Kiwi

It was me who made the original comment and I was going by my experiences of comparing my Acme B2's to my EBS 212 with a sensitivity difference of about 10dB. There was definitely a difference in volume and a marked improvement in performance at band rehearsal volumes. When I used the B2's with my 140w Burman heads the amp sounded like it was putting out about a quarter of the power. I have learned that sensitive cabs are more versatile in allowing me to satisfactorily use them with amps with a wider range of power ratings.

[quote name='Hit&Run' post='113344' date='Jan 4 2008, 07:42 AM']It was off ebay so hopefully I've got some form of 'buyer protection' (I used paypal).[/quote] Protection don't mean squat if the seller operates without a credit card and has shifted the money out of their paypal account before you lodge your claim and 'does a runner'. I'm still waiting for £70 still owed by a PC seller who couldn't tell the difference between an AMD CPU model number and its actual rated speed. Don't think I'll be seeing that money again. There are some horror stories about pretty much every courier from what I've seen of people's experiences. I think it boils down to the bloke who is on your round basically. When I get things express shipped by Fedex on my account, often items come through having been passed by HM Customs and Extortion without duty or VAT charged. The express shipping is extra but it has saved me a tidy sum on the big ticket items like my Smith fretless. I can also ask the seller to ship Fedex on my account number and that way I can avoid any 'extras'.

I think their Ebay guy needs a Ebay management course? and then perhaps a second one about flogging a dead horse. Ebay must think he's Christmas with the fee's he's been coughing up on this auction.

I bet its going to require a mortgage to own too Mark Bass do a tube head - nice blend of old and modern technology as well but it costs well over £2k.

hey mike you seem to be a child of the 70's if your influences are any indication?

I did 6, not helped by the MD of my former band walking out in March, and the band reforming into a new one and not getting a keyboardist until July. However we've fallen on our feet since September and have set up 25 slots for 2008 with 19 already filled. We're all comfortable with that plus we get an extra £100 or more a gig above and beyond our base rate for slots #25-30.

[quote name='dlloyd' post='57507' date='Sep 8 2007, 07:12 PM']When I was your age, I'd just bought a Westone Spectrum II.[/quote] SNAP! I had a Westone Spectrum II when I was 18 and didn't get my Jaydee Supernatural MK until I was 20. Sweet jesus, some of you guys are seriously lucky, [b]even [/b]if you work to afford the gear. I couldn't get a decent paying job where I lived to fund some of that sort of stuff even if bust my balls. Good on ya

[list] [*]Learned the importance of sensitivity in cabs and how much quieter a 93dB cab sounds in comparison to a 103dB cab. [*]Learned the importance of understanding what the presence of punters will to to your onstage sound in tiny venues [*]Became a recent convert to neo cabs AND p-basses (will wonders never cease?) [*]Learned that it's possible for a neck thru and bolt on necked bass to sound very similar but the means by which this is achieved can often be radically different. [*]Learned the im anticipation portance of [/list] Reflected on the fact that there are many luthiers/CEO's of manufacturers out there whose interpersonal skills leave a lot to be desired. Yet strangely they're still in business...

welcome Sweet set up you have!

[quote name='Cantdosleepy' post='112167' date='Jan 2 2008, 11:08 AM']To be honest I probably will never attempt to learn the big names that are thrown around on this forum. I wouldn't attempt to learn any artist that slaps or pops, any speed freaks, any jazz masters. Not the sort of music I like to listen to or play. I know there's the argument 'you might learn something anyway'. I think that line of reasoning is true. Had I but world enough, and time, I'd probably try and learn that stuff. But as it is there's more than a lifetime's music out there that I already adore and skills that I covet more drastically. Why learn to slap on the chance I'll develop a taste for it when I still can't play my favourite bands' songs / skateboard / cook as awesomely as I'd like?[/quote] Its about what motivates you at the end of the day, innit?

[quote name='jammie17' post='111702' date='Jan 1 2008, 01:50 AM']Have to disagree with you here. No flames please, but I have been playing for over 35 years (on and off)...saw the intro to "slap" by the granddaddy himself, Larry Graham.[/quote] Larry who? [quote name='jammie17' post='111702' date='Jan 1 2008, 01:50 AM']And the "mids" have become so overrated as of the last 15-20 years. I can't, don't want to remember the concerts or bars I have been to that all you hear from the bassist is the "mids".[/quote] Dear boy, we're talking about [b]on stage monitoring[/b] so you need to listen to the BASS AMP, not the PA Any decent sound man will tell you mids (250-800Hz) are critical to hearing the pitch and note dynamics. Although to give Larry credit, 35 years ago mids hadn't been invented for bass and they were still trying to figure out how to play a bass guitar like a bass guitar [quote name='jammie17' post='111702' date='Jan 1 2008, 01:50 AM']I am a BASSIST. I play the LOW part of the music spectrum. I can FEEL it, HEAR it, sometimes, TOUCH it. Mids, to me, on many recordings as well as live performances sound hollow and woody. Guys, play the BASS! Feel the BASS. Live the BASS. Mids are for kids!![/quote] So what did anyone say that made you think lows were being cut out? Sounds like you got yourself a bit excited for no reason. Did you read the thread properly? Typing "I like Larry Graham's slap sound" would have probably made your point also.

[quote name='The Burpster' post='111624' date='Dec 31 2007, 08:47 PM']I know theres a couple of Valvophiles on here and I'll never be one of them, but a warm glowing valve is a wonderful thing to behold......[/quote] Nothing beats the smell of a warm tube amp, its nearly like the smell of a warm cat...

