NJE

I play in a typical covers band playing a mix of material like Katy Perry, Kings of Leon, Sister Sledge etc, you know the kind of stuff, nothing out of the norm. And there in lies the problem..... There are now so many bands trying to do the wedding/function band thing playing all the same kind of songs, and I am starting to wonder if there is a way to make it fresh and make a break from the typical. Have any of you out there done the covers or the function work but put an usual twist on it, like mix up arrangemnets of songs or play with an unusual band lineup? Does it work? Anything that distances your band from the "Disco/funk party bands" and the "lets all wear black shirts and white ties" lot? Interested to hear your thoughts... Yours faithfully 'dissolutioned', Cheltenham.

I have so much GAS for one of these at the moment, has anyone here bought one yet? I desperately need to go and play one but always feel guilty about wasting Marks time at bass direct if I havent got the money to buy one....dear lord what can I find to sell.

[quote name='Matte_black' timestamp='1331302148' post='1571054'] NJE - keeping the volume knobs at the same level doesn't make the amps work at the same level. Some heads have most of the volume in the first half of the knob rotation while others are more "progressive". Did you compare it with a LM2 (500w)? [/quote] Yes I am very aware that most amp makers use a volume control which gives the illusion of more power by delivering more sound earlier as you turn and then have no increase in volume. I didnt have a thorough comparison between the both amps but I can draw some basic comparisons after using them both at volume. 1. When I increased the volume past half way on my LM2 not a lot happened apart from me losing definition and the amp starting to get woolly and distorted, most of the 'usable' volume was up to half way. 2. When I increase the volume of the EBS past half way it does get louder but less so as you keep turning, BUT the amp stays loud and defined and the volume is 'usable' 4. The EBS is louder at quarter volume and half volume than the Markbass. 3. With volume at half way on both amps the EBS is louder and clearer, past half way and the LM2 would get louder but start to break up and lose low end clarity whereas the EBS doesn't. The LM2 may well be louder if you turn it right up but that distorted, muddy sound was useless. What the EBS can do is go louder and retain a usable tone and that makes it a better more powerful useful amp to me.

[quote name='Matte_black' timestamp='1331246926' post='1570413'] Anybody compared the Reidmar with another mini-head and can comment about the price and the power? For example: is it more powerful than a LM250? Is it made "better" than the other chinese amps (MB200, Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0, Mibass 220 etc.)? [/quote] I had a MarkBass LM2 and only last night had my first proper band rehearsal with the Reidmar. I was very sceptical about the volume but the Reidmar is significantly louder than the LM2. I usually ran the LM2 at 11 - 12 o clock to keep up with the band and last night the reidmar was at 9 o clock. Its cleaner and seems to keep the full range of tone whereas the MarkBass seemed to limit the bottom end and lack definition in the top. Construction wise I would say the MarkBass would ever so slightly beat the reidmar, it just felt a little more solid and 'drop proof' but the Reidmar is incredibly well made and just sounds incredible. One song into practice and my drummer said "already sounds way better". [quote name='woodyratm' timestamp='1331299065' post='1570973'] I actually tested this today. Great little amp - was going through a classic line 112. Would still be curious how it would handle a gig. £399 and £200 odd for the single cab. Would be nice having such a nice setup. [/quote] Volume wise the Reidmar will be more than adequate for most gigs in my opinion, my band are loud at practice and as I said above it was handling it easily. Personally a classic line 112 would not be anywhere near enough for my needs but it depends on what kind of gigs you are doing and if you have PA support. I fancy one for home practice but I would suggest two of them to run the head at 4ohm (two new ones for sale on here for £400) and that will give you a nice rig I reckon.

No worries, I can't see anyone not liking the Neo 410, its just superb. Quick question to all you Reidmar users, is the Bright control supposed to be subtle? I notice very little difference between min and max. Maybe its because I'm using it very quietly at home, perhaps it will open up more when I get to practice. Cheers.

I was very privileged to play a fellow basschatters Sei Jazz yesterday and I havent been able to get it out of my head since. I had some Sadowsky GAS after trying on in Newcastle last week but that just vanished as soon as I saw kjb's Sei yesterday. I cant see any sensible reason why anyone would pick a Sadowsky Metro over a Sei which often go for less secondhand than a new or even used Metro. I have to have one now, so I am starting to save and once I am part of the way there my Stingray 5 is going. Until then i shall continue to flick through this thread endlessly. Let me know if any Sei owners want to sell a 5 string Jazz...

