ChickenKiev

Seems like having the 5210c combo + 115 extension cab is the way to go. Thanks for your help everyone! I'll probably swap the LH500 in the combo for a HA5500 in the far future though if that's possible. I'm sure it will be as the LH500 is in there using rack ears if I'm not mistaken.

[quote name='StephenYork' timestamp='1378975973' post='2207167'] This is my Ibanez SR505, she has served me well over the years and has the marks to show it. She's not quite as pristine as others but she is mine. [/quote] It shows it has been well loved. I personally love the look of it. I (hopefully) have an ATK300 coming my way soon, so picks incoming. Ibanez guitars and basses are awesome, but I really wish they'd stop naming their models a bunch of random letters and digits!

Club and bar gigs at the minute. But its deathcore, so LOUD. The band are cranking their 100 watt Marshall half stacks. To put it another way, we play loud enough at practice that it gives you a spot of tinnitus for a day afterwards. We will be playing a bit louder live too. My budget covers the costs if I were to buy everything new, but that is once I sell some of my pre-existing that never gets used. I've not even looked at used gear yet so I'll have to see if there's any bargains.

Okay, it seems I've opened a real can of worms here with my question! Lots of differing opinions. The Hartke Hydrive 5210c seems a lot more feasible than my original idea of the 210c. Seems like it would be able to handle things more if I were to add an extension cab. A few points of housekeeping though. Firstly, I'm unsure as to why mixing cabs seems like such a nono. Granted I'm no technical expert but just by looking at the Harke artists alone there are a few that do mix cabs; for example Victor Wooten and Geezer Butler. I'm certain Billy Sheehan also mixes speaker sizes too, but he runs his bass in stereo with two seperate amps for each pickup. I dunno, he's that really pedantic and anal type of bassist that I just love to hate, but he seems like he knows what he's talking about half the time, even if he does go on a bit for my liking. One last thing. I'm not pushing my amp too hard at all at the minute. I'm hardly touching the master volume on my amp, and to be honest I could probably demolish my bandmates' amps in terms of volume if I really wanted to! The purpose of the new amp idea is ease of transportation, a new sound that will suit my needs a little better, and to a lesser extent, aesthetics. If I were to take a 5210c combo amp and extension cab, I honestly don't think I'll be pushing the 2x10 too hard at all. Like I said, I'm no technical wizard or anything but many of you are worried that I'd be putting too much strain on the 2x10. Well, I'm not going to be cranking it to max volume. Live I'm going to be on the 3 or 4 mark . I dunno guys, I'm really tempted to get a 4x10 instead of a 1x15. It seems like 1x15 are mainly used for bottom end stuff, but playing in a metal band I might be needing something with more mids and tremble capabilities. Granted I could just EQ differently. I dunno, haha!

[quote name='Who's Who' timestamp='1382509005' post='2252909'] There's absolutely nothing daft about a rig with a 4x10 cab and a 1000watt head! The Hydrive 4x10 is really light as 4x10 cabs go, it weighs about the same as the Hydrive 5210c combo. If you really don't fancy that option, then I think the 5210c with a Hydrive 1x15 will be your best bet. That wouldn't make the 2x10 work too hard when partnered with a 1x15. It would sit nice and high and you'd get the full 500 watts when using both cabs together (but the LH1000 would use 750 watts with a single 4x10!) If you take a look at this talkbass thread, [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/new-hartke-hydrive-5210c-combo-amp-702614/"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/new-hartke-hydrive-5210c-combo-amp-702614/[/url] [size=4]the guy has a picture of the Hydrive 5210combo with a Hydrive 1x15, so you can get an idea of what it would look like. Does look like a nice little rig, I just prefer 4x10's.[/size] I'm sure whatever option you decide on will be a lovely sounding rig. As I mentioned earlier, I love mine [/quote] Thank you so much for that link. That is exactly the 'look' I'm wanting to go for. Shame it wouldn't work with a 410 instead of a 115 though .

