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But for guitars it makes more sense. Strings are less likely to go out of tune due to string bends, when the length after the nut is as short as possible (or the longer it is, the bigger the chance that the string will get out of tune). Since you are mostly bending your GBE strings on a guitar, a reversed headstock is better in that respect.

Also tried several brands: -Fender: worst I've tried. Maybe my set was a dud, but it felt like I had strung my bass with the brake-cables from my bicycle. -Daddario: played nice, but sounded a bit dull -Thomastik/Infeld: best sounding to my ears. The lower tension means you have to adjust your set-up, but the play like a dream By the way, the TI strings are only slightly more expensive (or comparable) than those form the other brands mentioned here... Some time ago I replaced the strings on a newly bought Maruszczyk bass, which had been strung with their house brand flatwounds (which felt and sounded a bit like the Daddario's, to me at least). By accident I cut the G string too short, so I ended up with a bass that had the EAD strings from Thomastik, and the G form Maruszyzyk. Man, what a difference in sound (playability not that much). So much more definition, overtones and complexity with the Thomastiks. Luckily you can order separate strings, not just a whole set.

You could always experiment by creating an additional back-panel first (just get a nice piece of multiplex), so if you screw up, you just scrapped a cheap piece of wood. The port does not care on which side of the cab it is located. Than download [url="http://www.linearteam.dk/default.aspx?pageid=winisd"]WinISD[/url] and look up the specifics of the speakers in your cab (and measure the cab). This will give you some graphs to experiment with. You can even compare the cabs current state with any possible 'improvement' you'd like to try....

So.... that's what they mean with 'double bass'.

[url="http://public-peace.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43&Itemid=49"]Maruszczyk[/url] makes a lighter Jazz bass.which can be built to look like a regular one (just mention it, 'cause on their site the look more 'bare'). On their site they only show actives ones, but I'm sure they'll built a passive one as well if you ask them (with any type of pickups, hardware etc.) It is a chambered bass, but sounds exactly the same as their regular Jazz model (with the same strings, pickups and preamp of course).

When you toy around with that WinISD programm (for calculating cab sizes etc.) you discover that you can get a good bass response from 10", 12" 15" or 18" speakers (didn't try it with 8" ones). Where cabs with smaller drivers usually mess up is cab size. For a good bass extension you usually need some volume (depending on the speaker type/brand what is the optimal volume), but people usually don't want a 10" cab to be the size of a 15" one... So many cabs with small drivers simply are too small for a good bass response. For 15" and 18" ones less so. In the image the green is the 10" the blue the 12" and the pink the 15" driver... So this is the reverse from what you'd expect, but... Look at the cab volume needed for the 10" and 12" ones. No one is going to build a 2x10" that big (anymore). That is also the reason why, on most of these home cinema systems (with these tiny speakers), everyone sounds like a chipmunk.

It really depends what kind of bass sound you are looking for (could you post any reference?). Within your budget there really are a lot of possible contenders: -MarkBass -Ampeg PF350 or PF500 -TC Elcetronics BH500 -Ibanez Promethean -etc. Recently I went to the same process as you, and ended up buying the Ampeg PF500. Best sound to my ears, and one of the most versatile within that budget (headphones, compressor, effect loop). Personally, I've owned the MarkBass (because so many people wrote good things about it) but it never really rocked my boat. The basic sound was a bit too hifi for me (dare I say boring) and the knob that is meant to tame that (the VLF) just clinically removed top end, making it even more boring. The sound just never got 'warm' (if that makes any sence at all). But.... I don't like hifi bass sounds. In the end (as everybody already told) try out and judge for yourself.

[url="http://www.hotamps.com/eng/bass-cabinets/bass-heads/"]Hot Amps[/url] Apart from the fact that they exist and that they are full tube amps, I really do not know anything about them.

[url="http://www.amplates.com/grillecloth.html"]Custom grille cloth[/url] First hit on Google.

I know. According to the article, it won't stop working. It will just demagnetize a tiny little bit over time. So the whole discussion isn't about significant (nor probably even hearable) demagnetization, but about the fact that it does happen.

[quote]as to your other claim, source?[/quote] Sure... [url="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eej.4390930502/abstract"]A study of irreversible demagnetization at low temperatures[/url] By the way, I agree with you. Leaving your gear in a car for a few days will not do any harm (provided your car isn't at the bottom of a lake). I just really would advice against using your car as a gear depot for years on end. And would leave a bass guitar in a car for a single hot afternoon.

The one I used to own was terrible for bass. Engaging it completely removed all bottom end. Don't know which version it was, though.

