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ThomBassmonkey

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Everything posted by ThomBassmonkey

  1. ThomBassmonkey
    [quote name='paul h' post='1270749' date='Jun 15 2011, 10:15 PM']We're a judgemental lot aren't we?[/quote] I don't think anyone's been too judgemental. No one's said he's a bad person, the people who have hinted they think he's a crap all round player have either stood corrected or not argued their point and people like me who've said he's annoying seem to be generally speaking from experience. If he signed up and came to defend himself on this thread, I'd happily stand by my comments and would be interested to hear why, if he doesn't like being known as "that guy", he hasn't taken the time to upload videos of himself playing grooves (and I did look earlier) to show that he's not a one trick pony. If he's happy to be known for his tasteless showing off at loud volumes, then it's his choice.
  2. ThomBassmonkey
    Some interesting trade offers, nothing accepted as yet though. Thanks for the kind words, RS. These really are stunning instruments, I've played everything from Encores to Ritters and these are the best value instruments I've ever found. I never thought I'd be moving it on, but I have another Sandberg and want to try other stuff out so this one's the one that's gotta go. As in my first post, I'm open to more offers of basses now. I'll expand a bit here: Musicman, Status Graphite, G&L, Lakland, Wal, ACG, Shuker, Lightwave, Dingwall (not combustion), Overwater. I'm open minded though and there's probably loads I've missed anyway. Must have a low B. Pref 5 strings, maybe 6. 35" scale max (with the obvious exception of a Dingwall), pref 34". Fretted or fretless (more likely to go for a fretted, but I am GASing for a fretless on the side). If someone has a really nice bass that they'd be willing to trade, I might be prepared to do a deal with my amp (GK 2001RB-II and two 410RBH cabs, in the for sale section), it'd have to be something special. I might do it for a Wal for example or a high end Dingwall. I'd be happy to look at offers of cheaper basses plus cash, like SUB5s or L2500 Tributes for example. Please let me know how much cash you'd offer right away though and if it's negotiable as I don't want to waste time PMing over a few days only to find out we have totally different valuations of the basses involved. I can't put any more money towards a trade so only trade downs or of equal value. I'm looking at a trade value of about £750. After getting it, strings, set up etc, I'm down over that so it seems reasonable.
  3. ThomBassmonkey
    I've maybe seen/heard him playing 5 minutes total to a proper groove. He's a good player, I won't deny that. Unfortunately I've also seen about 24 hours of him playing that racket. If he only does it because people want him to, then why was he doing it before the show opened? When no one was there? Why volume on 11 when the din is so trebly it can clearly be heard over all the other noise in the hall anyway? I'm not saying he's not a nice person to talk to, but he clearly enjoys showing off and doesn't realise that it gets old quickly. Most people at the show that stopped and watched him stayed for maybe 30 seconds or a minute, then got sick of it and walked away rather than staying to see more on the roto stand. I think the problem is that he's so busy playing fast, he never drops into a groove. The kind of players that [i]can[/i] do this style of slap and are musically respected generally hit a groove, then do a crazy bar or two to show off, then go back to the groove. He seems quite happy to just play sh*te with no feel from start to finish for the sake of showing off.
  4. ThomBassmonkey
    [quote name='xgsjx' post='1269521' date='Jun 15 2011, 12:55 AM']Is your gear insured if you leave it unattended in your car?[/quote] Most car insurance specifically excludes musical equipment, so unless you have proper insurance it's probably not insured if you are in the car. If you do have proper cover, it'll probably depend where it's parked.
  5. ThomBassmonkey
    I wouldn't like to do it if the car was prone to lots of condensation but it shouldn't be too dangerous otherwise. I regularly leave my cabs in my car, usually only for a day or two though between gigs if I'm feeling lazy. If they're heavy cabs, consider the cost of fuel lugging it around everywhere too, it can mount up, especially when fuel costs so much.