[quote name='LiamPodmore' timestamp='1382461120' post='2252464'] Surely a HA3500 with a HyDrive 4x10 is the logical choice? Or possibly a pair of HX112's if you'd prefer the portability and the sound is to your liking. Liam [/quote] Sure. I'm just asking a few questions and getting all the options before I make one particular decision. A HA3500 and two 2x10s sounds like a good option, but I'm really curious about the height they'd come upto. I'm a pretty tall guy (6ft 1.5), so I'm looking for a waist-high or possibly even a little taller rig. I know this might sound silly and actually quite superficial, but my bandmates both have Marshall half-stacks. I'm the one playing the [I]proper[/I] instrument, so I'd feel completely daft turning up with a small rig! Its getting that measure between size and transportability. That is what lead me to the idea of the combo and extension cab idea as it would be a two trick pony of some sorts; combo for practice with the extension Hydrive waiting in the wings for live stuff. Where it gets complicated is that Hartke don't do 2x10 Hydrives, which is a completely bonkers idea if you ask me. The only way to get one would be to buy a combo. Hence the Hartke Hydrive 210c combo amp idea in my rig . Choosing a head and then a 4x10 would just land me straight back to my beginning problem. I might have a go at emailing Hartke directly with the question. They might never get back to me but it is worth a try I suppose? That's not to say I'm ungrateful for everyones' input because I really appreciate it.

That is some tasty looking wood you got there.

Thanks for all your feedback so far. Would a 210c combo and a Hydrive 115 work? Or would I still get the same problems with the 2x10 in the combo amp working harder than the 115? I don't mind getting a 115 too as that is a part of my future rig too, so I honestly don't mind .

My band has their first gig in December! Woo! Now that are we are starting to gig I'm planning to sell every piece of gear I don't need and am starting to assemble a suitable gig rig. I currently have a Hartke VX3500 combo amp which is serving me nicely during practice. For all those not in the know, it is pretty much Hartke's famous HA3500 head in a combo with a 4x10. There's a couple of things I'm not happy about though. Firstly, it is a pain in the arse to transport everywhere as it is huge and bloody heavy; I want something modular that I can break down a little bit easier in my car. Secondly, I hate hate [B]hate[/B] the felt finish on it. It gets full of bits like dog hair and tobacco, and it is starting to fray a little bit on the top. It looks like my amp is starting to rock a perm. Hartke's Hydrive stuff just looks awesome. The paper-aluminium cone idea just suits my needs perfectly and they aren't covered in felt. Hydrive is the way to go for me honestly. But Hydrive has a few different products in its range, which makes my choice very tricky. The Hydrive 210c looks like a solid little amp. It is loud enough that it can hold its own during band practices and it is pretty small and transportable. I was planning on getting a Hydrive 410 extension cabinet to use exclusively for gigs. The cab is there for a little extra volume but more importantly for a little bit of height during gigs. It seems a little bit pricey to get a 410 for that sole purpose right? I'm surely not going to get the most out of a 500 watt speaker. I've thought about that. As time goes on and gigs (hopefully) get better and my gear gradually gets upgraded, my Hydrive 410 cab will become a part of my future rig. Call it an investment for the future. That's all well and good, but I've run into a little snag with all my plans. I honestly can't bare the thought of not having a HA3500. It has a dual tube and solid state preamp. Going from that to the 210c's all solid state preamp seems like a huge step backwards to me as the tone I use during practice uses both preamps. Granted the 210c has some new features that might serve me well, but its a tricky one. Does anybody have any advice? Any Hartke users out there, past or present, that could speak from experience? Maybe some of you have tried both a HA3500 and a 210c and could potentially put my mind at ease. Thanks, Kiev.

My favourite part of the website is that they call facebook, 'facebookpagina'. They look pretty nice though!

Nevermind I'm a twonk. It is active, it just doesn't have a seperate battery box, it's all lumped in there with the preamp. Yeah I'm going to go ahead with my mod and put a battery box in there. I'll probably leave the preamp now.

I'm eyeing up an Ibanez ATK300. From what I've seen and heard of the bass, it's honestly my soulmate! I'm not a big fan of arty farty basses with piddly necks and this that and the other; despite owning a Fender Jazz Bass that has a thinner neck than my Strat 6-string, I've always preferred chunkier necks. The ATK300 is what I like to call a 'caveman bass'. Its BIG and heavy and has unfussy controls. It's perfect for someone like me who just wants to bash away with a pick in my band. Tried a 'Ray in my local music shop and from what I've read they're pretty similar. What makes me desire the Ibanez over the MM is firstly price, but also the ATK beats it hands down in the quirkiness factor. I'll get onto my question now. The one I've seen online is the passive model from the 90s. I really wanted an active bass, so I was planning on routing a cavity in the back for a 9v battery box and installing a preamp; possibly an Aguilar OBP-3. I've ran into a bit of a problem. [IMG]http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p611/jamesyjamesyjamesy/null_zps0f5d8551.jpg[/IMG] So the bass is passive, and to my understanding it doesn't have a preamp or else it'd have a battery box on the back, but it still has 3-band EQ? HUH?? Can anyone please explain this to me? I've seen pictures of the insides of the ATK, and it has the typical circuit boards you'd expect from a bass with passive pickups and a preamp. Would it still be possible to add the OBP-3 and somehow wire it together with the pre-existing circuits and crap? Hope this makes sense. I'm honestly winging it in terms of technical knowledge! Cheers, Kiev.

