Conan

[quote name='jonsmith' timestamp='1380394106' post='2224768']EDIT - just found this quote from Neil: [color=#000000][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][size=3]"... two original songs written before I joined the band... Well, why do you think we never recorded them?".[/size][/font][/color] [/quote] Well, I like them... But they are very much in that blues/rock vein that was a feature of the "original" line up. Clearly their direction with Neil was destined to change. Good job too!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1380383041' post='2224575'] a lot of the time it sounds like a bass, drums and guitar trio. Lots of qualities they've lacked since, actually.... [/quote] Sounds like you need a time machine... Actually,I've just been listening to ABC 1974. Now [i]that's[/i] a power trio! Gorgeous bass tone too! Did the band ever do studio recorded versions of Garden Road and Fancy Dancer?

[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1380379551' post='2224514']I'll buy the new one, but I do love the 'old' one as well[/quote] Of course! Possessing (and listening to) both allows proper comparisons to be made. Some people might even prefer the original release...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1380376045' post='2224457'] When I hear the words 'active bass' I see 80s bass players with funny hair playing twelve notes a second through a Trace rig which sounds like a shopping trolley full of cutlery falling down an 'up' escalator. But I'm sure it isn't that at all. [/quote] I'm loving your imagery, and not entirely disagreeing!

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1377121190' post='2183772'] Has to be passive, I don't like the active sound. [/quote] Er..... Out of interest, what exactly do you think of when you talk about the "active sound" that you said you didn't like?

Add to this the facts that some basses are naturally mid-scooped and so are some amps... and the whole "being heard" and "fitting into the mix" thing can get quite complicated!

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1294615560' post='1083765'] Have you adjusted the preamp gain? If you open the back panel you will see a little white dial on the preamp - it tends to be on full when they leave the factory (I think) but you can easily turn it down with a flat screwdriver. When they are turned up full the output is a little bit much. [/quote] Depends when the bass was made. The adjustable tonepump (the one with the trimpot) was only installed in Euro models from 2008 onwards. Mine is a 2005 and is the non-adjustable version. Yes, the output is very hot, but can be tamed by judicious use of the bass and treble controls. And if you have an amp with an input/preamp volume (which I don't!) you can just reduce that until the distortion goes away. Of course, some people like that raspy, growly, gritty distortion and complain when they [i]can't[/i] get it!

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1380239725' post='2222836'] I love those amps. Easy to get a great sound and reputedly very reliable . [/quote] Lots of us said that about the last amp he ordered.... the LH1000 remember?

I'm a moderator on another forum, so I know exactly what is meant by the "thankless task" reference!! Way to go guys!! Keep up the good work

[quote name='Wooks79' timestamp='1379962684' post='2218853']Alex to see if could do anything, and he kindly sent me 12 feet of white piping! [/quote]

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1379879929' post='2217789'] For £200 you should be able to pick up a s/h CV. [/quote] Certainly should! It's a buyer's market and cash is king!

If you had two cars and only ever drove one of them, would you have the same dilemma? Or two sofas, one that you never sat on.... etc. Why do we get so attached to these things?

Squier CV 60s P.I tried one and it was brilliant - not just for the price, but an amazing neck at any price! Second hand though as they are over £300 new...

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1379775585' post='2216669'] WOAH THERE ! You are assuming[u] [i]way[/i][/u] too much much knowledge on my part , my friend ! As I have just been explaining on another thread , I have no idea what I am doing . I normally have other people do all my word processing for me . ( I have other people do most things for me nowadays , to be honest ) . I took me nine months to work out how to use emoticons , and figuring that out made me feel like I was a computer genius . It takes me all my time to justify my own existance . If I had to justify my text on Bassschat too , it would be too much effort to get out of bed anymore ,. I will see what I can do , but don't hold your breath . ( Just showing off my new-found skill with emoticons ) . [/quote] That's cool D! I've been doing what a lot of people do on the internet, and assuming that everyone has a certain (usually similar to my own) level of skill on a computer. For the record, mine is pretty poor - but I am (as you have seen) a bit of a pedant and grammar Nazi. I hate admitting that as it normally precedes my making a rather glaring syntax error, which someone will then take the piss about... But, as a bit of advice (and I am genuinely trying not to appear patronising here!); any paragraph that is more than about four lines long is quite daunting to read. Breaking posts up into (almost) a series of bullet-points increases the readability enormously. BTW (sorry for the text-speak, but I assume everyone knows that this means "by the way"?), I have had a considerable amount of training on this at work as part of my job is literacy co-ordinator for the Science Department. I am far from perfect though, and learn something new every day! We do a lot of work on producing text that is easy for kids with literacy difficulties (including dyslexia) to read. Even the use of the now ubiquitous Comic Sans font! Anyway - back on topic... When I have the active tone controls on my Status (only bass and treble) set flat, and then switch into passive mode, there is a noticeable change in the sound. I really wish it has a mid control though, which for me is the biggest advantage of active basses.