TomRichards

http://jbacklund.com/jbd-800b.html Mine...

It is a WK-5.

I own both the XL-4 and an XK-5. Both aluminum necks, both killer. The Vaccaro factory was one town over from me. I also own the Vaccaro X-Ray 4 which was the same as the Hartke but with passives and "V" headstock. As stated previously I know Larry well and he has the first 20 that came off the line, one in each color. The wood necked Hartke basses run the gamut, so you need to know the model. The SB series were cheapo intro models. The NT series were neck thru Korean imports that were surprisingly good. The WK series were in between. It looks like the buzz ad may be a NT, which should be a good working level bass.

Thanks! And glad to hear she is doing great, although you now are probably chronically tired. You know Dood that in person I may be a little out front but not as much as my post. And that was not to declare I am bigger then McCartney (I wish) but to have a clear declaration of me so when someone reads my posts they can place the credibility in it they judge to. However, you guys really do need to sing your praises a bit more. There are a ton of amazing players on your side of the pond who deserve more public attention then they get. You would think, based on major bass media here, that bass in the UK ended with John Paul Jones and Adam Clayton.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1375462441' post='2161853'] Bah, you're just a bunch of losers all of you. But I .. I know Tom Richards! Oh, yes! We're virtually best buddies on BC, we are. best, bert [/quote] Bert I would love the opportunity to connect with you and get to know you better. I love your sense of humor. And for the record you can use me as a reference....

[quote]I get it guys and yes I was a little hot under the collar yesterday. More because I didn't review the amp but simply asked your thoughts. [/quote] To be fair, it was pretty gushing for a non-review..

That is Sheldon Dingwall's man bag....

I mean no offense Kiwi. I am just sort of amazed at the comments as I only asked for thoughts and never pushed the product. And most of the things posted were not enthusiastically positive, so I also don't understand why it appears to be a pitch to you. It's not like I have been singing amazing praise. And I have pointed out that it is my opinion and good for me. I also find it somewhat offending that I have been playing professionally since you were 7 years old but the mere fact I have a connection to an amp can only mean I have no credibility. If I follow your logic correctly, since I have some very close relationships with some legendary builders then any post I make regarding their equipment has no credibility. So am I understanding that correctly? If that is the case then only people who have never had any form of endorsement would count. I unofficially endorse a lot of my associates products. For no compensation. Because I know them and often get to use or try their products. In this forum I might choose to comment on say an Ampeg amp. Does my very close relationship with Dennis Kager or my friendship with the late Jess Oliver therefore taint my opinion of a product? Does it therefore lose credibility? Or does it add a measure of credibility when discussing those products? Posters are free to take my posts and add to that any interpretation they want. And they know my associations. I surmise there are many, many who post in Basschat forums who have similar or closer associations and have never made them as clear as mine. With that, feel free to close this thread, and if I wish to post an original thread about any amp product I have an association with I will reach out to you first.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1375471503' post='2162024'] Your endorsement undermines the credibility of everything you say on the brand you are endorsing. Whether you play other equipment or not and how long you've been playing for is meaningless. [/quote] Interesting and its your opinion. What you say also would mean that a "noob" you would give as much cred to as say Jess Oliver himself. So, then, absolutely no professional player with an endorsement can comment on anything they use with any credibility? Guess Victor Wooten's opinion on Fodera, or Billy Sheehan's opinions on Hartke, or any of the Warwick bass team carry any cred whatsoever? And my professional service and time and experience have NOTHING to do with my opinion? Rubbish. So, if I say that Markbass, Aguilar or Epifani suck, does my opinion count then? After all, I don't endorse them whatever. Oh wait, I'm sure you will say its because I endorse someone else's product that I'm saying that. (For the record, those companies and Carvin all make some really great, small package 500W amps that are fantastic.) The other interesting thing is that I, like most other bass players who endorse a product (with the exception of Nikki Sixx) do not play nor endorse any product which we haven't used or tested and really like. Putting my name behind a product is putting my reputation with it. I have turned down endorsements with several major amp and bass companies because I have a little integrity. I'm not sure what I've said here that would need "credibility" anyway. I asked for YOUR opinions. I didn't say it was the best, the greatest, blows away every amp on the market, is better then all the name brands and can slice bread and clean cars by itself. I asked your opinion of an amp I now am using and yes endorse. Who knows, maybe an insight here may lead to a better product, or inspire a new model that everyone may be interested in. I like it, and its my preference.

