Wolverinebass

Okay. I haven't driven in 15 years due to having had a really bad accident. Nobody was hurt and even though it wasn't my fault, I'm never going to drive again because of that. About a year ago I auditioned for a band that had a tour booked and festivals etc. I learned the songs and the audition went well. Or at least until they asked how I got to the studio (I hasten to add, having a car wasn't in the ad). I said I'd got the train and then walked. What then followed was the most excruciating 30 minutes of asking me why I don't have a car and every single other hypothetical situation you could imagine. So, here we go. They tended to meet in Dartford if they were playing out of London. How do I get there with my stuff? A taxi. It's 5 miles. What about playing up London? They were based in Kent. Well, I live about 600 yards from the A2 so you're driving past my house anyway. I'll give you whatever you want for petrol. If you don't want to do that, I'll take the pod and make my own way there. Old school. Despite that and the fact that I was happy to have them rehearse and record at my studio for nothing the fact that I didn't have a car was more important than any of these things. None of what I said is taking the fosters. They however felt that was unacceptable and although didn't say why, didn't give me the slot. How I laughed when they didn't get anyone else for almost a year and had to cancel all their dates. Incidentally, I don't drink anymore so nobody would be ferrying me hither and yon whilst I was thrashed.

Nice.

I've sadly not played a Schecter. Looks good though.

I've sadly not played a Schecter. Looks good though.

Depends on what criteria you use to define "better." If I did it again, I'd go full custom neck through but that's just me. In terms of what is available, I'd get the Frank Bello ESP. After that it's take your pick. The old Ibanez ones are good but weigh a ton. In terms of current availability, probably the spector or Dean Edge. But I'd be modding them. Probably the Spector is better in terms of wood choices, but that depends if you care.

Funnily enough, I played a Dean Rhapsody 12 and hated it. Didn't like the neck and the pre-amp and pickups are a bit lifeless. Didn't like the 8 string version either. I preferred the Dean Edge though I'd be swapping the pickups and circuit out right away.

Pity the manual isn't uploaded yet.

Ever tried a Digitech 2120? I've got one and it's brilliant. I'm only using it for effects rather than an all in one solution like the helix, but I still think it's better than everything up until modelling got loads better in the last few years. If it died I'd get a helix, but until then it's enough. The delays and chorus are worth it alone.

I don't think Fender win any way here. Money for old rope or build something most people aren't interested in. For my own part my MiM 50s classic precision just kills. Glad I got it before the quality .... sorry, price went up.

Yeah, actually. It's not bad. I didn't like it the first time I played one, but after a second sitting I realised my view was based on cosmetic things I didn't like. Structurally it's fine. Things I don't like about it are quite possibly not an issue to anyone else, but here goes. It has a satin neck. The pickups aren't great. It has that horrible Spector Tonepump circuit. I like master volume and blend not dual volumes. All of this stuff can be changed, but it takes the bass past the £1k territory to do it. The neck profile is good. Probably marginally slimmer than the esp. It's not heavy either.

Not necessarily. Most people play downstrokes only on a 12. In actuality I play fingerstyle on mine. As for string sets, D'Addario make a set which cost about £30. Not bad really. As for Hagstrom, their 8 string is pants. It's a 4 saddle bridge and doesn't stay in tune above about the 7th fret. Yes, I've played one.

I think the cataldo was $3200. I don't think that's bad at all. Hamer were selling the chaparral for £4000 before fender shut them and that's 6 years ago.

The Spector is an 8 saddle bridge as I've played one.

So, just discounting the octave strings part of the tone then? Clearly, immensely close and dare I say it, no doubt indistinguishable.

It was factory strings. If you played 5th fret and below you were laughing. Above the 7th things started to go awry and by the time you reached 12th fret the octave string was almost a half step out.

@Al Krow you won't be able to turn an 8 into a 12 by using pedals. Generally an 8 is more middly sounding. The 12 is much fuller. An 8 is marginally easier to play, but I had my 12 set up with such a low action it's almost insane. If you can't bend the strings, fair enough, but it's not that much of a leap of you work at it. Once you do when you switch back to playing a normal 4 string it'll feel like a toy. You're welcome to pop round to mine to try them if you want.

As you go higher up the neck the octave string goes out of tune. My mate tried to record with his band at my studio. He ended up having to use my 8 string as his was really straying out of pitch and sounded awful. Try it out. After the 7th fret it'll start to sound a bit out.

I know someone who had one of them. It's a 4 saddle bridge. It won't stay in tune above the 7th fret.

I await the sound samples of your 12 string emulation. If only any of us had known that the rich, textural properties of a niche instrument could be replicated with 3 stompboxes...

I've played one. They weigh a ton because the body is so large. Plus, they don't sound the same as the guts are totally different.

I very much doubt that. Nothing sounds like a 12. The problem with Ament and Peterson's tone is that once the full band comes in the top edge gets wiped out. Listen to any other part of Jeremy barring the intro. He could be playing anything as all the cut is gone. It's why I use my Hamer with much more aggressive sounds than they do so you'll still hear the ring and chime with the full band. On its own it'll tear your head off, but in context, it just kills as there is so much harmonics and overtones added. Having played a few other 12's, the Hamer easily beats them on virtually all fronts. The fact that Peterson's Gretsch has a 4 saddle bridge and costs $12k is laughable in the extreme. Jog on. With Hamer no more (thanks Fender!) I'd be getting Tom Keonig to build one as having conversed with him he seems like a really nice guy who happens to make exceedingly good cakes.

Baggage handlers would be dying in strange, almost Final Destination type "accidents" if that had been my instrument.

The Aguilar is 67kg. Yeah, I'd imagine if you have the cloth grill on the Mesa you're saving your back for maybe 5kg, but it's still heavy. The only 4x12s I know that are less are the GK (43kg) and Schroeder (37kg). I hasten to say I've not played them.

The 4x12 weighs 61kg. Not exactly light on a set of stairs I'd wager. Pity. If it was 20kg lighter I might buy it.

That's about 5 minutes on the bus from my house. Sadly, I'm not quite old enough for it.