lozbass

[quote name='BigAlonBass' post='82011' date='Nov 1 2007, 12:13 AM']The thinner the better as far as I'm concerned, so I have a chance of reaching all the frets in my dotage! All comments welcomed.[/quote] I'd mentioned Sei in an earlier post - if you're at UK Bass Day, I'll have a flamboyant 5 just across the road and you're more than welcome to try it.

First, I'm really sorry to hear of the problems encountered. I know it's an expensive option, but a custom bass can give you pretty much whatever you want. I'm not on a retainer to the Gallery (see other posts), but the neck on my Sei is super slim. A custom order for a narrow board (and whatever taper suits you) shouldn't be an issue either. Also, have you considered a shorter scale? I find 32" or 33" a good compromise and there's a noticeable reduction is stretching.

[quote name='grosa' post='82327' date='Nov 1 2007, 03:18 PM']i know what you mean with the injury to comfort ratio with basses,i cant play anything with a big body for any period of time cos of me right forearm starts to feel like its made of lego. warwicks seem the most comfy so far for me im sure they are very nice,they look well nice to hold[/quote] I've found my Sei 5 really comfortable - it's very light (but highly resonant) and the extended upper horn is great for general balance. The necks are gorgeous too - very fast and slim with lovely profiling and access. I don't find that my hands get tired even over extended periods of playing.

I'm pleased you went for the 750 and that there's no regrets - I started the 'switch on' thread and generated great advice. I should say that I've had no further problems, and that the 750 simply delivers fantastic tone with extraordinary power. I too use the rack bag - a suspended rack would be great for serious touring, but the 750 is pretty heavy as it is. I can also endorse your comments on brightness - there's nothing harsh in the 750, but real solidity, heft and warmth from the preamp (with no loss of dynamics or articulation).

Sei Flamboyant headless - light, exquisitely contoured, dive free, ultra-low action, and super-slim neck

[quote name='neilb' post='79476' date='Oct 25 2007, 05:42 PM']Ive been offered a Trace Elliot GP12 200W Series 6 head in really nice nick for £230. Is that good, average or sh*te? Ta[/quote] I've played one of these for years - bought new in '89 or thereabouts for around £425. Build quality is superb, incredibly loud, pretty flexible with the 12 band but always a highly characteristic sound (great if you like it and I do!) My purchase inspired that of many co-bassists and acquaintances at the time. It really was the sound of its period and I don't really think anything else came close. If you're a lover of the TE sound there's only really one way to get it and parting with £230 for a unit in good nick seems pretty reasonable. If you buy it and find it's not for you, I doubt you'll lose much. To put things in perspective, my main amp is a DB750 but the Trace still gets a lot of use - it does things that the 750 doesn't. Good luck if you go for it.

I'd say a Hiscox - strong, light, well-made & finished, well-designed and padded interior, comfortable handle and less than £60 (cash) if you haggle. There are many factors to take into account of course - strength, weight, protection, ergonomics, cosmetics, storability/stowability, fittings, ease of use, size, cost etc. - but I think on balance, the hiscox offers a really superb compromise. A lot depends on where/how you'll be using and transporting the bass - I use full flights (far too heavy for me most of the time) and a Kaces 3 bag (excellent and recommended for local and low-risk situations), but it's the Hiscox that gets most use. Good luck! Cheers, Lawrence

