richardjmorgan

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1365768428' post='2044167'] First off, an idea of budget will help any recommendations. For a small amp doing the type of music stated, I`d look at the Gallien Krueger MB Fusion 500. If you can get a used one, this will be ideal. I used mine with a good few different cabs, and it worked well with all. The Orange Terror is a great sounding amp, but it`s not the most versatile. The Sansamp - well it`s a good option, as you can get one of these, and an amp head, and set the amp flat, essentially using it as a power amp, get all your eq from the Sansamp, and if needed, DI out from it, rather than the amp. I do this with my Zoom B3 - which has many different pedals/amp-modelling. So then, if using provided rigs, recording etc, your sound will always be as you want it - except maybe on stage that is. [/quote] Cheers! Forgive me if I'm being thick here, but if I were to go the sansamp route, doesn't this mean I don't really need to concern myself too much with what my amp sounds like, and just go for something that's cheap and suitably loud, since all the sound sculpting will be done on the SA? Oh yeah, budget-wise, I really don't have a clue how much bass gear tends to cost, but I really would like to spend as little as possible, assuming it'll get me something that'll do the job I'd rather spend a bit more though than get something super-cheap that'll need upgrading/replacing down the line once I realise I'm dissatisfied with it. Is doing the whole lot for ≤£500 at all feasible, or will I need to get scrabbling down the back of the sofa?

[size=4]So, to save on rehearsal room amp rental fees and have a bit more control over overall bass sound, I'm thinking it's probably a good idea to buy myself an amp and, being primarily a guitarist, I have no idea what I'm doing. Thought you lot may be able to help out.[/size] REQUIREMENTS: • Ideally, a degree (although not a huge amount) of versatility would be nice – I may end up splitting the cost with the bassist in the band I play guitar for. So this means being able to get a suitable sound for both bands (1. Ramones/Screeching Weasel-esque punk, occasional fuzz/OD use; 2. fast, thrashy metal tuned down to C#/drop would be handy. I'm not after any sort of super-clean funk sounds or owt; it's all under the broad umbrella of "noisy rock stuff" • I'd rather get something relatively small if possible, as storage space is at a bit of a premium at our practice room (mainly due to my ludicrously-sized guitar rig). Also, although a massive Ampeg rig would be super cool, it's just really not going to be practical or affordable. • Looking for a head and cab, rather than a combo, as it gives the option of sharing cabs at gigs (which happens a fair bit for us). For the same reason, don't want to be too dependent on cab for the sound; a head that'll play nicely with a variety of different cabs is a definite plus. • To be honest, the cheaper the better, although I'm willing to spend a bit more to get something that better fits the above requirements. For reasons mentioned above, I think I'd prefer to spend more on the amp, less on the cab, although I'm willing to be persuaded that's a stupid idea. • In the punk band, it's essentially got to keep up with a Tiny Terror or two, but in the metal band it needs to be able to hold its own alongside a couple of ~100W valvey beasts. But neither of us are the sort of guitarists who scoop out the mids and crank the volume, so there's a bit of tonal room there for the bass. ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS: • The Orange Bass Terror (500W; 1000 seems silly for the sort of size venues we're likely to play – mostly small pub back room type things) looks quite appealing at the moment. Any reason this would be a bad call, or is there something better out there for my purposes? • I've used a Sansamp a fair bit in the past for direct recording and have quite liked the results, but never live. Is it something that's worth looking into, or is it surplus to requirements if you have an amp with a decent built-in DI? • I know nothing about bass cabs at all. As a guitarist, any speakers that aren't 12" in diameter scare and confuse me. • Wile we're on the topic of "scaring and confusing me because I know next to nothing about them", the same applies for any manufactures who primarily concentrate on bass amps, rather than also doing guitar stuff. So, er, yeah, any help much appreciated.

Yes, love them. And the grippiness thing is weird, but totally true. My only problem with them is the see-through-ness - dropping them on the floor isn't much of an issue but putting them down and forgetting where is!

