mcnach

... another 2x BB2 user here. Just to add that... they even fit in the boot of my little A3! This is just tonight packing the car ready for tomorrow... 2x BB2, LM3 and Streamliner 900 heads (I'll use the LM3 but I like to have a backup just in case), and a small pedalboard. Between the cabs and the back of the seat there's a small space where I can fit a small bag with clothes etc... The bass will travel in the footwell of the rear seats, covered with a black cloth. Between that and the tinted windows, nobody would even know I have a full bass rig on board. Can still take three passengers with me if I need to.

[quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1462444619' post='3043022'] Yeah, I'd pretty much eat my hat if he wouldn't build that for you. [/quote] Oh, I already know he would... it would not be my first M-bass

I want a Jake/Jazz. Jake body but two J pickups spaced as in a Jazz and wired as in a Jazz. With a suitably wider/meatier neck. Purple (metallic?) body and maple fingerboard. I had this idea in mind for a while, but then I saw a picture of Prince playing a Jazz in that colour combination and it kind of said to me 'this is what you HAVE to do'. Then I can sell all my Jazzes. I love the sound but not the neck or the body. Hmmm.

[quote name='mikebass84' timestamp='1462391622' post='3042716'] My very first bass. (Tanglewood Warrior IIIFH with entwistles) Doesn't play the best. Doesn't sound the best but is beautiful! [/quote] I had one of those basses!!! What a beast, I wish I had kept it. I installed a 3-band Glockenklang preamp on it and it was just... beautiful indeed.

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1462383177' post='3042594'] Better send it to me then [/quote]

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1462372871' post='3042478'] I agree with the above, with pretty much every bass I have sold the first question has always been "is the neck straight?" When I have replied "no it has a little bit of relief so as to make it playable" most buyers lose interest immediately, I guess most potential buyers especially on Ebay are not experienced in the physics of a set up so run a mile fearing being left with an unplayable bass. [/quote] that's odd

I'm currently waiting for mine. Any day now. I never played with the original so I'd be no use regarding how it compares to the older one.

great story

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1461965067' post='3039272'] Combo is great value compared with a LIII and separate 121 NY cab. [/quote] what we need is an easy way to take the head in and out of the combos!

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1461943031' post='3039000'] Have to say, I`ve always been very impressed when hearing Markbass amps through Barefaced cabs, the two seem to really work well together. Never had that set-up myself, but every time I`ve heard that particular pairing I`ve thought it was great. [/quote] LM3 + BF Big Baby2 is pretty sweet. And HUGE. LM3 + BF Compact, very big bottom end, it sounded good but not as good as the BB2. LM3 + TKS S112 is nicer sounding but not as big. Very tight bottom end. Love it. My current favourite compact solution. LM3 + TKS 1126... very sweet, very big. A bit scooped, but it works well with the tight sound of the LM3.

[quote name='modelreject' timestamp='1461919195' post='3038677'] Hi, About to take the plunge on a Markbass amp. 500W is more than I will need so looking at the 121 combo or the Markbass 3 Head and Cab. Now, just a bit of advice. I know the combo uses the Markbass 3 head Markbass 3 Head (500W) - £390 Traveller 102 4 Ohm - £384 Traveller 102 8 Ohm - £349 (Not sure what wattage I would get out of each of the Travellers as both 4Ohm and 8Ohm state that they provide 400W) Markbass 121 Combo (300W) - £588 Markbass 121 Cab (Added, allows 500W) - £359 So, there is a bit of a price difference. Initially I will be jamming/rehearsing so the the 300W of the combo will be fine and if need be I can add the cab later. With the Head I would prob prefer owning an 8Ohm cab as it means I could add another to get the full 500W if need be. That would increase the cost, by quite a bit. Finally, there were concerns from users that the tweeter on the Combo was annoying. It's quite divided opinion as a lot of people swear by this little amp. Any advice welcomed :-) Thanks, C [/quote] I was one of the ones complaining about the tweeter... it's a very small issue, I did not do anything about mine in the end, so don't worry about it really. You can improve it. BUt it's not a *need*. I no longer have my combo because I found small very light cabs (TKS S112) that work very well for me, as I also have the LM3 head, and the cabs have more depth than the small combo did with just a little extra size. So, I'd say head plus cab is my favourite option. It's a bit more hassle (cables, can't easily tilt it etc) but it gives a bigger sound and with two cabs it's even better. The little combo was a great tool, easy to just show up, plug in and play. With the addition of a tiny tilted stand the tiny combo was a fantastic onstage monitor. BUt I'd go for head + cab for max versatility