Hi Steve, I have a series 1 ul112 and have been exceptionally impressed with it. On the practical side it is very light and reasonably manoeuvrable (though it's deep and not as easy to get around as some might imagine). The strap handle is a bit cheap in my opinion and I would prefer either bar or flight case type handles (the standard handle fittings can also scratch anything you seat on top of the cab). The back panel is comprehensive - the combination of jack and speakon connectors is thoughtful. The attenuator control is really quite usable though I have it set around the mid point and use the eq on my amp most of the time to boost or limit treble. I've played the cab with a TE AH200 and a DB750. I get a really lovely smooth bass response - never boomy or boxy and the mids are gorgeous. This is certainly the best fretless cab I've ever encountered - the bloom is just fantastic. I find the sound very focused and centered - a quality of one driver cabs that is quite appealing. The tweeter is not at all harsh - I've heard the cab described as airy and refined and can see why. It's also very responsive and honest - I've not found any concealment of detail though I don't think the cab is entirely neutral: it does have it's own sound. I've not driven the ul112 hard at all but I suspect it can cope comfortably with more pressure than I've presented it with. I've not heard any distortion or break-up on low notes though I've not tried the cab with a low B. I've tried lots of effects (Bass Pod pro) and the cab copes admirably - even with really weird stuff! The range is truly impressive - a nice even response across a broad spectrum. I hope this helps, Cheers, Loz

[quote]Gave the Jazz a good going over at a rehearsal last night and the sound was lovely, punchy and cut through brilliantly. However, one small point, to get the input lights on my Trace anywhere near the yellow (optimal) I had to have the input gain up to nearly 7. Is this normal? Admittedly I didn't have both pickups upto they're full output but then I'd found the sweet spot. Having the gain up that high doesn't give much room for manouevre. Because this is my first passive Bass, I don't know whether this the normal situation.[/quote] Hi Pete - good! As you'll have gathered, I've not had a problem with stock J pickups. As for the 7, in my experience this is perfectly normal. I've used a TE 12 for years and use gain of around 7ish for both passive and active basses.

Hi, for what it's worth and from limited experience: I have a '76 J with '75 pickups (a result of Fender's modular approach to production) - it sounds fantastic (to me): strong, loud and aggressive (loads of honk/growl) at the bridge and clean, articulate, rounded and supple at the neck - the sweetspot (again, for me) seems to be bridge 100%, neck 30-40%; I also have a Fender fretless J (based on a '64 NOS) with standard vintage '60s pickups - there's little real sound difference in use between this and the '76 (though the bridge pickup is slightly further away from the bridge than on the above). The honk is there but the bass can really sing with some weight from the neck pickup; I had a Fender fretless J from around 2001 - this was a totally different beast. It had super quiet SD Basslines hot stacks (quite expensive I think - they were on the bass when I bought it and cancel the common J hum). To me, the bass sounded good but not really much like a classic J. The preamp was very subtle and usable and in general, the sound was very clean and fairly versatile. However, I didn't really get the bass to bark and it didn't have that edgy presence and aggression that I've been able to get with the two above. So, for me (and I admit my experience is not too extensive), I'd be happy to stay with the stock pickups. I really haven't experienced problems with hum and changing pickups risks losing the characteristic J tone (not necessarily a negative outcome if you're not enamoured with the latter). There was nothing 'wrong' with the SDs that I tried but I was surprised that they didn't really sound like J pickups (or, at least, the bass didn't sound like a J) - there again, the pre may have had much to do with this. I hope this helps!

[quote name='Chopthebass' post='47780' date='Aug 20 2007, 03:50 PM']Loz, I can't find the pro-tec case you mentioned. I went to their website and this is what I found... [url="http://www.protecmusic.com/items.aspx?ProductID=20&InstrumentID=2&InstrumentGroupID=2&CategoryID=1&subCategoryID=34"]http://www.protecmusic.com/items.aspx?Prod...ubCategoryID=34[/url] That doesn't look man enough! Am I looking at the wrong product?Cheers Ian[/quote] Hi Ian, thanks for the kind words - I'll certainly let you know how things go at higher volumes. I'd love to hear two ul410s - wow (and it's interesting to hear that just one was an improvement!) I've had a look at the link - that's not the rack bag that I have. Mine is Aguilar badged but manufactured by ProTec - they're featured on the Aguilar website at: [url="http://www.aguilaramp.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=AA&Category_Code=RB-CC"]http://www.aguilaramp.com/Merchant2/mercha...gory_Code=RB-CC[/url] You'll see the photographs of the 2u and 3u bag. They look and feel pretty strong with robust fastenings, clasps and handles. I ordered mine from the Gallery and it arrived in just a few days. The level of protection seems good under normal (i.e., non-touring circumstances) but using the handle over some distance is not comfortable and the strap didn't suit me: if possible, I'd suggest you limit the amount that you have to carry a 750! Thanks again and good luck if you decide to go with the Aguilar - I doubt you'll be disappointed. Cheers, Loz

