mcnach

I am not a Christian, never really been and I can't say I know of a single one of my friends who is a christian... so it may come as a surprise that in 2008 I auditioned for a worship band. Well, I didn't know it was a worship band. They didn't say. I was looking for a band to join, they told me they practice at this church near where I lived and didn't think much of it as many churches use their grounds as a sort of community centres around here. I asked for recordings or anything they would want me to prepare and they said no, just show up with my bass. They did not mention the worship aspect at all. So I showed up, and immediately I realised what the situation was. I felt tempted to turn around and leave but... I was there, they expected me, why not go through with it. Band leader and guitarist was a bit of a tyrant from the way he treated his band, but he wasn't extreme and the band sounded good, so hey, if that works... I was handed a few sheets with lyrics and chords written along the lyrics and "let's start with song X, 1, 2, 3, 4..." and we started! Songs I never heard before, but largely pretty predictable structures, so all I had to do was scan the sheet for the chords before starting, and go with it. Play simple initially, and try a bit "prettier" playing as I became more comfortable. The band was two guitars, three female backing singers I think, keyboard, a guy doing various percusion bits, and a 12 year old drummer who was pretty cool. I had a good time. They offered me the gig but I declined because the worship aspect really isn't for me... but if I were a Christian, that would have been a pretty cool band to join. The atmosphere was welcoming and nice, and what at first seemed like a tyrant bandleader... I suspect he just held the reigns of the band tight but he was probably a cool guy too, or the other members wouldn't act so relaxed around him. I would not leave my "usual" gigs, but having something like this in addition to a more standard band sounds great to me... if you're into worship. It's not an area I know much about, but over the years I have encountered a good number of worship bands/players and there's a lot of really good stuff out there, musically. I can imagine it would do a lot of good to help develop further as a bass player.

[quote name='gazzatriumph' timestamp='1450722224' post='2935254'] I researched before buying and looked at the G30, reports that the clip was crap were true the battery compartment lid isnt great but as I said Ive had no problems with it, I prefer to have a pouch for extra protection rather than using a clip, there were good and bad points on the G30 and the Sony, people reporting the Sony gave out a high pitch noise when using batteries plus I'd had a Sony TV pack up just after the warranty and had a Sony Hi Fi which packed up, it was replaced under warranty and the replacement packed in and was replaced with a Panasonic so I lost a bit of faith with Sony products. [/quote] When I got my G30, the Sony did not exist. The G30 is still doing a great job. The clip looked flimsy so I never even used it: I got a leather holder by Levy that works very well, instead. The battery door... I never understood the complaints. It seems to me it's made on purpose so that you do need to press the catch hard,, which means it won't open by itself... and I suspect some people simply did not pay enough attention and didn't close the lid properly. Over six years later, it's still going strong. I have also a preference not to buy anything Sony, so I'd still get the G30.

At home. Waiting for a BSW to be delivered before 1pm. It is the THIRD one I buy!!! Will I keep it this time? Unlikely, it looks like it'll become my girlfriend's... but at least I'll have access to it! It's a funny pedal this one. It does a few cool noises and covers octave, synthy and envelope filter flavours. There are much better pedals out there for each individual effect, but this one sounds quite decent regardless. Every time I sell mine... I find yet another situation where the BSW would have been ideal. Hopefully this time it'll stay close to me. It is a lot of fun on guitar too, more than the guitar-oriented version, in fact.

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1450273116' post='2931224'] Horrid scoopy tone = knob. Refusal to compromise for the sake of overall band sound = complete knob. "Too cool for earplugs" = [u][b]idiot[/b][/u] (and complete total and utter knob). What do your bandmates think? Does it get on their nerves too, or is it just you? If it's just you, do they know that it's pissing you off? [/quote] It sounds like a very inexperienced guitarist, between this and the other thread about what guitar to buy. He probably has no clue what the band sounds like as a whole and just enjoys making noise... I think recording a rehearsal could be a useful way to approach the subject in a constructive way... but I am not optimistic. I haven't met a single guitarist with the traits you describe who is willing to compromise. If the rest of the band sees no problem, then it may be time to look for another band. If they see a problem, then it's time for another guitarist, probably.

[quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1450217662' post='2930735'] Cheers for the info folks, Sadly I missed seeing the post until after the Ebay auction had finshed but it does look nice. I'd be a little wary of D-tuners only because I have heard very mixed reports on the ones used with bass guitars. [/quote] D-tuners (Hipshot extenders) work fantastically well on bass!!! I have them on three of my basses as I needed to alternate between standard and drop-D a lot in the past. I'd have them on guitar in a heartbeat to avoid faffing about. They're very reliable. They'll work just as well on guitar, provided there's a fixed bridge, or a floating trem that only does down-bends.

