Ed_S

I use DT 770 Pros for pretty much everything, so naturally they'd be my recommendation. I also have a pair of AKG K702s that can be useful when mastering as they're open back and quite 'honest', but I prefer the sound of the Beyers for practice, and I find them more comfortable even though they're maybe a bit heavier.

Best is probably the Stingray 5 Special which I got at the start of the year and has become a favourite. Took a bit of stick in another thread for being prepared to pay an admittedly stupid retail price for it, but it was what I wanted and I still have no regrets.

Honourable mention goes to a set of EB cobalt flats that have made my Jazz V sound just right.

Worst by default is a Sandberg Cali Central 5. Very nice bass but it developed a finish problem and needs sorting under warranty. I’m sure it’ll be dealt with and work out fine in the end but it’s just a bit disappointing in the interim.

2 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Only if one is bothered by it. If it's a nice instrument and worth paying to asking price, what difference does it make, unless it's for investment purposes, and needs to pander to a collector's market..? Whether it's the 'real deal' or not is only of interest to those looking at financial value, rather than (subjective...) quality for the Buyer. Either a thing is worth its price or it's not. 

Personally I'd still advocate selling the nice instrument with a plain headstock or an original logo and letting the quality speak for itself to the right buyer. Either a thing is what it purports to be or it's not.

I bought a licenced Mighty Mite neck from ebay to finish a bitsa that was otherwise either official Fender parts, or parts very obviously stamped otherwise. The neck was as-new in original packaging and had never been drilled/fitted, yet somebody (presumably the seller) had still put a Fender decal on it and over-sprayed it with lacquer. Because it was a Fender bass by weight and I didn't fancy making a mess of the headstock, I just left it as it was while I owned it. However, because it passed as a Fender bass if you didn't look too hard and I didn't want anyone to be fooled by it, I took a scouring pad and removed the decal before I sold it. I must admit, it was only after I took the fake decal off that it hit me how 'correct' it had looked before, and how much it now looked like the collection of parts it actually was. I just took that as further confirmation that it was the right thing to do.

I started early with the bad back thing - I can recall several occasions when I was off secondary school with my lower back causing the kind of pain that drops you to the floor if you can't find something to grab on to and hold yourself upright. Truly lightweight gear wasn't a thing at that point so I just did my best - two compact 1x15s or 2x10s and separate amp head instead of combos and larger single cabs - but things were still weighty. One day whilst I was at university I took the bus over to Doncaster for a general mooch around ElectroMusic and got introduced to Markbass. They'd just got the LM2 in stock and I was so impressed that I took one home on the bus; the very fact that I could do that made it a no-brainer. When I got my uni results I treated myself to a celebratory Markbass 104HR which, whilst not light-light, was about the lightest beefy cab going, matched my LM2 and made things much easier on my back. I've swapped and changed since then, but always been mindful to keep the bulk and weight similarly low, if not reducing.

Alongside the amp journey, I didn't really notice that the basses themselves were doing me no favours until I spent a long time playing my Warlock NJ5 which was so unwieldy and caused me to stand so unnaturally that it made me realise the BTB, Vampyre and Warlock, whilst cool looking basses, were also causing me discomfort. It just so happened that very close to that point of realisation, Fender brought out the MIM Standard range which made everybody go "wait a minute.. these are really good", so I tried one just to see what the fuss was about. I instantly found it very comfortable, bought it there and then, and that was it - progressively lighter 4 string FSOs for relatively pain-free live gigs over the next 10 years.

Of course then the pandemic threw everything up in the air. I decided to lose some weight, thin down all the music equipment, and get back to playing 5 string for everything instead of 4 on stage and 5 at home. So 4 stones in weight, 14 basses and loads of other related guff all shipped out, and now I'm left with the basic live rig being an Ibanez SR Premium 5, BF Two10, MB Nano II and PT Metro 16 board. The rig is about as light and compact as I can get it to be and the bass, whilst heavier than the Sandberg SLs and Maruszczyk Jake L I eventually ended up playing pre-C19, hangs much more ergonomically now the bay-window has reduced. I'm unashamedly pain-averse and duly careful these days.

