Gwilym

coincidentally, I also had my hols in NYC/NJ last month. NY is just awesome - it was my third visit there, and it just gets better each time. I managed to catch [url="http://www.charlestolliver.com/"]The Charles Tolliver Big Band[/url] (at The Blue Note), [url="http://www.mingusmingusmingus.com/MingusBands/orchestra.html"]The Mingus Orchestra[/url] and The Victor Lewis Quintet (at the Village Vanguard). I also picked up a very nice bass that I bought off a nice fellow from TB

hey Nik, it sounds like you should try the Fafner, there was plenty of warmth when I tried one some time ago. I've been gassing for one ever since but have yet to pull the trigger, so to speak. I suspect that it may, sound wise, be my ideal head, but the size and weight (relative to all the lightweight gear now on the market) just puts me off. and the chicken head knobs are also an aquired taste.

they're nice looking instruments, but IMHO, spoiled by the fact that they have "Vigier" written in large letters on the body. There's a few other manufacturers that do the same (Zoot and Sandbergs (4 dot logo, a bit more subtle perhaps) spring to mind), and it totally turns me off from an aesthetic point of view. What do you owners think?

[quote name='Gwilym' post='259245' date='Aug 10 2008, 12:46 PM']i was using the 10db pad on the audio interface too[/quote] i guess i've got an older version without the 10db input pad then as I totally misunderstood WoT's earlier post

another satisfied Groove Shoppe customer I see

[quote name='ahpook' post='259280' date='Aug 10 2008, 01:46 PM']sorry - i meant the bass guitar, not the bass control of the ebs [/quote] ah, i see I think I may have had to turn down the bass (guitar) volume too, to help tame the MB output signal. But I've never had to turn down the bass volume when using the headphones (just the headphone volume), so I don't think that a hot input signal is causing the MB to clip internally.

good pianists and drummers generally get my admiration - I've seen a good few piano/keys players, and I'd select Joe Zawinul - because of his band-leading and compositional skills (apart from his proficiency as a musician). And I'd add Charles Earland (hammond organist) as well, because I've never seen a musician looking like they were enjoying themselves as much as he was. drums wise, the ones that have stood out were Victor Lewis, Jack DeJohnette, Elvin Jones and Paco Sery. all four of them had shivers going down my spine (in a good way) which is not something you can often say about drummers On Sax, I always really enjoy listening to Eddie Harris, maybe not the best technician, but hugely lyrical and soulful playing.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='259238' date='Aug 10 2008, 12:39 PM']Strange... have you engaged the -10db pad, too?[/quote] i was using the 10db pad on the audio interface too

[quote name='ahpook' post='259199' date='Aug 10 2008, 11:58 AM']i'm now the proud owner of lee650's ebs microbass and i'd like to pick the brains of anyone who's used one of these... firstly...the xlr output is hot...and i mean [i]hot[/i]...i'm having to run my mixing desk with the trim way way down just to get a clean signal...anyone else find this ?[/quote] yes, that was exactly my experience when I recorded with mine. The trim on the audio interface was way down [quote name='ahpook' post='259199' date='Aug 10 2008, 11:58 AM']secondly...the inputs are very sensitive...unless i turn my bass down the microbass is almost alway driven into slight overdrive by the bass...is this also anyone else's experience ? any thoughts would be most welcome.[/quote] ditto - my bass has a pretty hot signal (if that really matters), and the signal does distort/overdrive with the "drive"/"boost" knobs, unless (like WoT says) you use them very sparingly. However, I've not had any distortion issues from using the "bass" knob, but I've generally kept that near to flat.

[quote name='Josh' post='254907' date='Aug 4 2008, 10:48 PM']Do you mind if I ask if you got burned on the import tax and vat etc...? I am seriously nursing a semi at the thought of a second 535.[/quote] you will pay 22% on top of the value of the bass to cover vat and duty. I've had a few basses imported from the US and without exception have always been charged - the carriers will always collect the charges on behalf of HM Customs & Excise. the only differences is if you receive via Parcel Force (ie it's been mailed via USPS (US Postal Service)), then you'll always have to pay the extra money to them before they give you the parcel. FedEx sent me an invoice 3 months later. UPS who delivered my 535 (from the Groove Shoppe) charged me when I collected the bass from their depot. Ari is considering letting a couple of his 535s go - send him a PM, he's in France, so no vat & duty to pay

[quote name='Mark Latimour' post='253645' date='Aug 3 2008, 10:45 AM']Here's my baby.[/quote] very very nice - is that one of the chambered basses? the body looks quite deep.

