jonny-lad

Have you tried it with just one of your cabs on its own to see if it still happens with an 8ohm load? If it does, I'd assume that it's a fault somewhere either in the amp, cable or cab. If it still happens with the other cab and/or a different speaker cable, I'd think it would be a fault with the amp. If it doesn't cut out with just one cab, I'd think it would be an impedance issue.

When you're looking for a decent flightcase, look for one that is ATA (Air Travel Approved). You might get away with a standard hard-case, but the ATA ones are specifically designed for air travel and IMO definately worth the extra money they cost. I'd also get things insured so you're covered even if something does get broken...I'd think you would need an ATA case to make sure things were properly covered under insurance anyway.

My Spector Rebop 5-string was made in the Czech Republic.

[quote name='mikhay77' post='506890' date='Jun 6 2009, 11:52 AM']In an age of modern amps,cabs and bass electronics,why do some players just play with a plectrum,surely tonal variety is much wider finger stylie,or are we stuck in a rut.I cant seem to justify using one,except sometimes playing guitar,............discuss[/quote] Not a great deal to discuss IMO...surely having the option of being able to play either with fingers or a pick would give the widest tonal variety. Tommy Shannon springs to mind as someone who regularly switches between both due to the tonal differences. Of course, whatever you choose will be the option that is best suited to your style and playing situation I would have thought.

They're well known for acoustic guitar amplification and from what I understand their amps are really good so I'd assume that their bass amps would be of a similar quality. It seems that you really pay for them though...their guitar amps, whilst they're not cheap, are much more within the reach of the average person's budget IMO.

Glad I can be of some help! The soundpost is a piece of wood that's wedged inside the bass between the front and the back - you'll be able to see it if you look inside through the f-hole. They can sometimes fall out as they are held in just by the tension on the top of the bass from the bridge, but they are wedged in tight on these types of chinese bass so it's not very likely IME...I've always got the impression that these basses could stand up to quite alot, which they'd need to if they were used as a student bass in a busy school for example. The scale length is the distance between the nut and the bridge i.e. the part of the string that produces the sound. As your bass is the 1/2 size model, the scale length should be 97cm, which is 38.8 inches (as there are 2.5cm in an inch). This can, however, be varied slighty as there are no frets or position markings to worry about. The best tip I've heard is that once you've got your bridge on and you're learning to play, keep the bridge in the same position (unless you really need to move it), as the note positions on the neck will move if you move the bridge and you'll have to get used to where the notes are all over again. This is another reason why I kept the bridge on the bass when I was lowering the action. I recently played a 1/2 size double bass, although not a gear4music one, and it was great to play a smaller sized instrument - really comfortable, despite me being used to playing a 3/4 size bass. Hope you enjoy it!

[quote name='Clarky' post='504825' date='Jun 3 2009, 04:35 PM']Another example of what not do with a hacksaw and a perfectly good bass guitar [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gibson-Grabber-Bass-Vintage-USA-70s-Project_W0QQitemZ140324475145QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item20abfd9109&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gibson-Grabber-Bass-...%3A1%7C294%3A50[/url][/quote] That looks like they were aiming for a Vox Tear-drop style...I still wouldn't do it though! [url="http://www.voxamps.com/us/guitars/ltd2007/"]http://www.voxamps.com/us/guitars/ltd2007/[/url]

I've done the same thing by buying a cheap double bass from gear4music a couple of years ago...I had my bridge on the wrong way round at first - the flat side of the bridge should face the floor otherwise it would be quite easy for it to fall over (also watch for this when you tune up when you put the bridge on). I also took loads of height off the bridge by deepening the slots with a set of little files I got in Focus and then sanding the top of the bridge down to meet the new depth of the slots...I did this with the bridge on the bass by loosening two strings at a time - thought I should keep some tension on there because I didn't want the soundpost to fall out, but I've heard the soundposts in these chinese basses are wedged in quite tight. I think the scale length should be about 42 1/2 inches amnd the sound post should be around an inch away from being under the foot of the bridge, so to get lower action you'd really need to take height off the bridge instead of moving it - I'm pretty sure I took around 15 to 20mm off mine! I did this progressively over a long time though, as I learnt about things! You'll probably get some string buzz if you take the action low enough, and for this I took a bit of sandpaper to the offending part of the fingerboard, but I approached it with loads of caution, and it improved it but hasn't totally eradicated it, although it's plenty good enough for me! I also deepened the slots in the nut, again with loads of caution using the files from Focus. It's worth bearing in mind that the dark wood on these basses is just painted black so it doesn't take much to get to some light coloured wood underneath like on the fingerboard...I've got a light patch on mine where I used the sandpaper. I know a lot of established double bass players don't like these chinese basses, but I got mine so I wouldn't be scared to do the sort of work that I've done, and I've learnt a huge amount from it. I also got a great case with it (free) and I've now got a K&K bass max for it and it sounds alright and plays alright for what it is...it's the Deluxe one, byt the way, which has a solid top. Everything I've learnt is from internet research and looking at other people's basses...I think if you take your time, be patient and don't rush anything you should be alright and learn loads!! I certainly did! +1 for new strings - I still haven't managed to buy any, but as soon as the budget allows I'm sure it'll make a big difference! Hope this helps.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='502874' date='Jun 1 2009, 12:11 PM']That bit was probably knocked off by accident and they are making the most out of what's left. [/quote] I suppose the seller thinks he'll get a better price for a 'conversion' than he would for a spares or repair...I think I'd make the most out of it with a [s]repair[/s] conversion back to 5-string!

