BB2000

Haven't seen GHS Precisions mentioned in the thread - they're pretty nice. They are the flats that ship on Laklands.

[quote name='obbm' post='92670' date='Nov 22 2007, 12:35 PM']As long as you buy 10 off you can get that sort of price but if you only want one then you are going to pay a good deal more, especially when you include VAT and carriage and VAT on the carriage. If anyone wants just one of either the straight or right-angle silent jacks then pm me.[/quote] Yes, of course that's true. I tend to buy these several dozen at a time - anyone just wanting a couple of leads would be as well buying them ready made from someone like yourself.

I think the last batch I got were from rapid. Just checked - they're £4.08 inc. VAT (£3.47 exc) (10+ from Rapid). However, I must have got them somewhere else since they don't have the right angle ones (RX-AU-silent) and I bought some of these as well. In any case £8 for the planet ones is a bit mutch.

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='92543' date='Nov 22 2007, 08:44 AM']The circuit breaker cables aren't expensive compared to other top-quality cables. They are currently listed at £23 for a 20' one with angled jack from stringsdirect.co.uk. All the different ones available seem to be here: [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/Catalogue/default.aspx?categoryId=295"]<a href="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/Catalogue/default.aspx?categoryId=295" target="_blank">http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/Catalogue/d...?categoryId=295[/url]</a> The Plug on its own is £8 though if you want to make your own.[/quote] £8 - that's a bit steep. Neutrik do a silent jack (NP2C-AU-Silent) that usually retails for about £3.50.

It's 500K linear with a DPDT switch. If you've difficulty sourcing one give me a shout. [quote name='Peaty' post='87211' date='Nov 12 2007, 11:03 AM']Hi bass chatters Can any tell me what is the impedance values of the push pull pot used in the steamer 1 (part no M84500) I am guessing 500k ohm based on the part no. but if anyone knows for certain please let me know, also is this likely to be log or linear taper. Does any one have any recommendations as to where would be the best place to get one in the UK. thanks Pete[/quote]

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='91898' date='Nov 20 2007, 11:04 PM']However, as Warwickhunt pointed out, sometimes those differences are felt rather than heard so maybe the benefit is felt in the playing of the bass rather than heard in the sound of it??[/quote] I've never given much thought to that, but it's probably very true. One of the reasons I like my MK1 Wall's is because the plane of the finger board (and hence the strings) are quite far from the body (something that would require quite a ramp to the fingerboard on a neck through). I think that this in some way makes it easy to play (for me at least).

[quote name='eude' post='91528' date='Nov 20 2007, 03:12 PM']I prefer bolt-on's sound wise, and they're cheaper [/quote] I don't think that's true nowadays, a lot of high end basses are bolt on (I guess Wall is the obvious example).

[quote name='dood' post='91462' date='Nov 20 2007, 01:34 PM']I own an original 80's Fender Power Jazz Bass Special and the stock models do not feature piezos. I am not familiar with any newer versions that do. However, the bridge pup on mine is awesome, even with the now rather 'long in the tooth' onboard electronics. I have no need for a 4 string, but i LOVE this bass. I wanted one as soon as I knew I wanted to play Bass. Took me over 17 years to finally buy one, but they are a steal on ebay these days. Anyway, back to the point.. piezos can be useful for a good natural sound, but to be honest with you, I can get far clearer ringing harmonics from standard magnetic pups over and above that of my bass with piezos alone. I guess this could vary from bass to bass. My 7er with EMGs can sound clear harmonics right up to the 2nd fret.. mebbe there's a bit of technique involved in there too though.[/quote] I think the ones I had in mind were only reduced last year - I guess they've recycled the name. It's just something I thought I'd look into. I've no problems picking out harmonics on any of my jazz's or on my P/J type basses, but on the P the placement isn't great for anything above the 5th fret. Although I don't use harmonics a lot, it would be kinda nice to have the option. One reason that I don't just drop in a bridge PUP is that I've started playing some stuff with a pick (after nearly 30 years using fingers only, although I started with a pick) and I find a bridge PUP gets in the way.

