martin8708

I was looking for a second Markbass 604 cab , and Squibs for sale thread popped up in a google search . After seeing the Bass's on the settee thread , it was great to know there were other like minded folk who spent all their cash on guitars and amps . The " show us your rig " thread is great too.

Probably as close as you will get in touch / feel / vibe to a proper '62 P-bass without the Pre CBS price tag . Great bass , but my personal preference is still for my 57 Vintage Re-issue . So I sold it back to it's original owner . All P-bass's are different , I have six , so you need to play it to make sure it speaks to you.

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1365092201' post='2035246'] That Ampeg solid state SVT clone....450H?! AWFUL. [/quote] We had one of these in a local rehearsal studio , paired with an Ampeg 4x10 . After two rehearsals , gave up on the amp and plugged in my LittleMark 250 to the 4x10. For such a large box , it gave out such a weedy sound .

Welcome to Basschat , Tony . Its a great source of information , and entertainment . If you do have a Bass bash , let us Isle of Wighters know , it's good to get off the old lump of chalk every now and then . Martin

A true master of being able to sing and play great bass lines at the same time . Great use of space in his songs , with lyrics that really make you listen , inspired from his love of literature . And he's a tree hugger , top bloke .

£20 for a years worth of selling is pretty cheap compared to any other method that I'm aware off . Off topic can be a bit of a mine field , it makes great reading , but I have learnt to be very careful about posting comments as there always seem to be some one lurking in the ether wanting to take a swipe at you . A thick skin is a definite advantage to those souls who brave the forum . I suppose , if you can't take the heat , stay out of the kitchen. The help I have received from the gear forums is great , and the porn section makes great browsing , nice to see other people's stuff. So all in all , great website , gets the thumbs up from me.

Quick update , just for reference ; the speaker has been re-coned by Wembley Loudspeaker repair as recommended by BassBunny. Cost was £87 plus Vat , without the shipping cost , ( ouch ) Speakers working fine , so far , fingers crossed the other one doesn't blow. Quick note , I did phone Blue Aran in Southampton as they sell EV re cone kits , I asked if they could recommend a technician to do the repair , to be told by some disinterested youth that " we don't do that sort of thing , and we do not know any one who does " I went on their website to order a pair of Eminance horns , and low and behold , they offer a full re coning service on their website . I've used Blue Aran on numerous occasions , as I have built numerous cabs for guitar and bass, but I think their front line customer service needs to go up a notch ( or two )

Many thanks for your help guys, I had a chat the owner of our local music shop and he recommended a more bass specific pre amp like the Zoom or the Sansamp Bass Driver . Mic and guitar pre amps may not bring out the best in the bass guitar ( followed by a lengthy explanation about roll off frequencies ) which kind of just went over my head . Thanks for the Talkbass link , Discreet, as I am a bit of a techno-idiot I will probably steer towards the SansAmp for the sake of simplicity , as setting up the Zoom according to our American friend is a bit like landing an Apollo capsule on the moon . Many Thanks again.

For the money , an early American Vintage series 57 or 62 are the best bet before going into Custom Shop territory. I own quite a few Precisions , and they all are slightly different in weight , feel and character . As previously mentioned , plays lots and lots of them , you will know almost instinctively when you've picked up the one that's right for you.

If you robbed an old granny or stole charity boxes to get the money for the bass's , I can understand why your feeling guilty about owning two basses . Spending money you earn legally and can afford to spend on music stuff , why feel guilty ? It sounds like you are using them and they are great basses to own , I would not sell if I did not need to . To ease your guilt , have a look at " basses on the settee " thread in the gear porn section . To me , it sounds like your thinking of packing up playing in the band , and selling off gear is just a bit of " life laundry ".

Well in our pursuit of a band PA , I have acquired a Crown XLS 1000. I don't have a mixer yet , but I plugged the amp into a cab to check that all was working , and the output is very low . My thinking is , hmm, 1100 watts in bridged mode is quite a fair amount of juice , how will this work as a Bass amp with some sort of pre-amp with a basic EQ section . I am a novice in this department , so please bear this in mind , I am guessing I need a Pre-amp to prepare the signal for the power amp . I am sure I read somewhere on this forum that the Crown XLS range need quite a strong signal from a pre amp , so any advice on this topic will be gratefully appreciated. Two possibilities which are available to me locally are a Sansamp bass driver delux , and a Joe Meek VC1 QS mic preamp being sold from a local studio. I know Discreet has dabbled in the black art of using power amps for bass , any other BC members using PA amps for Bass? Many Thanks in advance . Martin.

[quote name='Iana' timestamp='1364849514' post='2031803'] Turn the vpf and vle off, set eq to 12 o clock, set bass to flat, play for 20 mins then make small adjustments to suit when you are used to what you are hearing. if no better keep the head, sell the cabs, buy some Bergs! [/quote] Yup, as above , except I boost the low /mids a smidgen and bought a Vanderkley cab . I have tried about 5 ( poss 6 ) Markbass cabs , great if your in a Jazz or Acoustic type band , but if your in competition with rock guitarists , keep the head ( or poss try the Tube heads for stronger mids ) . Some people like the VPF and VLE filters , but they can suck the life out of your amp. I having been using Markbass for years , so I am a convert to the brand , but Mark at Bassdirect opened my eyes and ears . Added note: trying gear out in shops is all very well , those Markbass cabs tend to sound fantastic when played on their own , but it is never the same in a band situation when everyone else is robbing you of your sound .

