Newfoundfreedom Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 3 hours ago, Woodinblack said: Gear4Music did one, the redsub coliseum 6 Yeah. I've seen loads of them on eBay with broken headstocks. I'd say the quality control is somewhat lacking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 (edited) Just had this pop up on my Facebook feed. The PJ Sunburst looks absolutely stonking in this picture. I generally don't particularly like sunburst, but because it's a wash over the grain rather than a glossy finish, I think it looks superb! Edited April 21, 2022 by Newfoundfreedom 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 On 20/04/2022 at 06:20, Vin Venal said: I believe this happens when manufacturers (in this case Aria) are having something produced in China, Aria use Samick in Indonesia. On 20/04/2022 at 09:23, Vin Venal said: I suppose its entirely possible Aria didn't even design the bass. The Detroit bass is a variation on Aria's original RSB design. Hell it's just 2 years since they launched the range at NAMM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 6 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said: Yeah. I've seen loads of them on eBay with broken headstocks. I'd say the quality control is somewhat lacking. Red Sub fanned fret is a decent bass; trouble is roasted maple is quite brittle and G4M use really crap packing material. Look at the state this, my pal's acoustic bass was in that . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted April 21, 2022 Author Share Posted April 21, 2022 2 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said: Just had this pop up on my Facebook feed. The PJ Sunburst looks absolutely stonking in this picture. I generally don't particularly like sunburst, but because it's a wash over the grain rather than a glossy finish, I think it looks superb! That's what I went for. Irresistible. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 Order a gig bag, and the muppets4music dont even use it for extra protecting for the guitar inside the box! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 (edited) On budget open style tuners... I slacken the peg screw a little, dab of coppa slip (which is slightly abrasive) on the worms, and give the tuners a good few turns to remove platting flashing and help the gear to worm meshing... then clean off, re tighten the peg screw and apply a dab of vaseline... tuners feel way smoother then... That and a clean and pencil lead of the nut improves tuning feel and often stability for nothing! Worth a go before reaching for the credit card, same goes for the bridge, with new A2 Stainless Steel 'Dog Point' Saddle screws for £2 from Spaldings via the bay. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DOG-POINT-A2-STAINLESS-STEEL-METRIC-SOCKET-ALLEN-GRUB-SCREWS-M3-M4-M5-M6-/293221192240?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0 Edited April 21, 2022 by PaulThePlug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said: Order a gig bag, and the muppets4music dont even use it for extra protecting for the guitar inside the box! I think it's down to return policy. If you find the bass is damaged out the box then G4M can chin the courier service or hit the factory for a credit note. They lose that option if Warehouse staff start taking stuff out "protective packing" and putting it in other "protective packing" , factories/couriers can counter that damage was done in the warehouse. Say you bought a camera and a camera case from Argos , they'll hand you 2 boxes. Sounds daft but that's how these places operate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnt Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Yep - G4M and others are literally “box shifters” in that sense. That’s one reason why I didn’t go for one of the Coliseum MultiScales mentioned earlier. Between the first samples and actual availability was a long lead time (over six months IIRC), so what I might get could be entirely different in quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 18 hours ago, stewblack said: That's what I went for. Irresistible. Did you get a working tracking number yet? I got the shipping email on Tuesday morning (6am) with a tracking number that has not worked yet. DHL and UKmail... :rolleyes: Quote We are unable to find a match for the shipment number you have entered. We may not yet have received your parcel from your retailer. When we receive your parcel the tracking will be updated and we’ll send a notification to the contact details provided by the retailer when your parcel is out for delivery. Please check and try later or contact your retailer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted April 22, 2022 Author Share Posted April 22, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, mcnach said: Did you get a working tracking number yet? I got the shipping email on Tuesday morning (6am) with a tracking number that has not worked yet. DHL and UKmail... :rolleyes: I haven't tried it yet. There was something in the email about tracking number not working until it cleared customs. "Please note, the tracking details will not be recognised until the package has cleared customs and arrived in the UK which normally takes around 3 working days." Edited April 22, 2022 by stewblack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 5 hours ago, stewblack said: I haven't tried it yet. There was something in the email about tracking number not working until it cleared customs. "Please note, the tracking details will not be recognised until the package has cleared customs and arrived in the UK which normally takes around 3 working days." Ah, I didn't notice that bit. Earlier today I got an email from DHL saying it's in the country and expect delivery on Monday. Fingers crossed! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 12 hours ago, bnt said: That’s one reason why I didn’t go for one of the Coliseum MultiScales mentioned earlier. Between the first samples and actual availability was a long lead time (over six months IIRC), so what I might get could be entirely different in quality. Not to mention the two price hikes 😕 That was the death knell for me , £216 to £350 !!! Sacked the idea but when one appeared on FB for £150 I couldn't resist 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted April 23, 2022 Author Share Posted April 23, 2022 (edited) Tracking says Monday. .. parcel has arrived! Edited April 23, 2022 by stewblack 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted April 23, 2022 Author Share Posted April 23, 2022 First impressions: HB have upped their packaging game further. Never had a bass of theirs broken in transit, can't imagine it will ever happen now. It's feather light. Don't ask me to weigh it, I just pick it up and it's obvious if it's heavy or light. It looks and plays beautifully. No I'm not looking for silly niggling faults so don't ask about irrelevant details because I don't have any answers for you. Very happy. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 33 minutes ago, stewblack said: Tracking says Monday. .. parcel has arrived! It looks like a vibratortron 5000. Erm......... So I'm told. 😳 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbowskill Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 46 minutes ago, stewblack said: Tracking says Monday. .. parcel has arrived! Look forward to seeing, definitely intrigued by these Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted April 23, 2022 Author Share Posted April 23, 2022 Meeting with the band tomorrow, I'll give it a thorough test then. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 22 minutes ago, stewblack said: Tracking says Monday. .. parcel has arrived! Aha! Mine too! First impressions are very good. You probably have seen my exact bass because... mine was the one the pictures on their website were taken of. It's the second time I had this happen. First time was a fiesta red Squier Precision CV60, and it came with a nice big photograph in an envelope. I guess times are hard so the photograph was smaller this time . It's not light, this one. But it's not terrible, and the balance/fit is very good. I'm using these "Lekato" brand padded wide straps since I hurt my shoulder a while ago and they make the weight of instruments pretty much a non issue as long as they balance right. I'll weigh it later. The strings were a bit loose out of the box, tightened them up to pitch... and that was it. Nothing needed. Nice lowish action, plays smoothly, and I love that neck. I like wide/shallow necks on 5 string basses (the best I've had to my liking was a Lakland 5502, this is not far from that) and this one fits my preferences well, so that's lucky. Build quality seems a nice step up from my black MB-5 (and I really like that one after I took care of the usual fret ends and nut), if let down a little by the electronics. It sounds ok, in the sense that it sounds like a bass, but nothing that will turn heads. It'll do the job. I got a pretty good reggae sound from it, and was playing around with something more funky too... but I relied on external FX for that (Broughton Resonant Filter EQ, in particular). The 2-band preamp is the usual uninspiring cheap preamp with harsh treble and huge lows, I'd rather it were passive. I have a few options in my drawer: I have plenty of components to rewire it fully passive, maybe add a Tonestyler control, I also have a couple of John East preamps I'm not using (U-Retro and a Uni-Pre with passive tone)... so we'll see what happens. I typically take a couple of weeks getting used to a bass before I decide whether I change anything and what. It's part of the 'fun' with low end instruments for me. The control cavity is huge so no problem accommodating whatever I decide to go for. On the whole... it's a very nicely built bass that could be improved easily on the electronics side of things, but not a requirement in order to enjoy it. The difference in quality with the cheaper MB-5 is quite apparent (cheap tuners but feel solid). Not sure if the fact that it felt right straight out of teh box has anything to do with the fact that this bass had been handled by Thomann to make their demos and pictures... My only question is: should I have gone for the version with a P style pickup? Probably. The neck pickup on a Jazz style gets me close but not quite, although the position of the P pickup on these basses doesn't look exactly to be on the Precision spot, dunno. @stewblack what do you think of your P style pickup? And the bass in general! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 21 minutes ago, stewblack said: First impressions: HB have upped their packaging game further. Never had a bass of theirs broken in transit, can't imagine it will ever happen now. It's feather light. Don't ask me to weigh it, I just pick it up and it's obvious if it's heavy or light. It looks and plays beautifully. No I'm not looking for silly niggling faults so don't ask about irrelevant details because I don't have any answers for you. Very happy. Yeah, the packaging was very good. Those plastic tube/bubble things are solid, inside a box, inside another box. Very simple yet effective. I much prefer this than a hardcase for shipping: hard cases protect against direct impact, but without material to absorb the energy of the impact a lot gets transmitted to the bass inside. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted April 23, 2022 Author Share Posted April 23, 2022 2 minutes ago, mcnach said: @stewblack what do you think of your P style pickup? And the bass in general! In a Zoom meeting right now so only ran up and down the fretboard once! I love it is my first impression, but I'm going to be in the first flush of love right now aren't I? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 47 minutes ago, stewblack said: In a Zoom meeting right now so only ran up and down the fretboard once! I love it is my first impression, but I'm going to be in the first flush of love right now aren't I? Ha, yes... it's hard to remain objective when we're excited about a new toy. I sometimes go too far the other way: looking for things to criticise... and after a bit, it all settles and finally I accept I like it, or don't. I already have to backtrack a bit from what I said earlier... the 2-band is not THAT bad. I was using my little BAM200 amplifier and the controls were all over the place. I forgot I had taken it away on Wednesday and just dumped it back in place. Now I just plugged in... After I noticed it, I set the EQ flattish and repeated... and found to my joy that the EQ point for the treble is actually quite useable. It's still a bit harsh if I boost, but I generally just cut. Many 2-band preamps have a very high EQ point for the treble, in my opinion, and do not remove but the highest of the high: string noise and not a lot more. This seems far lower, into the high mids, and as a result it's a pretty nice cut that it does and I don't really need the LPF to tame the top end. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelDean Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 @mcnachisn't it passive? On the Thomann website it says "volume, balance, tone"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted April 23, 2022 Author Share Posted April 23, 2022 6 minutes ago, MichaelDean said: @mcnachisn't it passive? On the Thomann website it says "volume, balance, tone"... Mine is passive. I suspect we have different models. I have the 4 string p/j. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLowDown Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, MichaelDean said: @mcnachisn't it passive? On the Thomann website it says "volume, balance, tone"... The JPs(both 4 and 5 string) are passive, and JJs(ditto) are active. I'm really fond of that JP. I much prefer passive over active and P and PJ over JJ. Edited April 23, 2022 by TheLowDown 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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