[quote name='Chopthebass' post='47600' date='Aug 20 2007, 10:43 AM']Thanks Loz. I've never been a big fan of compressors as I feel they restrict dynamics. I'm sure loads out there will disagree. So I hope when you say it has a slightly compressed sound that it isn't too squashed and cyts dynamics and percieved volume. Because thats what I've found with pedals. I need volume and headroom! Is the gain set like say a Trace, where you set it high as poss with the clip light coming on when played hardest? or is this different being a valve front end? What rack bag are you using? Is it stron enough for the weight? I've got a 3U full flight case, and I'm worried its gonna be too heavy in that! Remind me what cab you're using with it? Cheers Ian[/quote] Hi Ian, (writing with trousers on), I don't want to mislead - what I've experienced/perceived as a compression effect is very subtle and entireley positive (no squashing, just pleasing evenness across strings and notes). I don't think you'll be worried at all by loss of dynamics - the 750 seems to respond incredibly well to nuances in left and right hand fingering/attack etc. Also, the headroom on these things is legendary (justifiably I'd say). I'm still working my way around the unit (after a long wait!) so won't claim to offer a definitive view. However, given what you say about your preferences, I wouldn't have any hesitation in recommending Aguilar. As far as gain goes, I'd say the Aguilar is not at all like a Trace (and I use a TE Series 6 AH200 GP12 extensively). I use the TE in the same way that you describe (I'll be honest, I've never thought about using it another way, but there may be things I could learn!). With the 750, I've experimented with using the gain to add some warmth/grit. Below 12-1 o'clock it's entirely clean. Beyond 1 or 2 o'clock on the gain, the tube warmth becomes evident. However, this is subtle - it's not like kicking-in a fuzz pedal! I need to work more with this and will report on what I find. Many years ago I used big valve amps - Marshall, Hiwatt etc. - and driven hard, a dirty aggressive sound was possible (err...unavoidable). From what I've heard so far, the Aguilar is nothing like that, it's much more subtle and controlled (but extremely big/present and, I suspect, incredibly loud if necessary - I've not used it in a gig or rehearsal setting yet). The rack bag is an Aguilar 3u manufactured by Pro-Tec - it has a wooden interior/frame and is just sufficiently deep to hold the 750. The covering appears to be strong nylon and there's some padding in the front and rear flap. The handle and strap fixings appear to be strong and well sown, however, I find the total weight simply too much for use of the supplied strap. I honestly wouldn't recommend that you think about carrying a 750 too far (either in a bag or rack case). I think retail on the bag is around £60 at the Gallery. The cab I've used so far is an Epifani ul112 (series 1) - I think these are gorgeous for small gigs. Of course, I can't really open-up the 750 with this cab, but at a decent level the cab seems to love the amp and vice versa. I hope this helps. Cheers, Loz

[quote name='Chopthebass' post='47330' date='Aug 19 2007, 12:13 PM']Great news! I think I'll go ahead with my purchase! Are you pleased with the sound? Cheers Ian[/quote] Hi Ian, thanks for this - I would certainly go ahead with the purchase! I think there's just one thing to bear in mind, the 750 is really heavy. The unit itself is around 46lbs and mine is in a rack bag (which I'd certainly recommend) which adds around 6 or 7 pounds. Beyond that, in my opinion, the amp is stunning. The tone is superb (I'm still exploring!) - very big and present with incredible headroom. I was surprised initially by the slightly compressed sound - on first plugging-in, the volume across strings (and individual notes) was really even, something like using a very expensive, high-quality studio compressor. With the tone controls flat, the sound was fabulous, the kind of thing that brings a grin to your face - upping the gain to beyond 1 or 2 o'clock introduces a little grit, aggression and tube-warmth but with no real dirt or break-up. I'll write a detailed - and objective - review soon. For now, I'm having real fun - this is an incredible unit that appears to be living up the the hype and my expectations. Cheers, Loz

