Ed_S

[quote name='njr911' timestamp='1391016387' post='2352317'] I want an OBT and SP212 if anyone is selling [/quote] [quote name='indiegrungesound' timestamp='1391269085' post='2355204'] I went to purchase a SP212 with a Terror Bass head today. However [...] the cab wasn't reduced as much as I first thought! :-( [/quote] Second hand SP212 in good order [url="http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/products/orange_sp212_bass_cabinet_2nd_hand-yashdown16425.asp"]here[/url] for £299.

Hi all, Not sure if this would be more at home in the 'repairs and technical' - mods please move if you feel it is - but I'm having an issue with finding the right strings for my Fender USA Standard Precision V and wondered if anyone can offer some advice? I want to be able to string through the body, but am finding that: a] this limits the brands I'm able to select from as some aren't long enough to get over the nut at full width when bought as a long scale set, but are still at full width beyond the peg when bought as extra long and b] the B string (.130) is bent at pretty much a right-angle over the saddle, and the saddle itself is at quite an unnatural angle: Excuse the dust! The setup pictured was done by Jon Shuker when I took the bass to have the nut replaced and whilst it played fine for a while, the B string is now sounding dead long before its expected expiry date (less than 10 hours of playing at home) and even if that's got nothing at all to do with the setup and it's just a duff string, if I'm going to buy it a new set I'd prefer to sort this out at the same time. So, I'm looking for a set of (or the ability to buy 4 plus the single 5th string to construct a set of) NPS round-wound strings in 45,65,80,100,130 gauges with a taper-wound B string which from the front face of the ball-end (not counting the ball end itself) to the start of the taper is at least 5.5cm to get over the saddle, and then carries on at full thickness for about another 88cm to get over the nut before starting to reduce back down to get round the peg. I know it's a long shot, but does anyone know of anything that fits the description? I've sent a couple of emails out to manufacturers but so far nobody's replied. Many thanks in advance, Ed

[quote name='Pow_22' timestamp='1390291365' post='2343537'] I used to be a massive Ashdown fan, still love the tone but the thing that got me was their power ratings. They just never seemed to have the juice they claimed. I used an ABM500 through a 414T cab and it was OK, i replaced the head with a Hartke HA3500 and it seemed 10 times as loud! [/quote] I had almost exactly the same experience (apart from in my case it was an HA2000) and that put me off Ashdown for a while, but in the last year I've acquired a MiBass 550 and an ABM1000 and am happy to report thay both live up to their power ratings - the ABM1000 especially!

[quote name='tbonepete' timestamp='1390131345' post='2341703'] Yet the advertised weight remains the same??? cheers Pete [/quote] Hopefully just an oversight that'll be corrected. I'll only be really annoyed if it turns out to be a stopgap to cover a lack of neo speakers, and I end up being the owner of "one of those heavy ones from the end of 2013 production run". I was actually also considering trading a few bits in for a CMD-121P to simplify smaller gigs, but now I think I'll wait and see how this plays out.

Might have worked it out in respect of my 801. If you go to [url="http://www.markbass.it/2012/"]http://www.markbass.it/2012/[/url] you can view the old version of the MB website. Most of the copy text is exactly the same, but in the case of my amp "a single yellow 8" Markbass [b]neodymium[/b] speaker" has become "a single yellow 8" Markbass [b]custom[/b] speaker". Could easily account for the extra weight. Edit: also the substantial looking handle has become a much more simple strap, the associated image having been removed.

[quote name='tbonepete' timestamp='1390049932' post='2340868'] Hey Ed, was it cheaper on account of the much lower labour costs involved, or was it the same price as the lighter weight Italian made combo ? Cheers Pete [/quote] Hey Pete, List price from MSL to the shop was the same from what I can work out. I got a bit knocked off the price as an attempt to price-match with Thomann, but they couldn't do it for the same price because they had to make a minimum margin on the sale! Cheers, Ed

I've just picked up my new Micromark 801 that I special-ordered before xmas. It, too, now sports the "Designed in Italy. Assembled in Indonesia" sticker and likewise is heavier than it 'should' be; 6.6kg as opposed to the advertised 5.2kg which is nearly a 27% increase. Don't get me wrong, it sounds absolutely great - everything I hoped for and more in that respect - and had this thread not been started I almost certainly would never have thought to weigh it, but given that I bought it specifically for maximum portability and paid a considerable premium for the Markbass name and everything which that (as a happy owner of several other products) stood for, it's rather irritating to find that it's no longer as-advertised.

[quote name='BassKS' timestamp='1389538619' post='2335227'] Thanks for that. I was going to use them with my aggie Tonehammer so was wondering if I truly achieved The same clarity as one would with Emg active pups. In other words is EMGhz merely a preampless (lower output) pup cf to its active brother? Are there any differences in tone? [/quote] I don't currently have anything with active EMGs fitted, but a couple of years ago I had a Yamaha BB with a pair of EMG "LJ" long jazz pickups, and as far as I can remember they sounded similar - clean, clear and pleasantly unremarkable. The J-Retro gives tonal variation and some extra output level to the HZs when boosting the EQ (your aggie would probably do the same) but it's not the same as a full EMG system with active pickups and EQ circuit, so if that's what you really want, I'd sell the HZ set sealed to get the most cash.

