bnt

14 minutes ago, toneknob said:

Are there more than these three who play like this?

There is OMD's Andy McCluskey, who plays RH on a RH bass, but with the strings inverted:

Lee was also out with Yes ARW (Anderson / Rabin / Wakeman) a couple of years ago, tackling some Chris Squire basslines. It's not a trivial job keeping us CS fans happy, but I heard only good things and wish I'd gotten to see them live. Maybe I will - It Can Happen ...

No trim pot on the side that's accessible without removing the whole preamp, at least ... I have some parts on the way for mine, it's getting rewired something like a Rickenbacker, passive with stereo outs. I might even add the "vintage cap" to the bridge pickup to hear the effect.

it's been brought to my attention by PM that these basses may be shipping with pickups different to those advertised, and that appears to be the case here with the Split-P at least:

• advertised: Roswell PM-4A AlNiCo-5 split-P, which is not on the Roswell website.
• installed: Roswell PM-4 ceramic.
• advertised: Roswell MA-4 AlNiCo-5 MM HB at the bridge
• installed: Roswell MFR4-N/B, also ceramic magnets. This is a more powerful pickup than the MA-4, which may explain why it didn't seem as weak to me as other reviews have said.

I'm told that Thomann will swap the pickups out on request if it's a problem. I'm not a pickup connoisseur, and given the budget nature of the bass, I'm not immediately bothered by this. I already remarked that the passive P-tone is powerful, and I like it so far. I'm definitely looking for a fat, powerful tone, given that one of my favourite bass tones came from John Wetton's P-bass during his 1970s King Crimson "Bass Beast of Terror" phase. But it's definitely something to keep in mind if your tone requirements are more specific than mine.

1 hour ago, stewblack said:

So the colour didn't win you over when you had the bass there in your hands then?

I mean ... it said blue, and it's blue ... maybe it'll pop under stage lights, but in today's grey daylight, it's just ... blue.

I don't know if I'm going to write a proper review as such. I haven't owned a lot of different basses in my life, and so I don't have a good sense of what's out there for comparison. This is the first bass I've bought in over ten years, and for most of that time I only had one: the Tune TWB43 I describe here. Any references to "the other bass" will be to that.

This HB is at least a kilogram heavier than the other bass, though only slightly larger, which is mostly down to the wood, I think. It looked bigger in the hands of other players, especially Julia from Thomann, who says this is lighter than the MJ-4 J-style version. I'm 6 foot in socks with muscles, so I'm OK. Both are basically Sandberg-inspired, mine being a clone of the Californa VM4. I didn't really want the blue, and it looks like I'm not alone there, since the other two colours (cream and natural) are sold out for the next six weeks at least. But I can live with it and may consider refinishing it some day.

One disappointment: the pictures seem to indicate that the body is sloped to accommodate the picking arm more ergonomically: it is, it's barely cut down at all, so it's more of a slab. So I'm not totally happy when playing seated, but less bothered when standing. On a strap, there's a little neck dive: nothing that a decent strap can't handle. The bridge is solid and looks more complicated than it is: each bridgepiece has an optional locking screw to hold it down once you're done with adjustments. These arrived loose, presumably in case the player tries to raise the action and can't. Through-body stringing is standard but optional, and I believe the supplied strings are the specified D'Addarios. 

I mentioned the neck already: modern C shape, satin finish on the back, and I don't think I'll need to touch the truss rod in the foreseeable future. If I did, it's an easily-accessible wheel method. I've been learning more about setup, starting with Fender's advice here, and the feeler gauges told me the relief was just under 0.35mm, which was spot on. However, the action at the bridge was way too high, about 4mm (double the recommended 2mm), and I struggled with that a bit. Today I lowered it to about 2mm, and am much happier. The bridgepieces are low but didn't bottom out - a problem I've had before. (On the other bass, I ended up sinking the whole bridge in to the body to get the range of adjustment I needed, as a project, rather than use shims. I have a little buzz low down that tells me the neck may be a little too straight now, but nothing requiring action yet.)

