JonnyM

[quote name='alexclaber' post='357470' date='Dec 18 2008, 12:20 AM']Logo: Alex[/quote] I like it! But...I thought the name of the company was Bareface[b]dB[/b]ass - with the d and B in bold - although I guess that'd make for a rather long logo... Are the letters the raw metal of the badge with a black background?

Product: Bareface[b]dB[/b]ass The Compact - [url="http://www.barefacedbass.com/thecompact.html"]http://www.barefacedbass.com/thecompact.html[/url] Features : 9/10 The Compact is a single, high-excursion 15" neodymium magnet speaker, housed in a 9mm hardwood ply, extremely well braced & dampened cabinet. Dimensions: 25.5" high x 19.5" wide x 13.5" deep Weight: 32 lbs Sensitivity: Louder than almost any 2x10" cab, close to many 2x12" cabs Frequency Response: Similar to the classic sealed 8x10" fridge Recommended Amp Power: 100 - 500W RMS Maximum Output: Similar to a quality 2x12" or 3x10" cabinet Impedance: 8 ohms (Measured specs are not available yet, but will follow). Other features: Textured re-touchable coating Single strap handle on one side Powder coated steel grill Airtight Speakon jack Speaker "run in" prior to being shipped The only negative is there's no 1/4 inch jack input, but apparently this is because no airtight 1/4 inch or combo 1/4 inch/Speakon inputs could be sourced. (Just don't forget your Speakon cable, 'cos nobody will have a spare...). Sound Quality: 10 Amp: Markbass LMII, Bass: Dingwall ABII 5-string played fingerstyle, clean and with effects. Single 15 cabs aren't too fashionable at the moment, so although The Compact goes against the flow, it's nothing like those wooly, muddy 15's from the past. The manufacturer suggests that: "...because The Compact is so small, it doesn't naturally have massive bottom, but it won't mind if you crank up the lows on your amp to get that fatness." Doing this, I can get a seriously hefty tone with thick lows, that organic, woody chest-thump that I love and natural-sounding top end, ie no squawk or hiss and at surprising volume too. It easily handles the lows produced by my Dingwall without crapping out, right down to the dropped A of the 37" B-string. It won't appeal to players wanting glass-shattering highs, but those wanting a very light cab that doesn't compromise on tone will love it. (*Although I haven't tried it yet, I know The Compact will make a no-nonsense recording cab too, due to its high quality, single speaker configuration). *EDIT: Have now used the Compact in the studio, my setup being: Bass into Summit Audio TD 100 (valve DI), DI signal to desk, Mark Bass LMII and Compact on an Auralex Gramma Pad and Neumann M147 valve mike, fairly close & slightly off-axis (see pic below). The studio people were very impressed with the instant great sound, really helped by just having one speaker in the cab - no problems with mike placement. The first thing I said when listening back to the 1st take was, "...and this is the flat cab sound...???". Yes, the straight un-equalised cab sound was right on the money and no need to have it stupidly loud to get a good tone, no moving around of the mike or radical eqing required either. I can honestly say this was hands-down the best cab I've used in a studio. So whilst The Compact is advertised as as loud, live cab, it works very well as a studio solution too - mission accomplished. Reliability/Build Quality 9 : N/A for reliability so far - not had it for long enough. Time will tell if the thin cabinet panels will hold up under serious gigging conditions, but, as noted previously, it's very well braced, so I'm not too worried. Build quality is excellent, although a couple of the corner caps were slightly crooked, but I'm being VERY picky. Customer Support : 10 Alex answered all my questions quickly and patiently - can't ask for more really! Overall Rating : 10 Have rehearsed and gigged with the Compact, but a particularly good test was in a medium-sized venue with full PA, large stage and separate monitor mixes. The other bands were using a large rig - a powerful amp with a 4x10 & 1x15 - but I have to say my micro amp (Markbass LMII) and The Compact combination sounded so much better, in spite looking less impressive! Yes, the giant rig would have gone louder than mine had it needed to, but only moderate volume was necessary and The Compact gave me a much more integrated sound - a good solid tone that was easy for me to hear. I definitely didn't miss having a tweeter either and my effects were clear and crisp too. Having used an LMII through a variety of brands of 2x10, 3x10, two 1x12's, and 4x10, I never thought a single 15 with no tweeter would work on it's own. So many lightweight cabs sound "middle-y" and can't reproduce real low end at gig volumes - in spite of their so-called "specs" - but The Compact really does the business live [b]and[/b] in the studio and is lighter and more versatile than any of those big "names". So yes, as the name says, it's compact. It's also loud, beefy-sounding and very portable, which means other band members don't mind carrying it... (Our [female] singer/guitarist picked it up and said, "Wow, it's really light, but it doesn't look it. And it's much lighter than my guitar amp..."). If I ever need more than one Compact, I'll just get another!

