Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Ed_S

Member
  • Posts

    1,130
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Ed_S

  1. I've tried various sets of flats and eventually worked out that every time I put a set on, I 'enjoy' the novelty of something different for a while but soon have very little use for the bass in question. I then end up leaving it in its case for months on end and ultimately sell it "because I don't seem to play that one any more".
  2. Agreed. Their BBOT bridges were a meaningful step up from the ones on my Fender Aerodyne Jazz and Harley Benton PJ-5 because both had my least favourite combination of small diameter saddles and very long grub screws with threads that defy finding appropriate length replacements. Subjectively I prefer the look of chunky brass saddles, but the fact that the threads in the Wilkinson bridges are just M3 (or whatever it was..) meant they could be easily loaded with readily available grub screws that don’t stick out at all, making them an objective upgrade for my purposes. Had there been no functional issue with the stock bridges, the Wilkinsons would have been cosmetic at very best, and probably no upgrade at all.
  3. I've used a few of their BBOT (WBBC) bridges with the brass saddles, a set of their F style (WJBL) tuners, their 'm-series' (WOPB) and their 'premium' (WPB) P pickups. No complaints with any of those bits as yet.
  4. I bought an Elf on a whim during one of the lockdowns but only actually got round to trying it last night at rehearsal. Flat out through a pair of BF One10s the tone was decent, but the power was disappointing - it wasn't even nearly loud enough. I know many on here have said they can gig with theirs, but sadly I certainly couldn't and it wouldn't even be a viable backup in an emergency.
  5. I couldn't comfortably move or house an 8x10, so I'd sadly have to judge its value to me as zero.. or possibly less given that I'd expect to have to pay somebody to take it away even if you gave it to me for free. I recently sold what used to be considered a very lightweight 4x10 (MB 104HR) for about £500 less than I paid for it new, 10ish years ago - it was clear that I wasn't going to get any more for it so my choices were either keep it or just stand to the loss. Having given the recent IEM/FRFR/modelling threads some genuine thought I don't really see myself moving away from my downsized amps and cabs any time soon, but anything that I can't comfortably pick up with one hand has already gone and won't be returning.
  6. I'm generally most comfy with the bridge at about conventional jeans-pocket height when the bass is slightly angled-up in playing position. I've had to shorten my straps a bit since losing some weight, as it's taking less seatbelt to achieve the same position these days. The idea of either practicing standing up or setting the strap to maintain the position when seated makes complete sense, but I've never done it. I practice and record sitting down, but rehearse and gig standing up. Having just given the seated-height strap adjustment a quick try, I can't honestly see it ever working for me either ergonomically or aesthetically.
  7. Markbass Little Mark 2 was my first lightweight amp head, and it's still what my bandmates say they think 'sounds like me'. A serious contender for favourite allrounder. GK MB200 was my first tiny amp head for when even the LM2 was impractical. With all the dials at noon I think it sounds utterly brilliant - possibly my favourite basic tone. Ashdown ABM1000 doesn't sound much like any other Ashdown I've had (ABM500/Mi550/RM800/ABM600) and that's probably why I like it so much. It's clean, clear and really powerful, and it's my favourite for 'that feeling when each note kicks you right in the trousers'. And what do I actually gig with? A Markbass Nano II with my older Nano 300 as its backup. For now they're the best balance of cost, size, weight and power that I can find, plus they sound 'like me' to my band. They seem to be well built, but they're also relatively cheap so I can easily justify one and a backup. They're my current favourite for practicality and compromise, and that's what wins most of the time.
  8. Far from it - barely any in fact. It's just that part of me being able to get up on stage and enjoy my time there comes from knowing that I've done what I can to ensure all goes well, and am generally at peace with my strategy for everything else. I'm not against any of this in principle - I'm just figuring out whether I could be happy using it, irrespective of how good it sounds.
  9. Completely get what you're saying - I just like to know that I've given myself the best chance of a stress-free time when I'm on stage. Like for example my amp failing on a gig where there are also wedges wouldn't be too bad since my DI doesn't come from my amp, and my pedalboard has a true bypass path to my DI, which itself can take phantom power from the mixer. My board losing power would take my wireless out and need me to switch to an emergency cable, but I could plug back into an otherwise dead board and still get signal to FoH, monitors and my amp. Dropping out of the FoH and/or monitors due to my DI failing would still leave my amp, which is better than nothing. It'd just take a little bit of re-thinking to feel comfortable that I'd got everything similarly sussed.
  10. I guess you'd want them on a cable in case it was your wireless that was the cause of the problem, which again is cheap, but also on a different aux from the mixer in case that was the cause of the problem, which is perhaps less so if you need the next model up to have enough outs. But fair play, that's kinda what I expected - it's going to put a dent in your performance that just moving closer to another wedge or back towards your amp wouldn't, but you just accept that as part of the deal.
  11. Genuine question - what's your backup when your IEMs go down on a silent stage and you've suddenly got nothing at all? I play by ear, so hearing myself in context is a necessity rather than a luxury and IEMs as a way of doing that better certainly appeal in concept, but they seem much more risky than amps and/or wedges.
  12. Just looking at my local shop it'd be a Squier Affinity Jazz V as it's the only 5 in stock and under budget. With fresh strings, a strap and a cable, I'd finish up at £299.97. Guess I'd have to see if they'd throw in the cheapest possible bag that should be a tenner and a clip-on tuner that should be a fiver, but if so I'd be self sufficient and have the factory strings as spares. A pair of foam earplugs from behind the bar and I could manage.
  13. Ed_S

