chris_b

If they let you into their band you must be doing something right. You don't count 5 in Brubeck's Take Five, it's 3 and 2, so break the rhythm into manageable chunks. Also, every weird time signature has a pattern. Whipping Post by The Allman Brothers is in 11/8. The count is 3, 3, 3, 2 but when the bass starts this pattern in the intro no one's counting 11, they've just got the bass riff in their heads. Then again this drummer could just be playing 4/4 and throwing the beat around, accenting different parts of the beat. Feel the pulse and even if you get lost in the bar, always know where the 1 is. This drummer will have phrases and "tricks". When you've worked those out you'll be fine. I wish I was playing with a drummer like this again. Keep doing what you did in the audition.

All components other than the strap locks can make a difference to the sound of a bass. Depends how the instrument is made and what it's made out of. So bridges don't always make a difference to the sound, but can make a difference if there is a difference to be made. Some people will hear that difference and some won't.

IMO you can do better than both these combos but at this point in your playing career it's not worth selling one for the other. As you already own an amp that can make you sound good and being a "new" player, I would advise you keep what you got (forget what you sound like. . . it's good, believe me) and spend your time improving your playing and technique. Your idea of a great sound will change in time and there are plenty of options at the next level, Save your money for when you get there.

IMO the first couple of Robert Cray albums were the best. Keb Mo, Jon Cleary and Bonnie Raitt have moved on a little but can still come up with great blues songs. The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Robben Ford are always class acts. Lucky Peterson can be a bit hit and miss but there are some cracking tracks on youtube. Bobby Bland's albums Dreamer, California Album and Reflections In Blue and his 2 Together albums with BB King are essential blues listening.

Provide your own eels.

In the loud band, when I owned Bergs I used 3 112 cabs, then a 212 and 112. Now I'm using BF cabs I always use 2 SC's or lately 2 Two10's. The guitarist uses a Fender Twin which he sometimes links up to second combo. I could use 1 cab on the "regular" gigs, it's loud enough, but I've used 2 cabs (BF, Bergs, Mesa Boogie, Ampeg) on most gigs for many years because 2 just sounds so much better.

I thought my post was pretty clear. The only way Fender is going to dig itself out of it's hole is to use these new lines to address "unhappy" customer experiences with previous products. I don't know the problems you mention, but if the reality is that Fender are still employing people who can't be bothered to set up a CNC machine properly then they are still in big trouble. If they don't get it right this time then IMO it's curtains for Fender. As far as I can see, the price fixing thing is an investigation to see if there should be an investigation, and not what my post was about.

I don't dislike them. I wouldn't listen for a long time though. I still like the bass player.

What a great bass sound that guy had on I Wish.

You can dislike him, his music and performance (I'm not a huge fan) but trying to tear holes in his technical and musical ability. . . . you're having a laugh!!!

It wouldn't work in my loud band but I could easily gig with a stand-alone SM in my other bands. There wouldn't be as much low end as with the SC (pretty big) or BB2 (huge), but I don't think "lacking" is the right word at all. In the right circumstances there would be enough low end for me. IMO all these cabs are great stand-alone solutions and they easily pair with themselves and each other. Alex seems to have thought this through, and they compliment each other. Which cab(s) you chose is purely down to your sound preference and playing circumstances.

The reason Alex has a successful company and selling his cabs all around the world is because whatever others may wonder, he knows this stuff and you can be sure that he's taken care of all the technical downsides. That doesn't guarantee that you'll like the sound of his cabs but they'll do exactly the job he specifies on the website. Al, the Super Midget complimented my Super Compact perfectly. I was running 2 SC's at the time and the SC + SM gave me slightly less bottom end and a lot more mids, punch and top. Which is exactly what I expected from a smaller 112 with a tweeter. The pair of them went very loud, sounded very fat, full and clear and shook the room.

You can call Barefaced and ask to try any of their demo cabs. If they have one there they will say "come over". I borrowed a demo Super Midget for a week earlier in the year. They are very accommodating.

. . . and this. If you think that two 112 cabs will sound twice as good as one 112 cab, prepare to be amazed. They will sound a lot better than that.

Much better? That's a very subjective question. I use BF cabs and IMO they are "better" cabs (ie go louder, better sonic attributes and lighter) and sound "better" (to me for what I want to sound like), but if the tone isn't for you then it doesn't matter how much "better" they are. I've seen people put off by cabs at this level because they sound "different". They will produce sound that is clearer which people can dislike. I like that because it lets me cut through and makes me play better. As you already know, this is not the cheap option. But if you think the differences in tone between your old gear and this are "better" then IMO this upgrade is worth every penny.

They all look good and so does no guard. IMO the black guard looks better with the cream body. -1000 for using screws. +100 for double sided tape.

Love the sound? Just want more volume? Add the extension cab and get more volume and tone.

. . . . "Standing on the shoulders of giants".

Thinking about it, the only problems I've ever had during set up have been with week-end warrior types. Most of guys I play with turn up with small gear, set it up then move it into place when the drummer has finished. If someone mentions a problem the reply is usually, "OK, what do you need me to do?"

Leave enough room for everyone. Sounds simple and obvious but I turned up late one night and the guys had already set up. . . and left no space for the bass at all! They just looked blankly at me when I asked where they expected me to go, and then got a bit ratty when I told them all to move up to make room. What a bunch of idiots!!

I wish I played in a band with the imagination to play some of this stuff.

How can you love the Genz when you have these issues with your sound? EBS harsh top end, Berg sounds sterile. I'd say this amp must have something to do with these problems. I used an Aguilar TH500 with my Bergs and the sound was full and warm. A lot of top players use EBS cabs and get a great sound. The other thing is that cabs of this quality will expose any "issues" with your playing, because they are clearer and every note will stand out. That's part of what makes them what makes them great cabs. IMO whatever cab you get you have to replace that amp as well with something better.

I'm guessing that if you pushed the amp too hard it would eventually overheat and shut down. I tried running 2 4 ohm cabs but to do that I daisy chained 2 amps, each running a cab.

In really dull meetings I used to relieve the boredom by trying to write my notes with my left hand. I only got about 5% of the info down but the time went really quickly.

How much "tax reasons"? Would it stretch to a Bergantino B|amp and a couple of HDN112's?