randythoades

[quote name='untune' timestamp='1391633054' post='2359611'] Funnily enough I was looking at the kit yesterday and I do quite fancy it, and wouldn't mind an electronics project to get stuck into... it looks a bit simple and I' prefer something with more control over gain/output vol and maybe some EQ. My mate happens to be selling his Vox AC4TV and I'm wondering if that might not be a good option, along with a few mods... [/quote] I have a VOX AC4TV, the 8" model (which I will also be selling soon to fund a new project), and I would heartliy recommend it if you have a studio in which to use it at volume. It has lots of good tone, but only one great tone, just on the edge of breakup in my opinion but it needs to be LOUD to get it. Plus, you get no separate gain control so it is all with the volume. I use the Fender Superchamp X2 head which sounds good at lower volume and I can also get a line from the Direct out at the same time which gives a much more focussed tone but good to mix both takes at the end rather than relying on a single mike, and also can use a choice of cabs if one wasn't quite doing it for me.

[quote name='mikhay77' timestamp='1391208822' post='2354708'] Cant comment on the Aria/gibson but our guitarist also plays in a Rockabilly band. Had a Yamaha sa1000,superb build quality,great sound but then give in to badge snobbery. Got a 335 and had it only one month. Bought another Yammy. I can get him to post a review but needless to say the Gibson just wasnt as good in build quality or sound.Thats pretty much why you buy a guitar! As far as other models I have a/b Gibson Les paul and old school copies like Lord players,Grecos, Tokai and even Aria's. All the Jap ones. Believe me. There aint nothin in it. Its all down to what you want on the headstock. [/quote] I heartily agree that the Yamahas are excellent instruments. A lot of the Japanese brands generally are/ were excellent instruments but the quality did suffer at times, especially with the electronics, strange as it might sound for the japanese. I have had over 20 Japanese instruments from Aria Pro, Tokai, Greco, Yamaha and Fender. The majority have been excellent instruments with a bit of TLC and setting up and I would pick one of these over a USA Fender or Gibson, and I have had numerous of both. I think it unrealistic though to think that a regular modern Chinese made Aria will compete with either a USA Fender or Gibson, they are not built to the same level, the hardware is cheaper as are the electronics. I have had a couple of modern Aria and a modern Tokai and they are good, even great guitars for the money but they are built to a price. You could spend the money upgrading all of that but in that case you could have bought a Jap one and made an investment in the process. For resale value though, only a USA Gibson will do. I am a bit of a brand snob and found it hard to go to a new band lugging my Aria bass. I would often take my Fender to the audition and then if I got the gig, I would take my Aria...

By the way, got very good emails back from both Alan and Gollihur. Have sent both emails back with full string length and they say they will check sizes of strings to fit. Alan gave me loads of info about my bass too, quite a rare beast by the sound of it, the first one made of that particular model and only a handful made in that configuration...

[quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1391282634' post='2355423'] Oh shush happy to help you're always welcome to borrow Baby between gigs as well if you want to try out some premium 1950's plywood [/quote] See, flattery gets you everything... ;-b That would be great if i could borrow yours a couple of times, see how i get on with it.

[quote name='sarah thomas' timestamp='1391256408' post='2355003'] The EUB will always be a handy back up though [/quote] And handy for playing at night with headphones when children are in bed.

[quote name='sarah thomas' timestamp='1391192957' post='2354496'] There you go! (And snap up that generous trial offer of the weich strings - they are splendid on a proper old wardrobe.) [/quote] Bob is a very helpful man to know! Plus the main reason I switched to guitar to begin with: I realised quickly that I could not really compete with the talent... Come back to "bass-ics" now though and enjoying it. The EUB fulfils lots of criteria, but, as a lot of the advice i had (and ignored) before i bought it, it has not taken long for me to yearn for a proper acoustic bass so i could have made the jump to begin with and save myself the money!

