NJE

Hi and firstly thanks, mike257: that sound like an interesting option and one I will look at for sure. Silet Fly: Wow thanks for the info, and yes the MXR DI was what I was thinking of. They all sound as if they may offer me something, and I suppose its a case of trying as many as possible. I have my eye on a Bass Xciter and from your comments and what I have heard I am tempted to get one without trying and like you said just leave it onpermanantly. So much to think about but think I am going to rule out the Sadowsky for now. I am sure it is superb but a huge amount of money just for a 2 band EQ and to be honest I dont think I will ever use the DI. I think I may need to have a Sansamp/ebs/tonehammer shootout, but difficult to find somewhere with them all without travelling the width of the country. I just wish there was a way of testing the DHA because its a superb looking thing and has some great functions at a great price. so much to think about and not enough cash for them all.

[quote name='Bigwan' post='426205' date='Mar 5 2009, 02:32 PM']Nearly died there I did... thought you were gonna hack up the RBV![/quote] ha ha, not a chance its far too special, I love it more than anything. You well? do you still have the Stingray? dont worry wont be offended if you don't.

Hello, Apologies if something similar to this has been done, I did do a quick search. [b]My Problem [/b]- I have an active five string Squier Jazz and a Fender Roscoe Beck V. The Fender is superb and the nicest bass I have owned or played but it does not quite have the bite and punch of the squier. I really like active basses but the the Fender is too good to sell and I dont want to butcher it so I need something that will give me that 'active' boost and flexibility, and some more guts and growl. The fender is very flexible but i find it a bit tame sometimes and the output is low so i have to change my amp setting when I swap basses. I know of the normal outboard preamps like the Sadowsky and the EBS Microbass II, but after some looking around I have found a few other boxes with EQs and was wondering if they will all kinda do the same thing? I have never really payed much attention to pedals and this sort of thing so finding it all a bit bewildering at the moment. Just as a side note i dont mind if it does something esle e.g. headphone practice amp or adds some valve drive (I play in a Foo Fighters style rock band), but I would like it to give me that active clean kinda sound too. (sorry for being vague) If its something I can use with the squier too thats a bonus. Here is the list of stomp boxes that I have found that seem to be offering what I want but I just dont know which is right: 1. EBS Microbass II - seems really nice and i like the headphone amp part 2. Sadowsky DI - seems basic for the money and there is no mid control 3. DHA VT1 EQ? - nice looking thing but seems to be a distrotion type pedal, will it give me clean-ish punch and flexibility? 4. Aguilar ToneHammer - again looks nice with a full EQ but there seems to be a focus on it giving that dirty valve tone, is it clean too? 5. MXR Bass EQ - Again! EQ but has this valve type drive thing 6. SansAmp Bass Driver - much talked about and hard to miss even for someone who doesnt pay much attention, any good? 7. Aphex bass Xciter - No EQ but makes an amazing difference if their website is to be believed. If there are any more please suggest, i just want some opinions on what may be worth trying out and whats good value. Thanks in advance, Nathan

I just keep watching this over and over, that man is...well, words dont do him justice. Esperanza is amaing too what a talent and the way she handles that double bass... STUNNING! I would just also like to say that as there is such a good response to the video I just found out that Stevie's show at the 02 arena is available soon on DVD. I am not on comission or anything, just really excited as this is I think the first live concert of his available on DVD.

THANK GOD! after so many years of thinking this band are completely useless I have found a whole bunch of people who think the same. Drastically overrated and just goes to show that expensive gear and good sound engineering does not make good musicians/bands. I will say though i do have a guilty secret, I did like that song they did for batman.

Apologies if this has already been posted, I did do a search and found nothing. Stevie Wonder at the whitehouse with the always superb Nate Watts on bass. Also some guest appearences including the amazing Esperanza Spalding. The link is also available at Sadowsky website. Enjoy: [url="http://www.pbs.org/inperformanceatthewhitehouse/"]http://www.pbs.org/inperformanceatthewhitehouse/[/url]

Wow, a lot of debate going on here, wish i had not said anything now. I just think they are pretty and I love the headstock, oh and Paul Turner plays one so thats me convinced! but seriously each to their own, I think ist just nice that they have brought the basses over so that we at least get to try them out unlike Sadowosky NYC basses. Just a quick update for anyone who is interested, Darren at the bass merchant has very kindly PM'd me that there are two basses coming in to start, a 5 string jazz with racing stripe and a Grey burst 5 string P and that they will be about in the next couple of days. I for one cannot wait to play one.

