neepheid

Anything's possible. Whether or not it's worth it is another thing. Let's look at the obstacles (and I assume you're talking about introducing a 34" scale Epi EB-3 neck to an Epi EB-0 body.

1) The EB-3 neck is a set neck, so even if you were able to procure one sans body, it would have a tenon ready for glueing rather than a heel which will fit in the EB-0 neck pocket. So you will either have to fill in the neck pocket, or bulk out the heel of the neck to make 'em fit.

2) The EB-0 is indeed short scale and while it looks like the bridges are in a similar position on the EB-0 vs. EB-3 (the fact that there are a few extra frets on the EB-3 neck means that it's the nut that moves relative to bridge if you interchange the necks) there's no guarantee that it's in the right place.

The amount of effort that this would take, especially if you have to get someone to do this for you would likely outstrip the cost of simply procuring an Epi EB-3 second hand.

Stock, they're passable. I played my first proper gig with one You'd use one in preference to not doing the gig at all. A Musicmaster player will be familiar with much of it (6 pole piece strat pickup under solid cover, 2 saddle bridge), but the tuners will be a bit more flimsy than those on the Musicmaster.

A lot of people change the pickup for a rail pickup (cool/hot rails). I've had 2 pass by me, one I modded with a lipstick strat sized pickup and the other I had a Fender '51 P (single coil) pickup put in.

If you can find one second hand for a decent price, look for a Squier Vista series Musicmaster. 4 saddle bridge, through body stringing, 4 pole piece pickup similar to a single coil P, matching headstock, decent tuners. Also remember that Squier have recently come out with a veritable feast of shorties - the VM Mustang and the VM Jaguar Special in addition to the Bronco.

Those replacement Schaller M4S tuners look so out of place and gigantic with reference to the headstock shape/size. There would have been banjo tuners (buttons at the back of the headstock) on this initially. Something a bit smaller (like a Gotoh GB7 size) would have been so much better, but I suppose it depends on when the mod was made.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1340146874' post='1700130']
Turned into an interesting thread.

I guess my problem is that I don't like to "collect" instruments. I see them as (pretty) tools and feel a bit guilty if I don't use them. Especially if they're expensive- would rather have a holiday or money in my sons' university fund than an instrument gathering dust!
[/quote]

What makes you think that a "collection" automatically means "instrument(s) gathering dust"? All mine get played on a fairly regular rotation because I like them all. If they don't get played, they get sold.

Which cab is it you're looking for that isn't available in a 4 ohm 2x10?

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1340128152' post='1699644']
So, not fancy a trip from Aberdeen?
[/quote]

I'd love to, but I have a gig on Saturday afternoon at still to be decided time. Have a good one!

I don't care because 1) it's a Jazz, 2) it's a mess and 3) it's a Jazz

Well, that's me told! Would it really go as green as all that?

Sorry for accusing people of making stuff up, I am a hot-headed bad person

[quote name='Chris Horton' timestamp='1340110525' post='1699209']
Here is a link to a rather rare colour Epiphone newport bass - [url="http://oliviasvintageguitars.com/bass/guitars/2027/"]http://oliviasvintag...s/guitars/2027/[/url]
[/quote]

I would have thought that is Inverness Green. Pelham Blue goes a more jade-like colour over time. What is this "Pacific Blue" they speak of? I really wish people would stop making stuff up.



Picture from [url="http://home.provide.net/~cfh/gibsonc.html"]http://home.provide.net/~cfh/gibsonc.html[/url]

OK you scamps, here's a very advance sneak preview, simply for hearing the bass. Please don't pass it around because it isn't finished. I really hope the chopped start is just a mistake when the guy exported this MP3 for us

[url="http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/mp3/oxbow/recordings20120616/The%20Oxbow%20Lake%20Band%20-%20Boy%20Angus%20is%20a%20Dreamer.mp3"]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/mp3/oxbow/recordings20120616/The%20Oxbow%20Lake%20Band%20-%20Boy%20Angus%20is%20a%20Dreamer.mp3[/url]

Funny when you're recording you get to use settings that you normally wouldn't live. The Victory Artist is set to use both pickups, a setting I consider to be way too "smooth" for live use, +2 on the bass and flat on the treble. Live it would likely be +2 on bass and treble and probably front pickup only.

Sorry for the thread revival, but evidence of long term usage (and success or failure) is important considering we're at the "it might blow up in a week or the first time you really crank it" price point.

I thought that I would report on a very successful studio recording session using the RedSub combo. Captured what I think sounds pretty good with the Gibson Victory Artist using a combination of DI and mic'ing up the combo. A tickle of bass boost, a tickle of treble boost, a small low mid boost on the EQ, colour off, contour at about 1 o' clock. Some overdubs/mixing still to be done, but will share the results once I have them.

The more I use mine, the happier I get with it. I'm off this weekend to Portsoy to play a few tunes with some of the band (acoustic thing) and the combo will be perfect for that. The weekend after that, it's a big pub gig and I doubt I'll have PA support, so I'll have to bring the noise.