Wouldn't it be easier to covert it to a four-string by just removing the B-string instead of ruining a decent bass?!...it'd certainly look better as a 5-string with a string missing IMO!

[quote name='Kongo' post='501171' date='May 29 2009, 07:00 PM']I guess I'll never have gear to match my playing but...does it really matter?[/quote] The best bass players I've heard and worked with never have the most expensive high-end gear - they have solid, reliable gear. Peavey amps are workhorses IMO and any bass player who has a reputation as a solid, reliable workhorse has certainly got my respect.

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='501091' date='May 29 2009, 04:34 PM']Built like a brick sh*thouse. My old Max 450 fell out of a moving car. 1 small dent on a corner. I fired it up a few minutes later... no problems at all. Worked like a dream until I sold it to get the 700.[/quote] My guitar teacher from a few years ago claimed to have dropped a Peavey Bandit out of a loft in a barn - said the spiky logo badge was broken but the amp still worked fine! I like the sound of reliability like that!

[quote name='SteveK' post='500913' date='May 29 2009, 01:53 PM']IME, there are [i]usually[/i] 2 reasons for being sacked: 1. You are a PITA to work with. 2. You're not musically up to the job. Neither can be remedied overnight, so, in that respect there is not much to discuss. Bands don't usually fire musicians for fun. My guess is that this has been building up for a while, you just weren't reading the signs. Text, Letter, Phone call, Face to face....sacked is sacked! Steve[/quote] There are usually 2 reasons for being sacked...from a band made up of mature, professionally minded musicians IMO. I was 'sacked' from a band for not being committed enough, and that was after I turned a gig down at the Canadian Grand Prix, because I'd already committed to the gigs with the band that ultimately sacked me. I was definately musically up to the job, having been told so by the band after I learnt the entire set before the first audition/rehearsal...I noticed the replacement didn't do that...And even after they ignored me at gigs, and onstage because I couldn't afford to drive an extra hundred miles collecting PA, aswell as storing it, and taking responsibility for its replacement if it was stolen (it wasn't insured - they refused to do this), I still refused to act unprofessionally, being nothing but polite, helpful, arriving and setting up on time and keeping out of the way of any trouble they wanted to cause. The truth is that some people aren't mature - they're no more mature than the average 2 year old...They are cowards. Just to be clear, this was a band in which my opinion had no effect - it wasn't a democracy where people can suggest things. There were no band meetings and the name of the band was the singer/guitarist's name. But you are right about it building up for a while...I've learnt my lesson and I've moved onto bigger and better things because of it!

I've never had experience with Peavey heads, but I own and have regularly gigged a Peavey TNT combo - one of the newer ones with the red logos aswell as using a Bandit for guitar. IME Peavey gear is great - loud and reliable, and often underrated. The combos are fairly neutral sounding, not full of character, but you can good a good range of tones, making them quite versatile. I've heard people say that the newer TNT combos aren't that loud, but I do find that the clip light comes on early, especially with the speaker protection on, and from what I understand, the light would be red all the time when you are playing if the gain is too high, rather than just coming on when you play hard...don't know if this applies to the heads aswell. Whilst I can't comment specifically on the Tour 700 head, I would definately recommend the brand from my own experiences. I find that peavey are an affordable brand instead of a cheap, unreliable brand.

My first instrument is guitar, which I've played for around 11 years and I've played it plenty professionally, but I've played bass for more than 6 years aswell. I've always been attracted to a good groove as a guitarist and although I love playing lots of lead, I really enjoy locking in with a good rhythm section. I sometimes struggle to find this as a guitarist, but not so much as a bassist. Over the past year or so, I've been playing much more bass, I've upgraded all my gear and become better known as both a bassist and guitarist instead of just one or the other, and lately I have found myself more often in the position where my second instrument (bass) becomes my main instrument...I guess it has more to do with demand for bass players than anything, but I really enjoy playing bass as much as guitar and I'm way beyond the point of being a guitarist who happens to own a bass! As long as it feels right to me to be playing either, I'll keep going!