[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1462180571' post='3040780'] I'd read it!! Would love to hear about the journey. Something I often dream of (in another hobby) but am not brave enough to do. [/quote] +1

I bought an EBS Multidrive from Alain this week. Very good communication, smooth and easy transaction. When I first tried it, at my girlfriend's place, I noticed an ugly hum whenever I used the pedal on a power supply. I only asked Alain if he used it with power supply and noticed any issues before... but he was quick to offer a return & refund if I wasn't happy, after assuring me he was not aware of any defects... Of course, when I tested it with my power supplies at my place, the pedal operated just as it should Other people may have washed their hands, or simply insist I try again... but Alain is a real gentleman and without my even asking offered the possibility of a return. Fortunately the pedal works perfectly, because I love it. Thank you, Alain

[quote name='jonnythenotes' timestamp='1461936682' post='3038930'] It's probably a much asked question, but have any of you guys switched from standard production p'ups to after market makes and been super chuffed you did it. I have a Fender road worn jazz, which I am totaly blown away with, but because its so good, I want more... Everything about the bass is perfect, including the sound and frequencies it covers, but I keep reading, and being drawn to articles and companies saying we can make it better. Is there a pick up our there that will not change the sound of the bass, but give it a lift across the existing freq's, (but not like an active bass which adds stuff,) just a bit more muscle doing exactly the same as the existing p'ups. I would be really keen on something that gives you the initial power and thump as you hit the string. I'm not too fussed about top end or sustain, but super clean and warm mids are essential......(sort of bass drum'ish in its delivery and impact. It's a mix of Soul, Motown and Funk I play, but no slap... A few seem to surface frequently as being pretty decent, Nordy's, Aguilar, Seymore Duncan's, Lolar, Bart's, and even the Fender range themselves,but the more I read, the more confused I get, as all the manufacturers are experts at blowing their own trumpets. Budget up to about £200 max for new, but no manufacturers logo on the units. The whole idea is for them to look and sound original and authentic to a Roadworn Jazz, Early 60's. Once again, sorry to ask what is bound to have been asked before, but all help and advice will be gratefully recieved. Thanks.. [/quote] DiMarzio Area J. Humbuckers but retain a lot of the classic J... with some balls.

[quote name='interpol52' timestamp='1461956375' post='3039174'] Okay, this may have been done before. Reasons why you have quit bands - Mine are 1) the drummer not learning the songs 2) the guitarist not learning the songs 3) the guitarists girlfriend going Yoko. Aside from these, money and power struggles are the usual! [/quote] My usual ones were: - control-freakery, usually a singer - unreliability: when members are supposed to show up but cancel for no apparent reason at the last minute and nobody is bothered much. - and the biggest one: when people don't do their homework and we keep rehearsing the same old boring stuff, or jamming (fun but leading nowhere) instead of gigging

I own many basses... but it's the Stingray the one I cannot imagine selling. Ever.

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1461828095' post='3037880'] For me, checking out gear out at a practice is best, because you can play at a good volume, listen from different parts of the room, fiddle with your amp and try different options without getting on everyone's nerves. [/quote] I agree. Especially if you do it as a band activity, to get a sense for how it fits with the band together. With experience you learn what is the sound that fits, without hearing all the component parts... but it takes time to get there and I really prefer to have everybody making noise at once Gigs are a very limiting environment to try stuff.

