LawrenceH

[quote name='orys' timestamp='1319984367' post='1420804'] <tongue-in-cheek> I listen to plenty of music from all over the world in all sorts of languages, but very little from Britain, because it has an aestethic I don't find particularly appealing. Though I really enjoyed this celtic music I heard once in Scottish pub on Outer Hebrides. But apart of that - it's all the same. I heard this, how they were called, Travis, and the other day, when I was on holiday in Bulgaria, there was this English guy who was listening so something called Coldgame, or Hotplay maybe, it was something along these lines, and I have all this British songs are so similar to each other... Nothing really interesting, if you heard some, you heard it all, so I lost my interest about them completely. Ah, and there is this guy John Porter: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8y8MXFtkrk[/media] , he's all right, but he lives in Poland, that's why ;-) </tongue-in-cheek> [/quote] First up, I wouldn't listen to Travis, Coldplay or to be honest most modern UK mainstream indie because they are boring as f**k . Second up and more relevantly, there's a difference between music that happens to be made in a country but comes from another cultural tradition, and music that reflects an aesthetic developed in that culture. If I listen to jazz, it's jazz and often where it comes from is irrelevant unless it reflects something of the local culture that isn't just a clone of america - which is fine but then it's just 'anglo-american music' that happens to be made somewhere else, a bit like a made-in-China Fender. If I hear it and like it, makes no difference where it's from. But, if I'm going to actively seek out Polish music then I will look for something that sounds musically Polish. Why would I search for a specifically EE (or whatever) clone aping a musical tradition developed elsewhere unless it added something of a local flavour to make it unique? It's like going on holiday to Turkey and eating fish and chips As for the more indie/punk stuff it sounds equally crap to me whatever language it's in, but

I think often they just go by the amp module rating with an underspecced power supply so it can't sustain it. Plenty of cheap amps struggle with bass for this reason

Problems with Peavey: Their stuff never fully dies, so the cheap crap ones don't disappear although semi-knackering a black widow seems quite easy judging by the sound of a lot of them. Said cheap crap ones fill rehearsal rooms/house amp spots the length and breadth of the country, trashing their reputation. Weight They have strange, inconsistent controls that do crazy stuff to your tone unrelated to the name of the control and as a bonus are like stealth controls that you can't easily see are turned on or not. Played through a house Peavey the other day into a 1x15 and 2x10, and the amp there had 'punch' and 'bright' buttons, on (very) close inspection both were engaged. Band before me the bass sound was awful. This appeared to be the 'punch' button which on experimentation revealed that turning it on was designed to remove all punch, and upper mids from your playing. The bright button was a decoy button that did pretty much nothing. There was a crossover control as well but no indication of what it fed. Tone after disengaging all the mystery controls and putting a reverse-smiley face* on the graphic was semi-decent, until hitting actual playing volume and then the amp power stage clipped. Into a 1x15+2x10. In a jazz bar. I don't really like Peavey stuff. *ie a frown

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1319920133' post='1420204'] can you measure the thickness in the centre please cause Sheldon asked for it but I didn't have a clue. Thanks [/quote] It's actually quite tricky to do without a large enough caliper because of the tapering...but at the neck joint lower cutaway where it's easiest to get a ruler in, it measures between 41 and 42mm. This is within a mm or 2 of my MIJ 75. The back profile is flat either side of the centreline for a total width of between 11 and 12 cm, before falling off quite sharply on the wings. The front has a more gradual contour that appears to start closer to the centre, maybe 6-7 cm around the centreline is flat at the bridge end. I can't tell if the radius is compound along the length the body but looks like it might be a bit. The body contours at their furthest (thinnest) edges from the centreline are just ~17mm thick, the horns at their furthest are ~27mm. It's a very comfy body shape to play except it could still do with the forearm contouring of a standard jazz. Hope that helps!

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1319817719' post='1418981'] Shledon said he wants to maintain a low weight and to achieve this either he makes it chambered or keeps the body thin, but not Aerodyne thin just something in between. [/quote] The aerodyne's not any thinner than a normal jazz in the centre (I just checked), it just tapers off outside the line of the neck. And mine is certainly nice and resonant.

For a thread about all the world's music that's not anglo-american, there's a disproportionate amount of eastern European stuff here, including a lot which is very Western-influenced...gypsy's not the only alternative out there! What about Fairuz and other arabic artists? Indian subcontinent? Does Spanish/Portuguese-language South American stuff count? (And what about eg American migrant music that's not in English and comes from other traditions?) And what about African music sung in pidgin English? I listen to plenty of music from all over the world in all sorts of languages, but very little from central/eastern Europe because it has an aesthetic I don't find particularly appealing. Though I did really enjoy the folk-tinged jazz in Prague when I visited a few years ago.

