Conan

[quote name='JTUK' post='961091' date='Sep 19 2010, 12:26 PM']Shouldn't matter...nobody knows better what tone I am after than I do. And I would think most players know what they want from an instrument, be it saxes, harps, etc etc[/quote] True, but as we all know, the tone that [i]we[/i] hear when stood up on the stage can be very different to the one that the punters hear. This begs the question, do we play for our own personal satisfaction or for that of the audience and/or other band members? Are the two mutually exclusive?

[quote name='chris_b' post='961051' date='Sep 19 2010, 11:45 AM']I'd use the bass that feels and plays the best and then get your sound out of the EQ. I think that most higher quality gear will get the tone you want out of any bass.[/quote] Good point. It would be interesting to hear from the people who preferred the sound of the PRS to explain or try to quantify [i]exactly[/i] what they preferred about it, and if the difference is something that you can allow for with EQ then you get the best of both worlds... It's a dilemma I'd love to have - which of my top-end basses sound best through my top-end rig!

Remember that Alex has a one month free trial option, so if you buy one from him and don't get on with it for any reason, we will take it back for the cost of shipping (usually about £25). You could even think of it as £25 to hire a cab for a month.... Oops, did I say that out loud?

It's definitely a difficult one! If you think your playing and desire to play is going to suffer by using the bass that sounds better but plays worse... then that's a bad thing and I would stick with the better player that sounds less good. I guess it depends upon just [i]how[/i] different the playability is and just [i]how[/i] different the tones are. If the only people who notice the difference are friends/family and other bass players - then most audiences won't notice anything at all! There are possibly two conflicting angles here... one is that [i]knowing[/i] you have a killer tone can make you more confident in what you play and therefore enjoy it more. The other is that if your bass feels good in your hands and makes you [i]want[/i] to play, then you enjoy it more... Maybe the secret is compromise? Does the PRS feel less playable because it is poorer quality or just because you're not used to it? Would more practice with this bass allow you to feel more confident/happy with it? If the answer is "yes", then I think the problem has solved itself. For me personally, I'd be inclined to go with the bass that makes the band sound best - as long as I didn't have to really struggle with it...

Plenty of second-hand Trace Elliot gear around! It's as heavy as a b@stard but delivers great tone and volume for a low price. Try the amps and cabs for sale thread on here.... or even (God forbid!) E-Bay!!

[quote name='thunderbird13' post='959537' date='Sep 17 2010, 03:03 PM']I'm taking a guess here does NSFW mean Not Safe For Watching [/quote] Not Safe For WORK usually.....

[quote name='Chris2112' post='959523' date='Sep 17 2010, 02:54 PM']There was a good thread on Giblin just a couple of weeks ago, it turned out that a lot of what I thought was Giblin with Kate Bush was actually someone else! (namely on Wuthering Heights!)[/quote] Maybe, but there's plenty of great Giblin stuff with John Martyn and Fish!

[quote name='Golchen' post='959155' date='Sep 17 2010, 09:42 AM']It's a good point, but I'd hate a day without coming across the girl in the pink bikini (ooer!!!!!)[/quote] Oh yes indeed.... JTUK's avatar isn't it?

[quote name='Raggy' post='959189' date='Sep 17 2010, 10:21 AM']Only that I know Alex does not make the Vintage any more [/quote] I didn't know that. I wonder why?

Thanks for that!! Brilliant. Love that bass tone and groove - always have, although I never knew the guy's name... :blush: The drum stuff is really cool too - I wonder if that's where Tony Levin got his "funk fingers" idea from? :brow: BTW, what's that bass he's using? I can't quite read the headstock - is it a Shadowski?! Oops! Sorry, just re-read the OP!!

[quote name='largo' post='957260' date='Sep 15 2010, 03:03 PM']What ! It's only a couple of months since I had the "new" Tour Compact and then purchased a cab on the back of that. You telling me it's out of date already ........ (wonder if I'm within my month's trial still)[/quote] Maybe the new one's got carpet covering...

[quote name='tonyf' post='956772' date='Sep 15 2010, 12:23 AM']In terms of whereabouts, who's got it now? Really keen to get my hands on the Compact to see how it sounds.T[/quote] Dunno if Alex would like to jump in here... I have the current touring Compact. I brought it down from Edinburgh just over a week ago and used it last week at rehearsal. I plan to do the same this evening and then pass it on to Water Of Tyne. Alex then plans to collect this particular cab as there is a "new improved" version that will be taking it's place on tour! I am not sure who that "new" cab will be sent out to. Who's on the list after WoT? (Edit - I guess that would be "bassfunk" in Manchester). Hmmmm.... just had a thought. I wonder if the current one might be for sale....

