machinehead

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1494661724' post='3297625'] Hey Frank - what is it about the Barefaced One10/ GK MB200 or Barefaced Super Midget/EBS Reidmar 750 rigs that means that you prefer them to the AER Amp? As you say the amp two is the "daddy" of the three AER amps at 240W instead of 200W and has 12" + 4" speakers (vs 10" on amp one and 2x8 on amp three) and comes in at a more meaty 51 lbs (vs 30lbs and 35lbs for the other AER combos). And these babies don't come cheap - I think prices are currently AER amp one - £1,475, amp three - £1,600 and I'm guessing similar or a little more for amp two although it seems to have been discontinued. So it would be really interesting to hear why, for you, the two rigs trump your AER combo? I've always been a fan of combos for their convenience but the fact that you have a couple of quality rigs that you feel out-perform / better meet your needs one of the very highest-end combos is definitely giving me food for thought! [/quote] It's not that I prefer either of those mini-rigs to the Amp Two, but there are a couple of things that seem to make me use them more. The tone and volume of the Amp Two is really impressive and could easily cope with any of my gigs but...firstly it weighs more than the other rigs and secondly, I like to have a back-up amp at all my gigs meaning I'd have to take another full rig when using the combo. And that's all really. The AER is the perfect combo in every way except it's a little heavy. (I'm in the process of making a lightweight cloth front for the AER so I should lose about 6lbs by dumping the steel grill. It might get more outings after that.? We'll see.) It has a fuller and deeper sound than the Mesa Walkabout too in my experience. I hope this helps your decision making process a little. (EDIT: Or rather the OPs decision making process.) Frank.

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1494605732' post='3297337'] Congratulations! (And I'm definitely a little bit envious! ) I think a number of folk of got the AER Amp One, but Amp Three seems to be a rarer commodity. If you get time to post a few pics (perhaps on an new "AER" thread) and do a detailed review that would be fantastic. [/quote] Those are both really amazing amps but the AER Amp Two is the daddy, and a real rarity. It can be clean or gritty and it can get really loud. It's a marvelous sounding combo. I've covered some fairly big gigs with it without PA backing. Sadly, mine is getting little use now as I seem to use the Barefaced One10/ GK MB200 or Barefaced Super Midget/EBS Reidmar 750 these days. If you prefer a combo, the AER Amp Two is just about as good as it gets. Frank.

[quote name='Rick05' timestamp='1494279877' post='3294724'] There seems to be a lot of love for the Jaguars. I love mine with the two single coils, has so many variable tones. I m having trouble tracking down the American standard version, so think I'm going to shell out and go for the Dingwall ng-2. [/quote] I'd hold out for a USA Jaguar if that's what you're hankering for. The itch will still be there. Frank.

[quote name='moooper' timestamp='1493229632' post='3286781'] Check out my thread on a broken cab [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/282557-broken-cab-just-arrived/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.u...__fromsearch__1[/url] I'm going to small claims court early next month. Let me know if you need any help or advice [/quote] Just the type damage I advised the OP to check for in post #12 of this thread. If it was me I'd be opening up the cab to check for internal damage too. Frank.

I hope (and believe) Thomann will sort this for you, if, it seems, a little slowly. I bought an EBS Reidmar 750 from them last year. It was clearly not new - scrapes on the amp, paint chipped and the packaging damaged. They asked for pics, which I sent. They replaced the amp without question in a few days. Frank.

[quote name='itsmedunc' timestamp='1493223483' post='3286705'] Nearly mentioned that one but I don't think they have a speaker out? They have a line out I think. Besides that, I've never known anyone with an Amp One that need an extension! [/quote] Haha. I have never needed an extension cab for my AER Amp Two. It's so very loud and clear. Possibly the best all-round combo there is. Only possibly though. Frank.

I have one of the USA ones in my favourite Olympic White colour. It's a fantastic bass. Lightweight, well built and the P and J pickups give a really great variety of sounds. Switched to series setting it's massive sounding. The active circuit gives even more scope for shaping your sound. I love mine and how good it looks is just the icing on the cake. On the downside, the switching and active circuit are too complicated for some, although I find it simple enough, and the styling ins't to everyone's taste. It is also possible to select a combination on the three pickup switches that gives no sound at all!! You quickly learn it and avoid it although it's a bad design feature in my opinion. Overall, I'd say it's a superb bass, plays beautifully, is well made with quality parts, comes with an excellent ABS case and is probably (and subjectively, of course) the most versitile Fender bass there is. I've no idea why they discontinued it other than guessing that it didn't sell as well as they'd hoped perhaps? I can think of no other reason? Frank.

[quote name='Elfrasho' timestamp='1493212868' post='3286564'] So it Is! Interesting! Although.. it doesn't seem to have a matching 3xtension cab.... argh!! [/quote] Couldn't you buy two 3110 combos and use the line out to the second one when needed? It would give you a spare amp too. Frank.

I know you want a combo but as mentioned above, surely a pair of 1 x 10 cabs and a lightweight amp is the way to go? I have a Barefaced one10 and a GK MB200 and the tone and volume might surprise a lot of players. It's an easy carry in a cajon bag. Add another one10 if required. What's not to like about that set-up? Frank.

That's terrible, but not unusual. I say this to be helpful - check the suspension of the actual driver(s). I had a driver damaged in transit. It must have sustained a fall/drop from a great height. The result was I needed a new driver. I really hope you get this sorted. Don't give up. Couriers always deny responsibility as a first response. Frank.