[quote name='henry norton' post='420246' date='Feb 26 2009, 05:43 PM']Hmmmm, so what distinguishes these souped up Fender clones from all the others out there (including our very own, beloved Shuker of course)?[/quote] The way they are made to faithfully replicate older fenders, although there are probably a load of companies doing that as well. Personally I just love the look and design and overal aesthetic. Its shallow I know and I may play one and not like it but just the chance to play one is exciting.

Just got the new issue of Bass Guitar Magazine and spotted in the Bass Merchant advert that they are now UK distributors for AC basses and stock should be arriving Feb!! I for one cant wait and am looking for things to sell (might be time for the Roscoe Beck V to hit the road) Anyway does anyone else know any more about this?? I am jumping around with excitement. Nath.

+1 on all current squiers at the moment, really fantastic basses with a great "vibe". I have a squier deluxe V and it is superb, build is amazing and the neck and frets are immaculate, I use it in a rock band over my Roscoe Beck and its has a great tone that really cuts through. I think its superb already but by all accounts the addition of a set of Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pickups make these basses sing. Definately a pro sound and playability for me and only £150

Oh my god i dread to think of the money spent this year Basses: 1 at the start of the year (StingRay 4) 3 In : Warwick Streamer ProM 5 Roscoe Beck V Squier Deluxe Active Jazz V 2 Out: MusicMan StingRay 4 Warwick Streamer ProM Amps: 1 at the start of the year (epifani UL502..I cant remeber) 2 In : Ashdown Superfly Ashdown ABM 300 2 Out : Ashdown Superfly Epifani Conclusions? I am really pleased, got a set up I am really pleased witha nd two great basses which I never thought I would own so big suprises and happy faces all round. I actually thought I had been quite good with my gear this year as well, basically becoming more active on basschat this year has a direct corrolation with gear sold/swapped.

[quote name='The Admiral' post='384365' date='Jan 18 2009, 09:11 PM']I was having an argument - as you do - with a friend the other day about a particular band, and it has prompted me to start this thread. Which band do you think is criminally underated, and within the band who is the bass player who is also overlooked. My nomination, and the ones that featured in my argument were : Del Amitri and Justin Currie (a less is more kind of guy - but always what is right for the song) A quick video as evidence : [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-bkwz1iXjK4"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-bkwz1iXjK4[/url] Your turn.... A[/quote] +1 Love Del Amitri and that man is a great pop rock bass player, he plays exactly whats needed and very melodic both his bass playing and his songwriting. [quote name='Josh' post='384501' date='Jan 18 2009, 11:12 PM']Simply Red's Bassist and Moloko's Bassist. If anyone knows their names I would greatly appreciate it .[/quote] Yes Steve Lewinson has been their main bass player for years, tidy player and an inspiration for me when I started as my dad was a huge SR fan. Steve Lewinsons brother plays drums for SR too I think. [quote name='Rich' post='384834' date='Jan 19 2009, 11:53 AM']It Bites - Dick Nolan Extreme - Pat Badger (that solo in Cupid's Dead, ye gods )[/quote] + infinity on Pat badger, awesome bass player and anyone who can keep up with Nuno Bettencourt is a legend in my eyes. [quote name='William James Easton' post='386154' date='Jan 20 2009, 02:35 PM']crazy gods of endless noise.... the name of the bassist escapes me.[/quote] Dont know the guy but great band I loved Razor baby i think it was? wish I had a cd of theirs. Ok my own.... When I was 16 i saw a Cornish band called rootjoose in my town, They were jaw droppingly good live and the bass player Harry Collier was brilliant. He was tasteful, clever in note choice, brilliantly melodic, fast at times and came up with the first slap riff i ever learned, oh and sang. The band as a whole wrote some genius pop/funk songs but were a little off the wall and too happy for some. Sham eHarry went on to form the rubbish band that was Cubb wgich was dull as dish water IMHO

Ernieball Slinky 5 sets are superb, they last well and when they do die they do boil with good results, oh and they are cheap as dirt from strings direct. I have been through so many brands and always come back to Ernieballs and they sounded awesome on my StingRay. I currently use the lightest gauge 5 string set on my Roscoe Beck V and they are so easy to play and the sound is great. I also find the B string fantastic and very clear and I tune down to B flat on 34" scale. Hope that helps a bit.

