mcnach

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1463821444' post='3054266'] IMO the better option would have been to take the amp out of the MB combo and use it separately with the Compact. [/quote] Which is why I ended with a LM3 head after a while... I wish the head in the combo was a simple loosening of two screws, slide in/out affair. But I guess their current conficuration works for Markbass: I bought both the combo and the head, separately

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1463826438' post='3054323'] I`ve considered this with many of my Precisions but at the end of the day, having too much versatility on a bass makes me a "twiddler". Constantly changing sounds - so I stick with the one pickup/one sound, and just get on with it. Probably why I don`t get on well with either Jazzes or Stingrays I suppose. [/quote] a twiddler. There's something there! I generally feel more at home on a single pickup bass and it's partly because it keeps me from trying to change my sound too much through control adjustments and I just do what I need to with my technique. But I still like 2 pickup basses, I just have to control myself I used to have a Warwick $$ Corvette. Two pickups, each with series/parallel/single coil switches, 3-band preamp... I moved to a Stingray after that with a simple 2-band EQ and one pickup and it was so relaxing

Well, I've had it for a couple of weeks now but I've been busy, which also means I have had a chance to use it beyond the initial 'wow' period. Still wow. What a bass! I can't believe these things go for such -comparatively- low price. I see it often compared to a Stingray, and it's obvious why... but I don't think it nails the Stingray sound. Is this a bad thing? Not at all... if it did I'd have no use for it as I already have a Stingray and a USA SUB Now, mine has been modified, so I don't know exactly how it sounded originally. Mine has a Bassculture pickup replacement (big polepieces like a MM pickup, set in rosewood instead of plastic, beautiful). I have the original pickup too but I'm not in a hurry to try it. The ash body has such beautiful grain that the transparent pickguard is very welcome... I also have the original black pickguard but again, not in a hurry to put it on. I saw it, and I had to have it... natural ash and maple, I'm a sucker for that combo... an I was curious about the ATK for some time. So... first impressions... this bass is heavy. It doesn't bother me, but it's heavier than my Stingray. I can use it for two hours in a row no problem, but I know some people would not find it comfortable. The neck is clearly modelled on a Stingray. It has a similar width, depth and profile. I use a Stingray most of the time and this one feels so similar... Sounds... well, I have to disclose now I'm using [b]Ernie Ball Cobalt Flatwounds[/b] here. The strings it came with were not to my liking and had been on for quite a while already. I had these flats to try so... I went for it. These flats are unlike any other flatwound string I've tried, and I've tried many. Basically, you get the smooth feel of flats, with a very nice tension (a bit lower than I'd expect for this gauge) with a nice bounce to them, and they sound very much like roundwounds after you had them for a couple of weeks or so and they lose the initial overly bright zing that I personally don't like. They have a great midrange presence, lovely definition on the lower notes, and as much brightness as you'd like... which you can tame with the onboard EQ to get a more standard flatwound sound, yet with a better definition than pretty much any flats I've tried. The lower notes are very well defined, tight, and you can get a very nice fat 'finger funk' type of sound with this bass and these strings. Slap? You can slap on flats and you may like the sound but it's... a particular sound. You can easily slap with these and most people won't even realise they're not roundwounds (assuming you are not after a really bright tone). This bass has a 3-band EQ. I am not sure if the centre detents correspond to 'flat' on this bass, but I find myself boosting bass a *tiny* fraction, and mids either at centre detent or cut a *tiny* fraction, like 1/6th of a turn or less. Treble I leave alone, or I cut a fair bit for a rounder sound. It sounds fat, with similar presence to a Stingray, maybe a bit more middy? It is heard with clarity in the band mix, but it's not 'in your face'. It does not sound like a Stingray to me... but it's definitely close, unlike most other basses that I hear people say 'Stingray-like' this one can actually get close. But if you want a Stingray sound, go get a Stingray, or a USA MM SUB. Even my dear old OLP that I modified with new pickup and electronics sounded a lot more like a Stingray than the ATK300. But, it is in the ballpark, close enough. If you just want a bass that sounds great and you like Stingrays but you don't need the specific sound... this should be on your list of basses to try. As long as you don't mind the weight. It feels much like a Stingray and it sounds like a Stingray that grew up in another country so it speaks with a distinct accent An accent that is perhaps more low-mids rich. With the particular pickup I am using, anyway. The bass has a 3-way switch. From what I can tell, the bottom position is the full humbucker with coils in parallel (Stingray like). That's my favourite position. It is fat yet refined. The middle position is just one of the coils... I can't recall which one. It doesn't sound all that different with this pickup/strings... you can hear it alone, but in the mix I doubt it'll come through. The top position is the full humbucker in series. That is a bit louder, fatter, and generally more aggressive. It is a good sound, but a little too much for my liking. My MM SUB has the pickup wired in series and it's a great punchy sound. This one is a bit muddier, but not a bad sound. It definitely has its uses. Switching between parallel and series can be a cool thing to have, as it can get you that extra ooomph at the flick of a switch. If you're in a three piece band and find you want to fill in the void left by a soloing guitarist, that can be a good way to do it, especially if using an overdrive, as the extra output would give you some extra dirt too from the pedal. I will mostly use in the parallel position, I think. I'd describe this as the bass for the person who is in love with Stingray and already owns one or two and wants a slightly different flavour. Or the bass for the person who wants something that has similar characteristics as a Stingray but doesn't have to have a Stingray necessarily, and enjoys a slightly different look. I love it. What a beast. I'll take pictures properly later, but here's one for starters. I have just moved and the first thing I took to the new house was... amp/cab and a bass. Get your priorities right