So I like the construction so far, I think I have a solid base for modding. Which is good, because they have skimped on the electronics. First of all, the pickups are decent, I think. The split-P is definitely powerful. The MM HB not so much, but it sounds good, if a bit anonymous. After adjusting that up and the P down, the balance is better. The P is now nearly 3mm below the strings, and I am not short of signal. I might replace the HB with one of these, but it doesn't seem urgent at this time, since it's adequate and the P is the priority.

The other bass is active, but with everything pegged it's still not as loud as this P pickup in passive mode. Which is where it will spend most of its time, since the electronics let it down badly. I thought the electronics in the other bass were average, which makes this new bass' below-average. The pickup balance pot only seems to "blend" around the centre: more than a few degrees either side and it might as well be a switch. The low EQ seems to add boom, the high EQ seems to add string noise, and both seem to be off-centre: not flat when centred. The 9V circuit seems to lack headroom, since there is audible distortion from the P when it's up full. (I thought it was 18V for some reason, but that was probably my mistake.) .

I don't have an amp - too antisocial - so I'm testing using two different headphone setups: a cheap-and-nasty Amplug clone - great for practising while walking around - and a tc electronic SpectraDrive, which has two TonePrint sections. On the SpectraComp side I like the Captain East preset so far - a great all-round compressor. On the TubeDrive side, when I use it, I try a few different TonePrints: Dark Horse for distortion, Natural Drive sometimes, most of the time that section is off. As other reviews have noted, the P-signal takes distortion well. The best tones I get so far are from the P in passive modem, which was my top priority, since my other bass is more Jazz-like if I want that.

I am already planning a total rewire to passive mode, 2V2T controls, maybe a HB coil split switch, and stereo out (Rick-O-Sound style, switchable). I would rather have no circuit than bad circuit, and the SpectraDrive has a 4-band EQ already.

• Pro: solid construction, good bridge, string-through, zero fret. Good setup range. Very good passive P tone, not affected by lower action.
• Con: the colour, electronics, the weight if you're weedy.

I'll add more updates / impressions over time.

Full details here, including better pictures than I can take at the moment. It only arrived 1/2h ago, but first impressions are positive. Feels very solid and fairly heavy: maybe 4kg, though I don't have an accurate scale. Thomann said the whole box was 3kg, including one of their premier gig bags: I don't think so!

I might want to lower the action at the bridge, but neck relief at the 8th fret is about 0.35mm, maybe a bit less, which is pretty good. So I don't think I'll need to touch the truss rod any time soon.

I haven't done any detailed listening tests yet - it's the middle of day and I'm supposed to be working - but I can tell the P pickup is powerful compared to the MM HB at the bridge. Adjusting pickup heights may help there, the MM has got room to come up a bit. No comment on the active EQ yet, don't know if I want to keep it or go passive.

I've been considering the WAV version of this, and this looks like 200% more instrument for 50% more wonga. But with the long-term financial implications of the pandemic still uncertain, spending this much on a bass is just not sensible. I doubt it will still be here when it is. 😔

How about Cisco Webex for this? They say:

Quote

Your free Webex Meetings plan gives you meetings with 100 participants, HD video, screen sharing, and a personal room. Use it as long as you like.

I think that the number of players who would want a Dingwall P- or J- is smaller than the market for their more modern designs. You have to be really wedded to that look, it seems to me. Lee Sklar was known for his Frankenstein bass (P-body, J-Neck), but now it's 37" B-string all the way with his signature Dingwall.

On 07/04/2020 at 15:40, stewblack said:

Harley Benton Enhanced is probably the most crazy good value for money anywhere - and is under £300.