You seem to have taken offence at my comment - I can only assume that you have misinterpreted me because that was not my intent (and if I've misinterpreted the tone of your response I do appologise ...). [quote name='wateroftyne' post='91534' date='Nov 20 2007, 03:15 PM']Herbie Flowers & Carol Kaye? Yeah.. it must be nice just to to turn up at the studio with a B15 fliptop. Unfortunately I have more than the studio to contend with, so my requirements get a little more complex.[/quote] I mean their attitude to the tools of their trade. And as an aside Herbie may be best known for his studio work but I sincerely hope you live long enough to play as much live gigs as he has under his belt. I saw him last a couple of years back on one of 'an evening with' concerts. Out he came with his 36 year old bass, fitted with 36 year old strings, carrying a small combo that must have been built by the Romans and which woudn't have fetched 50p in a charity shop. And of course he sounded fantastic. [quote name='wateroftyne' post='91534' date='Nov 20 2007, 03:15 PM']I have/had a very specific list of requirements for practical reasons, and I ended up with an amp that is far from in vogue (the Warwick). I did look at many others, but they virtually everything lacked one thing or another which would just niggle me.[/quote] That's great, but going back to the original intent of this thread (and the reason for my last post) how much of your audience would notice the difference between your AI and your Warwick, and do you think there would really be a consensus that one was better than the other? (In the same vain many many of would notice when you fluff a line?) In the overall picture I'd say it makes no difference to the audience. I've played in large folk type bands not unlike yourself where an audience probably wouldn't notice if I didn't turn up. In the context of this thread, I stand by my previous message, and my advice to the original poster. I disagree with all those advising him to buy a LMII - fine though that amp is. For most people £450 is a lot of money, and at 17 years old he probably doesn't have to much going spare (and no I'm not trying to be condescending). Since he doesn't have cabs that money would be better spent on a 2nd hand amp such as the £199 T-Max I pointed out earlier. For another £50 each he could probably pick up a used Ashdown Mag 115 and Mag 210. Another £50 could go on decent cables and a bag to store his gigging kit. That would leave £100 for his most important purchase (assume he hasn't already bought some already) - lessons. Such a rig may be looked down upon by some on the board searching for some 'ultimate tone' but it's the best advice this old fart can give him.

To be honest, above a few hundred pounds there are very few really bad (sounding) amps. It seems to be in the nature of 'hobby' bassists to fret to much about their gear, whereas in fact the law of diminishing return soon sets in. We are also prone, as a group, to accepting (and indeed creating) hype about a particular product or brand. As someone with a professional interest in circuit design, I'm prone to reverse engineering any amp that comes my way. Doing this has taught me that price is no guarantee of quality, and that in some cases highly feted (by worthies in popular forums) amps are in fact very poorly designed (leading to the conclusion that they have been designed by someone who doesn't really know what they're doing). This is even more apparent in bass cabinets! But still - in the main most amps get the job done, and we'd probably be better of taking a lead from the likes of Herbie Flowers, Carol Kaye and the like and putting our effort into more productive things other than tweaking gear.

[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' post='91242' date='Nov 20 2007, 07:58 AM']Only ever owned bolt-on, but when I've tried a through neck they felt and played just fine. Funny this topic came up as I had a dream last night about a neck with inset nuts that catch the bolts as they poke through the body giving a much tighter fit. If the neck needs shimming then slim copper washers are dropped over the bolts. You have firm metal to metal contact at the joint. Bet it's already been done... What an utterly sad git eh? [/quote] Wall and others use threaded inserts in the neck. I've modified a Fender and a G&L (with serious dead spot problems) to have this with good results.

[quote name='sk8' post='91285' date='Nov 20 2007, 09:42 AM']I’ve got a Honher bass with 2 EMG select Jazz pickups. I’m really after a P bass sound I think but buying a P has been frowned on by my better half! I can get quite a good deep sound by having the front pickup at full volume and backing off the bridge a touch and running the tone full. I’m after a dirtier darker tone and wondered whether swapping the EMGs out for Wizzard 84’s might provide this or do I have to start begging for a P!!! Thanks in advance[/quote] Wire your PUPS in series.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='91259' date='Nov 20 2007, 08:50 AM']BB2000... ta for that. Are you saying the SD800 doesn't run out of steam like I've experienced on other switching amps? Would it thump me in the chest like the Genz, Eden, Warwick and Ampeg heads I've used? (genuine question, not sarcasm!).[/quote] Possibly, but what I'm trying to say is that because an amp has a SMPS, a class-D output stage, or both, doesn't mean that it suffers from a lack of punch. Next time you're setting up somewhere with a decent FOH rig grab the soundman and see if they use any of the large crown (or qsc or whatever) amps (all the large ones will use SMPS supplies). If they do play straight through them and see if you notice a lack of punch FOH. If you do I'll eat my underpants. I mentioned the SD800 because if you do a side by side with the LMII you'll notice that it has a lot more thump than the LMII (despite being class-D). Having said that I don't think you would like it (based on my understanding of your preferred sound) because it's not at all a `tubey' sounding amp (sounds quite different to the LMII - more 'articulate'). I think something like a UL902 would be more up your street tonewise.

