LawrenceH

[quote name='Doddy' post='1084906' date='Jan 10 2011, 09:56 PM']Is the 12th fret harmonic the same as the 12th fret fretted?[/quote] Either the fret positions are off due to poor QC, your playing is somehow bending the string around these frets or the action/truss rod are out of alignment. This last one is what I'd suggest! Check the neck relief and the action height at both bridge and nut.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1083511' date='Jan 9 2011, 07:54 PM']I've just started playing with a local jazz-funk band. The set is instrumental-based, and includes 'Pick Up The Pieces' and 'Chameleon'. I would never play these lines other than how they are on the record. 'Chameleon' is an example of the bassline being the song, and 'PUTP' has a bass part that complements the song perfectly. I've heard players make that part busier, but for me it adds nothing. For me, making a recorded part busier is asking for trouble. 'Sex Machine' and 'Play That Funky Music' are prime examples.[/quote] I don't know, especially with those tracks you list - they're 'jam' tracks, playing tracks like that exactly the same each time sort of misses the point of a live band for me. Plus the bassline on chameleon's a synth, and the bass plays more like a guitar part. Even the Headhunters did it totally differently live, check out the part on 'Flood' which is brilliant fun. I enjoy listening to different players interpreting these parts in their own ways. The important thing to me is that the reworked part stays in keeping with the feel the band is going for. That's especially true for the 'Good Times' example, I disagree with Bilbo in that for me it's pretty much the blueprint for disco/funk groove but I still prefer hearing people play with it, otherwise I may as well just listen to the record. Having said that, it's not an easy one to play around on without stuffing it right up! Especially swing jazz players...

[quote name='willyf87' post='1084281' date='Jan 10 2011, 02:46 PM']I would do what everyone else has said leave it at room temperature for a couple of days let it settle then adjust it to your needs again. Mine's all better now lol.[/quote] +1, if basses are anything like pianos then it's secondary humidity changes rather than temperature itself that causes the biggest amount of movement. That takes longer to re-equilibrate than just getting up to temperature. Be patient

[quote name='JTUK' post='1084300' date='Jan 10 2011, 02:56 PM']'Nearly true'... what the **** is that supposed to mean when you pile a doom gig into it. If they do what you want them to do and you think they are a good deal, then fine.[/quote] I honestly don't understand your problem with me - why are you resorting to ridicule? And what has 'doom' got to do with it?! The OP asked for flat, clean, neutral and lightweight. Pretty much the opposite of 'doom'. Flat isn't subjective, it's trivially measurable. The only realistic way to achieve something close to flat and clean across the whole audio spectrum at high volume is with multiple limited-bandwidth drivers using crossovers, either well-designed passive or active multi-amping. Most designs out there for bass are two-way, which means that the mids have to be covered by a tweeter extending lower than it would like and a woofer extending well up into the cone break-up region. That is never going to give anything like a flat response, a minimum three-way design is arguably essential (most medium-high powered PAs use at least 4-way). For instance, the Markbass and SWR use Le Son tweeters with a recommended crossover frequency of 7-8k and which bottom out at around 5k - way higher than where the 'flat' region of the (very good) B&C and Eminence drivers extend to (~3-4k). Plus the crossovers used are typically naff. The Tecamp combos, for example, despite listing for a grand and up, utilise a single high-pass capacitor - nothing else! And it's the same cap for both the 10" and 12" combos despite the Sica drivers employed giving different mid-range cut-offs, no way is it optimal in both applications. Other manu's such as Eden do at least employ two-way designs but I've not seen any where they use anything other than the cheapest components that'll do the job. Lastly, in terms of drivers, the Eminence Kappalite woofers and Beyma mid-range that I think are used in the Barefaced designs aren't the 'best' drivers out there...but show me a commercial lightweight (ie neo) bass cab that uses better.

[quote name='Merton' post='1083799' date='Jan 10 2011, 12:15 AM']That's not what he said, he essentially said it was arguably the only nearly true flat bass cab on the market. He also stated that it wasn't what he'd look for in a cab![/quote] Thank you! Glad someone saw what I was getting at I actually favour the sound of the Markbass cabs (ducks and hides) or older SWR

Can't comment on the new ones but the original SGC Nanyo Bass Collections (which the new ones must be licensed copies of) are an absolute steal at the prices they go for now. Beautifully light and well-balanced, proper decent Gotoh hardware (much better than the Squiers), and very fast, playable necks. Not entirely convinced by the pickups on the SB310/320s (but then, nor am I by the Squiers), but the soapbar models sound very nice in a modern sort of way. My fretless 330 is going nowhere! Nonetheless, if I wanted a vintage Fender sound I'd go for the (fretted) VM over all the other options. I know the CVs have better quality control etc but I don't think their core tone is up to much whereas the VMs I've tried have the potential to be absolute monsters.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1083569' date='Jan 9 2011, 08:41 PM']lesser quality body material[/quote] Aren't they both ash?

