Lfalex v1.1

I own a VXL, too. The balanced output (marked Direct Output on the pedal) is of the "male" Canon/XLR type, and is mainly used to feed mixing desks in either a Studio or live situation. It's quite a clean and noise-free unit, too. If the mixing desk can deliver 48v phantom power, it can be used to power the VXL without having to use a 9v battery or power adaptor. I've used the VXL as a Pre-amp to directly drive a power amp. It's a bit dependent on the power amp's input sensitivity, though, as the VXL doesn't deliver that hot a signal via the DI. Units such as the MXR M80 have a switch to increase the output for use in this manner. I use mine to feed a small mixer at home for practice purposes (via headphones with an MP3 mixed in)

Excellent instrument. I love it when people make the effort to achieve what they want in a bass, particularly when they use established designs and hot-rod them. Nice one - especially the Mahogany body and Wenge neck.

As previously said, they just look like inlaid lines to me...

Seek out a bass with a bridge with adjustable action, intonation and [i]spacing[/i] Warwick, for example. Some commercially available models offer it - I can't remember for sure, but I'm sure that Hipshot, ABM or Schaller do such an item. Kahler do the 2400 series, which is back in production. Personally, I seem to favour about 17.5 to 18mm. The common spacings all seem to lie between 16.5 and 19mm from what I've seen.

[quote name='queenofthedepths' post='205474' date='May 24 2008, 11:49 AM']I have to point out that the note immediately below C-2 is not B-2 but B-3! And also that 3Hz is below that, even! It'd be between F#-3 and G-3[/quote] So much for my extrapolation / theory, then...

Hello mate! I do believe RTFM is "[i]Read The F...ing Manual[/i]!" Otherwise, I have used my Trace head both as a pre, taking the signal from the FX out, and as a power stage by feeding the signal from my pre into the FX return side of the loop. It [i]might[/i] be possible to introduce a device between the pre and power to increase the voltage a bit... A volume pedal with a bit of gain or one of those SD pick-up boosters. It'd be good if you could measure the voltage to ensure you're not driving the power amp input too hard, though.

At the risk of getting shouted at; I'll play through anything I can hear [s]over the rest of the band[/s] well in the stage sound. All the technical and sonic nuances tend to get a bit lost in some rehearsal and stage situations because of the sheer number of variables involved; Distances from room boundaries Room construction Floor construction Room furnishings Player Distance from rig / monitors Live, most of us feed a house PA via D.I. anyway, right? If you're lucky, you get a bit in the monitors. I often wonder if In-Ear isn't the way to go. Saves all the cabinet wrestling!! Yes, rehersals are different again. Then I guess the ability to pulverise the rest of your band with a monster stack has its uses! Just for the record, I own a 1x15, 4x10 and 2x10 cabinets. I mix and match them according to how big the gig is. Single cab gives me 150w into an 8 ohm load. Two gives me about 300w into the resulting 4 ohm load, plus gains from more drivers etc. For practice at home, I use closed-back headphones via an Ampeg SVP-Pro into a small mixing desk.

Extrapolating (loosely) from the data on the chart, I'd suggest that 3Hz is [i]above[/i] B-2, but [i]below[/i] C-2... As long as everyone stays at concert pitch, it looks like we're safe!!

Safe to say that it has polarized opinion, then?

Browsing around (as one does), and found this simple table of frequencies produced by various instruments, from low to high. [url="http://www.contrabass.com/pages/frequency.html"]Contrabass.com frequency chart[/url] Good Lord! I bet some of those are only felt by whales out in the ocean somewhere. (Note that as far as we're concerned, Basses and ERBs are in standard tunings giving Low E, Low B and Low F# as the lowest pitches. I know we have the luxury of down-tuning further, but that's at a tangent to the plot!) Users of the 64-foot subcontrabass clarinet may wish to exercise caution. That C-2 fundamental @ 4.09Hz is perilously close to the resonant frequency of the human body (at and around 3Hz) Moderate amplitude would cause discomfort. Crank it up, and 3Hz can ultimately be fatal!

The last H1 "P" I played was better than the MIA hanging next to it in the shop, and it wasn't just down to set-up, either. The last H1 Jazz I played almost got bought, too. Jags? Can't say. Haven't seen one in the flesh, much less played one...

[quote name='allighatt0r' post='204402' date='May 22 2008, 04:43 PM']Ahuuuuuuuu!!!! I like the skull inlay, i wonder if they do it in any other colours? The stripe down the back of the neck looks very cool too. i wouldn't pay a grand for it... even if i had the grand spare.[/quote] Vintage mint/white to Emerald Green to an "Apple" sort of green would look cool. A selection of coloured phenolic fretboards would be great; White or Black alone would complement most schemes.

Is this the new "Mark II" EMG quick connect system? I've heard that Alembic do something similar, too. Makes chopping and changing pick-ups and EQs in and out a lot easier. I wish I could afford these boutique electrics / connectors. I didn't know WH Smith and Woolworths sold them, though...

