alexclaber

[quote name='doctorbass' post='587802' date='Sep 2 2009, 06:43 PM']Any Vintage pics?[/quote] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=46789&view=findpost&p=535151"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...st&p=535151[/url] (I will get some official ones onto the website shortly!) Alex

[quote name='Finbar' post='586968' date='Sep 1 2009, 09:49 PM']So basically what I'm getting from this is that I need more power from my power amp to really get the benefit of the more 'subby' cabs? Which is pretty much as I expected. I don't think it is worth me mucking around changing cabs until I have some more power basically. Which will be a while at the moment. I'd really like an amp with around 700W a side, but I can't afford one right now. So my question really is if power is no limit, what cab/driver would serve me best for the clean, loud, sub-350Hz signal, rather than going for compromises. If as you say, you can fit a woofer suited more for low end into a cab the size of the Compact, that sounds like it would be best? But correct me if I'm wrong! [/quote] Well based on everything you've said I don't think you want the extended lows of the Big One / Big Baby (or sub variants). I've just been doing some investigating and it looks like the ports on the Double Midget are big enough to handle the air movement from the 3012LFs, especially as you're not into super-deep bottom (I think what really matters to you is the 60-200Hz region). The Double Midget will be an inch or two taller than the Compact, otherwise identical in size. My guess is that with equal power your 1212L will have an average of 1.5dB advantage above 100Hz vs a 'Double Midget Bottom' but no advantage vs a Double Midget. Below 100Hz both Barefaced cabs would have a ~4dB advantage. I think your 1212L can handle maybe 350W in the lows, whilst the Double Midget can handle 700W and the 'Double Midget Bottom' (not a sub because it doesn't go low enough) a truly ridiculous 1350W. However, how likely are you to get a power amp with much more than 700W per channel into 4 ohms? I'd lean towards getting a PLX2 1804, 900W/ch @ 4 ohms and using that with a standard Double Midget. If you want to be truly ridiculous then a 'Double Midget Bottom' (need a better name for that!) will go about 3dB louder but only if you have that extra power. Comprendez? Alex

[quote name='Uncle Balsamic' post='587656' date='Sep 2 2009, 04:42 PM']How much do Big One's weigh now?[/quote] I think we should be looking at about 41lb / 19kg. Compact should be down to 28lb / 13kg. Magic! Alex

Ed Friedland on the subject: "To my way of thinking, the difference between a P and J bass goes way beyond the physical. Yes, P bass - fatter neck (usually), split pickup, chunkier tone, less highs. J bass - slimmer neck, easier to play, dual pickups, more note definition, more high frequency. But... I think P or J bass is a lifestyle choice as well. Committing to the P means taking on a set of preferences, and inherent parameters. You can't or at least shouldn't try to play a P bass like a Jazz. That would be missing the point. The P bass is a fat, chunky-butt animal that likes to take up space. It demands a high level of attention to what you play, because every note hurts - or helps. There ain't no takin' it back with a P bass. You better mean it, or be very good at making it work. You can play fast on a P, but it's not nimble like a Jackrabbit, more like a Grizzly doing 60mph to catch something to eat. Slap on a P? Sure, it's chunkfunk, think Boz Scaggs "Lowdown". The pop on a P is not as sharp as a J. It's like getting sliced with a serrated steak knife. Ouch! Use only when you gots to cut through some tough meat. Classic P guys... Jamerson, Rainey, Rocco, Bob Glaub. The J is a sleeker machine. Being a Jazz guy means having a little more wiggle room. It takes up less space in the mix, so you can get more active without squashing people. With great power comes great responsibility. Just because you CAN move around, does that mean you should? And if so - how to, how much, and why? The J is a bit skinnier, so you have to learn how to use that texture to fill it up, and how to play it fat when it needs to be fat. Soloing? Sure. Slap? You bet. Passive it cuts like a well honed Buck knife. Active with a good pre amp, more like a barbers razor. Classic J guys... Jerry Jemmot, Larry Graham, Jaco, Marcus... Some people make a choice early on and stick with it. Their entire style is built around that early decision, whether it was conscious or not. You may know some of these people. Players that would no sooner pick up the other axe than they would deliberately eat rotten food. There's honor in this I think, it certainly makes your life simpler when it's Friday night and you're trying to decide which bass to put in the bag. I think it behooves (love that word) a professional bassist to have both and spend time cultivating the characteristics of each instrument. You need to make each one speak it's native language. There are some gigs that just naturally call for one or another. Not to say you couldn't switch around. You learn alot about the nature of the P and J when you try to make one do what the other does naturally." I think he sums it up very well! (Though I play a weird custom instrument that pretends to be a J but is really a P at heart). Alex

