geoffbyrne

[quote name='voxpop' post='869414' date='Jun 16 2010, 08:33 PM']What dont you like about the overwaters ? I noticed they are one of the few 'made for 35" scale".[/quote] There's really not much I don't like about the Overwaters - maybe the tone's just not quite bright enough for me. I've used HiBeams before & they were great on my fretted & I have them on my fretless at the moment - they are about 2 years old now & sound great for that bass. As far as I can make out all DRs are manufactured to cater for 35" scale - in fact I've had the thickest part of the E string winding *just* go on to the tuning post on a 34" scale bass. I also like Rotosound 55 Pressurewounds - they sound a lot like the HiBeams, but I haven't seen them in 35" scale. I'll probably try LoRiders next as I like a bit of tension. G.

I have a Peavey Cirrus V BXP and it's pretty damn good for the money. No complaints about the pre although if you can lay hands on the MIA Millenium pre with the semi-parametric mids, it's (almost) a straight fit & well worth it, so I'm told. Neck is great, frets are good, tone is just fine for me. Mine has the 35" scale so low B is pretty decent too - what's not to like? Enjoy it. They are good value for the money. G.

Thanks for the reply, Gary. The sound I'm getting is probably not 'Old School' since I use the parametric in ways you can't use traditional tone knobs, so I'm thinking the graphic on the Promethean will go some way toward getting a similar kind of tone. G.

All DRs seem to be suitable for 35". I've got Overwaters on mine, but I'll probably change to DRs next time. G.

So. I'm getting a few shekels together through selling this and that and if things come to fruition over the next week or two I'll have about£450 to spend on a small head. This will be to replace my entirely trustworth UK built redface Ashdown MAG400 - it's the 485W@4Ohms one - coupled with a Berhinger 5 band parametric equaliser hooked into the FX loop which I use as a highpass filter set to 32Hz and to boost 180Hz, reduce 800Hz and boost 4Khz a little - it suits my ears!! I' want approximately the same power - it'll be going through a 1x15 Eminence rated at 450W & a 1x15 Celestion rated at 250W collectively at 4 Ohms. I really fancy the Ibanez Promethean which I can get from Thomann for £360 (I think) but should I be able to get a Markbass - which one & how does it compare & of course there's the GK Shuttles too..... Decisions decisions. All thought/opinions/bias/bigotry (about amp heads) welcome!!! G.

If it's a bass with jazz-type pickups, replacing them with humbucking pups like DiMarzio J's or Ultra sounds (I have a lovely pair of Joe Barden Humbucking twin Rails for sale here) would go a long way to prevent this. Actually, to be honest, a pair of EMG Selects would work just as well. G.

Neck & bridge pups are in wrong places & neck pup in bridge position is offset & doesn't line up. No idea!. G.

There's another on there starting at £300 and from what I remember that's about right. G.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='868187' date='Jun 15 2010, 05:20 PM'] Many years ago I was in a band with a guitarist and that combo - it was absolutely cracking, especially great tremolo.[/quote] +100 - wish I still had it - mine was the Thunderbird 30, and I have read there wasn't a lot of difference/extra volume/extra headroom with the 50. Cracking amp though. G.

If I can sell enough gear I'm for one of them thar Prometheans - and if not I'll try for the head alone. G.

[quote name='bassicinstinct' post='865969' date='Jun 13 2010, 02:29 PM']But wasn't it at the jam session, using the "house" bass combo, that he was [i][b]happy[/b][/i] with his sound? [/quote] DOH!!!!!! G.

[quote name='chrisd24' post='865840' date='Jun 13 2010, 12:04 PM']The jam session was outside, combo was on a concrete floor about 10 feet away from a rear facing wall.[/quote] There's your problems right there! Playing outside - you get no reflection and your sound will seem 'empty' in comparison to inside, and playing 10 feet away from a wall on concrete gives you no help at all. G.

I suspect that with its having a bright channel, echo, sustain & distortion it's intended for that skinny 6 stringed thing to be played through it. However, hook it up to a decent bass speaker & try it out with bass - the proof of the pudding etc..... G.

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='863998' date='Jun 11 2010, 08:38 AM']After speaking to my luthier and mentioning my GAS for a fretless he's recommended getting an Ibanez (fretted) as the build quality is decent, and taking it to him to be fretted as it'd work out a fraction of the cost, plus the choice of fretless basses out there is more limited. I've been eyeing up ibanez basses for a while so him saying that has only compounded my GAS. My question is can anyone recommend one? Would the SRs be ok to defret? I've no experience of defretting myself so not sure if there's anything in particular you need to be aware of...[/quote] Would it be just as economic to try & find a Westone Thunder Fretless II or III in decent condition rather than buy something (money) & then also pay for thre fingerboard to be done? G.

Save money - get an MXR-80+ and dial in a bit of grind in the 2nd channel. G.

I had a Maine guitar head & 2x12 sealed cab for a long time - the cab was 16 Ohm & the amp produced about 65 w through it, but would go down to 4Ohms & round about 150w. Later, when I took up bass, I found an open-backed Maine Guitar & Bass 2x12 combo on Ebay with McKenzie speakers. The guitar channel was wonky but the bass channel was huge!!! So huge it blew the speakers after about 3 weeks of playing out. The other problem was it's weight - I was 15 1/2 stone at the time & could barely move it - I had to put a couple more handles on the sides & get help to move it. The guitar head I had had that constant 'suzz' underneath that most of the Crate Powerblocks exhibit & I wouldn't be surprised if the power amp chips used were of the same family. Certainly have a look at it, but listen carefully to the amp & beware open-backed cabs used for bass. Geoff

[quote name='Prosebass' post='864043' date='Jun 11 2010, 09:26 AM']There is one on ebay at the moment at £650.00 BIN Will an OLP neck fit directly ? I have played and modded a few OLP's and apart from the weight thought they were nice basses.[/quote] (a) I'm not sure the OLP has the same heel dimensions - I recollect reading somewhere that they were deliberately made differently so as to avoid this kind of substitution, and ( the neck on the OLP (5er) I've got is a *very* clubby/baseball bat affair, and you wouldn't want to be putting it on a nice Sabre body. Funnily enough the neck on my mate's Tony Levin 5 is a much shallower affair & much more acceptable. G.

The 2 pups on a P bass should be wired in series to get the mids-bump typical of the sound. If I remember, some of these old Satellites had DiMarzio pups which may indeed approach that figure. If it has poles adjustable via Allen Key, then it's possibly a Dimarzio. You can also wire each pup independently to vol & earth, but wiring in parallel will fundamentally change the tone, giving a mids-scooped sound quite unlike the standard P Bass tone, although it can also be quite attractive. G.

Maybe mix up some Araldite & get it under the join so it'll set the big tab solid - I don't think superglue will do this, but I'm sure Araldite will - bloody messy to use, tho'. G.