I do like the look of the Fender 'Porn Shop' series ones.

Nice nice bass. I don't think there's anything better than a slab retro Tele body and a proper p-bass pickup. How much are they charging for the 'road worn' versions? Because I could get a bass to that level of road worn in about three weeks.

I say go for it :B. The Reggie Hamilton will have custom specs, but it isn't anything special in the looks department. 3-tone and a tort pickguard is sweet, but you can get mexican Jazzes with this scheme. If it had a custom colour or a graphic on it I'd hesitate. If you want to improve the looks of the bass then don't let anyone stop you . Ignore all comments telling you not to do it .

We are disgusting..

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1377178527' post='2184372'] Are they unplayable for few days each month? [/quote] Yeah, I have to stuff a tampon in the input jack.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1377176648' post='2184336'] Probably a bit whiffy after a hot sweaty gig, too. I know mine always is. [/quote] Covered in sweat and slime. And mine is always stringy..

I can imagine playing a gig with one, and some cockney blokes coming up to me afterwards, "Alright lad. Your fanny sounded lovely tonight".

I actually prefer his West Ham one. I don't even support the Hammers but it makes me want to. Blue plus a mirror pickguard? Really, a mirror pickguard? That's like having an ash trash on a motorcycle! I can imagine the talks at Fender while designing it: "Hey guys, lets use the least scratch-proof material possible for the pickguard!"

Oh God.. We've created a monster.. O____O Why not start learning to play guitar if you need that many strings?

I also have a question regarding stainless strings so I'll post it in here instead of starting a new topic. I'm looking at some Rotosound Swing Stainless Steel stings and I'm also mucking about with different gauges until I reach perfection. The scale I'm going for is 50-110 (long scale). The string lengths for the Rotosounds are 37 inches which is more than enough for my silly old Jazz Bass. But, I want a 45 on the top because a 50 just won't tune that high as I'm tuned to Drop C. A 45 will, so I had a look at StringsDirect for some individual strings: http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/p/913419/rotosound-zb045-stainless-steel-roundwound-bass-guitar-single-string-045/ Found one, but the length of the string is apparently 32 to 34. I'm not sure if this means the length of the string or the scale length it's designed for as it doesn't say how long the actual string is. My concern is that it won't reach the tuning peg at the end of the Jazz' headstock. I'm sure it would reach but I'm just looking for a second opinion. Cheers.

[quote name='BenTunnicliffe' timestamp='1377011731' post='2182199'] playability and inspiration that comes from the slick hand-built designs is second to none, which i agree with. [/quote] I actually like the idea of basses that are a little harder to play; ones that you actually have to grab around the balls, a similar idea to those rodeo buffoons that think its wise to ride an angry bull! [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1377015396' post='2182255'] I always make a point of bringing something weird to the first rehearsal. If the other musicians don't like it then it's obviously not the band for me. I find it a good way to weed out dull bands who won't have any idea of visual presentation and stagecraft. [/quote] Great idea. That's it. Next band practice I'm taking some bagpipes.

Right well my current bridge must have had like 2.0mm holes before I drilled them. It's a cheap and nasty thing. Cost me about £18..lulz. Only bought it because it looked cool. I didn't know any better at the time. So I'm okay to go ahead and spend my pennies on the Schaller?

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1376985035' post='2181696'] You get away with a 110 for B? You must have the lightest touch ever! IMO 110 isn't a B string it's a heavy E. I need at least 128 for B. According to the [url=http://guitar-bridge.com/hp135061/Bassbridge-3D-4.htm]technical drawing[/url] on the Schaller web site the holes for the strings are 4.6mm in diameter. [/quote] I don't have the softest touch to be honest! It gives a kinda clanky, slightly buzzy sound (not too much buzz though. None of my fretted notes get choked or anything like that). It's more like a buzz saw than a smooth, creamy tone. I usually EQ with a bit more bass to give it the required oomph. Because admittedly it's a little thin-sounding without. All in all it sounds surprisingly rather nice when running your bass through a distortion pedal, in my opinion. Plus I can bend the first fret to buggery, which is handy in my genre as a lot of it has binary tab . I can get some good vibrato. It's not everyone's thing but it serves me well for the music my band write and play . I'll find the diameter of the strings I use and see if that'll fit in the Schaller.