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I've been trying to persuade myself that I'd never spend the sort of money an Alembic bass costs, but I managed a very good deal with a well-known midlands bass specialist that saw me spending very little actual money, and saved me the bother of continuing trying to sell a couple of Precisions I haven't been using. I am now the owner of a 20 year old Alembic Epic bass, apparently their 'entry level' model but still a big step up from my US Fenders. Hopefully I can now get somewhere near the Phil Lesh tone I need for the Grateful Dudes. I'll find out on Friday & Saturday as we have gigs in Dorset and I intend to use the new bass. Obligatory picture below, background provided by my gig shirts!

An excellent read for drummers and proper bass players apparently... not really to my taste if I'm honest.

Must be, if you need a fire extinguisher on hand. Or is someone using an Ashdown?

Thanks for everyone's responses so far, keep em coming! 😊 Personally I'm planning to sit on this for a fortnight now and let some more feedback roll in. Then I'll write up a summery/proposal for the next episode and see how it sounds to folk before we start production. 🙏

Yes, yes, yes, we get that, but what about the important bit? How many songs did you play?

Stating what so many do but it still puts a smile on my face and restores just a little of my faith in (some) humans when I only encounter good, solid and genuine people on here. Have never had an issue with anything I’ve sold or bought on here. Always smooth transactions and never any issues. Good work, bass people!

I only went in for a strap for a new bass, an Ibanez SR100B-NT (that has yet to be delivered) and ended up walking out with a 5-er, an Ibanez SR1405E-GWH.

Nicely done! But if you buy large Tena Lady, you can confidently look at Wals AND be a pervert at the same time. Smooth!

Oh! Every time I see a Wal I do a little wee. Excuse me while I change my pants.

I'm just starting a solo project, guitar and vocals doing my own songs and a friend who was going to play much of the bass. Now isn't because he is busy. That means I get to play some bass as well so at last I get to use my favourite a G&L SB2. I have hung on to this it for a few years now but never got to play it "for real" because I play 5's in the band. I've played it at the odd open mic and always get comments on the tone. I'm so glad that I hung on to it. I just had to share the joy! Here she is

And I read that all ABM amps have parts that can be fixed at Ashdown, so not part of the throwaway generation, which is also a plus point in my view.

Sometimes being a lefty - and therefore usually unable to walk into a shop and find a bass to buy on the spot and bring home - helps save you from GAS. Not at Wunjos, though, oh no, they usually have at least one really nice lefty model, sitting there whispering 'Take me now. I'm yours.' in your ear, until you either make a dash for the door or produce your credit card... 😛

I'm a born again bass player, currently heading towards the big 6-0 but not there just yet. I wasn't a very good player at uni, but because in those days I was only one or two people who played the bass, I got to play a fair bit, mostly jazzy jamming, some of the people I jammed with were really great and one at least went on to play with a well known band of the era. Before Uni I was in 'practice bands' and did not gig much. Over the last 20 or so years I've occasionally given in to the bass desires, but its just been bedroom stuff, career or the rest of life just got in the way. Two years ago I picked up the bass again as I've always wanted to read music and wanted to give the online training a go, I did Yousician for about a year, then a year ago dropped that and started learning Bach pieces from the sheet music books. I learned a few pieces that continue to challenge me and at least now have a party piece or two that impresses non-musicians. More recently I was at an event outside and there was a folk band and a DB player, I asked him some questions about it with the result that he asked me if I wanted to 'have a go' as he wanted a rest. Although I was pretty bad, I had a go and he didn't come back for half an hour, so I couldn't have been *that* bad (I was though). At least I could more or less keep the rhythm even though the music was alien to me. I've always fancied a go at the DB so decided I'd have a go. Initially I tried to hire a DB, but it turned out that locally all the basses were hired out. So I decided to treat myself as a birthday present, and got a double bass which I'm currently trying to get sorted out, I think it will work out, and it looks nice in the main living room if it doesn't. Before I could start learning it properly I got an email from someone as a result of an ad I put out on joinmyband so now I've joined a rock band, well, its still not quite a full band as it has no singer. So there is a chance I may at some point go out and play somewhere locally. It's all very high energy stuff, punky rock and indy, musically simple but good for me to get me back into playing with others for the first time in several decades. I'm finding that I'm enjoying music more than ever. The Internet forums like this and resources such as studybass.com and videos on YouTube make a wealth of knowledge open to me that was impossible to access when I was a youngster, and I'm just loving learning so much more. Musically although I have a liking for classic rock and lots else, I was 'converted' to Jazz in my late teens and met my partner at a Jazz club, back in those days she was one of a very tiny number of women I'd see in such places. So music and Jazz have always been important to me. I'm not sure I'll ever be good enough to play in a jazz setting, but if it doesn't happen that's no problem. I may end up playing folk, not my favourite, but there's a lot of it about. If you call Danny Thompson folk, then I like that, and the whole psych-folk thing. Whatever, its all music and lovely, so thats what its about. I find these forums really fantastic, apart from occasional threads, there seems to be a friendliness that comes from sharing a love of music (or gear) to the point where these forums are a lot more fun than many other places on the internet these days.

