Lfalex v1.1

#186 to go with your #187. Small world? Big Forum? Or just not many Vigiers?

Played some more this evening, and I'm really enjoying the SB-2. There's something about the immediacy of a high-output all-passive bass. I think it's related to the fewer number of components in the signal path before it undergoes some sort of amplification (I don't really use effects much)

Purchased yesterday from simon88wilson, thereby filling the gap for an appropriate passive instrument in an otherwise all-active bass collection since the sale of my Squier VMJ, MIA s1 Jazz and Yamaha Attitude. Satin maple neck and maple board. Sonic Blue (although it sometimes looks minty green) over Mahogany body. Feels solid and substantial but not heavy or clumsy. Biggest surprise is how well the two control layout works without a tone control. Just tweak the volume controls a bit and there's plenty of useable tones, certainly more than a 3 position switch would give. Hardware and pickups are really chunky. Tried it briefly last night, and it sits nicely in the mix. Until you push the volume control/s, and it comes out fighting. All in all, a simple, tough and well-thought out bass. Only minus point? They don't do a 5 string, so I might drop-tune it to DGCF to cover a bit more low-end territory.

Just bought a G&L SB-2 from Simon. Bass as depicted, in very good condition (and it's a cracker!) I Collected it from him in person, he's a top bloke. Buy and sell with confidence. I'd gladly do business with him again.

4 4x10s. 2 of each colour, arranged like a Battenburg... 🤣

All I can add, other than a bit of compression, would be to make sure your unused strings are well muted. Also try playing in a plucking hand position/ favouring a pickup (as above) that gives more fundamental and less harmonic content- right up by the neck, for example.

I wonder how he copes with a 12 string Chapman Stick... or is he tuning the Bass side in 4ths as well? 🤔 I, too can see how it'd work with an electric instrument. It should be alright on a regular cello, as you're condensing the range of the instrument; losing bottom end from the (new) E down to the (original) C and from the top (G as opposed to A) Can't comment on bows, I'm afraid. As for octave related fx, there's two issues at stake. Both related to the harmonic content of the cello's tone- how well will it sense the correct pitch, and what will it reproduce . The risk is that it'll just underpin the original sound with a dull monotone pitch an octave down, not a DB sound. How that would work with Arco, I have no idea, but I doubt it'd capture the bowing dynamics either.

I, however, resolved our oven issues (by removing it and replacing it with a cupboard) This means I have been able to get back to making strings suffer sooner.

I showed my other half the vids. She doesn't play any instrument, but said "He just strokes the strings. You just attack them" 🤣

As a rule of thumb, the more power, the better. Even for home use. Not that I'm some kind of megalomaniac, but you can't have too much headroom and bass frequencies are notoriously difficult to reproduce. When/if you decide to start rehearsing/ gigging, do you want two amps or one? A small "home use" amp will struggle in a band situation, and that may well end up being used at home while the bigger one gets wheeled out for band stuff. It all depends on space/ storage space/ noise nuisance requirements and funds. I've heard good things about the current Fender Rumbles. I'd go for the 100w.

No harm in giving it a bit of boundary reinforcement... 🙃

I have an Ampeg SVP-PRO. It can sound utterly amazing, but clean- sounding it certainly ain't. It also has a tendency to buzz from time to time, and to mute itself at random. It did help to make an engineer howl with delight and our front man literally clap his hands over his ears and wail. This involved using the two outputs from a Yamaha Attitude into my Trace head (neck humbucker- clean) and the Ampeg (P pickup- with plenty of drive and then some more from pushing the gain) . Divided the output from the Ampeg into 2 desk channels, panned hard Left and Right. Kept the Trace output in the centre to give it depth and focus... Sounded like the Grateful Dead's wall of sound being used by Motorhead. Moral of the story? Why but one pre when you can use two? 🤣

Nothing wrong with rolling off the bass a bit if it sounds unnecessarily bloated. I frequently do it with one of my Ibanez.

Tasty. Goes nicely with the WP scratchplate.

Beat me to it. I've got mine set so it's the same output in active (with EQ flat) as it is in passive. Sounds nice that way and no sudden output jumps if you switch from one to the other.

Couldn't say for sure (I didn't weigh it) Don't know whether 7lbs is too light for me or the ergonomics didn't suit me. No matter what strap, or how I adjusted it, the bass just kept bouncing around. The neck was worst. I spent more time trying to catch/ restrain it than fret a note. I wouldn't say that I'm that heavy-handed with my R/H technique that it was me pushing it around. Leaving aside the other issues I had with it, It just felt like a toy in my hands. Too insubstantial, and oddly tonally thin.

I definitely think that ergonomics has a part to play. Warwick Fortresses may have a rather large upper horn, but the balance is simply superb and it keeps the first fret within easy reach. Another mention for the Ibanez Affirma (ok, ok, I've got an EDA900) as being not only light but well-balanced and ergonomically forgiving (not so my EDB605. It's much more weighty) Somehow, my Warwick Infinity SN4 manages to push the first fret away from the player. It's as well that they chambered it. It'd be a right old boat anchor otherwise. Conversely, I found the Status Streamline to be too light for me. It wouldn't sit still, especially if I dared to move. Never had that problem with a proper Steinberger.

There's some good bass playing on there...

Sounds like my 1997 Warwick Streamer LX6... Fortunately, My job is very physical, and weight doesn't bother me. Conversely, It surprises me that the Chapman Stick sounds so huge when it weighs very little.

Nice display. And I like the basses too ! 🙃

Quick snapshot! (L-R) NS Design CR5 Ibanez EDB605 36" Rosewood 10 String Chapman Stick Ibanez EDA900

New concept there; The relic'ed wall.

I had an OLP wired like that, and can't say I really got much out of that arrangement. I think a Series/parallel switch and more "elaborate" passive tone switching could be achieved fairly effectively while still retaining the 3 control format.

For that you'd drive over and chuck 'em in 2 old cases then drive back!

Interesting. I'm guessing the ickle Boss item is a wireless for bass >>>> B1 four and that the Megaboom has an aux in? My UE Boom is Bluetooth only, so I'd need a Bluetooth transmitter, so that's a no-go for me. Otherwise, I'd do something similar with my Pandora...