Korg Pitchblack, without a doubt. I also like the Korg DT10 a lot. The disadvantage is it takes up a lot more space but it's very good. Great display. I left mine behind after playing at a festival and by the time I realised it was gone. I hate people sometimes... my lovely DT10

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1450732130' post='2935396'] Yeah, that could be entertaining. I'm not sure when I'll get started on them; probably not until the new year, but I have a new wee musical project they would be useful for. [/quote] You know where to find me

[quote name='0175westwood29' timestamp='1450721726' post='2935245'] So can we close this thread now? [/quote] No, but you're free to not read it

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1450470324' post='2933230'] It's interesting what high regard these are held in on basschat, as on paper they look decent but unremarkable; a quality but not premium spec Eminence driver in a 40-something litre box, and (going by the sensitivity) figures, tuned for a small mid-bass bump. It's clear that in the flesh they have a sound which people like though. In the new year I'm going to put together a pair of cabs with what I'm fairly sure is the same driver as the S112, but mine will be built in true shed-fangled DIY fashion. When I've got those done, it would be a fun exercise to compare them to the S112s if anyone up here has some. [/quote] Hi Martin, I'll have a pair of S112's coming to me soon, so we can compare them if you like.

was that for me or for the previous message about the TTE amp? anyway, for me... I still haven't moved any of my speakers. I've been moving house, and what with Xmas etc I haven't bothered, although I've got some interested parties in some of them if/when I decide to move them. What I've just done is say "to hell with it! Let's get a couple of S112s!"... so yup, they've been ordered. It seems I may get lucky as Tommy had some ready to cover in vinyl and they may ship within a couple of days. It's a rather expensive way to figure out which combination works best for me, but I figured I deserved a Xmas present

[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1450461740' post='2933146'] two of the five tuners on my Squier VM5 Jazz have fallen off repeatedly and have broke. I'm having to replace them. It is a great bass, aside from that however. [/quote] two of them fell off... repeatedly??? man, what do you do to that poor bass?

I've seen people changing the head in the CMD121 combo and also on a 210... so it is possible. However the amp does not have the top metal plate that a stand alone head would have, so you'd have to make one or source it somehow from another broken head or something, otherwise the guts would be exposed when you use it (assuming you want to use it as a stand alone unit.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1450355716' post='2931943'] Yep - my own fault. I thought a maple board would be nice alternative, but it turns out I'm dyed-in-the-wool rosewood. Adrian won't send me a neck 'cos they're carefully matched to the bodies, so... here I am. As soon as it sells, my order is going in for another. [/quote] Ah, I see. I'm the opposite, I prefer maple and slowly I've been removing all rosewood from my collection. Except guitars, I now only own three and all rosewood. I'm going to install an MMSR preamp in my red one, and I think that's going to be me for some time. That list of basses below is going to be reduced drastically in the next few months.

[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1450316486' post='2931711'] WOT's maple bass has gone up for sale on one of the Local musicians marts over on FB if anyones interested. I'm tempted but I don't have the cash atm [/quote] really?

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1450254666' post='2930884'] It didn't and wasn't intended to, my partner and female kids might object [/quote] male kids would not object?

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1448704017' post='2917492'] a nice redhead said I "[i]sounded f&*(ing fantastic[/i]" - they don't get [s]many[/s] any loud precision basses there, I got roped in to play Johnny B Goode with an acoustic (but amped) guitarist and apart from a moment of memory loss in the second verse it went pretty well for something I've only ever heard on the radio. The host jumped in to play lead too. nice tone apparently (but likley helped a bit by my Zoom B2 on the ampeg setting). Quietly pleased. [/quote] watch out with that red head! Last one who approached me like that ended up turning my world upside down... and we're very happy together now

Indeed, slap with the 1126 sounded very very very nice. I really must try those S112s, everything seems to indicate that I'd like them a lot and would suit me more than the 1126s. I generally end up turning the bass knob down somewhat to get the clarity and definition I like, so the fact that they do not have the big bottom 1126s have might suit me just fine. Sizewise they seem just about perfect for me too. I might just sell the 1126 cabs and get a pair of S112 to see how I get along with them, while keeping the Barefaced cabs for now. That won't do much to my aim of downsizing but it sounds like fun

You're right about the dimensions of the 1126. Their volume may be slightly larger, but being more "cube-like" they fit well in my boot. I only ever got to try two BB2 together once, but it was with a Jazz bass with flats in a very large and empty rehearsal room, and my old LM3... I could not directly compare it to what I was used to but the one thing that was striking is how loud they could get, and how much bottom end there was. However the room was not great and it didn't give me a good feel for what the two cabs could sound like together. Perhaps talking about the character of the BB2 appears to imply it adds a certain colour. I just mean that it sounds different from most other similar cabs, and we know most others tend to be a little scooped. The BB2 never sounded very inspiring at low volume in my apartment unless I EQ'd it heavily. But turn it up in a band situation and it works very well.