[quote name='ZilchWoolham' timestamp='1461786266' post='3037692'] It was the 1200€ as the starting-off point, before the added electronics and so on, that surprised me a bit. I suppose all is as it should if your first Jake was essentially stock, except for the neck, and the price was similar. A little peculiar that a bass with a lacquered neck would be cheaper than standard, perhaps. I take it your second Jake was a bit more expensive then, and had non-standard pickups? Oh, wait a minute. Do you mean he gave you the quote in £ as opposed to €? It's true the minor price difference might be because of the exchange rate, in that case. [/quote] No, the quotes were always in euros, but I translated it into currency that means something to me and forgot the original numbers My first Jake, for which I only specified the neck dimensions and it being lacquered was a bit more expensive than the standard Jakes on the website. Not much 'though. The second Jake was more expensive, and round about the quote you have been given. It also included a custom logo on the headstock (my band's). My point was that the price can change a fair amount depending on what bridge, tuners, pickups, active/passive config etc you go for. If you approached him with a vague 'custom' idea the quote may not exactly reflect what the final design you come up with costs. Also... it's been about a year now too, so perhaps their rates have gone up a little as well? --- scratch that, I just checked and they are still the same, 850-950 for a standard Jake (which is amazing!). If you want, PM me and I'll fetch the email conversation to give you a better idea of what the costs were for my custom Jake: reverse P pickup at a position specified by me (closer to the bridge than normal), light black Hipshot tuners, ETS black bridge, Delano pickup, no pickguard, controls fitted from the back, extra custom logo, neck dimensions specified by me, tinted lacquer for the neck, passive electronics.

[quote name='ZilchWoolham' timestamp='1461779850' post='3037621'] Hi there, everybody! (First post here!) Recently I've been eyeing this brand quite a bit, as I've only really heard nice things about them, and I'm quite intrigued by some of the pickups and electronics they offer for their custom basses. So, recently I dropped Adrian an email regarding a custom Jake. I, very quickly, got a reply in which it was stated that a custom Jake 4 starts at 1200€, with pickups, preamp etc. adding to the price. This is of course not by any means a massive price for a solid, EU-made bass, but it did surprise me slightly as some of the Jakes they have ready for purchase are considerably cheaper than 1200€. Of course, it makes sense that a bespoke bass would be a bit more expensive than a similarly-spec'd regular production model, due to the customer contact and added workload, but I do also recall reading about remarkably cheap custom jobs on this very forum. I'll contact Adrian again and ask if I can somehow down-spec the bass to cut the cost a little bit - perhaps he assumed I'd want something a bit fancier and just made an unusually high estimate - but I'd also like to check with you lot to see if you've gotten similar estimates for your Jake inquiries. Perhaps they have become a tad pricier in the recent years? Anyhow, 1700 or so euros for a bass made to my specs, upgraded with the pickups and preamp I want, is not unreasonable, but if that will be the final cost I'll probably have to take a closer look at the old budget. Grateful for any replies! [/quote] when I contacted him for my 'custom' Jake, I indicated the bits I wanted the price was similar to yours (a bit cheaper, but exchange rate fluctuates etc). It could have been cheaper by choosing different hardware, pickups etc... My first Jake was only custom in that I specified neck profile/dimensions and wanted a lacquered neck. That was cheaper as I went with their standard hardware and electronics. For me, the neck accounts for a huge deal, so being able to specify that while barely increasing the cost is amazing. Anything else I can change/modify myself later on if I want to.

[quote name='The-Ox' timestamp='1461754449' post='3037312'] I was thinking of doing exactly that with my Squier Affinity! Do you have any sound clips? [/quote] do it!

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1461748788' post='3037262'] stevie - Good post. Makes a lot of sense. We should all be allowed to post our honest thoughts on a forum, as long as it does not offend. No one should feel they cannot state they like/dislike something, and it is absolutely fine to change your mind. I have eaten my own words with Boss pedals. Once looked upon with a little bit of a frown, I've realised that actually 85%+ of the pedals they manufacture are absolutely brilliant, especially when tested in a variety of settings (this applies mainly to guitar for me). I have told many a guitarist that my views on Boss have changed now I've used them without much outside influence. [/quote] +1

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1461743038' post='3037203'] It's interesting how this term gets used in a passive/aggressive way on every BF thread. It doesn't get used anywhere else on Basschat as far as I can tell. [/quote] It's a bit weird, but I think it's just a reaction to the -often real- attraction that some people seem to have for threads with the BF name on them just to criticise or make fun. There are multiple threads about, say Precision basses, and you don't seem to have a number of people (often the same ones thread after thread) regularly joining in just to say "Precisions, meh". I do not understand that, but I noticed it. I don't care but... I can see where the reaction comes from, and sometimes it's triggered a bit too quickly too soon...