mcnach

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1365268707' post='2037485'] funnily enough i thought the MXR tracked miles better than the Aguilar, I could hardly shake it off!... [/quote] I didn't get to compare the MXR and the Aguilar side by side. When I tried the MXR against the OC-2 I chose the OC-2 based on the sound, but the MXR tracked a lot better, no doubt. However, I found it a bit lacking in the personality department, for my taste. A bit too clean. The MXR is a very good octave pedal, but it does not produce the kind of sound I was after. The Aguilar also tracks a lot better than the OC-2, but I can't compare it against the MXR. It's possible the MXR is a bit better there than the Aguilar, I do recall the MXR tracking very nicely. The Aguilar, however, is more "dirty" (or rather, it can be more dirty, for you can use the filter to change the tonality a lot, from very clean to dirty, and from very deep and bassy to very trebly), and I can get the kind of sound I want from it, while I could not get it from the MXR, unfortunately.

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1365265745' post='2037431'] You make me envious! I'd love to A/B the OC2 & OC3. I bought an OC3 off Shep about a year & a bit ago (he was replacing it with another OC2). I've heard that a few folk think the OC3 is a bit thin, but used through a couple of filters, dirt & chorus, I'd call it anything but thin. For your funk band, I'd definitely suggest getting a filter to go after the octave & dirt. [/quote] The OC-3 was not bad at all, it's just that I preferred the OC-2. I would not call the OC-3 thin either, but it was a different sound, and it was good, for sure! The filter section is covered already with a Soundblox BEF Pro. I love this thing I also have a Bassballs modified to have the internal trimpots accessible with standard outside knobs, and it can produce some cool sounds, but I'm not sure I need to clutter the pedalboard with it. Then there is the EHX microsynth. I really like it, but it seems a bit too bulky for a sound I will use only rarely, so I might not keep it long. Yup, an octave, an overdrive and and envelope filter (with presets!) and that's me sorted I think

You can never have enough threads about octavers for bass, can you? I have recently started a new funk band with a few members from my main band and others, and I am now "allowed" to let loose with FX So the octave pedal came out. In the past I tried various multiFX, Zoom, Boss, they all worked but none excited me enough. When I went for single pedals I tried (owned for a while, sometimes simultaneously) the Boss OC-3, Boss OC-2, Danelectro Chili Dog and MXR bass octave deluxe. Oh, and I had a Digitech SynthWah whose octave mode was pretty cool. It's actually a very nice pedal. But it requires more juice than the others and at the time it was an issue so I let it go. If I was allowed only one pedal, I would probably choose the SynthWah for versatility. Anyway, pure octave pedals... The Chili Dog was the least good of the bunch. It sounded great, and on guitar I loved it, but the tracking was poor for bass unless you really played high. The Boss OC-3 did not do much for me when I compared it to the Boss OC-2, which was nice and fat and dirty. The OC-2 sounded nice, but tracking could be an issue at times and it's prone to glitches meaning that short notes are best. The MXR tracked better and was VERY good... but too "clean". So I kept the OC-2 and sold all the others. And did not use it all that much. Until now. I *love* the OC-2. With a bit of overdrive after it... it can be amazing. But the tracking/glitches annoy me a bit. I decided to check two other pedals: the Aguilar Octamizer and the T-Rex Octavius. Different animals... so there's the risk I will keep them all I just got the Octamizer, yesterday, and I have been playing with it a bit now. My initial impressions were quite good. It can be very clean, but it can do dirty octave too. Not as much as an OC-2, but it's still very good. Tracking is NOTICEABLY better. Much much better. Yes, it's still better to stick to higher notes, but I can go lower and 1) it tracks more confidently than the OC-2 and 2) it sounds good, unlike the OC-2 that can sound like a mess on the lower notes. Although I don't really go there with the octave on, normally, it's nice that I can ocassionally stray and it won't be too messy. The Octamizer works with overdrive pedals in a different way than the OC-2. Because it's cleaner, you hear "distorted bass plus octave" more clearly than using the OC-2, which is less recognisable as a bass. Not better, not worse. Just different. I like the Octamizer. Because it tracks better than the OC-2 and it can be made to sound a little dirty, I'm leaning towards letting it replace the OC-2. But I will have to try it with the band. Often things sound very differently once I play at higher volume and with guitar, voices etc... but it sounds very promising. I have ordered a T-Rex Octavius as well, which has been on my mind for ages but never tried because of the 12V requirement and, frankly, the cost. But I had a "what the hell" moment and ordered one the other day. I should receive it on Monday. Will it really follow me like a dog? [size=3][b][i]edit: the T-Rex Octavius arrived on page 2[/i][/b][/size] [media]http://youtu.be/OAZimHX75Xk[/media]

