ThomBassmonkey

I started playing guitar 6 months after bass, I used to teach guitar lessons too so I know my way around a guitar.

The cheapest fanned fret bass you're going to find will be a Dingwall Combustion, they go for about £1300 new, I sold one 2nd hand for £800 recenttly. They're only 5 string though. You'll probably be looking at about £2000 for a 6 string. They're good, they feel great, sound good. I just found it was missing something for me.

What about having sub forums in the gigs forum for different areas? Then people could check gigs in their area more easily and they wouldn't disappear so quickly because there'd be less "competition".

Some quotes from the description: "Keller handmade Pre~CBS ´64 neck replica" "It's my take on Pre CBS Jazz neck ´64 replica" "Neck is exact replica of ´64 Jazz" He quite clearly says that it's a replica and that it's made by "Keller" (I assume him), I fail to see the problem. There's nothing misleading about it. If someone's going to spend £350+ on a neck (before import tax and shipping etc), I'd hope they'd read the description properly. Edit: I understand the concern that it could be used to create a fake, but there's really nothing that Fender could do. It's very clearly advertised as a copy. As for the date, AFAIK the date stamps are often a year or more earlier than the bass's year because the bass's year is the year it was assembled, not the year it was made.

Yeah, Rufus (dog) should be fine. He's still coughing but the test results should be in tomorrow so if he's on the wrong anti-biotics, he should get put on the right ones. He's still young (less than 2) so he has age on his side. No worries Rob, we should have the video up soonish. There'll be a lot of mistakes on it I'm guessing, but the point was to capture the energy of the crowd and as I said, the crowd was brilliant. Strangest part was the mosh pits, anyone that knows JWP music will know that it's not especially moshable but we had the whole shebang, walls of death and the lot! Will definitely make for an interesting video when people are knocking seven bells out of each other to some of our more chilled out tracks.

Endorsements can also be there simply because people want to help out too. I know my band's certainly not at a point where people talk about what gear I use (outside of asking me what I'm using at gigs, of course), but I have a GK endorsement (as well as other members having other endorsements and more endorsements in the works). I doubt that they realised I'd rave about them on here either, so it's not that. After meeting up with (UK GK dist) Polar Audio's AR guy and having a good natter, basically it sounded like he enjoyed my band and wanted to encourage us to keep working at it, it's not all about getting cheap/free gear for us either, having brands willing to back you is it's own reward and something you can put on the band CV. Being able to say "we're endorsed by ****" means people are more willing to take a 2nd look at the band as it shows that people have enough confidence in us to give us cheap/free stuff in return for having their name on our sites and at our gigs. I was already using GK before I got the endorsement anyway, so it's not like they would've lost a user/presence at gigs if they'd turned me down.

My dog's been ill (kennel cough which has got worse and the vets now suspect pneumonia after finding fluid in his lungs, he should apparently be alright, but he's not very happy), my dad's estate car's broken down, which screws everything up with transport because it means I'm stuck with my huge stack and tiny Fiesta instead of using his car, we had single release gig where after messing about trying to sort a video for it, we decided to do it live, so were relying on a good turn out but found out the venue hadn't promoted it at all, we got up on stage then realised there'd been a miscommunication between our singer/guitarist and roadie so after a carefully planned intro track we all ran on stage and none of the guitarist's gear had been set up, the only thing on stage of his was his amp. But The crowd was awesome, the place was rammed, everyone had a great time, the support bands were excellent, the video should be excellent. I honestly don't think I've ever played such a fun gig! We ended up playing for almost an hour and a half just through getting carried away and being called back for encores! It's amazing how a day can turn around. I'm really looking forwards to our tour now! Sorry for the over-use of commas, but it's been a long day and I'm exhausted. My mind's focusing on sleep at the moment, not grammar.

[quote name='molan' post='1201633' date='Apr 16 2011, 10:38 AM']She started to take Bass Lessons because of the Cora![/quote] Wow I'd have thought most people would've taken lessons before spending thousands on a bass.

[quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='1201620' date='Apr 16 2011, 10:24 AM']Now if only 1 or 2 could switch to fretless at the flick of a switch.......................................[/quote] [url="http://mikeyguitar.com/bass.asp"]http://mikeyguitar.com/bass.asp[/url] ?

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' post='1201278' date='Apr 15 2011, 10:36 PM']I like that blue California P, somewhere in the middle-left. Edit: Just noticed how far the neck runs into the body! Just looks odd now![/quote] I don't think it looks that odd (apart from being short a string), I know what you mean though. I assume you mean this one.

haha, I understand that. I really think that the GKs are what they say on the tin though. Like I said in the other thread, I think the costs (and weight) have been kept down by lack of baffling and bracing, but from what I've seen and heard (as well as trying the 210) they don't get boomy like you might expect. After looking them up a minute ago, I realised the reliability issues on earlier models I mentioned in another thread were actually the MB150 heads. I'm playing a gig down in Brighton next week and hopefully some of the guys from Polar Audio are coming along, if you want me to ask anything then feel free to let me know and I'll try and remember or alternatively throw me a PM and I'll give you the name and email of the guy I deal with there and I'm sure either he'll be able to answer questions or pass you on to someone who can. I totally understand your skeptisism but they really are in a league of their own. All the amps they do are brilliant for what they are, a quick search on this forum for the MB200 will show you posts from people who are blown away by how capable the tiny £210 200w head is. If you're ever in Nottingham/Derby you're welcome to come give my stuff a blast, obviously it's not the MB combos, but the rig I'm getting next week is very similar, albeit with a hybrid head and fully baffled/braced cabs. If you're happy using your incoming TC head, the NEO212s could be an option anyway.

Grats, Shep! Really good news, they look like great basses.

Bass Direct have the head in for £1794, the B1T is £1038 and the B1B is £894, that's where I was looking at the price. Krampera were just around the corner from us at LBGS but the only time I heard them really was when Clutterbutt was destroying any kind of tone they may have had with his tasteless slap (IMO of course ). Standing on the GK stand with the TC stand facing us didn't really allow me to hear much else, including for a couple of days after. I look forward to hearing your views on it once you've got your rig though.

I had a drummer in a band that supported us a few weeks ago tell me that he liked the pickups in my Sandberg JJ5. He didn't even ask about the bass, but he was interested in my amp and pickups.

Valve heads should say that they're valve. Amps that have valve pre-amps and solid state (i.e. not valve) power amps are usually called hybrids. An amp can have a valve pre-amp and power amp or just a valve pre-amp. Depending on what you want, you're probably better off going 2nd hand. Amps are pretty durable in general and you shouldn't need to worry too much. £500 is a bit limiting if you're going for a hybrid or valve amp including cab. There are options (Hartke do some cheapish hybrid heads for example, you could get quite a nice rig for that) but they're not so common. In general you'd be looking at almost £500 just for a head along the valve or hybrid lines, even 2nd hand. I'd look at solid state amps if I was you, there's a lot more around and there's some great gear available. For guitar distortion, I'd always go valve. On bass I find it doesn't matter so much, I use a GK head with built in OD, it's all solid state but I think it sounds great. If you can bump up your budget a little, there's some good gear around. Wooks is selling an Ampeg valve combo here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=130896"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=130896[/url] that'd be a good intro into the world of valves for not a lot of money (for what it is).

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1201253' date='Apr 15 2011, 10:12 PM']I have decided against the GK MB combos. I haven’t tried one, but the price seems too good to be true. 500W 2x12 combo for under £550 and its lightweight?! Something has to give.[/quote] That's definitely an unusual reason for not going for something. You really should give one a go, you won't be disappointed.

Yeah, I was probably just unlucky with that ray, it wasn't mine so there was nothing I could do with it anyway. I would love to try a properly set up ray through my rig, but I love my Sandbergs. Hopefully getting a H/H Sandberg next week, I know they're not quite MMs, but I'm expecting the MM pups to be obscene.