    OBD

    Nice colour choice! My very first bass back in 1999 was a BBN4ii in yellow natural satin, and although I sold it years ago, it always brings back good memories when I see one.
  14. Or setups. I prefer wider string spacing and lower action with slightly more compliant strings for playing mellow tunes with my fingers, and narrower spacing with a bit higher action and tension for digging in on the rock and metal material with a pick, so I'd find it limiting rather than liberating to just use one. If I knew that going forward I only had access to one then I guess I'd have to make it work, but if I knew it was just for a while then I'd keep the Ibanez SR out as I need it for band stuff, and just neglect my fingerstyle playing until I could have my Jazz back. Then have sore fingers for a while.
  15. I reckon people who like the classic designs would see it as unnecessary and not buy one, and people who didn’t like the designs and/or the company before still wouldn’t, and they wouldn’t buy one either.
  16. I did. I'm enjoying it and I don't regret my decision. 🙂 I totally get not understanding why somebody else has bought something you wouldn't, though. At about the same time I bought my bass, a mate from work paid roughly the same on booking a big family holiday. To my way of thinking, all he'll get for his money is photos I can find on google image search, sand in places it should never be, and an overwhelming feeling of relief when he can sleep in his own bed again!
  17. Nah, I get that - it sounds like you've got your setup sorted out just right for what you do, and that festival gig was a pain for completely avoidable reasons which is a guaranteed irritation. I've been in similar situations myself a couple of times so I know it's not always as-advertised, though I've always been able to sort something out and not killed an amp on a loaner cab yet. I reckon we've both given decent advice and justifications - it'll just depend on aims and resources which is most appropriate to anyone reading.
  18. It's not always ideal, but you can't deny that 'heads and breakables' is the reality of playing certain types of gigs when you're a certain type of band. In those circumstances, if you're the one that tips up with your full rig when you've been explicitly told that there's no time or room for it, or conversely doesn't tip up with an amp head because you're not risking it, it's also a good way to get dropped from future gigs with that promoter or venue because there are always other bands that will make their lives easier. We've played some of our best local support slots for touring bands not because we were always the best fit for the gig musically, but because we have a reputation with the stage manager of the local rock club for turning up when we're told, bringing and leaving what we're instructed, setting up and checking un-fussily, playing for as long as we're given, and clearing the stage quickly afterwards. In terms of where to go after your first combo, getting a loud little amp head and some cables in a bag can't be the worst advice going if it lets you access a really commonly found format for getting out there and playing some music with/to some people.
  19. If you're on the rock/metal originals path, then take full advantage of the fact that your rehearsing and gigging world is littered with old, heavy, tatty-looking house cabs that are otherwise perfectly serviceable and make plenty of noise for the rooms you'll find them in. Venues will often tell you not to bring cabs anyway - just heads and breakables - as there's nowhere to put them and no time to go swapping them over. Start out by just getting a good quality 5-800W lightweight amp head, a bag or case to keep it safe in and a couple of sturdy speaker cables. At the point where you actually need a cab, go for lightweight and well engineered, sell the combo to part-fund it and get either a vertical 2x10 or 2x12 depending on whether you need to be loud or very loud.
