funkypenguin

[quote name='voxpop' post='464673' date='Apr 17 2009, 08:48 AM']Hi Guys, thanks for all your kind comments. To answer all of your questions I will post a complete review after I've gigged it next week. (Steve) The sound is very like a Krell, its has a very clean and big sound that is a little dry at first. This is a shock as you realize that most amp put a peak in the lower mid to give a 'full' sound. I dialed in a small amount of EQ at 110Hz and got a warmer sound. It is so transparent every small detail of sound can be heard. To sum it up in a sentence.......Its the most MUSICAL system ever......period. I'm using it with two 1x12 Warwick Neo cabs for a light weight sollution. Has anyone tried the Hellborg cabs?? The power amp is Ok for weight if you are just carrying it from the car to the gig when racked in a 2unit case, would not like to carry the stereo version far as it is TWO of the amps that I have in one large case. Will post the full reveiw soon.[/quote] I played through the big-cab (2x15) and the hi-cab (2x12), and as a rig, for clean sounds, its the best ive ever played through. the response was incrediby linear, throughout the range of the instrument, with no weakness in the high register and no distortion or 'cracking' in the lows when taken up to gig volume (ish). ive heard nothing but good things about all the cab configurations so perhaps see if anywhere near you can (is willing to!) get a set in for you.

[quote name='peteb' post='448243' date='Mar 28 2009, 06:58 PM']That’s pretty much what I was wondering. It’s easier now to learn to play for the reasons you mention, but do kids now have the dedication to take it a stage further! I genuinely don’t know, but according to my mate the general standard is a lot lower. Not that he is particularly bothered, he just mentioned it as an observation – he just cares whether they have commercial songs and the right haircut![/quote] There, in my opinion, lies part of the problem. many people who play a 'popular instrument', guitar, bass etc. dont play the instrument to practice and progress to be as good as they can be, they practice till they are good enough to play and sound how they know producers are going to want them to sound (with the aim of getting a deal). i know there are exceptions, and i am generalising to a degree, but by and large IMHO this is what happens. Popular musicians coming through nowdays have very little (if any) grounding in music theory. they get set patterns, tabs and basic progressions and utilise those as the staple ingredients in their music, rather than trying out new ideas and moving outside the 'box'. On a 'Playing' note, I think that young players like Hadrien Feraud and Janek Gwizdala are proof that the level of technial facility on the bass is there, but i think that precious few young/up and coming players will be exposed to/interested in/want to practice hard enough to reach that level (or anywhere near it!), especially when they try to incorporate more inventive (outlandish/outrageous etc. ) bass parts and get shot down immediately, either by their teacher/bandmates/producer, with the usual comments 'thats not bass', 'cant you just play the root', 'why didnt you take up guitar' etc. There are alot of very good young bass players out there, who practice day-in day-out. The talent is there alright, but no one seems to be particularly interested in listening to them. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L3mzyo9U1Q&feature=channel_page"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L3mzyo9U1Q...re=channel_page[/url] Just my 2 penneth!

phwoar! congratulations on recieving such a stunning piece of gear! i loved the hellborg rig the dealer in manchester had in (i noodled the stereo 250 through the big-cab and hi-cab), though waaaay out of my price bracket (poor student etc.) are you planning on accquiring a set of the Hellborg Cabinets to go with it?

i would recommend you use heavier gauge steel wound strings (D'Addario prosteels?), run your bass through an MXR M80 pedal and through your Ampeg (see if you can get hold of a cab with 10 inch speakers!) hope this helps

hubba hubba.........thats some serious porn there! that 400 head plus a pair of powerhouse 1200 cabs = dream rig!

if youve got your heart set on a streamer, get a quote from the warwick custom shop (specially if you're selling your TRB)? the streamer $$ belonging to a friend of mine certainly growls (im not a fan of the warwick necks) but the range of tones besides that core sound is formidable. the coil tap function is a really nice little feature! my advice is to (if possible) try streamers with some of the different pickup combinations (P/J, $$, H/S) and see if one tickles your fancy! hope this helps!

nice to see a warwick signature bass that isnt one of the many streamer models with a revamped paint job.......looks ok to me though i agree on the point about cheesy inlays. and as for the price....

[quote name='edstraker123' post='455112' date='Apr 6 2009, 07:38 AM']Here's a pic of one of my Shukers - it's pretty much the smallest, thinnest bass I've seen (not to mention a work of art) without losing anything on tone. [attachment=23385:shuker.jpg][/quote] so thats where that Shuker ended up! gorgeous piece of work +1 for Shuker. the man really is something else when it comes to one-off bass construction (and modification!) also GB ACG RIM Jim Fleeting Sei Overwater are all worth checking out! what sort of instrument did you have in mind? how many strings? hi-fi or more classic sound?

Having played both, i would recommend you go for the SR506. i preferred the feel and sound of the bass, specially with its string spacing and the new model preamp. to my ears it has far more 'life' (maybe character would be a better word) than the mark 1 bart. 34 vs. 35 scale....i personally prefer 34. It doesnt make as much difference to the taughtness of the B string as the overall onstruction of the instrument (there are short scale basses around with fantastic B strings). If the instrument is sound, then the B will speak as well as the other strings. The 506's B had more than enough definition between the notes when i tried it. Also, with 35 scale the top C can sound strangled at times. i was lucky enough to demo both basses in band context (rock), and for the 506 won hands down.

