DocTrucker

Think I've been given green light from my missus for this! I'll be picking up the Harley Benton. Looking at the reviews it's aproaching the quality of the ~£350 pound models, or at least close enough for a student, so fine for me! Oposite end of the spectrum on spacing from what I originally thought would be good - thanks for the advice on that. So, plan to get the songs down on this that I have recently learnt on the Squire Jazz and move onto learning the extended patterns. I'll be aiming for BEADGC tuning to start. The squire is definitly not being retired, the 6 will likely be a stay at home for a good few months at least.

Yeah, hearing protection is a big thing for me. I've a collection of ear issues including asymetric hearing loss with a big drop in high frequency loss on my right side with associated tinitus, and a fluctuating mid-high loss on the same side. Can't wear in-ears, but sport drum isolation headphones. I'm using these as my monitor for the first time this evening.

Scouting options so I can spend my hard earned as efficiently as possible. Never considered stage amplification in any great detail so this is largely all new to me. I've only got a 65W practice amp and a pair of loud guitarists in the band, so some spend required.

Ok, hadn't even considered that as a possibility! Without climbing into premium ranges (Not saying Barefaced is, or isn't premium - not got that far down my research line yet) what would your suggestion be for a jack-of-all-trades style rig which will see me through up until I perhaps begin to favour a specific playing style or music genre? Needless to say we'd be aiming for volumes appropriate for the venue, so unless we land in something like a labour club then the amps aren't likely to be running close to full capacity. Perhaps 2 cheaper 4x10 cabs at an angle granting the option for some stereo effects?

It's getting clearer thanks! I'll aim for 500W solid state power amp (or one with a solid state/tube pre amp where the tube can be wound back) and 4x10 cab. Reliable budget ranges and used sections will be searched thoroughly!

Good info there thanks. I'll rephrase a little as I think I confused things. New band, playing covers for the foreseeable. First step for us is building up a set list for pub gigs. Unlikely to have house PA. What do I need on stage for this? I currently have my Laney RB3 65W 12" and horn practice amp that will be woefully under powered. I'm lost on terminology. A 'backline' 4x10 or similar size cabinet - this is mainly for the audience right? Judging on above aiming for 400W to 500W power amp. Is the general rule to have speaker capacity above the amps rated power? Do these rigs become redundant when the bass is put through PA systems, or do they then become huge monitors? My hearing is bad. Asymetric and high frequency loss, and can't wear in ear plugs/phones, or hearing aids. Despite the odd appearance I'm likely to be sporting drum isolation headphones. I plan to use these as my monitor, so where we have no room PA I will kind of have my own PA on my head with mini mixer desk beside me somewhere! I've seen a beringher 1002 mixer thay may just suit my needs.

Hi all, Playing in a band that has been put together by my local music school (I'm an 40yr old learner...) and we play a few covers. Looking to get set up to play small venues later in the year. Solid state bass amps and large speaker cabinets can be played at low volume with no detriment to sound quality right? I've got a digbeth preamp that does tone shaping and amp modelling so looking to put that straight into a power amp via mixer. Best look for a cheap 4x10 and 13 cabinet, or rely on a practice amp as a monitor and look at a single PA for the band? Worry about mix levels going forward. I felt I thoroughly stuffed a song last night in rehersal but the others were oblivious because the guitars were too loud! This side of things is all new to me!

Great feedback, thanks. Was begining to see there was very little at the large spacing, less so affordable. I guess playing on the 6 will tidy my fingerstyle on the 4 quite a bit!

Would like to have a 6 to try at home. I would like to limit spend to the minimum required to get a good student model, so reliable but not necessarily going to stun with the tone! I'm playing a wide range of styles at the moment and none which the 6 is especially common in. I appreciate the desire to try 6 won't sit well with common logic. My Squire Vintage Modified J Bass has a string spacing of 19mm at the bridge and around 10 at the nut. I appreciate this may make a 6 a beast but are there any bottom end models that are similar to that? While the 6 and 4 are going to feel very different any way I would like to try to keep them in the same ball park, so probably give fanned frets a miss for example. This is more a curiosity rather than an imminent plan. If anything it's likely to wait until the end of the year, unless I see a reasonable example second hand. I'd like to have a crack at a kit build too, but vapour builds continue for the time being!