  20. I recently went through an equipment cull which yielded a chunk of capital to re-invest in the hobby. Part of it went on a new Stingray 5 Special, and yeah it was expensive, but it was exactly what I wanted, I had the funds, I couldn't get it any cheaper, and it's a great bass that I'm really pleased with. I think it was worth paying what it cost me to own this specific mass-produced bass.
  21. Completely fair, that. I've never aimed for massive low end output, as in the rehearsal room I find it just hides stuff and on stage it's usually unhelpful when trying to manage feedback; much better left for the PA to deliver from the other side of the mics. I'm sure I'd feel quite differently if the genre I played demanded it, or if I was frequently playing much larger stages, outdoors, or was needing to provide all the bass that was being heard. At that point, I'd be pulling the Super 12 and Midget stack out of storage! But yeah, it's absolutely worth noting, because it doubtless affects my opinion of these cabs.
  22. I had a One10 bought for me as a birthday present a few years ago, and whilst it was a very nice gift, I had no real use for it at the time and then covid happened, so it sat in its bag doing nothing. Recently, though, I've been having quite a ruthless declutter, and rather than sell the One10, I decided to take BF at their word (that a One10 would shift as much air as a decent 1x15 or 2x10) and get another to pair up with the one I already had, and replace my Markbass 104HR rehearsal cabinet. It's turned out better than I could ever have hoped - they're just as loud, but so much clearer. Even the guy who runs the studios we rehearse at keeps coming for a listen and can't quite believe how good they sound - and not just 'for the size'. So my take on it is that if you wouldn't have thought twice about using a conventional, commodity 1x15 or 2x10, you'll be fine with a One10, and if you'd have been reaching for a similar quality 4x10 or 2x15, then a pair of One10s will do the same job just as well if not better. I've been so impressed that I sold my Rumble 500 v3 combo and put the money towards ordering a Two10 for gigging with.
  23. Bridges with grub screws sticking out of them get replaced with something smooth. Pickups that feel hollow and plasticky when you rest your fingers on them (some of the Ibanez Dynamix ones, for example) get replaced with something that feels solid. Cheap basses get a full rewire with decent components so I know they're not going to let me down... which is not to say that they would have, but I feel more confident knowing I did the wiring myself. But then there are less practical things like my preference for the keys on Gotoh GB707 tuners. Those that come fitted to most basses with 14mm holes in the headstock remind me of garden taps, so whilst they work fine, they get replaced with 707s.
  24. Absolutely worth a try - I’ve used it to go 3 semitones down from both E and Eb, and it worked equally well, so that little bit extra seems feasible. I used a Thumpinator in front of the Drop on my live board and felt that it performed better than the one on my rehearsal board for which I didn’t splash out on another HPF.
  25. I've used the Digitech Drop quite a bit and found it good enough for playing live up to 3 semitones down provided it gets a clean signal. Any further down and the chorus thing mentioned above gets too noticeable for my liking. Taking E down to B would be asking a bit too much in my experience.
×
×
  • Create New...