[quote name='escholl' post='1280393' date='Jun 24 2011, 01:19 AM']Whilst the strength of magnetic flux varies with temperature, permanent changes only occur when the magnet itself surpasses its Curie temperature, which even for Neodymium (which has the lowest Curie temp of all common magnet structures) is still around 300-350 degrees C. Other magnet structures are higher, generally between about 600-800 degrees C. I believe this is what Protium was referring to. In extended use, loudspeaker drivers (and their associated magnets) will often be heated to temperatures much higher than even the hottest car would ever get.[/quote] That's what I always assumed as well. But apparently prolonged exposure to changing temperatures might induce permanent change/damage as well (so leaving it in your car for a few days wouldn't be a problem, but several years would). But I think it might be more damaging to the plywood and tolex than the magnets... [quote name='escholl' post='1280393' date='Jun 24 2011, 01:19 AM']If a GPS, phone, ipod, stereo, laptop or whatever else might be left in a car can survive, I'm sure a bass cab will be fine. Provided it doesn't get nicked, mind.[/quote] True, but most of these things don't even last a few years if you treat hem properly

[quote name='molan' post='1280653' date='Jun 24 2011, 11:39 AM']Are they both with or without a tweeter? BE cabs don't usually have any tweeter level controls. I went for a 10 with tweeter & 15 without.[/quote] As far as I know Beg End 12's never have a tweeter (which saves me the trouble of switching it off )

Yeah, But I can only get the pair in a single deal (used), and there's no Bag End distributor in the Netherlands... So it's either the 2 x112 or nothing at all.

When I was bass hunting, I was able to compare 3 basses (Maruszczyk's) that were exactly the same, except for their scale. A 34", a 32" and 30" one. Ended up buying the 32", because for me it was the best compromise. The 30" just felt to flubby to me. A bit lacking in definition. And although I always played 34" basses, I felt immediately at home on the 32" one. Did not hear/feel that much difference in definition, so I went for that one (well, I actually bought two of them) Strung them with the thickest Thomastik's I could get, though... (individual strings ordered from Schneidermusic.de) Gauges: 0.106 > 0.072 > 0.57 > 0.044

Sorry to hijack/hitch-hike the thread... I'm about to buy 2 Bag End S12-b cabs for a very fair price. I'm planning on using them with an Ampeg PF500. Do you guys think that will be a good combination? I'm going for a bit of an old school/classic tone, but with a very good definition with my fretted. And for that John Giblin/Del Palmer fretless sound with Kate Bush (with my fretless of course).

[quote name='Protium' post='1273000' date='Jun 17 2011, 06:52 PM']Maybe if your car happens to be heated to 770 centigrade. But I reckon your drivers demagnetising is probably the least of your worries at that point [/quote] Apparently this can already happen at room temperature. As long as the change in temperature is big enough (so these metallurgy lessons weren't in vain at University).

Personally, I wouldn't. Certainly during summer. It can get as hot as 65 degrees Celcius (150 degrees Fahrenheit). It is not only affecting the the glue of your tolex (as mentioned before) but also of the plywood. It dries out any wood or paper used in the cab (neither of which likes to be completely dried out). During winter moisture is probably more problematic. By the way, even at these fairly low temperatures, these changes in temperature (10 <> 65 degrees Celsius fluctuation from night to day) can permanently damage/change the magnetic properties of the speaker magnets (certainly Ferrite, not sure about Neodynium). If it's to heavy to haul.... don't buy it

I use to have a MarkBass. Great, versatile amp, but it's "warm" was not really my "warm" (felt more like muffled than warm to me). So I did not try any one of their new ones... BY the way, I'm not against preamp tubes. I just think that, without power tubes, they will not give you that warm tube sound (hmmmmm, maybe I should try my Matamp 1224 on bass, with a bass cabinet).

Thanks guys... Unfortunately GenzBenz is a bit hard to find in the Netherlands. The Orange Terror could be an option, but it doesn't have a headphone out (which is a must when you have three small kids), and I think it is plain ugly. As for preamp tubes.... In my experience (mostly with guitar amps) 12AX7's don't add a nice overdriven sound (For that you need power tubes), nor do they add warmth to clean tones. And since I'm going mostly for clean anyway I don't really need having a preamp tube somewhere in the amp.

