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Tokalo
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Everything posted by Tokalo
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No. Active only. -
Preamp from Electra VS4. I bought the bass used, and the volume control was pretty much either on full or off. So I swapped in a new volume pot, but it made no difference. I replaced it with a passive Kiogon loom. I’m selling it in case someone with the right skills/knowledge wants to try to repair it, and because otherwise it’s just hanging around. This is the later version with no passive push/pull option. Price includes UK mainland postage. -
Vol - Vol - Treble - Bass controls. Taken out of a 2013 Coda 4 Pro. Works fine & sounds great (and don’t believe the “boost-only” story: zero is at about 3/10). I swapped it out for a preamp with a balance control. Price includes UK mainland postage.
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Passive HPF with on/off switch. It works (ie it cuts out very low frequencies) but it’s in a plastic case with no shielding. It created noise in my signal chain, so I stopped using it. I think either the case needs to be shielded or it’s only suitable for home use. That’s why I’m selling it cheap! Price includes UK Mainland postage -
In mint condition, barring Velcro on back. Big display; highly accurate; thin, but not a “mini” pedal. Can be battery-powered. Please add £4 uk postage.-
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Gary has just installed a passive/active volume control on my new MTD Kingston. At the same time, he straightened the neck on my Spector Coda - for free! Over the past few months he also did a setup on my stepson’s Ibanez SR1605 (“it’s never played as well”), and repaired a bridge on friend’s son’s classical 6 string (“he was so nice and helpful, and did a great job”). Highly recommended!
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Ordered a b-stock bass (MTD Kingston Z4) in December. I’d been watching it for months, just hoping I might get a Christmas bonus big enough. Bonuses were announced on 8 December, so at that point I knew I had enough. But when I checked it was still available, the price had increased by £100! I must have just been no more than a week late. I phoned on the off-chance that there was room for negotiation, but before I’d even finished my first sentence, Mark said I could have it for the earlier lower price. (He also delayed despatch so it would arrive on a day when my good lady was at the office!) In short: super service!
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Thanks for all the comments. I wasn’t particularly looking for an active bass: it was the neck and the weight (and looks!) I liked. Stock p/ups are MTD proprietary Bartolini soapbars, which seem to do a good job through headphones. I use the tube drive on the Digbeth pedal to thicken up the sound, and to adjust the eq according to the room etc. My amp is a TC BQ500, which I tend to keep flat so it’s really just a power amp. It seems to me that the role of electrics on a bass is to capture as much of the whole tone (ie note + harmonics + sub-harmonics) as possible. So as long as the onboard preamp doesn’t take away any of the signal from the pickups, it will be staying put (though I’ll be asking GaryMac to add and push/pull passive pot).
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I got myself a MTD Kingston Z4 with my Christmas bonus. All seems good (very good - really light, punchy p/ups, wonderful neck), although I can’t try it out at volume with a band for a couple more days. Reading around (on here and TB), there seems to be a consensus that the G&B preamp is a bit weak/thin. I’ve stretched my budget to buy the bass, and I’m not looking to spend more. It occurs to me that I have 3 preamps in my chain: 1 - on the bass; 2 - a Laney Digbeth on my pedalboard; 3 - the eq controls on the amp. So I’ve got plenty of options to thicken the sound and give it a bit of welly. Would I really see any benefit from swapping in a £170 - £210 preamp?
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slightly less than eye wateringly expensive coated strings?
Tokalo replied to skidder652003's topic in Accessories and Misc
Blacksmith nano-carbon coated (AOT). I’ve been using them for 10 months on my gigging based, and very happy. Normally available on Amazon for about £22. -
My 10-year old son was showing an interest in my basses, so I put an ad in the Wanted section for a small Jackson. Mick answered by offering to lend us his Squier mini p-bass. It’s the perfect size, and the lad was clearly comfortable. He’s played it every day, learning Living on a Prayer, Crazy Train, Back in Black etc. We’ve given Mick his bass back now (I believe he’s sharing it with someone else). My son is getting his own mini-bass for Christmas now. Mick is just the most generous and helpful guy. Not only by sharing a bass, but also selfless with his time and advice.
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My 10-yr old is currently borrowing @TheGreek’s black one to see if he wants to play bass. (He loves it!) As well as the ease of playing, and super light weight, I’ve got to say I was shocked how punchy the p/u is. So we’ve bought him one for Christmas. -
I put Ultralite lollipops on my PJ Mustang. Neck dive solved! (And I think they look less outsized /ugly too)
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Jonny D has a review out: https://youtu.be/005lrJFMyRc?feature=shared Looks like pre-order only on the Ashdown website at the mo. (8.2lb makes the PJ a bit tempting if I get a bonus this year!)