[quote name='stu_g' timestamp='1365034472' post='2034537'] me playing along to the stranglers [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kD3vsbxMHI[/media] [/quote] Very nice tone!

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1365067125' post='2034706'] Creepjoint's first gig in ages. This is the first song of the set, the whole thing is on youtube [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFJZP755TkA[/media] [/quote] love the entrance!

[quote name='mike 110' timestamp='1365021551' post='2034338'] I don't know if it's my favourite , but I've loved Eight Line Poem from Bowies Hunky Dory album since I first heard it in 1973 . It's Mick Ronson at his absolute beautiful , tasteful best ....unfortunately I don't know how to upload any vid that there might be around ...if some kind soul could do the honours , I'd be eternally grateful ...plus you'd be doing a public service ! [/quote] here you go: (just copy the "share" code on Youtube, and paste it as a link, using the icon of the chain links) [url="http://youtu.be/n_B9-Fiw9J8"]http://youtu.be/n_B9-Fiw9J8[/url] beautiful!

[quote name='rubis' timestamp='1365020023' post='2034307'] You have taste Mr McNach, you got me listening to Lizzy all day today......what about the 1st solo on the live version of Opium Trail........or all of the Black Rose song.........the solo at 2:30 is the same but I prefer the Live and Dangerous version with the lovely outro as well [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m33yq9UED_g"]http://www.youtube.com/watchv=m33yq9UED_g[/url] Or how about another of my live favourites.....Jeff Healey ........awesome player.......he sounds like he was wringing that guitars' neck at 1:16 [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQwqSrPdwjQ[/media] [/quote] Thank you Any Thin Lizzy is good for me. Jeff Healey! Good call! I have his first couple of albums and I love his vibrato, so very expressive. So much music, so little time!!!

[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1365003946' post='2034006'] I can't wait until someone invents inflatable cabs. [/quote] and inflatable cars!!! No more parking problems!

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1364813577' post='2031089'] And if the polepiece to string alignment DOES bother you... P pickups with blades are available.. [/quote] as long as you don't mind not sounding all that much like a P bass, of course

[quote name='ialma' timestamp='1364786654' post='2030879'] My first bass, Arirang korean jazz bass clone with refinished body and (discovered later) misplaced guitar pickups. No need to mention the low action, let's say first time I unbolted the neck, the truss rod fell off the neck [/quote] My first guitar was an Arirang!!!!! This one: horrible thing!

[quote name='The Hat' timestamp='1364679715' post='2029682'] Now i know this is a very subjective question, but a goal I have is to be good enough to play in a band. Ive only been learning the guitar about 5 months and the bass about 1 month but i think its good to have goals, no matter how long they take to achieve. I practise most days for around an hour but do miss a day every now again. With the right commitment, im reckoning 2 to 3 years to get good enough ? I fully realise that even after 2 to 3 yrs i would still have loads to learn but hopefully be good enough to play in a band. What ya reckon, am i wildly out ? On another note, has there ever been a bassist or guitarist who came to the instrument late in life but became a pro and makes money from it now. Im not talking about someone that has been musical before but someone that never played an instrument before and then suddenly picks it up and then becomes sh*t hot ? [/quote] The amount of time it takes varies from person to person, and band to band... Try to get in the best band that will have you, and try to play with people who are all better than you. That will push you and you will learn a lot faster. Whenever you think you are willing to try, go for it!

