Wolverinebass

After trying lots of different techniques over the years, I've began to think that I'm missing out on having any pick technique. I found one at a rehearsal about 3 years ago and at the weekend, I was fiddling about on my 8 string and my fingers were getting a bit chewed so I thought I'd give it a go. Whilst the tone wasn't really that different, I figure it'd be a good alternative to turning my plucking fingers into cheese when I'm playing in a hot room. It was quite a thick pick (2mm Dunlop) and whilst it was great for an 8 string, I tried it on a 4 and it just felt too stiff to get any sort of motion going, so I assume that more flexibility or a lighter guage is needed? Doing 8ths was just impossible. I appreciate that there are many different types and materials and whatnot, but what would seasoned pick players recommend to get the best from both worlds in terms of flexibility/tone and ease of playing? Grateful for any suggestions.

I really wanted a Kilo. When it was announced. Three years ago. After asking when it was going to come out every so often I just gave up waiting and got loads of rack gear. Whilst I'm sure it'll be a great amp, the fact that they kept it off the shelves for in effect 2 years whilst they re-designed it and apparently made it lighter seems a bit mental to me. Some of the buttons seemed to have moved but that's about it. It's going to be heavy regardless as Hartke haven't done the whole Class D amp thing that mostly everyone else has and fair play to that. Like Dood, I'm a gizmo sort of person and frankly in the interim, I've accumulated so much stuff, I'll never need to get a Kilo as what I've got really works for me. Will still have to try one though....

You know Gareth, I wondered about the fact he's been guided by the foundation. If the money was going to the foundation you could almost say fair enough, but I bet it isn't. Also, Chris - I mentioned the same thing to Rob - couldn't you just keep the moulds and wait for the license to run out? No. They would have been sued even for that apparently.

It's beyond any level of stupidity. If you're going to get a Spyder, get an Alembic one. The warwick buzzard is inferior in every way to the Status one. Yes, I've played both. To shed some light on this whole Buzzard thing. I took my bass to Status about 3 years ago to get it fixed (after the bass centre made a mess of something) and had a nice chat to Rob afterwards. He was rather upset (I'm being euphemistic) at Chris Entwistle whom he said he'd spoken with a few days after John died and who assured him that Status buzzards would still be able to be made. The rest is history. Warwick threatened to sue Status back to the stone age and Rob had to destroy all the moulds. That was in about mid 2008 so that was almost 3 years after the whole thing happened as I got my buzzard (the last one) in September 2005. As for the insidious suggestion that "John would love them," I beg to differ. When did he ever play anything other than top instruments with every single bell and whistle you could possibly imagine on them? Discount pre 1975 periods. It does look suspiciously like Chris is doing this for the money. I would have thought that extending an olive branch to Rob with this might have been the way to go, but what do I know. I'm sure Rob's got enough going on with all his other new basses this year. Regarding Doddy's thought that the Wickershams at Alembic might have something to say about Dean ripping off their design in such a garish way, I'd hope that he's right. They've even ripped off the "only 25 to be made" from when Alembic re-issued a cut down version of the Spyder in 2003 (25 four strings and 25 eight strings were made). On the other hand, the body shape was first done by Gibson wasn't it? I don't know if that's right though or if that would make any difference as I'm not a lawyer... Shameless, shameless cash in.

I agree with Chris. A parametric crossover is a must on all amps like this. Even the largest Trace Elliots have one though I think they fumbled the ball by making it fixed at 220Hz. That was a mistake. I use a crossover myself and I'd never have it set lower than at least 500Hz if I was adding fx. In relation to the Kilo, they've had this announced for 3 years if I remember correctly. The product page hasn't been updated since it was announced then. I was planning on grabbing one myself, but then after a couple of emails to Hartke, I just got sick of waiting about for it to be released and got insane amounts of rack stuff instead. From what I understand they re-designed it to make it lighter hence the gap between the LH series and this. On the other hand, does that really take 3 years? The sad thing is I really like Hartke stuff and I've went elsewhere now. I'd bet that the joke will be that after all that time to take the weight out of it, it'll probably still weigh 20kg!!

