stewblack

[quote name='acidbass' post='16424' date='Jun 12 2007, 07:18 PM']Hello all, Basically, I've been using my Hartke combo with a pair of headphones to practice quietly at my house for the last year or so. However, the combo is quite bulky for me to have in the living room at all times, so I'm looking for a portable replacement. What do you guys use? I could play the bass unplugged obviously, but I like the idea of wearing headphones for a bit more volume. So...any suggestions? Cheers in advance, Danny[/quote] You need the pocket-rockit headphone hamp. 100% portable as it plugs into the instrument, aux input to put your MP3 into it battery powered off you go. I absolutely love it.

[quote name='setekh' post='17944' date='Jun 15 2007, 12:02 AM'] (the thread was 2 weeks old though ) so, stewblack, did you end up playing?[/quote] Nope. Ended up watching. the guy did fine, he was just being lazy!

[quote name='Musky' post='14441' date='Jun 9 2007, 12:25 AM']They do precision pickups at quite a good price, and I've read the odd comment on various boards about how great they sound but I'm slightly worried that if they really are so good why more people aren't shouting about them. They're British, so I can understand that maybe they haven't made much of a name for themselves in the US. But has anyone had any direct experience of them on a precision, or any other bass for that matter.[/quote] Yep, got one of theirs in my Aria Pro2 SB. Great company, great product. Thassit.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='12649' date='Jun 5 2007, 07:46 PM']Its not just about weight but how its distributed in the cab, the design and location of the handles and the technique you use for lifting. However, Basson and Harke make some back breakers regardless of how you try and tackle them. Burman's old 4x12 was impossible for one person to lift and in them days they didn't make 'em wi' wheels. I can lift up to about 100lbs with not much problem but the Hartke 4.5xl weighs in at 125lbs and that was a struggle over anything but the shortest of distances. Dood used to have two of them!! Any 8x10 owners out there?[/quote] I work in a cellar bar and one guy used an 8X10 Ampeg which appeared in a metal flight case. It took the entire band to get it up the stairs and out, and my were those guys sweating! hell, i was sweating just watching them.

[quote name='AdamWoodBass' post='12025' date='Jun 4 2007, 07:42 PM']Ok I'm preparing to be slated here but I'm just giving my opinion with reference to personal experience. I had a behri alu 4x10, and on paper it was fantastic with its 1000 watts rms etc. In reality it was the heaviest thing in the world and when I used a warwick 400 watt hybrid amp through it ("protube IV", solid state with a 2 tube valve channel) I blew a cone to pieces on its first gig second song in (and no I wasn't driving the arse off it either, spec wise the cab should have been able to handle it but alas no). My opinion is that yes behri stuff is cheap but I'd recommend to anyone who wants their gear to last and be reliable then don't skimp on it. At the end of the day its an investment so save your money until you can afford to buy something you know will be worthwhile however I know its not always that easy. I did consider another cheap cab but i figured I should push more money into it and so I'm now using Warwick Neo cabs and I've never had a problem with them in about 3 or so years. At the end of the day I'm a big believer in "you get what you pay for" so please don't hate me. Adam[/quote] I for one won't slate you - it backs up what I think about the lottery. A couple of posts back a Behringer user who'd bounced them around the desert for two years with no problems (paraphrasing I know!) and now one who's blown one up second song in. The trouble is we never know, whatever the make, until we've bought it and used it by which time it's too late!

Just played a wedding, used two Behringer cabs and as they'd only provided a vocal PA had to fill a relatively large room with bass - they held up really well and sounded great! I promise to keep you informed should anything blow up on me in the future.

[quote name='pete.young' post='10653' date='Jun 1 2007, 05:06 PM']In the interests of balanced reporting ... I'm not going to comment on the cabs, but I'd avoid the amps like the plague. My son bought one (despite me telling him not to!) and I'm less than impressed. It is incredibly noisy (loud hiss, not mains hum) and unbelievably cheaply made - pots soldered straight on to the PCB, etc. He was lifting it out of the car one day and just snagged one of the tone controls, and the knob flew off, having sheared the pot shaft clean off. This time we got lucky with superglue, but these things are so fragile that they shouldn't be taken out of the house.[/quote] Not my experience. Sorry to disagree, but I use a Behringer 4500 head which is solid as a rock and we use a powered mixer at our venue 2 -3 times a week which is also solid, and treated with anything but kid gloves. The problem is individual experiences differ. As I say my mate hates his Marshall because of the flimsy build but I know someone else who's had Marshall for donkey's years without a problem, and swears by them. I bought a Nemesis - highly recommended then I hear some people have reliability issues with them. Trace Elliot has a great rep but the one I had was noisy and kept breaking down - not in the same league as the Behringer for reliability. It's such a lottery in some ways isn't it?