[quote name='BassKS' timestamp='1389381741' post='2333742'] Anyone know how good are these? [/quote] If it's the "JHZ" set you've got, I've found them to be very low output when used fully passive but quite acceptable connected to an active onboard preamp - in my case, a J-Retro. You can't deny they look the part...

I'm not averse to buying a bass that's been out on display, but if the shop has another boxed I'll get them to fetch it out so I can choose the one I want, the logic being that if they're going to keep one on display then they'll be getting the other out anyway and if I'm buying one, I'll want the box and packing to take it home. When I special-order an instrument that's not in stock, I go one further and make a condition of the order that I want it left unopened as it arrived. They're taking my money for the easiest sale of the day, so have always been willing to pander to my odd requests.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1388706703' post='2325260'] to be fair, you don't know what caused your Tech21 to blow. My first TC RH450 blew the third time I used it or so... sometimes it happens. Given the harmonisation of voltages across the EU that has been going on for years, I doubt that the 230/240V was an issue. In fact, I am not entirely sure the power supplies will be any different... But I do not have authoritative information one way or the other, I admit. [/quote] Ok, fair point - I don't know 100% that it was the voltage issue, but it worked for about 2 minutes and then blew, and when I picked it up to investigate why it'd gone off, the area round the power receptacle was extremely hot - far too hot to keep hold of. I took the fuse sled out and it had blown, so I let the unit cool down and replaced the fuse but the new fuse blew straight away when I re-powered it. Aside from the serial number, the only visual difference between the unit I had and the unit I now own is what's written on the voltage panel. You're right, my first one might have just had a defective PSU, but if a manufacturer goes to the trouble of differently identifying two otherwise identical pieces of equipment and only selling one in a specific region, given past experience, it's enough to make me buy the 'right' one in future.

Hi Placebo, Don't worry about the 'bump' when turning on/off - mine does exactly the same thing. I'm sure that Ashdown would be happy to offer a final word on it if you emailed them, but I think it's just a 'feature' of the amp. All the best, Ed

[quote name='Alfie' timestamp='1388574835' post='2323473'] Has anyone ever needed a backup bass? [/quote] I have at a rehearsal where I don't routinely take one, but not at a gig where I do if at all possible. Thus proving that having one is working!

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1388568338' post='2323427'] But these small bodied, headless basses have inherent problems when switching between normal bodied/headed basses as they can play mind games that take a while to get used to. [/quote] Yeah, I have to watch myself for being a fret too high when I first switch to the XT-2. Not sure if it's a visual thing where out of the corner of my eye I'm thinking the first fret is the nut, or if it's just that the bass hangs a bit 'further away' because of where the strap buttons can physically be without one of those extension hook thingies. Either way, I make myself play a full rehearsal on it at least once a month so it's not alien to me if it needs to come out at a gig. I guess that's still a good idea even if your backup is functionally identical to your main instrument, though, just to make sure it's in good working order etc.

I ended up with a Steinberger Spirit XT-2 as my backup, which has the major benefit of being 34" scale but only about 4" longer than that in total. Ok, the strings it comes with aren't great and replacements aren't cheap, the bag it comes with isn't really much more than a dust cover so the Warwick RockBag is another advisable extra and it does take a bit of getting used to playing it if you don't already play headless basses. But on the other hand it's tiny, lightweight, built like a tank, can ape precision and jazz tones to a reasonable standard, the new ones are passive so there's not much to go wrong with it if it sits in the bag for a while like a good backup should, and if you end up on the bus to a gig or a jam session it's a perfectly capable main bass if it needs to be. They're only £299 new, so your budget should get you there second hand if you fancied the idea.

[quote name='deepbass5' timestamp='1388490576' post='2322525'] [b]Ed S [/b]-- "if you buy from Thomann you get the 230V version, whereas UK stores sell the 240V." [b]Not correct[/b] [/quote] Well, it certainly [b]was[/b] correct when I bought and blew up the piece of equipment in question (September 2007 for the record - just looked at my order history). Understand I'm only talking about Tech21 gear; I agree that most items are fine, and Tech21 may even have altered their products since, but the screen shot of the voltage/fuse panel was taken from their website about 5 minutes before I posted.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1388425935' post='2321867'] Hmmm, dunno. I looked at a Markbass amp from Thomann as it was a good deal, but it would have been European power spec. Thomann said it would be fine, both Markbass and MSL Professional who do the Markbass stuff in the UK said it wouldn`t be, and to only get one made for this countries power supply. [/quote] [quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1388441020' post='2322121'] Markbass will say that to discourage gray market sales, and MSL doesn't want you buying from Thomann. [/quote] Usually true, but I had a problem with Tech21 gear. All their kit that I've ever seen has this panel on it with a dot in two of the boxes: and if you buy from Thomann you get the 230V version, whereas UK stores sell the 240V. I bought an RBI from Thomann, plugged it in and destroyed it. Fortunately Thomann took the standpoint that what they're selling *should* be fine over here, so gave me a refund. For everything since, I've just sent a quick email to the manufacturer and asked if they foresee any issue. All so far have said 'go ahead - it'll be fine'.

