KK Jale

[quote name='dannybuoy' post='1127627' date='Feb 14 2011, 09:01 PM']I think you made the right choice! You could do with a 15" cab though for proper old school thump![/quote]

Yes indeed, one of those would do very nicely.

I'm thinking that a 1x15" with a 3015LF might be well thumpy...

…but in the meantime at least I'm self-propelled.

Next gig is at the end of the month, and I'm rather looking forward to it…

I know. It's difficult.

The 'appropriate technology' on this particular bass would be whatever the hell first comes up secondhand for sale on BC

However…

In my view LaBellas are the classics. You gotta try them. I used a set for five years. Eventually I found them a bit stiff, but there are four gauges available. Avoid the super-heavy Jamersons, they'll kill ya.

Thomastiks are delicious. I would be using them still, but my P has a bit of a neck issue and I needed a touch more tension.

Now I'm on Pyramids. They're my favourite so far.

I'm back… with an update.

I went amp shopping last week at the Bass Gallery and tried a horse-load of stuff including a Little Mark III, a Ibanez Promethean, a Genz Benz Shuttle 3, an Eden WTX-260 and a GK MB500.

Thought about writing a mini-review of each of them, but really there were two front-runners. The LMIII is obviously a very capable amp; EQ flattish and a dollop of VLE worked best for me. Not sure it's exactly to my taste… but good. The Promethean would have surprised me if it hadn't been recommended in this thread… a nice big vibey sound, and perhaps a touch easier-going than the LM, as well as being cheaper.

So, a couple of possibilities there.

Last visit of the day was to Denmark Street to try the Bass Terror.

And my final decision…

…without any trouble at all…

….was….

The Orange.

Feck, it's loud. It equals the borrowed Trace at pub gig level (which is running at about three-quarters of the way up with that amp) with the volume on 5/10 and the gain on about 2/10. Any more than that, and bits of paper start flying around the room. It's got a nice natural thump with no tweaking at all. It really seems to let the bass do the talking. I'm going to switch the 12AX7s with some Tung-Sols I've got and then maybe rob a 12AT7 from my Fender and try that as well, but I don't really have to.

The cab is an Eden 2x10 that I picked up as a short-term stop-gap, but I'm impressed. It's in great condition, it's warm and punchy and has more detail and less fuzzy boom than the Trace 210 (which going back to its owner at the weekend with a nice bottle of Jack). So we'll see how that works out.

Cheers for all the help

+1 on all that Burrito said. Flats Is It.

The bass playing on 'Melody Nelson' is genius (and some of the guitar is too).

I understand 'Melody" is a bit of a was-it-Herbie-Flowers-or-was-it Brian Odgers mystery, but it never sounded like Herbie's Jazz with nylon flats to me, though it's very much his style... maybe more like a Gibson EB-0 with flats. I could easily be wrong, and I'd love to know.

Jolly good. Enjoyed that.

I'd LOVE to be in a full-on Neil Young covers band too…

Our singer is a massive fan. Coupe De Ville is in every set we do. It's kinda our signature cover tune…

We've started doing Barstool Blues as well… cracking song.

Hello. Are you sure this is an XST, which is a 500W cab?

The label in your pic seems to say it's the old D210T, 250W @ 8 ohms.

I've heard that Eden sometimes mis-labelled cabs, but if it's 17.5" high, not 18", then as far as I know it's a 250W D210T.

Interesting subject...

Perhaps the public proclamation of 'keeper' is a weeny early warning... a tell-tale sign of a tiny flicker of internal doubt.

I've been guilty of it in the past with guitars, of which I've been through far too many. Sigh...

Perhaps real 'stayers' don't always look that way to begin with... they just end up doing alright, over and over again.

I've had the same bass for 20 years and have never owned another. I bought it one afternoon for an emergency dep gig that same evening... and the gig paid for it. But I never thought of it as a 'keeper'. It's just... the bass.

Ever thought of a Mitsubishi Delica?

Tonka toy grey import 4x4 mini MPV, space for a DB, 2.8td lump, auto, all the toys. Quite capable offroad - a mate has one for his savage Spanish track. Parts and fuel are no fun, but remarkably cheap to buy.