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1364819432' post='2031205'] Actually piano doesn't require as much of a touch to get a sound and the notes are linear, making it easier in some ways . But again, this is all moot after a few months. [/quote] Being able to play separate bass lines with one hand and separate melody lines with the other on piano is probably more complex than playing bass / guitar . Like - wise , watching a good drummer using both arms + legs to create a rhythm is a skill that we seem to take for granted , I think we have it pretty easy as bassists or guitarists .

Compared to say, piano or violin , guitar and bass are pretty easy to start of with . As you get better , the instruments require different mind-frames or attitudes , but I think the guitar would be the more difficult to master from a technical point of view , but the bass player is more aware of the band/ song as a whole , so would require a different set of skills.

Great Topic . Just started up in a new band , and typically no-one has a PA . This is the first time I have taken a serious look at Behringer , they are quite blatant about their manufacture facility in China , unlike some American and British labels that are made in PRC but seems to kept on the quiet . I have been looking a Europower ( awful name ) 2000 watt power amp and possibly a mixer as well . Available for £200 from Amazon , the power amp seems like a really good deal ,and a mere 50 squids gets a 10 channel mixer. The other alternative is picking up a second hand Peavey CS 800 which is probably a bit more rock and roll. This thread has cast some doubt in my mind , but then again , I have blown a SWR amp , had a TraceAcoustic amp that thought it was a toaster , and blown an Electrovoice speaker , so some good quality gear has let me down . The other fly in the ointment is a recent visit to an amp repair specialist in Southampton and I could not help but notice the amount of deceased Behringer amps in various states of repair . ( maybe it is the Ford Escort argument , more of them around , so more of them to go wrong ) So do I take a chance on the Skoda of the amp world , or stick with the Battlestar Gallactica of the CS800. Cheers , Martin.

Most of the original bands here on the Island seem to made up of students from the local Music College . Seeing that I am probably twice their age , I doubt if any of these cool hip bands want Grandpa on the bass. I did one original gig at this years Isle of Wight festival ( small stage gig ) with a great singer/ songwriter/ guitarist , but all my friends and musical colleagues are in cover bands , so most of my gigging is in pub rock / blues bands . Like WoT , if the music's good , then any gig is a pleasure .

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1363069748' post='2007749'] No need to change, the Spyder sounds fantastic through the ML112's. Just need to make sure that the "mid voice" switch is in the up position, and mids at about 11 to 11:30 (o'clock). [/quote] Good to hear that your happy with the Spyder, I could never get to fully understand the EQ section of that amp , and I just seemed to get a good sound straightaway with a Markbass head . It's great to see amp and cab builders getting involved in basschat , I am far more inclined to try new gear from bespoke builders who interact with the general public , so hats off to Roger . After being stuck in the "mud " for many years , Mark at Bassdirect put me onto a great Vanderkley 212 Cab which is great for the big gigs , so I am looking at the ML112 for smaller gigs and rehearsals . Cheers Martin

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1363231632' post='2010250'] People hear with their eyes. Nobody will be impressed that you sound good on a cheap bass. They'll just assume you're an amateur for not having a better instrument. If you like the Fender logo, put it on. Just don't try to sell it as such. [/quote] One of the best sounding guitarists I have seen locally plays an cheap Epiphone copy of a Gibson 335 going through a Carlsborough Lead 90 amp ( you could probably pick one of those amps for £25 , or free to a good home ) I thought he had a great sound and the audience certainly enjoyed the gig . I did not notice anyone getting disgruntled by the use of his cheap gear.

As a past owner of an Ashdown 550 Spyder , I found that particular amp to be very stong in the mids and struggled to get a full bass sound . See if you can borrow another head (my personal favourite is Markbass ) and you may find that you don't have to turn down the upper mids . All the best Martin

Reminds me of boy racers who stick "turbo " or "gti" badges on their clapped out Vauxhall Nova's . If it makes you happy , put the decal on , but I would be far more impressed by some-one getting a great sound out of a cheap bass .It would also make me think twice about my own need for expensive instruments .

This is a very tough decision to make , especially if you're in a great band with a great bunch of musicians . I fully sympathise with your predicament , I'm sure quite a few of us have given up bands for various personal reasons. Sometimes really good stuff can come out of a bad situation , so keep positive and don't sell the gear , keep in touch with your band mates , there could be a re-union in the pipeline later on .

[quote name='iceonaboy' timestamp='1362254091' post='1997692'] Yeah, we used to be a two piece with a drum machine ( ) and we had to get by . We tackled all sorts and as you say , when there is a fancy keyboard or horn part, you strum and the audience gets it. kazoos are not given the respect they deserve! The unsung hero of cover bands [/quote] We started with a drum box , but soon dropped it . ( It packed up ) We would take tambourines and maracas and other small percussion instruments and hand them out to the audience who would join in with the songs . Great way to get a free percussion section and audience participation as well.

[quote name='iceonaboy' timestamp='1362251936' post='1997654'] + 1....A really good song, no matter what style it is, can be stripped right back and played on an acoustic guitar, so a band can cover any song. All you have to do is put your stamp on it. Gets harder when you are tackling Kraftwerk songs right enough [/quote] This one thousand times . I did 10 years in a duo with just an acoustic guitar and bass and we would tackle most songs , the audience probably realise you don't have a three piece horn section, but fill in the gaps in their minds . It also teaches you to improvise , I've done a few sax lines with a kazoo taped to my mike . If its a good song , with good lyrics , it will stand up on its own.