thodrik

1) Hybrid/valve amps which have no standby mode, but which also take 20-30 seconds to 'warm up' and actually start working. I turn on my Mesa Walkabout at my gig. There is no stand by switch and it takes about 20 seconds to warm up and actually deliver any sound. This leads to 20 seconds of me going into a mild panic thinking 'what if it doesn't actually work this time? Wait, there is no sound still! Something is wrong, I'm going to be totally screwed, NOOOOOO!' Then it starts working. This has been going on for over ten years.

At least they are getting better at playing the games other companies are playing. The Reidmar 502 is marketed as being a 'lightweight amp in the 500w-range' capable of operating at 2 ohms despite it being 250 watts RMS at 2 or 4 ohms and 470 watts dynamic. Whereas the original Reidmar 250 was 250 watts RMS at 4 ohms and 470 watts dynamic output. If only EBS had marketed the original Reidmar as the 'Reidmar 504' then they would probably have got a few more sales. The new 802 from the pics appears to be 750 watts RMS at 2 ohms, so while not quite 800 watts RMS as you might think from the name, it is surely going to be loud enough to cover any reasonable situation so long as the cabinet is capable of dealing with the power.

I would agree with that. I really like the Fafner as a live amp. I had a Mesa M6 for a while, nominally to replace the Fafner, but ended up selling it as the level of sub bass was just ridiculous and was very difficult to EQ out without the bottom falling out of the sound altogether. The Fafner just sits brilliantly in a live mix. Loads of headroom and a lot of clarity, even when adding some drive. Great slap amp too, even though it was marketed as the 'rock' head with the styling of the amp. I did record an album with the Fafner once, but to end up with the bass signal was mostly a clean DI straight to the desk from a Sadowsky Metro so I think that would probably help prove your point.

The Fafner is probably a back up head as part of a hire set up. I love my Fafner, and prefer it to the (old) HD350 or TD650, annoying frequently malfunctioning bulb aside and the fact that it is pretty bulky and not actually that much more powerful than the HD350 in terms of output. If I am being honest, the voicing of the EQs was pretty similar across those range of amps. You could do slap, funk, or rock/metal on all of the amps. I never tried the HD360 or TD660 so can't comment on how the EQ was changed on those models, as by then I had bought the Fafner so I wasn't really looking for an amp. The Fafner II to me was a misstep. Too heavy, too many knobs, too expensive and overdrive features that, while great, were maybe better suited to a pedal.The HD350 preamp with the 650 power section would probably have done great on the market. I think that this new 802 amp looks like it will be more like an updated HD350 with more power and features. The only drawback on the old EBS amps to me is that there is not much low, 'sub' bass below 100Hz. I know that this is by design in order to avoid muddy sounds and it really results in a really, clear, defined sound which is great live. However, compared to say, a Mesa Boogie M6 or Big Block (other amps I have had/have), there is not much floor rumbling bass when you are using a low B string. This is why I really like the look of the 802 with the extension/voicing options on the Bass and Treble settings.

That crossed my mind to be honest. I think that they must have been really tight on the deadlines with the prototypes. However, my view is that if the prototypes were not correct, then don't bring them. I would have just brought the Metro and Masterbuilt ones and run with that. Perhaps the fit and finish on the Metro Express prototypes are so good that Warwick/Sadowsky felt that they were good enough to demo even with the decal being wrong? Anyway, it is a curious development.

The original Fafner was used by a lot of rock metal players. However it was also used by Victor Bailey and Marcus Miller on occasion, as you can see in the left hand corner of the pic below. The Fafner is a great head for pretty much any style. In fact, so was the HD350 and TD650. All great heads.

Non-Spector owner here (at least until I get the funds together for a Forte 6 or Euro 6), however this is a statement that I 100% agree with. I 'fought' against the massive high output of my Vigier Excess for years. The massive output and huge amounts of low and high end on the onboard EQ has made it tricky to pair with certain amps. No trim pot. It wasn't so much 'tone sculpting' as it was 'fire fighting'. Luckily after 15 years I have finally got the hang of it...

Okay, for years I have been using D'addarios. Still my first choice for straight up tone. However the Elixirs deliver 90% of the tone and last for ages. The switch is saving me a lot of money as previously I was switching strings every 6 weeks or so on my two main basses between my different gigs and rehearsals.It was starting to hit me in the pocket and I felt that I was wasting so much metal to the point that I could swear that Greta Thunberg was angrily looking at me when she appeared on my TV. So Elixirs it is.

