Muzz

I had a Streamliner 900 for a long time - you don't need a DI box, just run straight out of the back of the head to the PA. You can select Pre or Post EQ (i.e. a flat signal of just your bass, or a signal after you've EQ'd on the front).

Having used Class D stuff possibly more widely than a lot of folk on here (I make it ten or eleven different heads, IIRC), I've now got two heads, a Magellan and a Walkabout, which I use for different bands, both with either two or three Berg 112s. I'd had a run of rehearsals with the 'proper rock band', for which I use the Walkabout (it just suits the band sound) and I was thinking 'Ooooo, the heft...', etc. Then I gigged at the weekend with the function band at a big Xmas do, where the band leader forgot the big mixer, so I wasn't FOH, and I had the Magellan with me...and that did it, too: huuuuge. The newer Class D stuff is much, erm, 'heftier' than a lot of the first gen stuff - FWIW, I thought the TH500 I had was the weediest of the Class D heads by some distance, I'm not surprised people see a difference when they move from one of them back to Class A/B - the B&O ICE 800w power stage is a helluva thing. As far as cabs are concerned, well, in a world of roadies I'd have an 810 just for the sheer look/hell of it, but in the real world, there's no reason for anything over 50lbs a pop these days - those 1/2" marine ply dinosaurs are just that.

Thanks to all, glad it strikes a chord [quote name='howdenspur' timestamp='1482256577' post='3198995'] That is very nice! Sort of updated-retro looking. I've just obtained an Epi body to use as a base, though it has been stripped and will need painting. I'm hunter gathering for some nice parts to use. How did you get it to balance - just the Ultralights? [/quote] The straplock is situated a little further forward on the end of the heel, which, with the Ultralights, is enough to get it to balance nicely. [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1482257311' post='3199007'] I was told by someone who knows a lot more about these things than I do, that often the highly figured woods are the less stable ones, so that was possibly the cause of the problems with your Lakland neck. No worries with one from Jon, those carbon rods are going nowhere - couldn't even tell you where the truss rod adjustment is on mine and it is now 5 years old!! [/quote] [quote name='GreeneKing' timestamp='1482311899' post='3199352'] The only bad neck I've had in 100 basses was a Lakeland Skyline one. [/quote] The Lakland neck was quartersawn, it was just the fretboard which was very highly figured, so I was surprised it was so unstable. Both my other Shukers are solid as a rock, though the winner for Never Even Going Out Of Tune is my Dingwall [quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1482313537' post='3199377'] Muzz, you need to provide a link to those chromy pup covers. It's the law. [/quote] I will Karl - it's somewhere in Germany...let me dig the link out... Here you go: [url="http://www.crazyparts.de/pickup-making-parts/pickupcovers/misc/gibson-thunderbird-pu-cover-chrome.php"]http://www.crazypart...over-chrome.php[/url] They do the rings on there, too...

Lots of big names leave me cold, including most of the usual suspects already mentioned, but I'm not going to name names...

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1482243122' post='3198754'] Unfortunately domestic luthiers are going to have to put their prices up eventually too - they may have enough wood/parts in stock at the moment to allow them to cash in on boosted orders due to the Fender price but once they run out they'll find all their parts are costing more to import. I can't think of any UK luthiers whose instruments are 100% UK sourced, though would happily hear if there are any. Once they need new parts, I can't see many absorbing the higher cost - they'll pass it to consumers. [/quote] And by that time Fender will have put their prices up again...

See my 'NBD (kinda)' in another thread...

Yup, even I did it a couple of years ago (and I should have known better) - bought a brand new 4003, which went back the next day...

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' timestamp='1482235535' post='3198648'] Looks amazing! [/quote] Cheers fella - I wanted that whole 70s chrome look - and those covers fit over a lot of boring old black soapbar pickups...

Karl, you are verily a Wizzard of the images... Cheers Pal

All this has got to be good news for domestic luthiers - now that boggo mass-produced CNC'd Fenders are into the price territory of the luthiers, people could choose a properly hand-made, perfectly-finished bass made to their own specification (within reason, at that money, but certainly within Fender limits) - the sorry fact being, though, that people will still buy the brand rather than the object...

Finally, I got my finger out and had Jon Shuker make me a new neck for the Fenderbird/Laklandbird/Thunderland/whatever I was calling it this week, as the Lakland neck had developed a twist to go with the backbow. This was a real shame, as that neck's got the most spectacular birdseye maple board I think I've ever seen - it really did look like marmalade. Anyhoo, no point looking good if you can't actually play the thing, and having to tweak the trussrod mid-set was getting to be a bit of a bind... Sooo, the whole thing went off to Jon, and last week I went down to pick it up. And it's very very good indeed. Just to recap, it was originally an Epi Thunderbird, but the only Epi bits left are the body (I like the colour) and the neck plate, the rest is pure Frankenhoohah: Hipshot Ultralights with a D-tuner, Hipshot Supertone bridge, Dingwall pickups (a P-Tone and a Dual Coil) under chrome covers with rings, and an East U-Retro. And now a Shuker J neck with a birdseye board and brass nut. It won't be to everyone's taste, I know, but it's exactly the look I wanted, it plays very very nicely indeed, and it's just what I wanted for my 'proper' rock band. It even balances properly... Oh, and I know the sheer uselessness of 22 frets on a bass like this: I'd say those are strong contenders for The Most Futile Top Five Frets Ever, right there... sorrynotsorry... And without further ado, here's the pics... [attachment=234381:shukerbird1.jpg] [attachment=234382:shukerbird2.jpg] [attachment=234383:shukerbird3.jpg] Oh, fer crying out loud...why does the pic uploader rotate them randomly? Ffs...

