BassBunny

[attachment=8744:Zoot8.JPG] Most of you will already know Mike Walsh from his days as “The Bass Merchant” and builder of Zoot Basses. He was also the UK importer of TechAmp gear from Germany. He has now sold TBM to concentrate on building Basses and his latest venture, Zoot Bass Cabs. Having worked closely with Tech over the years, Mike has put that relationship to good use in the design of these cabs. He produce two ranges, the “Retro”, which are carpet covered and have standard drivers and the “Neo” range with lightweight Neo drivers. The Retro range may in future be covered in Burgundy Tolex. Features: 10 The 112T is a simple 1x12 cabinet with an adjustable tweeter. About the same size as an Aguilar 112, it has interlocking corners, and handles on both sides. A nice feature of the handles is that they are square and thus allow 4 different ways on picking the cab up. It houses an Eminence Delta 12LFA an APT 130 compression driver with Eminence cabinet ready X-over set at 3.5Kz. Inputs are 2 x Speakon and 2 x ¼” Jacks. Additionally a rotary control is provided to govern the tweeter level. It's put together really solidly; however by using the same ply as TECH, only weighs 36lbs. The 112 is identical, but does not have a tweeter or X-over and only a single Speakon and single jack. The 112 only weighs 32.5 lbs and it is easy to carry a cab in each hand. Bearing in mind these are NOT Neo speakers, that is some achievement. Both cabs are front ported and carpet covered. Front grill is perforated aluminium and finished off with a CNC machined aluminium Zoot badge. Each cab is rated at 500w RMS, (1000W peak) Sound Quality: 10 I have had these cabs for a couple of months know and deliberately waited for the speakers to loosen up before writing this review. I normally power both of the cabs with a Markbass Little Mark II, although I tend to only use 1 for rehearsals. Tweeter level is set pretty much at mid point which gives me the sound I am after, without being overpowering. The horn sounds really sweet without being harsh, and it definitely adds to the overall sound. There is some real serious “punch” to these cabs and I find I don’t need any equalization on the amp, just a tweak of the 2 filters depending on the venue. I find the whole set-up works really well for me and the 2 cabs combined easily match the bottom end of a single 15. The front ports allow plenty of air to be shifted and they really do get the trousers flapping. They handle a Low B easily and as I only seem to use 5 string basses these days, this was a pre-requisite. I have been more than impressed with the sound these cabs put out Reliability: 10 Absolutely no problems at all. OK they are only a couple of months old, but have had plenty of use without a hitch. Only issue was on a particular gig, I felt that they were not as loud as normal. Turned out I only had 1 cab connected for the entire evening. Just turned the amp up and didn’t really notice any difference. Customer Support: No Opinion Since delivery I have spoken to Mike twice. Both occasions to tell him how amazing the cabs are. Overall Rating: 9.8 There are so many good companies with 1x12 cabs for bass. I was looking to buy 2 Aguilar GS112’s until someone pointed me in Mike’s direction and I am really glad they did. I have been able to A/B them against a number of other cabs and I believe they have an unbeatable combination of price/performance and size/weight. IMHO they are better sounding than cabs costing considerably more. My only niggles are the length of time I had to wait and a small issue with the handle assemblies when first delivered. I understand both issues are now resolved as Mike has taken on some extra hands to build the cabs, leaving him to build basses, and has built up stock ready for the official launch. To be fair however, a lack of available drivers did not help. The issue with the handle assemblies surrounded the flexible sealant used to ensure an airtight seal. An exuberant application resulted in an occasional deposit on your hands when you picked the cabs up. A quick wipe with a cloth soaked in White Spirit soon sorted the issue out. Mike will ensure this doesn’t happen again.

[quote name='jono b' post='196845' date='May 12 2008, 12:43 AM']To answer the question (assuming you've not searched already) I think the only way to get an SX branded bass is to import them from Rondo. So yes, pretty much anyone on here with an SX has had it imported and said the experience has been fine. I say 'SX branded' because other basses are apparently the same thing, but with a different name on the headstock but are readily available in the UK (Jim Deacon being one)[/quote] And the "No Name" ones as well. Curly Music in Liverpool will sell you either a Jazz or P Bass for £115 and they are outstanding quality.

[quote name='Ba55me15ter' post='196832' date='May 12 2008, 12:11 AM']As regards PA, I would say invest in finding a good, local hire company. Running a good rig and more importantly getting the best sound out of it is a huge investment in time, money and effort. Since we started hiring we have never looked back. To be 'professional' you at least need a separate engineer, so why not let them hump the gear and get it all set-up for you too? It makes gigs so much less of a chore.[/quote] +1 for hiring. I play in both a "pub" band and a function band. The function band always hire a PA now. You really DO need the sound engineer for these type of gigs and not having the hassle of setting up and breaking down a sizeable PA is well worth it. We price the Gig and add on the hire charges for PA/Lighting and the engineer is part of the deal.

