Muzz

Schroeder 1515L with my RH450. 2x15, 800w, 104db - very loud. Absolutely love it, and it weighs bugger all. It's (relatively) tiny, so you have to be a fan of low mids, but dial in some bass and it'll thump like a good 'un. I'm in a rock band with a loud drummer, and it's more than capable of drowning him out if absolutely necessary. Having said all that, I'd like to try a S12...

No question about it, nothing to touch this one [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si2kis6lWRg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si2kis6lWRg[/media]

Oh, dear Lord, that's fantastic. Schaller 463 bridge, Hipshot detuner, that's just what I'd do to it. But then I'd put a Wizard P/J set in, and that'd slaughter the resale value. I very much doubt I'd care, tho... Lovely.

If you don't need a ton of volume, the Roland Microcube is very versatile - several presets, half a dozen effects to play with (the Chorus is great and the T-Wah's a right lark). And a drum machine. And a tuner. And a compressor. And the obligatory MP3 in, phones out, etc. And it'll run on batteries for those Al Fresco* moments. * Possibly Kool And The Gang's bassist circa 83, possibly not.

Tried a lot (GB Shuttles, LM Tube, LM Rocker, PF500, Orange Bass Terror) had a LMIII, had a Classic 450, now settled with a RH450, which is going nowhere. It all really, really depends on what sound or type of sound you're after. Trying them out is the best way, really. And it's a lark, too. Have a think about cabs and what you want from them, too (lightweight? small? doom?, etc)- try and test them together.

Alternatively, if you like a Fender neck...the Fenderbird - I've just got one sorted out for very little money, and I love it! There's a thread with pics somewhere around here. I don't think it's all that much like a Gibson, though - there's no mahogany in mine, anyway.

Just back from rehearsing with this, and it plays just fine - neck dive is gone (strap button moved) and the weight is just under 9lbs, so it's comfortable to wear for a time. Pickups will have to go, though - my Wizard-equipped FrankenP puts it to shame. I need a Hipshot Detuner, too (see my BT1 For Trade topic if you've got one). The Lull ones would cost several times what the bass stands me at now, so possibly not, although I do like the chrome thing. We'll see what Andy at Wizard comes up with, otherwise it might be EMGs. Very, very pleased with it, tho

While I was photographing the new Fenderbird, it occurred that I haven't photographed my main squeeze, the FrankenP. SX PJ body, MM Jazz neck, Hipshot Detuner, Schaller 463 bridge, CTS pots and a Wizard PJ Big set, with a pull-serial pot. Had this for a while now, and I still haven't found a 'real' P which I'd swap it for. DR Sunbeams on it, and I'm good to go. Just sounds so, so good, and plays effortlessly. Edit: Oh, and a good thick layer of dust... [attachment=89627:DSCF0462.JPG]

OK, so I've been well and truly bitten by the modding bug, and escalating from pickup/bridge replcement to neck swaps, so I guess a Fenderbird was always on the cards Anyway, I picked up a Roadworn/Mojo'd/Reliced* Korean Epi Thunderbird, and spent, ooh, all of a day playing it before I decided to Fenderbird it. I had a Mighty Mite P neck lying around (OK, it was bolted to my Ryder-P, but that's a long-termer), so I took them both to Steve at PMT, who routed the neck pocket of the Epi (I didn't want the neck modding - it's been on four different basses now, and may well end up on another) to fit. He's done a fantastic job, the fit's pretty much airtight - don't know how much you can see from the pics, but it's better than some very expensive basses I've had. Anyway, it's fantastic, can't believe it's taken me so long to get one of these. The pickups will need replacing at some point, but I'm talking to Andy at Wizard about that, and the bridge may even change, but for now I love it as it is. Rawk n Roll... [attachment=89623:DSCF0458.JPG] [attachment=89625:DSCF0461.JPG] [attachment=89624:DSCF0459.JPG] * Delete as appropriate

I've got a laptop rucksack - plenty of room for cables, tools, spares, etc, plus a slot which fits the RH450 perfectly. Rucksack on back, double guitar case in one hand, cab in the other, one trip load-in. Then I get collared to help bring in the pointlessly massive PA...

