Kebabkid

Just bought an EBS Reidmar 250 head from @towack Great, friendly and timely comms, quick delivery and extremely well-packed. It was a very easy transaction and Tony was a pleasure to deal with. Recommended 100%

Oops. Wrong person

This just came up on Facebook - Yolanda Charles Sandberg Bass Clinic at the Camden Store https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/news/142302/

I've just spoken to my tech and he's had it where the octave was at the 13th fret and he described it just as I have and............................................... strings! He said the core could be damaged or stretched but you wouldn't know that from the outward appearance and that changes the physics of the string. I'll change them and let's see if you lot are the clever sods I believe you are Many thanks for chipping in and I've just found this:- The common term for this is metal fatigue. As string cores age and experience the wear and tear of regular play, they lose their elasticity, and can begin to sound “off.” Harmonics and upper register notes will be out of tune, and overall tuning stability may begin to suffer.

Hard to tell, but I don't think so

The strings are only a couple of months old and have only been used at home and 3 rehearsals and haven't been sweated on but I'll change them and see if that makes a difference. I also hear you on the frequencies in a room and it's the same space we rehearse in and I had moved and was playing in a different place and was closer to a drum mike than before. Cheers chaps and I'll give all this a try..much appreciated Now, when's the next Southern/Surrey Bass Fest as I need my fix of bass goodness?

Good folks, I think this is an odd one, but here goes - when I play certain notes on my bass across the register, they sound odd, almost sounding like they're a semi-tone or even a tone out and the note warbles and oscillates causing the bass to vibrate and if it were a guitar, it's as if it would be getting ready to feedback. This has happened on several occasions over the years but at a recent rehearsal, the whole band heard it and so it's not my hearing and anyway, that has been checked to see if anything dodgy is going on. My rig = a Sire V3 & V7, both in tune and their intonation is fine, and the pickup heights are good and not high. This can happen, be they in active or passive mode, and this also happened with my V7 when I played it through a different amp (Markbass) - my own amp is a Roland Bass Cube 160XL and that's in good working order and it's not the speaker. I don't play loudly nor am I pushing the amp, but I'm aware that the Roland may not be the best of amps, or even be the loudest in terms of having that headroom that can assist with sound, but as I said, it has happened with a different amp. I've tried eliminating things but the only thing I haven't tried is a completely different bass through the amp to my 2 Sires. Is it the basses, or the amp, or the dodgy bass player?? Are these wolftones? Is it a frequency thing in the room and it doesn't happen all the time? Any thoughts as to what the issue might be or suggestions to try will be greatly received and has this happened to anyone else or am I (and my band) losing plot? I'll take it to my tech, too, with my amp but trying to replicate it has been hard. Cheers

Update - I have to say, first impressions of the Behringer BDI21 are very good and it does the job with the amp I have and offers significant tone shaping and a much improved sound. I've yet to try it direct into the PA, but that was never my intention and that side is very well covered by my Zoom B1xON, which I have for headphone practise and as a backup. Not bad for £19.48 and for now, holds off forking out for a better brand bass amp. However, if I was shopping, the EBS Magni 502 (210) would be top of my list and they've gone for some favourable prices on here. Thanks folks for your input and suggestions and it's a handy bit of kit.

I know and the BDI21 is the last 'reinforcement' purchase, and a cheap one at that, as you can't polish a turd. If it isn't quite there, it's a new rig Cheers

Occasionally, I play rock and pop and for that, I use the Session model in the Cube (based on an SWR Goliath), but my main gig is in a Ska covers band (Madness, Specials, Bad Manners, The Beat etc) and for that I use the Concert 810 model (based on an SVT with an 8x10) or their Super Low Roland model) - if you listen from 2'21 onwards, you'll hear the models I mention and they're not bad. I just needed some added bite, a bit more character and as just mentioned, I'm giving the Behringer BDI21 a punt with it. If that doesn't work, then new amp/rig - cheers

Ok, after binge-watching various preamp and EQ demos over the last 24 hrs, and given the bass amp I have, I'm taking a punt at the cheaper end on the Behringer BDI21 for £19 from Amazon as it seems to do what I want i.e. an enhancer, tone-shaping (shame it doesn't have a mid control, but the amp has Low and high mid controls ) - the Tech 21 VT Bass also sounded good, but costs £249! Let's see and thanks folks for your input.

thanks everyone for the suggestions so far. @Boodang - I'm not after going the full modeller route and just want to see if I can add some better EQ options, tone-shaping and those amps are more for reference, but all of sudden, I'm liking the Ampeg sounds. @PaulThePlug - thanks for the offer and the BDI21 is £19.48 on Amazon and so I'll see and may get down to a few of the Surrey shops this weekend to try some stuff. The Tech 21 VT Bass, Ampeg SGT DI and Aguilar AG are coming out tops at the moment and need to be tried. Cheers

Yep, it makes sense what you're saying and the sounds are ok, but I'd prefer not to spend too much on my bass rig, if it can be helped (I'm a guitarist first and foremost) and I'm just looking to see if I can get there by adding a pedal. Of course, it could be like adding Ferrari wheels to a Ford Fiesta, but the Ampeg, Tech 21 VT and Aguilar AG or Tonehammer sound decent in demos and do folks here have experience of those with their existing amp?

I have a Roland Bass Cube 120XL that I've been using live for several years and it's ok with it being a compact, all-in-one solution, but I've never been 100% enamoured with the sound and I like different sounds like an Aguilar, GK and Ampeg. I know it's not a brand known for bass amps and so before I think about updating to a more powerful combo or head & cab, any suggestions for something/pedal that could reinforce the sound and bring it more in line with better brands e.g. Tech 21 VT Bass DI? I have a Zoom unit that sounds great on headphones and direct to PA (it's my back up), but the amp models don't sound great into the Cube even with cab sims off (? preamp fighting preamp) and the Cube doesn't have an fx loop to allow me to bypass the preamp and utilise the power amp and speaker. Also, of note, I use Sire active basses. Thanks