Marc S

Played Double Bass and acoustic bass guitar last night,
accompanying singer, songwriter, guitarist Georgia Patterson
and Nigel Hodge on Flute & Sax

We played at Llanhilleth folk club, in the Open Hearth pub Pontypool
The 1st half of the evening was open-mic, and a few people got up & played

It was a good evening, and lots of people seemed to like the sound of my double bass
Although I myself couldn't hear it too well......
It was the 1st time I'd played a proper gig with the duo
having had only 1 rehearsal, and done open mic twice before with Georgia...

All in all, it was very enjoyable
Can't wait to play another gig now.....

I have a PF 500, which I really only use as a backup head
or depending on which band / musicians I'm playing with, I use it as my main amp
with a smaller rig...... and I've used it quite a bit for rehearsals

I've got to say, I really like the sound the amp produces
and it packs a punch, especially for something so small

So far, no issues with it whatsoever, except as earlier posts suggest re the gain control
On one of my active basses (Ibanez SR500) I need to take care on not setting output on the bass,
and gain on the amp too high
The limiter simply cuts in - but no cutting out issues.....

Although I haven't used it a huge amount, it seems totally reliable and it's a head I really like
Again, maybe I'm just lucky and got a good one....
Just adding my own thoughts / experiences to the others who've found their Ampeg PF's to be fine

Strange, yes
But isn't it a bit satisfying too?

Cool cover on the CD
How much do you sell it for usually?

Might just pick a copy up....

Marc

Bump....

A lot of people on here seem to recommend either Thomann, or Geddo
A short while back, I was in a similar situation to yourself

I wanted a DB, but there just seem to be none locally to me
either new or Secondhand

Fortunately for me, I was offered my lovely DB, by fellow BC'er Sarah
Who let me come & try the bass first, didn't live too far away
... and even made me a cuppa

One problem about buying a DB secondhand, is that you don't really know its' history
And as you point out, you don't have any guarantees...
However, everyone I've now dealt with on this forum has been great....

I don't personally know [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]thisnameistaken, or any of his friends
but it does seem to me, that buying from a fellow BC'er is a safer bet than buying from a stranger,
say on ebay, or another site like Gumtree....
The fact that this one has already been set up, by an experienced player is a real bonus

Another BC'er recently said that he'd bought a cheap-ish bass a short while back
and the sound he got from that was good, and had improved
But it had only improved because he was playing it
and the sure-fire way of improving the sound & playing was to get stuck in,
and not dither about whether to spend £500, or hang on until he had saved £2000

Keep your eyes peeled for other 2nd hand DB's on here too,
but in your position, I'd really be considering [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]thisnameistaken's bass[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I've not looked back since buying my DB
- even if my playing isn't brilliant - I just love it

Welcome to the world of DB
And please let us know what you decide....
Best of luck in starting your new, exciting adventure

Marc[/font][/color]

[quote name='madshadows' timestamp='1394568592' post='2392896']
I would so love this bass, don't suppose you'd take a £1 deposit followed by 299 weekly payments of £1 ! LOL

GLWTS

John
[/quote]

You could always get a loan from WONGA John

Have a free bump
Just because I can't believe how great my own SR500 is

Honestly, if you're thinking about buying this
They're absolutely lovely - it plays like it's worth more than twice that asking price!

Marc

There is also a short scale electro acoustic bass
Can't recall who markets it in the UK
But I think it's branded with the name "Swift" (of London?)

I played one I had on loan for a short while
It's got a slim neck, and was dead easy to play
Sounded really good through an amp too

And I did see them on ebay, for around £50

I could have bought it for around £30!

but although my first couple of basses were short scale
I couldn't swap back down to the short scale easily.....

Saw them a few years ago,
and they were as good as ever!

JJ is still one of my fave bass players

Hope Jet is OK
Time to see them again, maybe?

[quote name='ratman' timestamp='1394190287' post='2388889']
...... As a quick fix, the rubber washer from a Grolsch bottle do a fair job too.
[/quote]

A guitarist pal of mine uses these
Swears by them - never seen him drop his guitar either
Useful tip

Cheers for your helpful answers all

I think I'll go for this please simon
PM'ed....

Marc

I really should have "Gotham" a move-on with this bass, and bought it!

well done binky_bass - looks like you got yourself a really different, cool looking bass, for a great price!

Marc

Is that the standard "Centre positive" 9v or 12v supply?
I'm just wondering how it works on the lower voltage....

... and whether I can run it off one of the small stockpile of power supplies I already have...

Not seen one of these in use...
Do they need a separate power source,
and can they run off a standard PP3 battery?

