chris_b

[quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1506435534' post='3378706'] Not sure how you can learn from better band members unless they play the same instrument as you. [/quote] There's a lot more to being a good musician and band member than playing your instrument better than the next guy.

I would imagine you certainly do have support in the UK. Either an ongoing support from BD, if you bought your cabs there or from Bergantino themselves. Call the Berg dealership directly and find out the answers to your questions.

[quote name='benroch' timestamp='1505753949' post='3374047'] Any suggestions for good 5 string basses to play Rock and Jazz mainly? Been looking at fender style basses and at modern styles probably looking second hand rather than new! [/quote] There are plenty of top bassists out there playing 5 string Fenders. They are not my favourite bass in a 5 string format but these guys (most of them better bass players than me) make them work so they can't be bad, just not my preference. People will give you their preferences like they're fact. They are not, so don't get hung up on negative comments. You have some time before you are up to budget so listen to all opinions and experiences, play some basses and make up your own mind.

Glad your first gig went well. Playing in front of an audience is where you're tested, where it all comes together and the adrenalin start flowing. There's nothing else like it.

Never stop networking. Good luck.

I have no idea what basses you guys have been playing but better ones are out there. My 34" basses were Wal and Sadowsky. My 35" basses were Lull and Lakland. All 5 string and all excellent B strings. As a starter 5 string a Lakland Skyline 55-01 at £400 from the classifieds is a great 5 string bass for the money.

Would BEAD work in the meantime?

[quote name='Hey_Pauly' timestamp='1506288574' post='3377704'] Any rule of thumb for what the low, mid and high should be set to? [/quote] My rule of thumb is to buy an amp that sounds "right" when all the controls are at 12 o'clock. As long as slight adjustments, 1 click to the left or right, covers it then the amp is right for me. Any extreme EQing means I bought the wrong amp. So my answer to the OP is 12 o'clock.

Looks very much like my first bass, a Framus Star Bass, only done properly! I'd be interested if it was half the price and a 5 string version.

I liked his music. This is sad news.

Thanks to Colin, Nik and Chris for organising the Bash, it was another excellent days worth of bassyness.

[quote name='giamma' timestamp='1503563629' post='3359116'] Seems that the most of you agreed with the fact that the sound isn't full range. I've been playing with GK mbx since now and the portability is really unbeatable..I was looking for something of the same size/weight but with a more complex tone..seems I'm looking for something that simply doesn't exist [/quote] Reading this thread again. . . . Is the MBX a full range cab? It's a good cab but it's a 112 shoe horned into a box that's really only big enough for a much smaller speaker and way too small to let a 12 breath and develop a full sound. I used an MBX but only with an MB150S and playing with an acoustic guitarist. I'd put my One10 and TH500 up against that rig any day. It seems there are DB players that love the One10 and those that love the slightly larger SM. As Alex says, the bigger cab will usually sound better but I would expect either of those cabs to be better than a lone MBX on a gig.

I usually gig with 2 Super Compacts and use a One10 to practice at home. IMO it sounds better at home than one of the SC's. I haven't played a gig in the last 5 years where a One10 would have been enough on its own. Maybe I could make 2 One10's work and definitely 3 One10's could fit in with some bands I play with. Still thinking the 310 idea through but it'll probably never fly because the 2 SC's sound so good.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1506160743' post='3376771'] There are an awful lot of deluded instrument owners out there. [/quote] +1 Definitely steer clear of these guys.

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1506036032' post='3376104'] Are you really saying that 300W through a 4ohm BF cab will sound no louder than 150W through an equivalent 8ohm BF cab? [/quote] But you're not putting 300 watts through the cab, because you're not running the amp flat out. You also have to get your head around, 300 watts is [i]not[/i] twice as loud as 150 watts. Also 4 ohms is not twice as loud as 8 ohms. If you are running the amp on 50% then that's 150 watts vs 75 watts and with a good cab that will not be a huge difference. A bigger difference will be if you compared a 112 against a 212. More speaker area means you will move more air and the louder and better you will sound, and a cab with more sensitivity will be louder for the same watts by design.

One of the Macari's had a shop in Wembley when I was at school. Used to save up the bus fare and go and ogle the basses hanging on the wall.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Now put the 4's in their cases and focus on making the 5 work for you.

[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1506024017' post='3376014'] great advice - problem is, my 4 string is a *beaut* of a bass and I love her *very* much [/quote] If your 4 string bass is that good you don't need a 5 string bass.

There's a version coming out called the Forte which is the B|amp minus the screens and profiles. Also Bergantino seem to have gone over to using authorised dealerships (direct selling?)

Dunlops on all my basses since the late 80's. No maintenance issues and never had a problem.

I can't quote the numbers but you will struggle to hear a big difference between 150 and 300 watts. If you run the amp flat out you may hear something but most people don't do that. BF cabs are much more sensitive than most commercially available cabs and will sound louder with whatever amp you put into them, as my example indicates. So assuming the OP wants his cab to sound the same volume as now a single 8 ohm BF cab will do that as easily as many other 4 ohm cabs.

Get a good used Fender American Standard Precision that feels right and plays well, then if you need to upgrade the sound you can just drop in any number of great sounding pickups.

These days there are many fantastic small cabs around, but a small 4 ohm cab still has to carry the room, unless you have FOH. I never have FOH, which is why I always use 1, 2 or 3 small 8 ohm cabs. If I had to choose a small 4 ohm cab it would definitely be a Barefaced. But as their 8 ohm cabs are louder than some 4 ohm cabs you don't have to paint yourself into the 4 ohm corner. 2 of my SC's are louder than the 3 Bergantino AE112's I used to use and even the AE112 and CN212.

Louie Louie by the Kingsmen. Brilliant and raucous.

I know at couple of players who are trying to be a big fish in a small pond and I think they look a little sad. Who wants to be anything in a small pond? Whatever size fish I could be, I always wanted to be in the biggest pond I could get into. To play with the best musicians, in the best bands and do the best gigs I could. I have been the worse one in several bands but I also did pretty well in others. I know I could/should have done better if I focussed and tried harder, but I was a lazy sod and still am! Ho hum! IME the bad guys are usually the ones that don't want to hear your ideas. If you have something worth saying the good guys are usually the most receptive. If you play in a band and worry about being fired you might as well not bother. Make them want to keep you. Some bands are very cut-throat but when you get to a certain level you're more likely to be fired because you don't "look right" rather than for musical reasons.The one thing to aim for is to always play better this time than you did last time. If you think you could play something better, ask and then change it. Be realistic and make sure you don't fool yourself. I've seen plenty of guys get fired who were convinced they were the bees knees. The Dog and Duck or a US tour? No contest really is there.