I sympathise. I've recently learned 30 songs for a new band, and it's the first time I've broken the habit.

Actually, I do have a tiny cheat-sheet... but all it's got are the song titles, the keys and a sign for whether it's me straight in on the intro or not, just in case of total mental breakdown. But I haven't glanced at it the last three times.

Back in the day I used to have a piece of A4 paper crammed with hieroglyphics for each tune... v ch v ch solo on 1 break v3 2xch and so on. Trouble is, it's addictive. And unnecessary. Human beings are amazingly good at remembering music... if you trust yourself.

Simplify the sheets drastically. Do two gigs, then chuck them. You'll be fine.

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1090609' date='Jan 15 2011, 04:39 PM']There was a review in Guitarist that must've been about 1988. i think I still have it. I kept a small selection of the first ones I bought in a Guitarist binder[/quote]

If that was a guitar, I may have reviewed it. Single slanted humbucker, pushbutton distortion. I enjoyed it. It was like a nu-metal LP Jr. The basses didn't leave much of an impression on me... lightweight Ibanez-styled stuff.

Hi Burrito, yes, I have pondered the Fender route. I've got two silverface guitar amps so I know the score. My inclinations are elsewhere at the mo, but we'll see!

[quote name='charic' post='1090410' date='Jan 15 2011, 01:45 PM']Actually as a thought what about trace?[/quote]

Actually my current rig IS Trace (AH150SMC, 210H). It once was mine, but it went to a mate and he's very sweetly letting me borrow it back (I owe him a gallon or so of quality cider, his fave tipple). I won't say a word against it, it's reliable and it's got me out of a hole, but my Trace days are done.

Also cheers to redstriper for the very informative PM…

The first law of rock: never leave your wallet in the dressing room.

The second law: never eat anything bigger than your head.

[quote name='KK Jale' post='1087862' date='Jan 13 2011, 12:40 PM']Musicman20, Thumperbob, bartelby - you're helping me make up my mind on the Little Mark. I'm not ruling it out yet but there's no way I'm putting a preamp or pedal in front of an amp to get extra EQ or make it sound generally interesting enough. If any bass amp needs that, it's a fail in my book.[/quote]

Oh dear, I think I've given the wrong impression.

What I meant to say is that my feelings are NOT heading TOWARDS the Little Mark. Actually, this thread has slightly turned me against it

If I'm counting right, though four say they can get this kind of vibe straight into an LMII or LMIII, another four (a lot) say they'd need to use a SansAmp... and I don't want to use any outboard gear at all.

Of course, I'm going to try for myself. An LM might turn out to be perfect...

But if the Orange Terror 500 isn't [i]too[/i] gritty at medium-high levels, I'm getting the feeling it MAY be more up my street.

Sorry for the mix-up and thanks again for all the input.

Charic: funny! I like it! I have a '70s WEM combo... hmm... that would freak people out

73jazz.. wasn't aware of the Fender TBP1 preamp. Too much cash for me, and I'd prefer a single solution. Thanks though!

Steve Amadeo and Raggy: don't worry, I'm going to give Markbass a spin. I think with a P-bass with Pyramid flats and my gnarled, withered fingers, that old-skool thing might come through just fine.

Burritobass: yeah!

This is all very helpful. Very, very helpful.

Re. the Compact… that's almost certainly the way I'm going. I just didn't want to get into it on this thread…

First, wateroftyne… excellent YouTube clips. The RH450 sounds really impressive… tip top. The Promethean comes over as very acceptable. Bit less focus and detail, maybe that's the settings, but a nice enough sound.

At the risk of sounding like a complete doughnut, I've got to be honest here… I cannot have flashy hi-tech lights. I just cannot. Not only am I spiritually allergic to blinking LEDs, but the piss-taking I would endure from my vintage Tele-playing, Hammond-organ stabbing, Selmer sax-sucking bandmates would be unbearable. So the TC is OUT. Sorry, TC. (Off-topic: Musicman20, my TC Polytune has let me down twice and the ****er ain't getting a chance to do it again).

