Sean

Don't kid yourself that the differences are few. One is mass produced, the other hand built by a master luthier in Yamaha's custom shop in Japan. It's not just wood treatments that differentiate the two ranges. There's a world of difference and it's outlined and detailed in a few threads. Hand selected woods, better species of wood, high quality paint finish, better fret job etc. The BB202x basses are absolutely exquisite pieces of kit and are built to extremely high standards and are at least the equivalent of Sadowsky, Masterbuilt Fender, Sei etc. my two are the best instruments I've ever played bar none. They're also very good value for what they are and mega-bargains used. The BB102x basses are excellent mid-priced instruments and compare well with Lakland Skyline series and similar. Nice instruments but wouldn't pass the blindfold test.

Yes, they are the same pickups.

I thought they were £200 for the pair?

Zombie thread alert! The new super BB pickups will be a superb upgrade. If you contact Yamaha, they are usually pretty helpful with this: Contact details as below and the bass guy there is Alex (can't remember his surname. Sherbourne House, Sherbourne Dr, Tilbrook, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK7 8BL 01908 366700

It's well known that Keith Richards used to use Mesa cabs just as shelf for his Fender Twins. Pricey amp stand but looks cool on stage!

[quote name='ironside1966' timestamp='1400531641' post='2454772'] I mixed this track using Cubase 7.5 and monitored using headphones. The first thing I did with the tracks was to set the input gain so that I hit the meter at around -12db I did this to most of the tracks unless there is a reason not to, like a high noise floor or a very quiet track. Then I got a rough mix. [b]Drums: [/b] The drums were enhanced with samples from Steven Slates drums. Just to be clear enhanced, not replaced. A trick I often use to add weight to a kick drum is, trigger a sub kick part from a multi sampled drum library such as BFD or Steven slate drums. I also use the PSP Mix Saturator to add a little thickness to the bass and kick drum but you need to use very sparingly and only a little is needed. be careful with the sub sample it may cause phase problems, reverse the phase and see if it sounds better. FX on drums consisted of Valhalla Vintage Verb - Fat drums preset and a convolution verb of a wooden church which was then heavily compressed then fed into a drum master buss I used that like I would room mic's . [b]Bass: [/b] Nothing special apart from the PSP Mix Saturator to add a little thickness and an extra compressor side chained and triggered by the kick. [b]Guitars: [/b] Nothing special again although I added a couple of tracks of my own and all sent to a bus with a SSL type compressor and extra compressor side chained and triggered by the vocal, both only taking a couple of db off. then sent to reverb 1 [b]Vocals: [/b] The chain used was A DBX 160 type compressor set at 4 - 1 but with about 3db of gain reduction, Esq. slight boost between 100hz and 200hz a dip around 500hz and a shelf boost at 5kh to add air. I also used saturation to give the vocal more attitude. [b]Vocals FX: [/b] reverb 1 a medium tiled room Reverb 2 A EMT250 type set at around 1.7seconds with a 70 second pre delay Delay 1 - set for ADT Delay 2 tempo synced at 1\4 All tracks have a high pass filter and many have a LPF also. I use tape saturation on quite a lot of tracks but it's very subtle it helps the tracks to gel together better. Hope this is some help [/quote] Please could you explain the bass compression triggered by the kick? Does the compression happen momentarily while the kick is played? What's the thinking behind this and how do you do it?

Also make sure you send it insured. I sold a bass amp once and it arrived damaged, the guy got a quote for it to be fixed and I paid it was all sorted out although the repair job came to more than I sold it for. Buyer was an ungrateful oik too.

[quote name='No lust in Jazz' timestamp='1400061987' post='2450273'] Sorry for going of topic, but.. Could someone explain the use of the term 'heft'? I've seen it a few times in relation to amplifiers I still don't understand what its being used to describe. [/quote] It's a term I use and appreciate and to me the amps with big transformers that supply high currents continuously rather than in bursts, have heft. This is particularly true of the classic valve amps like the SVT, 400+ and GT200 and what you just can't and don't achieve with things like the Genz Benz products. They both hit the same SPLs but there's a tangible difference to the quality of the sound. I'm sure there's someone on here who could explain the physics. One isn't better than the other, just different. The WA has a certain amount of heft but it's left behind by the 400+ at the same SPL. It's difficult to explain something that I can only feel and don't understand the physics of properly :-)

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1399819825' post='2447971'] I had a Walkabout for while - didn't get on with it at all and sold it very quickly. Sounded a bit flat and wooly to me, especially in combo format [/quote] You sold it to me! And I think it's the best combo ever! I can get it to sizzle and don't find it all wooly. Although, it transforms when it goes through a big sensitive cab, it's amazing. I think all this just goes to show how incredibly subjective tone is and why we should all do the TalkBass thing and use YMMV more often (not)! Now then, while we're on the subject of wooly, I had an Ashdown once and that was so wooly it make my skin itch and I had to wash it at 30 Deg and not tumble dry! :-D