If you're feeling particularly ghoulish, look for 'Yes 2018' on Youtube. The recent live clips are horrendous. At the heart of it all is that great festering Downes, ham-fistedly ruining all those wonderful keyboard parts on his Fisher Price. To be fair, Howe sounds like he's about to nod off, but he has done increasingly for 20 years. Billy 'it's what Squire wanted' Sherwood and Jon Davidson try their best but it's just parrot fashion. The timing's all over the place and it feels under-rehearsed. It's getting silly now.

The way I look at it, is because the effects/amps/cabs are just models I can use any of them without worrying about them getting damaged due to feeding them with inappropriate signals in terms of frequency or level. At the moment my favourite amp model to use on the bass is the one based on the Roland Jazz Chorus amp. Because the worst thing that can happen is the end result won't sound very good, I'm just getting in and experimenting. Everything and anything is available for me to use. Stop thinking that you have to use models of bass equipment for processing your bass guitar and try something different.

This takes some beating.

Yes, it's a problem I recognise well. Anyone playing through a small cab in venues like pubs, etc. has to contend with this. As I'm sure you're aware, the difficulty with hearing yourself when you're standing close to your cab is less a matter of volume and more a matter of hearing the frequencies that let you make out the pitch of your bass notes. Those frequencies aren't there when you're standing off axis with cabs like this. That's why I'm unconvinced that a more powerful amp is necessarily the best solution for gjopnes - but that's obviously his decision to make (although having plenty of amp power on tap is always a "good thing"). As well as providing additional SPL, adding a second cab on top of the first lets you hear those pitch-identifying frequencies a lot better because the top speaker is a lot closer to your ears.

From last Saturday’s gig. This is the mega-analog-synth-pedalboard setup. Now with added recently re-shelled Trace Elliot V4 all-valve head (its first gig in a very long time). Zilla Cabs do GORGEOUS work IT IS SO LOUD

@discreet on the money, as ever. But he is not wrong; time to buy some Tena for men at Ez Towers .

Go on then...

OK, I'll play... I like to keep things simple, obviously.

Here's mine (beer included) 🤣:

Here you go, not the best pic but you get the idea

Yup, I only wish that 'real life' was always as a nice a place to be as it is here. Pat on the back to you all at our virtual 'local' that is The Basschat Arms. Or is it The Dog and Bass. It's a friendly place that's for sure.

Afraid mine's changes depending on gig. Bass, bass-rig and pedals / mfx or straight bass to amp. I thought i had posted a pic before on something similar on BC. This is best i could find tho from my bass cave and more or less what i'm currently using. Fender Precision deluxe PJ into a GK1001RBii head into Bergantino HT322 cab. Korg tuner in rack mount. NB the Harley Davidson lamp doesn't go to the gigs either.

It is good fun to play! He has given up. He is a psychologist now. As i say, real tidy bloke too. We had a good laugh with him.