[quote name='cheddatom' post='587595' date='Sep 2 2009, 03:54 PM']God that IS weird!! What sort of music are you playing?[/quote] See signature or [url="http://www.myspace.com/thereluctantmusic"]http://www.myspace.com/thereluctantmusic[/url] I'd do the same with anything though. Main reference bassists for me are Geezer, Jaco, Jamerson, Family Man, Larry Graham, Willie Weeks, Tim Commerford. Recently started using effects again - Bass Blowtorch - GRRRAAARRR!!! Alex

No, there isn't, it's just a palaver dealing with bands! If it's any consolation, it does seem to get a bit easier with age. Funnily enough my guitarist doesn't have an amp (bar a tiny home practice thing) yet he's one of the best I've ever worked with! Alex

[quote name='cheddatom' post='587534' date='Sep 2 2009, 02:43 PM']So much punch, but the hard attack of the slap gets eaten by the OD and limiting which makes it bite loads without the peaks, which in turn means you can actually hear the notes and note just clunk clank clunk clank. I guess if you're into clean sounds then you should be able to get the tone with just touch control alone, although that must take a fair ammount of practice![/quote] The biggest mistake made in the hunt for a slap sound is insufficient midrange - slapping inherently produces more top and bottom than fingerstyle. Then it's a question of adjusting where you hit the string and how hard you hit it to get the bright balance of bottom, mid and top - I often slap between the pickups, not up by the end of the neck. Having a bass that speaks quickly in the lows and has plenty of midrange resonance makes a huge difference - that doesn't mean an expensive bass, just one that's got a stiff neck and a lively body. This might seem strange if you're not used to thinking this way, but I will play the same part quite differently depending on the acoustics and vibe of a given gig/venue/rehearsal - I might go from fingerstyle to thumb plucking, or I might slap nearer the neck, or pluck in a totally different place or mute more or less. I don't have a load of 'preset' tones for given songs/riffs, I have rough starting points and then I'll adjust depending on the sound. It's (almost) all in the hands! Alex

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='587471' date='Sep 2 2009, 01:45 PM']"the dirt keeps the funk"[/quote] Beat me to it! Alex

Not 'bots but definitely badass! Alex

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='587388' date='Sep 2 2009, 12:42 PM']Remind me.. what's new in the new gen?[/quote] Special composite plywood - slightly stiffer but substantially lighter! Alex

[quote name='cheddatom' post='586508' date='Sep 1 2009, 01:50 PM']Surely slapping without compression needs to be REALLY loud to be effective?[/quote] It's 'just' a question of getting your touch right. Easier said than done - I certainly remember fussing about footswitchable EQ, compression, etc to try and get my slap tone happening. Nowadays I just let my hands get on with it! Effects can be a great tool for getting the sound you want but sometimes it really helps to be forced to go without so your brain/hands have to work out how to get the sound without any assistance. Alex

Just got my Barefaced Afro Bear T-Shirt - awesome! Alex

In that case my guess is you've been very unlucky and have a knackered speaker in the cab. Such an early failure suggests a manufacturing defect. If you put your ear to the cab (don't deafen yourself) can you hear which woofer is making the bad noises? Alex

The first of the new generation of Vintage cabs has just been collected by its owner. I weighed the empty cab last night but appear to have mislaid my scales since then. I can tell you that unloaded it was about 29lbs, so you need to add the weight of wheels, handles, bolts, grill and speakers to that. At just under 16lbs for both speakers I think we're probably looking at ~48lb (22kg) complete. Looking forward to hearing how this one compares to the Ampeg 8x10" it's supplementing/replacing! Alex