The difference between the 1 and 1.1 is that the 1.1 has twice as many locations to save and has an on/off button, as well as the "afterburner" zone on the input gain which is a lo cut/high boost function. I gave serious thought to buying Mr Foxen's, but what put me off was that it was 110V, had it not been I would have bitten his hand off for it. Changing out the transformer sounded too problematic so I just saved up and got one new. Mr Foxen is quite correct as well that they don't come up that often either because not that many people have them or that nobody wants to sell them. I watched Ebay for 4 months and there wasn't one that went for less than £290 whch was more than I was going to pay for one 2nd hand.

Well, they're not cheap. You won't find one for less than £500 if you're going for new. 2nd hand maybe £290 if you're lucky. There aren't really that many sold on ebay. Depends what you want to use it for really. If you want loads of different types of distortion then that's great. If you only want say one or 2 then it's just total overkill. The midi switching is covered in the manual. It's not that difficult to work out if you sit down with it. If you want to preserve the clean sound of your amp, put the PSA in the loop. There are 2 bypass channels on it so you can remove it from the signal chain if you wish to.

Mcnach is quite right. I've had loads of fun making patches on headphones then trying them with the rig and having them sound rubbish. Nowadays what I do is do parallel patches. One for live and one for the studio. So I can get the same sounds whenever I want and in which setting.

If the big guy with the beard is an improvement I shudder to think what the previous people were like because that guy that Happy Jack mentions has been a complete and utter tosser every single time I've went in there. To give a specific example if you will. This incident happened maybe 8 or 9 months ago. I had been looking out for a gigbag that will fit my 8 string explorer. I've been compensating by using my bag for my buzzard, however this was far from an ideal fit. I go on the web and look at Ritter's stuff and notice that they have a bag which will fit. I was in the bass cellar a few days before and remember them saying they sold Ritter stuff. Now for the fun. The same beardy guy (and another bloke with long hair) tell me that Ritter have went bust (within the last week) and that the conversation I refer to above - NEVER HAPPENED. Nice. Call your customer a liar why don't you. This is different to "I don't remember" before anyone suggests I'm over-reacting. It was a "I/We never said that" conversation. It then gets better. Idiot No. 2 suggests that Warwick do a bag which would fit an Explorer. I decide to play along. I know they mean the one for the buzzard. For those of you who know, this bag can be obtained from Thomann for £65. I decide to wait and see how much they want to fleece me for it. The bloke checks through a big book for a few seconds - no doubt entitled "How to rip off your customers - Vol 5" and then turns to me and says that this bag - (a GIGBAG!!) is going to set me back (WAIT FOR THIS!!) £138. Yes, you read that correctly. ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT POUNDS. For something I can get for half that elsewhere. I then thought about this after walking out confused as to whether I should be laughing heartily or extremely angry. However, I then contacted Headstock distribution who told me that Ritter had not in fact went bust (as if I believed that pile of crap to start with) and suggested a much saner place to shop. As it turned out they had what I wanted so all was well. I will never, ever, for any reason whatsoever, regardless of emergency or anything shop with those utter tubes in the Bass Cellar ever again. If only they could follow the Bass Centre into "internet only" oblivion. This is not an isolated incident. These people don't care about repeat business or customer service.

It depends what era of his sound you want to emulate. The Live at Leeds sound is pretty easy to do, but the late 70's/early 80's tone is impossible. Amazingly impossible to get. I tried for ages to do it and I just gave up. Whilst I can say that El Capitan's comments are probably true especially his tone from 2000 until his death it's brutal cutting treble and I would say his bass sounds more like a banjo in places. That in itself is quite sad. Before that 2000 - 2002 tour I think his tone on "The Vegas Job" or at any time round about 1999 is brilliant. Very bass heavy, but with a mountain of chorusing. Link below for a sample. Anything from 5 minutes in. This is at the House of Blues. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2jVSQrEAiw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2jVSQrEAiw[/url] And this is from the Vegas Job (from 4:25). [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW9azvZbVlU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW9azvZbVlU[/url] Try to get that sound and it's almost impossible unless you have the stuff he was using. I went through a quest to get a Digitech 2120 which took months, but that bonkers octal chorusing sound is pretty much the only way you'll get that sound. Digitech don't make anything that's even comparable to that unit any more. Muppets. I suspect that I'm in a minority of 1 of people who like that as a bass sound. Oh well.