I'll go against the tide and say: do it. But do it well, with a neat route. Having the bridge pickup makes a Precision a much more versatile instrument. I'd consider a double J humbucker rather than a single J. In my opinion it balances better withe the P pickup. Or even an MM style pickup.

[quote name='SisterAbdullahX' timestamp='1463509928' post='3051968'] Been annoying me for a while now. G string on my otherwise gorgeous Fender CIJ Jazz Bass keeps going flat. Doesn't happen on the other three strings, can't be down to a duff string as it happened with last set as well. I always tune up to pitch, not down. Can the tuner be turned by the tension of the string? Tried tightening the screw on the back of the tuner but it's as tight as I can get it. I don't bend the G string or do any manic slapping. What gives? [/quote] How many turns around the post? If you have many turns and there's a little slack between the turns... you'll go flat over a period of time until the slack is gone. How do you anchor the string on the post? The thinner string is more prone to not anchoring well if you're not paying attention... sharply bend the string so that it anchors in the post. I generally only use 1-2 turns[*], and provided it's well anchored the tuning is solid. Does the G-string nut slot stick a bit? If if does... it can cause the same issue. Similarly with string trees at times. [*] except E A strings on Fender type headstocks without a string tree, where you rely on several turns to ensure the string exits from the bottom and thus providing enough breaking angle over the nut.

[quote name='Wonky2' timestamp='1463594154' post='3052717'] On the back of this positivity for the eb cobalts ive commited to giving them a whirl. I bought a new (76) jazz bass which im itching to set up so new strings are a must! Even went out and bout some new imperial allen keys today Im easily pleased. [/quote] let us know what you think! I'm really liking them on the ATK.

[quote name='PaulFenderJazz' timestamp='1463403728' post='3051040'] Actually it is helpful as it's helped clarify my thinking. I've ordered the CMD121p plus NY121 as they're designed to go together, now we will see what the sound is like! [/quote] That's a sweet combination, for my taste

[quote name='matski' timestamp='1463045007' post='3047996'] Do these cobalts 'go off' over time? [/quote] I imagine they would, eventually... but very slowly like other flats. Strings tend to go off largely from gunk getting into the grooves. Roundwounds suffer the most and become duller faster. Flats, not so much. So I don't expect the sound to change much over the next few months. We'll see!

