4000

[quote name='lozbass' post='581221' date='Aug 26 2009, 12:04 PM']For me this bass just about justifies its tag (when you compare it to the alternatives) - I recently sold a Masterbuilt Jazz and the build-quality was as good as anything I've seen, though, clearly not as complex as an Alembic or Fodera etc. The real obstacle is the shipping, duty and tax - a realistic final price is something like £3450 (trust me, I've checked)[/quote] Ouch. Ok, looks like it's ebay and a can of nitro.

[quote name='SS73' post='581316' date='Aug 26 2009, 01:08 PM']Hi man, never realized it was you , those Ric's just came on coming, maybe you should post the pic of the collection. Twin Valve is great, gigged for a while then I got valve gas and bought a V8 [/quote] How are you doing? Ah, unfortunately the collection has thinned somewhat. Got rid of the black 4000 as I needed the money and was annoyed with it after a bad gig, got rid of the CS because I again needed the money. Just got the '72 now with an incoming checkerbound '73 restoration. A V8 eh? Nice! You should post a pic of your Ric (and rig). Anyway, back on topic.....

I didn't find the SDs sounded much like the pickups they replaced. I expected the SD bridge pickup to sound like a beefier version of the original, but it actually sounded more nasal to me. YMMV. The neck pickup was crisper (ceramic magnets I believe) but lacked the character. BTW, I've played SS73s bass and it does sound excellent, and that with only the bridge pickup. Something he's done certainly works. SS73, how did the Twin Valve work out? Nice to see you posting!

[quote name='david_l_perry' post='580431' date='Aug 25 2009, 04:58 PM']Stu's band plays fairly low backline levels, pretty sure that was the main reason for using the single cab. I bought Shauns (4000's) 2 GS112's off him, great sounding cabs, but didn't for second suit his Rick tone at all. We go for massively different tones. I like a very modern twang, I like having the horn. At a gig where the backline was our pal, Stuarts 2 GS112's and Mark bass head, the first bass player had a tone to me that was superb (active warwick dolphin from memory...great player as well), shaun's passive Rick through the same rig just didn't do his playing any justice at all. I have been gigging recently with just the one cab, mainly as it is plenty loud enough for the small gigs I have been doing. but have to say the two cabs paired together are superb. As always, one mans tone is another mans bag of washing..... Dave[/quote] Dave, as many will know, generally plays on 11....or possibly even 12. So if one works for him, even if only at small gigs..... As Dave says, that's why Stu uses the one cab, but he has told me on several occasions that he prefers one to two. The 1st player was Jim, who owns my old Warwick Dolphin Pro 2. He's also the guy who owns my old Ashdown combo, and he told me at the gig that he preferred my Ashdown head to the LMK. Just to clarify, I actually had my Ashdown ABM plugged into the cabs at that gig. I was having a general nightmare all round to be honest (couldn't hear what I was playing for a start, and just about everything was going wrong!); I sold my bass off the back of that gig, I was so p*ssed off with it. I think it was the worst gig I've ever played, and I've played a few stinkers. Hated every second of it. Maybe a soundcheck would've helped seeing as we'd only gigged once in a year, but hey ho. I'm so glad you bought those cabs Dave. How's the arm BTW?

I think whether or not you need to crank the eq depends very much on the sound you're after (obviously) and how you play. Some may need to crank more than others even when trying for a similar tone. I always need to crank the eq on pretty much everything.

[quote name='lozbass' post='580359' date='Aug 25 2009, 03:58 PM']Hi, it's at Rumbleseat music in the US - I've come out in a kind of anxious sweat. (I'm off this week and will write properly later - my apologies for the long, long delay - crazy work situation!)[/quote] Hi Loz. No worries, reply whenever you can. I've spent the past 4 days either lying down or squatting as my back's gone and I can't sit down; a major handicap in the clerical job I do. It really is absolutely stunning, but £2700? Not sure about that. You can get a hell of a bass built for £2700. I think I'd be talking to Martin or possibly Enrico...or buying a vintage P Bass! EDIT: (I dunno though, it does look raaaather nice..)

