thodrik

I have similar thoughts. When I was 15 I just assumed that the more extravagant basses were constructed out of really expensive wood!

To me it looks like a concept piece that requires a lot of hours to make and that results in a high price. Perhaps the asking price is a means of Fodera essentially saying 'yes, we can make this bass, but it is very difficult and complicated and we are only going to do it if it is really worth our while'. The price point is probably set on the understanding that Fodera don't expect (or particularly want) to receive thousands of orders. I am pretty sure you spec a Warwick, Wal or a Ritter and come to the same price eventually if you add enough options. I put Fodera in the same category as those type of custom orders in that these are not instruments designed for sale to the general public but are instruments to be acquired by a very small clientele who frankly have money to burn, for whom a ridiculously expensive bass is no different to a ridiculously expensive concept car, luxury watch etc. As a result, this type of pricing does not really irritate me whatsoever. Frankly, it irritates me more when I see Warwick made Sadowsky Masterbuilt basses being sold at a higher pricepoint than Sadowsky basses made by Roger Sadowsky and even that doesn't really irk me, particularly given Warwick are entirely within their rights to set whatever price point they like under the licensing agreement and Warwick masterbuilt basses don't come cheap.

I also like to use the search function on Basschat to find specific threads I am not interested in just so I can leave a comment detailing that I am not a fan of the subject matter. For example: 'I am not overly familiar with Joe Dart and thus I have no interest in this thread discussing the new Joe Dart latest signature model bass.' 'I have no interest in country music and never listen to it. However I nevertheless feel that I have the authority to say that it all sounds the same and that all of the country subgenres and descriptions like Classic Country/Alternative Country/Rockabilly/Western Swing/Outlaw Country/Country Rock/Bluegrass etc' are just different names for a largely uniform type of music which all sounds a bit generic and uninteresting to my infinitely more sophisticated musical palette.' 'I hate bass overdrive, so I have no interest in this thread discussing bass overdrive pedals.' 'I use a Helix with a FRFR speaker and just wanted to post that this is a superior set up and that you are all a little bit silly to make a thread discussing valve bass amplifiers'.

D'addario do a balanced tension set of 120 - 90 - 67 -50. I use that generally for D standard and drop C. The tension of a 120 tuned to D is not dissimilar to having a 110 string tuned to E. GHS do a Heavy Boomers set of 50-115 which I rate. There is also a DR DDT set of 55-115 but I find the higher strings to have too much tension at D standard for my personal taste. A normal heavy gauge of 50-110 with your favourite brand of strings should be fine though. If you are changing from a lighter gauge of strings tuned to standard then you might need to give your bass a set up for the new tuning.

I don't own any class D amps, however my nephew has a TC Electronic BQ500 which is about as budget as a budget class D head gets. I think it sounds pretty impressive for the price and practicality standpoint. If you are using a pre EQ DI or using an additional preamp for your core tone, then it is a perfectly useable gigging amplifier given that nobody is going to hear the amp anyway. Would I trade my bigger amps for it? No way, but I would be totally happy if I was given one as supplied backline. Though I love amps as a point of personal interest (design choices, features, how they are put together etc), however I am not picky when it comes to a gig. If a gig required me to go the IEM route I would do that without hesitation. However my main interest has always been heavy rock, particularly in the blues, stoner and doom sub-genres in which amps (particularly vintage amps) are generally part of the culture and 'fun' of being in a band and doing live shows, so going IEM in that route is unlikely for me, even if it makes complete logical sense.

You really must try out as many as you can. Last summer I tried the following - Tech 21 VT Bass DI - Darkglass B7K Ultra - Tech 21 Bass Driver DI v2 - Markbass Something or other (it had a valve in it). In short, the Bass Driver DI v2 won out. From owning V1 for over a decade I consider the V2 to be much more flexible because of the mids feature. It is also 'idiot proof' in terms of operation and great for gigging or recording when you need a decent bass sound quickly and without any fuss which is something I really appreciate. I have never tried the Para Driver but I'm guessing I would like it too! However, no on board compression, no headphone out, no additional footswitchable drive however I didn't need that as I already have other drives and compressions that I can used along with the Bass Driver. It is a bit above your initial budget, but something like a second hand Helix Stomp must surely be worth a consideration given it has a number of amp sims and effects on board? I was tempted to go this route, but I decided that I really need a 'plug in and play' preamp pedal.

I thoroughly recommend the D'addario balanced tension set of 50-67-90-120 if you are interested in downtuning to D standard. I generally use it for tuning for D standard and drop C. That 120 is a beast but it really works well at maintaining definition. In the past I have found 'heavy gauge' sets of 50-110 to be underwhelming when downtuning to D standard. However I do like a 50 -110 set I want to play rock stuff with a high action to avoid any 'fret clatter'. For standard tuning I prefer 100-80-60-40 gauges generally as I find a 45 and 65 gauge or G and D strings a bit stiff for slapping and popping.

Okay, I have now installed a set of NYXLs on my Sadowsky NYC five string. I was really reticent of moving away from Elixirs as I really rate them. However, I thought I would try the NYXLs as I just can’t find Elixirs in the gauges I like (I tune B F# B E A and use a high C string for the high A). Anyhoo, I’m very impressed by the NYXLs. They seem to have a lot more bass and treble response. The question is how long they last. Definitely a step up from the XLs so a definite thumbs up. The tapered 135 is immense!