On 05/12/2023 at 12:38, Linus27 said:

 

@obbm I'm actually thinking of getting a Markbass Nano 300 as I like the clean Markbass tone. How do you find the Nano 300? Is it clean like most Markbass heads and is it fairly loud and punchy? Are you happy with it?

I know the question wasn't directed at me, but I've used the Nano 300 as my main gigging amp since late 2017 and more recently got a Nano Mark II as well. They both deliver the Markbass sound that I'm after (LM3 with the VLE/VPF controls turned to 'off') in a convenient package, they're loud and punchy, and I'm very happy with them.

Tort pickguards. Though I'll make a rare exception if it's a dark tort guard on an Olympic white P with a dark rosewood board, as that can look right somehow.

Gold hardware. I'll buy a bass with it, but only if drop-in replacements are available and it's still worth it after I factor in the cost of a complete set of black or chrome.

Sunburst finishes. No exceptions.

Old basses with 'mojo', or new relic jobs. No exceptions.

1 hour ago, ahpook said:

 

Can I any a big thank you - I did a similar test at primary school (I ended up with a tenor horn), and have often wondered what it was, details are sketchy after this long.

 

Anyhow...The Bentley Test. Good chance this is what I took, after a bit of research. Thanks !

Glad to be of assistance!

They had literally everybody in our year group take that test over the course of a week, and of the lot of us it was a group of maybe 10ish who were offered lessons, 8ish who accepted, 6ish who stuck with it to junior school and maybe 4ish who were still playing by secondary. Having just had a little look online, one appears to now be the leader of the British Philharmonic Concert Orchestra!

And then there's me paying bass in a metal band; no idea which notes I'm playing, and any ability to read or knowledge of theory evaporated years ago, but I enjoy what I do. The interesting thing was that the test said I had perfect pitch all those years ago, and whilst I'm not sure I'd fully agree with that, I have indeed always preferred to just play by ear.

When I was in Y3 (age 7-8ish?) at school, I got sent to a room with a group of other kids to take a test. Turned out to be a musical aptitude (Bentley) test, and off the back of it I was offered lessons with a peripatetic violin teacher, so I ultimately learned violin and played in orchestras and string ensembles for the next 8 or so years. The first 4 years were really good fun, but when I moved to secondary school I had one violin teacher who was fixated on grade exams and then another who I think just liked the money, the school orchestra wasn't all that great, and as it became less fun I lost interest. I was playing grade 8 pieces, but had no interest in theory or taking exams, so kept on with it for long enough to get me out of PE lessons but ultimately gave it up.

By that time, though, I'd had a school music lesson where the nylon-strung classical guitars were handed out and we were all shown enough chords to strum along with Everybody Hurts by REM. It made me think that guitar would be a fun replacement, but electric would fit better with the music I liked to listen to and I certainly didn't want to play dots or have lessons. We knew a guy who played and was looking to sell his starter kit, so I ended up buying a cheap 'Session Pro' Strat copy and a Peavey Rage 158 for not very much at all. I got absolutely nowhere with it, so decided to trade it in and get a bass instead - not because it would be 'easier', but my logic was that with 4 strings and single notes rather than 6 and chords, it might feel more familiar.

My first bass in 1999 was a Squier P Special, and it rattled horribly but I could play stuff on it pretty much straight away. I took it back to the shop and was told they'd had issues with the entire batch so were refunding people and sending them back. After a bit of back and forth I managed to walk away with a Yamaha BBN4 instead of a refund, and I've been a self-taught bassist ever since.

Playing that AIC track would be a 'no' from me - of course it's all personal taste, but I just don't find very much in it save for a few seconds in the chorus. I play entirely by ear and relative position, so I learn songs by just knowing the song; if I can hear it in my head I can play something appropriate, but I can't get to know it if I don't want to listen to it and I certainly won't remember it if I don't like it.

