chris_b

In a front room I've heard differences between wireless and a lead, but next to a drummer? I think you'd be hard pressed to hear a difference on stage. Maybe going thorough a PA would notice, maybe not. 99% of the time I don't use FOH so a PA never figures in my planning. If you focus equally on every link in your signal chain then you're covered in every eventuality. IMO most players don't focus on the most important area, their technique. Get that right and you can sound good on any old gear.

This is all advice in the dark, but if you're stuck on the Ampeg sound the SVT3PRO and the PF800 are the only amps of theirs I'd look at. You could wait a couple of months for the Mesa Subway to come out and see what that can do for you. IME an Aguilar TH500 is a fantastic amp in the "vintage" bass sound area. Looking at your gear list I think you can do better in the cab department. The Mesa Subway cabs look interesting but with the world of bass cabs evolving as it is I don't see any Ampeg cabs that interest me any more. I'd go for a loud and light 2x12.

If you can't see any benefit then they're not for you. A story: I dep in a band which plays a slow song in D, and I start the line on the low D. The regular guy starts on a high D and drops down for the rest of the line. The band leader thinks my version is so much better that he makes the regular guy tune the E string down for that song. Sometimes one is just better than the other.

Bad cables can affect your tone more than good cables. The signal is affected by the cables' ability to carry the frequencies correctly and without loss through the copper. Whether you can hear a big difference or no difference at all is also a variable.

Everyone can be replaced, even the songwriting star front man, Genesis, Pink Floyd for example? It's also easy to replace a star band member, Allan Clarke, Paul Jones, Clapton, Peter Green, Moon and Entwistle and Brian Jones. They decided they couldn't replace John Bonham, but in the end Led Zep did just that. At the other end of the scale, we've just fired our drummer, of about the last 8 years. He seemed to think his place was guaranteed and he gradually stopped trying. To get back on topic, if your playing is a hobby then you'll stop and start as you feel like it. Guys like Blue, and me, play because it's in out blood. We'll not stop playing without a fight.

Rinat Ibragimov, what a great player.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1443751425' post='2877439'] He told me, [i]"I don't have to be in a band"[/i]. Right there I knew as a musician I had nothing in common with him. I have to be in a band. [/quote] +1000

What really pisses me off. . . . is. . . . . Must be under 30!!!!!

If I'm reading this right, you've got one bad ear and one good ear and you're not putting an earplug in the good ear? That's dangerous. You're potentially heading in the direction of 2 bad ears.

Another demo. . . . 2 of my favourite bass players. These guys are great together and in their band, Dumstaphunk. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjfJHTElo_E[/media]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1434484379' post='2800120'] had the filters changed in my ACS's to pro 10's and they still cut our to much treble, [/quote] I use the ACS ER15's and I can hear everything. The treble is reduced but it's no problem for me to hear everything comfortably from stage whispers to flat out guitar and/or drum solos. Sure the sound is different and you hear less, but you hear even less when you're deaf. I saved what was left of my hearing when I started using these plugs, about 8 years ago, and I wouldn't/couldn't gig any more without them.

Not using the graphic is as valid a choice as using it. The features are there to be used or not depending on the sound you like. I don't understand why you think you should be using everything on the amp all the time. I didn't use the graphic on my Mesa 400+ or on the SVT3 PRO and I don't use much of the EQ on the TH500. If the basic sound is exactly what you want then where is the problem?

So you love the sound of your amp right now. . . . Don't change a thing!!

My TH500 has more watts than my first 2 bands put together and the Thunderfunk has more watts than my first 3 bands put together. The volume of most bands I see has really got out of hand. We played one gig in Richmond where they told us if we didn't turn up the volume we'd be fired!

Of you like the Ampeg sound and feel the need to keep another gear in reserve, think about the PF800. Most 500 watt heads will give you 350 watts into 8 ohms, which might not be enough, but the PF800 with be 500 watts at 8 ohms. If that doesn't work you need more speakers not more watts. I used to run a 500 watt amp into an 8 ohm 410 and it was loud enough for a very loud band. I sometimes added a 210 but that was really just showing off.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1443608928' post='2876117'] bass players in particular, are stuck in the 80's... or even further back. [/quote] While there is always room for improvement, I don't care where I'm stuck, as long as the guys I play with think I play well and sound good.

I'm not a doc but sciatica is caused by compression on the sciatic nerve. Sorry to be pedantic, but you [i]have[/i] damaged your back/spine/discs and you're not as fine as you think. NHS.UK has a lot of good info.

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1443572265' post='2875914'] I do have trouble with Sciatica, [/quote] So your body is telling you something, but it seems you're not listening.

Don't over think this. You might find you'll play a 5er for 10 mins and hate it. I'd probably get the Squier but the Sire will be a good instrument and will probably be easier to sell if you don't get on with 5 strings.

I didn't see this story first time, so very very good news Spike. We've just found out a good friend of ours has bowel cancer with secondaries in his liver and has been given till Christmas. As in Spikes case, bowel cancer can be fixed if you catch it early. People get yourselves tested.

Bods and purists want to talk about the sound speakers. Most of the people who want to gig talk about the sound of cabs. Because that's what they hear and buy. If we are to believe what we are told, 90% of the cabs sold are "middle of the road" and "badly" designed. Strangely that doesn't stop a majority of them sounding pretty good as we found out at the cab shoot out at the SE Bass Bash. I just got told on Talkbass that a bass amp I once owned couldn't reproduce any meaningful bass. They guy had never heard one but read the manual!! I'm not knowledgeable enough to discuss or argue the technicalities but I know what I hear, there was a ton of deep bass, but my experience didn't count when stacked up against the paperwork! Strangely, it seems, real life isn't good enough. Fortunately a real expert came in an demolished his argument. This is what we have to endure.

. . . . but if you keep going and looking you find something else. Something better, maybe. Give up and you throw it all away.

[quote name='tonyclaret' timestamp='1443420255' post='2874440'] Got one CN112 at the moment, which sounds great to me. [/quote] . . . . and me. Sell it to me.

This is terrible news. He was one of the best bass players the planet has ever known.

<really pedantic> I believe he also owned an 8 string bass. </really pedantic>