The Fusion will bark and grind in a rock band, I'd also second (or third, or fourth, or whatever) the Orange Terror and I'm having a lot of fun in my 'proper' rock band with a Walkabout - they work really well in that setting, and running at 2.67 into 3x112s, it's REALLY loud... :0) You don't need any real versatility, otherwise I'd be recommending the Magellan and its Drive Channel, but with all the other cool stuff it'll do, it's overkill for a straightforward rock band...

Dan's Bob on: my P40s are in a shell big enough for 5 strings, but they have the 4 string magnets. I haven't tried the X EMGs, but that'd be interesting as I'm using double-Ps...hmmm.

Yep, to the drummer. I play with several, and they're all different, as are the rooms. I have 3x112s, so it also depends on how many I've brought to the gig. Which depends on the room. And the drummer... It also depends on the amp - very few gain/masters are linear or comparable: one amp's ten o'clock is another's twelve... And your EQ - lotsa mids will make you sound more 'present'. Oh, and the sensitivity of the cab(s), too... FWIW, I did have a MB200, and felt it didn't have the cojones for what I needed.

I can't see anything on the EMG site which distinguishes them, and the instructions link from the 35PX takes you to the pdf for the 35P4X... I'd suggest an email to EMG - I found they were pretty good at responding: I have P40s in my Shuker, and I'm very happy with them as a P-type pickup.

We can go out as a three piece for smaller (usually pub) gigs. It's less money than the function work, but it's closer, and it's shorter hours. And I don't have to dress up Anywhere around £250 is usual, we'll go for less for the right gig, and some pubs are more. I take my gear (Dingwall, Shuker, Bergs, Mesa, etc) to all the gigs, regardless. If it's lairy, I stay closer, but as someone mentioned, I've had more mither at posh weddings than skanky pubs.

I can't even see my comfort zone from here... This is what it's all about

Saw him live at Knebworth, I've never seen an artist hold a crowd that big so effortlessly in the palm of his hand. It was as remarkable a performance as I've ever seen. He's definitely an icon, it all depends on your definition of 'icon' as to whether that's a good thing or a bad thing...an icon after all can be defined as the visual representation of something, not necessarily the thing itself.

Given that the OP's question doesn't presuppose EVERY gig's gonna be like that, I'd take the money. I've played crap gigs to lots of people, and good gigs to tumbleweed, as well - it kinda balances out, and I'm not gonna get all precious if the venue/crowd aren't all that, as long as the band is, and I'm enjoying playing the music with them.

Depends on the gig: Function band 'normal' gig: both the Shukers (Dual-P and Bigman) Function band 'long night' kinda thing: I'll take the Dingwall (7.5lbs...) and Bigman Shuker Rock band gig: Dingwall and Dual-P Shuker Acoustic/trio gig: Michael Kelly Dragonfly acoustic, possibly Dingwall, too Some of this is set to change when I get my Shukerbird...

OK, I'm using Berg AE112s too, and there's definitely plenty of everything you could need from them - I do use three sometimes, but only because I can - I have a Magellan 800 that'll run three 8 ohm cabs, and, as Dood has alluded to, I like the extra height of the third cab closer to my ears on tight stages. Again, if your RH is giving you the volume and tone you like from your Jazz, it should be able to do the same for your P with some adjustment. I could understand changing your amp if you weren't getting a tone you liked from it at all, but you are, so there's faffing to be done before spending, I think... If you're missing the zing, what are the strings you're using? There's a cheap way of possibly adding some in... The plugs I use are ACS with the 15db attenuators - definitely worth looking at if you're not using any: they simply drop the sound levels without muffling or colouring the sound. Take a little adjusting to, but your ears will thank you.

The loss of clarity later on in a gig is simply ear fatigue...do you use any attenuation - earplugs? I'd say keep the rig for now and play with your mids - the RH has, IIRC, adjustable/programmable EQ - don't forget that what might not sound a great tone solo'd, especially at home, can sit very differently in a band mix. Which Berg 12s do you have? some of them will respond to mids very well... If your rig has sounded good with one bass, there's every chance it can be made to sound good with another, it's an EQ thing...and the RH has EQ presets, so if you end up with two pretty different EQ settings for each bass, you can store and recall them on a button push. Ask your bandmates for a bit of leeway at a rehearsal so you can faff about in a band setting with your sound. Edit: Yep, Warwickhunt's correct - I'd remove the 'Class D' thing from the title...it'll save a lot of mostly-off-topic hoohah later Further edit: Dunno about the Quarter Pounders in direct comparison, but all the Wizards pups I've had have been verrrry high output...that could be a factor, too...how do you run your Jazz? Both pups full? Just one?

I'm currently having Jon Shuker make me a neck...he'd be my number one choice.

I can only say that in many years of playing in bands, at least 90% of the time it's been fantastic fun. Sure, I've had a few run-ins with the egocentric and the delusional (mostly at the same time, the same person), but as a few people have commented, nothing beats playing with people who stretch you musically - you get better soooo much faster than you would in isolation. I love playing live, I love entertaining people, and even the crap stuff can be turned round when it's a shared experience between the band. I play in a couple of bands of primarily old friends, and also in a band where there are mostly deps, and both experiences are hugely positive. Different strokes, and all that, but I've never had people pulling my playing apart, and as for drunks, well, they're drunks, and can be very funny - there's enough threads on here illustrating that