geilerbass

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='196619' date='May 11 2008, 06:24 PM']TBH of the 'off-the-shelf' models the Dolphin and Infinity (excepting the Stryker & Buzzard which are hardly 'off the shelf' models) are the most expensive I believe. You are right though that the Thumb & Stage II follow these up.[/quote] I think the NT Vampyre is up with the Dolphin and Infinity in terms of price - or am I getting confused here...

[quote name='Viajero' post='196209' date='May 10 2008, 08:13 PM']What sparked this off, by the way, is playing a thru-neck fretless Thumb 5 from the mid-90s. Blew me away, but I couldn't afford the price tag. I saw some prices on new gear, and wondered what I might be missing out on in the cheaper models.[/quote] Be aware that the newer top-end Warwicks, while amazing instruments, lack the awe value that late 90's and older models had. You may try some of the new ones and think they're even better, but I know for a lot of people the newer basses don't quite match the older models and this is significant when you're spending up to and above £2k. If you try some newer ones and find a particular model that you like, but aren't quite as blown away as you were by the Thumb you tried, it would be well worth trying to track down an older model second hand, as I think you'd get better value and be more satisfied with your purchase.

My best live sound (that I've been able to hear) has been my current, and pretty much only live set-up: Trace Elliott AH350SMX into a David Eden D210T. Tight, fat and with plenty of mid and top to keep the bass audible amongst the terrible racket that the guitarists and drummer make. Looks like we may be playing some bigger gigs in the not too distant future and I'm concerned that my poor Eden won't be able to take the pounding, so I'm thinking (regretably) about maybe trading it in for something more potent.

It sounds as though most people on here just love playing full stop - that's very encouraging. I have to admit that I'm of the same thinking. I'm very particular when it comes to listening to music for enjoyment but I've found, rather bizarrely, that I'm happy playing pretty much anything when it comes to playing in a band. I've been in a few bands in my time, playing quite a lot of different things, much of which I have had little interest in listening to and yet have got great enjoyment out of playing. Right now, I feel I'm in a good position in that the three bands I'm in all play music that is both amazingly satisfying to play and great to listen to. So in that respect, I have managed to retain my musical integrity. That said, if the call came to be Girls Aloud's touring bass player, I'd sell out in second...

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='193110' date='May 6 2008, 05:24 PM']yeah, its just the feel of the thing. Having said that I was fortuanate to pick up a very good P bass so i think they are both in similar leauges. but both can do different things which is what is important for me. With the neck pup on full and the bass preamp up full the warwick doesnt get close to the very low lows that the P can do, but it you can actually hear the top end and it has better definition in the mids. I really cannot believe Warwickhunt was trying to sell this bass on the forum at the price he was for 6 months and no-one took it. your loss, my gain! I now have a very german set up, Streamer into Hughes ad kettner Q600 into Tech Soundsystems CT-200 2x12. Better than a Mercedes or BMW! Todays discovery is that I can actually play slap bass![/quote] I totally agree about the feel - it's a real intangible thing, as I think I waxed lyrical about in another thread. They're just a joy to play and have such shape and definition to the sound. I can't believe Warwickhunt was unable to sell an SS1 at the price he was offering either - but for some reason, the market is real bad for Warwicks right now.

Great acquisition! Those old Warwicks are where it's at. If one of the first basses you ever tried was an old-school Thumb, then you will no doubt have been yearning for something in the same league.

[quote name='stoo' post='190693' date='May 2 2008, 04:31 PM'][url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=1267&doy=2m5"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?Module...267&doy=2m5[/url] There's also a few more options on their site and some others on the [url="http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=retrieveTfg&Ne=4294958147&Nr=AND%28avl%3auk%2csearchDiscon_uk%3aN%29&N=4294965429+4294954259+4294905240+4294895739&binCount=54&selectAttribute=Cable%20Mount#breadCrumb"]RS Electronics site[/url] A couple of minutes and a wee dab of solder and should all work fine.... [/quote] Cool! Thanks. Now I need to find someone with a solder...

[quote name='stoo' post='190550' date='May 2 2008, 02:19 PM']Could you not just get a small patch cable made up with a plug on one end and a socket on t'other? Then fix the transmitter to yer strap or something...??[/quote] That's something I've thought of... but I've no clue as to where to get a patch cable with a socket on one end - they only seem to come as plug to plug. Any ideas?