One isn't any better than the other, but of all the basses I have I'd say that it's easier to pick a clear strong harmonic on a neck through, but that the bolt-on's probably have more punch. Downsides of the neck through ones is that if you suffer from a dead spot it can be hard to find a work around, whereas you can often figure something out with a bolt on (replacing the neckscrews with brass inserts and bolts often cures this). Neck through's are also a sod to repair if you damage the neck.

Thanks Jean-Luc - the piezo saddles are quite expensive, perhaps I'll take advantage of Thomman's return policy and try a power jazz to see if such a bridge would actually do what I want before going further.

[quote name='Rumble' post='91050' date='Nov 19 2007, 07:45 PM']I'm with WOT on this one. I've owned a LM head and have never regretted selling it. Sure it was damn loud and very portable, but I know exactly what WOT (that just sounds all wrong!) means when he talks about the compressed type sound. For £400 I replaced the LM with an Eden WT400 which I still have and which I still love. I know it's horses-for-courses, but I just don't get the Markbass hype.[/quote] I don't think WoT was suggesting that the LMII is a bad amp. The fact is you shoudn't condemn a design technology because of particular implementations. The tradeoff's that the amp designer makes in the design and implementation determines the performance of the amp. Using smps technology does *not* result in amplifiers that have a lack of punch. Some amps on the market using smps technology do have a lack of punch (te focus that WoT has is one of them) but that is due to the design and implementation. For technical reasons pretty much all commercial PA bass drivers use smps and class-D technology. Have you experienced a lack of punch at every concert you've heard recently? Of course not. It's the design and implementation decisions made by the designer that WoT is hearing - not inherent deficiencies in smps or class-D. Have a listen to some other smps amps - compare the markbass sd800 to the LMII (or focus) for example - to hear how the implementation affects the sound.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='90837' date='Nov 19 2007, 02:27 PM']I've noticed this on other Class D amps I've used, as well.[/quote] The LMII isn't a class-D amp (it has a conventional linear output stage) so it's not any class-D related thing you're hearing there. You could be detecting the difference in the way a linear supply and a smps behaves under load. It is possible to make a smps behave pretty much like an analogue one, but I don't know if any of the bass amp manufacturers do this (Andy of Genz Benz suggests he does). Some of them seem to have enough problems trying to get their smps designs working at all (EA) ...

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='90474' date='Nov 18 2007, 08:48 PM']My experience of 'em, including the LMII, is that they have an almost compressed response when you're thumping around the the low end at volume. It's a pleasant, useable tone, but... I like the thump. It's a tradeoff, but I can live with the weight. Of course, Italki should try before he buys if possible.[/quote] AFAIK the LMII has a built in compressor/limiter that's always in circuit.

There's a used Peavey T-Max at the bass centre for under £200.

The electronics wouldn't be a problem - I'd build that myself and (probably) provide the supply via the jack. I just don't know what these piezo bridges sound like, or if they're effective at picking up harmonics. The guitars that have then usually have some blurb about providing an 'acoustic' sound, but that can mean anything. In any case I thought the bridge on the power jazz (or something similar) would be available from fishman, but I can't see any bass bridges on their site. You mention the TRB5P - does the TRB4P have a piezo bridge? I might be able to have a play with one of those ...

Anyone familiar with it? Or piezo bridges in general. One thing I miss on the P is the inability of the PUP to pick up a lot of harmonics (when playing them - think 'Portrait of Tracy'). Would a piezo bridge such as the one on the power jazz pick these up? I know I could drop in a jazz PUP at the bridge but don't want to do that.

[quote name='italki' post='90443' date='Nov 18 2007, 07:50 PM']Thanks, seemed like sound advice. Im 17. Yeah I agree im after a good tone. I like the look of that MarkBass LMII. What cab would that go nicely with? ~Cheers[/quote] You're 17 - ampeg 8x10's were built for chaps like you! If you're still in school, or have access to woodworking tools, build your own and save some cash. Do a search for Omni 10.5 on the board. If you make it 8 ohm you can add another one (or two if your head can drive 2ohms) later. For the money you spend on it, you won't get anything better. Seriously.

[quote name='italki' post='90450' date='Nov 18 2007, 07:59 PM']Thanks very much, I am listning to all suggestions as you all know so much more than me. Whats that head like? [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8554"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8554[/url] I could have that for £350. Is that a good price? Cheers[/quote] With the rack and shipping, I'd say that's a very fair price, and it's a very good head.