Well, took the plunge... took my EUB to the jam night instead of my EB. Low key affair with just 2 guitars and bass, no drums. Had a couple of new tracks to try out. Singer/rhythm guitarist wanted to start with a fast version of Whitesnake's Black and Blue. Sh*t! Very involved although easy bass line to play. Was like a train wreck.... We moved on. Went through a couple of other songs: Sheryl Crow (Anything But Down), JJ Cale (Call Me the Breeze) and I started to settle and the chaps started responding to the DB rather than fighting it and it started to come together. Bryan Adams (When You're Gone), Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Blue on Black) and Tina Turner (Steamy Windows) followed and worked really well as I got far more comfortable. We went back to the Whitesnake and I changed the bassline and didn't attempt the EB line. We slowed the song down and made it more like a busking version, I did vocal harmonies and more of a walking bassline, very satisfying. Plus, rather then just doing my rock and roll lines and playing something different, I managed a 3 hour jam with no arm pain. I will have to gauge post-jam reaction but I may do it again!

[quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1391069781' post='2352801'] I think the main thing with faster pop tunes on DB is the extra speed and drive you can get with EB is something you need to alter - on EB especially plectrum playing you can get buckets of drive very easily - lots of same note rhythm; with DB the harder playing dynamics mean you have to alter the bass line to longer sustained notes and perhaps adopt a more walking line approach - sometimes that turns into something special and sometimes not - either way, for better or worse, it changes the dynamic of the song. For slow pop songs there's no real difference in approach so I think the DB trumps the EB every time, the only time I don't use it in those cases is if I don;t have time to switch between the two. With your forearm take it slowly and make sure you warm up first, start with slower songs too and build up your strength [/quote] I have been trying a few of the other songs at home and some work fine on the DB but some I have struggled with. We are only doing friendly jamming so it is nothing serious, but I don't want to pee everyone off just for the sake of it. You are right that several of the songs have effectively just 8th note chugging with a pick and I haven't got into the mindframe of DB yet and not quite making the change to bassline convincingly. As Bob in particular knows, I tend to play bass as a rhythm guitar with a lot of rhythmical mutes and clicks, some of which I am hoping to replicate, but the vocalist is very much more of a singer/songwriter style so I think it would fit his style well. The guitarist is much more of a straight rock guitarist and I think that could be a problem... I should know, I am one! I am trying to do warm ups, drink lots of water and take it slowly in blocks of about 20 minutes. But I am getting frustrated quickly and trying to push it. Then I have 2 or 3 days on EB and lose momentum on DB. Grrr...

[quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1391070374' post='2352805'] Ping this chap a mail [url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/faq/37-STRINGS_STANDARD_SIZED_STRINGS_ON_LARGE_SIZE_BASSES.html"]http://www.gollihurm...IZE_BASSES.html[/url] Most 3/4 strings will fit a 4/4 but I know yours is an EUB - is it a Bassix? If so you could ask them as well - he's a nice chap [url="http://www.bassix.net/"]http://www.bassix.net/[/url] I use Innovation Honeys but I need mag strings; silver slaps have a great reputation tho - I've a set of Thomastic Weichs if you want to try them tho... [/quote] Dropped them both an email and created a new email address so will see if Bassix can respon to this one... Cheers

[quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1391070374' post='2352805'] Ping this chap a mail [url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/faq/37-STRINGS_STANDARD_SIZED_STRINGS_ON_LARGE_SIZE_BASSES.html"]http://www.gollihurm...IZE_BASSES.html[/url] Most 3/4 strings will fit a 4/4 but I know yours is an EUB - is it a Bassix? If so you could ask them as well - he's a nice chap [url="http://www.bassix.net/"]http://www.bassix.net/[/url] I use Innovation Honeys but I need mag strings; silver slaps have a great reputation tho - I've a set of Thomastic Weichs if you want to try them tho... [/quote] Cheers Bobski. I was going to ask you directly but we still haven't got round to that beer that we were going to do in October! I wasn't sure if you would know and I know you have a lot on your plate at present and could do without stupid questions... The Silver Slap strings themselves would fit but the windings start about an inch too early so I think perhaps i should try some 4/4 ones. The innovation Honeys do come in 4/4 so I did think of these. I will happily try another set if you have a spare. I am coming round to the idea of just getting an acoustic bass anyway so it may solve the problem. My EUB is a Bassix and I tried to contact them but for some reason, Alan can't seem to respond to my email or I can't respond to him which is annoying.

[quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1390941636' post='2351649'] Yes I play all sorts of songs on my DB you just have to change the dynamic of the bassline to suit - but then you know what I play already [/quote] That is true, although "bassline" may be a bit of a strong term... How about "slightly musical orientated noise"? :-) Not playing anything at all on DB at moment though, forearm pain back with a vengeance this week. Trouble is, it puts me back on development by having a week out, which is the main reason to try doing more variety...

[quote][/quote]Just an update for anyone interested... First the positives: Sounds great, actually better than I expected. The 'bass' selection on the Esquire wiring sounds really good but output is low compared to the other settings to make it unuseable without some form of boost pedal so I probably won't use that setting often. The middle selection (normal wiring with tone) is great. A bit smoother and not as honky as my PBass, output is lower than the PBass but a lovely vintage type sound that I have been using for rock, pop and blues to great effect. Sounds especially good with a pick rather than fingers. I was expecting a really twangy sound but not at all. The 3rd setting bypasses the tone stack so it is volume only. With volume full open it gives the sound I was expecting, honky, slightly hollw and slightly twangy tone (similar to my PBass full on) and is good for the rock stuff. Very pleased with the results so far. The negatives: The body is really heavy compared to the ash body I have on my PBass so i may rout under the pickguard to relieve a bit of weight. I also managed to mismeasure the scale length and consequently the bridge is about 15mm too close to the neck and I can't get it to quite intonate on the higher frets and needs a bit of re-routing to correct. With the longer neck, the strap doesn't hang [i]quite[/i] right as the Telecaster doesn't have a top horn. All pretty minor at the moment. I may try to source a strat body blank and have another go using the neck and bridge from my remaining Aria CSB! Otherwise, I will keep playing this one (which is the main thing). A very useful and positive project overall.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1390508833' post='2346284'] Good result! Nice fix. Well done you. [/quote] Cheers. Another title for my business card. Multi Instrumentalist Extraordinaire? Check. Expert Luthier? Check. Amplifier Repairer? Check. Modest and honest to a fault? Check.

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1390554907' post='2346653'] It's pretty easy to make a DB sound like an EB through use of appropriate strings, PUP and amplification. You're spot on though, the key question is whether it adds anything. As the folks above have made clear, even in the most DB friendly genres, there are likely compromises to be made in making the switch, and those compromises build the farther away from 'DB-friendly' is your band's music. However, there are no rules, this is music not science, so do what works for you. [/quote] Well, as a rock guitarist at heart I usually take the "this works for me, deal with it attitude.." But as a reformed bassist I am much more of a team player these days so will accommodate with the needs of the band over personal preference to a degree. Also, with all due respect to them, but the two guitarists are at a lower skill level than myself and am not quite as confident that they can cope with a change... Granted, my EUB can sound like a bass guitar in some ways and some of the lines will fit fine on both instruments. I may try to take both and try to group the songs into sections of 4 or 5 so I can do DB for 15 mins, then guitar for 15 mins and so on. From most of the posts though, lots of folk seem to have their doubts on the long term feasibility. I will reserve judgement until I see what the reaction will be when I ask the question next week. If it gets a lukewarm response I may not worry and purely practice the DB at home, even on the usual electric bass tracks. Thanks for the input chaps!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1390517041' post='2346454'] I've done a few sets with a guy who throws in pop covers with his own slacker rap stuff and we've done tunes from Housemartins to Jessie J to Snoop Dogg with him on acoustic guitar and me on upright bass, both doing vocals. It helps if you're good. If it's your main gig though it's a bit different. Your band might not appreciate the alternative instrumentation. [/quote] I am definitely not that good, that is one reason for trying, I want more experience of the instrument.... As you say, the band may not really like it though!!!