Yesterday I (finally) had some time for testing some amps. In two different stores I could test some amps, with a variety of cabs (where applicable). All of them played with my main bass. A Maruszczyk Elwood 4 string, with TI flatwounds and a Noll preamp [b]The amps I tested were:[/b] [i]Store 1[/i] -AER amp three -AER amp two -TecAmp Puma 700 -TecAmp Tiger 400 -EBS Fafner -Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 [i]Store 2[/i] -TC Electronic RH450 -Ampeg PF350 -Ampeg PF500 -Eden Nemesis (forgot the type) In the first store they had a switching system for easy switching between amps and cabs, while you where playing (very useful). Cabs available from TecAmp, Aguilar and EBS (but I just switched to the one that sounded best to my ears with the first amp, which was an Aguilar 112). Of course I couldn't do that with the AER's (since they are combos). In the second store (since I am looking for a small rig) I tested them only with a TC Electronic RS112 and an Orange Isobaric 212. My quick findings for that day: [b]AER amp three[/b] [i]Pros[/i] A really nice sounding amp. Nice, warm sound, but with a very good definition of the notes (not very forgiving for my sloppiness). Nice projection, and really small and light. It got a nice grit (almost tube-like) when turning up the gain. [i]Cons[/i] Expensive The compressor didn't do it for me Something inside of the amp rattled at certain frequencies (which for is an immediate turn-off). And I wasn't even playing that loud (I like the have my hearing when I'm 50) [b]AER amp two[/b] As the amp three, but not as nice sounding (luckily no rattling with this one). [b]TecAmp Puma 700[/b] Good, clear sound, but no real character. A bit boring. No headphone [b]TecAmp Tiger 400[/b] Good, clear sound, but no real character. A bit boring. No headphone [b]EBS Fafner[/b] [i]Pro[/i] A really nice sound. Warm and organic. [i]Cons[/i] Too big and expensive for my taste. I only tested it because it was present in the switching rig. [b]Aguilar Tone Hammer 500[/b] [i]Pros[/i] Nice basic sound. Overdrive is not bad. [i]Cons[/i] No headphone connection possible. Expensive The sweepable mids really did not work for me. It just seemed to kick the whole soundspectrum out of balance (my gues is that it just is too much and too narrow). It really screwed up the definition (it went from boomy to nasal and annoying). The following three sounded best with the TC Electronic 112. Simply more definition, bass and volume than the Orange 212 (even with the tweeter completely turned off). [b]TC Electronic RH450[/b] [i]Pros[/i] Really flexible Good definition Best overdrive sound. [i]Cons[/i] The sound felt artificial to me. It seemed a bit detached from my fingers. No real warmth (think oven vs microwave) Too many knobs/hidden knobs (with the shift option) for me. The compressor was too squishy for me (maybe I just do not like compressors???) [b]Ampeg PF350[/b] [i]Pros[/i] Really nice sound (once you figure out that you have to turn up the gain). Nice and warm. [i]Cons[/i] Fixed mid control Note definition is less than with the AER. No compressor [b]Ampeg PF500[/b] [i]Pros[/i] As the PF350 but nicer. Better definition, good warmth Nice mid control The only compressor that I liked. Even fully cranked it stayed very musical, without pumping. [i]Cons[/i] Not as small as the PF350 [b]Eden Nemesis[/b] Only tried it for a minute, because it was too woolly for me. Only goes to show that yuo shoudl try amps before you buy them. I really had expected to like the RH450 more than the PF500 (and expected the PF350 and PF500 to be more alike). I really expected the AER to be a wonderful sounding amp (which it is), but did not think it would rattle that much (certainly for that price). But that might be a on off goof. I still did not make the final decision, because I still want to try: -AER amp one (without rattling) -Ibanez Promethean Is there any other amp/cab/combothat I really should try?

Maybe you should try Marszczyk (www.public-peace.de). He should be able to built that for a very fair price (wait time about 6 weeks). That's how I got my custom built fretless (and fretted) bass. [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/571/elwoodsbas1copy.jpg/"][/url] And a lot of custom options are without charge (e.g. ebony fretboard, custom neck dimensions, different body wood). Hardware is comparable to Sandberg, but the prices are much lower.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1251429' date='May 31 2011, 02:22 PM']Approx 20% though as you say if the initial price is lower in Holland than the UK then it'd explain why it has been attractive to order from the States. Though that has to be a ridiculous scenario when a Danish Co. can export their products to The States and sell them cheaper than in a European country![/quote] Yeah, it is (its the same with Lego though). If it is any consolation, the RH450 is more expensive in Denmark as well (it is even more expensive than Germany and the Netherlands). Probably has to do (partly) with the fact that most players in the market are American, so competition is a bit tougher over there anyway (this combined with a lower costs because of the much larger market).

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1251228' date='May 31 2011, 12:11 PM']What are the import duties in Holland? It's a significant saving in the UK, especially if it slips through the HMC&E net.[/quote] The import taxes are 6.7% * 19% over product + shipping/handling = 26% (but sometimes UPS/TNT/FedEx will add handling costs (so they'll do all the paper work) so in practice it might become 30% added to the US price + shipping). Currently, the chances of an item slipping through customs unnoticed are almost zero over here... What are they in the UK? Maybe the biggest difference is the fact that the RH450 is slightly cheaper in the Netherlands vs. UK (at Dolphin music and Guitarguitar the UK price is higher than than the euro price in the Netherlands).