I understand the view point. I found it interesting to tie together where the instruments came from as while they may be able to cut price, they are limited to how well they can build instruments by their machinery, tooling, and Luithers. I was vurious to see hiw wide spread the practice is, but it does seem in house is on the rare side. You'd likely never find out the detail but knowing where the design expertise reside would be telling.

That's quite a list, cheers! I spotted some of the kit built guitars shared a common manufacturer and wondered how comon it was with the big brands. It almost looks like an easier question would be who makes their own, although apart from the manufactors above I'm guessing thats the £££ options!

Caught a comment in a post in this forum which in retrospect makes sense, but I hadn't given much thought to. Some of the major brands selling bass guitars are at least out sourcing the manufacture of their budget to mid price ranges to other well known, but uncredited sub contract manufacturers. Do we have any collection of who makes who's guitars? I appreciate the situation is likely fluid, and somewhat muddied by Fender / Squire like branding where the affordable brand could either be using less expensive hardware/material, sub contractors, or other cost cutting measures - not suggesting Squire is definately sub contracted rather than built by squire. These arrangements are not wholesale bad, I just like transparency. I see them a bit like signature models of basses and gear. The brand could be doing anything from changing a label through to negotiating a specific/higher spec at a cut price based on their buying power. Are there big bass guitar brands that don't make any of their own basses?

Sorry, bad writing on my behalf. I was guessing the cost of the pedals together. I have the DB-Pre on order for a bit under 150.

Mine's on order now. Maybe I'll see it next week. Boss pedals on the loop at the moment; overdrive (odb3), octaver (oc3), and limiter (lmb3). The Digbeth pedals look great but can't justify what I'm guessing is around ~£360 at the moment!

Nice! I've been waiting for a price from my local music school for one of them. I'm a newcomer to performing but liked the idea of getting my tone sorted on my pedal board making use of the fx loop on the pre amp and leaving the rest to largely just volume.

Thanks all. For once chatting on online forums has resulted in a relative reduction in the desire to hemorrhage cash! Just got an urge to move the guts of my BC Tich Warlock p bass to a standard fender style precision bass body body & neck. The former isn't quite right. Nice feel on the neck, but action is too high, and the body shape is a pain. Standard bass stands don't don't work!

Great to hear, thanks. So get the basses you have playing well and tackle niggles that arise.

Feel like I need to find myself a book on the bass guitar to go alongside my tutor books! Ok, so the prime two types of bass guitar that I'm aware of is the Precision and Jazz. On the Jazz front I've seen them with split coils, single coils, humbuckers, and occasionally a mix of split and single. The precisions are far less varied but I have seen guitars with a split in the precision position and an additional coil close to the bridge. So what are the key types (extra strings aside for the time being) to look for with the Blues Rock through to Metal spectrum? I've currently a twin single coil Squire Jazz and a Precision bass with a single split coil. Do the Jazz basses with two Humbuckers sound different enough to the Squire Jazz to warrant an early inclusion, or are they more often pulled out when noise issues plague the single coil instruments? I'm expecting a lot of it to be personal taste, but interested to hear what the key types are considered to be.

I got that for my P bass, got the same stuff lined up again. Just need to double check left overs before ordering.

Just had a little look at the electronics and thought I was onto something. Reasonable quality pots - alpha 250K - but the ground seemed weak between the pots and the ground pin of the cable. Measured 1.5-2 Ohm. The ground between the volume pots, tone pot, and jack plug is all made through the control plate to avoid ground loops. Stripped back and wire brushed the threads for the pots and the jack plug. Resistance dropped to around 0.5Ohm which is as good as zero with a normal meter. Alas hum still there. Almost certainly picking up noise from something in my room. Unplug the guitar, or put both pickups on full and the hum disappears. Drop the tone right down and the hum sounds like the characteristic 50Hz hum! I'll get on with the shielding.

The building is part of the fun for me, although I appreciate the recommendation. Pleny of food for thought here and builing it all up on a seperate panel means it can drag on a bit without leaving me bass less. Thanks again!

I thought the Duncan Designed pickups - made under a license I think - weren't as well recieved as the standard Duncan ones?

Great. So ditch the bridge option and use the cash on the nerves of the guitar. Logarithmic pots on both volume and tone, or just tone? I like the idea of a series/parallel switch.

I'll focus on curing the noise and not go mad on spend.