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1375461682' post='2161827'] My, you are the name dropper aren't you? Who? [/quote] Well, the last post was a little gratuitous.....

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1375460669' post='2161796'] touch sensitive spots/micro buttons - whatever you call them, I would question (perhaps unfoundedly) their long term durability. My comment bout the jack sizes was more their size relative to the whole box.... ie it's not actually that small - if it were the size of a fag packet then it would be interesting - as it is it looks quite sizeable. Don't get me wrong - it's an good idea for a fella sticking theiese in motorbikes to look to see how they would work with bass or guitar but I don't think it's a great design in terms of functionality and I have no idea in terms of audio engeneering how they have designed it - but based on the website there's little information. I'm guessing it's a class D amp modual of some kind, with some built in power optimisation to get the most out of it... [/quote] You are basically correct, and one of the things I'm working with them on is getting some technical specs on the website and providing some more useful information. The discussions here and on other forums are helping them to see what they need to publish, given that they are not primarily in the guitar or bass business. I am too curious at how the button areas will fair and function over the long term, but I think since they are not actual moving parts they should do well over time. It would be hard to do much damage. They could probably make this amp 1/3 its size if they just used one input and one output, just me looking at it. That would be tiny. But then, you run into other problems, like its ability to stay put on top of a cab, or not be easily pulled by the cable. Sometimes you can only go so small given you need other ability, like to have enough surface and foot room to actually have it stay put. Either way, thanks for your input. I will pay careful attention to the buttons and if anything pops up, I'll post it. I'll put some video up this weekend.

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1375459087' post='2161761'] Thanks for the post, Tom - if it helps avoid any confusion on both sides, all the better You did get me to thinking though, that now would be a good time to start looking for a new strap! [/quote] Gusto, if you do decide to do the Bitchstrap, let me know, and I will see if I can get you a better price on it, given its going to the UK. I love mine. And, well, if I may say so myself, I do wear it well....

The "real deal" Arias from Matsumoku all had on the headstock the "Designed by H. Noble" two line inscription and had the "open book" style scroll on the head stock. This one just says Aria Pro II.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1375455206' post='2161678'] In your opinion, as someone with a commercial interest in promoting this brand? [/quote] No. My opinion as someone with 35 years of professional bass playing behind me who uses mostly Hartke amps and cabs and has been looking for a small, lightweight amp of this caliber for years. Hey, we all know that Hartke heads are NOT small, compact and lightweight. My LH500, my current workhorse, And it weighs 25 lbs in its Gator soft rack case with cables. While not the heaviest, it sure is a lot to lug. Add to that the either 30 lb HyDrive 112 or the 70 lb HyDrive 4X10 and, well, that is a lot to lug. And, a lot of amps do NOT sound good paired with my Hartke cabs, at least to me, so I am selective for sure. Also, I have a Cerwin Vega Dan Armstrong Hot Cab, 210G, with an open back, that I have never found a good amp to drive it with. [url="http://www.danarmstrong.org/hotcabs3.html"]http://www.danarmstrong.org/hotcabs3.html[/url] This one, so far, actually works very well with it, and produces great sound. And this cab weighs only 21 lbs. I hope this clears it up for you.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1375456068' post='2161699'] If you are promoting gear, then shouldn't this be posted in Affiliates? [/quote] I'm not a "commercial user" nor do I get any monetary compensation from Vivid. There are a lot of posters here who have endorsements, which usually means just free or discounted gear in exchange for us using the gear on stage and making sure that we only use their items in public. I'm pretty sure that if John Paul Jones posted here about a Manson bass no one here would even blink. (Granted, he is more famous then me.) My post was just asking for your opinions. Nothing more. I know that there are varying opinions on many bass amps products, and I truly am curious to see others opinions when it comes to small, lightweight amps. Does it introduce the people here to the amp? Yes. Did I ever say buy it, or that its the greatest amp ever? No. I actually said that it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Meaning, I know that many would prefer an amp with preamp and adjustable EQ. Just, like I said, interested. And my endorsements have always been clearly in my signature line. However, as you see, I posted clearly my affiltations on the introductions page. Anyone here is free to make their own decisions and opinions while keeping my affiliations in mind. And again, there is a huge difference between being an endorser of a product and having a commercial interest.