[quote name='JTUK' post='1083487' date='Jan 9 2011, 07:36 PM']Are you joking or on commision...??? [/quote] Have you ever actually measured the response of a bass cab? How many bass cabs sound anything but terrible when used for full-range PA? That's a mark of a flat-response, 'neutral' sounding cab to me, and it's not easy to achieve at all while maintaining decent low-end. A 3-way-type design is arguably essential.* Whether it's really what a bassist wants at a gig is another matter entirely - I certainly don't, I like a bit of growl in the mids! *Edit: Checking back, unlike the similar DIY Fearful cabs the BF cab doesn't actually bother with a tweeter, but the point still stands I think - you need a separate mid-range driver rather than woofer-tweeter set-up.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1083389' date='Jan 9 2011, 06:18 PM']Barefeced Big One or the 12" version, a PA tpye power amp and a really simple clean preamp, possibly one not intended just for bass.[/quote] I doubt there's anything else out there that could compete with these Barefaced cabs due to the 3-way design and I remember Alex put a lot into the crossover, which often lets commercial bass cabs down. However...have you ever actually heard properly flat and clean at gig volume? Amp-wise the PA suggestion is great for clean, but to get one that's genuinely good at bass is either heavy or very expensive, especially if you factor in the need for a separate pre. If you want light then unfortunately something like the Markbass F1 would be a good call as it has a clean, quick pre. Dunno what the alternatives are like in the lightweight head market, though the Tecamp Puma might be an option. There is a Tecamp 112 for sale in on here, I had one of these for a time but it was a bit too clean for my tastes! Like the Barefaced it has a dedicated mid driver and for a lightweight, all-in-one solution it might be just the ticket. EDIT: Just remembered the Tecamp combo only uses the 350w head rather than the 500w version...however I'd say that's not really important with respect to volume.

If you're planning on mixing pickup types then you might find the overwound pickup is lost when the pickups are both on full (despite being hotter output on its own), unless you used a buffering pre-amp. Best to check with Wizard if that's the route you're going down, I'd guess a single 64 would be a better match both tonally and resistance-wise than the 84 but I've not used them myself.

You could rewire the 8ohm 210 to 2ohm.

Based purely on spec, this seems like you get a lot less than with the HW1 basses for a fair bit more cash. May as well buy a Mexi and upgrade the pups. Not impressed.

I do think a lot of people associate 'valve' with 'dirt' but that for me misses a lot of the magic of really nice valve processing. I really didn't like the bass terror due to it's lack of subtlety - I'd go for a pre-amp gain that was capable of driving from clean to moderately distorted... and a nice warm optical compressor. Yeah!

I suggest practicing a pattern on a single fretted note to start with, alternating full and ghost notes in swung 8s because the swing helps emphasise which notes should be ghosted, da-dum da-dum da-dum etc. with 'da' being the ghost note One thing to remember is that for a really cleanly muted note you really need fingers on the left hand to mute the string at more than just a single point or you get problems with ringing harmonics. So in the example about I'd fret firmly on the LH index finger for the full note but for the ghost I'd raise this off the fret, keeping it on the string, at the same time as resting my LH ring finger on the string a fret or so up.

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1078464' date='Jan 5 2011, 12:29 PM']The Ashdown head was plugged back into its own 1 x 15" cab and it worked fine I'd just like to know why it wouldn't work with the Mark Bass cab. Is it because both the Mark Bass and the Promethen are "class 5" amps whereas the Ashdow it's a based on an old fashion design all on tubes? Thanks[/quote] If the MB cab is 4 ohms then you definitely need to use the 4 ohm output, don't use the 8 ohm or you rist damaging the Ashdown head. There's no reason why an all-valve amp couldn't power these speakers, getting the ohm load right is pretty much all that matters. Given that both the Markbass and the Promethean use speakon outputs (I think?) as opposed to the jack on the Ashdown, I'd suggest that a dodgy speaker cable is your most likely explanation.

[quote name='Clarky' post='1078677' date='Jan 5 2011, 03:39 PM']I've not tried that so its a possibility, thanks. First I will try a splash of [s]Brut 33[/s] 3-in-one oil. I had a similar problem with my Fender Pino but that just required a bit less pussyfooting with the truss rod. In this case I am at bicep-busting level and the truss rod will not turn further. It just seems wrong to me, hence I wondered about just going to the expense of having it professionally seen to[/quote] Definitely sounds like it's maxed out, don't force it any more or you risk shearing the end off the truss rod. Get a washer or several underneath as suggested, my jazz needed at least 5mm to get it into a good range again and it's fine now. If that doesn't work, get it looked at, but I bet it does the job.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1075490' date='Jan 2 2011, 05:16 PM']Jeff Berlin once said he doesn't bother with fretless because everyone just ends up sounding like Jaco. For me though, Pino's playing is unbeatable and original.[/quote] Yeah, Graceland sounds just like Weather Report with vocals.... It's hard to think of a bass player with a more distinctive 'voice' to his playing than Kumalo. [quote name='crez5150' post='1075689' date='Jan 2 2011, 08:36 PM']What you're forgetting is that Jeff Berlin is a Cock![/quote]

[quote name='paul_5' post='1070512' date='Dec 27 2010, 08:55 PM']Arguably if everyone who stole music from the internet started to pay for it then the record companies would have more cash to support not just new, but semi-established artists who need nurturing artistically to produce their best material (good for artists, good for punters).[/quote] I really think this is the wrong way round wrt cause and effect - the majors started focusing their attention on short-term chart music gain long before downloading became any kind of issue. David Bowie among others has talked about the need for artists to focus more on live performance as a revenue source, I don't think this is such a bad thing.

