whether it delivers what you want to hear is another thing.