thodrik

[quote name='greyparrot' post='986845' date='Oct 13 2010, 12:34 PM']If the Alembic mark king sig had humpty dumpty on the headstock i really would not give a hoot! [/quote] Hence my warped mind!

[quote name='danydan' post='986247' date='Oct 12 2010, 09:11 PM']Euh !! it's not a Fender preamp inside; the preamp is important ok, but before the preamp the wood and the built is amazing; the built quality of this bass is closer of a Sadowsky US and the sound too in his own way (Fender way but in my opinion you can sound it in your own way, like Marcus Miller does)[/quote] Umm, okay? I was commenting on Fender eq circuits in general, not on this custom model, which I never really been totally sold on compared to other campanies. I'm sure its an amazing bass that I could make to sound in my own way, but for that money I would be more likely to buy a bass built to my own specifications, rather than to Marcus Miller's, or failing that buy a genuine 1970s jazz, fit a badass on it and insert a Sadowsky preamp. That just me though, I'm just against having someone else's name on 'my' instrument, other than the person that built it. To me it just says that I'm either just copying or following in someone else's footsteps and that whatever I do in music, I'll never be as good as the person whose name is on the bass. I know that is total rubbish, but it is the way that my warped mind thinks. Obviously, I'm not the market that this bass is aimed for.

I just don't think it comes across as well, as there are lots of variables lead to nuances between basses which appear pretty obvious in person but end up sounding pretty similar when recorded. It easy (ish) to tell a difference between a Jazz and a Precision, but between rosewood and maple fingerboards, and different pickups or different models, the differences could be so minimal as to actaully make the different options seem unnecessary or just for looks, which is not something companies would want. I don't mind 'ballpark' examples of the sounds of certain models of bass. However, most high-end companies are keen to stress that you can acheive 'virtually any' sound with their particular type of bass. So if they then have a video or audio demo of 'this bass sounds like this' it kind of defeats the point. Also the way I play will be totally different to the person doing the demo anyway, so really how useful is the sound sample anyway? Personally for me it doesn't work for cabs either. I think that Mesa Boogie did a big video blog on the differences between the different bass cabs. To be honest, although there was maybe some difference between the sounds it could have been down to mic placement, or that they used a different bass or for each cab (which seemed to me to defeat the point of a 'cab' test). As my guitar-playing brother would say '...Yep, it sounds a bass. Wow.'

Well, at least it has a Badass! I'm sure its a great bass, for the collectors obviously. For £4600 I would probably want my dream bass though, rather than Marcus Miller's. I tried one of the Japanese (I think they were anyway) models a while ago though, and was fairly impressed. This was before I had tried Sandbergs and Sadowskys though, I'm guessing that if I tried one again, my opinion of the Fender eq circuit wouldn't be as high as it was then.

It all seems pretty annoying. Finding one of the problems is pretty common on a Fender. Finding about three is just unlucky. If it really irks you I would return it. I don't think the truss is really a problem though, more the pick guard and the neck pocket (which doesn't look that bad). Of course if you send it back you might get one that has none of those issues, except the fretwork isn't as good. I doubt that would happen though, I'm just thinking about what would happen if I sent it back!

I have three basses with maple fingerboards, they all sound really different when played acoustically so I'm not convinced by the 'maple sounds like X and rosewood sounds like Y'. For me its mostly down to looks, the difference in tone is pretty minimal and is generally down to the design, construction and finish of the bass rather than the wood on the fingerboard. That said, I didn't set out to buy a bass with a maple board, its just that the basses that I played and liked just happened to have them. Rosewood is just as good.

A classic Fender, probably my Fender P, though if I was greedy, which I am, it would probably be one of those 'slab' Precisions or a pre-CBS Jazz.

[quote name='Chris2112' post='983759' date='Oct 10 2010, 08:44 PM']Doesn't everyone just get old, hard of hearing and accidentally buy a P Bass, doggedly sticking to it until the grave?[/quote] Nah, some of us just start off with one... I think that everybody goes through a phase of learning or being interested in styles that is out of their normal comfort zone. I went through an interest in funk and jazz from 18-21 as I started developing new techniques like slap, double thumb, tapping. I think its good to pick up these techniques to keep practise interesting, though they have never been used in the context of a band I've been in, because generally they just didn't mix. I have also been playing pop/rock stuff and even folk stuff over the years, which has aided my adaptability, but hasn't really changed my overall outlook on what I want to acheive which has always been fairly consistent. The only problem is finding the right people to play in the way I want. As I get older I'm trying to focus on playing what I want rather than keep slotting into other styles. I really don't to fall into bridge pickup fingerstyle funk/jazz on a jazz bass a big eq bump in the mids, as it really does nothing for me personally whether its playing or listening.

I got a big virus thing too. Bad form I say! Harmless enough basses and the ethos behind the brand is admirable. Personally I wouldn't mind a different scratchplate so it didn't scream Musicman, but its a minor quibble.

