Muzz

Aaaargh! That 112 vertically's setting off my OCD something rotten - wait till Discreet sees it... Seriously, though, that's a lovely looking rig.

I've just posted a review of their excellent new Magellan amp...

After a birthday visit down to Bass Direct a couple of weeks ago, the inevitable has happened...I just accidentally had the credit card with me, and...new amp. I'd been after some serious modularity in my rig for a wee while, and the prospect of another, louder band to supplement the shortfall in function gigs this year meant I'd been looking at the Magellan and its 2.67 ohm potential for a while. Sooo...a third Berg AE112, thanks to Nick Harrison on here (cheers fella!), and a Magellan means I can take up to three cabs to gigs and really cover any eventuality. I've gigged the rig in both 2 cab and 3 cab incarnations, and man, it works. I haven't needed PA support anywhere yet, though I'd take it if needed. The Magellan is a fantastic amp, the chaps at Genzler have got it absolutely right on the money, and it has an awful lot going for it. The two channels mean I can have real flexibility of tone at a button push (or stomp, if I add a pedal) to switch between them, and the volumes can compensate for bass changes - for example if I wanted, I could run an active bass into the Clean channel, say one of my Shukers, and have a really modern tone, and run a P into the drive channel without having to adjust volumes when switching. It's been described as a combination of the Shuttle and Streamliner, but it's better than that - IME it takes the best of both and does away with the downsides of either (I found the Shuttles a little too clinical and possibly 'brittle', and the biiiig bloom of the Streamliner always need reigning in). Those Contour options are very 'musical', for want of a better word - they're a cousin of the Markbass VLE and VPF (which I never really got on with), but much, much more useable in the real world, and they are really interesting if used in combinations with the channels - one's a modern scoop, which you'd think would be best with the Clean channel, the other's a mid-bump and top-end rolloff which you'd think was Drive channel-tastic, but they also work really well with the opposite channels, too, so there's some really interesting things to play with. The Drive channel's drive (dur) is the first non-actual-valve tone which has made me forget there aren't valves in there - it's warm and organic and then some. The EQ is also very real-world practical and useable - a single parametric mid is plenty for me, but I'm using it sparingly at the moment. A little goes a long way. Again, the word I'd use is 'musical' - it's the word that sums up the East preamps for me, too, and it was what struck me first. The amp also works very well with playing dynamics (especially the Drive channel), and responds to your input better than anything I've used before. Very satisfying. And now to the controversial bit - it's no secret where I stand on the 'heft' debate - I've played Class Ds that have had plenty of it, and Class A/Bs that haven't (and vice versa), and the Streamliner I had outlasted all sorts of other amps (11, by my count), but this amp brings a weight to notes that I haven't heard before. Whether it's the new power module, or the Genzler implementation of it, or both (I haven't played any other of the new Class D stuff) I don't know, but it's there. It's not just volume (and with the three cabs there's a play-any-gig amount of that), it's an authority. It's a very long time since I've played through a big all-valve head and an 810 fridge, so I might have rose-tinted specs on here, but if I'm remembering right, that's the impression. It's immaculately made, reeks quality and is very quiet. On both the three-cab gigs I've played it hasn't even warmed up. Given the longevity with me of the Streamliner, this is gonna be a keeper. Do I sound happy with it? Yep, I am. Anyway, I'm fully aware that none of this means jack without at least a pic, sooooo....here you go: [attachment=219208:Triple Bergs.JPG] Edit: oh, fer crying out loud...how do you get the damn picture the right way up with this damn uploader?

Right now it's Uptown Funk - it might decline in popularity in the future, but these days it's a banker...

Pleasant and simple deal with Martin, a natter and a laugh...despite the location (ropey ASDA car park) A pillar of this establishment...

I'd forgotten to post here, but given Karl's feedback posts fly by as fast as the whole For Sale forum, I thought I'd step in at this point. Another (yeah, I'm nearly as bad as he is) happy transaction with the Wigan Wonder*. * Not necessarily a good thing, as in "I wonder what that is?"

Yup to all the above, they're as good as anything you can buy, and better than most; my two are going nowhere, and I'm after Jon making me a replacement neck for the Fenderbird next. If I had the money, my hobby would be commissioning Jon to make basses for me...

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1462814712' post='3045923'] I've played many of these numbers in some very good bands. I think a [i]bad[/i] band is defined by [i]how[/i] they play rather than [i]what[/i] they play. [/quote] This.

Dingwall E string: 36 1/4" ...boom!

There's dozens who could...but where would be the cash in a more talented, more dynamic no-name replacement? Journey went the right way, they got a guy in who could do the songs real justice and went from there, but there's so little left of ACDC these days that they've propped the cash machine up with another name.

I've seen the footage, and I thought it wasn't good at all. Fat Axl sitting down, they're going through the motions. All about the money.

I have one of the first type of stands - I use it these days to make sure the guitard's combo's pointing at his head...the stage volume's far more manageable if that's the case...

I haven't encountered a cab punchier in the live mix than one of the Schroeders: the 1515L or the more common 1212L or 1210L. They're a very voiced cab, but for punch they don't get much better...I've had various BF cabs (amongst others) and I use Bergs, and that low-mid jump in the Schroeders out-punches most.

Started with a pick, learned fingers, learned a bit of slap, too, for when I absolutely have to. Like a lot of folk, all my major influences when starting out played with a pick, other than Geddy, and he sounded like he was playing with a pick anyway... I'm better with a pick, even for the stuff you might not imagine pick is good for - Bobby Vega's a particular influence - but I'll use fingers for some stuff, depending on how I'm feeling. It works out as 80-15-5 percentage-wise on most gigs...

Mentioned this before, but my custom Shuker; a gift from all my friends for my 50th, and a custom spec I got exactly right. When I go to The Great Soundcheck In The Sky, my boy's getting it. What he does with it after that is entirely his call, but I'll be passing it on to him.

[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1461755566' post='3037322'] I don't know what people do to make basses so battered, [/quote] Not look after them...

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1461199311' post='3032439'] Nonsense. Bass solo is as valid as any other instrument solo. It's all down to the player. [/quote] "How was that?" "It was very...valid..."

And if you've ever trapped a body part in a zip, 90 seconds is forever...or so I've heard...

A pub I gig at now and again has reworked their menu as a tribute: The lamb koftas in a wrap are now Prince Of Persia The Southern fried chicken brioche is When Doves Fry The shared platter is Party Like It's ...£19.99 The 12oz rump steak is The Most Beautiful Grill In The World and the vegetarian special is Little Red Courgette

....and you only like Precisions with maple boards... On the other hand, that particular set of criteria means I'll never find one, and if I do it'd be so stratospherically expensive that I'd never be able to afford it...so I'm saving money all over the place...

OBBM for everything. Top quality, great fella.