  6. ThomBassmonkey
    [quote name='xgsjx' post='1269459' date='Jun 14 2011, 11:53 PM']But isn't a solution for the tiny stage mentioned (unless he kicks someone off the stage) & I don't understand why the OP would use a 4x10 when he has a 2x12. I'd flog the 2x10 & the 4x10 & get a 2nd 212, thus giving him the same sound as the audience hears.[/quote] Agreed, I use two GK NEO212s (the OP says he has one in his first post) and it's near enough ear level that I just use that for my monitoring and the audience gets sound directly from that as well as through the PA. If he wants a monitor that's [b]his[/b] and he can do what he wants with minimum effect on the FOH sound though, the easiest way is to get a small 2nd head and run another back facing cab from that. A 2x10 doesn't take up too much floor space, not much more than a normal monitor. If the PA doesn't have monitoring and he's up against a horn section and drums with his own amp aimed at his knees, it could be just the trick. Also, I know the OP mentions a 4x10 in one of his posts but without knowing what it is, it's hard to say if he'll get enough money between that and his 2x10 (the GK BL series are only basic amps and really don't sell for much) to afford a second NEO212 which are GK's pro neo range (though still inexpensive for how good they are IMO). Also if he wants a different sound on stage without monitoring (which it sounds like), it's not really possible with one amp.
  7. ThomBassmonkey
    What you're saying makes total sense Ken. I agree that there's got to be a limit where a bass is no longer your responsibility, you can't be responsible for basses that have had decades of use and abuse. I think some complaints are justified though. It's not fair that Bassbluestew gets lumped with a minimum order cost of $300 because someone before him had you running in circles, likewise on the costs of postage on cheap parts, people on here buy strings from the US all the time and the postage is minimal for something that probably weighs and costs more than the parts people have talked about in this thread. Maybe, since the parts aren't any profit to you, if they're available in europe, you could tell your UK reps what parts they are and they could supply them independantly of you. Obviously it's better if the parts come from you so that they're definitely the right parts, but it sounds like that would cut costs and bother for everyone involved. I don't know if it's possible though. Thanks for signing up and giving objective views from your side though, it's easy to get carried away with bashing brands and people when they're not around to defend themselves and it's equally easy to get carried away agressively defending yourself when you find out that people have been bashing you without your knowledge.
  8. ThomBassmonkey
    Maybe for the sake of simplicity you should use "in" and "out". I have no idea about the specific basses but I'd be surprised if the buttons weren't standard latching buttons. Obviously since I'm totally ignorant of how it works, I'm probably totally wrong but it wouldn't make sense to me to have something like a basic circuit connection on/off PCB based when a simpler mechanism would be cheaper and...well...simpler. Maybe if there are PCBs covering it, they're just there because it's a convenient space for them rather than their direct involvement with the buttons. Like I say though, I know nothing about the basses, some things are overly complicated and I could quite well be wrong. Either way, if it's a bother, take it back. As soon as you open it up and start fiddling, they can argue that it's something you've done. If you're happy with it then keep it, it doesn't sound like something that's affecting the sound in any other way than some initial confusion on how it works.
  9. ThomBassmonkey
    [quote name='ingenius' post='1269370' date='Jun 14 2011, 10:38 PM']+1 s**te showing off rubbish. Take a look( Google) our own BC`er Andy Saxton for a truly gifted bass player a joy to behold[/quote] +1 He gave me a copy of his solo CD when we did a gig together (very strange gig at a working men's club, but I digress) and it's great melodic playing and he's a nice guy to boot. Shame he has a vile shiny Warwick. On topic again: To be honest, it did get to the point at the show where I was going to go say something, but he turned off his amp and went to try out the amps on another stall (Krampera was it? I forget) and the poor guy on the stall got so many glares from everyone when Nigel plugged into the biggest cab he had, the volume quickly went down.
  10. ThomBassmonkey
    I'd be interested to hear the results. It does sound a very complex solution to a problem that doesn't exist IMO though. I use a GK MB Fusion which is a very similar head to yours and I'd imagine it'd sound fine full range with the EBS cab on it's own. I'd be very careful every time you set it up, move around the room listening carefully for phase problems. With that many different speakers set up next to each other, you'd be lucky to escape scott free.
  11. ThomBassmonkey
    I don't see the problem. Bass doesn't always go through the PA, I can't comment on the OP's band because I don't know the ins and outs but if, at small venues, his 410 is pushing out enough volume for out front but he can't hear it because it's pointed at his knees, having a dedicated monitor is exactly the way to go. Tilting, moving or raising cabs isn't always practical. It often means putting it somewhere where it's not ideal for the audience or in a precarious place (on a stool, at an angle etc). It could be the perfect fix or it could end up damaging his cab and having no effect anyway. If the OP has a spare cab and is willing to throw a couple of hundred pounds at a small head like an MB200, then he's going to be sorted, whatever the circumstances are. Running with the MB200 for a moment, it's tiny, it'll take up very little space on stage and in a bag, it'll give TOTAL control over his on-stage sound (including EQ and volume) and it's not as expensive as some of the other solutions. Having a backup head never hurts and it'll be a lot more flexible than some other options. Having a small 2x10 pointed across the stage or angled up will give good control of the on stage sound without affecting what's going out front too much. If you're not at the point where you have good monitoring at gigs and you're carting around the extra cab anyway, it's a good, easy solution.