I think, as with any effect (disregarding personal preference), there's nothing inherently good or bad about it; it's a matter of it being a tool like any other - some people will use it well while others use it badly. It's just a bit of a case of it being the effect du jour, so there's a lot of it flying around at the moment, but really, [size=4]you could equally say the same of any other bit of kit. [/size]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1365663063' post='2042410'] So what's the script with active bass, 4 controls, vol, pan, bass, treble? [/quote] No clue. As we've established, I'm out of my depth with more than one passive pickup!

[quote name='iiipopes' timestamp='1365604647' post='2041699'] This is normal. It's a combination of impedance drop with both pickups in parallel, and some comb filtering from the different phasing of the overtones sampled in different positions. I solve the matter on passive J-basses and P/J basses by putting a .01 mfd capacitor inline from the bridge pickup hot lead to the bridge pickup volume control. Since there isn't that much fundamental to the signal in the bridge position, it doesn't affect the tone significantly, and it eliminates the dropout. The tradeoff is that there is the slightest bit less volume to the bridge pickup, kind of like a permanent volume roll-off to about 8 1/2. I first noticed this myself in 1981 on the 1975 J-bass I had then. [/quote] Interesting. Might have to see if he'll let me give this a try!

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1365594999' post='2041487'] It's called phase cancellation I think, and it's due to the relative positions of the pickups and the vibrating string. See the article here: [url="http://barefacedbass.com/uploads/BGM61%20Dec2010.pdf"]http://barefacedbass...1%20Dec2010.pdf[/url] [/quote] Interesting stuff, cheers for the link!

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1365593076' post='2041433'] It is the same principal on a Les Paul but since you have twangy trebly string and the Human ear is more sensitive in this frequency range you won't notice. [/quote] Ah, ok, so it's a mixture of actual technical reason and me having stupid ears then!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1365590891' post='2041391'] This. Both pups at max vol tend to work against each other somewhat. [/quote] Ah, ok. Is there a particular technical reason for this? It's not a phenomenon I've ever encountered on any of my 2 pickup guitars.

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1365591283' post='2041399'] On a T bird, turn the neck pickup up full and turn that pesky bridge pickup down completely. The neck pickup alone is enough for me. It kicks a*s! [/quote] I actually found dialling in a bit of the bridge (somewhere between about 4-6/10) gave us what we were after - seemed to add a bit of extra attack to what we were getting from the neck (which, of the two soloed out, I agree was the better sounding)

Being the main gear/sound nerd (something of a best of a bad bunch scenario) in the band I play guitar (boooooo) in, I was having a play around with our bassist's stuff yesterday in practice to try and get a better sound out of it, and was wondering if those of you a bit more clued up on bass stuff could help explain something to me. He has an Epi bolt-on Thunderbird, with (what I assume, from a bit of informed fiddling) separate volume pots for the bridge and neck (well, middle-ish but it's the nearest of two to the neck) pickups, and a master tone. I found that I seemed to get a sound that came out both louder and punchier by rolling the bridge volume off to a little over half way than with it on full. Now this seems oddly counterintuitive to me, as I'd have thought 1. the two pickups both on max volume would have more output than any other option; 2. the more bridge pickup there was going into the amp, the "tighter" the sound would be. I've only ever used basses with single, p-style pickups in more or less the usual place, so i wondered if there was some sort of explanation for this that I've overlooked, whether my ears are playing tricks on me, or whether there's something strange afoot with this particular bass and I need to get my soldering iron out.

Based on last practice, I'd be down $730.

+1 for the DDTs. Got a set of 125s on my P-Bass copy (tuned C# F# B E) and the tension's as good as on anything I've played in standard. Find the bottom string a bit excessively hefty though so I'm going to give the 115 set a go. (They need replacing anyway as all the strings have a dent at the 12th fret from where the cat knocked it out of its stand)

[quote name='Minty' timestamp='1364403138' post='2026029'] Here's my '61 Jazz replica I made out of Fender parts... 80's Japanese Fender E-series body, routed for P-bass pickup in the neck. Fender MIM Jazz neck refinished in nitro. Wizard Big P/J pickups. Tuning pegs and control plate from a '62 American Reissue. Gotoh 201b bridge plate and Gotoh 203b saddles. [/quote] Good god, that's nice.