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1463345233' post='3050694'] Hmm, how do we decide if we're a yes or a no here? I have a micro head and lightweight 1x10" for the situations where that works, but at least some of my next few gigs will be with a valve head and a couple of ceramic 12"s. I'm not sure which box to tick! [/quote] If they're similar to the S112, I'd say light

[quote name='Kex' timestamp='1463212601' post='3049512'] Weight. Thats what I am taking about, when I started playing back in the late 1970s (yep, really am that ancient) bass stacks were big and heavy. We had two transits to lug around our equipment, the PA alone took two men just to move each cab, and there were six of them. My amp was a 4 x 10 Trace Elliot combo, at the time relatively small compared to other people 8 x 12 Marshall stacks, but it was still heavy. Very heavy, I know because until last month I still owned it. Until recent;y i had never even considered the weight of a Bass, it was what it was, yet now I keep seeing 'how much does it weigh' in replies to adverts - OK, i am sure there are some people who have back / medical issues, but not that many surely! Same with equipment, number if times I have seen people with small lightweight cabs kidding themselves that that 8mm chipboard ply is going to produce the same sound as 15mm marine plywood is amazing. Go and try and lift up a professional full range B&W studio monitor, or even a high end home hifi, its massively heavy and there is a reason for that. So, whats with the weight thing, have we all become wimps [/quote] Back in the day when we wanted to travel to America, we'd get on a boat and spend merrily a few weeks, then unload our horses and cart and get to our destination, and nobody questioned how slow the process was. Now it's all jet here jet there... have we all become impatient?

[quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1463234031' post='3049796'] Sorry another off topic point here also about status strings- not half rounds in this case, but I had a set of rounds replaced 3 times due to a dead e string. Perseverance was required for the replacements! [/quote] it's a pity because I kind of like the company and the strings that worked were nice. My set of flats was spot on and were very good for that 'old school' Precision tone... but it seems that they're probably a small operation for the amount of emails they get and they just don't manage. I hope the issues were a temporary hiccups.

[quote name='PaulFenderJazz' timestamp='1463292830' post='3050151'] Anyone used a 12 plus 15 combination? I just saw a MB Traveler 151 at a reasonable price, thought it might make a good partner to the CMD 121P?... [/quote] I haven't tried that one. I tried the MB combo with a Barefaced Compact (G2, 15"), which was a pretty powerful combination but I didn't think it was a good pairing, tonally. However the Traveler 151 is probably quite different from the Compact... so... sorry for the very unhelpful post

[quote name='PaulFenderJazz' timestamp='1463240569' post='3049877'] Hi everyone: sorry this is my first reply to all your advice; it's not that I don't appreciate it, I've just been trying to absorb it and add to my own research. Currently veering towards a MB CMD121 and adding another 12" extension (Ashdown or Eden?) to give me a couple of easy to transport pieces of kit while still accessing the full 500w of the amp. Feels like 12"ers could be a good middle road and could complement my Jazz's mid tones. I'll post what I go for and report back on how it sounds! [/quote] if you want a good 12" extension for the MB combo, the TKS S112 works VERY well with it. There's at least one for sale right now in the forum. It transforms the small punchy combo into a beast. The S112 is only about 10Kg too.

[quote name='cd_david' timestamp='1463261738' post='3050077'] Refin by Dave Wilson of DWilson Guitars; [url="http://s519.photobucket.com/user/cd_david/media/Basses%20To%20View/969AE3EC-C769-4C09-ACD0-3A3663031CDA_zpsvt292sqs.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s519.photobucket.com/user/cd_david/media/Basses%20To%20View/1880DF5F-0C6C-4750-B129-E28D9C7BCEDE_zpsdhountwy.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s519.photobucket.com/user/cd_david/media/Basses%20To%20View/6C3BE072-9CDA-4CEA-A9DA-690A048E310E_zpsjy3isjeo.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s519.photobucket.com/user/cd_david/media/Basses%20To%20View/B7B3AA0D-CEF3-454B-AFA8-4228006DF3EA_zpsma4i9uti.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] amazing... David is a bit good, isn't it?