When I have had to veto in the past, I've generally tried to find something else that I can suggest which I think shares some aspects of the song I don't like, but I would be prepared to play. So with the general feel of the bass, the kinda subdued verses, the slightly more punchy chorus, the widdly-wah guitar bits... I'd probably offer Metallica - The Outlaw Torn, as it's what the AIC track instantly reminded me of, but I much prefer it and I'd assume there's a greater (although admittedly still not great) chance of it being known.

We're an originals band that throws a cover in every now and then, so we don't feel we have to be as mindful of everybody knowing a song as long as it fits musically; if you know it then great, but if you don't and it fits well then it's as good as another original that you also didn't know. Tends to be stuff with fun guitar work that we gravitate towards, though.. Rising Force, Killing the Dragon, Tornado of Souls.. that kind of thing, so I'm not often faced with a dirge.

At home, a Tech21 RBI or RPM straight into the mixer and out via a decent pair of cans is ‘me’. Live, though, it’s a Markbass head with the EQ flat (well.. all dials at noon) and the filters turned off that has become my thing. I’ve found LM2, LM3, F1, LM800, Nano300 and Nano2 all equally acceptable.

Phil Kennemore. Believe I only ever saw him playing a Jazz.

1 hour ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

I'd get a Boss BC-1X Bass Comp and a Boss BB-1X Bass Driver — which are coincidentally the latest additions to my pedalboard.

Fair play.. that’s my little DIY rehearsal board! You could absolutely play a gig with them.

A tuner and a wireless kit.

Ok, so I'm not an effects-loving bassist, but if the gig was that important then being in tune and free to move around on stage would best allow me to do my bit towards getting signed.

I recently bought the Lekato WS-80 set to keep in my gigbag and use for rehearsals. Been absolutely fine so far, had no problems working with my active Ibanez SRs and they last a couple of 3 hour rehearsals between charges. Because of the recessed jack socket on the SR I’ve needed to build a short extension patch, but I think that would likely be the same deal with the Boss and Line6 equivalents. Because the Lekato is very light and it hangs over the strap, it stays put without needing to have a pouch on the strap or pocket it.

My mum's LPs and tapes were stuff like Rainbow, Whitesnake, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Saxon, Meat Loaf, Status Quo, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, ELO, Dire Straits. I still listen to and play all of those, so despite the fact that I was never paying particular attention to the bass in those formative years, and I've never been fussed about learning or replicating the exact lines of any of the bassists on those records since I started playing, I'm sure they must have influenced the way I play.

I swapped a pretty decent conventional 'square' 4x10 (Markbass 104HR) in our rehearsal space for a pair of One10s, and they're a completely capable replacement. I already had one which had been bought for me as a gift, so it made sense to just order another the same - otherwise I would have bought a Two10.

It's a more controlled low end that I'm getting from the pair of One10s, but loads of low end isn't necessary or even all that helpful for the rock and metal I play, so keeping it under control just means you can hear everything else better; it's certainly no less loud and powerful a sound in context. Everyone who's heard them so far thinks they're an upgrade, and the guy who runs the studios was saying just last week that he reckons they're sounding 'bigger and more open' as they play in.

I was sold on them after the first rehearsal so I let my Fender Rumble 500 combo go and ordered a Two10 to store at home and take out to gigs - same sound on stage as in rehearsal makes sense, and a single one-hand-carry package suits me better than multiple trips.

I realise this is quite out of character for a BC regular, but after saying all the way back in late July that I wouldn't be buying any more flats, I ended up buying some more flats.

I spotted a comment somewhere about EB Slinky cobalt flats being 'flats for people who don't really like flats' or words to a similar end, and I thought that sounded like me so I should give them a go. I put them on my US Pro Jazz V and it turns out they feel a bit weird (though in a way I don't actually mind) but they sound rather good! As long as they don't corrode easily or change too drastically in a tonal sense, I could actually see them being on for a while.

8 minutes ago, ahpook said:

An attack of 'Sick Of Loadsa Instruments Dilemma' if I ever saw one.

 

SOLID - the opposite of GAS

 

 

 

 

Do you go through a 'Living In Quasi-Unused-Instrument Despair' (or LIQUID) phase before you get to that state?

Must be sublime if you manage not to.