I've told this story before on another thread: a year ago I went to visit my son in Nashville having just seen a Gibson EB-2 gigged at a local music festival and decided that I *needed* one (as you do 🙂 ). His many virtues do not include discouraging my GAS - guitar store crawls are an essential and dangerous part of all my visits there. I had been to his excellent local place and found an EB-2 which I tried and was just dead wood, so I thought I was safe. We walked into Gruhn's, my eyes swiveled left to where I knew the basses were, and there was another - only this time as soon as I picked her up she just came to life and sang. I couldn't really afford her, dragged my feet, decided to sleep on it. Dreamed about her, literally. We went back the next day, me well anxious would she still be there? Had I remembered her right? and there she was with a big card saying "Rob" tucked into the strings. I actually started shaking and sweating with heart pounding thinking no, please... and asked the nearest member of staff who said "Oh, that means Rob has found a buyer." Even worse... until he pointed out Rob, who had helped me try her out the day before, and immediately grinned and said "I knew you'd be back." She's still in Nashville, my son and his musician friends love her too, and I have three grand-sprogs there as an excuse to go back and play her 🙂

Bloody good it was too! I love watching Lee play. So much happiness in every note. And he's playing upside down/inside out/backwards!

Because it's the equivalent of saying 'ni' to an old woman?

Thanks, I really like Ibby's SR range...can you tell 😉. I still need another strap for the one yet to come. I think I'll get it on line, just to be safe.... This is the one I'm waiting to be delivered:

So I flew out to Stuttgart at the weekend with an old friend of mine to see the Rolling Stones. My mate had scored some particularly good tickets but I wasn't quite prepared for how good they actually were. When we landed we could see the Rolling Stones private jet which was pretty amazing to see. However, it got better. We arrived at our hotel and there were fans outside. It turns out they had booked out 1st and fifth floor. The show was amazing. I was floored by Mick's energy, Keith was really on it and noticeable humble. The set just didn't let up from start to finish. The whole band were on fire. And we were close. We were basically right down the front. Back at the hotel I am queuing for more beers and an American voice asks me what beer I am drinking. I turn around and get chatting to the guy - I quickly realise it is Darryl Jones! I ask if he is and he confirms it. I told him he was a great player and decide to tell him how when I was back in college I had to do work experience - Bill Wyman had just left and I was a typically flaky musician student. I asked the lady if for my work experience she could get me the Rolling Stones gig. Needless to say she couldn't. Darryl possibly politely laughed but said it was a cool story. He was very humble about what a great player Bill Wyman was (I suppose on the one hand he has to be but also having studied all those lines he will have a great appreciation). I asked for his photo which he said "not now because we'll get swamped" (interesting how nobody else in the room at that point had recognised him!) but to grab him as he was leaving. The beer flowed and later on my friend snapped a very blurry shot of me with him. A great night... but to think I was happy at seeing the plane! I don't like taking phone pics at shows but my mate snapped a couple. Here they are...

I think ours is still halfway through Winnie The Pooh ...

I would say "kill it with fire" but it looks like someone's already tried that.

Have you tried playing around with the settings and your playing style? Stingrays are certainly lively. If I need to calm the sound on my SR5 - pickup in series position , SR5 EQ all flat (you can then boost bass, mids, high to suit with a tweak), play close to the neck. Strings make a massive difference. Saying that, if you have the money and space for a Jazz, why not? I doubt the string spacing will make a big difference but the neck thickness will be noticeable. I always noticed the jump from a Stingray to a Jazz , the neck feels too thin. They sound lovely though, as do P basses. But not as good as the Ray. It's all personal opinion though, so you've just got to play a load until you find your favourite (and then convince the better half that you need another bass :-) ).

I didn’t notice. You gave a damn good interview as far as I’m concerned! Very insightful.

As much as I loved Chris Squire's input into Yes, ARW is the real deal nowadays IMO, I'll almost certainly get the live album, Live stuff I've seen on youtube show them to be re-invigorated and as others have said, Lee Pomeroy is excellent!

Reminds me of summers wrung for all their worth.

Wow, this is turning into a veritable festival of incontinence!

This is my office for ska gigs. For gigs with the other bands, I also take my Line 6 Bass Pod XT Live which connects to/from the rig via a homebrewed cable snake. EDIT: in the background is my spare bass, which has been finished entirely in grey with grey hardware, frets and strings. It's not a shadow. Honest.

