BassTractor

Sfar as I know they're all made by Beta Three. My Beta Aivin 35W combo (AFAIK exactly the same as the Harley Benton HBW-35, http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbw35.htm ) has worked almost* perfectly for a year, and I love both its sound and its functionality. In fact I love the whole little thing. *) "Almost" means: when it's on but not used, once every fifteen minutes or so, it emits a soft fart tone. I suppose this is a circuitry design flaw, and not a production fault. Based on that great but not perfect experience, I've just ordered a Harley Benton 110W that a friend of mine is gonna borrow (she'll start playing bass tomorrow if the gods are with us). best, bert

I'm very much in favour of reading both bass and treble clefs, and could keep going on for hours on the advantages of being able to do so. Reading is just a fantastic tool. It's so quick that one can easily read 3 or 4 staves at a time. One look at sheet music and you'll know the style, many of the difficult parts and lots of other stuff. IMNSHO, tabs is condensed amateurism. [b]However[/b], my background of reading classical music has also limited me in ways. Here's where Leroybasslines a.o. comes in: [quote name='leroybasslines' timestamp='1352156634' post='1859598'] Also, I don't think that Western Classical notation suits a lot of music guys on here might be playing. If you write down some funk/soul lines, they look real complicated; if you learn them by ear they just make sense. Syncopation, ghost notes, etc just don't translate that well onto the page. But if you're playing straighter stuff it makes more sense.[/quote] One either writes the notes in such a way that classical readers can follow them, making it look complicated indeed, or one writes in simpler ways and the reader is assumed to know how to interpret this representation. IME the last way is customary in many circles. For many players, I feel that reading might become a hindrance, but since it's so powerful a tool, I'd say: [b]Learn to read, but learn to read the notes for the style you like. The investment is tiny when related to the advantages.[/b] It's late. I'm tired and rather lowkey after a stressful day. So I don't know if I make sense. Doubt it right now. Will look back tomorrow. best, bert

Hey Bezinga, Welcome to BC from another dino (56) noob (1). What Bluejay says. Get those lessons now. You want to not stress your fingers/hands/arms to the point of damage. Also, learning stuff the right way takes [b][i]way less[/i][/b] time than learning the wrong way. Anyway, enjoy the site! It's huge, and contains lots of answers. Also: ask away. BC's willing to answer. best, bert

Others surely are better at this, but fwiw: Besides the output transistors themselves, loads of other components can have died or have been damaged, so there's no saying that fixing it is easy or hard. As to the other amp, yes, you may have damaged components behind the output transistors in such a way that the sound stays but changes. Depending on architecture, one can measure components, but it's hardly economic these days. I hope you get a better reply from someone else tomorrow. best, bert

Must be extremely rare indeed, if at all possible. I have my doubts, but of course do not [i]know[/i]. Someone in Holland claimed to have most, not all, in the seventies and he had like 1500 units already back then. Roughly 35 years have passed since that, and, besides live recordings, if one just starts to imagine how many recordings were made with the Synclavier ... best, bert

[quote name='musophilr' timestamp='1352143631' post='1859357'] ... likewise varying kinds of black jeans/trousers but I don't do suits and I don't do ties. [/quote] Brother! The only person on the planet to put a tie on me was my daughter when she made one for me in nursery school. Happily she grew out of that.

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1352134832' post='1859184'] I like to think that Frank would have enjoyed hearing someone called Lord Sausage saying 'I've dipped in and out of Zappa over the years' [/quote] When I finally behave for once, you just had to show that you're really the successpr Discreet could wish for! Brill!

[quote name='BigAlonBass' timestamp='1352142131' post='1859316'] You've got a funny keyboard. "(" is shift-9 on mine. [/quote] Wha' ? I've never noticed that difference between Norwegian and British keyboards. OK, so Cumbo shifted nine of them. All the more reason to move! OK; let me repeat my welcome to Cumbo, and repeat my excuses to him as well. best, bert

[quote name='Mikey R' timestamp='1352112912' post='1858750'] I just dont get them - surely they only affect any notes played open string? As I understand it, they are used on a guitar to make the B a little sharper which makes it better harmonically related to the other strings when playing common open chords - as bassists, we just dont have that problem. Am I missing something? [/quote] First I must repeat I haven't heard the difference. That said, on a bass I imagine it's hardly for the open B-string, but for strings fretted at the first few frets. The higher the nut, the more tension you create in the string when fretting close to the nut, and the tone frequency goes up. As a result, for perfec intonation, you'd need most compensation on the thinnest string, and least on the thickest. I also seem to remember thinner strings are more prone to this effect in themselves, but please correct me if I'm wrong. If memory serves the theoretical picture is troubled somewhat by string stiffness depending on construction and thickness, in such a way that some strings would not reverberate in their entire length. I think they do not reduce the compensation of nuts for those aspects, and why should they. It'd only interest geeks, and for no practical reason at all, I believe. best, bert