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1491775537' post='3275324'] Phew! When I saw this topic, I thought he'd died. [/quote] Made me laugh. Good one. Frank.

That's a cracking looking bass. I love those deluxe jazz models.. Frank.

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1490968630' post='3269488'] Hmmm...so I've been giving some further thought as to whether to upscale to the K1 from my current Markbass 121 Lite AC. In a nutshell...with two speakers I would get 1000W in stereo up from 500W mono; that would weigh 106lbs instead of 36lbs and cost, with the Traveler-123, a total of £1,800 i.e. exactly double the 121 Lite AC. So twice as much "everything" (and three times the weight) for twice the price? The extra 5" speaker would also be a real bonus... But wait...in terms of additional headroom for a larger gig what would I really be getting? 1000W is only a +3dB increase over 500W i.e. just barely noticeable! So methinks I will gaze in awe at the new K1 and marvel at the back muscles and deep pockets of its owners, but continue (for now) with its more modest little bro... [/quote] I'd tend to agree with your thinking. I find that my AER amp two combo, that has 12" + 4" speakers and "only" 240 watts, is adequate for almost any gig. It's loud and sounds so very clear. It's a real pleasure to listen to. If I need to go any louder than the AER is capable of then it really should go through the PA or the stage volume would be too much. Frank.

I've used a MB 802 and it did have decent volume. Perfectly usable with a drummer in a jazz band but probably not quite loud enough for rock, blues, pop covers etc. I had an Eden EC28 and it was (subjectively) as good as the MB 802 and a third of the cost. The only downside being that the Eden is a little bigger, although light weight, so perfectly manageable. I prefer my Barefaced one10 + GK MB200 head to either of the above. It's lighter in weight, just as loud but has a smaller footprint and sounds better - to my ears at least. Frank.

I think gen 1 had plastic corners, different plywood and different internal wadding. Gen 2 had steel corners, different density wood so weighed less. Not massive differences and I was perfectly happy with my gen 1 Compact for the six or more years I owned it. Frank

It's loud, clean and the compressor is excellent. You can switch the EQ off if you want to keep it really simple. There's also a drive knob for a little grit. I was well advised by the excellent EBS Freak when I was considering buying mine. Frank

EBS Reidmar 750.

[quote name='Jus Lukin' timestamp='1487088058' post='3236923'] A bit, yes, thanks! It's funny, it's only with hindsight that I'm picking up on how deeply that whole thing unsettled me. Should have just been a fun, easy job! [/quote] You did well to come out of this with your sanity. There's little worse for a bass player than playing with a poor drummer. I've been there a few times, thankfully not many, but it's frustrating when you do. Keep your chin up. Frank.

[quote name='Danuman' timestamp='1487096169' post='3237058'] I had a go on the little mark ninja and the little mark tube this afternoon. Almost a little too powerful, but I just can't seem to get on with the low mids on Markbass amps. [u][b]I would love to be the kind of badass that rolls up with something called a Thunderfunk, but it's out of my league[/b][/u], I'd have to admit with rather disappointed maturity. The Quilter is probably not going to win any beauty contests, but it sure looks like it means business. I noticed they have a dealership in Antwerp. Hmm, I was planning a trip anyway... [/quote] Thunderfunk amps can be had for £550 or so used, a little more for newer versions, so not that expensive. A TFB550 version that I have, is still a great sounding amp, loud, solid and they can be easily repaired at component level, which is more than you can say for most amps. There's a TFB550B for sale on basschat. Frank.

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1487062243' post='3236570'] I looked into going (many) years ago although not as a musician, and suspect very little has changed. It is a VERY difficult to get a work visa. Basically, you need a sponsor, and they will need to prove that you are in some way unique in your skill set that cannot be sourced within the USA. As someone has already said, you would need to be an internationally recognised artist (or an up and coming artist with MAJOR level management willing to take on the process). If you are going as a freelance bass player, I would say you have two options 1. Apply for the green card lottery and hope for the best 2. [u][b]Save a load of cash to prove you can support yourself and go on a 3 month "holiday" and very discretely try and get work[/b][/u]. This route is frought with danger though, if you get caught, you will be shipped back to your country of origin at your cost and possibly be excluded from ever being able to gain entry to the USA ever again! I gave up on my dream of working/living over there, and just went for a decent holiday instead. Life took over, and now I live in the UK I wish you all the very best!! Good luck! [/quote] I did this around 2003/4. I came home every 10 weeks for 1 week and returned again. It worked fine but I was always a little worried. I rented an apartment and car. This was in California. Frank.

I'm not a fan but I have a battered USA SUB and it gets all the gigs where damage is possible and it's liberating not having to worry too much about getting another ding. The Strat above is unbelievable - how would that level of wear ever occur naturally? Frank.

I owned a pair of these cabs a number of years ago and I'd say one would cover your gigs with PA support. I really like them - not as much low end as some cabs but overall, a very nice sounding cab. I would buy an 8ohm cab though. I don't think you'd hear much if any difference with a 4ohm cab. Plus, the chances are that the 4ohm cab couldn't handle the increased power anyway. I hope this helps. Frank.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1486561849' post='3232784'] I guess you had a very new BB2 and it just grew a bit ... [/quote]