ThomBassmonkey

I can't imagine valves or neo going anywhere for a while. They're both popular enough to keep manufacturing and it'll take a long time to stop using them when so many people love them. Technically there's no real use for valves at the moment, most decent SS amps have a warm tone without needing the valves. Neodynium is the same to an extent, there's no NEED for it (though having light cabs is brilliant). I use a hybrid head and neo cabs and can honestly say that if valves and neodynium disappeared I wouldn't lose to much sleep over it. There's plenty of alternatives that do the job just as well.

Hello ladies and gents! Sorry I've not been around much recently, I've had a lot going on including recording a new album and really pushing the band. We've had a slight lineup change and are currently going from strength to strength. The album's going to be released in March and is sounding amazing. I hope everyone else has been keeping busy and grooving out as only we bassists can. This is our lead track from the album, we're not currently planning to release it as a single, but we've done a video and it's the one we'll be promoting. It was released today, so I thought I'd stick up a post with shameless self-promotion. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhQn_RU5U60[/media] We've also been nominated for various awards at Pure Rawk including me up for best bassist, we're also up for best band, best front man and best drummer, if anyone has a few minutes to spare and fancies throwing us (or anyone else as you prefer) a vote, please visit [url="http://www.purerawk.com/awards/vote-now/"]Pure Rawk Awards[/url] and we'd greatly appreciate it! If you enjoy the video, please check out our other offerings in the link in my sig. Thanks very much!

There's a fair point that if people paid to see a gig, then it's not good to let them down. IMO though, there's a lot pf band's playing free gigs, if people are paying you, they should get to see a good band, not a last minute one. Added to that, you're on that stage making a name for yourself and earning your reputation. If you sound crap because a member doesn't properly know the songs, it's your reputation that goes down the can.

I've had several emails ignored over the last few months by Strings and Things, I've had good dealings in the past (through the shop I worked at) but I've lost faith in them because of that. It's good that you got sorted out quickly though. It's usually a good sign for the company involved.

I'd be looking at 2x12s, I recently downsized from two ceramic 410s to two neo 212s and the difference is incredible. They're a very different sound (I love the sound though so not an issue), much lighter (almost half the weight) and a fair bit smaller. I can carry two basses, my head and a cab around fairly easily (until I have to get through a door ), I struggled to move one of my 410s on my own so it's made a world of difference. I can't imagine any gig that they wouldn't be enough for either. You can pick up a good 2x12 new for around the £500 mark too, so if you can find one 2nd hand, you could save yourself money or if you can't find one you like, there's the option of going new.

I know stuff all about the cab, but unless it's a 2Ohm cab, there's no reason not to bridge it. If you're running at 4 or 8 Ohms, bridging will get a higher wattage out of the head. If you're running at 2 Ohms, then don't bridge it, each side will go down to 2 Ohms so make sure you don't plug in anything else into the same side as an existing 2Ohm cab. I use my 2001RB-II with 410RBHs so I use the 4 pin speakons, I don't think you'd damage it by using the same leads into a normal cab, but I'm not 100% so please don't take my word for it. If you're using 1 8Ohm or 1 4Ohm cab, bridge it and plug into the far right speakon, if you're using 2 8Ohms plug them into the two speakons on the right with it bridged, if you're using 2 4Ohms, use dual mono and plug one in the right speakon and one into one of the ones on the left of the dual mono/bridged switch, if you're using 4 4Ohms, use dual mono and plug into all four sockets, if you're using 1 or 2 2Ohm cabs, you need it in dual mono and plug in one max per side.

It's alright saying that there should be fresh strings on basses and that they can buy cheap ones to put on, BUT shops can have lots of basses in. Assuming it's a fairly busy shop with 20 basses in, spending £5 a month on strings (which cheap ones that cost £5 probably wouldn't last in a busy shop) then that's £100 a month just on bass strings. No one in their right mind would do that. Realistically most shops will buy strings for more like £10-15 (depending on what they are), the business just doesn't work out. Also what else should be changed? Presumably if bass strings are being changed, so are guitar strings, the strings on any other stringed instruments, drum heads, reeds etc. How much would a big shop have to spend every month just to keep people happy that 99% of the time aren't going to buy anything anyway? I do agree about setups though. 90% of the time you go into a music shop, there'll be a bored looking guy waiting around for customers. They should be taught how to do setups so they can earn their wage instead of wasting time.

I have a GK MB Fusion and really can't failt it. I get a lot of compliments on my sound and I run it almost flat (I have the contour at about 9 o'clock). It's versatile, has a lot of tonal options (not that I use them), stupidly light and switchable gain structures.

Here's a link to a thread with pics of my old Sandberg. I moved from Warwick to Sandberg and loved it. I got a 2nd Sandberg not long after. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/69767-my-new-sandberg-im-in-love/

I've had two Sandbergs, two great basses. They both had a jazz body, but that's about where the similarities ended. They're both very versatile creatures, beautifully made and sounded and felt great. If you're thinking of going for one, I'd happily recommend them.

