mcnach

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1380820630' post='2231128'] Nah its got more bite like a P bass yet more bottom end fatness like something active IMO, I dont really get on with Jazz basses that well and I always find the pickup cancellation thing an arse which I know is my bad ears really but its still there. I find myself messing around all night thats why I like a single pup bass with my favourite tone usually from a P bass but they sound terrible when I play them (more terrible than normal). [/quote] That's why I love a Jazz with the J-Retro. The active blend somewhere between the bridge and both pickups on, and do your thing with the powerful EQ... It does not sound like a traditional Jazz anymore, but it sounds great. All it needs is the neck of a Stingray

Last night I realised something that I'm a little ashamed to admit I had not noticed until now, and I have owned this pedal for maybe three years! I only use it with the RATM tribute band, which is not all that active, but still. So, last night I had rehearsal with another band, and I was in a hurry so I picked the pedalboard I used for RATM last weekend, when I only wanted the tuner and compressor, and rushed to the rehearsal room. As I arrived a few minutes late, they were already jamming and I liked what I heard, so I just placed my amp in the usual spot (Markbass CMD121P combo), took out my bass (Jazz with J-Retro), and plugged it in straight. It was pretty much in tune, so I actually continued like that for the first half of the rehearsal after adjusting tuning on the go. It sounded good. Nothing unusual, as this is the usual setup with this band. Ok, I was missing the compressor, but it's not critical. After the break, I plugged in through the full pedalboard: Korg Pitchblack -> Bass Wah 105Q -> Darkglass Vintage Overdrive -> Danelectro Transparent Overdrive -> EHX Small Stone phaser -> EBS Multicomp -> Thumpinator -> amp. Suddenly, I was not liking what I was hearing. It was pretty muddy, I thought. I assumed one or all of the three guitarists had changed settings drastically and used the J Retro to adjust and find my spot. It helped, but it was not right. Then I thought: I'll bypass all pedals except the Thumpinator. What a change! It sounded great again. Hmmm. So, in the end, I found that the Bass Wah was the culprit (simply eliminating it from the chain things improved a lot). My overdrive pedals sounded a LOT better too. I had been saying that "I don't theink the ERA knob on the Darkglass does all that much, in my opinion". Well, it does. The pedal sounds much better once I remove the Bass wah too. What a big eye opener. For RATM I always managed to get a decent sound, using my Stingray... but all my messing about trying different overdrives etc... I wonder how many pedals that I discarded I might have kept (and stop searching) had I tried them alone, not on the pedalboard! (I have bought today an Aguilar Agro which will replace the Danelectro, much better pedal) So... now this puts me in a complicated position. On the one hand, the existing setup works. I was not in love with it, but it works with the RATM band. However, I have now experienced how much better I can sound without the Wah... But I do need a wah that does what the 105Q does: adjustable level and it switches on when stepping on it. I guess I could live without the "automatic on" function. Any recommendations? Why does the 105Q affect the sound so much when not engaged? I don't imagine there's any mod that can be done to it to cure this... EDIT: in the end I went for the AMT bass wah, see below.

My old Warrior... and the Warrior III before surgery (preamp and black hardware): I can't seem to find one of the Warrior II...

I have owned three. A Warrior (shaped much like that one, but with both horns teh same length and a single MM pickup at the P-bass position), a Warrior II (like that one), and a Warrior III (F-holes, a MM and a Jazz pickup at the neck, inspired a bit in shape by the Warwick Infinity). They were all pretty good. The Warrior was the best. Nice ash (or something that looked like ash) body, great sound. Unfortunately because of the short top horn it had bad neck dive. Very solid. The Warrior II was a bit less inspiring. It was ok. Nice platform for upgrade projects. The Warrior III I liked a lot, and ended up installing a 3-band Glockengklang preamp on it. Unusual bass. I wish I had kept it.

[quote name='DanEly' timestamp='1380453208' post='2225386'] I own a Protec and I have to say.. I'm looking for a more comfortable alternative.The Protec is hard wearing but the velcro has given up on the handle. I walk a fair bit, say about a hour? and my back seriously knows it when I turn up for rehearsals. So who's using what, over long distances? Need some advice before I make a expensive mistake! [/quote] Disclaimer: I only owned the Fusion F1 for a couple of days, so I may still be in the honeymoon phase. I think the F1 is ideal for walking. It's essentially designed like a good backpack... then shaped like a bass, with extra protection where a bass needs it. The back is extremely comfortable and so are the straps, the added belt holds it to your waist for better support. When it comes to protection, I haven't seen first hand most of the good alternatives to the F1, but when thinking of walking for an hour or more with a bass on my back, I don't think any of those is designed as well as the F1.