The Sansamp RBI is an easy to use and (subjectively, of course) good sounding preamp for live use, but I've had two and found both can be a little noisy alongside other electrical equipment, plus they have difficulty driving some power amps depending on input sensitivity. I'm tempted to see if I can sell the RBI and pick up the new VT-Bass Rack instead. The BBE B-max is very well built and not at all noisy, but for all its knobs I couldn't find a sound I wanted in there and the compression wasn't to my taste either. The Rocktron Blue Thunder was good for a laugh but not at all easy to use and again I failed to find any sounds I wanted to keep. The best I've owned for being an easy to use preamp with a good basic tone is the Peavey TB Raxx.

[quote name='razze06' timestamp='1388420763' post='2321784'] - Do people who claim to have gone back to simple also use a simple signal chain and amp setup? I am thinking bass plugged directly into a (simple) amp... [/quote] I went that way, yeah. Started out with a Squier P-bass Special and a Yamaha BB-N4ii into a Trace Commando 15. Topped out at Ibanez BTB 5 and 6 strings with active pre-amps through a Sansamp RBI / DBX 160A / Korg DTR 1000 / Behringer V-amp Pro Bass / W-Audio Horizon 6U rack setup. Now mainly play Fender and Squier Precisions through a Markbass LM800 or Ashdown ABM1000 with only a lead or wireless between the two and a TU-3 tuner sat on top. The most complex bass I have is a Jazz with a flat response J-Retro in it, and if truth be told, would never gig with it.

The first time I bought from them I'd paid extra for express delivery and nothing turned up, so I called to ask why and just got attitude - asked if I was aware it had snowed in some parts of the country! They did, with prompting, refund the extra shipping and what I ordered arrived intact and correct the next day so I let it go. The second time, what arrived was plain defective so I rang up and got hit with the attitude again - they'd need to get it back and assess it before they could help, and it felt like the inference was one of me having broken the thing unpacking it, which I didn't take kindly to. Stuff that gets sold in sealed boxes sometimes arrives broken, but I'm used to "I'm sorry, we'll send another out today for delivery tomorrow and the courier will take the broken one away". There won't be a 3rd try from me.

Don't know if it'll help at all, but to get the feel I personally like (playing fairly fast metal with a pick), I use / have used... On my normal Fender and Squier Precisions, which are 34" scale: E - 100 Eb - 100 or 105 depending on brand of string D - 105 C - 125 B - 130 On my custom built P, which is 35" scale: Bb - 130 If I was going to take it down to A on my custom, the 130 might just manage it. On a 34" scale, though, I think I'd want to go for a 135. That's just my take on it, mind - you might like the strings to feel 'floppier' than I do...

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1387824843' post='2316193'] Yeah most airlines will bandsaw your case unless you ask for the special round sticker that has the bandsaw with the red border and line through it. It looks just like the Ghostbusters sicker, but with a bandsaw replacing the ghost. I always ask for three of them for a bass case, two for a guitar case. [/quote] aaaah.. so that's where I've been going wrong, is it? If you have a few minutes and haven't seen the video I'm talking about, [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0jbDM2MOxs"]have a look[/url] and see if you think the guy is making any reasonable points.

[quote name='Scrubnut' timestamp='1387742695' post='2315165'] a few people told me that Hiscox make something better for £99! [/quote] About this time last year I watched the video on the Hiscox site where the bloke takes a bandsaw to 'other' cases and explains why they're not up to scratch, then went and got the Fender/SKB cases that came with my American Standard 4 and 5 from under the bed and spent 5 minutes pulling the fabric covered polystyrene inserts out to reveal the shallow metal edge with the locks and other hardware riveted into the plastic, just like he described. My immediate reaction was to put them back how i found them, take them to the local shop and trade both in for one Hiscox STD-EBS, straight swap. I've been really happy with my case for the last year and it's actually made me use a hard case where before I used gig bags, so if I've bought into some clever marketing then hey, won't be the first or last time and on balance I'm better off than I was. But really, are the SKB cases as 'superb' as you guys are saying? I certainly wouldn't have fancied standing even one guy, let alone 4 or 5, on the SKB with my bass in it!

[quote name='njr911' timestamp='1387626548' post='2313907'] I think we're all missing the point here. With a Terror head and SP cab it looks the bollox! I'm a bit OCD when it comes to non matching heads and cabs [/quote] That was exactly why I picked up an SP212 when I saw one second hand and going cheap at a local shop. With a roqsolid cover, not a mark on it and less than half the price when new, given that I had the 'right' amp for it sat at home, I just couldn't walk past it. It sounds fine and can hold it together with a metal band, so I'm happy to keep it!

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1387542700' post='2313123'] beautiful and really interesting pickup positioning, I suspect I'd like that bass sound very much! [/quote] [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1387551205' post='2313287'] Oh I say! Nice birthday pressie there. [/quote] Thanks guys Needless to say I'm very happy with it, and feel lucky to have such a generous mum and girlfriend to make it happen!