[quote name='BassBunny' post='1373177' date='Sep 14 2011, 01:19 PM']Just my 10penneth, but try as many as you can first. My first liughtweight amp was a MarkBass LMII. I tried TC, Genz, EA, etc.etc, (never sold the LMII), and am back with MarkBass again. Now have an SA450 and the LMII. You will have your own idea of what if right for you. Maybe a trip to Bass Direct or The Bass Merchant would be an idea even though it is a bit of a schlep.[/quote] This ^ - I've tried all sorts of heads before, during and after I moved from my LMIII to my RH450, and it's all about your ears. Even better would be hanging on till you've got your Super12 and taking it with you to somewhere like Bass Direct (other bass shops are available ) or somewhere they have a good selection of heads where you can A-B (and C and D) till you're blue in the face. Actually, if you wanted to try my RH450, you're welcome to pop over to mine.

Back in the day (mid-80s) we drove from Manchester to Stirling to play for 3 people, and Nottingham for 2. The second one was the worst, we were on 10% of the bar. 2 pints of lager = £1.50, we cleared 15p. We made sure we got the friggin 15p, tho. Largest recently was possibly 5-600 in Montrose Town Hall, played a few big clubs years ago when there could have been more, but to be honest I was having too good a time to really notice, or indeed care.

OK, so aftyer a mini-epic struggle following a very easy couple of weeks in Gracielands studio in Rochdale, the album's finished and now on iTunes: [url="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/this-uneven-sky/id464095170"]http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/this-uneven-sky/id464095170[/url] Not that I'm expecting a waves of sales, but I thought you might like a quick nosey at the samples. It's a fairly eclectic album, so if you don't like the first track...try another. I thank you.

I've lurked in plenty of music shops, but rarely seen anything I fancied buying either amp or bass-wise. If they've got my choice of strings in I might buy, and I'll buy some Jim Dunlop 88s if they've got them, too. I know a few people who work in the Manchester stores, so it's more a social call than anything, and I fade into the background if another punter requires anything. If I had any substantial money burning a hole in my pocket, I'd be back to Mark at Bass Direct for a fun day out. Now [i]there's[/i] a bass store. I've had maybe a couple of dozen basses over the last few years, but the last one I bought from a music shop was my BB3000A in 1987; all the rest have either been through here, EBay, Gumtree or local contacts. I've had some great basses (and amps), and a couple of stinkers. I've moved most of them on, and rarely lost any money at all for the privilege.

Another happy chap here - just received a great Shuker bass from Jack, he certainly does look after them. A pleasure to deal with, and delivery was spot on. Cheers! Muzz

Different Strokes? Wha choo talkin bout WoT?

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1352068' date='Aug 26 2011, 10:00 AM']Nail -> Head. IME.[/quote] That'd be it, then...sounds good to me: compressed, low mids, what's not to like?

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1352033' date='Aug 26 2011, 09:32 AM']*raises hand*[/quote] OK, [i]apart from WoT[/i], has anyone complained about lack of power? I feel a Monty Python Romans sketch coming on here...

I lived with an Ampeg 810 for a few years back (pre-castors) when I was young, keen, and had decent lower back strength. It was fantastic for the time I was on stage, and a pain in the arse for the rest. I literally couldn't move it on my own. I left one band after a storming row, they flounced out of the rehearsal room, I packed up, then I had to sheepishly ask them to give me a hand with the cab into the car...

Never felt my RH450 lacked for anything: it's very loud, and it's also very, very loud with the right cabs, and that's what the problem with focusing on the numbers is about: the amp's only half the story. I can see why, in a number-obsessed market, simply trying to convince people that 250 or so watts from one amp is actually as loud as 500 watts from another would fall on its arse. Bottom line is it's a great amp, and there isn't a drummer born who can compete with it without a PA, which is really where the headroom thing ends (tone considerations excluded, as WoT says, tho I must be picking the right tone for volume ). Any louder than that, and you're doing something wrong... IME, IMHO, YMMV, etc, etc,

Soooo, the album's all but finished (covers and CDs ordered, should be a couple of weeks max) and we need to get it out there for review on the most influential sites we can. Does anyone have any tips/pointers for good review sites out there? There seem to be zillions, so I'd like to hit the biggies first. Cheers, Muzz