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1319750626' post='1418300'] Akira Jimbo is a monster player...I saw him on his first UK clinic tour a few years ago. There weren't that many people there but he blew everyone away. [/quote] I think I called akira jimbo for my 'dream band' on a thread a few months back... I love Casiopea, despite the phenomenal flamboyant camp cheesiness. Oh and I don't play bass anything like that. Their kind of music is a very particular Japanese thing, I think they were an official yamaha 'demo' band at one point! Saying they don't groove though, I don't understand - maybe it's just a different groove. That clutterbuck stuff is all over the place (and fairly awful IMO) but these guys are always in control, and clearly having a great time. Unlike bands where they just w**k off in solos doing their own thing, a lot of the casiopea/t square thing is based around musical exchanges between players. Oh and also, unlike the clutterbuck stuff, their more extended solos have musical structure. I do wonder if the people slating this just don't share the same quirky sense of humour as these guys, the track's called eccentric games after all! Check out this earlier line up with tetsuo sakurai on bass... hilarious but kind of brilliant at the same time (hint: it's meant to be FUN) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMWQo9DQ0cU&feature=related

[quote name='rennie234' timestamp='1319736187' post='1417993'] Hey all. I'm planning on building a couple of 1x15 cabs or a single 2x15 cab. The speakers I've got are rated at 250w@8ohm each. The amp I'm planning on using is rated at 300w@4ohm or 450@2ohm Is it possible for me to do this without blowing the speakers or overloading the amp? If so how? Parallel or Series? etc.? All help is greatfully recieved. Cheers Chris [/quote] If the speakers are wired parallel (the standard way) then used together they will present a load of 4 ohms in total. Your amp will be happy with either 4 or 8 ohms total load, assuming it's not got a valve power stage in which case you have to select the appropriate ohm rating on the amp with a switch. A lot of amps claim to operate at 2 ohms but aren't too happy about it...4 is good and safe.

[quote name='Legion' timestamp='1319582183' post='1416153'] Currently theres not many people who can say more than that, if they also sound good then he's onto a winner [/quote] They look to me like they are based around a pair of eminence deltalite drivers and the alphalite mid unit. The crossover will play a large role in the tone, I'm sure it's very good indeed and I'd expect the sound to be excellent. But, IF I'm right about the drivers, then they can't shift as much air as the kappalites. Really though, who needs that much? Horses for courses, each prioritises slightly different things. I do like the ergonomics of the EAD 112s, very well thought-out. Wonder if they're close to being finalised?

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1319309775' post='1412646'] BTW Lawrance the worst case was done with all Plastikote paints since its black. Interesting! [/quote] Hmm weird, did that use a sanding sealer or grain filler that could have been acrylic or similar? If not then it may be something already in the wood. I have used the clear plastikote as a repair spray on a poly-finished Fender that had a few chips in, including one down to the wood. It didn't cause any problems there but the total area was pretty small.

Unless you're getting unacceptable noise from the amp with the gain cranked, it doesn't really matter - that's what input gain is for. If you like the sound of the bass then I'd look at shielding cavities to reduce noise before replacing pups. If the amp has a noisy crappy preamp circuit or the pickups are so quiet that you can't get the volume up even with full gain then hotter pickups will be useful. What type of jazz is it, US/MIM, year etc? I've not noticed US jazzes or recent MIMs having unusually low output. Could be worth checking the wiring too.

If you want to use the Halfords cans then you need to use an acrylic clear coat like Halford's own, not the poly-based plastikote. I've done this, worked well enough but it does take a LONG time for the stuff to harden. I think you'll have to strip it back unfortunately.

This sounds awesome...wait...Sky has a good channel? Wtf?

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1319203119' post='1411247'] Regarding the thermal thing Bill, one would hope that if a cab is rated at 250W its woofers have endured the usual 1000W peak 250W average AES test for two hours. Surely it would have to be a really crazily loud and long non-stop gig for the RH450 to exceed those thermal challenges? [/quote] I've seen woofers that have failed thermally when it seems hard to fathom given RMS ratings...probably because they were enclosed in a small, padded box. Porting aside, baltic birch, wool etc are rather good insulators! If given RMS specs are just based on driver ratings then they're not necessarily all that accurate in a given box. PS I effing hate the mastering on Californication, ruined the album IMO. The Stevie, though, is lovely.

[quote name='markorbit' timestamp='1319068547' post='1409655'] I was hoping to replace a Walkabout Scout but that decision is going to need more looking into. [/quote] I don't think it sounds much like a Scout...I think this is the problem of looking for a 'valve' sound, it really depends on how they're employed. I don't hear the F1 as missing something (except against a properly decent PA amp) more like the Mesa adding something.

"All Night Long" Mary Jane Girls [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brnG0auVYVs[/media] There's a LOT of good stuff in Pete Academy's epic long funk and groove thread

Some of the 'easy' funk lines are really tricky to nail properly. If you think funk's easy, and you're not into funk...then you can't play funk. "Shack Up" Banbarra [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDiAYNxHOvM[/media] "Mango Meat" Mandrill [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3WwQkBTuwA[/media]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1319018002' post='1408860'] I've got one in my four string - it's a good pickup but I don't think there's anything magical about it. I wonder if I should eBay it for silly money while they're still scarce! [/quote] Ha, I saw this thread and clicked on it because I thought of your bass! It sounded very nice and growly I thought - guess it depends how much that's just the bass - what does it sound like with other pickups in, you ever tried? [quote name='henry norton' timestamp='1319020083' post='1408891'] Yeah they do go for allot on the odd occasion they come up. The main reason I like them is because they look good, sound ok and they aren't P's, J's or soapbars. They aren't going to turn anyone into a rock god but if you use them some people might just think you are [/quote] Quiet you! Spending hundreds of your earth pounds on Mr Beer's pickup WILL make you sound like a rock God and selectively impress beautiful people.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1319041197' post='1409260'] Yeah I think the Gibbo knobs were an add-on. Not now though as this is how she looks today... [/quote] Are they DiMarzio pickups?