One of my all time favourite guitar solos must be the one on Thin Lizzy's "Dancing in the moonlight". It's not a difficult solo, which added more to it, as I was able to play it quite soon.... but it's just melodic and beautiful. Here, from around 2:03 [url="http://youtu.be/Unnh0T2Ftro"]http://youtu.be/Unnh0T2Ftro[/url]

[quote name='pst62' timestamp='1339784677' post='1694429'] "A 22 year old Michael Schenker giving the old guard something to think about!" [media]http://youtu.be/n0OatiI5XcE[/media] [/quote] Oh, I love that album, I haven't listened to it for ages! I know which CD I'm taking to the car later today!

[quote name='soul deluxe' timestamp='1364563596' post='2028219'] ive seen lots of fantastic live bands but nothing quite like this.. imo... they are the sh*t. the bass solo's and drum solos's are well worth the wait..... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTZdI0HG7Oc[/media] [/quote] I watched the whole set of videos on Youtube. Awesome! Thanks for posting!

[quote name='Stroopy121' timestamp='1363518504' post='2013497'] [indent=1]I think that black one in the OP loks awful, but I love the body shape![/indent] [indent=1] That's a beauty IMHO.[/indent] [indent=1]I'd rather have the option for a P90 in the bridge and FA in the neck, but otherwise I'd happily have one (if it wasn't a grand a pop!)[/indent] [indent=1]xx[/indent] [/quote] That one I like. I'd happily play one... but not at $2000...

[quote name='solo4652' timestamp='1364568154' post='2028285'] EEEK! Bit of a problem with the bass this morning - now fixed. The bass needed a bit of a wash and brush-up, and some routine maintenance. So, this morning, I; - Sorted out the loose jack socket. - Quick squirt of switch cleaner into the pots and jack socket - electrics are much quieter now. - Removed the strings to clean and oil the fretboard with lemon oil. Smells like your mum's kitchen now. - Tightened all tuners - they were all loose and rattling - Cleaned the bridge and removed nearly all of the rust. Putting the strings back on, the nut cracked and half went flying across the kitchen! Oh sh*t. Panic phone call to Steve Robinson guitar tech in Manchester. "Bring it straight over" he said. While I waited, he fitted a new nut and he tweaked the truss-rod to get rid of the fret-buzz at frets 1-5. Since it's the BC relay bass, he didn't charge anything. He's a good man. Here's his website: [url="http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/"]http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/[/url] Anyway, the bass is now much fitter and healthier and ready to get back out on the road. All's well that ends well. Steve [/quote] I met Steve Robinson a couple of times. Nice guy, and my respect for him just went up a notch. Nice one!

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1364586613' post='2028622'] Just for attending the bass show in a brown work coat (complete with biros in breast pocket), he commands my utmost respect and admiration. [/quote] brilliant. I never met him, but my dealings with him on the phone and by email gave me the impression he is a very enthusiastic and very nice man.

[quote name='merello' timestamp='1364587447' post='2028643'] The police in Scotland just now are moving to a national force. They are becoming even more cocky than usual and becoming quite aggressive with football fans. Surprised the helicopters, dogs and riot vans didn't show! [/quote] I have to say that the pair of policemen that showed up were nothing but polite and nice to everyone. It sounded to me like they were asked to go, but they did not see the point of being there. Like I said, it was quite far from any residential area (all industrial estate, outside the forest), and it was a very easy going friendly atmosphere. Except the guys that felt were they had to collaborate with the police (I point I fully understand) but did so by being rude to us and generally freaking out, not having a clue how the sound was being produced/controlled. Never had any trouble with the police here in this country.