I'd say, if you're new to DB
This bass could be a bit of a risk, for all the points mentioned above

It's difficult to know what is a good instrument and what isn't
if you haven't played much.....
I'd recommend seeking a few out, and giving them a whirl
Not always easy depending on where you live, and how many there are in shops near you

I was very lucky, in that Sarah (above) sold me my lovely Boosey & Hawkes laminate
I was in your position just a short while ago
and I'm so glad I bought my bass

Is there a fellow Basschat member near you, who'd be kind enough to let you have a play of their bass?
Keep your eye on the "for sale" section of this forum
It's a good place to buy from, IMHO

Good luck, and let us know what you decide

Marc

EDIT: There's a bass F/S on this forum at the moment, actually
http://basschat.co.uk/topic/231153-fs-34-laminate-bass-l500/

Worth a look, at least?

[quote name='SubsonicSimpleton' timestamp='1394016362' post='2386867']
If you want graphic finish, you could simply use a clear pickguard material like perspex, which allows you to place any image you want behind it - when the the pickguard is in place even a matt colour photocopy/printout will look nice and glossy. I hand cut one for my squire strat many years ago and mounted this image underneath.

[url="http://www.rodneymatthews.com/elric8.htm"]http://www.rodneymat....com/elric8.htm[/url]

It is a bit fiddly trimming the picture that you want to sit underneath, but it has the advantage that you can make adjustments to the position of the image before commiting and change it out if you get bored with it.

I simply made a single ply clear plate and placed the image underneath - being older and wiser, if I were to repeat this method, I would use two layers for the scratchplate, allowing me to sandwich the image in the middle, and importantly apply proper shielding to the rear of the bottom layer (a big fail in my original effort).
[/quote]

Great idea!
Thanks for sharing

Please make sure you let us know what you opt for....
I'm getting excited for you now, LOL

I'm sure you'll enjoy owning & playing a DB

String choice will depend on personal preference
and that's hard to pin down, until you've experimented a bit
Which is, of course, difficult

I play pizzicato, and prefer lower tension strings
I opted for Innovation "Silver Slaps" which suit me fine
I'm not sure if you're aware, but Daf Lewis on this forum
will let you borrow a set of any of the Innovation strings...
Just send them on to the next person who wants to try them....

Anyhow, good luck with it all
Marc

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1393420726' post='2379980']
Beautiful? It's a pain inducing money pit
[/quote]

I think for me, the initial outlay, and new set of strings and a pickup, was a tad pain-inducing,

However, as someone else said "owning a double bass is a beautiful thing"
I couldn't agree more. Also, since buying said strings, pickup (and case)
It hasn't cost me any more
but the joy it brings is immeasurable
I can't imagine life without playing my DB now

If you're thinking about getting a DB - just do it!
That's my humble opinion

I'm so glad I bought mine

Marc

PS. OP - don't forget to contact Gedo too
Their basses look stunning

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1392996650' post='2375100']
'been around the block'... also known as having MoJo.
[/quote]

Absolutely!
Welcome Jimbo
I'm a lefty - but I play righty

marc

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1392804461' post='2372845']
They are fine as starter instruments and, yes, an upgrade on bridge and strings would be a good idea. Alternatives include Gedo Musik's basses which are similarly priced (I started on one priced at around £1400 but they are perfectly credible at lower prices). If you want to hear my cheap, nasty bass (irony, it's lovely), check out 'Calypso Zoom', 'Speak Now', 'Estate', 'Wee' or 'Caravan' on my Soundccloud page.

There is a lot of what I call hysteria about cheap basses but, in my opinion, getting one looked at by a luthier and getting to the act of playing the damn thing will be more use to you than agonising over whether to spend £700 this year or wait another six months until you have £1500. The difference between the two will be irrelevant for a few years until you really get a handle on the instrument. My 'cheap' bass sounds four times better now than it did when I got it. Not because it has been modified but because I have been playing it for four years now and am much better than I was when I bought it! I cannot see how a marginally 'better' (i.e. different) bass would improve my 'thing' as convincingly.

My advice in one sentence: Just start your journey and enjoy it.
[/quote]

So well put
Good advice

Marc

Not tried one personally, but when I was looking for my first DB
most folk on here seemed to say they were pretty good
The advice seemed to be to stay away from G4M,
but that Thomann were OK

A lot of folk on here really rate Geddo in Germany though
I've read several BC'ers who are more than pleased with their DB
and they'll set it up the way you want too

Here's a link to one of their DB's on ebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Double-Bass-redbrown-3-4-size-new-/310697743781?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Sting_Instruments&hash=item48570755a5

Good luck, and happy shopping

Marc

Got a Catwoman amp to go with it?
Looks great! Are the illustrations "stuck" on
or is this a permanent finish?

Love the logo too

That's the main thing
Great to hear it has worked out for the best for you

And glad to hear that band-matters seem to have settled

Bump from me
I've got one of these, and to anyone considering this bass
They're amazing! - Don't dawdle, buy it now before someone else does....

An absolutely superb bass, with a great EQ range
and so so light and playable - the necks on these are slim
and they're just so comfortable to play
and such good value for that money too

Good luck selling it, I'm sure you'll get a sale on here

Good stuff,
Glad you've sorted it out
Think I'd miss the acoustic tone myself,
but that's just my preference

Is it a huge difference in tone?
How has it affected volume?

Cheers
Marc