[quote name='Protium' post='953122' date='Sep 11 2010, 08:34 PM']The 8ohm issue is worrying me too, as my amp classes as "totally weedy" according to the website. Good marketing there [/quote] True. And as two Compacts comes in at nearly a grand... it's an expensive way of getting the full 300 "Ashdown" watts out of it! Question for Alex - would it be difficult or inadvisable to market a 4 ohm option on the Compact?

[quote name='razze06' post='906915' date='Jul 27 2010, 12:01 PM']The handle on the compact is nice and simple and balances well. The metal corners could have been more flush with the sides, and the screws that hold them in place would have been better flat-headed. The rubber feet are a very nice touch, and I personally like both the logo and the silver cloth grille.[/quote] Totally agree with Marco on these points. The quality of construction is great, but a few of the details of the finish do slightly let the package down IMO. Having tried the previous touring Compact I think I prefer the metal grille plate to the "Fender-style" cloth (which could also be a bit tighter...). The painted coating on the cab is a bit "slippery", so you may need a non-slip mat or something to stop the amp being accidentally pulled off the top... Anyway, I used the Compact with my LH500 at rehearsals on wednesday evening. I enjoyed the sound a lot, and the best thing of all is that my 12 year old son could carry the cab in one hand into the studio!! How cool is that?! Once it was set up, it did look a bit small compared to the Ashdown stack that I am used to (No sh*t, Sherlock!) but the sound soon showed that size does not matter. Punchy but deep. Rounded and warm. Smooth but biting. Clear but raunchy... It certainly brought the mid-range to the fore far more than the 410s do, which was nice as I like a rather "mid-heavy" tone. Volume wise, it had no problem at all - even though at 8 ohms the amp would only be putting out around 300w. It would be great if the Compact was available as a 4ohm version as well. Our keyboard player (who is also a sound engineer) was very impressed with the sound. The guitarist thought the tone was great, and cut through well - but as he put it, he could "hear me, but not feel me". Which I take to mean that some of the real low end was missing. Not sure I agree with him, but he's entitled to his opinion I guess! If nobody minds (I think WoT is next in line) I'd like to use that cab again this wednesday as we try to nail some new tracks. The style of music, BTW, is mostly eighties rock and "hair-metal" kinda thing (Van Halen, Winger, etc), so fairly straightforward bass lines that really need to cut through and provide a sound foundation to the guitars and keys. So, all in all, a great cab that does exactly what it says on the tin. One or two minor drawbacks (finish quality and 8ohm impedance chiefly), but it's main advantage is it's mass. I just can't believe how light it is! And that quality pretty much outweighs the minor niggles.

I used to use TE gear, and I spent forever faffing on with the 11 band EQ.... The Hartke just sounds good. Plain and simple! It's very difficult if not impossible to find a setting on it that isn't useful and musical. It could maybe use a bit more boost in the mid-range - but I guess that also depends on your bass/cabinet arrangement... Through my Ashdown MAG410s it sounds a bit mid-shy, but through the BF Compact it just SHOUTS in the mids!! It may be bigger and heavier than MarkBass, Genz Benz and other such bonsai amps - but its far lighter than what I was used to! I haven't noticed the "hissiness" either - but I guess it depends on how and when you use it and what you are used to. For the price (I paid £180 second hand) you just can't go wrong. Oh, and it's bloody loud too! Can't comment on the Orange as i've never used one - but it's a lot more money isn't it?

[quote name='CraigPlaysBass' post='915663' date='Aug 5 2010, 09:41 AM']Another happy chrome user here [/quote] And here!

Unsurprisingly, this one has not been mentioned so far.... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKXUNRrYQd0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKXUNRrYQd0[/url]

It is now in Newcastle!! Scotland has been stormed and the cab liberated!! Cheers Gavin!

[quote name='Conan' post='916716' date='Aug 6 2010, 09:39 AM']Quick update to those on the waiting list... The Compact is still in Edinburgh. Marco (razze06) sustained some serious injuries recently and has not yet been able to arrange delivery of the cab. We are working on it so hopefully people can be patient and understanding in the meantime... More news as and when it becomes available. Geoff[/quote] Should finally be collecting the Compact and returning it to England this weekend!! Rehearsal on wednesday to put it through its paces at decent volume and then will pass it on to WoT....

Been looking at these recently... there is a big price difference between the GRAMMA (£40) and the Great GRAMMA (£80) - is it essential that the pad is bigger than the cabinet or would it still work if the can overhangs the pad by an inch or so either side?

[quote name='neilb' post='938427' date='Aug 27 2010, 08:58 PM']So, would a TE 300w head running a Compact be OK? Thanks neil[/quote] I'm fairly sure that the Compact is an 8 ohm cab, so you may only be getting around 200w of power from your TE head... It will certainly work, but according Alex's advice as I understand it, the Compact will "enjoy" a lot more power! Two Compacts will get you the 4 ohm load, still be very light, and come in well under budget!! If you wish to go down the BareFaced route, that is!