 On 07/04/2020 at 16:12, bnt said:

Thomann are low in stock e.g. the only available Enhanced PJ as mentioned above is either B-Stock or an unattractive (to me) blue. 🥶

I've been humming and hawing for a couple of weeks, but today I said "stuff it" and ordered the blue Enhanced. The other colours are months away from being back in stock. I may refinish it eventually, but apart from that I see a lot to like if I get a good one. Sandberg-style 6-bolt neck, zero fret, chunky bridge with through-body stringing, PH (not PJ) with a reverse P and a MM.

From the reviews, the MM style humbucker is a bit meh, if I feel the same way I'll consider replacing it with one of these, Wilkinson's version of the Delano Hybrid 4, or maybe even the Delano itself, with switching.

I currently have one eye on a Sire P7 (P/J) which Is on sale at Anderton’s for £369 in White Blonde. No experience with them but I hear good things about them, such as the preamp being very good but that it has a great passive tone too. 

Thomann are low in stock e.g. the only available Enhanced PJ as mentioned above is either B-Stock or an unattractive (to me) blue. 🥶

A while ago I started this thread looking at the low end, and got a few ideas there. Two more names for you list would by Ormsby and Maruszczyk, and I believe AC Guitars have done some before. Harley Benton (Thomann) used to sell one but have pulled out: I wonder if they’ll be back?

There’s a new EHB1505MS video from Franck Hermanny: a short slap tutorial. Sounds really clean: 

On 28/03/2020 at 19:56, Bankai said:

That is very tempting. I couldn't find anything that was trying to do the 'sandberg VM' thing so bought the real deal about two days ago instead. I'd be interested to see how one of those Harley Bentons plays as it may prove a useful backup. Any chance you fancy being Patient Zero for me and picking one up?

I’m strongly considering it, though the old Coronavirus is definitely putting a damper on my willingness to spend money at this time. But there are other opinions out there, such as this guy recently:

4 minutes ago, skej21 said:

It’s the American Original ‘50s Precision in Aztec Gold 🙂

46 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

@bnt if it was vintera I would’ve bought one. It’s American Vintage, meaning about £1500-1700 and not “cheap”.

Ooh - well, the Vintera in Vintage Blonde is what caught my eye:

😎

On 25/03/2020 at 20:46, sykilz said:

Not everyone's cup of tea, but I saw one of these in the flesh at PMT and was blown away by it, usually I like blues/blacks/ white basses, so this took me by surprise....

Is that the new Vintera 50's Precision? I'm strongly considering one of these for flatwounds and a plectrum. However, I also think I would like a two-pickup configuration, and right now the Sandberg-inspired (heh) Harley Benton Enhanced looks very good to me in the Natural finish:

I get the impression that this first run was a test balloon, sent up to gauge the demand before they order more to be built. Which means that positive reports like the above will have an impact on sales under normal conditions. We're not in normal conditions, though: over the next few months I could end up on reduced wages or even lose my job entirely, so any bass purchase is understandably pushed back until I know my income is secure. 😞

From that video you can really see how light the body is - as lowregisterhead said, it's moving around a little under aggressive playing. I can't say that would be a problem for me, being less aggressive than that in general (though there have been exceptions).

Finally - video of the EHB1505MS in action:

Weird - and only on the 5-string, not the 6-string?

They are hitting stores worldwide e.g. this guy has a few videos of himself noodling in a shop in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur.

The Bass Centre in London offers their Elites strings in double ball ends too. But all of those on the market are fixed 34" scale, so multiscale is off the table straight away. If I get one of these, I'll just trim the strings and feel for any sharp points. If I find any, a couple of taps from a screwdriver handle should sort that out.

Yeah, it must be aimed at the Periphery/Nolly fans with the Darkglass rigs, but I hope it’s more versatile than that. The low B on these is 36.25”, meaning detuning is more feasible. I’m considering the 6, just to challenge myself to get more adventurous.

Video of the Gear4Music RedSub Coliseum 6. Definitely looks interesting, though the video doesn't include any clean tones.