4 Strings

[quote name='mistermark' timestamp='1334816226' post='1621613'] Have had my Stingray since the early 90's and although I loved the feel, playability and over all construction of the bass I always found myself disliking the metallic high end rattle this bass seemed to inherently have. I always like the sound of a Fender Precision bass so I took out the active electronics and had the body and a custom pick guard routed for P-bass pickups (quarter pounders). I call it the P-Ray and it gives me the best of both worlds... I still get the amazing playability of the Stingray while having a warmer woodier tone from the passive P-bass pickups (which are moved forward a bit from the orignal block pickup). -Mark [/quote] The word 'emasculation' comes to mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEuqgZzKxC4 May be of interest. (Actually appears to be more hands-on than similar videos of the frightening scale of the Fender factories.)

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1334748101' post='1620542'] Think quite a lot established now that they aren't made consistently enough to say. What probably should be noted quality wise is that the models that get imported to the UK are going to be last pick of the bunch, the better ones go to US dealers, and the very best are probably cherry picked by staff or very soon after coming off the line, [/quote] Really? These are mass produced by the thousand and the finishing comprises dozens of processes and QA checks to produce the final bass. I'm struggling to believe that anything seen in the factory as poor doesn't go back for another go and even more struggling to believe that there are people waiting at the end of the production line playing all the basses sufficiently long time and in various playing contexts finding the 'good' ones (on what basis will they be 'good'?)

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1334777636' post='1621224'] One of those, better to have it and not need it, rather than, situations, methinks. [/quote] I think the point being the first Midget T has one, are two required? I would say not, pot turned only half way up is way enough on mine. Saves £100 to go towards the eventual more powerful amp.

Its 250W split between the two but other factors come in. Firstly your amp is about 170W at full tilt into your 8 Ohm Midget. Run two 8 Ohms cabs in the default series and you have 4 Ohms and the full 250W available. Secondly (and others will explain this more fully than I) using two cabs will increase the efficiency of your speakers set up and so you'll get more dB for your Watt (ie louder for the same amp). This is why people have suggested get your second cab, if still not enough get a bigger amp. You'll certainly get louder if you push more Watts from a more powerful amp into your Midget too. How about lifting your Midget up (if its on the floor)

I regret to say that my PreEB ray is the best bass I've played. Regret because its massed produced and american and I'd hope to have preferred something less mainstream. I used a Jaydee for 25 odd years, now a P regularly for Motown, a Jazz Deluxe for most other stuff and save the Stingray, for some reason, for best...or something. Tone and neck. Both have been unbeaten in my experience. The neck is slim and fast, the action the lowest on any bass (I've noticed more modern versions have a thicker, more chunky neck). The tone for me is about the treble control on the early ones (may be the later too, I don't know). Bass control stays full up, treble off an you have Motown, treble half way up is in Precision land and fully up is dangerous Marcus Miller territory, use sparingly with round wounds. The sound is the fullest and best in the mix of any bass I have played in a band context. I hate to say it. I couldn't afford another, I would be sooooooo sad if anything happened to it.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1334649682' post='1618975'] I think what this thread shows is that on the whole sound clips and YouTube demos are mostly meaningless when it comes to auditioning basses. All they show is what the individual players roughly sound like with these instruments after the audio has been mangled through rubbish camcorder microphones, poor quality computer soundcards and then further deteriorated by whatever audio file compression codec has been used (and in the case of YouTube has been compressed twice by their FLV compression too). The other thing that strikes me from some of the comments you read regarding Rickenbackers is that what a lot of people who try them really want is a Ric-shaped P-Bass. [/quote] This is exactly it. And the guy who won't die without having one. I've never had the guts to pay for one, would love to. But when I do (and, like the other chap, we surely will) it would take me ages to get over the shape, me actually playing one and all that stuff before I could start wondering what it is about Rics. Oh, and Youtube, for all its wonderful worth, is definitely not the place to demo expensive sound equipment. Or cheap for that matter.

