Skybone

Finding a "proper" Rockinbetter is a lot harder now that there are a number of set neck "ChinaFakers" coming over, quite a few with "Rockinbetter" TRC's (though they are in a minority). There are definitely a few out there, but most retailers can't touch them without the fear of having name brands removed and the potential of Distributors withdrawing their services because of the far reaching legal implications. Most online auction & sale sites can't sell them, especially if they mention a certain brand name. On day, a certain brand name might realise that having off-shore sourced, licensed products, that meet the companies Quality Control standards, would gain them more sales, rather than alienating potential customers.

I'll have to have a look at that one Fret. Ever get over to TriumphTorque these days?

I owned a Bass PODxt a while back, so still have the backups for that somewhere on my HDD, so I'm hoping I don't have to buy the Bass Expansion Pack. TBH, the B3 has quite a few years of development on the PODxt, but I've always found the Line6 gear to be very "intuitive". So here's hoping I can coax a decent sound from it, and adding effects etc to the basic amp model. The B3 does sound really good IMO, so I won't be selling it on anytime soon, but I do find that I'd like to have more options than "just" 3 effects, when 1 effect is an amp model, add an EQ and a Boost/OD/Dist, and that's it. Could maybe loose the Boost/OD, and add something else, but only having one "free slot" is very limiting.

The first few albums were superb, but then they went a bit too artsy-fartsy-soundscapey-mallarkey for my liking. The bass sound on Celestial was utterly superb.

I'm with sunburst. Guitarist's & singers are ten-a-penny, but a good drummer is like rocking horse poop.

Cheers, I already have a B3 to fall back on, was just looking for other options. I liked the HiWatt & the Plexi for bass on my guitar PODxt.

So I've been looking at various DI / Amp Modeller options, in the aim to "go ampless" for my bass-rig, I already have a Zoom B3, which is the benchmark, but is kind of limited if you want to add a few effects to an amp model. As the Bass PODxt Live seems like the proverbial rocking horse doings, I latched onto the idea of getting a "standard" guitar POD Live floorboard & loading the bass amp models onto it. I managed to score a second hand PODxt Live on eBay over the weekend, with the thought of adding some more scope to my sound by adding effects etc. Anyone ever tried it? I have a regular PODxt, and had a Bass PODxt a while ago, so actually have the bass amp/cab models backed up on my system somewhere. If I can't do that, then I can just buy the Bass Expansion Pack from Line6. Experiences / opinions on the Line6? (apart from the lack of development of their bass amp models/range).

You can always give Matamp a call, and buy some new valves from them, at a slightly better rate than most retail outlets.

Must just be me then, I find Jess Glynn's vocals to be nasal & mumbled, apart from when she "opens up" for the chorus, when she gets "shouty". Adele's a bit better, at least she's not singing through her nose. Just my opinion of course, not that I'm any judge.

Masonite's actually good old "hardboard". A pre-MDF particle board, basically thick cardboard made under pressure IIRC.

Nice catch. Enjoy!

Well, the Harley can either be fixed or written off by the insurance, the main thing is, you are here to tell the tale (been there, done that etc, etc). Get well soon, and hopefully you'll be fit for the March gig.

Does anyone know how a Zoom B9.1ut compares with a B3 sound-wise?

These guys: [url]http://www.originalscratchplates.com/[/url]

Currently in a bit of a muddle as to whether to go DI or invest a few quid into my amp/cab setup, and getting nowhere quickly. I mainly use my B3 for the amp sound, a bit of boost/dirt when needed, and either EQ or Reverb. At home, with headphones, at the rehearsal space with a Peavey amp & 2 4x10's, also have a Hartke HA4000 & a 250w 2x10 at home. Might start using the PA at the rehearsal space, just to hear how it sounds in comparison. Been thinking about upgrading the speakers in the cab to 2 Celestion BL10-200x's, but for similar cash, I could either get another B3 (to add effects to the core amp sounds from No.1 B3) or track down a Line6 Bass PODxt/PODx3 Live, or another floor board type multi-effects unit (Zoom B9.1ut?), and then go for an amp-less setup. Feeling a bit "Confused dot com" about it, as being a bit "old school", there is a part of me saying thay you really can't beat an amp behind you. But, there are huge advantages of having less gear to lug about, and less to worry about at gigs. I suppose I'm looking for the Pro's & Con's from people who've gone Amp-less, people who've returned to Amps, and people who use digital multi-FX units for their "sound".

Whichever sounds best & plays best.

RIP Jimmy Bain, never realised he was a Highlander.

The Cult: Love Sisters of Mercy: First and Last and Always The Fields of the Nephlim: The Nephilim Loop: Fade Out The Subhumams: From the Cradle to the Grave Discharge: Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing Carcass: Symphonies of Sickness Napalm Death: Scum Killing Joke: Eighties Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction: Tattooed Beat Messiah etc.

Some cool responses. Surely, if they can upgrade the G3 to the G5, did they use the same processor for both? For me, a B5 unit would be ideal, I could have my amp setup (amp model > EQ/Reverb > Dirt) and then a couple of switchable effects in addition. Guess I'll have to keep my eye's peeled for either another B3 or something along the lines of another unit (Bass Pod xt Live?).

I've ordered a few bits off them over the years, they've always been pretty good.

Also, a lot depends on which service you use to transfer the funds. If you use a bank transfer, they all have their own rates, and PayPal has another lower rate. At the end of the day, money transfer services are in the business of making money.

Bit of an update, as there's not been much going on in this thread recently... Courtesy of the RikenFakers FB Group, I have managed to purchase a new scratchplate & TRC for each of my Rockinbetter's. No.1 has the mirror finish "RickenFacker" TRC & scratchplate, and No.2 has the blank mirror TRC & 'plate. Both were made & sent out within days of ordering. They look great IMO.

EHX Small Clone (in the not so small steel box)

I know there's a lot of "love" for the Zoom B3, but is there anyone else who thinks that it could do with the same development that our guitar playing friends have received? Zoom provide the guitarists with the choice of the G3, the G3X (built in expression pedal) & the G5 (expression pedal, pre-amp valve & up to 9 effects in a chain). To get anywhere near that, you would at least need to buy the FP02M expression pedal, and possibly another B3. Surely it would not take too much development from Zoom to do bass versions of the G3X & G5, as I would imagine that the chassis & hardware (motherboard etc) already exist, and the software would only need minor tweaks to give us bass players a seriously flexible unit. Your thoughts? Should we petition Zoom?