  12. ThomBassmonkey
    [quote name='munkonthehill' post='1269276' date='Jun 14 2011, 09:47 PM']I guess its sh*tty bammin up some fellas life work on bass.[/quote] While I agree to an extent, he does it with complete disregard for the people around him. As my above post, I've been stuck next to the guy for two days straight while he's assaulted everyone's ears. Music's an art and all art has it's place, but I can't feel bad for speaking negatively about someone that doesn't understand that not everyone likes to listen to ball bearings falling down Escher's fire escape for hours on end.
  13. ThomBassmonkey
    As WOT said, it's Nigel Clutterbuck. Tasteless sh*te. I was stood next to him for 2 days at the LBGS and apart from the fact he played that rubbish solidly for 2 days without a care for anyone else in the world, he doesn't seem to realise the volume on bass amps doesn't have to be on 11. The worst part is it's interesting to watch for about 30 seconds, so as people filtered through, he always had a crowd which seemed to encourage him. It really wasn't enjoyable for 2 days straight.
  14. ThomBassmonkey
    Oops, you're a drummer and you showed up at the wrong gig?
  15. ThomBassmonkey
    I don't see the problem. If you had it and it didn't sound right (as it wouldn't if you didn't know) then of course, get it sorted out. If you've played it and liked it, it's not a tough job to swap some wires if it's a serious problem. Maybe contact the shop you bought it from and see if they'll do it, it should only be a quick job and that way it won't void any warranty or garuantee that you have. With some of the QC stories that have been posted on here recently about EBMM, I'd stick with it since you know it's a good one.
  16. ThomBassmonkey
    Warwick have shot themselves in the foot with their amps. As someone else said, you can't get a dealership unless you bring in their amps (I'm not sure if it's got to be the hellbord specifically, but definitely amps are involved). They also have other clauses like you need to spend several thousand with them. As a shop, it doesn't make sense to spend thousands of pounds on undesirable items that would be a struggle to sell even if they were expensive due to their price (lots of shops have problems selling any bass over £500, never mind £1,000+) then on top of that they're expected to spend yet more money on amps (a minimum order of amps specifically iirc). Warwicks were always well made, distinctive German made basses. Now they've given that up for very average amps and watered down the image with cheaper made rockbasses, then further confused people by removing the rockbass title. It's a shame, I had a Thumb and loved it, but I wouldn't buy a new WW now.
  17. ThomBassmonkey
    There is another /starwars. I'll still have my HH Sandberg which is my main player. Unless I'm totally blown away by the MM, I can't see that going anywhere. I'm prepared to look at other trades too, so don't be afraid to make offers.
  18. ThomBassmonkey
    I know I already replied to this thread, but I only put what I think action should be, not what it actually is for me. Most of my basses are around 2mm, a bit over a pound coin at the 12th fret. I play hard and get some buzz, it's fine through the amp though and it adds a bit of agression.
  19. ThomBassmonkey
    I prefer to use my hiscox when possible, otherwise I have a couple of nice padded soft cases (depending on car room, walking distance etc). Whatever I take my bass in, plus a laptop case carries all my leads, pedal, wireless system and my amp head.