As long as you liked the sound then the Markbass is as good as any out there - they use decent drivers and plywood for their cabs, and their failure rate is supposedly pretty low. Other people will surely be along with alternative suggestions but once you're at that quality level it's just a matter of personal taste IMO.

Interesting debate, lots of good points being made. My take - music files are a form of information. Copying them and passing them on is in that sense rather similar to patent infringement. Coming from left-field, thinking about the great economic debates of recent years we see a clash of competing ideologies, namely expansion-based capitalism and sustainability. To marry these two, the concept of information as currency becomes increasingly important. So we really should respect intellectual copyright if we have an environmental conscience, since a means of making money that doesn't involve transfer of material goods is a necessity! But. I doubt most of us are real economic idealists, we're primarily in it for the music. For me, I love live music and I think the recorded output of artists who disconnect from live performance usually suffers (not always). So firstly I don't think the move towards a model where a greater proportion of revenue comes from performance is a bad thing. Second, the major players in the music industry claim to be suffering as a result of illegal downloading, but could this be something they've brought on themselves by optimising their musical output from the point of view of disposability? Plus, just because one business model is no longer as viable does that translate to a problem for music as a whole? I seriously doubt it, the evidence is in the decreasing relevance of the singles charts and the burgeoning market for niche music of all kinds. What we're seeing is a fragmentation of the music market rather than a shrinking of that market per se. Of course, some people who base their living on the old system will lose out, but new opportunities arise, and that is ultimately the nature of capitalist markets. I like the way things are changing.

[quote name='redstriper' post='1067310' date='Dec 22 2010, 10:51 PM']Thanks, I was hoping you'd say that cos I'm a cheapskate ! There is one for sale on here now, but when I asked for the weight, the seller said 15 Lbs which is 4.5 Lbs more than my old bass. I'm sure they vary in weight and hopefully I'll find one more like 9 Lbs.[/quote] If that 15lb is accurate I'd be very surprised, basswood is not generally a heavy wood. Unless that high mass bridge is in fact depleted uranium.

[quote name='GarethFlatlands' post='1067034' date='Dec 22 2010, 06:06 PM']I'd agree to a point, but I'd rather have one of these than pay for that mojo. These seem custom made to spec and the attention to detail is stunning. That said, it's a lot of cash. I'd probably go for a Shuker if I had a grand or so to spare, played Finbars p-bass copy and it's incredible.[/quote] If it weighs 6.5lb, balances perfectly and still has the lovely resonance of a vintage jazz then it's got to be worth it for someone with back issues. All the best sounding jazzes I've tried have been heavy b*****s

[quote name='fatback' post='1067115' date='Dec 22 2010, 07:21 PM']Thinking about changing pups on a Squier VMJ fretless. Looking for something not too aggressive, more old school. Sort of musical. Mellow? Rich? That kind of sound. In fact, the stock pups are not bad at all, but the bass has such a nice neck it's probably worth upgrading a tad. I have no experience of anything but standard pups, so any ideas would be very helpful.[/quote] I'm not the pickup junky some people are but I was very pleasantly surprised by the Fender Vintage AlNicos that come loaded into the Highway Ones and Classic series jazzes - it's definitely a very musical, old-school vibe, and they're not expensive at all. I think Dave-bass5 on here has a Highway One (which would come with these) and also has some Wizard pickups, so it might be worth sending him a PM and asking how they compare. Wizard get recommended a lot on here for an old-school vibe and again they're comparatively cheap, definitely worth considering. By way of comparison, trying a VMJ I felt that the stock pickups were very punchy but a little harsh and definitely lacking in bandwidth (no true top end), they didn't sound at all open compared to a typical vintage jazz.

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1066676' date='Dec 22 2010, 12:28 PM']A Schroeder 1212l will do the job, there's not many small, light one cab solutions if you play in a loud band with a heavy-handed drummer but my 1212r has always been more than enough.[/quote] The 1212l really intrigues me... it's quite an odd design with the dual woofer folded baffle, it's like a really stubby 'half-tapped' horn with a great big compression chamber. I'd be very interested in a frequency plot from the cab, see how flat they play. And what woofers are loaded into the modern ones? Anyway, to the OP, for a more conventional small/lightweight cab design it's very hard to look beyond the Midget, if the tone suits you. It will have quite an aggressive mid-range which will help cut in the mix but is probably what people would describe as a 'modern' sound. With the internal bracing and large slot ports they are probably one of the best-engineered cabs available, and for a 1x12 it's about as loud as you're going to get. Plus it weighs half what the Schroeder weighs. I wouldn't be concerned about it being 8 ohm as opposed to 4, because it's such a sensitive driver.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1066223' date='Dec 21 2010, 10:17 PM']I'm after anything but red due to the guitarist in a band I play in has the red guitar version.[/quote] Sod him! The red one is a hottie