Lfalex v1.1

Hmm. I'd go for a bridgeable stereo power amp. They're produced by all the big manufacturers. Look for; [b]Speakon outputs [/b](almost an industry standard now) [b]Bridgeability[/b] into 4ohm (mono) loads from 2x2ohm stereo operation. This gives you the option of Stereo, Bi-amp and (High power) Mono use) [b]Output / Thermal protection [/b](from shorts, open loads and overheating-Cooling Fans are usually variable speed and thermostatically controlled) [b]Some sort of High pass filter.[/b] Common available settings are off/30Hz/50Hz. This can help preserve amplifier power and reduce the risk of driver damage by limiting the lower frequency output of the system. Sounds counter-intuitive, but it works. Various weight, size, class and power outputs are available!

Herbie Rules! I'm not a great fan of the relic concept unless you did a DIY job over the course of 30 years or so. That'd make it a [i]real[/i] relic, but I do quite like that. Always wanted a a V/T V/T jazz, and meant to do it to my Squire VMJ, but haven't got around to it.

Mostly, mine are okay. The natural Wenge or Ovangkol of the Warwicks is unfinished, and doesn't seem to suffer. Status is still just shiny! Vigier, Yamaha and Westone are heavily painted, and stay smooth and fast, even when sweaty.

And if you have a Trace head with the good 'ol EQ balance knob, bypass the graphic and use that. Subtle but effective, especially with light use of the on-board compressor.

Am I the only person thinking that that particular colour scheme needs a big "GULF" (petroleum) Logo stuck on it. Then it'd look like a GT40 / 917 / Racing Aston Martin...

[b]Anyway, does it really matter?[/b] [b][i]Well it's good if people are able to make an informed choice - which I hope is rather the point of forums like this[/i][/b] A possible response to both of these (perfectly valid) points is to; [i]Measure[/i] your current set-up meticulously. [b]EXPERIMENT[/b] like a mad professor Make notes / take measurements as you go to determine what alterations and variables affect what aspects of tone/feel/playability. Revert back to your original set-up (as described by the first set of measurements) if you want or need to. I think that what I'm driving at is that experience can be a good teacher in this endeavour. Any changes you make are semi-permanent and can be undone with relative ease, provide that you are careful. During the course of typing this, I've come to realise that it would be of use to formulate a consistent set of measurements to describe "SET-UP" This might include (and it's not an all inclusive list by any means) Pick-up height / angles Break angle at nut/saddle for each string Saddle heights Neck relief & String heights at various points along the neck - 12th fret, last fret etc. and so on...

[quote name='owen' post='532505' date='Jul 4 2009, 04:32 PM']Devious stuff![/quote] The Warwick Infinity SNs are made this way. It gives them a barely discernable join that only the player can see if they look down whilst playing. Edit- For Infinites being Zebrano rather than Cocobolo. Zebrano sounds and looks good, though;

Still like ASATs best...

[quote name='Spartacus' post='528990' date='Jun 30 2009, 07:18 PM']Fender still charge £1000+ on basses with cut corners The Jag is still about £600 in the UK. How does it all work out? Did you change the active electronics cos I thought they would have been a very weak link.[/quote] I'd agree with that, based solely on my experience of trying a Marcus Miller Jazz. Super instrument, let down by a (powerful but) low quality EQ. Fender aren't the only guilty party here. In fairness, it's probably realistic to consider that [i]most[/i] factory fitted active EQs are not as good as they could be, and that a good aftermarket device will likely be better. There are exceptions, mainly instruments which employ "genuine" (rather than licensed) systems from Bartolini, Duncan, EMG and the other usual suspects. The other exceptions are more expensive boutique or custom instruments, which generally use the aftermarket systems or their own bespoke units. Edit - Nifty mods, BTW! It's nice to see examples when people take a good basic instrument and make something even better from it with sensible changes.

I've set my instruments up differently according to their intended uses and their strengths and weaknesses. Ibanez - Low as it can go for deliberate grinding, clanking and scraping. Jazz - Middle of the road for all-round playing Warwick Infinity - On the high side, as I've found it has a better tone. This one's weird. It's chambered, and if you wear it too high and tight, it seems to choke the body's resonant sound. Definitely a RockBass. Even though it's a Warwick Status Streamline - Left it alone! Could go lower, but there's really no need. Vigier - This one's difficult. It can go really low and plays brilliantly, but you just have to raise it a bit, looking for that extra something, and there it is! I also adjust all the pick-ups for even string to string output. If you have a high output instrument, try moving the pick-ups AWAY from the strings a bit. You may lose a little output, but the magnetic field "drag" on the strings lessens too, so sustain and tone improve

[quote name='Alien' post='527874' date='Jun 29 2009, 04:32 PM']Or worse, a toilet... A[/quote] Cats. Redifining the [i]Port[/i]-a-loo since Helmholtz resonators were devised! +1 for the 1153. Seconded by my feline, although for a different purpose.

[quote name='The_D' post='527855' date='Jun 29 2009, 04:08 PM']Yup. Never underestimate the power of shoddy connectors![/quote] Agreed. Put my Trace SMX out of action briefly (after 12 years, the cables from the power stage to the outputs had worked loose) Had it serviced, and all the connectors were (well and truly) soldered on. Not a peep since...

