sPiKi

What's your opinion of the Lionel, Mike?

Lovely bass. Tell us more about your Dub King, Pinball. I've been considering getting one of these but wasn't sure about the body size. I have the Reverend Sentinel short scale and it is very comfortable to play but the DK body seems a good bit bigger. I also have a Mercalli 4 string and love the tone from the pickups. The Sentinel though has sort of ruined things for me and I am finding it harder to go back to playing my 34" scales. The Dub King is also the only SS they do with that pickup config. Wouldn't be interested in the Wattplower.

I have a Reverend Sentinel short scale. I had considered the Wattplower Mk1 but when they released the Sentinel, I preferred the body shape, aesthetics and was drawn to the three way toggle that gives three very distinctive tones. Although Reverend guitars are made by Mirr Music in Korea, each guitar & bass, gets an in-depth set up at Reverend's HQ in the US. This has been my go to bass since I bought it last year and my other basses only get the occasional trip out of their cases before quickly returning. The Sentinel is lightweight, has great quality components (Hip Shot lightweight tuners, bespoke pickups and high mass bridge etc.) enjoyable to play and delivers a BIG sound. Merchant City are the largest UK dealer and carry these in stock. That's where I got mine and the customer service was first class. Worth considering. Have a look at this video. Although it is not a review of a short scale, the reviewer talks a lot about the quality etc.

Have to agree with Dave's comments and decide whether I have to sell on the 800+ I bought from you last year, Mike 😎

I have the D800+ amp rather than the preamp. I found this a very good demo (in spite of the language barrier) and I think it is representative of the tones I can get from the amp. I tried some of his settings, as well as my VT pedal which he demos as part of his signal chain in the video. BC, I used my D800 (non plus) at those gigs were space was at a premium, along with my IEMs and it worked surprisingly well. I did miss the thump of a cab behind me, but it doesn't take long to adjust. Hope you find this helpful:

My third is a PJ.

Thanks BillyBass. Don't let the weight deceive you. Great electronics and the quality control is top notch. Although they are made in Korea, which seems to put off some potential players, every guitar is individually set up in the States. Playable straight out of the box. A great combination with the Subway rig.

Subway 112 + 115 hits the spot for me. Been using that combo for a few years now and is very versatile and loud enough for pubs, clubs and weddings. Since moving to IEMs I have been taking the 115 along with me for a bit of oomph on stage. Whenever we get back gigging though after COVID both cabs will be coming out every night and put through their paces.

That’s great Steve. Looking forward to the review.

Nice little demo here. Amp sounds great -

Good to hear that some of you are entitled to it and getting support.

Thanks Basinski.

Thanks for the response Burns-bass. That is clear to follow. Have you investigated this yourself?

With the chancellor announcing support for the self employed, can anyone explain clearly who is/may be entitled to it? I run a covers/function band as a small business with my brother and we complete a self-assessment return every year and have done so since we started gigging several years ago. The loss of earnings to us due to COVID 19 has been considerable (tbh I try not to think about it). Since March we have had cancellations for at least forty weddings and corporate functions and about the same in pub gigs. Music is a second source of income for me. My main employment is in education where I am employed full time. What I can't determine is if that cancels me out completely from getting any government support. Can anyone explain clearly if I might be entitled to any govt support at this time? Thanks in advance.

No stock at Sweetwater either: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SubwayTT800--mesa-boogie-subway-tt-800-lightweight-800-watt-bass-head

Try TUSQ 0.88s or 1.00mm. I use the 1mm 'warm' / yellow ones after switching from Tort 0.88s. Much prefer my tone now.

Good shot of the binding on the Mercalli.

Well if you know the meaning of mercalli, you'll get the significance of the image 😁 ! Bench recycled shortly after destruction.

I should add BassApprentice that I bought the Mercalli on the strength of a discussion on TalkBass and this review on YT (mine is the newer model with lightweight tuners, roasted maple neck etc.). I just thought it looking mighty and I was intrigued to try it out for myself. I didn't have the chance to try it first either and I don't regret it for a minute. Just check with MCM if they would take it back if you didn't like it.

I would agree with that description, that the Mercalli is more rounded. I have found the Decision pickups are higher output and played with a pick, the bass can do throaty/aggressive really well. It delivers a big, full sound. It did take some experimenting with the blend knob and my amp settings to find the tone I wanted. A little goes a long way with those pickups and the controls on the Mesa Subway head (I recently upgraded to the D800+). The control configuration on both basses is exactly the same. With the Mercalli, I tend to favour the blend knob slightly forward, towards the neck pickup. It just seems to give it a clear but weighty thump than either pickup soloed. Like a Precision but with a little more bite if that makes sense. The bridge pickup almost sounds like the equivalent on a J bass to me. I tend not to solo it, although for poppier songs in our set, I would roll the blend slightly towards the bridge, just a little more definition. Dead easy to dial in your tone. In short, if I had to pick I would choose the Merc over the Decision. Not only does it look cool (it's described as metallic copper fire and isn't as orange as the photos would suggest), it is very easy to get a tone that I'm happy with and sounds better through IEMs. Again this is just my experience, but I have found that I spend more time tweaking my IEM settings with the Decision, but once I get it, I don't touch a dial for the rest of the night. The Merc is also slightly lighter. The Sentinel is another matter entirely. Now, if only they made a short scale Mercalli!

Big Reverend fan. Let me introduce the family - Mercalli 4, Decison P and the Sentinel. Bought the first from Andertons, the other two from Merchant City. Richard at MCM is fantastic. Although I still have my USA jazz, it hasn't been out of its case or gigged in the two years since I got my first Rev. The blend knob is a great design and simplicity to use at a gig. I got the Sentinel just before the lockdown and have played it every day since. Just plays and sounds so good. A really first class shortie. Having playing over 100 gigs with these 3 basses I don't quite get the toy analogy particularly with the Merc and Decision which feel substantial to me but we all perceive things differently. If you fancy something a little bit different, are really well made and great after sales (in my experience) then Reverend are definitely worth serious consideration.