Not really if you have nice hair and people think you look pretty onstage. Most people wont know the difference. If the way you play is preventing you from playing what your brain wants you to do, then its worth having a think about your technique. Also with recording I think that poor technique can show up, especially when matched with a bass with pretty low action. That said I don't think there is a textbook 'right' way to play bass, in the same way that has developed for the piano, violin etc. The electric bass has only been around for a small period of time, so I still think there is scope for developing technique and ways of playing the bass. I personally think there are far too many 'session player' clones that predominantly use slap, double-thumb technique whenever they can, and will only ever play fingerstyle on the back pickup of a really expensive jazz bass. I think it leads to a very 'boxed in' understanding of the various ways and styles in which a bass can be played.

[quote name='Delberthot' post='983593' date='Oct 10 2010, 06:17 PM']As the owner of an 800R and 2 700RB II amps I can say that they are no more complicated to work than ordering a pizza over the phone - if you can't work it then you're in the wrong game. You just need to spend a few minutes checking out the manual like you would with any amp.[/quote] Cheers for that, I'll bear that in mind if I come across another one as supplied backline somewhere. I didn't have access to the manual when I tried it, so it was a bit befuddled by the features. I'm also one of those that believes that if the amp should sound good when run 'flat' (or without anything boosted or cut), but if the amp does sound good flat, then it makes a lot of those extra features pretty redundant. Ordering pizza over the phone is well within my capabilities, but seems comparatively complicated and not really worth the hassle since I already have pizza in the fridge that I like the taste of.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='983516' date='Oct 10 2010, 05:21 PM']I went with Orange mainly because I preferred the tone, but the weight difference is pretty massive, and the Orange can do an 8 ohm load. If you have an SVT CL/VR, you must be 'rock hard'.[/quote] The Ampeg weight is pretty something. I was playing a gig the other week when the bands were sharing an 8x10 cab. When it came to moving the Svt from the top of the cab so I could put my own one on top of the cab, it just about did me in! I love the idea of an all-tube amp, but the weight and cost put me off, as well as the fact I know nothing about biasing tubes which scared me when buying my last amp. Which is why I have tended to gravitate towards hybrid amps. Someday though...

[quote name='fretmeister' post='983455' date='Oct 10 2010, 04:29 PM']I have no doubt this thing sounds awesome. But - 85lb Eighty Five Pounds!!!! Is anyone without roadies really going to buy it? That is utter madness. My Mark Bass F1 head and a Tech21 pedal gets damn close to proper SVT with 75lb to spare![/quote] I think that the words there are 'damn close'. Even with all the lightweight amps and eq pedals available, it still isn't going to deliver the 'authentic' sound of an all-tube Ampeg SVT, which regardless of model or place of production, is always really heavy. Some people are always going to prefer to have a real tube amp as opposed to a set up which can be made to sound 'damn close' to the sound that they want to obtain. For me its not the weight of the Heritage SVT that will put people off, but rather the cost which I think is over £2000. I think they are limited production though so are meant for Ampeg devotees, who judging from most of Ampeg's output have never really been concerned by weight. Of course there are also those that don't like tube amps or Ampeg in general, who prefer the sound of lighter, more transparent sounding amps. Also I'm pretty sure that in addition to the weight, the F1 and vt bass is a lot more cost-effective, even before you take maintenance of an all-tube amp into consideration.

I played through a 700rb and 4x10 cab (I can't mind the name off hand, but it was the expensive artist line one). It gave out a really nice sound that is as good as any amp company, if you like the general sound. It adds a fair bit of colour to the sound, not very transparent in my opinion, but if you like it, then its great (kinda like the Trace Elliot preset). That said, I found the front face of the amp to be a bit 'busy' with lots of knobs I neither really understood or knew how it worked, as the tweaking I did didn't seem to change the sound much. Mind you, run pretty much flat the amp sounded great. The way that GKs seem have a different idea of using Gain and master volume was also a lot different to most amps I've used. Add in the bi-amp capabilities and you have a really cool amp with a lot of features that I would never really use! I prefer a simpler tone layout myself as I'm not very tech-minded, but I have no doubts that if I had more time to study the controls etc, it would be a setup that I would be really happy with.

Kyuss, Free, Mars Volta, Soundgarden, Deftones, SRV and Double Trouble, Black Sabbath (up to and including Never Say Die), Fleetwood Mac during the Green era, any incarnation of the Bluesbreakers or Yardbirds and anything involving Jimi Hendrix or Buddy Guy. Bill Haley and his Comets too, I don't know why, I just know it would have been cool.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='980197' date='Oct 7 2010, 08:46 AM']yeah, it probably is easily my favourite to play too, it sounds imense. Unlike thodrik i find i can take it anywhere and plug it in, with or without amp and it sounds great. two controls, wide open... you gotta love a good JV squier[/quote] Yeah, in general I think P-bass can cut it against any bass. Its just that mine in particular is pretty mellow sounding when run flat, so it always takes a bit longer to get the sound I want than my active basses, which seem to naturally put out a much thicker sound, which is what I've been going for. I can nail this tone with the Precision, but it requires a decent preamp, whereas the other ones have a great preamp on-board. Its horses for courses really. The Squier is really cool sounding though.