The best compliment I ever got was playing a gig one night and some bloke came up to me at the bar afterwards and said that he hadn't heard anyone play bass like that since he saw the Who at Charlton in 1976. That's the best big up I've ever had and probably will ever have. I have had periods like everyone I'm sure when I thought I was great (and seriously wasn't) and some when I though I was awful (and wasn't). I suppose that like everyone who doesn't do covers bands you wish that you'll always sound like you playing bass if that makes sense. I think that is all one hopes for really. I do have some mates who play in properly signed bands who moan about how indistinctive their own style is. I find that odd as it's not like they're rubbish. They seem to think that they're "bland" in some way. I've certainly never thought that about their stuff. Their thought is that their parts sound like nothing but I always sound like me. I'm not entirely sure if that point of view is valid but it's not mine. I know I'll never get anywhere with my stuff or bands, but I accept that. That's why I can take a 5 minute solo if I want (I have done that but only either for a bet with our singer that I couldn't keep a solo going for the time it took for him to go to the bar and get a round of drinks for us or because the guitarist's amp blew up and he was changing to his backup). I feel fine with that.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1051361' date='Dec 8 2010, 09:28 AM']I tend to find I get responses from 15 year olds who like Paramore. Now dont get me wrong, we all have to start somewhere, but Ive never met anyone in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties through those sites, which is a shame.[/quote] Tell me about it. I got so sick of dealing with idiots I've virtually given up. Whether it be through websites or whatever it doesn't matter. In response to the OP's question Forming Bands is rubbish. Or at least, the people on it are rubbish. All pay for contact details sites are a waste of time in my opinion. Easy cash. Although I have found bands or people through them, I still think they are a con.

Less bass, more mids and treble. Whilst using loads of cut isn't to everyone's taste, nobody will ever hear you with the settings you're using. Very wooly. In my experience you have to play with a much brighter sound live than you would if you were recording. Usually involving more mids or treble. Heard on it's own it's not necessarily pleasing, but live it'd work a treat. It'll probably be very alien to you for a while but you have to get away from your amp to hear how everyone else hears you. Play with a wooly setting and nobody will hear you as it'll just sound like mush and it'll detract from people's experience of your band and hide your playing as the bass will just become vibration for most people with no note definition to speak of. On the other hand, you might think that compromising on this is too big a price to pay for how you want to sound.

How about a Peavey IPR 1600? That's 530W at 4 ohms or 350 at 8 ohms. Plus it's ludicrously light. I know a few folk that use them for bass.

[quote name='leschirons' post='1040612' date='Nov 28 2010, 11:35 PM']Makes me think that one day I'll just say f*** it and do home recording on my own and the odd dep.[/quote] That's what I've done at the moment. Just concentrating on my own stuff as I just have it lying about to record. I'm sick and tired of trying out for bands. So many folk are just idiots. Some of them incredibly talented idiots I grant you, but idiots nonetheless. A month ago, I did a gig with a band just for fun. Had to learn 10 songs in an evening. No pressure eh?!! Did it just as an exercise to see if I actually could and the gig was great. I wasn't fussed about the band's material and I said "thank you, but no thanks" when they asked if I'd join them. Had I liked their stuff more, I would have joined as they were a really good bunch, but musically it wasn't quite for me. I got to play a gig which I haven't for a while and they got to play it too as they'd have had to cancel otherwise. Everyone wins. Just form a band with your drummer. He sounds like a good bloke who you already have a good thing going on with. Take some time out from it, work on your chops and look for folk after new year when everyone starts doing stuff again.

I've only had one experience with the BC that was positive. When I bought my Alembic and that was when the shop was still in Wapping. I haggled absolutely ferociously and they amazingly gave in which I admit I really didn't expect. Every other time they have been complete and utter tools acting like they were doing me a favour by making a mess of what I wanted. In respect of the stock thing, they did the same thing to me 5 years ago when I got a gig bag for my buzzard. Strung it out for 3 weeks then sent it to me despite me specifically asking them not to (forcing me to go to Charlton to get it when I wasn't in to get it). No apology. No money off or anything other than a monkey chewing gum on the other end of the phone doing a well known Catherine Tate impression. I truly hope they go out of business. Same as every guitar shop on Denmark Street. All the people that work in these shops have been cloned in test tubes for maximum arrogance and had their heads preloaded Matrix style with innumerable patronising or "we're trying to rip you off" comments. I'd go to Thomann or Soundslive every time. Prompt delivery and brilliant customer service.