[quote name='Eight' post='500803' date='May 29 2009, 12:35 PM']Don't know if there's any Nightwish fans in here. But Tuomas (keyboardist, songwriter, band leader) once decided to sack his old friend and bass player. He couldn't face doing it himself so had the label management do it. *sigh* On a later documentary he spends ages whinging about how he wished he had done it to the guy's face and how it's one of his biggest regrets. Fast forward a few years and he sacks the vocalist (Tarja) by letter. Pathetic. But otherwise seems like a cool guy.[/quote] It's nice to see that people can learn from their regrets......or not!

[quote name='ironside1966' post='500314' date='May 28 2009, 09:55 PM']the new bass player was unreliable and the rot started to set in.[/quote] That's often the way things like this go IME.

[quote name='bassbloke' post='500292' date='May 28 2009, 09:33 PM']As usual, few people on this site will have the guts to be completely honest with you, so here goes. It's a Dave Lee Roth/Van Halen tribute band If you can't appreciate why wigs and spandex might be integral to the look, then maybe you are best out of it.[/quote] Good point! No excuse for the way they dealt with the situation though...I'd expect Dave Lee Roth/Van Halen to have that look, but I'd expect them to deal with a band member they had a problem with aswell, instead of wussing out with e-mails and a load of gossip behind their back.

They sound pretty pathetic to me! You're better off without people like that. I think most, if not all musicians have to deal with people like that at some point or another, but once they've 'sacked' you, you've got the opportunity to move on to bigger and better things and 'reach the next level,' which they'll probably struggle to do, ironically!

[quote name='boabskiboab' post='495588' date='May 22 2009, 09:40 PM']First up if this is in the wrong place.. sorry, i'm sure someone will move it. After a jam with a couple of friends, i notice something. I was the only person to bring a tuner, so shared it out. My bass sounded sweet , but the two guitards were a mile off . Now my tuner is quite a ropey £20 boss. Is this down to a crappy tuner or something else. What is/are the best/most accurate tuners to get? Cheers in Advance[/quote] I don't doubt the benefits of a really accurate tuner, but even with a cheap tuner, a guitarist should be able to get some useable results. I've never had the budget for a peterson or similar, so I'll have to work with what I can afford, but it's never caused me any problems.

I've got two Mackie SRM450s, a soundcraft Spirit E12 and a carslbro PM12 powered monitor driving a second unpowered monitor. It sounds good, but doesn't get much use as a complete system. I use the Mackies and sometimes the Carslbros too as monitors in a covers band that are using DB Arena 15 subs and Arena 15 tops with Crown amplifiers, a DB crossover and Yamaha mixer. Sounds great on-stage and out front and with the subs, we can mike the kick drum and DI the bass, aswell as miking the guitar amp, which is great for being in control of things. The subs really make a difference - I used to think it was good enough to just use tops, which in many cases it is, but since I've started working with a system that includes subs, I'd be really keen to add them to my own system if I started using it regularly. I think there's alot to be said for good quality mics too - I use Shure SM58s for vocals, SM57 for guitar amp, AKG D112 on the kick drum and I've got a couple of AKG C1000s for overheads or whatever I need them for and it sounds great because I budgeted for these when I bought the system. Regarding what people on the web think of Mackie gear, thermal shut down can be a problem, but I've never had any problems myself, plus I live in the UK where the weather is rarely hot! I think the tops are considered to be quite good, but the subs aren't considered to be as good as some other similarly priced products...I've heard Mackie subs that sounded good to me though! Never had the opportunity to compare anything with them though. I also drive a van, which really helps with getting PA gear about...It also makes me the likely candidate to drive for whatever band I'm playing in, but as long as I get something extra to cover the mileage and stuff, I don't mind. Some people do just expect it though, but their bands aren't normally that great to play in anyway and they've never lasted long!

The term "chops" comes from horn players, as far as I know - it refers to their cheeks and so forth because of the muscles that you develop in your face as a horn player. The better your chops are, the better you play!

[quote name='Grant' post='491773' date='May 18 2009, 07:45 PM']Hey people, A couple of weeks ago I bought a used Peavey Dynabass (International Series) from a friend of mine who needed to offload it as he was moving abroad. He said that when he got it from his local music shop (in Cornwall) he bought it as ex-demo, and paid about £250 for it. Can anyone tell me what these basses were worth brand new?[/quote] I've got a peavey dynabass - not sure what series it is but it wasn't an expensive one. I paid £175 brand new for it, maybe 5 or so years ago. Great bass for the money, and it's really nicely balanced due to the long upper horn.

+1 for growing a pair and being honest with them - if you want to be treated with respect you have to respect others...even if they are holding your band back. People outside of the band inevitably become aware of the way you handle these situations and you can quickly find yourself losing the respect of many more than just the person you want rid of.