Prime_BASS

I think I played on big reds Gus at the Notts bass bash. If I remember rightly it felt super wierd, only being used to heavy basses. I really have bad gas for one of those Mark king status basses, one with humbuckers, but I don't think I can bring myself to pay more than a grand on another bass, and I'm pretty happy with my stable as it is. I would have to totally fall in live with it. Would you say a status neck on a ray gives a significant improvement of sound over rigidness, as it's now raining no doubt the stingray is going to need a tweak.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='1307392' date='Jul 18 2011, 07:26 AM']They can be had. At a price. Someone on here has one, but I can't recall who. Not exactly common, though. [useless snippet] "Talbo" is a contraction of [b]T[/b]okai [b]AL[/b]uminium [b]BO[/b]dy [/useless snippet] They did guitars, too. Prime_Bass - A Status neck for a 'Ray would be less than £500, inclusive of VAT and inclusive of drilling the headstock for/fitting tuners and attaching the neck/setting up. The necks alone used to be about £300, but may have increased in price. Someone (not the someone with the Talbo!) has an OLP MM3 with a Status neck on it that was supposed to be very good indeed...[/quote] I was positive grooves had graphite necks... Although very rare. I feel confident enough in buying the neck alone and doing the rest of the work myself, last I looked they were £345. Could still almost buy a bass for that.

Very speedy guy, much appreciated, good communication. Top bloke !!!! Stephen.

Although I'm not really one to comment on technique, mine is pretty poor.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1307185' date='Jul 17 2011, 10:41 PM']The Groove was all wood though.[/quote] I see.... I don't think it's that's tacky, look alike crap, it's actual weave with a sticky back to stick to stuff. Quite expensive for single layer carbon. Without trying to go off topic- my brother deals in carbon fibre with his work and car and guesstimates an A4 size sheet would be around £50.

All very interesting. I do like the cut through on status basses, but it is the cold and cynical sound I'm afraid of, I definatly prefer the more vintage tone on my ray than any modern permutations. But the rigid/strong nature appeals as my ray and sterlings neck react badly to the great britsh weather and have to tweak the setup more than I'd like to if I didn't love the sound. The only comparision in a status neck on a ray and the original is on YouTube buy a guy called David, but YouTube isn't really the forefront of quality sound. It's also a lot of money, unless a groove bass pops up.

[quote name='JTUK' post='1305297' date='Jul 15 2011, 10:43 PM']Nope..not in a million. Read what I said. One chassis aint going to be able to do it, as far as I am concerned. There isn't a 15 or 12 or 10" that will do it. I've use a few.[/quote] To be honest you've got to compromise somewhere, for me I compromise on practice volume/tone, I'm only practicing so it's not important but then a lot of the time I'm using the headphones out. So what have you got the new rig for? The idea was to get rid of everything else, but you still have everything else, and will essentially use it all despite the Roland because admit it the Barefaced sounds better?

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1306549' date='Jul 17 2011, 12:05 PM']210s give a rounder sound for me, 15s do low end well but they don't have the definition IME.[/quote] With the right EQing a 15 will sound more "rounder" than any 210. Take a look at the Barefaced website. I've done a fair bit of looking but you'll be hard pressed to find any 210s that go as low and as loud as even quality 1x12 let alone a 1x15.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='1306872' date='Jul 17 2011, 06:06 PM']Hard question to answer! Depends very much on the tone you're after, the bass/strings you're using, the loudness of your band and the specific cab. They're aren't many amps that won't work well for someone with one of our cabs. I was going to write a shortlist of amps that are popular with our customers but I keep thinking of more and more models![/quote] The list will be incredibly long. As long as the head is pumping out real watts in a region of around 300 up you'll be fine with the midget or pushing it to the compact. Had a SVT-3 pro putting 350watts into a compact and it felt rather under powered, yet I had a OTB running in 4 ohm mode into it Whig should be about 300-350watts an it was ridiculously loud still. Markbass tend to be good companions, as are the TC heads, I've used both with a variety of Alexs cabs and they both sound wonderful at serious volume. A lot of praise comes from the harkte LH500 aswell. I always tell people you get what you out what you put in sound wise, as long as the watts are there to drive it.

I have to admit I'm a total noob when it comes to non-wood basses. Perspex, carbon fiber, aluminium!!! In terms of how they sound anyway. Everytime I see some carbon fiber I get a little GAS attack. I even have a vinyl sheet of the stuff that I've been meaning to apply to something bass related. Anyways, my question is what are the typical sound characteristics of Carbon Fiber, Perspex and so on.

Advice: go to a shop and try before they buy!!!!!!!! The first bass is probably one of the most important basses(if not THE most) in a bassists career. It'll either inspire him to keep learning and playing or hate the thing and never pick it up and progress. I can't fault majority of squiers basses, and anything above the sandard range tends to be a quality product for te money. As long as they are willing to gets setup, learn how to setup, and learn when to change strings once they are dead, they should have a long and adventurous bass life.