Hi everybody and thanks - I think you can empathise with my relief! The tech said no more than something may have been shaken loose/tight. He didn't spend long with the amp (other than there's around 18 screws to get the lid off!) but a few multimeter tests - sorry I can't be more spedific - didn't cause any alarm. I powered-on again at home twice yesterday without any problem whatsoever - weird (but good weird now!) Thanks again - I promise a review soon!

I have a Danelectro Longhorn (re-issue) knocking about and it's really good fun and incredibly light (around 4.5 pounds at a guess). It's also short-scale and kind of encourages me to treat it as a guitar, i.e., not play bass-lines and play far too fast. The tone is err...idiosyncratic...but not too bad through a good amp. I don't think anybody would suffer back pain given the combination of lightness and scale length. For a high-end version, there's the Jerry Jones Longhorn (and you still see the Neptune model around). These are more expensive, around £400-500 s/h - including import taxes and carriage - but I'm told they really are pretty good instruments (I've not had chance to try one personally).

[quote name='The Funk' post='46879' date='Aug 17 2007, 03:35 PM']A good tech can fix anything. Even things which aren't really broken. I'm glad your Aguilar's working now. [/quote] Hi and thanks - the tech simply gave it a stern looking at. I'm certainly glad it's working too (not sure about the neighbours!) Cheers, Loz

Hi, first, I'm really enjoying the tracks (especially 'blame') I'd endorse pretty much all that I've read above (I have an old TE Series 6 12 band though and love the pre-shape - not easy to replicate via tweaking the graphic - something else going on?). Judicious use of mids can often go a long way to getting you where you want to be. The point relating to room/venue/fill is also really important. Beyond tone/EQ, many years ago I played with a band that 'tuned to the room', i.e., we didn't use standard concert tunings but tried to find a tuning that suited the space (both empty and full)...to be honest, it was probably the best sound I've ever managed. Back to the point - I'm not really sure about the electronics in your bass (US Jazz pickups and passive?), but it may be worth trying to use the instrument itself. A lot of Jazz players look for that Jazz 'honk' by maximising the bridge pickup and rolling-off the neck pickup to around 30-40% (i.e., as you roll it in from zero, the aim is to find a 'sweetspot' where you retain a honk/bark but also get in some fuller bottom-end warmth). I think this tends to work better for finger style playing, but you could try it with a pick (if indeed you're using one) - it may help you to cut through. Cheers, Loz

Update - Success! The DB750 is now powering-up and working perfectly. I took it along to be checked last night - the mains wiring was checked and tightened (it wasn't loose anyway) and the amp was powered-on on a filtered system. No problem - first time power-up, through the self-diagnostic test and into operate status. I switched over from mute and the unit performed flawlessly. I powered-down and moved into a corridor (non-filtered mains) - again, no problem! From corridor to work (where I'm told that the mains supply can be problematic - it's a commercial building wherein the system is not designed to cope with heavy draw)...again, power-on without any difficulty. From work to home and same again - flawless power-on and performance. I tried again this morning to ensure I hadn't dreamt it...sure enough, power-on straight away (and gorgeous tone into a ul112). So...did the tech frighten it into good behaviour (some appear to have this power)? Did the unit 'learn' what to do (magic)? Did the tightening of screws have some impact ('doubt it)? Did the journey shake something loose/tight ('hope not)? Something else (maybe)? The whole episode is intriguing - and has been at times frustrating - but needless to say, I'm delighted that the problem seems to have gone (and hope it stays that way). I'll certainly keep all updated and let everybody know if there's any further difficulty (or return of the original). To close, sincere thanks to all that have contributed - your help and advice (and discourse) is greatly appreciated. The least I can do is provide a review and I'll try to arrange this over the coming weeks. Thanks again, Loz