I see some people add the year of birth after their names... but I wasn't sure that was your case

[quote name='ChickenKiev' timestamp='1364207829' post='2023078'] I am currenty oogling over a few items of gear I really really want to get my hands on, but my searching has been halted by a little lack of knowledge about pre-amps. Okay, so I'm looking to pick up a bass that has an onboard pre-amp (I'm correct by saying that the pickups themselves are passive, but the pre-amp makes them sorta pseudo-active, right?) but I've also seen Tech21's VT Bass V2 pedal, which I believe is an overdrive pedal/pre-amp if my understanding is correct. My question is this; if I plugged a bass with an onboard pre-amp into an external pre-amp, can I expect explosions? Any feedback would be great, thanks. Kiev. [/quote] No. No explosions Active basses don't have necessarily a higher output than passive basses. Some passive basses are hotter than most active ones, and there's a whole world in between. Higher output basses (whether active or passive) will drive the next bit in the chain (a preamp, an effects pedal... whatever) harder, so you may need to adjust levels differently using different basses, but that's all. You will not damage anything.

[quote name='ChickenKiev' timestamp='1364393368' post='2025817'] Right, so I've spotted a bass I really want. It's an ltd Phoenix 204. So basically a Thunderbird clone. I was curious about something if I decided to replace the pickups. Does it matter where the pickups go on a bass or can they be put anywhere? From my understanding there are certain hotspots on a guitar or bass in terms of pickup placement, will it sound like arse if I do something like this: [IMG]http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p611/jamesyjamesyjamesy/7AB8DE96-A654-4294-9529-97ED342B7098-500-00000112D182DB1C_zpsb24190c9.jpg[/IMG] Obviously there is string spacing to take into consideration too as I believe the ltd has a much longer scale length than a typical Precision. That's why I placed it more towards the neck in my crappy Paint mock-up as on a Precision the split pickup is more central on the body. I bet you're all wondering why I wouldn't just go and pick up a Fender Precision, right? Well for one, I just don't think they look as sexy (despite their phenomenal sound I want something that has that something special in the looks department), but from what I hear from many people, and my fiddlings with an Epi Bird at my local music shop, Thunderbirds sound muddier than a muddy thing. So this is kinda my theoretical solution. But anyway, any feedback would be cracking. Kiev. [/quote] There is no right or wrong place to place a pickup. But different positions have different characteristics. A P bass soudns the way it does because of that pickup and where it's placed. Move the pickup 4 cm towards the bridge, and it sounds nothing like a P bass... but it's an awesome sound. If you want it to sound a bit like a P... measure the position of the P pickup on a Precision, from the bridge... and place it on the same spot. The string spacing difference is negligible for any practical purpose, don't worry about it, unless it bothers you if visually the polepieces don't align perfectly. It's just an aesthetic issue, 'though

[quote name='tommorichards' timestamp='1364409034' post='2026137'] well i measured them and got a resistance of 13k. so theyre hotter than a P pickup. [/quote] Like dad367584638 (I may have his number wrong) said, resistance alone is not a predictor of output. There are other factors. For example, MM pickups are around 4 ohm... and they are not exactly quiet. Connect one of the pickups directly to the output socket, bypassing everything else. That's as loud as that pickup is going to be. If it's louder than before... you will have to check your wiring/components. If it sounds the same, volume-wise... then that's how it's going to sound. If you still think it's weak (are you comparing to other basses? which ones?) then maybe those pickups are quieter than what you are used to, or maybe something in your set up (pickup height, strings...) is a little off.

I sometimes make a decision to buy bass A, but understand that with A, maybe bass B or C would be surplus. So I decide that at least one bass will go. Which one? I'd rather decide after I've had A (unless I am sure A is a keeper) for a bit, so that I can make a good decision. Sometimes it's bass A which fails to satisfy after the honeymoon period. If money is not the main issue... get the Jazz, and give yourself a month or two before you decide which bass goes.