lemmywinks

That's a good point actually, what's the market like for far right gigs? The money they don't spent on well fitting clothes, soap and sun tan lotion could be lining our pockets!

Probably sounded like a great idea after a few cans at rehearsal though!

There's nothing political about the free Tommy nonsense though. It's not even a rational argument, let alone a political statement.

There's a function band I know where the bassist uses a 6 string Ken Smith purely because it's his favourite bass. That's quite good logic IMO. I know quite a few players who just don't fixate on gear at all, they played a great bass, bought it and gig with it every time without wanting to change it, I think it's more common outside of forums where shiny new things don't catch the eye so much!

One of his more well known basses - the Streamer with the Iroquai pattern on - was a 5, when I think of Stuart Zender that's the bass I think of. He also used another 5 string Streamer live quite a bit as well as the 4 string Stage 1 he was pictured with regularly.

If your 5 string has no punch and is difficult to amplify then you need a better 5 string bass and a better amplifier.

Exactly, for live use this is the point. However the QSC has a 3rd 3.5mm input for hooking up a laptop/tablet/whatever to play music so I can see how the dance preset would be useful for omtting a desk entirely if you wanted to use it to provide music at a bbq or something - just plug your phone or whatever in and you're away. I'll use the bass amp preset in most cases if I'm just plugging straight into it at home, treating it like a combo amp so I don't have to get a preamp pedal out for a quick play.. Basically it encourages laziness which I'm all up for.

Most of the presets sounded more like options for vocal monitoring to me rather than for FOH or instrument use, from memory only the dance and default presets sounded like something I'd want to use in that regard, obviously the bass amp preset for bass monitoring too. Would be nice if there was some more information in the manual.

He's approaching 50 in that video too, the absolute b@st@rd.

I switched to 5 strings because absolutely I needed to, came to a point where it was a chore working around the limitations of a 4 with regards to songs we play. Not something I wanted to do (I had some very nice and expensive 4 strings I was perfectly happy with) but needs must. Playing a 5 is much easier too, wouldn't go back if I could.

Mine is the Alder V7 5 string and is 10lb give or take an ounce or two, would be interesting to get some weights of the V3 and V9 models. From memory I got mine used for around £300 which is an astounding amount of bass for Squier money, great B string too. I think if Sire could do their own in house Ultralight copies and get the body weight down to make a 7-8lb bass they would be onto a winner, I'd buy at least one.

Yeah the weight is the one downside which isn't easily rectifiable, it's not a dealbreaker and they aren't any heavier than a lot of J type basses. I was coming from 7lb Cort 5 strings with compact bodies so I suppose the Sire felt heavier than it actually was!

Jaco liked 5 strings: That's a Gretsch (or a Guild? can't remember, think it began with a G) and a custom acoustic he specced I think.

Good spot (not that I'd expect anything less!), I thought it was a Shine neck going off the headstock shape. That purple Maison looks great, I seriously hope he didn't butcher a complete working bass to make that monstrosity, although something tells me he probably did. I seem to remember a while ago he went through stages of making "customs" out of cheap Vintage basses, turning them into 3 strings, ripping all the controls out (putting duct tape over the holes) and wiring them straight to the 1/4" jack, reshaping headstocks (badly) and giving them horrid amateur motorcycle tank paint jobs. Like there's a huge market for that sort of thing. Then he did a few mock EUBs again made from cheap basses with the bodies hacked up and metal rods shoved up where the strap pin used to be, these usually started off at silly prices and gradually got lower until he took them off eBay when they still didn't sell. Although MDP gets a bit of stick at least he'll be selling instruments that play ok and aren't butchered, they can all be put right with a little bit of money and time. This guy is borderline insane.

I'm distressed just knowing it's in the next town to mine!

From looking at his feedback it seems he's knocking out counterfeit autographed pictures too.

.....when you can just use a shovel instead? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Custom-distressed-cello-bass-guitar/273342006959?hash=item3fa47406af:g:Py0AAOSw3qdbP8pr This guy's efforts crop up on my local searches, he's been butchering instruments for years to make his "customs", I think he used to use a different account. He has a history of making shocking EUBs by ruining cheap starter basses and I seem to remember at some point he was selling condoms which were past their use by date, justified with his claim that he used them himself. Ewwwwwwwww......

Go and watch a band using them as PA without subs and listen to how good the bass sounds, there's your answer. Honestly they're probably total overkill to use as a bass monitor and for me at least they're a bit bulky to use as a wedge - I get stuck behind keyboard players a lot and being able to position a smaller cab is beneficial.

We used to whack a full band through a pair of these, I think pretty much anybody would love using one as a bass amp. Just big, clean power.

I use mine with the Bass Amp preset most of the time, the preamp pedal I use doesn't really add any voicing to the signal though. I just like the sound of my bass straight into the desk so I've gone for the simplest option really, save for just plugging the bass straight in. Even fewer reasons for me to go shopping for £200+ pedals I don't need then!

I was listening to some desk recordings a few weeks ago (our guitarist just bought the 32 channel Mackie iPad desk thingy where you can master tracks down individually) and thinking how great the bass sounds just coming straight from the Fishman, pretty much the sound I went through a ton of amps trying to achieve. Went home really pleased with my tiny but great live rig yet a couple of hours later I almost bought a GK Plex just out of curiosity, had to have a word with myself and remove it from the virtual basket.

This is the thing, it doesn't cure GAS at all. It just makes you want to buy a ton of preamp pedals.