The higher tension of the Elixirs is actually why I quite like them! I definitely noticed an extra stiffness but this really helped with a low B which never become floppy and still had a lot of definition after a year which frankly astounded me! I have gone for a tapered 135 on the NYXLs because I always find D'addario to be a bit looser and flexible. With Elixir I use a tapered 130 and it is great.

I have bought a set of singles to use with my five string which I tune B F# B E A. I generally use Elixirs but find that Strings Direct have not had any stock of the 32 high C string for over a year! I generally like D'addario but stopped using XLs as they were only lasting me about 4 weeks of regular rehearsals and gigging. If the NYXLs can last six months or so that would be great.

Very difficult to say. The values are all over the place depending on how old the cabs are and the condition. I have seen the 2x12 and 4x10s go for £500-£700 depending on condition. I would think that the 1x15 and 2x10s would be worth slightly less in the £300-£500 bracket. You actually are more likely to get a better deal on the bigger cabinets on account that they are so damn heavy that demand for them is very low, so sometimes you can get one of the 2x15 or 6x10 or Powerhouse 1000 cabs for £400-£600 (though usually they go for more). This is a great deal considering new they were in the £1500-£2000 bracket when new. However, once you try to lift them into the car you realise why people were willing to sell them for much less. I got a mint condition 2009 ish Powerhouse 6x10 on this basis. I would probably recommend just getting another 2x10. It should give you all the on stage volume you ever need. I love my 6x10 but it is heavier than most 8x10s and is overkill for nearly every gig. The sound though is frankly incredible and for how little I paid for it and how expensive it would be to courier there is no way I would ever sell it.

I have a Keeley Bassist that is better than most 'on amp' compressors I have tried and has been on my board for six years. Not flashy, easy as hell to use, very transparent. I haven't needed anything more than that. I think that EBS makes one of the best 'one knob' compression circuits on an amp. The compression on my old EBS Fafner is brilliant and every EBS amp I have tried has been as good. Though this circuit is pretty much derived from their MultiComp pedal. I generally prefer a pedal compressor on account that it means that I always have an option to add compression even if I am using shared/provided backline at a gig.

Looks very nice and uncluttered. I would very much be interested in trying one.

I like Rotos, but they generally die on me within 3-4 weeks. Elixirs can last me up to two years. So for regular gigging they end up cheaper. For recording though, a fresh set of Rotos (or any stainless steel roundwound) will be a lot more aggressive than the nickel Elixirs. So generally Elixirs for me.

Heavy guitars for heavy music. I can’t imagine even trying to play it. I would expect that the design came into fruition after Al shared a joint or two with a few folk from Rickenbacker. Silly, impractical but unique.

What if...Lars had turned the snare on in St Anger? What if... Steve Harris had instead bought a Jazz instead of a Precision? What if...BB King had named his guitar 'Betsy' and not 'Lucille'?

Done by a previous owner. Apparently because the jack socket wiring was terrible and constantly needed to be fixed and only having to remove half the pickguard saved time. My then 15 year old brother resoldered in 1999 soon after I got it and it has been problem free ever since! I thought it was weird at the time but I love it now!

You haven't lived until you have owned a vintage Gibson EB3 in which the inherent tone from the front pickup is utterly impervious to tone settings or pick up settings. I have owned a 1974 EB3 for twenty one years and I am still not sure exactly why!

'Relative ease of portability' Description for 1501 combo, a 150 watt 1x15 combo weighing 95 lbs!

As far as I am aware, you can pretty much use all non-valve amp (i.e. valve power amp and valve pre amp) amps without using a load. With class D technology I can't imagine that running it without a load could cause an issue. The D800 has a headphone out, so presumably it was designed for use without a load. It wouldn't make sense to have a headphone out if you also had to have a cab connected.

Gold hardware: just don't like it. Fanned frets: great concept, but not for me as I found it more difficult to play some parts (particularly chords) in the upper registers. More than two pick ups: it just makes me think of those three pickup Les Pauls from the Frampton Comes Alive era. Anything with 'Fender' detailed on the headstock which isn't actually a Fender. 24 fret necks with poor upper fret access beyond the fifteenth fret. Weight and neck dive isn't a deal breaker for me, which is good because I have wanted a five string Warwick Thumb for a while.

Love those amps. One of the best 'idiot proof' amps on the market.

I would think that stacking two 2x10 cabs vertically might be a good idea if is all about having something audible at ear level. That would actually be a taller stack than a 6x10 and much more portable, easier to move and take up less space in the car/van. From experience a smaller cab and a plinth is a lot easier to shift than a single 6x10 if you are trying to load out by yourself at 1am because the rest of the band have gone AWOL after saying that they would help pack up! It also will take up less space in a car/van.

Due to the porting there is far more low end extension on the 610 and 410 hlf than the sealed 810. I have recorded an EP with one and used them live. Very good cabs. There are modern lightweight cabs these days that are louder and more portable and with modern PA systems and monitoring nobody really ‘needs’ a 610 anymore. With that said my main cab is a Mesa 6x10…

I saw them on the UK tour later that year, though by then Dave Grohl had left and Joey Castillo had joined. I think that Dave Grohl only every played a select few dates over the summer. Immense drummer as always though. For me that is definitely the absolute peak for the band.