I have zero affilitation with Scott and Scomel, but did talk to him after seeing this video. I LOVE the look of the single cut 5! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4QFzcFzURY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4QFzcFzURY[/url] Your comments?

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1375426402' post='2160976'] if they are the inputs on the front (two jack one headphone jack) it's not as small as you would think. It's only 1 lb lighter than my amp - so not that lightweight... and how many times have you had those micro type buttons fail on you in other applications? It might sound nice but looks like an ugly underpowered little box to me. [/quote] Those are not micro buttons, but touch sensitive spots on the top. And the 1/8 inch jack is an input, for your iPod or MP3 player or any other source you want to run through it that uses an 1/8" input. I have a special guitar cable that is 1/4" to 1/8 that splits the mono signal to both channels, so it's kinda cool for me. Yes, this amp is definitely not everyones cup of tea. But I think it merits a look, as most power amps are really built for only line level inputs and do not have pre-amps optimized for instrument input directly. And, I think the button layout and functionality is different and cool. I once had a Tech21 Bass Power Engine bass cab that I paired with a SANSAMP preamp and it was killer! They were the only ones in my memory to actually design a pre-amp - powered cab (ne power amp) match for working together specifically. I sold that rig several years ago to fund a vintage bass purchase, but in hindsight probably should not have. I love raw sound. I want my metal necks to sound like metal necks, my Brubakers to sound like my Brubakers, my Backlunds and Retronix to sound like.... This is really a great concept. I need to post some video/audio. It is really a cool amp. I used the cables they provided me to bridge the amp 400W into 8ohms yesterday, and it was louder then my Hartke LH500 and cleaner, crisper. As Charlie Sheen would say, "Winning!"

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1375446561' post='2161491'] Wow! Thanks for the info Tom! Not sure if you we're intending to fish for respect or simply wanting to set the record straight, but from one working pro to another, you need a website! Nice to meet you Tom [/quote] I probably should get the website, but I mostly just live off my Facebook pages for now. I'm no longer the "star" I once was, and am fortunate to live in an area that is close to NYC AND has a vibrant music scene. For example, Graham Maby lives 35 minutes from me, and he has been doing a lot of small gigs in my area the past year, so I get to see and jam with Graham. Also, Jack Daley and Kenny Aaronson are also here, so we get together often, knock back a few beers and sometimes even swap songs on some of the smaller gigs. That doesn't make me famous, nor cool, and its not intended to name drop, as I see them more because of the scene and proximity. I was not fishing for respect, but to make a post here somewhere so that all the buggers who get a little upset thinking I'm hawking something will understand. Will I occasionally sing the praises or raise awareness of a product I use or endorse? Yes. Will I do the same for someone I do not endorse, but I think has something cool or good? YES! For example, watch this: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4QFzcFzURY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4QFzcFzURY[/url] Scott makes maybe the best looking single cut to me, somewhere between a Musicman and a custom Brubaker. I dig it, just wish he had made and advertised these before I got a few endorsement and I still had some free cash.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1375444346' post='2161430'] Hey Tom! [/quote] Hey Bass Dood! Congrats on your new baby! I'll say that here in case the Basschatters didn't know you are a new dad! Miss you Dan, I am planning to come back to the UK in the fall. We will jam (and do other things rock stars do......)

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1375436185' post='2161164'] Well you've really stuck your neck out Tom - you'll now be expected to weigh in with an expert opinion on everything, including [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/213133-honest-opinions-and-views-wanted/"]cross-dressing[/url]! [/quote] LOL! Okay, I might know something about that too.. ;-)

[quote name='steve-soar' timestamp='1375381676' post='2160623'] That li'l amp looks very interesting and cool. [/quote] Thanks. It is and I'm just starting to explore using it. That is sort of why I posted this. One of the peeps on the amp and cab forum saw that I was endorsed by them, and made a little stink. I had actually purchased the amp THEN they gave me the endorsement, so it happened fast, within the past three days. They were a little offended that I didn't scream it, but they were easily able to find out all my endorsements, so I see no biggie. But hey, I have posted this here now, so I don't think anyone can miss anything.