[quote name='funkyjimbob' timestamp='1463069786' post='3048329'] Sorry I meant import duty into the UK. I'm sure I've ordered from Hungary before and been charged at customs. [/quote] oh, no duty... it's European Union!

[quote name='funkyjimbob' timestamp='1463067895' post='3048298'] Thanks for the reply. Did you pay any duty? They told me to use Transferwise to find a code then use my online banking software and that code to make the payment which ha got me a bit confused to be honest. [/quote] I didn't hear anything about codes. I didn't pay duty this time. They sent me a direct link as they got some kind of deal where the first X customers don't pay fees (I guess they're new and need to make themselves known and spread), so that's that, but when people have used it to pay for Maruszczyk basses they ended up paying £2-3 which is a lot less than by standard transfer. Check the Maruszczyk thread, a few people use Transferwise there and may be able to help more.

[quote name='funkyjimbob' timestamp='1463064933' post='3048250'] Has anyone else been confused with the payment method they are offering? Mine is ready but I can't for the life of me work out what they are trying to make me do? I signed up for Transferwise and followed their instructions but they are saying about using the code I am given by Transferwise to make payment using my online banking? Any ideas? They have stopped using Paypal for some stupid reason. Also, is there import duty to pay from an item sent from Hungary? [/quote] They stopped using Paypal because they end up paying a lot more in fees I assume. I am not a fan of Paypal, it's convenient but they've messed me about a few times and they are not quick to act. For example, once I had over £600 in my Paypal account (I had just sold a couple of things and didn't bother to transfer the cash to my bank as I was going to use it again), and used Paypal to pay for a beautiful 5-string g&L L2500. However, I was in Spain at the time. Paypal realised my location had changed and blocked the account. Fair enough, they are serious about security. You'd imagine that a phone call followed by an email perhaps providing some kind of id or whatever would fix the matter, right? Good luck with that. It took me over a week for my payment to be accepted and for me to have access to my account again. Remember my account wasn't empty either. If this happens with a bank it gets sorted immediately. Good luck trying to fix anything quickly with Paypal. They're the experts at stalling. Now, Transferwise... I had never used it before I had to pay for my Future Impact pedal, but I just signed up, entered the details they asked (mine and recipient's), and that was it. I don't remember any code of any kind I paid with funds from my bank, using my bank card (Visa debit)... not sure if paying as a bank transfer changes matters. If your bank card is a debit card (likely) I'd use that as the result is the same, but it was definitely straight forward when I used it.

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1462991306' post='3047688'] Help the guy out. Just make sure every third cable is rolled badly and catch his cabs on every door frame you carry them through. [/quote] I like your style

[quote name='largo' timestamp='1463035905' post='3047915'] have you tried Status Hotwire Half-Rounds? Interested in a comparison. [/quote] I did. I didn't find them that different from their standard flats, to be honest. Yeah they were a bit brighter, but not incredibly so. What put me off straight away was that the E string was dull dull dull... I contacted Status to see if it was normal or maybe I got a bad batch and they were not interested. So I lost interest in Status strings ever since. The Cobalts are a lot brighter, and less flatwound-like than the halfrounds, for sure.