[quote name='MuckedUpFunkies' post='1306866' date='Jul 17 2011, 06:01 PM']I've played a fair few bongos and I found them really difficult to slap on. The neck pup was just too close to the neck for me which is shame cus they really are great basses...[/quote] Although I can't hear the speaking in the video posted the player is commenting on the space for slapping I believe. Without being rude to you it's kinda down to poor technique or the ability to adapt. On the big al the neck pickup is pretty close so I learned to both pop with the very tip of my finger and also use my 3rd finger for a wider reach. All this bongo talk is making me GAS now.

Anyways if I had £1200 purely to spend on a bass and nothing else. I'd look getting another stingray, or a custom jobby from someone, but it would most likely end up being a stingray clone :

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1305092' date='Jul 15 2011, 08:05 PM']If there is, I`m sure many Basschatters will claim to be your best friend, in the hope that there is room for two![/quote] Deal Mr.Banker.

Not heard the 115 personally but it will certainly louder than 210. Although it doesn't need to be loud but it'll give the better sound onstage with the right EQing. The mids-low mids will be better and the lows will be able to keep up better than with the 210.

[quote name='theplumber' post='1306383' date='Jul 17 2011, 03:27 AM']If you cant make good music on a cheap bass....ie squier or the likes...you are a sh*t bass player...and a bit shallow....[/quote] Rather irrelevant

If I had the resources I would record both my stingray and sterling, I'm pretty sure people would be able to guess which is which, even though they are essentially the same bass, same woods, preamp equipped, MM humbucker equipped. But that's rather simplifing the matter. Any making comments on pickup type and everything else being an excuse is the same as who ever says that basses sound the same regardless of what's in it, is an excuse because they don't know/don't care/can't tell. The difference for between me and them is that I do care, as I'm well aware of the differences between a variety of basses. Although I agree the mix has to be relatively clear and transparent. I never knew dougie from mcfly played a sterling, but in a blind test no one would tell since the mix is terrible. On the other hand my first hearing of Midget- the Milgram experiment, I could instantly tell the bass was at least from MM background, and I think so would most other MM fans. When say stingray I mean 4H, that being the traditional model. When people say Jazz bass you expect traditional single coils, not humbuckers. If I meant stingray but the 5 sting I'd say SR5.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1305234' date='Jul 15 2011, 09:49 PM']Thats true, the neo pups are VERY clear...but the Big Al can get almost vintagey Fender tones. What I do like is how powerful they are. A single coil and a low B...fat at the neck?! Really? Oh yes.[/quote] Indeed, bbut the passive tone lacks the highs for me, the control should have been 500k as the single coils are essentially humbuckers. I agree those miss are great on that bongo but it doesnt really have the same low end and high that the ray has, and for that high-mid and high sound that rays have is enough to cut through, as the lows are still very low and rumbly so they hold down the lows very well. At the same time I like my sterling as the mods are more pronounced so it's easyier to be heard but the lower and higher end trade of is a little too much when doing either higher end melodies or low end heavy riffs. One of the band songs is exactly like that so I also play that song with a bass too see if it matches up with my ray, kinda like a bench Mark song.

Give it to charity.

I just wish everything else would get out the way so I could hear the bass more!!!

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1305224' date='Jul 15 2011, 09:45 PM']You are correct re: the switch. The Ray 5 is a Ray though, especially now they are alnico. The 2 band vs 3 band is subjective. I like both.[/quote] I prefer 3 band, i have the mids flat, but they don't sound as lost on a 2 band. For those getting up tight about us trying to figure out what the stingray sound is blah blah blah. There is a suprising amount of difference between an alnico 4H 3 band and an SR5 H with ceramic coils and in either series or single coil. Even the parallel mode on a ceramic version sounds vastly different to a alnico, due to the lack of depth onthe low end and more pronounced mids. What ever the answers are, they are meaningless since it isn't a "traditional" ray being heard. I agree basses sound like basses that sound like basses, but different basses sound like different basses. You really think a solo'd bridge pup on a jazz sounds the same as an EB-0????

[quote name='JTUK' post='1304436' date='Jul 15 2011, 10:01 AM']One cab soution...?? zillions of them... 1 speaker solution...? not a chance, IMV. I can't recall ever hearing anyone with a single speaker sounding any good.[/quote] Obviously you haven't heard the Barefaced midget.... My supertwelveT isn't too loud for home practice, but then I play loud!!! And I have 750 watts!!!! You have the classic? It shouldn't have tweeted, and even if you don't and have the 750 the tweetertone won't make little(if any difference) due to the cab having no tweeter and it's high end being limited to 4khz. I don't see why it wouldn't be a 1 cab solution. Any gig bigger than what the compact can cope with should be equipped with a PA support. I understand your thin complaint, but it should be made away that finding the sweet spot on the master volume between where it sounds thin and sounding full, and teeter it between. It shouldn't be to loud, if it you need to find a more sound economic place to keep it, away from Walls/corners/ raising off the floor, this will decrease the lows by -3db for each wall and floor. So should be perceived to be quieter. (there are other thongs to bead in mind)

Alnico single coils..... I wish. The neo magnets feel very robotronic in sounding, very clear and defined across the range, the highs arnt too bright in my opinion, and the lows are very low, deep and rumbling, which is nice. I just prefer my stingray or sterling.

I hope Wal join the cheap Market.....