The Neo 410 is a beast of a cab, I use it for a covers band so I play pop, soul, rock, bit of everything and its just a case of tweaking the eq a bit depending on what your playing. My precision sounds lovely with the Reidmar and the cab but when I first plugged the Reidmar in, my Stingray needed the top end taming even with eq set flat on the bass as the Neo can get very 'sparkly' in the highs with the tweeter up high (I had it very high with the MarkBass) I am not a slap player of any kind just in case you thought I might have a tendancy towards that kind of sound, but I like a well defined clear top end and the amp and cab deliver in the bucket load. I just like clean amps and cabs and it does a lovely fingerstyle tone and roll the treble off and the tweeter a little, and you have more of a traditional sound and thump, but still incredibly clear. Lots of low end grunt (takes my 5 string without flinching)and a very punchy mid range so you will cut through incredibly well. With a bit of experimenting I would say this cab will do whatever you need, its just very transparent IMO. I would get a Neo 410 or 212 even if you dont get a Fafner, its sounds superb with the Reidmar so far, just need to see what it is like at practice now but cant see myself being dissapointed.

Got a Reidmar today, traded with a basschatter for my Markbass LM2 and so far I am a very happy boy. I was very sceptical about its output but it is VERY loud, I need to wait to get to practice this week and give it a full run but initially it is monsterous. Great tone and just what I was after, clean, clear plenty of welly to it and it sounds great with my Neo 4x10. I am ever so slightly dissapointed with the build, it's very solid but the speakon connector is getting stuck and doesnt have a good solid click like the LM2, but on the whole it is a great little amp and considering its cost, it is a steal and sounds a lot better than the LM2 to my ears. I cant see this going anywhere unless my band gets some big work and I get tempted by a HD350 so I can get another cab and go to 2 ohms. Well done EBS is all I can say! I really hope they develop smaller heads now as I would love to see a Swedish built head of this size (or smaller) that will run down to 2ohms so that we have the choice or running two of the top of the range EBS cabs. I think they missed a trick there but for a first effort this still beats every small bass head I have played.

Interesting topic this and interesting timing as I tried a Sadowsky UV5 yesterday and am a MusicMan 5 owner. The Sadowsky was incredibly well made, it just looked liek quality hanging on teh wall in the shop. Everything was impeccable, cover plate, finish, neck all of it just extremely well made. Tone wise I liked it, might not be everyones cup of tea but for me it sounded like a modern Jazz bass so great. Despite the quality of the build and the great neck profile (i like flat wide necks) there was something about the neck that felt a bit sterile. Its a highly personal thing but the neck felt a bit cheap but I dont know why as it was pefectly made and a nice piece of maple. Perhaps its because I am used to old basses with that broken in feel so I cant blame Sadowsky for that. In comparison to my Musicman, build wise, nothing in it IMHO. Both very well made basses and both with a brilliant sound of their own. B string wise, my StingRay has it but that could be a combination of factors, strings, set up etc, the StingRay was just a little more focused. Do I want a Sadowsky now? HELL YES! the neck was brilliant and almost a perfect profile for me. Im a sucker for blocks and binding as well so its almost my perfect bass. Are Sodwosky's worth the money? for me, No! Its a huge ammount of cash for a bass I can honestly say didnt feel or play any better than my Squier. Thats a rediculous thing to say but for me its true. But as a MusicMan owner I also have to say I dont think MusicMan basses are worth the money either. As has been discussed the exchange rate has really pushed the prices up, and I would not pay new prices for a StingRay5 or a Sadowsky Metro. You can get a used NYC Sadowsky for not much more than a Metro and 2k would get you an amazing used Sei/Overwater/Nordstrand. Am I going to get a sadowsky now? Im going to look into it maybe a secondhand NYC though. Fundamentally at this level I dont think there is better only different as many people have said before. Its all down to preference at this sort of money and you would not be dissapointed with a Metro, and if you were they hold value well and shift quickly.

If you have the money I would get a EBS Session 60, amazing little thing and capable of doing a small gig. A lot of love for them on here.

Saw these a couple of weeks ago, I believe there is some info on them in the latest iBass magazine. Keith Duffy helped design/develop them as well I believe. They look good, will be interesting to see if any turn up on here soon.

My three best friends are guitarists and two of them are obsessed with massively scooped guitar sounds. They crank the treble and bass at home when practicing as it sounds good but they never think what sounds good live and what mixes with the band. When I played with them it was always a battle and you get an incredibly muddy sound especially if they are using 12" speakers I found. The third friend is a studio musician and does a smaller ammount of live work but he LOVES mids, and realised a long time ago that scooping the sh*t out of your guitar is not the way to get good tone. I hate scooped guitar sounds and dont think they work live so always discuss this with whoever I am playing with. Guitarists dont need a lot of bass, there is someone else in tthe band who covers that, the name gives it away BASS PLAYER!!! but I realise guitarists are not easy individuals and if you make a comment about their tone you may as well call their child/wife ugly. As has been mentioned, Mids are your friend if your guitarists are scooped, that will be your sonic space, if however they love their mids, then you can get away with a bit more of a scopped sound but some low mids will always help you feel and hear the bass a bit more on stage in my experience.