Hi Inca, I am with the guys above. that is appalling. Jeez if you are too old at 27, what would that make me at 59????? I only took up Bass about 18 months ago after playing guitar for some time. My tutor, Nick Carey, is excellent and if you cannot find a solution close to home, (and I am sure you will), Nick is exploring some distance learning over the Internet using web-cams etc. Sound him out if you him a brick wall. Cheers, Stuart

[quote name='johnnylager' post='185144' date='Apr 25 2008, 10:28 AM']Aye, cost me a fiver getting one to Cardiff the other week, maybe it's more expensive to leave [/quote] It always has been. You can get into Cardiff for free, but have to pay a toll to get out.

Just received the following from Dolphin. Hope there aren't any BC'ers waiting for orders. [quote]Sound Control/Turnkey go into Administration. After many months of speculation and rumour it has been revealed today, 30th April 2008, that Sound Control, including Turnkey, have gone into administration. At least 10 stores have already closed and unfortunately 100+ staff have been laid-off. At this time we have no further information, but what is quite clear is that any new or existing orders are unlikely to be fulfilled. We take customer service very seriously at Dolphin Music, so in view of the demise of Sound Control, we will be increasing staffing levels this week & this weekend to ensure that we can meet the increased demand. In view of the serious impact these events could have on customers who have placed orders in good faith, Dolphin Music would like to offer an advice service to any worried Sound Control or Turnkey customers. Anyone seeking advice on how to cancel a Sound Control or Turnkey order and ensure that they receive a refund should call the number below and one of our advisors will be happy to assist. Any customers planning to make a purchase from Sound Control or Turnkey are equally welcome to call Dolphin Music and we will match or better the price offered by them. For Sales or Advice please call Dolphin Music Sales: 0844 815 0888 Finally, the Dolphin Music team would like to express sympathy for all the staff that have lost their jobs as a result of these unfortunate events.[/quote]

Apparently Sound Control and Turnkey Music went into recievership today.

Hi Mark, I , like probably most people on this forum, have been striving to identify the ideal Bass. The one you want built to your own spec. I have bought and sold many basses to get to where I am now and the final piece of the jigsaw was the pickup configuration. I arrived at that with the purchase, (and susequent re-sale within 3 weeks), of a G&L L2500. I couldn't get on with the neck, but the electronics, "Oh Boy". So MY own preference would be 2 Humbuckers, with coil taps on both and serial/parallel options. I reckon this would serve every requirement. So that is what Alan from ACG will be building when I can get up to see him and spec the woods for a new Finn.

Dale came over today and bought a Head and Cab I had for sale. Must have been the quickest transaction ever Only kidding Dale. It's nice when someone knows what they want. Sorry you couldn't stay longer, I think we would have chatted for hours if you had the time. What a hell of a nice guy. Cheers, Stuart

[quote name='flip' post='167423' date='Apr 1 2008, 09:01 AM']These cabs sound interesting, do they have a website?[/quote] Not as yet. Best bet is to speak to Mike direct. He is now concentrating full time on building Basses and Cabs and has taken an extra pair of hands to speed up the production of sawdust. Last time I spoke to him he was building some stock for the London Show, (as well as a super light compact 1x15 Cab for myself). I am really pleased with my cabs and our guitarist remarked at the week-end, "What the hell do you want a 1x15 for. There is loads of bottom end on those cabs." Simple answer is that I can sell everything else and have the ultimate compact/lightweight set-up.

Not learning to read music when I started on guitar "yonks" ago. My Bass Tutor has started me reading, but christ everything would be so much easier if I had learned all those years ago. It is taking a while to sink in due to advancing years....... 2 guitar tutors gave up on me. One said, "You aren't reading the music are you? You are just listening to what I am playing and copying it?" Guilty as charged.

Cheers Pete and thanks for taking the trouble to come, it was great to see you and your two mates. Keep me informed of your forthcoming Gigs as I would love to come and see your band. Stuart

[quote name='Dillsfretless' post='165194' date='Mar 28 2008, 12:43 PM']I'm considering a Gecko bass from Warmoth, so according to their website they use UPS Express. Any experience of them?[/quote] There can also be quite a difference in the Customs Release fee as well. I have been charged £10 by Parcel Force, (UK agents for USPS), and £30 by UPS. I think Greene King has just had a delivery from Warmoth. Might be worth PM'ing him. Awesome choice BTW. I fancy building a Gecko at some point.