[url="http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/geezer_butler_bringing_the_dio_era_back.html"]http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/...o_era_back.html[/url] Seems Gruber just did the demos and the album was Geezer. That's what he says anyway.

That is stunning, utterly stunning. And I don't usually like Jazzes! How much? Where? (Not that I can afford it currently).

[quote name='chris_b' post='580078' date='Aug 25 2009, 12:23 PM']No. The point of an EQ is that you can use it if you need to. If you don't need to then you don't use it![/quote] I've never met that amp in 29 years of playing... My only experiences of amps not working have been Trace (2, both dropped in transit to me so not their fault), an Ampeg, and also a Warwick which blew up the first time I used it (went straight back to Sound Control). FWIW, I used to have one of the first ABM 1x15 combos, a 200 watter. A friend owns/uses it now. The sound he gets is [i]not[/i] woolly. I used it relatively recently at rehearsal with my mate's Stingray and 70s P Bass. The Stingray sounded like, well, a good Stingray. The P Bass sounded like John Entwistle on Live at Leeds. Exactly like that in fact. I wouldn't class that as muddy either personally, although I guess the Marcus fans might.

Not tried the Hipshot (although I do think it's pig-ugly), but if it works then fine. I'd stay away from the SDs; I had some and thought they were pants. The Barts are supposed to be good. You could try Aaron Armstrong and see if he'll make something or you could contact Sergio Silva on the Rick Resource Forum. Thing is, it depends what sort of Rick sound you're after. For instance I'm not keen on neck high-gains and prefer toasters. Plus they're all wound differently anyway....when my restoration gets to me (couple of weeks or so hopefully) I will have an early/mid 70s neck high-gain I could sell you for a decent price (it has been replaced with a '73 toaster).

[quote name='henry norton' post='579286' date='Aug 24 2009, 05:31 PM']I thought the whole point of having an eq was to use it....[/quote] Ditto! I've never got a decent sound out of any amp without heavy eqing - and yes that includes Markbass and Epifani! To reiterate something I've already said, I've recently used an Epifani UL502, a Markbass LMK and my ABM500 through my Barefaced Compact, and the Ashdown was if anything brighter than the others. The sound also had more life in it (which may not be what you want). It was less polite and compressed sounding though, which may not suit everyone.

[quote name='Mr Fudge' post='578696' date='Aug 24 2009, 12:08 AM']Absolutely !!! which reinforces my theory that really no matter what bass or what rig (within standard set ups I imagine) 99.9% of sound comes from your fingers and attack.[/quote] In my experience that's more true the harder you play. If I had to list some sounds, these would be a few (I'm sure we did this not so long ago): [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ_5h0SKUSM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ_5h0SKUSM[/url] Jon Camp, Renaissance. Of course any Chris Squire would do just as nicely. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDtByjb0hQY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDtByjb0hQY[/url] Stu Zender - Jamiroquai. Unreal tone, IMO. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7BwRL2yhGQ&feature=PlayList&p=DB645F17C4CEC4D2&index=3"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7BwRL2yhGQ...4D2&index=3[/url] Leigh Gorman, Bow Wow Wow. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe7vyvyzOKg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe7vyvyzOKg[/url] Matt Garrison solo

[quote name='WHUFC BASS' post='579935' date='Aug 25 2009, 10:27 AM']There's rumours that it wasn't actually Geezer Butler playing on that album as he went on the missing list for a while. Not sure how true that is but there ya go.[/quote] I thought that was Mob Rules? The bassist in question was Craig Gruber. However Tony Iommi says Geezer definitely played on both (although I suppose he would....) I kind of hope it was Geezer as I love the playing - and tones - on those 2 albums. Die Young is superb, rock bass at its best.

[quote name='allighatt0r' post='579243' date='Aug 24 2009, 04:40 PM']I want this tone: Although most of the time i don't sound anything like it! Can someone point me in the right direction for getting it? Or should i start my own thread to avoid hijacking? [/quote] Well at the time he was using a US BC Rich Eagle with all the electronic gubbins ( I saw them on that tour). Not sure whether he used it on the album. No idea what amps he was using at the time though. I'm just trying to regain the tone I had in 1993! There's no one tone I'm after. It all depends on context.

