ThomBassmonkey

The prometheans look good and I've heard a lot of good things about them. I think you'll find it'll struggle at rehearsal volumes though without an extension cab. The speaker surface area contributes to the volume more than wattage. Even though the wattage of your rig has risen, because you've halved the speaker surface area the volume will likely drop overall. If you only play quietly with your band, it should be fine. If you're with a rock drummer, you might find you can't hear it so well when everything's playing.

Why would I choose to be endorsed by a company I didn't like the products of? The MB210 is a budget amp, it's brilliant for the money but it wouldn't be up to the standards of a more expensive one, but then what do you expect? It's a cheaper amp. Any offerings from any other manufacturer would still be a budget option instead of their premium gear for that price.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1305730' date='Jul 16 2011, 01:09 PM']In true Flea hater style Thombass will reveal on sunday night that both clips were in fact played on a Wal [/quote] Nah, they're both actually on Westone P copies, but shh, don't tell.. (they're not )

[quote name='Evil Undead' post='1305707' date='Jul 16 2011, 12:56 PM']But, as a matter of fact, I've cancelled the order that I placed with GK as I've tried a few more amps out and found one that I like more.[/quote] What have you gone for, if you don't mind me asking?

Dirk, there's really no need to be rude. A) No one should be ignored, it's rude on any level. The OP said he liked GK amps, therefore it makes sense to suggest another. C) I like GK enough to associate myself with them. I used GK amps before I was endorsed, I don't get paid by them, I choose to recommend them because they're great amps IMO. D) You haven't said anything constructive, why is the MB210 so bad? Tht's exactly the kind of stupid post that winds me up. Endorsees choose to be endorsed because they like the product, it doesn't make my opinion any less valid, if anything it makes it more so because I know the GK range well and I believe it in it enough to associate myself and my band with it.

I think if people are going to be so choosy about what the Stingray sound is, then there's no point saying "the Stingray sound" because every bass will have it's own sound if it has specific pickups and the electrics are set a certain way. Saying a stock stingray doesn't sound like a stingray is daft IMO. Either there's a stingray sound or there isn't.

What about a 2nd hand p style Sandberg? You'd have to check the neck dimensions, I think they're J style but it may depend on how old it is etc.

[quote name='RhysP' post='1305438' date='Jul 16 2011, 05:23 AM']Peterson Strobe tuner. The best.[/quote] From what i've read this looks to be the case. You can also easily buy a very good tuner for less than half the price though. I've been looking recently and if my EUB doesn't sell I think I'm going to have to settle for the TC polytune. It's true bypass, unlike the TU2 and it looks solid as a rock and general good quality. I'd rather not pay extra for the polytune function, but it still looks a fair price.

[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='1305530' date='Jul 16 2011, 10:06 AM']By something 2nd hand that you like the look at and is worth double should it be bought new. You'll get a bass you love the look off, own something that's already of 2nd hand value (unlikely to loose anymore if you re-sell) and get to be the envy of your bass playing friends. £1200 will get you a bass worth 2k in the for sale section....[/quote] Get an Overwater Perception and you're looking at a £3k bass for about £1k. I'd be looking at something about half that and put the rest away if I were in your shoes. Many good basses can be got for £6-800.

[quote name='JTUK' post='1305286' date='Jul 15 2011, 10:31 PM']I think MB gear is a few levels up on GK, but If you like the GK sound, then sure, good move.[/quote] I totally disagree. It's a different sound, I wouldn't say either one was "better" though. Dave, I'm really surprised that you found the RB thin sounding, I've had the 700 and the 2001 and both were anything but thin. GK are known to be good on the volume front too, maybe there was a fault with the one you tried or the cab? Evil, I don't think the MB combo is going to sound like your BLX cab, it'll be more articulate and have more top end. They're more than capable with the beef though if you dial it in. The top end GK cabs are the Neos and the RBHs which are very different, the BLX is the budget versions of the RBH and the MB combos are similar to the MB heads and neo cabs (though with a few price cuts here and there). It's been a while since I've used the BLX cabs though so I can't member exactly how they fair, the MB combo should be a big step up in overall sound quality though.

A general note about the obvious difference in mids, whether the Sandberg was cut in #2 or boosted in #1, obviously it can go the other way some, that's me missing the mark (quite badly) rather than an inherent sound difference between the two. The EQing was proudly brought to you by knackered post-gig ears, 1am mixing and iPad speaker, crappy speakers behind sofa and laptop speakers, at least that's my excuses haha. Listening back to them myself and actually knowing the actual instruments, I'm not sure I could tell the difference if someone did a good job of getting the EQ on the berg right. If there was one on a recording without having the other to compare, there's no way in hell I'd be confident at naming which one was on the track (assuming if the Sandberg was used, the aim was to make it sound like the Ray).