[quote name='ashevans09' post='386513' date='Jan 20 2009, 06:23 PM']Sorry to sidetrack slightly but I thought Natt Watts was a Bossa endorsee?[/quote] Yeah i have seen him with Bossa but as far as I know, Alleva dont give away basses so he would have bought his like everyone else and in some endorsee deals you dont have to play that specific instrument 100% of the time. I will say one thing, whatever the deal the man has great taste, mind you I think we all would with the money he is on.

Brilliant, are you officially the first Bass Chatter with a AC? Stunning bass. Just to confirm I have just been on the AC club thread and there will definately be a cheaper AC bass at around $2400. Apparently you can have any colour as long as it is black (fine by me) it will be an oiled finish neck like a stingray, maple with maple fingerboard, it will not have the american hipshot hardware it will be imported stuff (imported to the states that is) Jimmy who builds AC Basses has basically said it will be made from what he has spare in the workshop but will have his own hand wound AC pickups which are meant to be amazing and an aguilar preamp. You will not be able to specify anything but its not going to be like the Metro Sadowsky, this will be made by the man himself to exactly the same standards as the $4000+ basses. Anyway here is the first picture apparently. Its the black one on the right. [attachment=18946:l_0113c0...ac4b07b7.jpg]

I love BGM simple as that. Ok they very rarely give anything a bad review (I remeber a bad review of a warwick and a brazillian Dalegerio? bass) but to be honest the standard of even cheaper gear at the moment is really high and its all down to the individual, all they can do is give their opinion and it may be that what they get sent is not that bad. To be fair the squier basses made now are superb basses for the money and i would not give one a bad review but some people think they are rubbish. There is always at least one good sized article of interest for me to read, they get some cool gear in and look at a range of prices, its not full of adverts and articles about bizarre bass players from bands you have never heard of like the american mag. I buy Bass Player too when It looks good but to be honest I have been really dissapointed with the last three issues and managed to read each issue in less than five minutes in WH SMITH because of the lack of any really enjoyable content.....this month ooh guess what another article about chris squire, or blo*dy Victor Wooten......AGAIN! Now saying anyone is right or wrong just my humble opinion.

Same here, been in Cheltenham about a year now and have recently thought about getting my playing up to scratch. I have found nobody in the area but there is a very good tutor in cardiff who comes highly rated. Once my finances are better I intend to go for a couple of lessons. My band are all based in cardiff so that helps but I though it may interest you guys as its not that far really. I was thinking of having a double lesson every month to make the trip worth it. Anyway his name his name is Jon Caulfield and a friend used to go to him and praised him highly. - www.joncaulfield.com If anyone one does try him put up a post and let us know what he is like. Cheers, Nathan

love it, i think it is awesome and I am usually a standard jazz bass kinda guy. If they did a five string version of this I would be all over it. Its only just up the road from me, I so fancy a go on it. Loved alien ant farm whn they were about and loved this bass the moment I saw it in Fender frontline years back. I think fender should try a few more out of the box ideas like this, what do they have to lose? anyway cool bass but not for everyone.

That is a really nice story and like others have said, its great to know that there is still good customer care about. As has been said previously there has been lots of Ashdown bashing on here but they do look after people. several years ago I has a mag 300 head that had some intermittent problems (it had been gigged heavily and dropped a few times). I called Ashdown and and I had it sent by courier the next day. They looked at it called me back explaining the problem which basically meant it needed a fair amount of work. As mine was an older Mag ( there had been an update since I bought it) they simply said this fault should never have happened so basically took the guts from the new mag and just slotted them into my head. They paid for it to be sent back and didn't charge me for the work. This and the story that started the thread is basically why I use Ashdown (along with the fact my ABM sounds awesome), British made and I know they are on hand if anything goes wrong. Ace! WELL DONE ASHDOWN

[quote name='josh3184' post='375251' date='Jan 9 2009, 03:10 PM']+1 Love little tuners that cost nowt- they're often better than rack mounted ones that cost 10 times the price even if rack mounted ones look awesome[/quote] +2 Had mine 9 years and only change dthe battery 3 times, brilliant! (and yes i do turn it on and tune my bass very often) My underated: Fender Roscoe Beck V....seriously the best 5 string I have ever played and they fly under the radar a lot of the time. Although rumour has it Fender are working on a new one so they may have a resurgence. Squier Deluxe active Jazz V - I know the other squiers are raved about and owned by many on here, but I cannot believe more 5 sting players on here dont have them, seriously good bass and well worth it for a bit of modding as well.

THAT IS BRILLIANT! the picture that is not the fact that you have to sel your Ashdown.