chris_b

We make some fantastic, world leading basses in this country. So far Overwater are the only UK made basses that have caught my attention. Sadly, my diary has to be a lot fuller before I could justify the required outlay.

Anything live by Little Feat, Ry Cooder, The Band, Edgar Winter's White Trash, Keb Mo, Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, BB King, John Hyatt, The Eagles and Eric Clapton. There are so many more. IMO a good band playing on a live album is the pinnacle of recording.

The WHO is being challenged by some new evidence about transmission: ". . . . . . 239 scientists from 32 countries don't agree: they say there is also strong evidence to suggest the virus can also spread in the air: through much tinier particles that float around for hours after people talk, or breathe out. " If that is true, events with audiences might be moving further away.

I think most advice here is to buy the best bass you can find, within your budget. The bass that speaks to you. If that's an upgraded MIM Jazz bass then all is good. IMO there is no ultimate. All we need is a bass that makes us sound good. If you want a true comparison you need to play your basses through the same amp and cab. My experience is that I found a very "reliced" Sadowsky RV5 Metro, for good price, and it sounded so good that I sold my Lakland 55-94, Fender Jazz V and Mike Lull M5V. I'd play the cheapest bass available if it sounded like this Metro. We should buy the basses we want to play. The ones that make us happy to pick them up.

What do you play? If you're asking which one, I guess you play both? So which is your favourite bass now, a 4 or a 5? If it's a 4 order a 5 and vice versa. What is your budget? Overwater has several basses in their shop for immediate sale. These are fantastic instruments. If I ever get to it one of these will be my next bass. https://shop.overwaterbasses.com/collections/new-basses

They all have good bits, which (for me at any rate) makes it very difficult to choose between them.

CNC machines have made even the cheapest basses very playable. IMO most of these basses fall down with the cheaper pickups and hardware they use. But that's what the upgrade parts industry is there for.

Buy the best sounding, loudest, cleanest amp you can find. If you need "dirt" or overdrive get a pedal.

Many years ago I spent an interesting hour with our drummer demoing brass snares, deep, piccolo snares and different tunings of the various drums. It was very informative. His brass snare certainly had heft.

Are you saying that is what they do or what they did? B&O/ICEpower are designing and manufacturing for the Hi-Fi audio, music, studio and FOH industry's as well as car systems these days.

Seriously, if that was an Ashdown, I'd get another. I've owned Thunderfunk amps since 2007. They are also SS and sound great, but then I can also get that sound out of my D class Aguilar. I guess my main gripe is the inaccuracy of generalisations.

500 - 1200 watt car radios? Really?

All touring PA systems are D class driven and have been for years, so D class is capable of handling anything that is thrown at it from the Dog and Duck to Glastonbury. All types of amps will flake out when you push them too far, which is often the case down the Dog and Duck. IMO if an amp sounds bad when you're pushing it buy a more powerful amp, so it isn't being pushed as hard. Watts are the cheapest part of your sound so big wattage numbers, owning more than you are going to use, is the best way. A fuller/better tone and getting lost in the mix is about not underpowering your rig and getting the EQ right. When I saw your band all those years ago in Knaphill, I don't know what amp you had, but your BB2 filled the place. Standing at the back of the room, you were the loudest guy in the band and the mix formed around you. Bigger venues just need more of the same. As I said everyone has different tone goals, but if the nay-sayers are right then D class wouldn't have pushed every other amp type into niche markets.

I've done this. BC is a relatively safe environment and a lot of us are interested in gear, so many sales are on spec to the curious. I evaluate stuff and if it's better than my current gear I keep it. If it isn't I'll sell it. It has nothing to do with the quality of the particular piece, just a way of checking stuff out.

You buy an amp for its sound. Then you chose the number of watts you require. I don't understand how a type of amp architecture can be blamed for not being loud enough! Watts are converted into SPL by the cab. If you have a good enough cab(s) and the right amount of watts then getting buried in the mix has to be down to the players use of EQ. I can make your ears ring with my 700 watt D class amp through 2 BF 112 cabs. I have been asked to turn down because the neighbours 2 doors away are complaining about the bass. Once, on an outdoor gig, from a house 100 yds away because they couldn't hear their TV. D class amps are as loud as you want them to be. Everyone has a sound that they prefer and that can be valves, SS or D class, but being buried in the mix isn't about electrical components.

I'd change one thing at a time. Keep your amps and replace your cabs with one good one. Your current amps are OK and you can replace them later if you find you still need to. That Barefaced Big Twin 2 in the classifieds would be my first call. But. . . . . . before you do anything else, get some hearing protection. Proper moulded plugs like ACS. You will be going deaf sooner rather than later if you are rehearsing at gig volumes.

I don't know what to suggest, but your bass isn't stopping you from playing so I doubt that a new instrument will drag you out of this malaise.

Make a list of your basses from most played to least played. Start selling from the end of the list. Only stop when you have 2 left.

Stickers? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

IMO flats sound great on record but the extra dynamics of rounds works better on a gig. I only play my P bass/flats at home, but gig my Jazz/rounds 99% of the time.

You kidding? Al can send his own threads off topic at the drop of a hat!

I discovered Dark Galaxy bars yesterday. Wow are they good. I have to lose half a stone to get back to my Covid starting weight, and I was trying to lose half a stone at that point. With this new discovery I'm not sure I'm going to make it.

I was going to do that, then it rained and I didn't need to. I knew if I waited long enough it would get done without me.

I waited a year for an SM to come up and then had to drive from Surrey to Leicester to get it. IMO so worth it.

Ampeg, Eden, Fender, Gibson, PPI, LIBOR, toxic mortgages etc etc happens when management believe that making money is more important than their products and services. When they only see £ signs not customers.