alexclaber

[quote name='Protium' post='298764' date='Oct 3 2008, 05:28 PM']The same reason it benefits from an output volume control.[/quote] It has an output volume control to turn the volume up and down. What's the point of having a second volume control?!! [quote name='Protium' post='298767' date='Oct 3 2008, 05:30 PM']I didn't call it wrong. I'm just perplexed why they've given it a decent preamp and massive power section and then limited it to a 3 band EQ and a preamp with one setting [/quote] I'm perplexed why you'd think a 3 band EQ and a clean but 'juicy' preamp is limiting? For years I used a preamp with loads of EQ and but hardly ever moved the knobs from flat. I now use a preamp with no EQ save a few switchable presets and a bass with nothing more than a pickup switch a volume knob and a tone knob. It isn't at all limiting! It is both liberating and versatile. Trust in the power of your ears and hands! Alex P.S. Btw, my EQ-free preamp 'with only one setting' is allied to a 3000W power amp. More perplexed? P.P.S. And no, I don't have some tidy little smooth jazz tone - I have a big m*****f****r of a sound which envelopes my band with all kinds of fatness, growl and grease.

[quote name='Protium' post='298676' date='Oct 3 2008, 03:51 PM']You missed what I was saying there. IMO the design would benefit from an input volume control.[/quote] No, you're misunderstanding what I'm saying. Why would the design benefit from an input volume control? This preamp is specifically designed not to be overdriven. Why should it be something it's not? Alex

[quote name='Protium' post='298613' date='Oct 3 2008, 02:48 PM']I don't think any has assumed that. Use the Ashdown ABM for example, there is a volume control for the instrument signal as well as an active/passive switch. They seem to have acknowledged that not all instruments have the same output volume and users might want to have some sort of control to the overall output voume without having to compress/limit the signal.[/quote] The Hartke has a knob for overall output volume. That is your control for overall output volume. Job done! [quote name='Protium' post='298613' date='Oct 3 2008, 02:48 PM']You can also control just how much "dirt" you want from the valve (clean/grind). As far as I can see the Hartke essentially has just one setting.[/quote] This preamp design runs the valve at such a high voltage that you can't get grind from it unless you use a booster pedal before it. You may not like that but others do. It's far more authentic implementation of a valve preamp than the wimpy lower voltage attempts in just about every other head on the market! This is a dual channel version of this preamp - it lists for $1350: [url="http://www.alembic.com/prod/f2b.html"]http://www.alembic.com/prod/f2b.html[/url] Alex

[quote name='OldGit' post='298564' date='Oct 3 2008, 01:28 PM']Could it be that for years we've been told that by amp manufacturers?[/quote] Well you should know better than to trust them! They claim you can get 100dB+ sensitivity and strong response below 40Hz out of a compact 12"! Not all manufacturers claim valves are for dirt - I don't believe SWR or Eden ever have. Or Alembic, or Demeter, or... Alex

My '87 Streamer weighs an ounce or two more than my RIM Custom, both being very close to 9lbs. To get a 6-string Thumb to balance properly I hate to think how massive the body would have to be... Alex

[quote name='OldGit' post='284827' date='Sep 16 2008, 10:45 AM']No input level control? It just seems wrong with a valve in the system. How do you get the right amount of "valve sound" in the mix without a control on the head's preamp?[/quote] Why does everyone assume that the reason a valve is in a preamp is to provide some measure of dirt? The Dual Showman / Alembic / Hartke topology uses the valve as a high impedance, high headroom and low distortion input buffer and then as a low distortion output gain. It is not designed to get you distortion, dirt, overdrive, etc. It is solely there to provide a clean fat sound, much like valves are sometimes used in high-end hi-fi. [quote name='david_l_perry' post='284945' date='Sep 16 2008, 12:52 PM']Seems wrong even without a valve in the system...[/quote] If you don't need an input gain control then why have one? Most preamps need an input gain control because they have insufficient headroom and too much noise to work well without. Alex

[quote name='Herr Fixxxer' post='298339' date='Oct 3 2008, 09:45 AM']Well, if it cuts through the mix it doesn't to be tremendously loud But I know what you mean, it may sound confusing, deep, midrangey and bright at the same time What I mean is : not boomy and sterile but still able to provide good lows, with a grunty gritty growly midrange and overall clarity Which 15" are you talking about?[/quote] Right, I understand you better now. The cab I'm referring to is this: [url="http://www.barefacedbass.com/"]http://www.barefacedbass.com/[/url] It's my own design and I took the first production model along to the SE Bass Bash last Saturday: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=28436"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=28436[/url] I have a couple almost finished and another four in various stages of progress. Alex

That is insanely good value! Somebody out there, go get yourself your first taste of Q-Tuner! Alex

I thought my smaller 15" sounded particularly awesome with the Shuttle. I like the way you want deep, midrangey and bright! Is that the same as loud?! Alex

[quote name='Waldo' post='297755' date='Oct 2 2008, 05:00 PM']Yup, I know what you mean about the whole image thing. Not sure why they decided to go all 'metal'[/quote] I'm not sure they consciously did. But tonally a lot of Warwicks are very good at growling through a dense mix, so I think they got popular with the metallers first and the endorsements and ads followed. Alex

[quote name='Waldo' post='297705' date='Oct 2 2008, 04:37 PM']Personally it has nothing to do with them selling out, it's simply that their prices new are too high for what they are IMO.[/quote] The ditto was agreeing with you about the prices, the other paragraph was addressing the negative perception around them nowadays. Two separate issues. Alex