I don't know about an extensive collection in comparison to some, but I reckon I had more than the average.

Moving back to playing only 5s made it relatively easy to justify selling the 4s, and then the 5s that I was less attached to started to look like clutter, and then lugging cabs that weren't Barefaced seemed pointless, and then it became a bit addictive and all the pedals and accessories that I'd never really needed to buy in the first place got moved on.

In all, I must have shifted 60 pieces of gear since the pandemic struck, including 9 or 10 basses. Whilst I still have more than I can play at once, I reinvested the cash I got back into the hobby on a smaller number of nicer bits that I use much more often; a couple of similar Ibanez SR Premiums (main and backup) for gigging with, a proper Ray 5 for my own entertainment at home, and then a couple of new good quality gigbags and proper non-DIY pedalboards with cases. A financial break-even, but a much clearer and more focussed carry-on.

Having sworn I'd never bother with flats again, I found myself ordering a set of these for my American Professional Jazz V, which is the bass I tend to use for fingerstyle playing of lighter genres. I've previously tried Fender 9050s, D'Addario Chromes and Galli Jazz Flats, and these do feel quite different to all of those - especially the Galli strings which were smooth like glass. These remind me of some relatively expensive violin strings I used many years ago.

I've only had them on for a couple of days, but at present I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying them. The slightly grippy feel actually seems much more natural to me when sliding between notes than completely smooth alternatives, and the sound I'm getting so far is really clear and 'pure'. My J bass is naturally very bright sounding, so I've always had the tone backed off about half-way with rounds, and I still need some of that with these flats. Hopefully that means that if they do reduce in brightness as I play them in, I can gradually bring the tone up on the bass to get back to where I'm at now as I'd happily keep them sounding like this.

But yeah, they feel odd... I just happen to be ok with it!

I've had regrets after gear purchases that haven't turned out the way I'd hoped, but they've generally been more to do with regretting that I no longer have the more suitable gear that I sold to fund the new thing rather than directly regretting buying the new thing itself.

I do regret a custom build that didn't go all that well, but mainly because it was funded by close family as a gift for my 30th. I couldn't overlook the issues or pretend that I instantly (or indeed ever) got on with it, which was obviously a bit of a kick in the teeth all round.

To begin with, anonymous NPS rounds as fitted in the factory by Yamaha and Jackson.

 then, when I became a little more discerning...

D'Addario EXL220-5 NPS

D'Addario EPS220-5 ProSteel

 and then, when I moved back to 4s...

D'Addario EPS190 ProSteels or Rotosound SM66 Swing Bass

D'Addario EXL165 NPS

 and now I'm back on 5s...

D'Addario EXL170-5 NPS

Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Bass 5 (for the Stingray)

Dunlop Super Bright DBSBN45125 NPS (for the Jazz when stringing through-body)

So the boring truth of it is that I started not knowing enough to care, went through a steel rounds phase but eventually came back to NPS to save my frets, and I've moved to slightly thicker sets but not by much.

I've tried Fender 9050, D'Addario Chrome and Galli Jazz flats, none of which did it for me. Swore I'd never bother with any more, but just ordered a set of Slinky cobalt flats as a final-final attempt. Fully expect it to be a waste of sixty quid, but we'll see.

Tried DR and Elixir rounds, both of which I thought were fine but too expensive for no major benefit. Also tried to save money with a bulk buy of Warwick Red NPS, which was a mistake. Managed to use up most of them now, though, by either putting them on things I was selling, or shoving them in the front pockets of my gigbags on the basis that any string in one piece beats a broken one.

1 minute ago, police squad said:

agreed mate. I love the small and light gear.

My mrs is made up with it though

That’s the main thing! Mine thoughtfully saved me the effort of buying anything specifically for her… and just nicked my little Markbass 801 combo! 🙂

36 minutes ago, police squad said:

I'll be honest, I dont think it's that heavy. Sure it's not class D weight but it's certainly manageble

Oh aye, they’re fine in the grand scheme of things - I’ve just grown so used to the car-stereo sized varieties that anything any bigger or heavier seems quite novel.