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Isn’t his workshop on the same farm site as the Three Brewers brewery? Could make for a rewarding trip.
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As we were leaving, one member of staff said “have you been upstairs and tried the concert grands?” Now, I’m not a particularly scruffy guy, but I’m sure I don’t give off the air of someone who can afford £150k for a joanna. It was a bit surreal that they were so encouraging. I also played the Nathan East, not realising what it was nor how much it cost. What a delicious experience! Up till then, the best bass I’ve played was my Sandberg Electra VS4. How do I get it out of my head now?!
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Yes, definitely not normal retail. A handy addition to my list of “Free Things to do in London”, though!
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I had to take my 10-year old out for several hours today, to allow my wife some study time. He plays trombone (grade 2), and is curious about other brass instruments. So I took him up to London to visit the Yamaha shop (it’s the only brass store open on a Sunday that we could get to). Knowing we wouldn’t be purchasing, I was a bit sheepish about asking if he could play their Bb/F trombone. But they were SO helpful and welcoming. Not only did he play the £1400 trombone, they positively encouraged him to try a French Horn and a Tenor Horn. This weekend, it seems they’ve been having an event, so they also offered him a free 30-minute music lesson. We went downstairs to the guitar section and he was taught a few chords and, erm, Smoke on the Water (he plays it on trombone in his band) Meanwhile, I had time to try out a couple of basses, including a 5-string that has made me reconsider whether I should only have 4s. And an upright electric which has confirmed that I definitely shouldn’t go there. All in all, a great experience!
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If it’s a job, doesn’t there need to a contract of employment, albeit that does not necessarily need to be in written format. For my gig next Saturday, I didn’t organise it, and I have no idea if I’m being paid, let alone how much. I’ve played 5 gigs so far this year, and because it’s for fun, the average I’ve received has been about £40. I can’t see this being covered by employment law, even if it’s only inferred.
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I put a Kent Armstrong pickup in my Electra VS4 because one band needed a more vintage tone for a couple of gigs. It does that brilliantly, especially with TI flats. And it still rocks with nickel rounds in my dad rock band (I play through a TC BQ500, which has a very clean, modern tone so the Sandberg p/u was a bit too bright). I also swapped out the pre-amp for a K10gon passive loom because the volume control was faulty. I couldn’t be happier!
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The two packs I’ve used have been fine; great, even. Long-lasting and easy-to-play in a hot, sweaty pub. At £22-ish a pack, I find they’re good value.
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G&L Tribute Kiloton Really versatile bass with a great range of awesome & powerful tones. Jazz neck (38mm / 1.5”); Same hot MFD pickup as in the USA basses; 3-way switch for parallel/single coil/series (series is aka “OMG” mode because it’s got so much wellie!); G&L hi-mass locking bridge (still has the grub screw); It’s got a custom pickguard; the white original will be included; Comfortable contoured body and lovely, smooth neck; Fitted with new DR Pure Blues strings (45-100); Weighs 4.3kg; It’s in really good condition with no dings or scratches, apart from a small chip in the lacquer (pictured). Specs: Body: Poplar Bolt-on neck: Maple Fingerboard: Rosewood Fretboard radius: 12" Scale: 864 mm (34") long scale Nut width 38.10 mm 21 Medium-jumbo nickel frets Pickup: 1 Leo Fender-designed G&L MFD Magentic Field Design Humbucker (made in USA) 1 Volume and 1 tone control 3-Way series/split/parallel mini-toggle Can post for £30, or happy to meet up within a reasonable distance. -
Oh, if you need some downsides… 1) it’s got a traditional jazz body - it weighs 9lbs, so it’s not as light as you’d expect from a Spector (but still not “heavy”); 2) the modern machine heads look a bit funny on a trad shaped bass; 3) er, that’s it. The tonepump jnr and EMG HZs sound great, although I replaced the preamp with a Glock 2-band because I wanted a balance control and a passive option. In passive, the pickups are fine: I see no need to “upgrade” them, even playing in a loud Dad Rock band - I easily hold my own.
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And that’s not even the nicest thing about it; the neck is to-die-for (in my opinion)!
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It’s 18mm (I got a black one earlier this year). It makes it easier to play, although a fussy person might say it makes the pickups look a little too wide!