I own a 1990 Musicman Stingray V - Fretless, of course... It has a Maple neck and a Pau Ferro ("Ironwood") Fingerboard. I've had Stainless Steel rounds of one sort or another on it since I bought it in about 2000. Still no real signs of heavy wear. When it comes to a new 'board, it'll be either Ebony or Pau Ferro again. +1 to CK's thoughts on Graphite necks with wooden boards. Whether fretted or fretless, I feel it would be one of the best marriages. The Vigier "Delta" Metal fretless bears some scrutiny, though... Ask Ped about his SIII Passion.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='204698' date='May 23 2008, 12:35 AM']Having something in common is a great start, and I'm going to be shamelessly biased and say in all my years of knowing musicians Bass players are the most likely group to get on so well, with drummers a close second. I think the lack of ego, the giving nature of the job ensures that certain types of people stick with and it seems in large measure that they are good people...[/quote] I wholeheartedly agree with all of this. Rhythm sections are usually the most amenable part of a band! And a big "+1" to the BC goodness. To really see how[i] terrible[/i] this place is, just try going to a BassBash... Nothing but goodness!

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='203882' date='May 21 2008, 08:11 PM']Its all about the [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gulqD14vcMI"]Funk Finger[/url].[/quote] Ohhhh. Yes. No rings for Mr. Levin!!!

I like it. At least they've tried something different in terms of aesthetic and pick-up layout. As BRX implied, it's a pity that their bass design begins and ends with the one model, and that they didn't extend the plexiglass approach into the bass, too. As an Attitude owner, I bet the Model one (Neck) and J (Bridge) sounds nice, even if it does look a little odd. I find the Willpower (Neck) is excellent, and it's just a "fatter" Model One with wider polepiece spacing... It's the Willpower P in the mid position I can't get sounding right. I reckon a Twin Jazz (P Deluxe / Warwicks etc.) with a coil tap could be even better, plus it'd look better balanced visually.

Zoot / Bass Merchant is always worth a visit. You're not [i]that[/i] far away. At £450, If you liked the Performer, then why not go for it. Mike and Darren don't normally have that many S/H Zoot instruments around. Last time I went there were a total of 3. A Funkmeister V for about £2200 A couple of Chaser / Performers for about £700 - £900 They DO have other brands in stock new, plus I've seen S/H Warwicks, Ibanez, Conklin, Fender etc. etc. Don't get talking to Mike or you'll end up taking out a second mortgage for some custom beauty or another!!!

Duracells and Energizers... Although I have had to scrounge an "Early Learning Centre" 9v from one of my daughter's toys on occasion

I have a Google account, but I can't make any of my edits stick. A pity. I had quite a lot to add. Waste of time if it don't work properly...

In spite of there supposedly being a "one in, one out" (for instruments) policy in effect, I do believe my wife has surrendered to my ongoing GAS... She understands what makes a good 'un (sonically speaking) I generally try to drag her along when making purchasing decisions. She's probably more objective than I am!!

[quote name='stevebasshead' post='202350' date='May 19 2008, 06:18 PM']Best suggestion yet IMHO. That's probably the closest we'd ever come to confirming if there's any difference because it eliminates (as far as is practical) all other variables. And if there WAS a difference in sound noted it'd be just as interesting to swap the necks back afterwards and make a 3rd recording to confirm everything had reverted back to the way the 1st recording sounded. That would eliminate differences introduced by unbolting and bolting the necks and torqueing the bolts together slightly differently each time. Just to be utterly scientific and absolute in the test results Steve.[/quote] Out with the torque wrench, vernier callipers and micrometer for you then, mister...

[quote name='The Burpster' post='202158' date='May 19 2008, 02:46 PM']The Clover does Alex...... [/quote] Great! Thanks for that. The Apeiron h4 / h5 have just triggered a monumental GAS attack. To make matters worse, BassDirect (whose site I'd not previously visited) also sell Vigier.... NOOOOoooooo!

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' post='202002' date='May 19 2008, 11:28 AM']This was (and still is ) classic viewing. I can still remember it without even watching it! the parts that i still think on are Bruce talking about Gene Simmons' stuffed codpiece, napalm death playing you suffer, Tom Araya trying to spin his head off, and the kids skipping in a circle 'dancing' to Nuclear Assault. Even as i type, i remember even more. It was great then and even better now![/quote] +1 to all of the above, with the addition of Bill Steer and Shane Embury (of Napalm Death) justifying Lee Dorian's vocal style with the statement that vocals like Joey Belladonna (High-pitched Anthrax wailing) wouldn't sound right with their music!! An absolute classic. All of it. Nice to see Ozzy playing with nearly half a bag of marbles, too!!

I think there's [i]something[/i] in it, probably to do with rigidity and resonance (as already stated). If there were nothing in it, why do some manufacturers (I'm thinking Warwick, here) largely use one fretboard wood, Wenge, and have the same sound characteristics used to describe many of their instruments. "The Warwick growl" Which may be due to other factors common to Warwick basses (MEC pick-ups & EQs..?) Also of interest with regard to neck & fretboard material choices; [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16840&hl=phenolic&st=20"]Basschat Wood vs. Graphite necks thread.[/url]