[quote name='cloudburst' timestamp='1375381704' post='2160624'] What did you have to do to get endorsed by Bitchstraps? CB [/quote] Well, it happened sort of by accident. I know them a little and have for a while. I was in Nashville for Summer NAMM and spent a nice afternoon with their sales manager. She and I clicked. I gave her my info and told her if they ever needed I would help in any way I could. She contacted me. And the story begins.....

As one of Larry Hartke's boys since, well, for nearly ever, the aluminum cones in the XL series really eliminate the need for a tweeter. The aluminum translates more highs and clearer, cleaner frequencies. And as another poster said, the GK Head paired with a Hartke cab was often seen here in the US as well, given their nice match in sound capabilities.

This is for Shockwave and anyone else who may be interested. Please note that I am in fact now endorsed by Vivid Amps, but was not when I first posted. That endorsement was finalized actually yesterday. I posted in the introductions all may affiliations and credentials for future use by the people here. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/213603-so-that-everyone-here-is-clear-on-me-my-credentials-and-endorsements/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/213603-so-that-everyone-here-is-clear-on-me-my-credentials-and-endorsements/[/url]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Hello Everyone![/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Seems that some people here recently have missed my profile, so I'm gonna put all my info in this post. Please understand that I try to be careful with my posts, but from time to time I may stray given that I have significant relationships in the industry.[/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]1. I am a 35 year former touring and session bass player from the US whose band was signed to Relativity in the late 1980's and spent 6 years on the label (with minimal critical or commercial success.) [/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]2. I have toured and traveled the world extensively, and know a LOT of bass players, famous and not so. You can visit my Facebook page and peruse my friends list. I am not "friended" by nor do I "friend" any bass player I have not known in at least a true professional way at a minimum.Many are personal friends or close acquaintances.[/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]3. I am the National Sales Manager for AP International and Floyd Rose Marketing, based in Wall, NJ, USA. We are one of the larger distributors of guitar, bass and accessories. The owner of AP International was the VP of Manufacturing for Kramer from its inception till it was sold to Gibson. He is loaded with information AND many of the actual basses made under Kramer.[/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]4. AP International distributes Brubaker Brute Series Basses. So, while I am not endorsed by them, I do have a professional relationship with Kevin Brubaker and Brubaker basses.[/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]5. I have been endorsed by and played Hartke amps and cabs for over 25 years. (Samsontech.com)[/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]6. I am now endorsed by Vivid Amps, a new amp company in the US making cool Class D amps.(Vividamps.com)[/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]7. I am endorsed by Bitchstraps. (Bitchstraps.com)[/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]8. I am endorsed by J. Backiund Design Guitars and Basses, another recent endorsement. (jbacklund.com)[/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]9. I have worked with, and know, many of the legendary bass builders. I count among my friends and acquaintances Ned Steinberger, Mike Tobias, Bruce Bennett, Jens Ritter, Gerald Marleaux, Rob Green, Stuart Spector, Vinny Fodera, Rob Elrick, Sheldon Dingwall, Tim Cloonan, Mas Hino, Rick Turner, Mike Pedulla, [color=#444444]Nobuaki Hayashi (H. Noble from Aria), Jimmy Coppolo, Cary Nordstrand and Mike Lull. I have personal and business relationships with them, and frequently talk with them.[/color][/font][/size] [font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][color=#444444]10. Dennis Kager, the second legend from AMPEG and the man responsible for the Ampeg scroll head basses, improvements to Jess Oliver's B series amps and one of the key members of the development of the SVT, is a personal friend and I see him frequently. Larry Hartke is a friend, and lives less then an hour from me, and I see him often. More for a beer, shot and some funny stories, but he has been my supporter for many years. I am also one of the few who owns a Vaccaro made Hartke XL-4 bass.[/color][/font] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#444444]10. I am a recognized expert in vintage Danelectro, Silvertone and Coral instruments[/color][/font][/size][color=#444444][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I[/font][/color] [color=#444444][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]11. I play with a pick. Deal with it.[/font][/color]