[quote name='steviedee' post='1201190' date='Apr 15 2011, 09:29 PM']I dunno if that's strictly bi-amping but it sounds cool so far.[/quote] A stereo power amp is actually two power amps (so long as you're not running it bridged). If you have two signal chains, then it's bi-amped.

I don't think I could buy unseen unless it was a new custom instrument direct from the manufacturer which obviously, I'd have no choice in not playing before buying. I'm experienced enough that I can guess whether or not I'd get on with most basses but that doesn't mean that the bass is always exactly what I expected.

I've heard Rob(rmshaw37)'s rig and it's beasty. Great control over mixing them together, gives a nice growly tone.

[quote name='Skol303' post='1200736' date='Apr 15 2011, 02:27 PM']On a more serious note: 'distressed' guitars. I mean, WTF?! That's like buying ripped jeans in the '80s. You've got to be a complete mug to spend money on something that somebody else has messed up on your behalf.[/quote] First time I dinged my Ibanez (painted and new) I was gutted, until that point I'd been really precious about it, it looked very "clean" and great condition. First time I dinged my Sandberg JJ5 (admitted was 2nd hand and a little dinged anyway) with relicd finish, I didn't give a crap. I've never felt precious about it, it gets used and abused, lumped in the back of a van regularly. Love the bass, but the relicd finish has meant it looks lived in. I'm never one for sterile clean looks on things.

Sandbergs seem to be coming into fashion atm. I'm hopefully getting my 2nd next week. They definitely deserve it though, fabulous basses! Grats on your aquisition, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1201096' date='Apr 15 2011, 07:32 PM']I'm not a hi fi kinda guy but cleaner rather than gritty, Rays are a bit gritty anyway remember especially the five. I like the look of the new GB Streamliner but from the clips I have heard for me personally just the one pre amp valve in the shuttle range is enough. For all the bickering none of the class D heads are bad IMO I could gig permanently with any but Mark Bass are my least favourite choice at the moment, People that say they are not muddy should a b one with the Genz IMO, Partly the cabs but there is still a bit of wool in the heads if you ask me and to someone who likes super clear they are miles off. Great if that's the sound you want just like Ashdown I have no issue at all but they both have that tone which I can't enjoy personally [/quote] Personally I hate Ashdown. I've never played one that I've enjoyed. They never seem to have definition in a mix. If they were being used on root notes to fill out the sound, then they do their job, but as soon as you start doing other stuff, they're mud. I used a half stack at a rehearsal room the other day and I actually deliberately played the wrong note from time to time and it was barely noticable. I find Markbass has a similar sound to Ashdown but better clarity. I've never sat down and played one properly though, though I've heard enough to know they're not for me. Genz are super clean amps. I've played a couple and they sound lovely, I've said before, if I was doing solo bass stuff, I'd probably be looking at GB, I like GKs in the mix though. Grit is good though to my tastes. Like I say, we only have one guitarist and the grit fills out the sound when he's soloing and gives me the growl to cut through and have good definition when playing runs etc through his chords. I do want to try a good ray through my rig. A ray through GK amps is tried and tested and a brilliant sound from other people I've heard doing it, but I've only played one ray through a GK rig and it was a 4 string with HORRIBLE volume drop on the G and D strings (G was barely audible). Growl and more growl, if I wasn't so hooked on my Sandberg, I'd have made more of an effort to find a ray in the last week or two.

Ah, fair play. With the GK having a pretty unique sound and me pretty much being in tonal nirvana with my Sandberg and RB/RBH rig, I prefer to keep as much of that as possibly by using the DI on the head. It's great quality DI out anyway so no problems there. I kinda started looking at distortion pedals when I was using my 700RB, but it wasn't important enough to bother me that I never found one I liked. I was on the verge of going out of my way to try out a Blowtorch and similar when GK offered me the endorsement. After I got my 2001RB with OD built in though, I use it all the time. It's not vital to our sound, but it does add something when the guitar is soloing (we don't have a 2nd guitarist), adding a little meat to my tone.