The main reason why big ports are better is because the airspeed in the port is lower, so the frictional losses and associated noises are reduced. A larger port will couple better but the difference is marginal compared to the larger port's reduced compression at high SPL. Undersized ports work perfectly well at shop SPL but crank them up on the gig and not only will they compress and make chuffing noises, the tuning frequency will change and the phase response can shift to the point that they actually subtract lows instead of adding them. Alex

It could be that you were asking too much from the speakers in that cab and they were distorting. Did it exhibit the same problem at lower volumes? Alex

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='586572' date='Sep 1 2009, 03:15 PM']and Roland jazz chorus combos. Ever heard the distortion channel on one of those? A wasp in a tin can sounds better.[/quote] Lovely clean sound though! Alex

[quote name='mildmanofrock' post='586700' date='Sep 1 2009, 05:46 PM']Since getting the Big One, I've had nothing but complements. It puts my Ampeg 410HLF cab in the shade. I can't recommend it more highly - with a 1000W amp or thereabouts, it's all you'll ever need in any setting, from rehearsals right up to big events.[/quote] With enough power behind it it's quite unstoppable! Alex

Looks like your combo's internal speakers are 4 ohm nominal impedance and that's also the amp's minimum so extension speakers needs to be either identical 4 ohm cabs and then specially wired in series (complicated!) or you can use a more sensitive 4 or 8 ohm cab and use it with the internal speakers disconnected. My gut feeling is you're probably better off shifting it and looking for a secondhand head/cab if it isn't loud enough. Alex

The main thing I know of is electrolytic capacitors drying out. Alex

But note the oft forgotten bass solo at 6'19" - usually mistaken for a guitar on the album. Alex

[quote name='mildmanofrock' post='586278' date='Sep 1 2009, 09:37 AM']Well, no. It's a bit off.[/quote] Indeed, he's rushing ahead of the beat quite a lot. Alex

[quote name='Uncle Balsamic' post='586032' date='Aug 31 2009, 08:26 PM']Hi Alex, does this clip of a 12/6 sound anything like any of your cabs? [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7895413&postcount=632"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php...p;postcount=632[/url][/quote] Unfortunately the hosting site is down so I can't listen to it now. However, I don't believe in clips of any cab intended to be low colouration to be of any use - fine for guitar cabs or more coloured bass cabs but once you're onto low colouration designs then the effect of the speakers you're listening back through is too large. And that cab has a different midrange driver and a different crossover. Alex

[quote name='Anders' post='585769' date='Aug 31 2009, 02:20 PM']I'm kind of curious about the Schroeder 1515 though.I was hopeing it would go deep and have a rounded deep end.[/quote] Same thing as with the 1212 - it's so much smaller than a conventional 2x15" that it produces much less depth in the lows. Alex

[quote name='thumperbob 2002' post='585212' date='Aug 30 2009, 04:44 PM']yeah I have noticed that after a few gigs the schroeder 1212l has opened up a l;ittle and "warmed up" but I really think the 4 x 12 sounds better as therre are simply more speakers- do agree the schroeders go very loud indeed- but I think 2 of them will give a deeper smoother sound.[/quote] Two cabs will sound louder and fatter in the midrange than one, but they won't sound deeper. The Marshall sounds deeper and smoother because it uses completely different woofers and has a larger internal volume per driver than the Schroeder. [quote name='bigthumb' post='585238' date='Aug 30 2009, 05:17 PM']I was thinking about going down the two 2x12 Schroeder route whit my EA head (which dose the 2ohm thing). I thought that the Schroeder's were supposed to be pretty deep?[/quote] Nope, VERY loud but by virtue of being constrained in the lows. You don't need a larger cab to get deep lows, you just need a cab that has more internal volume per woofer or lower sensitivity woofers which can produce a deep sound from a small cab. Sensitive, deep, small - pick any two! Alex