[quote name='Josh' post='229088' date='Jun 29 2008, 04:32 PM']Mind if I ask how it sounded sterile?[/quote] hi Josh, what I meant was that I don't think it's a "bedroom" bass. In my experience, some gear sounds fanstastic at home, but didn't cut it (for me) when used live. The MTD while sounding good at lower volumes just sounds awesome when cranked through a PA. I was reminded of this a couple of days ago when I last gigged with mine [quote name='Josh' post='244702' date='Jul 21 2008, 07:09 PM']I'm so glad I bought this bass!![/quote] well done

[quote name='bassjamm' post='235340' date='Jul 8 2008, 10:35 PM']I thought Russ used to own one...a nice natural one! I've found one for about £800...is that good? Jam[/quote] hi Jam difficult to say... I bought mine - a Level 5 model - from eubassix on ebay about 5 years ago for around £600 IIRC. It was light, well balanced had a full, aggressive, modern tone. Similar to the Shuker I had for a while. I think it was a combo of the EMG 40DC pickups, light (and very resonant) swamp ash body and maple neck/fb, hardware was all Hipshot. Loved the tone (but I guess with JJ pups the sound could be quite different), and I'm not quite sure why I moved it on, other than I traded it (+£) with Russ for his Sadowsky Tokyo. The neck wasn't as wide as the Sadowsky but a bit deeper, more of a "C" shape than "D". I was light and balanced very well as you might expect from the size of the horn It was a lot of bass for the money I payed for it, and up there in many respects with anything I have played/owned/own. I guess MPG's are not very well known, especially in the UK/Europe, so you'd have to think about resale value if you came to move it on, but potentally a very nice instrument for that kind of money. I suppose you would be getting a J bass "on steroids", to which I would ask, isn't that what your "F" is for? GAS eh? Can you get you try before you buy? cheers G ps here's some old pics of mine: [url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MPGLevel5/100_0210.jpg"][/url][url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MPGLevel5/100_0209.jpg"][/url][url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MPGLevel5/100_0205.jpg"][/url][url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MPGLevel5/100_0202.jpg"][/url][url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MPGLevel5/100_0199.jpg"][/url][url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MPGLevel5/100_0198.jpg"][/url]

[quote name='fullrangebass' post='235250' date='Jul 8 2008, 08:30 PM']My experience with MPG is through my superb Level 5 (EMG DC40 loaded). Most positive[/quote] +1 is that the one Russ used to have? if so, that used to be mine, and it sounds great. I'd have it back any day ;-)

big thumbs up for Ray. he bought my Korg Pandora PX4B, no messing around, no hassle, we just did the deal! cheers Ray, hope you have some fun with that little thing

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='229049' date='Jun 29 2008, 03:10 PM']No - not knob size Why do so many think their bass rig has to have 10 inch and 15 inch cabs (or other combination of driver sizes). OK there are some 3 way cabs with a mid-range driver and tweeter, and even two way cabs with bass and mid speakers, but a lot of bass players think that the ideal rig is a 1x15 with a 2x10 or 4x10. I think the theory behind this is that the 10's will carry the midrange where the 15's run out, and the 15 will go lower than the 10's. But if you think about it the frequencies where the cabs overlap will be so much louder than the frequencies where only one cabs is effective as to render those frequencies virtually inaudible. Just by way of example take some Ashdown ABM cabs and the published frequency response (that is pretty vague to be honest): ABM 115 37Hz - 2kHz 98dB 1W@1m ABM 210T 75Hz - 20kHz 102dB 1W @ 1m Not withstanding the fact that the 210 has a 4dB advantage in sensitivity it also means that 75Hz to 2kHz will be 7dB louder than 37 to 75Hz. That is one serious midrange hump! Throw into the mix the possibility of phase cancellation where phase changes with frequency response at different frequencies for the different cabs and you have all the ingredients for a very unpredicatable sound.[/quote] presumably it's exactly these deficiencies from the engineering standpoint that give the sound a characteristic that is attractive to the ears of the punter who bought it in the first place? hence the reason why these cab combinations are used?

[quote name='Josh' post='228925' date='Jun 29 2008, 11:16 AM']Has anyone had any experience with them at all? I've heard and seen many examples of he 535 in action and I've always been impressed, and also I've been one for how they look as well. I'm just curious to see if any of you guys have had a run in with the said bass and if in the flesh, are they worth the hype? As I'm in a position to get the one I've seen at The Gallery: And I'm a bit baffle don how to order from that site as well. Thanks all, Josh.[/quote] hi Josh, if you're interested in the MTD at the Gallery, then give Alex a call about it, I'm sure he'd be happy to help you out. i've played a few MTD's, most of them were owned by Ari, and they can sound quite different depending on the woods used IMO. I guess I was suitably impressed to fork out and buy one! Mine is a wenge neck and f/b, poplar body, maple burl top. The sound is even, articulate and clear, and you can eq in wide range of tones, in fact maybe too wide range - you've got to be carefull not to overdo it. If anything it can sound a bit sterile at low volumes, but when I've gigged it, it just sounds awesome. The only other thing I found it took a while to get used to was the higher string tension due to the 35" scale, as I didn't change the gauge of the strings I am using. The MTD has definitely grown on me - very much like the Sadowsky Tokyo I used to own - because it wasn't until I played them live that I really realised what the fuss was about. I won't be selling my MTD thats for certain! Cheers G Oh and heres some gratuitous porno... (picture courtesy of [url="http://www.thegrooveshoppe.com"]The Groove Shoppe[/url], where I bought it) [url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/535.jpg"][/url]

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