[quote name='phatbassdude' post='10153' date='May 31 2007, 08:32 PM']What is the bassing contingent's view on Behringer cabs and amps??? They seem cheap and with a lot of bang for your buck - but does this affect their quality of sound? Models of interest are the BB410 or BB210 and the BB115. I would ideally have the 410 and 115 matched to my Hartke HA550. Many thanks.[/quote] They are fantastic value for money. Mine have conspicuously failed to explode or sound sh*te no matter how often people who won't use Behringer say they will. I use the BA115 and the BA410 but the 15 is 8ohm so I don't get the best out of it. I recommend the 410 more . Very big sound. I use mine either in a stereo set up with a behringer 450 amp and an eden nemesis 650 or just the two together with the nemesis. I wish I'd gone for two 410 instead now as that would suit the impedence of my amps better and they have a bigger sound. They are solid, nicely carpeted and have cunningly concealed wheel arrangement. As far as I'm concerned at the price they go for they could be as sh*t as people who never use Behringer say they are and still be worth it! Oh and while I think of it, my guitarist is so impressed with my rig that last night he said he wished he'd saved his money and tried Behringer before he spent a fortune on Marshall. For one thing the sheer solidity and build quality impressed him as he hauled his disintegrating overpriced 4X12 out of my car last night. Now missing another castor!!

[quote name='mhuk' post='9109' date='May 30 2007, 12:53 PM']Has anyone tried both the Markbass Little Mark II and either the Eden Nemesis NA650 or NA320? I need a smallish head as I've got a dodgy shoulder and a headphone socket is a nice-to-have (which the Markbass doesn't have). Comments, suggestions, advice etc. muchly appreciated. Thanks [/quote] Tell you what, I'm buying a cab from a BTer in the midlands, hopefully ready for me in early June, why don't I swing by your place and you can have a bash through the Nemesis? Unless there's a shop near you that stocks them of course?

[quote name='BassBod' post='9769' date='May 31 2007, 11:09 AM']Hi stewblack, Looks like you don't live far from me - I've got a ply "knock about" upright and the Clifton EUB, so if you want to try one out....I can certainly explain the difference/process of moving from BG to upright. It is addictive though. And expensive. BB[/quote] What a kind offer - thank you! Although ... addictive and expensive~? Hmmm, can I afford to even taste it? Where are you BTW?

Re Slap: Never learned it, so old now I probably never will. Just don't like how it sounds really. That's it!

[quote name='Vasquez Rich' post='9459' date='May 30 2007, 08:50 PM']There's an old saying (attributed to Ginger Baker).. "Good band, sh*t drummer, sh*t band" .. do you think this applies to bass playing also.. if at all?[/quote] I must admit I'd not heard that quote before but I've often said similar about bands that just don't quite cut the mustard. The audience (the non musician members of it) know the band's not up to much but how many of them realise it's down to a crap drummer? As far as bass goes I don't think it applies as fundamentaly. If the bass and drums aren't together then no matter how good the individual musicianship, the band won't work, that much is definate.

[quote name='Tinman' post='9460' date='May 30 2007, 08:50 PM']Thank you my friend, you're the first one to say something positive about it , I was thinking I'd bought a complete lemon . It is a lovely bass, the neck is stunning, it's just a shame that thru necks turned out to be wrong for me. Anyway, it's for sale now and I'm sure it'll go to a loving home. Pete[/quote] Can I also say something positive? It looks lovely. There you go.

[quote name='dood' post='9472' date='May 30 2007, 09:07 PM']Awww that's easy! Save yourself a bundle and get some of the best leads around! Custom lengths too. Watch how many +1's my post will get when I recommend our very own Dave 'OBBM' Polgaze. He makes leads to order.. Speaker/ Instrument / Patch.. pretty much whatever you need. Competitive prices too![/quote] +1 that's for my personal kit +1 that's for the stuff he's made for my venue +1 For the fantastic service +1 cos he's a really, really nice bloke to deal with +1 for the speed of service +1 cos you can show off that you have your leads custom made

I have recently aquired the NA650 - it is, frankly, excellent. It's designed so you can run it with just headphones plugged in which fits your bill. It also has a lovely blue light! I've never used an amp with such responsive tone controls, sadly can't give the comparison you desire as I've not used Little Mark, but I've heard a few and they sound great too. Not much help am I? Sorry.