[quote name='Waldo' post='297573' date='Oct 2 2008, 02:00 PM']It's probably worth noting that as much as I like mine, there's no way in hell i'd pay for one brand new.[/quote] Ditto. Warwick have done an amazing job of turning a small handbuilt outfit into a massive yet high-quality producer with serious profits. The downside of doing so is almost always going to be dislike for "selling out". It doesn't help that the biggest boom in Warwick's growth tied in with the nu-metal era - so many metal-focused adverts and endorsements, and such support from a genre with a history of losing the bass in the mix isn't great for building positive perception from non-metallers. Alex

[quote name='Mikey R' post='297549' date='Oct 2 2008, 01:32 PM']If you want slanted pickups for a fanned bass, then Im not sure if the BL series Q-Tuners would work, the pole pieces wouldnt be under the string any more. I would guess the BS would be fine though, just like any other single coil.[/quote] The Q-Tuners are not designed to have the pole pieces under the strings, that's why there are so many pole pieces. Alex

[quote name='Gamble' post='297380' date='Oct 2 2008, 11:04 AM'][url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2-NVMsj6lXA&feature=related"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2-NVMsj6lXA&...feature=related[/url] Best i could do.[/quote] I was joking!!! Alex

[quote name='Finbar' post='296990' date='Oct 1 2008, 07:39 PM']I tuned my low B up to a C yesterday briefly, and the clarity and tension on it was superb. If I had that kind of tension in my B all the time, I'd be happy.[/quote] Tuning a 34" low B up to C will give the same tension as having that gauge string tuned to B on a 36" scale. Great isn't it! In terms of playability the extra stretch is like playing everything one fret lower - the switch wasn't a problem for me at all, nor do I have problems when I occasionally play 34" scale basses. [quote name='Finbar' post='296990' date='Oct 1 2008, 07:39 PM']I did look at Q-Tuners actually! I'm interested for sure. But I don't think they're the pickup of choice for pick playing. I know that isn't your thing at all Alex, but do you have any insight on that?[/quote] Q-Tuners don't really sound like anything - they're very open sounding with almost zero humps or dips in response. If you can make a nice sound with your bass unplugged then Q-Tuners will sound fantastic on it. If you use Q-Tuners into an ACG preamp you could get the sound of almost any pickup you wanted by simulating the response curves (which is a function of the pickup resonance). I'm writing a new song with a very rhythmic 16th note part which seems to be rather blistertastic so I might try that with a pick - I'm sure it'll sound great! If you've tried an Alembic or Wal bass with the EQ set flat that's probably not that far removed from the Q-Tuner sound (or lack of it). Alex

[quote name='jensenmann' post='296919' date='Oct 1 2008, 06:09 PM']You should try a 2x15" with JBL D140 or K140 speakers as used in the ole Fender cabs. Forget about all new 15" speakers in conjunction with tubeamps. Old speakers were made to have high efficiency which was paid by lack of lowend. Todays 15" speakers are tailored to more lowend which give them less efficiency. Old speakers had worse material for the cones so they generated a lot of presence because paper at these times could not damp membrane resonance very well.. Modern speakers have highly damping cone material which doesn´t generate that much presence and hence sounds boring or indirect. hope my humble english is understandable[/quote] Your english is certainly understandable but your facts aren't correct! High quality modern speakers are available with just as much or more sensitivity than old JBL speakers and they achieve this sensitivity whilst still maintaining good bottom. You can also buy cutting edge 15" speakers with good presence (i.e. strong treble) due to lightweight and less damped cone materials. Just because some modern 15" speakers are lower sensitivity and more low-end oriented doesn't mean they all are. Alex

Q-Tuners and passive electronics. I dare you! And I'd definitely go for fanned frets on a 7-string. 36" scale works great on a five but the tension would be crazy on a high F-string. A 36" or 37" scale low B will totally change your tonal perspective. Alex

My first amp was one of these: 25W of valves into a sealed 15". I didn't gig it but I leant it to a punk band at Uni that did. It made a very gnarly sound at gigging volumes! I replaced it with a Peavey Sessionbass / 112MB which was 130W into a whizzer 12" which I gigged for a few years, occasionally with a 15" extension cab that made a huge difference in bottom and loudness. And then I went to a 1000W rig, and then 2000W. Now usually running fine on 550W. Alex

Fashion be damned, this old bass is righteous! Alex

I'd like to hear my smaller 15" cab with a valve amp. My larger 15"+6.5" has so much more bottom and top that it can get a bit boomy and scratchy when powered by a valve amp with the resulting lower cone control and high frequency dirt but I think the simple compact 15" design with its 'tighter' bottom and mellower top (and higher sensitivity) could make a formidable rock rig (especially with two cabs!) Alex

I'd be more interested to see the fastest tuba player in the world... Alex

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='295427' date='Sep 30 2008, 02:23 PM']I like it. So it was Alex's PLAYING that caused this response??[/quote] I blame the bass - clearly not enough strings! Alex

I found that version of Crossroads very enlightening. I didn't enjoy his bass playing at all, I don't think he's a great groove player at all but when it came to his soloing (which is playing on a bass, not bass playing if you catch my drift) I was impressed. So he's a great soloist but a dubious bass player IMO. Based on that I'm not sure how useful his opinions are for 90% of bass players. Alex

If you didn't already play guitar left-handed then I'd say play right-handed. Then again you haven't been playing guitar for long. Hmmm, tough one... Alex

Have you looked at used gear? More for your money, particularly with a smaller budget. Alex