[quote name='Rabbie' timestamp='1390509703' post='2346300'] Correct me if I'm wrong but I am understanding the question differently here. Any songs can be played on double bass of course. However the characteristics of the instrument are such that it has to be matched well to the rest of the band. If you are suggesting that your band will play in exactly the same way while you are just gonna unplug the electric and plug in the DB, it won't work at all. All the band formations that were suggested above take into consideration the characteristics of the double bass by favouring the acoustic element, or at least by re-arranging the songs cleverly. Of course you can sound like almost similar to an electric by lowering your action, getting certain strings and adopting a pseudo-electric right hand technique. But this will leave you with a wimpy tone and a heck of a big thing to carry around to gigs for no musical gain. Also, remember that playing DB at rock volumes is possible (I do it all the time), but it will take a hefty investment in equipment and learning to fight feedback. If your band understands how to make a feature of the DB by adjusting the arrangements, volumes and approach, you will be able to play anything you want and sound great. I hope this makes sense and i wish you the best of luck. [/quote] Thanks for this. I realise that it is a different concept and you are right, this was probably the guts behind my question. I am just not sure how it would fit dynamically. I have physically played the songs at home on DB and trying to play the same lines doesn't quite work both in sound or feel for that matter, but in some ways that was my point. At the moment I prefer playing the DB over the bass guitar and wanted to almost pick one as my go to instrument, but didn't want to upset the dynamics of the band as they play off and relate to the electric bass. Rock and pop groups with a DB isn't something I have seen often, hence my curiosity. Perhaps this is a question I need to raise seriously with the others as it will have more effect on them than I perhaps realised at first. I suppose I can take both to a jam and give it a try. Will test their skill as players (and mine) to see if they can cope with the dynamic change and see how it goes for a couple of weeks. I just like the idea of being different.

[quote name='TPJ' timestamp='1390496895' post='2346064'] Yep, we had a trio of acoustic guitar, DB and cajon playing Rolling Stones to Kylie. I never thought it would work but the crowds loved it. I think if you play familiar songs, your brain fills in any missing parts. It works well. [/quote] Excellent. Just the thing I need to hear. Sometimes you think you must be crazy, but I think it could work for me too...

Hi all, just a silly question to see if anyone plays rock and/or pop on a DB in preference over electric bass? I have been learning DB (on an EUB) for 3 or 4 months (playing mainly blues and rock and roll) and enjoying it greatly, but currently splitting my playing time between my DB practice and jamming with friends using electric bass. I thought that maybe if I just did DB, it would help me progress quicker on the instrument and improve my intonation. We tend to play soft rock / pop covers such as Bryan Adams, Sheryl Crow, Eric Clapton, nothing too strenuous on bass so I figure I can modify my lines to fit around DB instead. Will broach the subject with the lads next time we meet... It would also mean I could sell off some of my electric bass gear to fund the purchase of an acoustic DB (which is probably the real reason to be honest... ) Just interested to see if anyone else does or has done the same.

Thanks for the advice chaps, had a morning off so opened it up to have a look. It is indeed PCB mounted jack and i could see nothing immediately wrong but when i put the jack in, the connectors onto the jack didn't move as much as on the line put jack for example. I squished them in a bit and squirted everything with switch cleaner. Now seems to make a much better connection, jack has a bit more resistance when pushing in and the connectors move more now. All works again, feels more solid and i can't get it to lose connection when i wiggle it (the jack i mean...). Excellent!

As far as i know, you can almost half the output when going from a 4 ohm load to an 8ohm load. My cab speaker is listed as 200w so should be ok with an 8 ohm load of 200w coming from a head pushing 350-400w at 4ohm. Depends if you really crank it. My 1000w is actually 2x 500w outputs at 4ohms so it should be pushing out anywhere between 250-300w per channel but i have never got near needing to max it. In theory, you could run 1000+ watt head into it if you don't push the volume above halfway, which should be more than adequate for most pub gigs. Just add a second cab if you need to use more than 200w. Or change the speaker for something like an Eminence Deltalite (which i am considering on my 112) which will give you a more efficient speaker (and more volume for the same wattage) and up the spec to 400w at 8ohms...

I have the Ashdown VS112 and the VS212. I prefer the 112 and use it with Gallien Kreuger MB200 and it sounds good. There is a lot of bass available for a 112. I also use the Ashdown little giant 1000 which i know doesn't get much love but works well with these cabs, i plug both in, although i don't max it. I did have the Ashdown ABM500 which didn't work so well, and also a Trace Elliot AH250 (i think that was the model anyway) which didn't work so well either. The cabs seem to suit a more vintage style than a modern hifi style and i like the look. You will get the hump with the top handle though, it is massive and your head will not sit on it nicely! The cab is 8 ohm so you should be able to handle a 350 or 400 watt amp at 4 ohm.