What you say makes a lot of sense to me! The Schroeders tend to be 'accused' of being too mid-rich, perhaps much like BFs do, perhaps because they're less coloured... The Streamliner needs tamed a bit, a scooped cab can make it sound horrible for my taste. The Compact+BB2 sounded better with the LM3 I used to have... and which I'll probably buy again at some point. I thought the Shuttle would do the same job and be a bit more versatile, but I do miss that LM3. Never tried an F1. It's certainly a 1st world problem

The BF will go louder, that is definitely correct. I can use different EQ to make either work reasonably well, absolutely, and if I were going to get all scientific about it and analyse the frequency content etc I'm sure there would be a way to make either of them sound pretty much the way I like. Having said that, my tone shaping controls are somewhat limited (limited EQ on the amp, and different between amps, plus teh same with onboard preamps, and then passive basses too)... so I want something that makes it easy to get there, whatever I use. Again, let me repeat that: both sound really good!!!!!!!! I'll be happy with either set, which is why I haven't decided yet which ones to keep. My initial plan was to just use the TKS because their dimensions suited my car perfectly... just like that And they were red and beautiful But if I have to keep just one set, I'll have to balance all these little factors, as there is no clear winner both being pretty awesome. The TKS generally sound 'prettier', but under some conditions they can be a bit indistinct and too 'airy' for my liking. Some people LOVE that sound and think my BF set is clearly worse... so bear in mind this is just about opinion about a certain je ne sais quoi that separates both sets, with both being quite good at what they do. The BF set up is louder, but I honestly can't imagine needing to push them that hard for the sort of gigs I play (when more is needed there's ALWAYS a hefty PA to take care of the deep bass). The BF set is a bit bulkier, and awkward to fit in my current car (it wastes space and can't fit both in the boot at the same time), but they're noticeably lighter and easier to handle, and people love to help me because they're light In addition, the BF gets me close to the sound I want more easily than the TKS 1126... but whether this is because of their inherent character suiting my 'sound' or because I've used them for longer so I understand them better... I'm not sure. I'm leaning towards keeping the BF at this stage... while I try to work out a situation where it makes sense to keep both sets and can justify it

You're probably right about the BF being flat compared to TKS. I personally don't care about cabs being flat or coloured, as long as I like the sound. I colour the signal of the bass at every possible step, and the speaker is yet another link in the chain. You're right 'though that this part then gets lost if I DI, which happens most times... but then it will rarely sound the same when I'm right next to the speaker on stage than what it will sound like from the audience's perspective, so I'm not precious about having a faithfun reproduction of "my tone" (whatever that is). If I get a good sound onstage and the sound engineer can use the signal from my amp (post effects when I use them) to get a good sound at the front, then I'm happy.

Ha! pretty much! and I love chocolate so I'd say... have both! Both are delicious! That's what I've done for the past year

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1450177341' post='2930213'] Was looking at a Warmoth J build to treat myself in 2016. Having seen the spec of these now, I'm not sure whether it's worth it - these guys seem to be on the money. Just need to have a good look through their website. [/quote] I wouldn't go the Warmoth route after I have seen what you can get from Maruszczyk. UNless part of the joy is teh actual build, finishing it etc, of course. Just make sure you measure everything you think matters to you and specify it exactly the way you want it. Beautifully made instruments.

Not sure it's a mismatch, other than visually (which does bother my mild OCD but...). I had the single Compact first and I asked Alex before getting the BB2, then I went and tried the Compact with a BB2 that someone local had and kindly allowed me to test. They're quite different, but work reasonably well together. If I were going to have two of the same I'd probably have two BB2 indeed. The Compact is huge and loud, two of them would be awesome, but I do miss a bit of the high midrange which the BB2 provides so easily. I did not compare directly the 1126 against the BB2 the other day, but I have had enough experience with either separately to know the 1126 has the most pleasant voice of the two, and sounds bigger and fuller (for the volumes I've needed). However the BB2 has a midrange presence that I like a lot in a band context. I think it's something that people either love or hate. Whether it is that most other cabs are slightly mid scooped or the BB2 is a bit more mids-rich, it's got a character that makes it distinct. You can still get a lot of different sounds from it, and EQ it to taste, but it lends itself more to a bass tone that cuts through and doesn't necessarily have to have a lot of bottom end (not saying the BB2 is poor in lows, it isn't, it just doesn't sound as big as other cabs given an identical input signal). The 1126 can sound much bigger and fuller more easily... but for the sound I want it needs the midrange bumped up, and I don't get it just right like I can on the BB2... yet it sounds more... "refined and beautiful" (so hard to describe!!!)

Indeed, both sets do the job... that's why I find it so hard to let one go, as both are nice but each have something I like best about them The final decision is likely to be made largely on the basis of weight/bulk/shape... which tells you there isn't anything wrong with either I wish I could keep them all, but change in living arrangements mean I need to downsize.