I can't compare it to those others (Mono, iGig, Protec) because I have not managed to get one in my hands. But the F1 is exactly what I was after. I used it last night for the first time. Very comfortable, lots of pockets. Too many even, I could not remember where I had my earplugs! A bit bulkier than my previous bags (Warwick Rockbag deluxe and the like), but it offers so much more protection and still easy to carry. Love it. Even my girlfriend approved and showed interest in it, when she normally ignores any of my bass related purchases. I guess a gigbag is more related to handbags

The Fusion F1 arrived today. Really impressed! It is definitely quite a step higher from every gigbag I have ever had. Smooth action zip too, feels solid. Of course, there is a "but": it does not fit in the boot of my car! I guess the times I really need to have the bass in the boot I'll use one of the smaller thinner bags I have.

white ones are cool I was looking for one for ages... then within 6 weeks I saw THREE different ones for sale. One of them is mine, and that one is staying

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1380139060' post='2221500'] In the U.S. The finish is poly. Not sure if they ship overseas. They also run sales. [url="http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/sterling-by-music-man-s.u.b.-ray4-bass-guitar"]http://www.musicians...ay4-bass-guitar[/url] [/quote] No. That's not the Made in USA MM SUB (made only between 2003-2006). Entirely different instruments.

And I just ordered the Fusion F1. "did it come in the colour you wanted?" No "excellent!" I had to go for the lime green and black one, as all the others were not in stock "available in 5 days, typically"... yeah, I know how long those 5 days last. I found one place who had just one left in stock, so I got it. £115, not cheap... let's see if it's worth it. I saw other cases for £50-70 that did not look unsubstantial, so I may have spent more than I needed to. I had to see one in the flesh, 'though, and buying one seemed the only way. It can always go back if I don't think is worth the price. I still don't rule out another bag in the near future. The Protec is still looking pretty cool, but I feared it may not fit my boot as well as the Fusion. I like the Mono Vertigo simply for the very very very solid bottom. I like a good bottom, myself. Although this thing about fitting in the boot could be a moot point as I'm about to spend about £700 on my 13 year old VW Golf... which makes me think that a new car will soon be in my "to do" list. I just have to make sure I take my bass and amp to any test drive I do, so that I buy a car that can take my gear, rather than buying gear that fits in the car

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1380114148' post='2220974'] I got one of these harvest gig bags earlier this year and not had any problems with it. It's not a lightweight case like some of the others named on the thread but it's robust. It only has a couple of pockets, one for the tuner and a large pocket in front for everything else. Enough for a couple of leads, strings, music, power supply for my bass. ipad and tools. I doubt if you would get anything bulky in there like a compact power amp but you could get a few boss sized pedals in there. [url="http://www.harvest-guitar.com/Bass-Bags/"]http://www.harvest-g....com/Bass-Bags/[/url] Jazzyvee [/quote] I have to say those are really really good looking. Not what I'm after, but extremely cool!!!

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1380042240' post='2220024'] I'll be interested to check out all these suggestions. I need a gig bag with a [b]BIG[/b] pocket(s). Enough storage to take a GK MB500 head, 3 pedals, and associated leads. McNach, did you have a Warwick Rockbag? If so, do you think that it would have the pocket space for this gear? [/quote] Yes, Rockbag but can't recall which model... it was one of the better ones, but I've owned a few and they all have similar sized pockets. You might get the MB500 in there but I think it would be tight. Plus three pedals? Hmmm, I don't think so.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1380038873' post='2219948'] Protection Racket seems to get a good write-up here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/216668-protection-racket-7051-electric-bass-guitar-bag/"]http://basschat.co.u...ass-guitar-bag/[/url] I had a Mono M80, very nice piece of kit but not too much storage, certainly not as much as the PR gets as described above. [/quote] I was just looking at the Protection Racket bags a few minutes ago. They look good! Another one I just found is the Fusion F1: [url="http://www.fusion-bags.com/products-in-guitar-gig-bags/f1-bass-guitar-orange-16115"]http://www.fusion-bags.com/products-in-guitar-gig-bags/f1-bass-guitar-orange-16115[/url] That one is seriously tempting me too. It's about £115, from what I can see.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1380037642' post='2219924'] I have a Protec Contego and a Mono M80. They are both really good, but I find the Protec more comfortable to wear on my back. [/quote] That's also what I've read, regarding comfort, although I can't imagine the Mono being "uncomfortable".

[quote name='woodyratm' timestamp='1380036210' post='2219900'] Hey man, I've got the m80 - its great at protection and storage isn't too bad. If you're ever up in Aberdeen, welcome to take a look [/quote] A trip up North would be nice but it is not likely anytime soon, thanks anyway!