I slapped some thicker strings on it just before heading out to a gig last night and forgot my tool kit so it played like a bow and arrow. Lots of people that have seen my band loads of times commented on how good my bass sounded last night. It really sums up what I want from a bass tone, I've already got my GK rigs which are the perfect mix of beef, growl and clarity, now I've got a bass that matches, I'm chuffed. The Ray is an awesome bass too, slightly more agressive and less beefy than the Bongo. I love them both.

This whole "tone is in the fingers" thing is rubbish IMO. Yes, you're more likely to recognise a bassist by what (s)he's playing than what (s)he plays, but that's not tone, that's style. If Fieldy and Flea swapped gear and you asked them to ring out a single note, the instruments would sound more alike than the players. If you got them to jam then their style would shine through and even though their tone would still be "wrong", they'd still be recognisable by how they play. The thing about what we hear is that 90% of opinions on this kind of thing are based on properly studio recorded music. If the band is playing a fairly consistent style then there's a good chance that the engineer will be trying to get a certain sound from the bass. With enough post production effects and EQ pretty much anything can be made to sound like anything. It's ok saying "the bass on Chilli's first album sounded exactly like their most recent" but without knowing what was affecting the sound in the studio, it's less reliable than not knowing what amp they used.

I got one a couple of weeks ago from here and I just have to say wow. I've been in the studio with it all week and it sounds beautiful. It has just enough of everything. It's so fat but so defined, so much punch. It somehow manages to have enough growl that it meats out heavy sections but still sounds smooth in quiet parts. It sounded so good in rough takes straight into the desk we didn't even really touch it pre production, just nudged the bass up a tiny bit on the bass's pre and went straight in. I've been bricking it about selling my precious Sandberg Custom, but I know I've definitely made the right move now. It might look a bit odd (all down to taste), but it's just so nice in every other sense. Now I just need some new strings for it so I can give it the anger it deserves at a gig. Of course now that I'm feeling confident I'm amp and bass GAS-free, I am feeling a tingle every time I look at Soundblox pedals.... Sorry for gushing, it's been a long week of 12 hour days in the studio, I thought I'd share my glee at how my new bass is working out.

The GK 2001RB-II is 2ohm per side, so you can run 4 4ohm cabs if you wish..

On the flip side, I look at porn constantly and only ever get TC and retrovibe ads...

The idea is that chinese, korean etc items are made by cheap unskilled labour and things like british, american, german etc items are made by skilled labour. Fact is that it's not always the case, the machines that make these things are pretty standard and there's some eastern manufacturers that take pride in what they make and some western manufacturers that churn out rubbish. A look at Cort and some US Fenders that are a few years old will show that. Some places like japan seem to fall into the cheap labour category in most peoples' estimations but they push out consistent instruments. If you get a yammy or an ibanez for example, chances are that they'll be a decent instrument for the notes you spend. Same with the MIJ Fenders, which have been fender's most consistent line in terms of quality from what I've heard.

[quote name='Dread Bass' post='1365731' date='Sep 7 2011, 08:40 PM']I know the assistant manager from the Maze pretty well. I could have a word.[/quote] I think we need a function room rather than a venue, the point is to have all the gear set up so people can mingle and try stuff rather than a gig environment. From what I remember (going back several years) there's too many tables and not enough sockets/close wall space to make the Maze a good venue for a bass bash. It's a good idea though, but I think the last one was a nice enough place (apart from the chavs hanging around outside early on).

I slap on mine and it's always been fine, never bothered me. I used to use Sandbergs and a Warwick before that and I never found the change a struggle.

Musicman 5 into a GK stack. I'll have to update on whether the bongo or stingray and whether the mb fusion or 2001rb and neo212s or 410rbh are preferred, but I love all that gear.

He bought my Sandberg on Sunday, nice guy and easy to deal with!

I just bought jon's bongo from him. He was nice to deal with and the bass is exactly as described.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1355811' date='Aug 29 2011, 11:12 PM']Everyone says Warwicks have baseball bat necks. I disagree, but it's the 'accepted wisdom'.[/quote] Some do, it seems to be the age that's the main factor rather than the model though. Some 90s ones seem to be thicker than they are wide. I had a lovely thin necked thumb though so it doesn't apply to all Warwicks.

If you have a good amp you'll sound good through a PA and if you're cab sharing at a gig then you'll be using an amp that you're used to. You also get bonuses of a decent EQ and channels if your head has them. if you have a crap head, your good cab is polishing a turd. Not that it'll matter because every time you use another band's cab for speed you'll only be using your own cheap head and the DI from your cheap head will ruin the sound for the audience, whatever your cab sounds like.

I once played a small pub that doesn't even have a stage, I had to stand sideways most of the gig to avoid the guitarist/singer (in a four piece). I was using my 1080w 2x4x10 stack. To be fair though, it was the first gig after my 2nd cab arrived, so I wanted to test it out and we play the venue regularly, so I had a laugh with the sound engineer about it.

I quite like traces, they've never blown me away but they're solid amps that have a usable tone. I have the same thing with ashdown though so I understand, if I turn up the bass, they're wooly. If I turn down the bass, they're thin. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground where they still have enough bass to sound fat in the mix but still have definition. I've tried various MAGs and ABMs and they all have the same problem to me. I've never even got a usable sound out of one, never mind one I like.