[quote name='The Funk' post='46520' date='Aug 16 2007, 05:00 PM']I have to admit I bought my Aguilar DB680 secondhand from a private seller in the US. Even after shipping and customs, and conversion from US to UK spec, it came in at around 55% of the price of a new UK one. Budget is always going to be a factor.[/quote] Hi - nearly the same here - about 60% (if it doesn't cost a fortune to get it to work!)

Hi guys, thanks for the new inputs - I'm just back from a couple of days away so sorry for delayed response. As Toasted suggests, there may be something (much even) to be gained from buying a 'made for UK' unit. I would have done this myself if I hadn't found a very cheap deal overseas. However, in detailed communications with Aguilar, I've been informed that the only difference between the US and UK units is the circuit breaker and wiring: Aguilar supplied the requisite breaker (i.e., the one that would be factory fitted to a UK unit) to me with wiring instructions...maybe there's some other magic I'm missing but I can't begin to imagine what it would be. I guess for some (especially those with paid playing work), the problem I've encountered would be much more than an inconvenience. However, it's been a long time since I played for money and the issue is really nothing more than a minor (even intriguing) annoyance. It's interesting to hear that the Gallery is an Aguilar authorised repairer - I know Alex et al and will certainly take my DB750 down if it can't be sorted out locally (I've dealt with the Gallery extensively and would trust their work). I'd also have no qualms about purchasing anything there - back-up and after-sales service at Sei/Gallery is superb. Thanks to BossHog - it's good to know that your experience of dealing with Aguilar has been similar to my own. Again, customer service is excellent. I also agree that the tone and power of a DB750 is really unmatched. The inclusion (or fitting) of the thermistor appears to sort out power-on problems in the vast majority of cases. My understanding (distilled from communications with Aguilar, this thread and perusal of other fora) is that there is certainly some history of problems with the DB750's power-up. The problem seems to be more acute in Europe/UK than it is in the US. Efforts to address the issue with the inclusion of a thermistor have been largely successful (certainly in the US, and to some degree here). Where the problem is ongoing, use of a power conditioner may help (though there can be a downside to using such a device). With my unit, the problems may extend beyond those experienced by some (albeit a small minority of) DB750 users. I'm taking the 750 to be checked by a technician tonight (in a studio environment with filtered mains) and will report tomorrow. On the issue of where to buy a DB750...well there are so many variables...access to resources, requirement for reliability, ease of servicing, warranty and back-up, dealer reputation, price, lead-times, possible differences in technical specs, willingness to effect necessary component changes etc. Everybody has to assemble there own equation. For me, economy was paramount - an almost brand new unit at a major saving. However, if I still earned a living from playing, my priorities would be different. The failure to power-up hasn't caused real problems (no missed work) and I remain reasonably confident (!) that the amp will operate and perform just as intended fairly soon. On the plus side of this whole issue (for me at least), it's been great to receive such knowledgeable, well-intentioned and experience-based inputs from the bass-playing community - thanks to all - your help and comments have been much appreciated.

[quote name='The Funk' post='44813' date='Aug 13 2007, 02:10 PM']I use the related Aguilar DB680 preamp. I haven't had any problems with it. I plug it into a power amp that gives me 1000 watts at 4 ohms. After reading all of this I'm glad that's the way I went. Sorry to hear about your problems with the DB750. I'm very surprised that it's a problem which a good amp tech can't fix.[/quote] Hi, I think your route to great tone was a good one! I was going for the one box fix (I often carry a lot of stuff around) and I'd been impressed with the tone/power combination in the 750. I've not been to an amp specialist yet but will have this arranged by the end of the week (then I hope to have some good news!) Thanks for the inputs!