fretmeister

My Vox just arrived and it is going straight back. The action is so high that even with the E string bridge saddle bottomed out the E string is 6mm off the fretboard at the last fret. This is not a set up issue. I've asked for an exchange as I really like the bass - it's lightweight, it balances very well and it looks cool. But it's unplayable. Hopefully the replacement will be ok.

It's not always that simple. I set mine for my basic tone for the room, but for a few different songs I want either more of a treble roll off, or a bass boost with a bit of mid scoop etc and I do that from the bass. With 20+ people on the stage I can't always get back to my amp.

It depends! Some preamps are designed to be identical to the bypassed state when all the controls are in their mid position. Others add their own flavour or preset "flat" EQ curve and loads more volume even in the neutral position. Some even have a tiny bit of grit that you don't really notice until you bypass them. Then there's the EQ structure of the preamps. Some are 2 band but have really wide Q so there's still overlap even though the bass control might be as low as 40hz. Others will have 3 band or 3 band with a semi para on the mids. Loads loads loads of options!

You won't need to add anything to the Six10. Ever.

The 10 inch cone BF cabs do have a low end roll off like an old Ampeg 8x10 - because that is what the 10 inch stuff has been designed to do. If you want massive low end then one of the 12 inch cabs is the better choice, again because this is how Alex designed them (it has nothing to do with the speaker size in itself). So if you want a walloping low end that knocks your teeth out when you slap - get a Super Compact or a Super Twin or BB3 etc. If you want a more trad / Ampeg sort of thing, get a cab with the 10s in it. One of the reasons I sold my Super Twin was because I was forever lowering the bass on my amp. With the One10 I boost just a little bit and it works for me. The 2 cones sound quite different and it's likely that one of them will be a far better choice than the other depending on the music being played.

I use a single One10 with my 20+ piece jazz band that includes a lot of brass and a reasonably loud drummer as long as we are playing inside. Outside - it needs a second cab. As it happens I've got a One10T on order to complete the mini stack. We pay outside a few times a year, 99% of the time without any PA support. Bass and piano are the only things amplified.

Steady - most people refuse to even learn covers properly!

Another vote for ACS. You can change the filters in them, so you can have high attenuation for gigs and you can use a lower filter for day to day living to help with the sensitivity. It's very easy. Go onto the site and order the ones you want - there is a graph on there showing the attenuation curves for each model. They vary a bit. Then you print off the voucher they email you and you pick a local service to do the ear impressions. Lots of Boots the Chemists do them. Assuming you haven't got a load of wax in your ears, you visit Boots they do the impressions and send them off to ACS and ACS post them to you a couple of weeks later. You can do a once only swap of the filters for a different strength or if you want options you can buy more filters. ACS keep the impressions on file for 4 years in case you need more to be made. After 4 years you need new impressions as your ears are likely to have changed shape a bit. If you think you have got some wax building up then get some medicated Olive Oil like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010O26AXE?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details and put it in your ears when you go to bed, and then have a shower in the morning. Do that for a week or 2 and your ears will be free of wax and the impressions can be taken. I had to do that - the oil feels weird but it did the job without any of the harsher options. As it happens I went for new impressions today and it was all done in about 25 mins. Can't wait to get my new plugs.

I'm taking a punt on a red 1H as well. I mean, why not!?!

I find it very easy to separate art from artist, but if that artist is still alive I will make sure they do not benefit from my enjoyment of the art. There are things that were legal at the time even though we now find them disgusting - like Rembrandt earning a lot of money from slavery. Then there are modern offences - Gary Glitter wrote some great tunes but he was convicted of multiple offences. There are no end of celebs who have domestic violence convictions too. Michael Jackson was never convicted AFAIK. Is beautiful art still beautiful if the artist is scum? I think it is. We usually discover the art before the detail of the artist's life so that first impression of beauty is very difficult to shake. It's not just art though - I have no doubt at all that if someone properly researched and came up with a "Vile Humans who invented indispensable items" list it would contain all manner of stuff we just cannot do without created by people who probably should be buried under the prison. How far back do we want to go? Stop using roads because the Romans murdered Jesus?

You can develop it. I've used nickel guitar strings for 30 years too, but then I had some Monel flatwounds bass strings (really really high nickel content) and now I cannot tolerate any nickel strings - even the old ones I used on guitar. My fingers go red, blotchy and painfully itchy.

Callous coming off is unusual. Do you have a nickel allergy?

I mod lots of basses. I'm very picky about what I want. Tuners are usually the first thing - in fact if I was going to buy a Newport I'd have them ordered at the same time. The difference in neck dive and balance is immense. Then it will usually be the pickups. I like EMG's for J types as they are silent for recording, and for passive P types I really like the Aguilar 60s wind. I've no doubt that other P pickups would be just as good, but somehow my favourite mod makes the bass more mine. I've never swapped a bridge though. Most aftermarket bridges are heavier than stock items and I always mod with a view to lowering the weight.

I still want to try the AO900. Im really curious about very low drive tones mixed in a bit for harmonic richness. I had the V1 MT900 but the different drive circuit of the AO really appeals.

That looks good! Ive been wondering about a grab and go combo for a while.

I remember that!

By my mic stand.

I have heard of reliability issues in the 500w versions of the Darkglass amps, but none about the 900w versions. That would make me get a 900w version. I did have a V1 of the MT900 and did really enjoy it. I found the clean tones a bit uninspiring so I always used a tiny bit of drive and that really made the tone come alive. I thought its main strength was a sort of rock P bass tone with a good bit of grind. It was very good at that. It wasn’t so good at huge low end funk or reggae type tones, but I’ve got a Mark Bass AG1000 for that. With a little drive, barely noticeable, and a P bass with flats it was really good at Duck Dunn Blues Brothers type tones too. I was surprised at that. I haven’t tried the others so can’t give an opinion on them.

I hooked it up to my computer and downloaded some random patches, My word, there’s a lot of crap to sift through! Some are hilariously bad. Ive never laughed so much about a pedal! 😂

It's here and I've had a very quick play. Definitely going to need some time with it to learn it. Some quite useable sounds though. Might have to learn how to MIDI and then I can get my Helix to control it.

I love the Monels - but I can't play them because of the high nickel content. My hands turn red and start itching.

Ultimately it's a bolt on 4 string bass with a single pickup and 2 knobs, made in Germany by a smaller company. As a concept it is not any different to a Precision. And a current Fender American Professional II P bass is about £1900. As it happens I think the current price for that P bass is mad, but it seems to be the way of the world, but I also know which one I'd rather spend the money on.