Yep, that's probably him. Unfortunately by the time it went I needed the cash. Story of my life!

[quote name='Stingray5' post='578248' date='Aug 23 2009, 03:29 PM']Ah, sorry, I don't have that particular issue of Total Guitar (I was mainly buying 'Bassist', 'Bass Player', 'Guitarist', 'The Guitar Magazine' at the time). That said, I checked through my old 'Bassist' mags and found a short series that started back in 1995 (Vol. 1, No.3) when they featured 'Guitarist' magazine's 1994 Bass Of The Year, a Sei Flamboyant 6 Headless (this was before 'Bassist' was launched). The bass in question was actually won by a lucky 'Bassist' reader (named in the article - maybe a current BC'er?) who gave a few requirements to Martin Petersen then had to sit back and wait while his bass was built. The series follows it's build across subsequent issues and finishes up with the final review by Roger Newell in the February 1996 issue. Others may well remember this and have copies but for those who don't and are interested to see this series, let me know and I'll scan the various pages and upload the images.[/quote] Ah, I remember it well. I also remember getting something through from the Gallery saying I hadn't won.

Could be all sorts of reasons. Maybe you just don't like the sounds they make; no real reason. I've played lots of basses, including really exotic ones, that I haven't liked the sound of, [i]in my hands[/i]. That's crucial. Some other guy might make them sound fab, but maybe they just don't work for you. Of course the amp/speaker/eq can make a huge difference; for instance if you normally didn't pay through a cab with a horn in it and then you tried something through a cab that did have a horn in it, it might come as something of a surprise. And yes, if they have actives in them and you're used to passive that may make a difference. Sometimes it's familiarity though; you get used to hearing something and when you hear something different you don't like it because it's not what you're used to hearing. This can work the other way too though. I don't know why you should [i]expect [/i]to like any given bass to be honest.

If you mean on the website, no. Urb's is a 4 with spalted maple facings. The amboina one on the site is very nice though! Of course there may be something in the shop that I don't know about...I hope not!

Niiiice.....love the inlays. I'm a bit of a sucker for fancy inlays.

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' post='577786' date='Aug 22 2009, 07:15 PM']Now you've got me thinking........ I have only 1 and it's in tweed I'm using it with the AG5OOSC. It holds its own at band rehearsal. The one I have is without tweeter. The question I ask now is, have I got enough in one? I'm not gigging again yet,but will possibly within the next 2 months. I normally find about 250 watts is usually more than enough,and when I used my Eden combo had plenty of volume to play with. Please tell me I have enough power....... [/quote] My mate uses a single GS112 with a Markbass LMK in a regularly gigging cover band, doing stuff like Springsteen, Eagles etc. I think he hardly gets the rig past 2 or 3. Feel free to chime in Stu!

[quote name='Stingray5' post='577581' date='Aug 22 2009, 02:19 PM']Nice one, 4000. Thanks for that. I did remember it was a Flamboyant style bass which was typically what caught my eye. Off to the vaults now to dig through a few old guitar mags -- unless you or anyone else knows the particular magazine? [/quote] I've just checked and it was Total Guitar, Issue 6 May 1995. I have a really bad b&w photocopy of the article. If you have a copy I'd love a decent scan (assuming you have a scanner of course). Wonder if there's a copy on ebay? EDIT - just checked, and there's everything but. Blast.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='577584' date='Aug 22 2009, 02:23 PM']Usually two identical cabs stacked will sound a lot better by virtue of having more LF sensitivity and power handling, thus more output before they distort. The height of the stack will also make it easier to hear the tone. However if you don't like that tone then stacking a pair will make that more audible! Alex[/quote] Got it in a nutshell Alex!

[quote name='chris_b' post='577471' date='Aug 22 2009, 11:43 AM']I've never seen that happen. My GS112's were great together.[/quote] Ah, but you're not me. Or my mate. You may be after a completely different sound or may play completely differently. Having said that, I didn't like the cabs anyway, even singly.

Yep, it was Yolanda. The bass was a Flamboyant 5, cocobolo top on maple with ebony board IIRC, with a Bart MM in the middle and a KA hot Jazz by the bridge. There was a feature on it in an old guitar magazine.