Conan

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='701346' date='Jan 5 2010, 10:40 AM']but I've managed to find a solution that gives me tone [i]and[/i] lack of weight.[/quote] And there, in a nutshell ladies and gentlemen, we have it! There are some players for whom tone is EVERYTHING, and they will not compromise anything to get it (or their version of it). Others, who may have injuries, be very weedy or just be fed up with humping 50kg+ boxes about; will choose gear based purely on MASS (not weight!! Unless you are referring to the weight in newtons! ) and are prepared to sacrifice a certain amount of tone to do so. Most of us appear to be somewhere in the middle I would guess. We want as much tone as we can get from an easily transportable rig. It's exactly where we individually draw that line that leads to argument/discussion etc. Interesting though, innit!? GB shuttle 9.0 through an Ampeg SVT810 anyone?

[quote name='mcgraham' post='701299' date='Jan 5 2010, 09:38 AM']I'm discovering that these 'old school' simple setups are actually incredibly full of tone and worth investigating further.[/quote] I'm not sure that they are any "simpler" are they? After all, we are talking about an amplifier plugged into one or more speaker cabinets.... regardless of the size of the units, transistors vs valves, Nd vs ceramic, etc... Or am I oversimplifying things myself?!

Thanks for that summary Gareth! After ploughing through loads of literature, comments and reviews about gear in the last month I have come to a similar conclusion! I am yet to do the actual physical testing, but in my mind I think I know my own ear pretty well! The TC RH450 route is definitely one I would like to go down, but I'm unsure about that skinny tower of sound.... On the other hand, I bet it draws comments and I can't wait to hear drummers and guitarists saying "HOW many watts is that? You'll never hear that above me..." etc.

What's that stuff about "not Alembic"?

[quote name='Spolodaface' post='700485' date='Jan 4 2010, 02:22 PM']I recently purchased a second-hand 5 String bass of a fellow Basschat member and, after looking at various online resources (of which there are surprisingly many) I can't find many relating to 5-string learning; nor are there many tabs for a 5-string bass. Can anybody advise me of how to tackle the extra string while learning from 4-tring resources?[/quote] Presumably your "4-string resources" won't mention the 5th string (which I assume is a low B rather than a high C) as there is no need for them to do so! From my own personal experience (which I would not necessarily recommend!), I just sat down with the 5string and played it as much as I could! Very frustrating at first, but it is getting better! It is taking me a long time to get used to the extra string as I played for about 25 years before getting a 5 and my hands (as well as my brain!) get confused... Often I am plucking one string but fretting another!

Been reading these reviews and comments with interest! Thanks guys! One thing that I've noticed is that there is a massive price difference between the amp and the cabs. Any reasons for this? Would the TC cabs be compatible with other amps? Does it imply that the cabs are not made to quite the same standards, or has someone made a mistake in the pricing policy?

Yeah - nice thumb!! Also, with some of the outlandish multi-stringed monsters on here, its nice to see a four stringer!!

Like it! Just like any other area of interest, bass playing has its own unique jargon and some which is shared with others... We all know what the terms mean (or at least we THINK we do!), but they are very subjective - so one man's "warm" may be another man's "creamy"... Fortunately, I'm yet to hear the word "moist" used to describe sound. Probably just as well!! :brow:

Lancs to Lincs 250 miles?!?! Going via London maybe...

[quote name='philipleonard' post='698727' date='Jan 2 2010, 01:46 PM']The pup has been moved closer to the Low B and it's made a remarkable difference. CHEERS. I've always had a rather high action because I attack the strings rather aggressively. If it's not high enough the sound of the strings hitting the frets annoys the hell out of me. Setting the pup higher for the B string has worked. THank you all. Phil. [/quote] Good news! There's a lesson for us all there - before shelling out on different or additional gear, always check the simple, but not so obvious things!

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='698201' date='Jan 1 2010, 06:12 PM']If we get the chance to catch up you can find out what a Thunderfunk played through a pair of speakers of identical size, placed upon a GRAMMA pad sounds like... as that's my rig, that is! [/quote] Cool! But you didn't say where your next gig is - other than "Blyth", which is a big ole town!!

