bertbass

To set the scene. Last year Mrs Bert and I decided that as we both had everything we wanted it was a bit of a waste of time trying to think of Christmas presents to buy each other so we opted to buy a new TV instead. After much pondering and reading many reviews we bought a Hisense Roku 50 inch TV. The TV arrived and was swiftly installed. Fantastic picture and loads of apps to explore. One of the selling points was the built in Roku which I’d read enabled you to watch virtually anything from anywhere for free. I’ve yet to find them yet but I keep trying. The only thing I can complain about is the sound, it’s rubbish! The reviews I’d read commented that the sound quality wasn’t up to much but I didn’t expect it to be so bad. So, we’ve bought a brilliant TV but with a Cr*p sound. What to do is the question. I know thinks I, we’ll buy a decent sound bar. The alternative was to set up the bands PA in the front room but Mrs Bert was not at all keen on this option. After reading many more reviews I ordered a Sony sound bar from Argos which cost around £100. Set it up and the sound was worse than it was with just the TV and I though that Sony was supposed to be good. Back it went. So what to do now. Read more reviews obviously. One product kept getting really great reviews, the Sky Soundbox. If you’re Sky customers it costs £199, if you’re not a Sky customer it costs £499. That’s quite a lot for a sound system but it was our joint Christmas present so we went for it and spent £199. It arrived quite quickly, only a couple of day and was swiftly installed. WOW!!! What a sound. It’s truly amazing. Very easy to install just an HDMI lead from the Sky Q box into the Soundbox and another HDMI lead from the Soundbox to the TV. Then an optical cable from the TV to the Soundbox. Select it from the setting menu and it’s all controlled from the sky remote although you have to use the Soundbox remote to select between HDMI, optical or Bluetooth. You can select different sound modes from the sky menu, normal, voice enhance and late night listening. The sound is truly spectacular, even the BBC news channel and News night intro tunes have incredible depth and I can hear all the bass that I’ve never heard before. Normal TV shows have a new depth of sound and watching films, the sound is all there. Explosions sound like I have a large sub woofer and the sound width is spectacular. I can hear sounds coming from beside and behind me from this small box sat under the TV. I have had surround sound before but stopped using it as the dialogue was difficult to hear but the Soundbox gives the same effect but you can hear everything perfectly and it goes pretty load as well if you want it to. If you’re looking for a new sound bar, I’d recommend looking at the Sky Soundbox and putting it at the top of your list. There are loads of reviews on the WWW. Take a look before you decide.

Thanks for that. I'm already a NewTone convert but it's great to hear a comparison like this.

Elites became a bit hard to find which is why I switched to NewTone and found them to be a lot better and they are made to your specification and they are British.

Change of make with out a doubt. I also found that the Rotosounds had a 'floppy' E string which tended to sound sharp until it settled down and the heavier gauge and make cured this. Also, with Rotosound I had to change string monthly or one of them was guaranteed to break. With both Elites and NewTone this was / is never a problem.

Yes, it was exactly that problem especially with 45 - 105 gauge. I changes to Elite Stadiums 50 - 110 and I suddenly had a notes all the way up the E string instead of strange overtones. I have now changed to NewTone strings, 50 - 110 and they're even better.

That's the reason I stopped using RotoSounds

I've owned Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, Overwater and more top end basses than I can list here but the bass I always play and keep is the one I built myself. It just plays and sounds perfect.

That sounds pretty good actually.

Union Gap. Pacemakers.

My guitarist and drummer voted to leave.

Oops. Sorry.

20th Century Blues Robin Trower Why is it that civilized humanity Can make the world so wrong? In this hurly-burly of insanity Our dreams cannot last long. We've reached a deadline, A press headline, Every sorrow. Blues value is news value Tomorrow. Blues Twentieth century blues Are getting me down. Blues Escape those weary Twentieth century blues. Why, If there's a God in the sky, Why shouldn't He grin High Above this dreary Twentieth century din? In this strange illusion, Chaos and confusion, People seem to lose their way. What is there to strive for, Love or keep alive for, Say, 'Hey, hey!' Call it a day? Blues Nothing to win or to lose,…

I am of that era and I hated A Whiter Shade of Bucket then and I still hate it today. I do however love Conquistador.

I make things out of acrylic every day and know how strong it can be used correctly but I wouldn't hang my bass from one of those without expecting it break at any time.

I don't because you can guarantee that once you've set everything up for an F/X loop the next amp you buy won't have one. It's a bit like home stereo, when you change the amp all the inputs and speaker outputs will be different connectors.

Nothing wrong with that.

After suffering them since the 60s I can't stand any of them anymore!

Most excellent. Thanks.

Thanks. I searched for a couple of hours this afternoon and only found the ‘continued’ thread.

I've been trying to find the Basschat 12” cabinet diary posts but without success. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I was thinking of building one or two while we can't go out and play.

I'd try to get a used Roland kit if possible.

Haven't watched it but thought it might be interesting. Questioned them paying as high as £100 for a live band? I might question the pubs as to why they are charging so much for a pint.

I've got NewTone 50 - 110 on mine.

I saw a lefty in green at Anderton's and bought it. Not a bad bass at all, me thinks. Changed the strings for Newtone and it sounds and plays a lot better. I've not been able to play it loud yet, and probably not in the foreseeable future, and the string spacing is taking some getting used to, but I'm liking it a lot!

Wow! Drummer using Pro Tools, our drummer can't even use, or own a smart phone and doesn't do emails, only snail mail. He occasionally answers the land line though.