If you're looking for a workhorse 5 string, have you considered an overwater perception bolt on (or thru neck if thats what you're after)? A friend of mine uses one and its a fantastic instrument, very versatile EQ with no real natural scoop in the midrange. P.S thats a phenomenal collection of gear you have there (lusting for the Mesa/Trace V8!!). how are you finding your MIDI bass now? has Jon tweaked it yet?

With the amount of money ive had to spend getting my rig up and running, sharing is a BIG no no unless its my best mate, who treats it as though its his own (in a good way)...il only let people use my cabs if its a small venue and theres alot of bands on...But my rack, effects unit and basses are off limits (i.e. they stay in locking hard cases until i warm up). get your flatmate to look at some of the bargains going off on here! id have killed to get some of the gear in the for sale section when i was starting out... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=43811"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=43811[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=33416"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=33416[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=33416"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=33416[/url]

One of my friends has an overwater 5 and hers one of the best sounding instruments ive ever played. The EQ is just so useable in real world situations (i.e. studio and gig). plus you can pick the woods/tweak the design to your liking.

[quote name='Born 2B Mild' post='398791' date='Feb 3 2009, 12:17 PM']I'm picking up a used Indie six string bass on Saturday. I'd be interested in anyone's experience of owning/modifying one.[/quote] i have an IB606 as my main bass and think its one of the best basses ive ever played. ive had numerous modifications done to mine, though nothing overly drastic. what did you have in mind as far as modification goes?

33" scale will still retain enough tension in the strings to give a clear low B. alot of it is down to the luthier and the quality of the overall instrument (the matthew garrision signature fodera has 33" scale and the B on that sounds as good as any) just out of interest, have you looked at possibly having fanned frets? i.e. longer scale on the lower strings. hope this helps Ben

As has already been said, the HH is harder to slap due to where the neck pickup is placed. I tried one through a large trace rig and it had a really meaty sound with both pups on full. like the H model taken up a level! the option to move between pickups and the added tonal variation this brings is a real advantage over the single pickup model. The suppposed difference between RW and M fretboards...depends how closely you listen i suppose. i can tell the difference personally, and some people swear by one wood or the other. In my experience maple tends to give a brighter sound, rosewood a warmer sound. overall, the body wood, neck wood and EQ have much greater impact on the sound of the bass. if you get the chance, try a pair of stingrays with the different boards back to back and see what you think.

Oh lord....3......erm.... John Myung John Patitucci Anthony Jackson Other possibilities..... Geddy Lee Billy Sheehan Mark King Michael Manring Trip Wamsley Gerald Veasley Larry Graham

my 'dream gig' would undoubtedly be Dream Theater. i dread to think how much work i would have to put in to learn a full set of songs......but it would be the ultimate gig for me personally

bloody oath! thats a ludicrous amount of money for a jazz bass! and i thought the 4 string models were overpriced!

The Legend 6ers are lovely basses indeed. i was going to go for one in natural bubinga but problems with order time cropped up (sound control was in the process of going up the spout), so i chose my current main bass instead (Indie IB 606). as has already been mentioned, if you like the EMG sound, go for it. the older model with the 3 band EQ is more attractive if you can find one but buy any model in the confidence that they are a lovely instrument. Again, as has been said, make sure youve had a chance to feel the neck, specially in first position before you part with your cash. Hope this helps! Ben

see what mesa boogie gear you can find for the money. for any sort of rock music, mesa rules the roost IMO goood luck putting your rig together!

Hey there Ive played the Artisan A6 (and most of the 6 strings around the price range). Its a fantastic piece of kit for the money and can punch well above its weight. The electronics are versatile enough to cope with most gigs and the construction and hardware are all of high quality. The neck is pleasant to play (not too wide or fat) and i found it very easy to navigate around. I would say it can compete with the Europe series spectors and the top end shecters. Its about on a par with the Yamaha TRB1006 But be aware that it was designed to fill its given niche in the market. Put it head to head with a custom Shuker for instance (with the fancy woods, custom neck dimensions and bespoke electronics) and it wont cut the mustard. But buy in the confidence that it will do 99% of what you ask of it, especially if you have a quality rig and backline to run it through. Hope this helps!

Hey there. (i havnt a clue what sort or budget you're looking at here!) A bass with humbuckers (MM or otherwise. EMG DCs will certainly do the job) is always a sound idea. when i trialled an ashdown rig, i found it didnt have any guts when really going for it (IMHO). i would personally recommend either Mesa Engineering (Big Block 750 or Titan V12. stunning metal sound with the valve overdrive), Epifani or SWR sound equipment. The cabs youve got seem a little small? (speaker size wise) for the sound you're looking for. Bigger cabs (4x10 + a 1x15, or an 8x10) will do alot for adding depth to the sound. The sansamp BDDI pedal is a good one to try if youre looking at less expensive alternatives. you might also want to try the MXR DI+ preamp/bass overdrive. Try whatever you can get your hands on!

Go for the Bongo 5, preferrably H/H or H/SC (you get the 4 band preamp with the twin pickup models). The bongo sounds anything but brittle. Beefy, bold and (IMHO) with the best preamp this side of a custom job. Tonal variation is endless. The sterling is the stingrays bigger brother if you like. The coil selector switch is a real plus when it comes to changing the sound. You can get two pickup models of the sterling too, if you want real versatility. Hope this helps

1 guitarist is ample. 2 is too many. especially if you want to do something other than play roots and 5ths in the band. and thats before the egos and all that jazz set in.

[quote name='phil_the_bassist' post='270298' date='Aug 26 2008, 02:29 PM']can I please be the first to make some lewd comment about a good, tight screw is always advised after loosening the G-string?[/quote] round of applause please!