[quote name='philipleonard' post='698015' date='Jan 1 2010, 03:22 PM']Thanks for the tips. I'm going to try the pup height adjustment.[/quote] Good starting point. Don't set the pole too high though, or the pull of the magnet will actually stop the string vibrating as much as it should and you will gain volume but lose tone and sustain!!

[quote name='chris_b' post='697643' date='Dec 31 2009, 11:51 PM']Don't get confused. This statement is too simplistic. You might be able to improve your tone by cab placement but putting your cab in the "wrong" place won't neccessarily give you a bad tone! You probably won't have a choice where you put the cab anyway and will you have enough room to swing a cat? Bad room acoustics are more likley to give the whole band a bad sound rather than this "issue"![/quote] So I don't need to look for a levitating cab then? Just wondering how else the "distance off the floor" would be an issue...

It might also be worth checking the heights of the poles on your pick-ups. Sometimes if one string is a greater distance from the magnets it will be quieter than the others. Worth a try! In my (limited) experience, a decent cabinet with 10" speakers will have at least as much low end as one filled with fifteens. Looking at the MarkBass combos, they are very small - could this be a reason for tha lack of extended low end? Or could it be the Nd drivers?! I'm sure you'll get better advice from one of the cab specialists on here!

Actually, thinking about it, I'm sure a school music department would be very glad of the donation if you can't find anyone suitable... I know my school would! Could be used for keyboards too.

Nice gesture, and a nice cab! I used to have one of those... heavy as hell but a really nice tone - punchy but with lots of bottom end. I'm after a cab - and probably a 4x10.... but my need is not great. Any of you know a young lad or lass who is looking to upgrade from a combo? This cold be run as an extension cab with a massive increase in volume... and it will look cool too!

Great! More confusion!!

Crikey! That's just showing off! That Ibanez is just like mine! He's asking a hell of a lot for it IMO....

Damn! Why is it that just as I think I am getting things sussed, someone says something that confuses me again!? Just kidding! It's all good advice guys - keep it coming!! BTW, @chris_b: What's the Thunderfunk like? I was looking at their website last night. What a lovely piece of equipment (oh, and a stunning price-tag too! Are they worth it?).

That's fascinating! I never knew that! So why do so many people used stacks with mixed cabs - particularly a 15 and four 10s? Why does nobody tell you this useful stuff? Well, apart from NOW I mean....

Sounded like you were describing me! Except the drum machine bit, I never could get the hang of those things... I know Einstein's theory and Darwin's theory, so I think I'm doing pretty well don't you?! I sometimes think that if you know too much about what you're doing, the spontaneity will go - but of course I could just be saying that to make myself feel better about the fact that I know NOWT about music theory!!

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='697025' date='Dec 31 2009, 10:48 AM']BTW, I'm in Corbridge with a MarkBass Little Mark II head running into a Barefaced Vintage (2x15"). If you want to try it out at some point in the New Year (a bit snowed under at the moment... almost literally...), I'd be more than happy to meet up for an A/B against your Ampegs. We might even be able to rope some other locals in for a mini-bash. I got together in August with warwickhunt, wateroftyne and The Bass Doc (the local legend that is Howard Satterley), and it was a real education in amplification tastes![/quote] That sounds like a great idea! A lot of you guys will be gigging at weekends I guess, but I'd certainly be up for that. Its also nice to touch bass (!) with some other players, having dropped out of the scene a bit in the last couple of years... Thanks for the offer

[quote name='xgsjx' post='696969' date='Dec 31 2009, 09:33 AM']A good solution to the MB & GB heads looking too small is to put it in a 19" rack (you get lugs for this) with a tuner or FX unit or whatever floats your boat.[/quote] Good call! You're speakin' my crack-a-lackin' language!!

[quote name='jamesbass116' post='696689' date='Dec 30 2009, 08:29 PM']i paid for the majority from gig money, obviously my main bass (the MIM) and the amp were presents from my ever supportive parents! James[/quote] Crikey! Your band must get well paid! I've been playing for nearly 30 years and don't have a collection like that!!