So this thing does: band rehearsal (combo), bass lessons (combo), little gigs (combo), big gigs (hooked up to bigger cab), recording and general amplification (watching films on my laptop with busted speakers, some tunes when I was painting the bedroom). Err, that's everything covered, isn't it?

Oh, and the unusual smell I reported on back when I got it has mostly gone away. Either that or I've got used to it

Heh, Mad Hatters is ace, really enjoyed it when we played there back in April. Just mind out for that curfew - I got shut out of the place when I nipped outside to phone my wife after the gig and had to ask very nicely to be allowed back in to get my stuff

[quote name='grenadilla' timestamp='1339949377' post='1696636']
That EPI Newport has a medium 32" scale. In the video it isn't plugged in; could be another bass on the recording...
[/quote]

That's unusual, because all the rest of them are 30.5" scale

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1339929340' post='1696311']
I've never understood the point of a 4Ω cab unless the amp's min load is 2Ω or the cab is unlikely to need doubled up.
[/quote]

I use a 4ohm 4x10 cab. I fall into the second category you mention. I have no need for a second cab. I don't want to humph more than one cab of this bulk to a gig, I think that's a pretty stupid thing to do considering the size of venues that I play (and suppose I ever will play for the forseeable future). The point is that it's plenty loud enough and shifts plenty enough air for my needs. My head is 500W. My cab handles 1200W. It also means that I'm cool with sharing my rig if it makes the gig go smooth. Go on, max the amp if you like, I don't give a toss

The HA3500 is a fantastic head. I'm really bad a describing sound, but it always seemed really "precise" in the sense that you feel that you're getting out what you put in. Modern sounding but without being soulless. I don't know how much good that single valve preamp does over purely solid state, but I always used mine 75% valve, 25% SS without really questioning why. The only reason I don't use mine any more is that I've downsized and upscaled at the same time (smaller, lighter unit, but more power) as a consequence of buying what started out as a purchase for a particular type of gig rapidly turning into something approaching a panacea (combo with removable head). But I won't have a bad word said against the HA3500 - the sound with all the controls flat is great (something its usurper can't claim!) and it doesn't take much twiddling to get what you want. If you present it with a 4 ohm cab (or cabs adding up to 4 ohms) then you'll have plenty grunt for a good while.

Can't tell you anything about the cabs though, never tried one.

Nice job.

I would just like to clarify that I know very well what the EMG-HB sounds like, I was referring to the other two as having no knowledge. The EMG-HB is an EMG-35P4 in a guitar humbucker sized enclosure, so it's basically 2 split rails in a P bass configuration. It's loud, if somewhat clean, modern and to people who prefer the passive way of life, probably a bit sterile and lacking in grit/growl/inexactness. It certainly kicks butt in terms of output across the frequency spectrum, but it won't sound anything like any Thunderbird out there (except possibly the Epi Pro T-bird which I have tried - the EMG guts blow that out of the water but take the "activeness" of the sound that bit further).

If you don't want it to sound anything like a Thunderbird should then go for it. I wasn't looking to make my Les Paul sound like anything other than a great bass - which it was, and I kinda miss it. You should have seen the looks of disgust on my bass playing peers at my Les Paul (yuck, that looks like a guitar) turn to first surprise and then happiness when they actually had a go of it

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1339936972' post='1696437']
The scary side of active basses that don't have a passive option.
[/quote]

Indeed, I only have one purely active bass now (RD Artist) and due to its ridiculous complexity if it breaks then I reckon I'll have to take it to the electrical engineering department at my work or cry or probably both

Epiphone Newport, I think.

[url="http://www.flyguitars.com/epiphone/bass/1965EpiphoneNewport.php"]http://www.flyguitars.com/epiphone/bass/1965EpiphoneNewport.php[/url]

Tried a 5 string OLP MM3 - didn't get along with it probably due to the tight string spacing. Also I don't really play things that require a note lower than E1 and changing the "home" position for my right thumb throws me off too. Bah humbug.

I might get on better with one with wider spacing, but I've felt no desire or requirement to try. Also, Gibson make precious few 5 string basses, and I don't think I like any of them.

[quote name='merello' timestamp='1339867233' post='1695666']
Unbelievable price for a great bass.
[/quote]

You'd think so, but I've had lowball offers on it!

The bass is now sold. The office bass is dead, long live the office bass

bump!

Thanks for the kind words.

Bump!

While it's not possible to accurately measure (or even accurately define) the effect that a certain type of wood will have on the final sound of an electric bass, I'd be surprised if it amounted to 10% - and I'm being generous because it is an unknown quantity and I don't want to put anyone's nose out of joint.

Far be it from me to say that anyone is wrong to do so but personally speaking I do not care for the endless, cyclic "discussions" about the minute details of the effects that different woods may or may not have on the sound of a bass. It is as much background noise to me as the effects would be statistical noise, if they ever could be measured - especially when one considers the fact that different cuts of wood even from the same tree never mind the same species won't be exactly the same at a molecular level.

It's like nailing jelly to a wall.

Just do it. If you're capable of playing along with your OH then you're good enough to play along with others - and if you're not, the adrenaline and determination to succeed will kick in and you will very quickly be good enough (then be looking around for your next challenge).