  20. ThomBassmonkey
    I don't believe I'm doing this, I love this baas and it cured my GAS for a while but I then got a very similar model with two MM pickups that took over as my main bass, now I'm GASing after a proper MM type bass to see what the real deal is like and since my big rig isn't selling or trading and this isn't get used, it's next up in the firing line. It's a soft aged Sandberg "JJ5" (the naming system changed to something strange), this pup config has to be custom ordered and isn't available from any shops I've seen. That doesn't mean they're some fancy custom shop model, they're made to order the same as any other Sandberg bass by the shop that gets them, just that no shops seem to have these made as standard. The custom shop decal on the headstock is the same, simply ordered and otherwise meaningless. I don't know what the colour is, it's almost CAR but in certain lights it looks a little more salmon pink. Obviously soft aged, I love Sandberg's aging on their basses, it looks very natural and it doesn't look like a 5 year old attacked it with a chisel. It has delano pickups in, they sound great. Loads of meat on them but still that classic J sound. High mass bridge, 0 fret, 2 band EQ with push/pull active/passive and a passive tone knob (the treble when in active mode). It's hard to say what the condition is. I'd say fairly good, it has a ding or two on top of the finish but with the reliced finish they're not obvious. As above, I'm ideally looking for a Musicman, Ray or Bongo 5 would do me fine. I'm not interested in 4s at all (sorry) but may consider a 6. Especially interested in 2 pickup models. Perfect trade would be a natural/black/red ray HH 5 with maple board. Funny as it sounds, colour would be the deciding factor. I'm not interested in blue, green, orange, any other crazy colour, it has to be black, red, natural or maybe white. I'll take a look at other offers on trades, if you fancy a trade, drop me an IM and I'll take a look. As said in other threads, I'm interested by Status (pref graphite neck), G&L, Wal (I'm prepared to do a deal including my amp if someone's interested), whatever. Just let me know, worst I can do is say no. I'll look at deals with cash my way but I don't have the spare moolah to fork out money myself. I'm not looking at selling and unless something ideal pops up and someone offers me enough money to get it, I won't be putting up a price. If you want to make me an offer, feel free and if something comes up I can look over offers and see if someone's offered me the right money previously, but it's not high on my list. Thom
  21. ThomBassmonkey
    Action should be as low as possible without choking notes or excessive fret buzz IMO. If it's not affecting your sound there's NO reason to move your action up.
  22. ThomBassmonkey
    [quote name='Conan' post='1265370' date='Jun 11 2011, 09:03 PM']I think the BTB 5s are a smidgin over £600 new though aren't they?[/quote] Like the SRs they're a whole range, I've not really looked at prices for a while but from memory the prestige ones run into the thousands, a quick google shows the BTB405 is available under £500 new though. They also have wider string spacing than the SRs IIRC. I used a BTB406 for about 8 years and it never let me down once apart from one string break, which is a pretty good success rate over hundreds of gigs.
  23. ThomBassmonkey
    [quote name='fluffo' post='1265294' date='Jun 11 2011, 07:52 PM']I want peoples opinions on the best 5 string for under £500 [b]new[/b].[/quote] [quote name='tommorichards' post='1265307' date='Jun 11 2011, 08:09 PM']Maybe a [b]used[/b] G&L tribute L2500? I feel myself going for something with dual humbuckers....[/quote] He said new. My first stop would probably be to look at Ibanez, the SR or BTB ranges specifically. Warwicks would probably be next (the rockbass range).
  24. ThomBassmonkey
    [quote name='wateroftyne' post='1265069' date='Jun 11 2011, 04:21 PM']That said, the point has been made elsewhere that this thread is just going to be a list of everyone's favourite bass amps...[/quote] Ineviably, but people suggesting their own amps can be of benefit too. If the OP takes opinions with a pinch of salt and looks at facts presented in posts, there's a lot to be learned. Asking for the "best" in an area that's down to opinion is basically asking for peoples' favourite anyway. Of course I've posted in favour of my fave brand of amps so I would say that though.
  25. ThomBassmonkey
    [quote name='Steff' post='1264936' date='Jun 11 2011, 02:16 PM']Gallien-Krueger MB series - a good little amp, sounded well all around, but lacked the power. Played with that one many years ago, so I don't have very clear memories...[/quote] Am I reading that right? What cab was it going through? I use an MB Fusion which is (IIRC) the same power section as an MB500 and it does fine. I'd be confident gigging it with one of my (GK Neo) 2x12s. I usually take both 2x12s around though for gigs, more elevation, speaker surface area and they're easy enough to manage that it's never caused me a problem. There's people on here doing gigs (couldn't comment on size) with the MB200 and I personally played an MB200 through an 8Ohm 4x10 at the LBGS and while it wasn't drowning anything out, it was certainly holding it's own against the much more powerful amps surrounding it. If you like the tone of Hartke amps, check them out. I was pleasantly surprised by an LH3500 I used recently at a festival gig. They are generally recognised as good amps, just inexpensive. If people like Wooten (IIRC) use them, they must have some merit.
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