Hey Alan, Welcome to BC. What a nice introduction. I can smell your GAS through those lines. Love the Terror Bass fund and the LOL ar Laney. Surprising how those Laneys do anything from grindcore to deathcore, hardcore, punk and all the way to practising folk music at home! "Six Feet Closer to Home" is brill! Enjoy, and post here when you're six feet further away from home. best, bert

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1352128125' post='1859067'] does he say he is irish? i hope not... because shifted means something else on the emerald isle. [/quote] No, he doesn't. Yes, I know. It's just that he meant a "(" , which is Shift-8 on the keyboard, so in my warped way he meant "shift-8 grown up kids", which is Irish indeed, and also provides a reasonable explanation for his living in Florida. No harm meant though. Just having some fun. best, bert

Click [b]Like[/b] if you just read this because you thought the thread title was "Just found out about the ex..." Ooooooooh. Sorry Nico. Kon me niet inhouden. Goedesavonds! Welkom bij BC. Enthousiasme hebben we nooit genoeg van. 't Klinkt alsof je hier gewoon thuis hoort. Welkom thuis,dan! Ik zie in je avatar dat je ouders in ieder geval creatief waren. Leuk. Is eens wat anders. Olympic white Jazz? Die man hep smaak! Tort pg of? Geniet er maar van, en "wees geen vreemdeling" zoals ze in het buitenland zeggen. groets, bert (ja, uit kikkerland)

[quote name='BigAlonBass' timestamp='1352099138' post='1858583'] 9 Grown up kids! I'm surprised you had any time for playing Bass! [/quote] You missed the point. He expressed he's Irish, and shifted [i][b]eight[/b][/i] kids. That's why he now has to live in FL. Sorry, Cumbo, and welcome to BC. Yes, indeed you're one amongst many as to the bass pause. Welcome back, then. Enjoy the site, join the banter and spread some wisdom. best, bert

As a musician highly interested in math and physics, I'd say they're essential. As a bass noob, I've yet to hear their impact. I'm convinced they do make a difference though, as physics command that they do. Sorry I can't be of more help. But give me 5 years, and ... best, bert

Yup, IMHO a Roland Cube was the bollocks 30 odd years ago, but now you can get better stuff for less money. best, bert

My noob view is that it's very OK if not great. One needs to dial relatively much to change the sound, which starts out as somewhat traditional, warmly filtered. In my world that means that on my Bongo (very powerful pre with 4-band EQ) I rather dial on the bass itself. When I do, the MAG does show the Bongo's power, but probably far from all of it. You should relate the price to its EVO-generation as well, as the newest ones have more functions than the old ones. I have one from last year, meaning it's an EVO II. The new ones are EVO III. On my evo II, the compressor works after my liking, but the sub-octave is very slow to pick up the frequency - so much so that it gets to be an effect on its own on long notes - a quite nice effect I hasten to add. I like that the layout is such that it's easy to learn which knob does what, and so it's easy to change something in a darker room. The switch buttons are small, so you may need to remember whether they're on or off, or use a little light. Mine is 44 kg with built-in 410. The 210 may weigh some 10 kg less. YM WILL V best, bert

[quote name='Leen2112' timestamp='1352043147' post='1858063'] Bert, stop being so shy...your a long way from being a noob.[/quote] With a post count of 45, what would you know anyway. Ha! You can't even change your member title yet! best, bert

Hey Matt, Welcome to BC and welcome back to the bass. Other hobbies, eh? Sounds suspicious, if you ask me. I must look up Shine basses. As a noob, I've never heard of that, or have forgotten. Anyway, enjoy your stay. This site is huge, so there's enough to learn already. That and you can ask anything anytime. best, bert

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1352021122' post='1857793'] I've dipped in and out of Zappa over the years, i don't why i've not listened more because i really like it. [/quote] Same here, and I don't know either. Long periods with loads of Zappa inbetween longer periods with nothing (except the incidental iPod random track) Who knows, it may be in the human genome already. Or maybe it has to do with the loads of uninteresting tracks. Idunno. best, bert

Hey Wayne, Welcome to BC. You'll find people very helpful here, and you might even have to tidy the kitchen table so one of us can have a go at one of the Arias with his filthy and eager fingers. Anyway, enjoy this GAS-inducing spot in the universe. best, bert

That was quite the sad follow-up to the other thread. Seems you made the right choice since their words were empty on some level - or the communication was lacking. Good luck with the next step! best, bert

Hey He-Man, Welcome to BC. Must check out the RBX774 - had never even heard of it. The amp will come in place. It's buyers' market right now, and enough of amps on the For Sale forum. Enjoy the site! best, bert

Sorry, Floyd. I preferred you when you were still Janice. Not that there's anything wrong with ... er ... [size=3][i]that[/i][/size]. best, ber

[quote name='andyjingram' timestamp='1351954505' post='1857264'] No, [i]you[/i] are! [/quote] Erm ... Actually, [i][b]I[/b][/i] am! best, bert

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1349683624' post='1828922'] you have to put up an avatar picture ... of a cat .... its the rules you know [/quote] Didn't know that. Thanks for the heads-up, and DONE. best, bert