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1319040539' post='1409251'] Personally I like the sound of a really great solid state amp more than a tube amp, I like my transients right there in my face, I like recording direct and hearing myself back on fabulous monitors, transients there in all their glory. I am not the only one. [/quote] I agree with everything you've said. However I do think people who are only used to the sound of the cheap electronics in bass amps/pedals may come to mistaken conclusions about the potential of these things (obviously not you). After all, we often judge good bass tone from recordings which will have an awful lot of similar processing on them but the difference is it's done well. The luxury of a truly big rig is great - but I'd still take the AER over many a mid-price/mid-size set up where the compromises are evident without the benefits. I do wish my F1 had a subsonic filter on it, that's a very different issue to the transients for me.

[quote name='gamester4520503' timestamp='1319036115' post='1409169'] After a day of building, the cab is playable. Sounds quite good to my ears as well! The only issue with it is possibly the weight - this will happily vibrate about the floor when played loud enough. Needs some form of finishing, but apart from that it's done! [/quote] That's geat work! Vibrating is more about insufficient stiffness than weight per se...might be worth sticking a bit more bracing in there.

[quote name='mercuryl' timestamp='1319034317' post='1409144'] I've spotted something interesting. if you look back through this thread (and other threads on this site), you'll see that the people who have actually played / heard AER products are amazed and full of praise. Go look on the web and see if you can find any reviewer who says anything bad about this amp. You won't. If you can find one, go try it out. You'll be utterly amazed. At about £1K - it an absolute bargain. [/quote] [quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1319026830' post='1408998'] As for the OP, these kinds of rigs are all about the filtering and limiting, and as Alex says, if you can live with whats missing then thats fine (a la the RH450) but some people are really going to struggle to feel happy with the transients being munched completely with around 15dB of loss, and the amp/cab doing virtually nothing below 60Hz. [/quote] I just don't have the sonic issues with the AER kit as I do with the TC, whatever the reason behind it. How it's implemented in practice is just as important as what's being done in principle - e.g. I love the sound of bass guitar from saturated tape, but I don't like it through a cheap nasty comp/limiter. [quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1319031230' post='1409090'] Yep, been working on that for a while now. Very excited about how the new stuff will perform! [/quote] That's ace, I'll be following with great interest - sounds like a product I'd buy if it works as you say. Any idea on timeframe? Very curious to hear more, but I understand there're commercial interests involved so you might want to keep your cards close to your chest! Good luck with it.

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1319023494' post='1408941'] No, nothing like either. A totally bespoke design using different technology resulting in vastly higher maximum output - you can't buy anything similar at the moment. [/quote] Wow, are you moving into driver design/manufacture itself? Impressive...

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1319017146' post='1408848'] I haven't but there are a few clues in the specs. The relatively low power and lack of woofer specs suggest they aren't doing anything particularly special in the speaker department whilst the "dynamic control" on the power amp, the "subsonic filter", and the "low distortion limiter" imply that there's compression in the electronics to increase the average loudness (at the expense of transient attack) there's highpass filtering to remove content below the tuning frequency so they can tune the cab higher for more loudness without the woofer distorting (at the expense of deep lows), and that when the amp does run out of power there's a further limit circuit to stop distorted clipping sounds. Just as the RH450 sounds great to many players with its inherent processing whilst playing louder than its real power suggests it can, so too this combo can play louder than its size and power would suggest and do so whilst sounding good to many players. Of course there will be others that don't like the compromises this approach causes but nothing's perfect! We're working on a 8" at the moment which also won't be breaking any laws of physics but will be using a very high excursion design to move more air than most 12"s, although with lower sensitivity because of the reduced cone area and enclosure size so it takes more power to get there. That'll mean output and bottom to match many 2x10"s or 1x15"s. Now if you were to combine that woofer technology with this kind of electronic cunning you could potentially have an 8" cab that sounds as loud and fat to many ears as a decent 4x10" all without breaking the laws of physics... [/quote] Re the 8", is that based around the LA8? The higher-end 10" neo SICA drivers are also pretty good high-excursion units, I don't think I've found any 8" units that significantly outperform them on spec -certainly not neo...and they sound good, too. I don't see/hear a problem with subsonic filtering on any reflex design (not just small boxes), it's very different from compression in terms of the musical effect and having played around looking at the power balance of a bass guitar signal it is massively worthwhile. With the compression, I think it's as much about the quality of implementation. A truly decent multiband-type with soft knee is far more transparent than a typical cheap circuit. The cheap ones sound it.