I've used one of these for several years now and have had no complaints: - [url="http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/airline-bass/70880"]http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/airline-bass/70880[/url] It sounds great and has an amazing reception range - you can literally go out of your house and get half way down the street before it starts to cut out. Make sure you get the right transmitter though - there are two, one designed for side-on jack sockets (like a Warwick, for example) and one for Fender Strat style recessed jacks. I've got the former, which fits my Streamer great, though sadly, won't fit with my new Ibanez, so I'm back wired until I can get a transmitter that fits...

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='189621' date='May 1 2008, 11:59 AM']Next time I'm the area, I'm going to go in there and ask them if they realise what the perception of them is. I'm going to be polite, but I'll put them on the spot and ask them why they're so unfriendly. I will report back.[/quote] Oh I'd LOVE to hear how they respond to that. Good work dude!

[quote name='lowhand_mike' post='189520' date='May 1 2008, 10:23 AM']+1 for bass cellar being sh*te! simone was ace and fortunately when i was trying basses and settled on the ibby she was working there, the shop across the road had bass amps that i wanted to try and she happily took the ibby from the cellar over to the other shop (cant remember name) they were obviously connected but those guys in there now would never do something like that, nobs. Strangely enough the guys in the 'other' shop were actually ok if a little uninterested but at least they let you try stuff with out making you feel a nuisance. i work about 5 mins away from there but very rarely go there cos of the sh*tty attitude. i remeber going to denmark street years ago (well before i worked in london) and it was actually a nice place to visit, this was when the bass cellar was in the cellar where the drum place was.[/quote] +1 to all this. Simone (I assume it's the same person I'm thinking of) was actually very friendly and helpful - a complete contrast to the old guy who used to work there (and who, I heard, suddenly dropped dead in the shop one day) so it's a shame she's no longer working there. Similarly, I recall them being far more helpful, waaaay back when it actually was a cellar.

Sorry to hear that - though if it's any consolation, I can think of only a handful of gigs that I've played where I've been able to hear myself even slightly. I played a show in Madrid last week and due to the construction of the stage, every hit of the bass drum and every low note on the bass caused huge reverberations, such that the onstage sound become a wall of muddy low end - I struggled to pick out any clarity in my sound, even after they pumped up the mids and highs of the bass through the monitors. That said, I was told that it sounded great through the PA. If you can take your own amp, then that's always a boon. I actually use a Trace Elliott head and have found my sound to be sooooo much better the few timest that I've got to use it live, rather than borrowing someone elses. The other thing you could maybe do is get hold of a Sansamp, or something similar and DI straight into the PA.

Here we go again with one of my favourite subjects... I'll never cease to be amazed by how much contempt the (B)Ass Cellar seems to show to their potential patrons. Astounding how unrepresentative of the bass playing world that shop is. I've experienced friendliness and enthusiasm in Wunjo, but they don't have a particularly big range of basses and I've never really found anything in there to take my fancy.

The song Mirage, by the band To-Mera

Back from my trip to Spain and glad to report that my bass survived the trip without problems! Hooray! I put it in my new Warwick Rockcase, which, while being heavy turned out to be incredibly robust and kept my little baby safe during the flight. In comparison, one of our guitarist's moulded plastic hard cases had a chunk chipped out of the corner, by the time it arrived in Spain - fortunately no damage to his beloved LTD baritone guitar. I slacked off the strings as suggested and when it came to getting it out of it's case, I got it back in tune without any need for truss rod adjustment. It also seems to have arrived back over here in one piece. Thanks for all your great advice and suggestions!

This is a relatively common question and from my own experience and what I've read from other people, soundwise, pretty much anything goes. Some metal types use Precisions, loads of metal types use Spectors or Warwicks, others go for Ibanez, some Music Man. Metal is such a broad genre, that it totally depends on what sound you're going for. Looks-wise, if you're in a death metal band, you might opt for a B.C Rich to get that truly 'pointy' look. I think B.C. Rich basses look awesome, but have found the spikyness to be a bit of a hinderance playing-wise, but if looks were most important, I'd have to work around it!