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1399978486' post='2449487'] No, I think you might not have understood what I mean. As far as I know, all of the posts are from people who HAVE tried BF cabinets, in some way/form, eg bass bash, gigs, home vs other cabs, all of these, etc etc. [/quote] I've re-read what I posted a few times and I think you've misunderstood me. Just to clarify, I was saying that those who pass negative comments about BF cabs (or any gear, really) WITHOUT having any experience of them are unreasonable. Anyone who HAS tried them and doesn't like them is just like me when it comes to Harley Davidsons, they just don't like them and have made a judgement based on experience, which in my book is just fine. I don't think I'll ever be a BF fanboy, nowhere near as I'd have to make room and my Yamaha obsession won't allow it :-)

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1399971977' post='2449390'] I don't think this applies to anyone in this thread, sorry.I also think this is exactly the attitude that winds people up, and means the thread gets heated. This in turn leads to people thinking: 'Right, I'll say exactly what I think'. This leads to more problems! [/quote] They already say exactly what they think, which was the point I was making about people giving their strong opinions on something they haven't tried. I wasn't saying that everyone who passes negative comment on BF is an idiot, just the ones who do so without having the experience of the products their commenting on. And that's my prejudiced hypocritical opinion based on having not met the posters. The heated threads were the ones that drew my attention to the cabs anyway so it's all good for business. Maybe some winking smilies would have changed the tone I intended. And the "drivel" comment was self-deprecatory for those who didn't spot that. Would you like me to spell "condescending" for you?! < as is that.

Phone Watford Vales and ask for Derek. He knows stuff. He'll put you right. He does it for a living and people who play valve amps for a living take advice from him. He's not God (Billy Sheehan is) but he'll give you some very good pointers.

I love my Big Twin 2. Not had it long but it's the best cab I've ever had. Why did I get interested in BF? Mainly because anything that generates such passionate polar responses has to be worth checking out. So, if you look at it like I do, then the haters drew my attention to Barefaced and made the products even more compelling than a bunch of fanboys with no opposition and no balancing comment ever could alone. I had to form my own opinion before making comment and in the process found a cab that performs way better than anything else I've used. The whole small specialist British business thing was also compelling but I wouldn't buy British unless it was better than anything foreign made even though I always try to when possible. I just haven't managed to find many UK built basses I liked enough to stick with. As for those who pass comment and judgement without having experienced the products themselves, I can't take them seriously, they're idiots and a disgrace to the other people who post drivel on internet bulletin boards (which is what we used to call forums back in the day).

Corona pop bottle crates. Every bubble's passed it's fizz-icle! I used to use Cresta crates but it made my sound too frothy, man.

He's got a lot going on. Still doing repairs though.

I watched Metallica:Through the Never today and really enjoyed it. What an amazing stage show and I loved the story that was cut into it and the fact that just like in Pulp Fiction you never actually find out what the McGuffin is. Yes, it was cheesy but a fabulous production nonetheless; this is entertainment after all. I'm glad they're doing Glastonbury and I'm really glad some bland rubbish British band with a strictly root note bass player isn't headlining :-D

I liked the one that sounded like what the song sounded like in my head and what I tried to achieve but couldn't get near. Mix 6.

I liked the one that sounded like what the song sounded like in my head and what I tried to achieve but couldn't get near. Mix 6.

The WB through my BFBT2 is way louder than I would ever need and would be too loud for an unmic'd drum kit to compete with but as WoT points out, it's not about clean headroom, it's a filthy little amp. The WB is a different animal completely to the TH500, it's actually more comparable to valve amps in the way it behaves and sounds. I absolutely love it. Almost as much as my 400+.

The awesome Mesa Walkabout is AB. Small amp, huge heft. I've run mine through a Barefaced BT2 and it's incredible, it has so much heft.

Tolex? Is that a special or an option?

Can't wait to hear 'em! Stench Trench!

This thread comes up every few years.

I agree, I've been in bands with guitarists that will only play what they can play and won't play anything that requires them to learn a new technique, like skanking on an upstroke or learning what they deem to be "jazz chords". I also agree that a lot of these folk lack stamina and consequently try to come up with alternative guitar parts to the songs. You can easily spot these people as they refer to "rhythm guitarists" and "lead guitarists", when someone asks me whether I play lead or rhythm guitar, I usually answer by telling them that I play whatever the song needs at that time. They're also the people who when they see/hear me playing bass usually tell me that I'd be good enough to be a guitarist.

Yes, it's still available for anyone to have a go. Just pm Douglas :-)