[quote name='mybass' post='1027513' date='Nov 18 2010, 12:50 AM']Anyone using this cab and what do you think? I've been using 10" cabs for years but thought of getting this 15" to link with a 2x10. Interested to see if it isn't too boomy. I had the big 15" cab a few years back, great for big stages but a bit too big a sound over the 2x10 on top as I was doing 100/120 capacity places at the time.[/quote] I use both the Traveller's and they are rather good. With one exception. The Piezo tweeter. This is obviously dependent on what kind of sound you like and if you're going for a vintage type sound then you won't need it on very much (if at all). If you go for a slap or a trebly tone, you're going to have some problems especially if you use active basses in trying to control it all. From my experience, turning up the tweeter significantly past half will just lead to it clipping and loads of mids. Just loads - so much your eyes will bleed. Turn it down to 4/10 roughly and you're wonder where all the top end cut went if you play in a loud band with a hard hitting drummer. I've been toying with flogging both my Markbass cabs for this very reason and replacing them with a Barefaced, or replacing the tweeters. On the other hand, I have no idea if the latter is even possible. The 151P most certainly isn't boomy, but it does have the characteristic (but slight) 250Hz hump that most Markbass cabs I've tried seem to have. Depends how flat you want the response really. Naturally, these are my issues and you may have something else in mind.

I tend to only use one finger mainly. If I'm playing my 8 string then I'd use 2 fingers on my left hand just to make sure that I'm not going to make a mess of it. I'm sure that this probably isn't correct technique by any measure, but it works for me. Were I learning to do it again, I'd probably go for the full hand and make more of an effort to get that right as I just couldn't before. Still can't. The only thing I've used it on recently I've attached and yes this is an 8 string which is rather heavily flanged and overdriven. The relevant bit is after 1 min. Please excuse the slack playing (still doing cut and shut on the arrangement hence the clicks of joins) and sequenced guitar....

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1018496' date='Nov 10 2010, 10:34 AM']IMO, it's something unique to singers and drummers. If they can't sing or drum, the band is doomed. Joe Public will tolerate mediocrity when it comes to most other band members. Again, IMO.[/quote] I agree completely with this. If your drummer or singer is gash, then you might as well not bother. I've been in bands where the singer has been mediocre and it's really showed and vice versa of course. However, by the same token if the guitarist was a bit mince and your rythym section are great the bloke will be able to get away with murder. On a personal note, I can't deal with drummers that aren't good as you just can't experiment with the placing of beats and stuff if they're just going to play like a tool. It sucks all the energy out of my playing when someone plays completely straight all the time. I can only imagine it's what John Entwistle thought in 1982 when Kenney Jones was playing with the Who - "Soooo, Kenney, you're going to play 1-2-3 -hit snare for 2 hours? There was me thinking I was going to be able to have some fun on this tour...." Sometimes you can get away with a mediocre singer if he/she has great stage presence. They may very well be holding back for a gig during rehearsal. If you're unhappy there is probably a very good reason though. If you're contibuting writing material for this band, how would you feel about this person singing your stuff? That is the acid test question for me and the minute you say "you're not" you might as well leave as it'll only start to annoy you more and every little thing the singer does wrong will build up and annoy you more and more over time. Especially if he has delusions of granduer.

[quote name='lowhand_mike' post='1004882' date='Oct 29 2010, 10:42 AM']Just looks like a cappaccino maker to me, chocolate dust anyone?[/quote] Well, for £5000 it had better make the coffee as well as being a great amp. I'm sure that at least 50% of that last sentence will prove not to be the case.

That is fantastic!! Get in!!

I've always worn earplugs at practice, but the experience that showed me I had to wear them at gigs was seeing Alice in Chains last year. That was devastatingly loud. Insane beyond any level I have ever experienced. I then got myself a set of ER15's. Ironically, I've not been to a gig since then except ones I've played at.

I normally don't really go for ska per se, but that sounds like really good stuff to me!! Very nice playing too. Top!!