Sadowsky or not, a nice active Jazz type with good fit and finish for sub-£800 is a good deal. There is a lot of competition at the point though. Will consumers just go with the brand they know and prefer a Mexican Fender Player bass rather than a Chinese Warwickdowsky? It will really depend on the fit and finish and attention to detail, which is really what Roger Sadowsky built his reputation on with the NYC and prior Metro series.

I think that the Spector Legend series would cover that price point as well. It can certainly be done. However, even as a Sadowsky aficionado, I do think that it is diluting the brand a little. However, Sadowsky were already doing off-shore licensed products for years with the Metro and Metro Express line. If it was Vigier guitars announcing a licensing deal with Warwick then I would be more shocked.

A brilliant idea, however for me, an amp should only be rated in accordance with continuous power. In which case this is a 140 watt amp. In a couple of years, I think that output power will be doubled or tripled.

Interesting launch video. Price of the Metro Express is to around 775 Euros. Though it won't feature the Sadowsky bridge, nor from what I gather the full fat Sadowsky preamp. I suppose for that price point it isn't really possible. It looks the Sterling by Musicman equivalent to the Sadowsky line. In terms of fit and finish I am actually really curious to see how this line turns out, perhaps more than the more expensive lines. It seems that the Metros will be priced at above 2000 Euros, so quite a bit more than the Warwick Teambuilt basses but pretty much in line with current Metro prices. The Masterbuilt series with 'upgraded' Nordstrand pickups is curious. Previously, the benefit of the Metro series was that you were getting the same bridge, pickups and pre amp as the NYC basses. As far as I'm aware the previous standard Sadowsky branded J-bass pickups were generally Seymour Duncan humcancelling pickups. I'm guessing that the 'new' Metros will get these pickups and the Masterbuilt will get the new Nordstrand pickups. From my view, it seemed like a good presentation video. Interesting that Roger Sadowsky stated that all the CNC work is done to his specifications, so the basses really shouldn't feel too different in hand compared to the current Metro line. Also, I like the fact that Roger Sadowsky pointed out the flaws with the prototype Metro Express basses in terms of the logo and string retainer. A small indication of his general quality control and wanting things to be 'right'. I am still cautiously optimistic.

Another recommendation for the Alpha Omega here. Though actually, I prefer using a B3K as my always on 'thick, nearly clean' basic sound with the AO set as a more high frequency 'grind' tone. I run the drive fairly low on the AO but the resulting stacked tone is fairly savage. Less is more when it comes to the gain. However, for an unsubtle, 'screw you guys, I'm turning the fuzz on' excess the Darkglass Duality is tough to beat. However, with the Duality there is no way of really tweaking it to being a moderate overdrive the sits well in a mix. I prefer using the AO for dirt rather than clean. Don't get me wrong, the clean sounds are great, however the drive is so flexible that I feel it is far more suitable as an extra drive source. I like the B3K on lower settings, but the higher gain settings are not to my tastes. I think that I would have the same views on the B7K. The AO has great flexibility allowing you to really tailor the drive to suit the characteristics of your bass. I also enjoyed using the Aguilar Agro as an extra drive on top of the B3K, but it lacks the girth of the AO with the 'grunt' switch or any EQ capabilities. The Aguilar and AO though are great.

It looks very much like a 'hmm, lets try this idea out to see if it works' type of release. Hopefully it catches on. I would like to try one. In terms of prices, I think that the German 'Team Built' series are pretty well priced. A Team Built Thumb 5 is currently about £1500. If they simply added £300 or so for a fanned fret upcharge then I think the price would be pretty competitive. In terms of a full custom shop job with fanned frets, I dread to even guess what the price would be. I wonder if other builders will now follow suit? A Spector Euro with fanned frets perhaps? I could see Gibson doing it as well, though it wouldn't surprise me if they fanned the frets the wrong way round, so you have a 32 inch B string and 37 inch G string. The Monorail bridge is interesting. I'm guessing it is cheaper to just place individual bridges are the chosen locations than for Warwick to design/purchase a bespoke five string bridge for a multiscale bridge. I have a Vigier Arpege which has a similar type of bridge (not fan fretted). It definitely works in functional terms but I don't see it is an upgrade on a traditional bridge. In any case, it is a bit of bother trying to clean in between the individual bridges. So much dust gets stuck in there!

Interesting! It is a very subtle fanned fret system compared to a Dingwall (35.5 inches to 34 inches compared to 37 inches on the low B of a Dingwall). Frankly I prefer that, as the angle of the upper frets on a Dingwall would make chords tricky on a Dingwall (I do a lot of high up chord work as part of my rehearsal and writing work so that would annoy me). The Warwick angles look less extreme, but probably at the loss of the famed Dingwall 'piano clarity' of a low B on a 37 inch scale. If Warwick offered a five (or six) string Thumb with the same fanned fret system I would be very tempted. I have just never really liked the Corvette body shape in comparison to the Thumb and the Streamer.