Musicman20, Thumperbob, bartelby - you're helping me make up my mind on the Little Mark. I'm not ruling it out yet but there's no way I'm putting a preamp or pedal in front of an amp to get extra EQ or make it sound generally interesting enough. If any bass amp needs that, it's a fail in my book.

Burrito - you're definitely coming from the same place as me style-wise and if you're finding the Terror 500 does retro without being too rock, then that's an important recommendation. I will try one, that's a definite.

Lovely. I think she's got your eyes.

[quote name='Mr Bassman' post='1087396' date='Jan 12 2011, 11:08 PM']Haven't got a name for her yet[/quote]

Peggy

Predictable I know, but I think you'll find it'll stick...

Stick. Oh god. Sorry about that one. *looks down, kicks rock*

Ah, right, wateroftyne. Got it.

Classic 450 and Promethean head now definitely on the try-out list... along with the Little Mark.

Good suggestions so far. Thanks.

I will try to sample a Promethean (though my gut feeling is that 1x10 ain't gonna cut it. Maybe I'm way behind the times, though, and it will).

I have been tempted by the Ampeg B200R (being a sucker for '60s looks) but rattles and headroom reports are putting me off.

Have also been recommended the recent Bassman 2x10, but they seem to be discontinued. Also, it's a combo.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='1086944' date='Jan 12 2011, 05:15 PM']What have you tried/borrowed so far?[/quote]

Great question. On gigs I first tried an old Session 100 1x15, which ran straight out of headroom. Mostly I've been using a Trace AH150 head and 2x10" ported Trace cab, which is punchy enough, but without much to spare.

I tried an Ashdown 1x15 combo in rehearsal and it seemed to go just vaguely whompy. I love old-fashioned plumminess, but it seemed to achieve it in an ineffective way.

After returning to bass and existing on the kindness of mates and borrowed gear for a couple of months, I'm on the verge on having to make a decision about a new rig and could use some input.

I'm going separates. The cab will almost certainly be one of the new generation lightweights, probably 1x15". I'll choose one after I've got the amp.

But what amp?

My favourite players are Duck Dunn, Rick Danko and Carol Kaye. I use a Precision with flats, both fingerstyle and pick. The band plays medium-sized pubs doing original country and soul material sprinkled with a few '60s/70s covers… think Buffalo Springfield, Band, Traffic.

We're a seven-piece with the PA almost always reserved for the vocalist/rhythm guitarist and the two horn players, so it's almost always backline only. Keyboard guy has a 100W trannie amp set to stun, lead guitarist uses a vintage tweed amp full up, drummer can get fairly enthusiastic. I think I need at least 200 watts. More would be nice.

My first thought is an LMII or III. But will it be too clean?

My second thought is a Terror. But will it be too rock?

What might fall between those two?

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='1086138' date='Jan 11 2011, 09:48 PM']hmm isn't that what candy apple red was? transparent red over silver sparkle.[/quote]

Different... this is a metalflake topcoat.. Fender did Blue Sparkle too...

Tortie guard is a slight surprise... most custom colours of that era had white, the only custom colour with tortoiseshell was usually olympic white..

Like the looks, like the pickups. But check the weight. The only one I tried was a collarbone-bender.

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1079881' date='Jan 6 2011, 02:20 PM']Thanks for that. If you practice along with the Charlie Spencer album we should get you to sit in on some songs next time we play London [/quote]

Now THAT could be fun.

A most excellent combo if I may say so.

Caught a great gig yonks ago at the Sunday CDAMTF country bash in London and once again at the 12 Bar (acoustic).

Picked up a copy of 'Tunes For Charlie Spencer'... it forms part of my pedal steel practice backing track list, which is a compliment, honest...

Cheers Dannybuoy. Good advice on size/bottom/sensitivity.

Bassmonkey: louder than a B200R? Okay, maybe not too difficult a task... but if it really is, then I have to try one. Cheers!

Mmmm. Citrus fruit.

Ooh, I love it.

Bassmonkey... how loud are these really? I've got the use of a Trace AH150 head and Trace 2x10 ported cab. It's punchy over a pretty enthusiastic drummer but the sound is... well, Trace. Can these little stacked 2x12 cabs compete?