OK, to please the fussy buggers, here's two more clips. This time the Stingray is in the bridge position on the three way. I also A/Bd them and made the Sandberg sound a little more like the ray (not a lot of effort went into this, I just got home after a gig at about 1am, hence the sh*te playing too). They're both DI'd with no modelling or anything altering the tone other than the on-board EQs (and the EQ on the ray is flat). Nothing has been altered on the backing track apart from bass and the two basses are still the same numbers. 1) [attachment=84806:SvMM.mp3] 2) [attachment=84805:SvMM2.mp3] I hope I'm not giving too much away when used in conjunction with the first clips. This is just supposed to be a bit of fun, otherwise I'd start a new thread and mix up the numbers for accuracy. Edit: I've just sorted the volumes of the basses out a bit, they're still messy though, but it's late and I can't be bothered to try and get them perfect between mixing on my ipad speaker, a hifi behind the sofa and the laptop speakers.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1305083' date='Jul 15 2011, 07:59 PM']I am chuckling a little at the discussion about what the pickup might be,and how it needs to heard soloed etc.....I suppose it saves face a little more than just saying that you can't actually tell which bass is which. [/quote] If only a Stingray sounds like a Stingray, is it possible a Stingray doesn't sound like a Stingray too? On Sunday once I've put up the reply, I'll do another version with the pickup on the ''proper'' setting, though it won't be so much of a test because people will know, more for observation.

But if I put up solo tracks you'll be able to hear all my mistakes. I'll do it when I get home, downside to GarageBand is it saves in mp4 which the forum doesn't accept so I need to convert it on a PC first. The EQs are the same for both on the modelling (only thing changed on the recording between them was the volume of the bass part), the mid was knocked down a bit on the Sandberg's pre because it was obviously far louder, otherwise the EQs are flat on both.

It's early 90s, I think 93. I don't know what all the switching options are, I just picked the one I like. Maybe when I've posted the results, I'll do another track with it on the "proper" SR position, towards the bridge I guess?

Iirc I think the ray is on the neck position on the 3 way (I'm not 100% though) can't remember what the positions are though.

there is definitely a Stingray on one of them. I'll stick up the right answer on Sunday so everyone gets a chance.

Putting the age old opinion to the test, one of the below is recorded on a EBMM Ray5, the other is my Sandberg HH5, the bassline is the same (bar a held note near the start so I know which is which), the playing is terrible, the amp modelling is the same and it's the first thing I've ever recorded (the bass part, the rest is the demo track, though I have changed a lot of the sounds used and mix) using garageband for ipad, so the mix isn't the best ever. While they do sound slightly different (I didn't actually try and make them sound the same barring putting the Sandberg on the bridge pup and altering the mid knob slightly, no real effort put in, I'm sure they could be made to sound more similar), I'm not sure I'd guess which one was the right one. 1) [attachment=84745:Sandbergvsmm.mp3] 2) [attachment=84744:sandbergvsmm2.mp3] I know the playing and mixing isn't great, but hopefully it's good enough. Another post from later in the thread with a couple more sound clips that should cater to the critisisms people have had of the test. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=145876&view=findpost&p=1305391"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...t&p=1305391[/url] I'll post up the right answer later on at some point. Answers here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=145876&view=findpost&p=1306376"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...t&p=1306376[/url]

The MB combos are great, especially the 210 (the only one with 500w and a speaker out). You'll definitely see a big improvement over the back line 210 cab. I used an mb 210 at the LBGS and it was audible in the din of the hall.

What GK cab do you use at the moment? There's nothing else out there that sounds like them. I recently swapped from the RBH cabs to the Neos, they still sound great (more naturally trebly) and I'd happily recommend them, light too.

The proper Sandbergs look better IMO. [url="http://www.sandberg-guitars.de/basscat-overview/basic-series-top/basictm"]http://www.sandberg-guitars.de/basscat-ove...ies-top/basictm[/url] Regarding the shape though, most Sandbergs use the J shape, they couldn't really use that so the only other shape they really have is the basic.

I have a Musicman Ray 5 and a Sandberg HH5, I can honestly say that they don't sound alike. The Sandberg does do a passing impression once in a band mix though with a bit of EQ. Once I ge set up for basic recording on my iPad I intend to do a comparison recording.

I think white basses are fine. Personally I dunno if I'd use a P for a metal band, I don't think it'd sound aggressive enough IMO. If the sound's what you want, there's no reason the bass should hold you back though.

They weren't Mesa valves that he was sold from HotRox, they were apparently exactly the same though (in the same way Tokai make some Fenders, so they're exactly the same..). Once he got some proper branded Mesa valves in it again it sounded much better. He actually got in contact with Mesa to find out what the deal was. Apparently there's only about 5 factories in the world that make the valves, so they probably were from the same one. Mesa have quite high QC though on what passes as their valves, making the difference.