[quote name='bubinga5' post='980079' date='Oct 7 2010, 12:01 AM']Thodrik, do you prefer the P bass to the higher priced basses you own...im always fascinated to hear.. got any pics of the Valenti Luke?[/quote] Well, in a way, yes. Its more of a sentimental attachment though, since I've had the Fender for ten years and it was my first 'real' bass when I was 14. Its a 1978 model, and I picked it up for £380 quid (how times change!). To be honest, it plays as well as any bass I've played in terms of the neck and action, including my other basses. It has issues, like the finish on the neck is starting to wear, somebody cut the scratch plate in half in order to make it easier to fix electronics problems (it needed some serious soldering when I got it) the pickups are pretty low in output and the tone pot crackles. Its pretty much immaculate otherwise... I do every gig I have with the Sadowsky, sometimes the Vigier, because of the superior build quality, better pickups and increased tonal variety on the bass and ease of getting a nice sound with too much fiddling with eq, pedals, that I generally had with the Precision. The Fender is also heavy as hell, and I didn't feel comfortable taking it on the road/to gigs with me in case something happened to it. I could (but obviously don't want to) sell the Vigier or the Sadowsky Metro, because I'm confident that their quality is of a standard that most Vigiers and Sadowskys are really good, so I wouldn't have to look far to find another 'good one'.I don't think I could sell the Fender though, as I don't think I would find another like it. I think if you happen to get a 'good' Fender, especially an older one, its well worth keeping. I would probably take a Sadowsky, Vigier or a Valenti over a new Fender Precision every time, but not over 'my' Fender.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='980044' date='Oct 6 2010, 11:24 PM']The difference is, even though i've a feeling the valenti is the better bass, the fender jazz feels like 'my bass' also the 70's pickup spacing means it compliments the 50's style p bass well once ive sold the valenti and warwick and only have the two[/quote] I know that feeling. I know that my Vigier and my Sadowsky are much 'better' basses than my Precision, the Precision will always be 'my' bass, whereas the other ones are really nice basses that I just happen to own.

Fender or the Valenti for me. Fender seemed to have a bit more bite, but the Valenti seemed to have a smoother clean. At least to me on one listen.

To be honest, I'm surprised that they have not produced a really lightweight head to accompany the single 10 and 12 inch cabs they do. That said in terms of price, the amp heads and cabs they do make seem to be in the same price bracket as much of the Aguilar, Ampeg, Trace Elliot and Eden stuff, and much less than Mesa Boogie, which to me are more realistically their competitors in the 'non-lightweight, professional quality' amp category than the ultra high-tech, lightweight amps. The Proline cabs are really heavy, but really well built. Probably not the best of things to though unless you are gigging a lot and have the necessary transport, and/or help to lift them, which is probably why you only tend to see them on big stages, if you see them at all in the UK. The Neoline stuff is lighter but more expensive, but no more expensive than other quality cabinets. I wish they cheaper but alas no! Anyways, I think EBS is always going to be more a niche product that some people like and others don't. It seems to associated in the UK with metal, jazz or funk, and I'm not sure that increased visibility in stores across the UK will change that perception. It would also be potentially unwise if EBS tried to essentially copy the business design of Markbass and other lightweight heads just to try and break the UK market, since their current stuff is doing well in Europe, and well even if they did try it, there is a chance that Markbass and the like would be doing it better anyway. They generally seem to be going in a different direction, the Fafner II is probably indicative of this.

I'm guessing that its a very good thing. Nothing against GB basses (they look great), but I found their customer service in terms of trying to order a rack unit to be pretty poor when I tried to order a rack case. Two emails unanswered. Two phone calls unanswered. When they did answer, I twice attempted to place an order, both times they took my details and said they would get back to me when they had what I wanted in stock, which they never did (Over a period of six months). Finally they did deliver when I called again, even though they still didn't have what I wanted, meaning they had either made no attempt at getting it for me or had lost my details (twice). I don't mind a 'personal approach', so long as it works! I might be in the minority in terms of customer service experirence with GB, but personally I think the move will probably be for the best and allow them to just concentrate on their own products.

When doing covers, it was always You shook me all night long by AC/DC.

MV4 Metro 59 burst. Until I actually get a camera I have to rely on others to photos of my basses. I managed to crop out my head on one of them to save you from differing levels of beard. Proper photos should be up at some point...eventually.

'Do you listen to Neekleback?' Thats a really good one. Well done to whoever did that.