I used to have an EBS Valve Drive to add 'genuine valve warmth' solid state amps. After I while I just decided that the 'warmth' was barely audible in a mix, either live or recorded and the hassle of taking a pedal with a massive footprint for minimal tonal benefits was just not worth it. After a couple of years I just stopped using it. I have ended up using either an Aguilar Agro or lately, a Darkglass B3K with the gain turned very very low. Both are pretty pricey options, but I ended up preferring them to my old Tech 21 Bass Driver, as I felt that the Bass Driver kind of made all my basses sound the same. If the Aguilar Agro just had the 'grunt' switch and blend option of the Darkglass it would be my ideal pedal. I actually really like Joyo stuff as well. The Sparrow Bass DI will do essentially what a Tech 21 Bass Driver does but for about £65.

Nice!

The Series III are lovely looking, though I don't like the big 'Vigier' logo on the bodies of some of them. I actually have a Series IV Arpege with that Glockenklang pre amp. After 7 years I am finally getting a hang of the EQ system! Lovely bass but I do think that the bolt on nature of it makes it less 'special' than the neck through models. In terms of general fit and finish though it is pretty flawless.

Hmm, the thing is that a lot of late 70s Fenders could be made parts from various years, so body and neck dates didn't always match even on the 'original' models. Late seventies Fenders were (or are?) notorious for this practice.

Apologies if I am missing something, but surely the relative trade value of the Vigier Passion II in a 'Warwick for a Vigier' trade is going to be same as the relative trade value of a Vigier Passion II in a 'Vigier for a Warwick' trade? I would presume that the relative trade values of the basses subject to the px deal have been discussed already since the deal appears to be imminent. If the Vigier doesn't work out then I would just try to trade it again on similar terms. Ultimately the value of the instrument in a future trade will depend on the basses subject to the trade at the time of the trade. However, you should be able to sell the Vigier for a decent price providing you with enough cash to buy another Warwick $$. The custom Warwicks come in different specifications and levels of 'bling' so there will be some Warwicks that are worth more than the Vigier in any trade deal (for example a highly blinged up Warwick Thumb or Streamer with diamond encrusted inlays, but those are fairly rare). Best of luck.

Or the cabs will be distributed/gifted to the legions of YouTube/Social Media Bass Player Influencers who wax lyrical about every Darkglass release.

Seems identical in features to previous lines. I wonder if the pre-amp has been revoiced or something to make them different to previous line? Quality amps no question, but it is a bit strange to increase the footprint of the amp without adding extra power or features from the previous line. I always thought that the VU was a bit of a gimmick (an LED clip light will suffice for me) so having an output VU doesn't really interest me.

Yes, I would think so. Very expensive, however much less expensive than the Mesa equivalent. I wonder who was actually making the cabs for Darkglass? Just thinking if it would be possible to get an equivalent cabinet made straight from the source for less...

No matter how expensive a bass is, the first thing I will do post purchase is change the strings and set the instrument to my own specifications. 'This sounds great but the action is a bit high and the intonation is a bit off' is not a deal breaker, provided that the string saddles are not already at their lowest possible position and there is sufficient space to actually intonate the instrument properly. Floorshop 'dings' and cosmetic wear and tear on a new bass doesn't turn me off either provided it doesn't affect playability, though I will seek a discount if I buy it. However, outside of bass my guitar of choice is a Gibson Les Paul, so I am used to trying out expensive instruments with completely uneven set ups... If the set up of an in-stock bass is really bad, then I have to pretty much rule it out if I am unsure as to whether the bass is even capable of being set up the way I would like it. If I am paying £2000 plus on an instrument I would actually ask the shop if they could reduce the action a bit if the set up is just incredibly bad or spongy (it takes about one minute to this). If doing that reveals massive amounts of fret buzz then it is perhaps a sign of more issues. Being in Scotland my only 'big' chain store in reach is Guitar Guitar. I can't say I have encountered too many absolute dogs as in my opinion most of the 'premium' basses have at worst a 'decent' set up in the Glasgow store.

Okay, I quite like the look of the Little Bass Thing. Great name. The Orange's EQ settings are somewhat more 'agricultural' compared to the Darkglass, EBS, Aguilar and Mesa competition. However, as a 'plug in and play something loud' with a decent tone this could be a good product. Not a bad price in my view.