[quote name='Passinwind' timestamp='1463011487' post='3047869'] Which gauge are you using? I've had the lightest set on one of my fretless basses for around 8 months now. They are just a little stiffer feeling than the T-I Jazz Flats I had on that bass for 12 years (two sets in that time). They suit me a good bit better than the T-Is, which I also really still do like a lot. [/quote] 105 - 85 - 65 - 45

[quote name='geoham' timestamp='1463001202' post='3047793'] I quite fancy them for my Lakland 5501 - reckon they'll be okay for the 35" scale? (Obviously just through the bridge, not through the body for flats!) [/quote] I think so... they go through the body on my ATK (34") and there was plenty string left (which I cut)

[quote name='Ed_S' timestamp='1463039003' post='3047935'] Hopefully it's not too far off-topic to ask, but what kind of size venue and type of tone are you guys going for when finding the CMD121p so lacking on its own? Please don't think I'm doubting what you're saying, I'm just genuinely interested because I've been using mine on its own for a while now and haven't had it run out of steam on me yet. I have much larger and more powerful amps/cabs, but space is usually at a premium both in transport and on stage so I'd like to use the 121p solo as much as possible, but at the same time it'd be really useful to know at what point I might end up asking too much of it and could expect a refusal - after all, there's little more annoying than owning something that would have done the job but not having taken it with you! I play in a two-guitar melodic/power metal band at nothing-like-sedate volumes but I've never had a problem with hearing myself on stage or being heard out in the room. Of course, FoH PA support makes a difference out in the room when you've got it in larger venues, as does foldback on stage, but I've played the 121p with all permutations of those two variables and in general the EQ stays 'flat' (all at-or-very-near 12 o'clock and cut the lows if it's a boomy stage), the filters stay off, the gain stays at 1 o'clock and the master volume varies between 8 and 10 o'clock depending on the setup in the room. Tone also makes a difference and mine is generally clean with no thunderously low component, plus I only play 4 string basses in Eb with this band, but we tune down to C for some of the songs in the set and even that doesn't seem to cause me a problem. I have other Markbass gear and completely get what you're saying about the amp being pretty much maxed-out by the time you're at 12 o'clock on the master, but I've only ever been near there once and that was when I first got my LMII years ago and still had an old cab that just didn't have the sensitivity to make the necessary noise without the application of additional wattage. Cheers in anticipation of your thoughts [/quote] I'm surprised you get heard clearly out front without PA with the master between 8-9 and input gain at 1. With PA, no problem. I bought that amp mostly as I generally only needed a stage monitor and it worked beautifully for that, and so easy to carry. But without PA... it sounds good on stage but get out in the floor (wireless) and you don't disappear entirely but there's no 'mass' to it at all. My experiences are largely with a ska(ish) band with a drummer, three guitarists/vocals, two trumpets and a sax. Lots of people but not necessarily very very loud. My EQ on that amp was generally flat (occasionally bumping/cutting something, a tiny bit), and filters off. In our music the bass is prominent and the little combo can't do it alone. I honestly cannot imagine any band except for quieter jazzy ones being able to pull it off. That speaker is pretty good, but it's a tiny enclosure (a great part of the combo is taken up by the amp, it's a lot smaller than the 'equal size' extension cabinet in fact)... I needed an extension cab if I had no PA support and we were not playing but the smallest rooms.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1462985637' post='3047608'] Actually, that could be quite useful - I'll maybe drop you a message. It's hard to figure out strings from reviews alone! [/quote] you know where to find me, Martin.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1462983981' post='3047583'] Interesting. I've only rehearsed with it once and didn't need to push it that much. In fact probably got to around 1 o'clock and was asked to turn back down again. Overall I have been impressed - my next gig with this band is at a small place where we play quietly, so I'll use it there and see. Maybe take a second cab and leave it in the car, just in case. [/quote] If you don't play loudly and you can take advantage of a back wall/floor to add with bass reinforcement, you may be ok. I've used mine (I only sold it a few weeks ago, so it's still very recent in my memory) by itself a few times in small bars and it worked. But anything a bit louder and it runs out of steam. My comment wasn't so much about what it can achieve alone, but about the notion that because the master volume it's at noon there's lots left. There isn't. You pretty much reached its limit (through its built-in speaker).

oh god...