[quote name='Eight' post='525758' date='Jun 27 2009, 10:17 AM']If that's true - then surely it would apply to all guitars with wood+ebanol neck combinations?[/quote] Nope! Not this one. It doesn't have a truss-rod, either!!! Or this one, for that matter (but it does have a truss-rod) These have Phenolic Resin fretboards. Wiki it, and you'll discover that Ebanol/Ebonol/Phenolic 'boards are all much of a muchness. (Edit for quick thought) BOTH of these have painted necks. Maybe that's a contributory factor?

[quote name='Kongo' post='527243' date='Jun 28 2009, 11:26 PM']Got that right! My Will Power equiped P-bass will blow ANY of my actives out of the water![/quote] And my Will Power equipped Attitude slays all comers! If it ran any hotter, you could just plug it straight into a cab... Them DiMarzios is EVIL!

[quote name='chris_b' post='518714' date='Jun 19 2009, 06:34 PM']No.[/quote] Nearly "no" My one regret was that I didn't buy a Ken Smith VI in 1998. My then girlfriend said it was too expensive, and I listened to her. Last time I've done that. These days, new instruments just magically appear. I [i]resent[/i] the fact that one band I was in disintegrated, but that was beyond my immediate control...

[quote name='BigRedX' post='527727' date='Jun 29 2009, 01:50 PM']Also (not a criticism aimed at anyone - simply an observation) I find it fairly depressing that for many people claiming to produce original music their originality hasn't extended to their choice of instrument.[/quote] I agree absolutely. I also wonder if [i]less[/i] original musicians might also benefit from using more original instruments (?) I, like BRX am trying to gently ease my way away from the norm! To the tune of; Vigier Passion V Status Streamline IV with custom switching Yamaha Attitude BS sig 10th Anniversary Plus a handful of more regular instruments I'd definitely check out A Born to Rock (Haven't you got one of these, BRX?) A BassLab L-Bow (probably in Canary yellow with black hardware!) And in terms of allegedly) dubious aesthetic merit, A Musicman Bongo HH, also in some violent colour, with Black hardware and series/parallel/single coil switching. I think the reason that more diverse designs aren't more readliy adopted is their lack of availability. I, for one, won't buy what I haven't tried. Equally, retail outlets won't take the risk on stocking (often expensive) "weird" instruments that they may not be able to sell. It's a bit of a vicious circle...

Here's my pair; 2002 Infinity SN4 (Ovangkol Neck) 1997 Streamer LX (Wenge Neck, SD Basslines Soapbars)

With £2k-£2.5k to spend, why necessarily limit yourself to Jazz/Jazz clones/Super Jazzes or Warwicks alone? Don't get me wrong. I have 2 Jazzes, an Infinity SN4 and a Streamer LX6, and they're all great instruments. It's just that there's so much more out there as well. Do I HAVE to choose? Okay. Fender - either a MIA Deluxe P or a Roscoe Beck. Warwick - Streamer Jazzman or a $$ of some sort.

Lush. Always had a soft spot for Smiths. Never played a bad one. Wish my (ex!) Girlfriend hadn't moaned me into not buying a Smith 6 about 12 years ago. Bought a Streamer LX 6 instead, but I'm still more than likely to acquire a Smith at some point. Might not be a multi, though.

It [i]should[/i] be a fairly straightforward job. Some luthiers and manufacturers use hide glue to attach their 'boards, which makes for easy removal. Otherwise, Mr Router comes along and will chew it off!! The only catch comes with vintage instruments (and faithful re-issues), which might have a one-piece neck/fretboard and have their truss-rod inserted through a genuine "skunk stripe" in the back of the neck. I, too like Maple boards, but only my cheapest 2 basses have them (a Squier VMJ and an OLP MM3)

A lot of what I play tends to be in minor scales or pentatonic / blues, which tend to leave the middle finger a bit under-used. That said, I still use it for major scales (in the box), chromatic runs and passing notes- there's a lot of legitimate use for 1,2,3,4 or 1,2,3 on consecutive frets...

[quote name='alexclaber' post='513210' date='Jun 14 2009, 11:34 AM']I'd bridge a power amp into one or two Big Subs. No point bothering with a head when power amps get you more power for less money and the extra internal volume per driver of the Big One/Sub adds a lot of sensitivity in the lows. I'd recommend a power amp with high pass filter set at somewhere between 30 and 40Hz, that way you can push the cab(s) really hard without the driver bottoming out. Alex[/quote] A +1 to using High pass filters. (As I do on my QSC) Not only does it stop the drivers trying to produce stupidly low frequencies which are of little real world use, but it also effectively conserves amplifier power by keeping it confined to an appropriate bandwidth...

(without sarcasm) Just about any pair of 8 ohm 4x10s stacked atop each other might well do better! I [i]had[/i] to play though an Ampeg 8x10, driven by a GK head of some sort once, and it was truly dreadful. I'm really not that fussy when it comes to amplification, either. I couldn't make any sense of what was coming out of it! No definition at all. No top, no bottom, just loads of upper-mid. It was moving air, alright. In roughly the same manner that a hairdryer does. Similar sound, too. Am I going to be flamed for suggesting that 8x10s have had their day in the face of newer, lighter, more [i]artful[/i] designs. I've always felt they were a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a very specific type of Hazlenut.

Sliced my thumb on a router bit trying to remove it from the router. God, they're sharp. Blood and blood and blood and... You get the idea. Hit a screw in a piece of wood I was routing. Sparks and hot metal went flying everywhere. Got hit in the eye by some, but no permanent damage. Avoid routers. Spawn of Satan.