You could look into laser engraving, maybe?

So here's the thing: I play guitar in a band, and I've recently been messing about trying to play bass along with our songs, as much for my own amusement as anything else. However, I'm struggling to keep up with my guitar parts, as I'm finding it a lot harder to play some faster bits on bigger, heavier strings. Is there anything, technique-wise, I should be looking at in particular, or is it just a matter of practice, practice, practice and getting used to it?

[quote name='OldG' timestamp='1364114872' post='2021943'] I use TSE's Sansamp sim - B.O.D 2.... available free for PC and mac [url="http://www.tseaudio.com/software.html"]here [/url] [/quote] Got quite excited about this and gave it a go, but it doesn't seem to be working properly for me. Shame. Seemed to drop the output to almost inaudible when I switched it on.

I saw someone mentioned angled necks earlier. I certainly find this makes a difference to the amount of left wrist bending involved when jumping between my Gibson and Fender guitars, so might be worth looking into. I'm afraid I don't know enough about bass construction to suggest any specific ones but I'm sure someone else can.

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1363747527' post='2017025'] This is where having no money actually comes in handy, you really do have to make the most of what you have. I'm not saying I never get GAS but it's a limp thing with no teeth. [/quote] Truth. My recent stint as dolescum made me think pretty carefully about 1. if I [i]really[/i] needed any new stuff; 2. how to get the best out of what I actually had available.

I have an Aria Pro II Cardinal Series; very nice, light and manageable for a guitar idiot like myself. Seem to pop up used from time to time, but whether you'd be into it dependes very much on how you feel about 32" scale and narrow string spacing.

Just to afford me some frame of reference, would anyone care to venture a comparison of the Will Power and the SD Quarter Pounder?

[quote name='iiipopes' timestamp='1363711365' post='2016384'] My advice: play it. That's why you bought it. [/quote] Big +1 on this. If you're worried, insure it and look after it, but don't leave it hiding in your house.

Given my complete inability to play at anything approaching proper speed with my fingers, the Will Power's starting to sound like a good bet.

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1363708999' post='2016315'] If it's any reassurance or encouragement, I've re-done the wiring on my old P-bass at least a couple of times, and wired my recent Frankenstein build from scratch. Passive wiring on a single-pickup bass is pleasantly straightforward - especially since yours will lift straight out on the scratchplate! There are plenty of pot upgrades floating around eBay, and all the ones I've bought come with a wiring diagram. (That said, the last set I bought came with a slightly incorrect diagram! Might be best to sketch your own from the existing wiring as a backup!) Also, now that you mention it: I've long been keen to see whether reversing the pickup makes much difference. I've always thought it might give a bit more snarl on the bass side and a bit more roundedness on the treble side. Only drawback is you'll probably need to take a router to the body to re-cut the pickup cavity. Still, if you do decide to try it, I'd love to hear what you think of the results! [/quote] Yeah, I managed to re-do the wiring on my Tele and that's still working after about a year and a half, so I reckon I should be alright doing a P. Not too fussed about taking a chunk out of the body as 1. it's a dirty old cheaper and 2. it weighs an absolute tonne, so losing a bit of wood certainly won't hurt. When I get round to it, I'll try and get some before/after clips up. On that subject, anyone know where I might get a scratchplate done with the pickup coils flipped?

[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1363703062' post='2016125'] Dimarzio Will Power over EMG every time! [/quote] Do you think it'd do the trick for thrashy metal, tuned down to C# (vague ballpark: Ellefson's Rust In Piece era sound in a lower tuning)? The description on the DiMarzio website's a little vague. I'm after something that'll give a nice, aggressive clank (but with a bit of warmth and heft in there too), rather than that sort of metal bass that sits boringly buried under a mountain of guitars. (Please try to contain your shock at a guitarist saying this, everyone.)