Here's what I used last weekend. My upright and 2x10 cab didn't make it into the car as I had to squeeze my son's drum kit in as well!

Hogarth-era Marillion. As a confirmed lover of Fish-era Marillion, I totally lost interest when he left in 1988 or so. Recently, though, I figured I should give them another chance because I was probably missing out. I took recommendations and listened intently. In the car, in my room, with headphones and on the stereo. Loudly, quietly, through the PA during breaks at gigs. Then I stopped. Life's too short to try too hard to like something that you just don't. (See also: Led Zeppelin. Meh.)

What type of gigs require the ball pein hammer?!

You don't need LED side markers with shirts like those...!

I pretty much like all the things you put up here Bubinga5. Often it leads me on a search to artists that I love that I would other wise never of heard of. Keep em coming. I get where your coming from👍

What beautiful specimens! I know the feeling: I once went out to buy a pair of jeans, and made the mistake of taking a route through Denmark Street. By the time I got home I'd somehow acquired an 8-string bass as well.

Exactly! My experience with auditioning new gear is that first impressions are crucial - and they're usually right. Your impression of that item of equipment may alter as you become familiar with it, but there's also a good chance that in time you'll convince yourself that it's actually OK when it isn't. The problem is not your bass, your amp, your cab or you. It the cab. Quite why you were sold this as a solution for hearing yourself better up close is anyone's guess. However, your volume problem is easy to explain. The midrange sensitivity of the 12" driver in the Super Compact is about 97dB - fairly standard for that kind of driver. The midrange sensitivity of the 15" driver in your other Compact - as Ebenezer has pointed out - is 100dB. As Phil mentioned earlier, to compensate for that 3dB loss of sensitivity will require twice the amplifier power. Not only that, but the Kappalite 15 has a broadband rise in efficiency across the entire octave between 1 to 2kHz, where it measures 104dB. Without going into too much boring detail, that should actually make the 15 easier to hear than the 12 when you are standing in front of it. So, having spent £600, or whatever it costs, on a box that you describe as underwhelming and that obviously doesn't do what you want it to do, you are now being advised to go out and spend another £500 on an 800 watt amp just to get back to where you started. Before long someone will be telling you to buy another Super Compact so that you can hear yourself properly. If you're happy with the sound, volume and convenience of your current cab, the best and the cheapest solution is to keep it, and tilt it upwards towards you. That will cost you (virtually) nothing. If you fancy a new cab, have a look at cabs like the TKS 1126 which are fitted with a separate midrange driver, because they will direct more midrange to your ears when you are standing in front of them and make it easier for you to hear what you are playing. The (only) bass cab manufacturer who has really considered this problem properly is Greenboy with his F112. That cab not only has a midrange and HF driver but it also has a tilt position. I haven't heard it (or the TKS) - so I'm only suggesting the kind of cab that is likely to work for you. The other option is the active PA cab solution that some bassists are working with now. There is a long thread on those somewhere on here.

Surely a pic you don't much like is much more challenging than one you do..? Come on Dad, I thought you were from the age of change, freedom and radical mind expansion! I was quite sure you'd be into modern art. Though 'modern' is a relative term in this case...

Just came across this and was very surprised and saddened to hear of your experience with us. Was it me personally you were dealing with? I can't recall this exchange you're referring to, although that doesn't mean it didn't happen. I do try to help all my customers with any questions or service needs they may have with our products in a very timely manner. In the case of your 6" midrange driver, there have been other customers with the same question or curiosity as to whether or not it was working due to the fact that the high frequency content of a bass guitar is very low in output relative to the lower frequencies. My response for testing this was to play full- range, pre-recorded music thru the speaker to see if the output was consistent with the recording. In all cases, it eliminated any concerns the customer had regarding the 6" driver. I do take great pride in our customer support and service, and expect no less from our dealers. This, of course, doesn't excuse any poor communication on my part, and I am very sorry if it was me personally you were corresponding with. Best Regards, Jim Bergantino