I think in some ways I won't get any better and in others I'll continue to improve. I listen back to old band tapes from the eighties and wonder if I could ever be bothered to put the work in to write such complex basslines. I used to think nothing of spending a week writing a bass line to a song, every spare minute. Now that youthful enthusiasm has naturally subsided my basslines seem a little ordinary by comparison but what I've gained is experience, a knowledge that I can hold my own and there ain't much I can't play if I only put my mind to it. I play with greater assurance and these things grow and grow with age. There are some marvelous technically proficient bass players who I have no interest in emulating - the one thing that has always motivated me is coming up with great bass parts for songs. It isn't how many notes or how clever or how fast it's how it compliments the song - that is all that ever matters. So in answer to the original point enough is never enough as long as there is another song around the corner waiting for a great bass part to be written.

[quote name='subaudio' post='8718' date='May 29 2007, 06:04 PM']Ah ok, sorry, if you were London based I could suggest someone, I think once you start to hanker after DB it's already too late, it'll get you in the end there really is nothing like it for sound and feel, I still love playing electric bass, and it seems physically less of a strain when I go back, but I rarely pick it up these days comparatively. I am beginning to think about selling my first bass, which is totally fine to learn on and with an ebony fingerboard, new strings and a pickup it would be a great gigging bass, which was my plan but then my Zeller came up as a straight swap for a fretless I wasn’t using so I shelved the idea, the bass is worth about £350 as is and would probably cost about £500 to get up to gig spec. just to give you an idea (as i understand it) of what's out there and what the options are without spending huge amount's of money.[/quote] Thanks mate. Not started serious GAS yet for the double bass but I have an outline plan for a project which, should it ever come to fruition will mean me playing the 'real thing' so one day ...

[quote name='subaudio' post='8695' date='May 29 2007, 05:30 PM']Where are you based?[/quote] In the west country between Wells and Bath.

[quote name='Super_Mario_Bass' post='8673' date='May 29 2007, 04:45 PM']anyone got one? I think they can look a bit garish in red, but in sunburst i like them [url="http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Japan-Jaguar-Bass-JAB-97EQ_W0QQitemZ180122142673QQihZ008QQcategoryZ38079QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Japan-Jaguar-Ba...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url] [/quote] That is damn sexy actually, always thought of one in black when I allowed my gas dreams to stray Fenderwards but I'm liking that a lot.

[quote name='subaudio' post='8554' date='May 29 2007, 12:33 PM']I would politley decline, double bass is completley different to electric bass, and if you havent played one before you'll get a bit of a shock as they count off the first song, cool that your getting offerd work though, maybe you should buy one, get some lessons and start doubling? I've been studying double bass for 5 month's, (I have played and gigged/sessioned on electric bass for nearly 20 years) and wouldn't take a paid gig on DB just yet, in another 6 months time though.....[/quote] I've made it clear it's pretty unlikely that I'd risk ruining any part of someone's wedding ceremony just for the fun of having a stab at something I don't know. It is however something I wouldn't mind trying, but it is I assume an expensive thing to get into?

I've been asked to dep at a mates wedding on the old double bass. Thing is, it's this Saturday, we'll be playing in the actual church during the ceremony, I've no free evenings to rehearse with the other musicians, oh and I've never touched a double bass in my life before. What do you guys think - I should politely decline? Or it's a piece of cake!!!

[quote name='Phaedrus' post='7967' date='May 28 2007, 10:07 AM']"comfort"? Surely avoiding breathing in multiple stranger's used, exhaled smoke is a bit more than a comfort? AFAIK, it's[/quote] Good point - poor choice of words on my count health and comfort would have been better, sorry.

[quote name='Waldo' post='5732' date='May 24 2007, 01:42 PM']No, that was a serious question. I'm interested to see the logic behind people typing in capitals all the time. Why do you do it?[/quote] Waldo is on a one man crusade to regulate how we all post MB1, don't pay too much attention, I'm sure he doesn't mean any offence after all we all have our little idiosyncracies. Mine involves hard boiled eggs.

[quote]I never understood why more pubs didn't become non smoking voluntarily[/quote] Speaking as a publican it's simply because I would have to alienate an enormous - and I mean overwhelming - percentage of my customers, for the comfort of a tiny minority. The non smokers drink less too. Don't ask me why. Just to avoid any confusion I reiterate I do support the ban (turkeys voting for christmas I know) but am simply pointing out the facts from a business point of view. There simply isn't a huge mass of people waiting to flood the pubs, who currently stay away because of the smoke.

Not a widely diverse web publication though - the strap line is "Jazz / Funk / Fusion" which leaves my, and I suspect many other's, boats firmly unfloated.