[quote name='philw' post='335817' date='Nov 24 2008, 09:01 PM']That's a coincidence. I was at the same Brand X/Bruford gig at the Venue (although I think it was nearer 1980) and I too was blown away by Percy Jones and his sound. It was about that time I decided I had to have a fretless Wal (I'd been playing a year or so and had a medium scale fretted Aria). I finally bought my Wal new through Gigsounds in 1983 (it was £595) from the proceeds of my first proper job (and selling some Naim hi-fi). I still have the Wal and if times were very hard it'd undoubtedly be the very last of all my possessions to go on ebay. The Wal is a unique instrument with a sound and feel like no other I've ever played (and "basses I've played" is a very long list now). Simple as that. I'd recommend that anybody listen to Percy Jones playing his Wal on any of the Brand X albums from Masques onwards. Absolute master-classes in fretless imagination, sound and technique that to my mind have never been bettered. Phil[/quote] Oh, the memories this thread has unearthed, especially the International Musician ad - ha, great hairdo! I was at the Venue gig too and was lucky enough to catch Brand X twice on the 1980 tour. Percy, playing his Wal custom through a gigantic Frunt rig, was on jaw-dropping form. (Have to say all I remember from Bruford's set was the truly awful drum sound - damn those Rototoms, or whatever they were called! - and the rather dull "jazz stylings" of one Mr Berlin zzzzzzz :ph34r:). Anyroad, soon after, managed to get hold of a fretless yew-faced Wal (£480 as I recall ), with the compensation from a bike accident Ended up getting to know Wal (lovely bloke) and Fish really well, mainly due to doing my thesis on Electric Wood, which included a study of the whole Wal build process. Later on, got a fretted neck for the ProIIE and...a custom 5-string fretless - hoorah! All moved on now, but they, along with Percy and Mick (Karn, who I saw courtesy of Japan's last gig at the good ol' Hammy O. and at the Jazz Cafe many years later - what MONSTER tone!!!), have contributed hugely to the elusive "sound in my head". Phenominal instruments, way before the hype, no question.

I use a Dr. Scientist Tremoloessence: not designed for bass, but true bypass, dead easy to use and sounds fantastic (no loss of bottom end)! Looks really cool too

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='221583' date='Jun 18 2008, 06:01 PM']Nah! Use gear that flatters your incompetence... that's what I've done for 28 years [/quote]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='221461' date='Jun 18 2008, 03:51 PM']Look how many people spend all that money on an iPod and then proceed to listen to it through the original headphones - if only they knew how much better it could sound! To a large degree it's the same with cabs. Alex[/quote] Veering off topic, but that's spot on... I love Grado headphones with my iPod, although they reveal the limitations of compressed audio files... Rather like excellent bass gear revealing the limitations of my playing, (hopefully forcing me to improve ).

Can't resist posting these pics... [attachment=9739:1974_07_21.jpg] [attachment=9740:grateful..._sound_1.jpg] The backline IS the PA (the bass "rig" is the tallest stacks the right and left of the drums: 2 vertical stacks of 15's, 18 per stack... (I have an LMII and 2x10 Traveller and when I need to, I'll get another identical 2x10 to stack vertically... )

Many years ago, I'd just bought a yellow Vigier Passion 5-string (!) and was making my way home on the Tube...going up some steps towards the ticket barrier, I unslung the gig bag from my shoulder and clipped the lower front edge on a step...thought nothing of it, got home to give it it's 1st play and saw the nasty great ding in the lower side of the body...that was one crap gig bag...