jgmh315 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 The nut width was as stated by Chapman Guitars. Nice to hear it's been changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weststarx Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Voted for by 100 blind bassists... it looks absolutely hideous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlungerModerno Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 [quote name='Weststarx' timestamp='1420482124' post='2649847'] Voted for by 100 blind bassists... it looks absolutely hideous! [/quote] Say what you like - it is distinctive. I've got nothing against natural finish basses, or non fender headstocks - but I find the non-parallel string paths a bit "unfocused". I can't say I'm a huge fan of the styling myself. Something simple like the below (without the sweet accents on the corners and the end of the headstock, which are somewhat a trademark!) would be more to my taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolomonHelsing Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 [quote name='Weststarx' timestamp='1420482124' post='2649847'] Voted for by 100 blind bassists... it looks absolutely hideous! [/quote] Nopeee I can see thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GloopyJon Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) It's all personal taste. I happen to like the way it looks. I'm working on a video review but it's been halted today by an apparent glitch in Movie Maker and me being ill. I hope it'll go live within a day or two. Don't expect good playing - I'm not a very experienced bassist and apparently I'm blind! [I wasn't one of the 100, by the way, but evidently almost none of them have actually bought the bass. I got one of the first batch of 8 that arrived at Anderton's] Edited January 6, 2015 by GloopyJon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GloopyJon Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 [quote name='Graham' timestamp='1398500283' post='2434662'] Hmmmm, the coil tap mode sounded the best by far, on the whole sounded rather indistinct; considering it's seems to be mostly aimed at metal/heavy players it doesn't sound (in this video) nearly clear enough. I like the aesthetics of it, I like the wood combinations, but I suspect if I were to plan on buying one I'd need to budget a hundred to two hundred quid more for replacement pickups, and possibly a different wiring harness too - volume/volume/blend seems too complicated to me. [/quote] Drat, I forgot to record some samples with the coil tap on! Thanks for the reminder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 [quote name='GloopyJon' timestamp='1420561283' post='2650648']... [I wasn't one of the 100, by the way, but evidently almost none of them have actually bought the bass. I got one of the first batch of 8 that arrived at Anderton's] [/quote] I [i]was [/i]one of the 100, and the first I heard that it was actually produced and available was your post, yesterday..! I can't congratulate the manufacturing team on their communications skills; very sporadic, at best. As it happens, almost none of my suggestions were taken up (no surprise there, and I'm a drummer to boot..!), and I'd want to try one out before committing to purchase, but I think the basic error has been the insufferable delay in the whole project. A shame, as I approve the concept. Nice to see that it really did come to fruition, though; there were serious doubts at several points of the process. I'll be watching out for all reviews with interest. Well done on sharing your experience; enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M@23 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I'd be interested to try one, I have a Chapman guitar and it's the worst guitar I've ever owned but quite a long shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolomonHelsing Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1420563660' post='2650695'] I [i]was [/i]one of the 100, and the first I heard that it was actually produced and available was your post, yesterday..! I can't congratulate the manufacturing team on their communications skills; very sporadic, at best. As it happens, almost none of my suggestions were taken up (no surprise there, and I'm a drummer to boot..!), and I'd want to try one out before committing to purchase, but I think the basic error has been the insufferable delay in the whole project. A shame, as I approve the concept. Nice to see that it really did come to fruition, though; there were serious doubts at several points of the process. I'll be watching out for all reviews with interest. Well done on sharing your experience; enjoy. [/quote] Yeah being one of the 100, still going to try first, else i'll take my 600 elsewhere. It was just so annoying when our votes were delayed and such yet they were bringing out guitar votes and special runs seemingly every other month :/ ha. Ah well, by any luck I'll have a good bass that'll likely be my active pup one long as the cavities were made a standard size that a few companies have used. Albeit with a overhaul looks wise too maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GloopyJon Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 It does have individual volumes, a blender and a tone knob that pulls out to coil tap. The cavity is large enough to put extra stuff in - I've put a photo in the video that I'm making. I just recorded some samples with the coil tap on and off which I'll add too. Hoping that the video will be finished in the next day or two but it's slowed down because I've been ill today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Look forward to seeing it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 It's not as bad as I expected it to look but very much not my sort of thing. Don't like how the neck through-ness disappears on the bottom because of the veneer top though but for a first effort it's not bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolomonHelsing Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Funnily enough we only voted on the pickup choice, The control layout was decided out of sight. But yeah there was enough space routed in the back for it to be easier to add after-market preamp etc if you wanted to change pickups etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 [quote name='M@23' timestamp='1420568186' post='2650755'] I'd be interested to try one, I have a Chapman guitar and it's the worst guitar I've ever owned but quite a long shot. [/quote] Not to de-rail (feel free to answer by PM) but been debating getting one, so what makes you say that? Just curious! Not trying to start anything. I like the idea behind the MLB but the radius and controls put me right off. Chapman seem very busy behind the scenes which seems to be affecting the way things are run a little. On paper I like the "community design" idea, but in practise it feels like I've missed out on the chance to get what I want due to other people haha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlungerModerno Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 [quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1420583138' post='2651051'] Designed by committee then. Even a master volume + blend, or vol vol tone would be a better setup. In the current configuration you would have to set the volumes of each pickup on full to get the blend to work in a predictable fashion, and there is a bit of redundancy in the circuit. A more efficient design would be volume, blend, passive bass cut, tone. Or,rip all that stuff out and put in a nice preamp. [/quote] +1 cheap but functional preamp with passive bypass & passive master tone would be adequate for 85% of customers - and not add much to the price (£50 at most). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlungerModerno Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 [quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1420592606' post='2651190'] I had a Vintage Stingray clone, and the preamp was a cheapy wee thing pressed onto recycled Chinese cardboard (think cereal box cut to size with markings intact). That must be a £2.50 preamp from the manufacturer and it worked ok! [/quote] For a short term pre - no probs . . . If it wants to be a players bass - a £10 preamp might be more appropriate. You can get a lot of electronics for £10 - if you buy in bulk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kempy535 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 [quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1420569516' post='2650773'] I'm not a big fan of Rob Chapman in those Anderton videos. [/quote] Im glad I am not the only one that thinks this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerster135 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 [quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1420569516' post='2650773'] I'm not a big fan of Rob Chapman in those Anderton videos. [/quote] Aye, he strikes me as a bit of a plonker... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 He's a well meaning bell end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GloopyJon Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I think he plays the fool a bit but their videos are deceptively professional, if you compare them with many other similar videos. In this day and age, nobody is going to spend megabucks on doing studio productions for guitar reviews - look at the magazine reviews, they're just one guy sitting in front of a camcorder on a tripod, probably doing everything on his own. Anderton's have a cameraman and a sound man when they shoot their videos, and I suspect that their review videos are actually more professionally done than any others on the internet from that perspective. It helps that they have a couple of guys who work as a great partnership to present the videos, which makes them much more entertaining, and they follow the classic comedy pairing of the comedian and the straight man. And don't forget that the sole purpose of these videos is to sell gear for Anderton's. I think that they do that exceptionally well - I've bought a lot of stuff from them in the past year or two, and I wouldn't have known about them if I hadn't stumbled across the videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madshadows Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 The bass player from Dorje plays a Chapman bass in this vid while reviewing an Ashdown Bass amp [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqfjMLGwo90"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqfjMLGwo90[/url] John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GloopyJon Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 My video is live now. Don't expect great playing but I hope it gives people an idea of the bass! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq3-9LJRvew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlungerModerno Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Good stuff. Thanks for that. I find your playing more effective at showing the basses character than the Rob Chapman youtube channel demo here: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0ANzYPhM6M"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0ANzYPhM6M[/url] Partly because you've got more playing time in, but you're playing simple basslines [i]WITH A PICK[/i]. I find it's crucial to demo the pick tone of a bass - especially one with "dark" pickups like humbuckers. Nice touch with the Yamaha - it reaffirmed what i already knew, I love split coil precision style pickups. All in all a straightforward and effective review - very good work. The talking part was a little long, but you did cover the entire instrument, covered some crucial points of confusion, and put your experience with the bass in a clear and concise manner. Bonus points for the adorable doggie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GloopyJon Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 [quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1420793224' post='2653391'] Good stuff. [/quote] Thanks for your comments, it's great to hear that people see some value in what I did. The whole point was to provide a different perspective from the CG publicity videos (which is what they are, despite their informal, matey presentation). Some of my samples were played with a pick and some were fingered. I tried playing some slap but I have done very little of it and I'm very bad at it, so it sounded appalling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlungerModerno Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 [quote name='GloopyJon' timestamp='1420800567' post='2653492'] Thanks for your comments, it's great to hear that people see some value in what I did. The whole point was to provide a different perspective from the CG publicity videos (which is what they are, despite their informal, matey presentation). Some of my samples were played with a pick and some were fingered. I tried playing some slap but I have done very little of it and I'm very bad at it, so it sounded appalling. [/quote] You're extremely welcome. The Chapman & Andertons should be happy with the good feedback. Good luck with the basses. That yamaha should cover a lot of the Jazz and Precision tones - while if you add a cheap preamp to the ML-B you could have all the active options from here to who knows where. Of course the line6 or another pedal could work just as well. . . Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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