.. and yet for so many years I tipped castored 4x12s on their side to enhance the coupling with the stage. Is it more to do with prevention of rattling by providing an even contact surface (hence the perceived reduction of 'distortion')? The concrete example in particular is in mind. Bit like the spikes we use for our hifi speakers. I'm all for losing boominess, my major sound problem. This hasn't been dependant on stage type though, in my experience. Where does this leave putting your speaker on a stand (which I've found to be a help in this respect)?

Interesting how upon changing pickups some people's basses are transformed and on others made no difference. King's suit? Some people play out of tune without hearing it too, others' stomachs turn at the slightest hint, mine included. I like to think I have a good pair of ears but I can't tell the neck pup of a Jazz from a P when playing in a band whereas others can appreciate the difference in a cellulose finish. You can only try it yourself. See if your audience hears the difference. If they can't then you've saved yourself some money.

Barefaced.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1332851917' post='1593918'] After using DR for nigh on 20 years, I have binned them for Newtone. I feel Newtone are now making strings that DR used to. [/quote] Had a look on the Newtone website - look really interesting (and they're British!), especially the Platinum Bass type. Anyone had any experience with these? At £25 a set (3 times the price of the Legacies) I'm conservative with trying out new strings, but these look really interesting.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1332851917' post='1593918'] After using DR for nigh on 20 years, I have binned them for Newtone. I feel Newtone are now making strings that DR used to. ... Too many dud strings, and little problems that were not there a few years ago, IME. [/quote] Dud strings? Never had one of those, what makes them 'dud'?

Anyway, the original lot are still there, bet he'd take £500 for them. (They're only £1500 if you sell them for £30 each - which I doubt would be easy).

[quote name='Matte_black' timestamp='1334266381' post='1613678'] The HB 250w is actually back in stock... I have one and is a bargain. Certainly worth twice what it goes for! [/quote] Tell us more, I'm really interested in the 500

Like most things, you pays your money, you takes your choice. £5 a set sounds worth a hit but I would imagine benefitting from the testing for sounds playability and experience of products from someone like Rotosound is worth paying for, if you can find/appreciate the difference. (Had a set of the Legacies on my regular bass for over a year now. They're fine, not the most zingy, but that's ok by me).

These are cheap bass strings: http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/products/597-legacy_4_string_nickel_bass_strings_40_100_45_105_

Which one?

[quote name='Ben Jamin' timestamp='1333644380' post='1604763'] I saw the thread on those Harley Benton/Red Sub amps - they look pretty good value Apparently the power-amp in my hybrid got fried - pre-amp's still too hot I guess! So they're waiting for a new one to arrive... [/quote] Whoops, presumably its the same power amp as in the B500 so they can't be too close to stocking up for production. (Turns out the Harley Benton is out of stock so, having bought a one sided Superfly from Warpig on here and found the problem with the duff side and ordered a new bit of circuit from Ashdown, I cancelled the order and will await the Matamp patiently. Seems like I'll need to.)

Why buy the RedSub if the Harley Benton is so much cheaper?

Ordered a Harley Benton HA500 from Thomann as an interim while Matamp develop there's. Turns out not available until end of April (hadn't spotted nor understood the coloured coins thing they do) which is about the same time Matamp expect theirs to be ready. hmph.

hmm, still a school boy here. Last Saturday, big choir and orchestra, playing to notation, but had committed a couple of pieces to memory as they needed more of a performance from the bass. Sat down for the start of the 2nd half, opened folder to music for first song of 2nd half, starts with a run of four big notes starting on beat 2. Watched the beat in and Bam, bam bam, bam... ah. Wrong song. The first song was one that I had committed to memory and so didn't have the music in my folder, I'd crashed in with the second. Realised straight away but couldn't manage a seamless link and change of key. Hate to think how it must have sounded!

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1333233417' post='1599136'] The arrival of a new baby this week has prevented me from seeing the bass. I'm hoping to get a look before easter though, perhaps early next week. Any other advice on value, or insight into the bass is most welcome. Thanks. Frank. [/quote] Spend a bit of time with your family and worry about bass guitars later?