My Warwick gigbag is well and truly done. It's served me well for a few years, but it's time to get it replaced. I was just going to get another one just like it... but I thought I'd check what other options are there. I recently came across a Tribal Planet GSX5BK case that looked really good, offering a bit of extra protection and enough storage space (which I need, I carry many things with me: assorted cables, wireless, earplugs, batteries, a pedal or two, a power supply, strings... the list goes on. Unfortunately that case seems to have been discontinued. It was about £70. I wonder what similar gigbags people here like. I am not after a full hard case. I have a few of those. I only use them when I have to. Most of the time the bass stays with me and I am not worried about it being mistreated by others etc. A gig bag that I can carry on my back leaving my hands free to take care of amp/cabs is what I want. A gig bag that's a bit more protective than most others is what I want to look at. It must have decent storage space. The iGig and Mono cases get great reviews. The Mono M80 seems a bit short in storage 'though, and quite a bit more expensive than what I'm really looking to spend (I have not seen one in the flesh, maybe if I did I would change my mind... but what I see in pictures does not convince me to part with my cash). The Protec Contego looks pretty interesting and the price is good. A bit more "rigid" than I was aiming for, but it seems it's still comfortable. It's the top of my list at the moment, but I am not entirely sure either. I may just go back to teh Warwick again... although the Jazz bass fitted there precariously, pushing the zip at the top noticeably... so another criterion would be that it can take a Jazz bass nicely. It will mostly be used with a Stingray, but I do use Jazz basses too. What is your favourite gigbag?

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1379800536' post='2216985'] Frankly, having had one fitted to my Jazz in the past, there's not much a Jazz with a J-Retro can't do. It can sound like a P or a Stingray if that's what you want. Or even a bog standard Jazz..... [/quote] A Stingray is something a Jazz cannot even begin to approximate, J-Retro or no J-Retro. Not that it needs to!!! Played it live last night. It sounded great. I really like these preamps... but I have to accept I'm a Stingray man at heart: whatever I play, I try to make it sound close to one. I love the Jazz and even P basses... but when it comes to playing live, I just feel a lot more at home with a Stingray. I guess it's mostly because of familiarity. When I use a Jazz, I tend to use the bridge pickup alone the most. I think one of the reasons I like a J-Retro in a Jazz is that it allows me to fatten it a little bit, as it can sound a bit thinner than I'd like by itself, on a passive Jazz. But the main reason I like the J-Retro is that semiparametric mid-sweep control. The ability to tweak the mids just right from the bass is so useful. Another gig tonight... hmmm... Red Jazz or Stingray?

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1379594789' post='2214584'] If you can't hear your battery dying before it finally goes then you shouldn't really be bothered by the tonal nuances of passive or active. [/quote] TRUE!

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1379591087' post='2214490'] Passive I've only ever owned one active bass, and that went through batteries like nobody's business. When your usual awesome tone has suddenly switched to sounding like a mouse fart a couple of times, it tends to put you off. It wouldn't be as bad if there was a gradual degradation as they ran flat. Decent batteries are not cheap when you're replacing them every couple of weeks, and woe be tied if you forget to change them... I've never been playing and thought "I wish this bass was active". Passive still kicks butt. [/quote] Every couple of weeks??? Good grief! I have my Stingray in a 6 month "reminder" to replace the battery. It would probably last a year or more, but I don't want to risk it for a couple of quid. I use this bass "all the time". Basses that I don't use so frequently are on a 1 year reminder. Some have a preamp bypass option too. It's not that hard to have a couple of 9V Duracell batteries in the gig bag, always. Just like I carry strings and a few other bits. If the bass that you like is active, use it. If your batteries last 2 weeks... get it checked, because that's not normal. Oh, and unplug your bass when not in use. Always. Even if it's passive. Sooner or later someone will trip on the cable and break your socket or worse. Just unplug.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1379532762' post='2213900'] How many people on here bang on about passive basses only to put it straight into a modern amp with an active EQ? What they are saying is they prefer a pickup with a really long lead [/quote]

[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1379527603' post='2213780'] I like to hear [b][u]THE[/u][/b] bass for all that it is, passive for me every time. There isn't an active circuit made IMHO that doesn't sound 'artificially enhanced' (a bit like boobs really ) however you set it. [/quote] and the amp... doesn't it "artificially enhance" the sound of the bass?

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1379520304' post='2213649'] I apologise if this has been done to death, I did use the search function but I ultimately decided that I wanted the opinions of experienced (and hopefully fussy) bass players, rather than just a straight "Here's the difference between active and passive basses". On paper, it seems really straightforward - you have more tone-shaping options with an active bass. But of the active basses I've tried out to date, the tones have lacked the immediate warmth I hear from a passive bass (except - and don't laugh - the Squier Troy Sanders Jag bass, which had some really nice tones). Bear in mind I'm a bass virgin and operating at the budget end of the gear spectrum, and so I undoubtedly won't have tried the better actives basses. What I want is to hear YOUR opinion on why you prefer either one over the other. As many pros and cons as I can obtain, before I splash my decidedly meagre amount of cash. It ultimately comes down to what I like best I guess, but I would like as much info as possible on the active v passive argument. Thank y'all! [/quote] I use mostly active. Why? It just happened that the basses I ended up liking were active (Stingray), and the ones that are passive (Jazz) I still prefer them with a good preamp (J-Retro, typically) because they make it easy for me to get the sound I want from them. I'd say don't worry about the technology. Just figure out which bass gives you the sound you want and feels good to play etc... and don't worry whether it's passive or active.