Steve Browning

Since getting the amps and installing them in the rack and wiring them in, a bit of covid GAS descended. That and a bit of an unexpected financial bonus. I was interested in the continued controversy surrounding different cables and any effect they may have on sound. Our mutual friend @rumblefish has demonstrated an Evidence Audio Lyric cable before and we both heard a clear difference with that cable. So, after some email correspondence with Tony at Evidence, I ordered some Monorail cable and solderless plugs to rewire the rack and to run from the pedalboard to the rack input. I then ordered three of the EA Reveal cables for the three basses going through the switcher. With Tony's help I had decided that the Forte was too much of an outlay, the Lyric was a little 'stiff' for my purpose and the Reveal had the flexibility I wanted and (to quote Tony) 99% of the performance of the Forte. To complete the package, I ordered Siren speaker cables. All this was done through Custom Pedal Boards here in the UK (thanks to Chris Ryan for his assistance). Just to go completely barmy (and because the amps can be left on without a speaker load) I ordered a Mike Hill mini isolator. This means that I have split the output from the tuner and both TT-800s are being fed. Having got an order for a 2 x 12 in the pipeline I will be able to run the cabs from an amp each (who knows when Wembley beckons!!). We also took the opportunity to do a side by side comparison with his M-Pulse 600 through his Berg 2 x 12 which is a great cab in itself). At the same time comparing a number of cables to see what difference there was. With regard to the amps, we concluded there was a minor difference but certainly not enough to worry about. The amps 'work' in different ways and so I would chalk this up as a draw. To me this just underlined the fact that the choice of the TT-800 was spot on. Again, a sizeable difference in volume with the two channels set with the same eq and switched. There will some reason for that (and I'd never do it live anyway). Just needs some tweaking to level them up so no issue. What of the cables? We had EA Lyric and Reveal cables, a Lava cable and another (which I forget). Using the same bass and the same settings the differences were obvious. As we went up the price chain, the level of detail and balance was clear and improved with each step. Very pleasing for me, having drank heavily from the snake oil jar. We concluded that the Lyric would be your studio cable (it's not as flexible as the Reveal), the Reveal would be your live cable. Overall, the Reveal was the winner due to it's closeness to the Lyric and the fact that it was going to be longer lasting in a stage environment. It was the better value option by a way, in my view. I am not going to suggest the snake oil argument is dead but it is to my ears. I firmly believe that I have reached tone nirvana and all my bum notes have been freed to be heard as never before!! Rats!

Worst gig - I can offer 4 (although 2 are supports) - Meat Loaf (Brighton Centre), National Health (supporting Steve Hillaqe at Lancaster Uni), Supertramp (Brighton Centre again) and Doctors Of Madness, supporting the wonderful Be Bop Deluxe. Best gig - hard to narrow down - Queen on their first headlining tour, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Rory Gallagher at the Marquee, Dr Feelgood at Portsmouth Guildhall (the John Mayo version).

I won't ask where you plug the bass in!!

I see you also practice setting your guitar alight.

This mess is half of my home set up. PC comes in via usb, bass into the mixer (as you see) and phono output to old Yamaha hi-fi amp. The speakers are a pair of Acoustic Electric (now defunct speaker manufacturer) Studio 10 monitors. Not pretty but perfect for home use.

I have also replaced stock pickups with Vintage P's and they have been excellent. Very close to the sound (I daren't say tone) of my genuine vintage pickups.

I would be decidedly miffed now and incandescent on 7th July if there's no satisfactory conclusion. I would be inmstigating the charge back at that point, bearing in mind the time USPS give themselves.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164920764531?hash=item26660b2873:g:aI4AAOSwso5gzeNt Oddly, this is in my 'manor' but I don't know the owner. Slightly strangely light on detail.

I used to encounter Terry Shulman regularly at a jazz jam I played at, in the mid 70s. He was a brilliant trumpeter and a street cleaner by trade. A lovely guy. I confess to seeing National Health and saw them support Steve Hillage at Lancaster University. I'm afraid I was praying for their set to end from very early on (apologies to a certain BC member who was present at the time).

A Pompey band that started life as Simon Dupree and the Big Sound.

I was going to say the same thing - https://www.gov.uk/moving-to-uk?step-by-step-nav=849f71d1-f290-4a8e-9458-add936efefc5

Having toured a few times with It's A Beautiful Day, never mention Deep Purple/Child In Time and the song that came before Bombay Calling.

Most definitely!!

Good luck in your home and all the best with your next musical venture. Stevenage - the Red Lion -shudder!!!!!!!

Is not the US one, essentially, a Precision Lyte with a different name? Interesting bit of information though.

I've looked at the usual suspects that have been mentioned. I've always been a big fan of Kent Armstrong pickups. I guess the only thing is the lack of visible pole pieces (how shallow is that?). I am suspending thoughts of changing the pickup at the moment as I think the pre-amp change has done the job I wanted done on the sound. My guess is any pickup change would still lead to a pre-amp change whereas you may find a pre-amp swap may not lead to the need for another pickup.

I have for now. In truth, it is more likely to be pure snobbery that would make me change it. I had a pre-EB Stingray many moons ago and the combination of the stock pick-up and Retrovibe pre-amp get me a sound that is pretty much the same as my recollection of the sound of the original. I was careful to get a pre-amp that set out to emulate the original 2 eq pre-amp and the Retrovibe nails it.

I have a 4 string SUB and it was transformed by a Retrovibe Stinger pre-amp. I would strongly suggest you think about that as your first upgrade. I may even stick with the stock pickup as a result.

I have both a rack tuner and a tuner on the pedalboard (although it only house a switcher for different basses). It is useful to have the pedal tuner there, I find.