chris_b

The Four10 is a sensitive cab and like all BF designs, it is very efficient but if you are too loud it's the controls on your amp and bass that are causing the problem. Your amp is running something like 250-300 watts into this cab (shame Orange don't provide the 8 ohm number). The compression could be boosting the signal, but if the amp is loud on 1 and too loud on 2 try using the pad and turning the bass volume down. Do you like the sound of this amp through your cab? If you do then dial the volume back. The cab is good, you proved that with your Ashdown. Sounds to me like the problem is in your "new" amp. If I was dealing with this issue I'd be checking out other amps. Ones with more effective controls.

Great playing the first time and great playing the second time. Happy funk.

Are you playing in a library? How can a 500 watt amp on 1 be too loud for anything else?

Exactly. A bass guitar can carry any song that was recorded with a keyboard bass line, because they were bass lines in the first place.

Musicians usually don't "make it". Even the very good ones. Talented and original performers do, so just find one of those and be his best mate and right-hand man in his band for as long as it takes him to "make it". Then don't be disappointed if you and the band are fired just before the first album is released.

Last weekend I was working with a keyboard player who was fired by his 60's - 70's Top 40 band for asking too many questions about the money. Very few bands weren't being ripped off by their management back then.

To make it in a band. . . . easy. . . . meet the right people. . . . . just when they are looking for a guy like you. . . . . if you want to go the working musician route then learn to read, play like a demon with a technique to match. . . then meet the right people, etc

Anyone trying to play this has a bigger problem than the bass sound. . . . no Harvey Mason or Herbie Hancock. Most of the guys who put synth bass lines on their records back then actually tour with bass guitarists.

IMO foam sounds great in the studio, but I prefer all the dynamics I can get in the sound of my bass on a gig.

The head liners on the big 3 day festivals in the UK and Europe, that's the likes of Bruce Springsteen etc, are on something like £450,000 a show. There's a story that Billy Preston got $4000 a show with the Stones, which is the most they've ever paid anyone.

Hi, I'd listen to some of that before you buy. I love this music but the singles don't always represent the album tracks.

I was going to mention a bass beginning with G but thought I'd better not. . . . !

Another player to listen to is Nathan East, in Clapton's band for most of the last 30 years. Also Keb Mo always has the cream of the bass playing world on his records, like Reggie McBride, Stan Sargeant, Freddy Washington and Hutch Huntchinson.

What amp are you using?

I bought this as a 45 in the early 70's and only recently found out that Chuck is the bassist. . . one of the funkiest bass lines I've heard.

Chuck is THE man!! Check out his discography. . . . http://www.chuckrainey.jp/disc/

I'd be surprised if the head could only do 8 ohms. I think that amp will do the normal thing and go down to 4 ohms or 2 8 ohm cabs.

You've got a 1/4" jack and an old cannon output sockets. You can run 1 or 2 8 ohm cabs or 1 4 ohm cab. I'd run the 1st cab from the jack plug socket and daisy chain the 2nd cab from the 1st cab.

A brick and mortar shop will only stay in business if it is fronting a successful online shop.

The Markbass cab will sound like a Markbass cab. The BF will sound mostly like your bass and amp. The BF cab will sound like 2 Markbass cabs. If you like the Markbass sound then keep your MB cab and get a second one. IMO, as a BF player, the BF cab is a step forwards in tone and a big step up in volume.

As I said before, Fender aren't "churning" their designs because they want to, they have been forced into this in order to draw a line under their old under-performing selves and start afresh. I believe they now are lead by an ex Disney CEO who turned that brand around so they start the fight back from now. People who just want cheap basses have plenty of other options. Looks like the message is US Fenders will be competing with "better" basses. There are far fewer instruments being bought than 30 years ago so Fender has to target its market and start making products that will stand up. If they have learnt anything they will be improving the quality of their instruments. QC seemed to be one of the big complaints so get that right, add a couple of upgrades while you're at it, and they can start competing. Hopefully Fender can then step back from the brink. Of course the prices will go up, but if you get more bass for your money then that should be acceptable to enough bass players to make this work. Those who want something for nothing will have to look else where.

You've just described far too many of the non Fender players. Most of the Fender players I saw weren't "rumbling and inaudible". The guys I played with always demanded more than a "rumble" from me.

I couldn't tell what the tune was from all the screaming.

In the late 60's you could regularly see Lol Coxhill busking outside places like Harrods in Knightsbridge and in the West End. Sadly, there were very few pedestrians in the morning rush hour who were interested in unaccompanied free form jazz.

The TH500 seemed to have a more "vintage" sound. That's code for old fashioned. . . like me. Maybe that's why we got on so well!