My brief request for information has turned into a hardcase discussion - excellent! Thanks for all the great advice and suggestions. Those Pelican cases do look good, though sadly, I can't afford one right now and I'm flying on Wednesday, so wouldn't be able to get it in time, even if I could... As it happens, I was in the Gallery earlier today, buying some strings and enquired on the off-chance that they had anything beyond the usual Hiscox and Bass Safe... as it turned out, they had a used (albeit almost new) Warwick flightcase. I've never come across these before, but it looks pretty damn robust - propper aluminium frame and very solid coated wooden sides. It's also stuffed full of soft foam, so will fit my Ibanez snugly without the need to put additional foam in. Best of all it was £60, which seems very cheap for the quality of the case. Well, it might turn out to be a turkey but, while not in the same league as the Pelican cases, it appears far more robust than the Hiscox cases (if bloody heavy!) so I'm throwing my chips in with this one. It even came with a bag of silica gel, to reduce moisture...

We're flying with Easyjet, so I would think the chances of getting instruments put in the cabin are very slim to none. But I'll give it a shot anyway. coasterbass - your tale of airport security bass discussion made me smile. It's funny when bassists end up meeting each other in the most unlikely of scenarios.

[quote name='The Burpster' post='178824' date='Apr 17 2008, 01:47 PM']Yep... [url="http://www.peliproducts.co.uk/"]http://www.peliproducts.co.uk/[/url] Be sat down tho' thy're f**king expensive! I have few smaller ones for shooting equipment. Tale of caution that a mate of mine (pro photographer) tells of Peli cases. They are more likely to 'go missing' because the handlers know ether is someting of value in them.[/quote] Thanks for that... though right now, they're probably out of my budget Maybe something for the future... An interesting point about them more likely to go missing. Kind of follows the psychology of not locking your case - if it's locked then there's more likely to be something worthwhile inside...

[quote name='johnnylager' post='178735' date='Apr 17 2008, 12:19 PM']There's your answer - gits, keys and their owners in the hold, leaving room for bass on plane. Sorted.[/quote] That's generally the answer to everything!

[quote name='coasterbass' post='178763' date='Apr 17 2008, 12:46 PM']Copy of my post from another thread: I use Pelican cases for serious (ie. plane hold) travel. They are absolutely indestructable, you can cut the internal foam to suit any bass which means nothing moves around inside, they have wheels, and they have pressure valves on the side in case of any in-flight nastiness. The US army use them to transport weapons, and do air-drops with kit inside these!! [url="http://pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1750"]http://pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1750[/url] [url="http://pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1720"]http://pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1720[/url] They crop up on ebay quite a bit, and at least you know they'll arrive safely if you buy internationally!![/quote] I was looking at these before - is there anywhere else you can get them apart from ebay? They look perfect, but I'm I'd rather get them direct from a supplier rather than using ebay.

Thanks for all the replies - that's really useful! I have a Hiscox flight case, which I'm going to stuff with foam and will try the silica gel thing. Hopefully that should be sufficient protection. I was reading another thread on here and it sounded as though the general consensus was not to lock the case. Probably a good idea since Hiscoxs have their own key locking mechanism and if they did decide they need to look inside, they'll end up busting the case to get in. Unfortunately, i don't think we'd have the option of putting anything in the cabin since in addition to my two basses there will be 2 guitars and 2 keyboards. I doubt there'd be enough cabin room for all that. The aclimatising thing is a good suggestion and since we arrive on Wednesday night, yet won't be playing till the following night, it should have ample to time to aclimatise before the gig. Got to remember to pack those allen keys though. Now you mention it, -30 does sound ridiculous.

This might sound like a paranoid question, but I am flying to Spain next week for a 4 date tour and called up my insurance people to check that my policy would cover that. One thing the guy pointed out was that if my bass was flying in the hold, it would be subject to very low temperatures (-30 C?) and this can adversely affect some instruments. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience of this, or whether it's just a myth? The only things I can think of are the neck tension being adjusted or perhaps some finishes being affected, though that's just speculation. Obviously there's the risk of baggage handlers mistreating the bass if they do a security check, though there's little I can do about that. Thanks in advance for any advice.