[quote name='Machines' post='111598' date='Dec 31 2007, 07:15 PM']Nicely done - looks lovely. That neck is gorgeous.. Looks like a pre 96 ?[/quote] The bridge isn't offset and still has mute pad springs so I'd put money on it being probably late 80's or early 90's. Not sure when the 3 band eq was introduced though. Whats the serial, if you don't mind me asking Legion?

[quote name='Machines' post='111590' date='Dec 31 2007, 06:53 PM']Just went for a bash on my ABM - the valve circuit has ceased to function ! The further up I turn the knob, the quieter the signal becomes (since it's a hybrid circuit). I did the best I could muster by taking it out, looking at it sternly and putting it back in, but alas it was the same. Does that just sound a like a replacement valve is needed ?[/quote] If the valve does anything other than gently glow orange when the amp is switched on, then its likely that it has gone in some manner. Can you check it in a darkened room? 12AX7's aren't too expensive thankfully.

Sounds to me like the bass had been kept in a damp place and the moisture had softened the paint and corroded the frets/strings - bit of a risky buy! Glad its turned out OK though. All sorts of warpage could have been encountered.

[quote name='bleedproof' post='111461' date='Dec 31 2007, 01:19 PM']The EA iamp 800 will put 800 into 4ohms and 1000 into 2... so it depends on what the cabs are! Stu[/quote] Well the Acme B2's need ideally 4-500w into each cab at 4ohms as a minimum and you can probably put up to twice that into them if you need to. Huge sounding, relatively even response (can be used as PA cabs) and nicely defined low end for 2x10's, they probably won't sound quite as loud as your Epi though if you normally run the rig at full tit. Given the price I've put them up at in the Gallery, you could easily purchase them as a back up and sell them on for what you've paid if it doesn't work out. The only reason I'm selling is that my Trace couldn't power both sufficiently and I already have a GK rig so a third rig was unnecessary if the cabs could sell. I tend to run my basses flat for slap, it saves on faff when switching from slap to fingerstyle and back.

[quote name='BeLow' post='111348' date='Dec 31 2007, 10:40 AM']Buying a rig is tricky - many of us have gone through more rigs than we would care to think about trying to get it right. From my personal experience which is not necessarily the most comprehensive :- Hartke I have found to be a little harsh, although this was using their cheaper paper coned speakers and I have limited experience of them. Generally they seem to do the business in terms of volume and gig worthiness, and a lot of people them use them as a stepping stone to their ultimate rig. Peavey is not a range I have tried much, I have heard some very nice sounding rigs. They have a reputation for reliability and being heavy. They tend to use slightly different minimum impedances - some going down to 2 ohms. Trace elliot up to about the series 6 range were very tough, they tended to be pretty bassy and scooped in sound - the power rating always seemed to be quite conservative compared to other manufacturers - have not tried the new stuff but apparently the bigger more sophisticated versions sound good (if you can afford them). Ashdown have a 'warm' or 'mushy' tone depending on your personal tastes, they appear to attract varying views from fierce loyalty to dismissive criticism. Personally I had a MAG 210 300 watt combo which was cheap, but probably not too efficient and tended to get lost in the mix of a live band, having said that I did try out an ABM rig a while back and it sounded rather nice. I think generally people move on from the MAG range when they can afford it. I have a Markbass little Mark2 head, which is 500 watts, light and efficient. The sound reminds me slightly of trace elliot although it is not quite as dated - occasionally it is criticised for lacking in top end warmth. I use this with an Ashdown styled 4x8 and a home built 1x15. I have just started using a self built BFM designed Omni 10.5 cab. The Omni is a single 10" speaker which is light and efficient. the combination of this with the larger 15" speakers gives clarity with a big slab of warm bass. This works well but if you play a lot of longer multi note slap fills it can sound a little mushy, but I do like the solidity of the bass response I get with it. Just to make things worse for you, as some one has mentioned the best sound in the shop environment can be misleading. When playing solo we often favour the classic boost of bass and treble and cut mids, while this can be a great sound for slap in the shop, if you are in a large guitar band you may find you have to be very loud to cut through in the mix. Alternatively you can boost the mids to improve how you cut through - but this does not sound as pleasing when you listen to it on its own. Again I woud re-emphasise the difference between what looks good and sounds impressive and what the working bass player uses made by others. Although some do use 8x10 cabs they are pretty dedicated and / or have helpful band mates, as they are tricky to move about. They are for most bass players slight overkill - although they do look great on stage. Even an 4x10 can be a handful, a sad reality is that you may start looking at sack barrows and estate cars longingly rather than sexy bass cabs.[/quote] Lovely bit of unbiased insight there, thanks! I've been taking notes.

[quote name='bleedproof' post='110905' date='Dec 30 2007, 12:22 PM']I may however look at getting a 210 as I've spent quite a lot of time playing through them and while I never disliked them, they may require reconsideration.[/quote] I guess the thing to watch out for with many 2x10 cabs is that the bottom end can sometimes sound poorly defined. Best sounding combination of speakers I've generally heard to date in a small to medium sized rig is a 2x10 and 1x15. The 2x10 adds a nice load of punch and the 1x15 puts out some tight, full bottom end. Also consider getting wedge shaped 2x10"s if you can find any you like. Having them angled up at you off the floor makes a tremendous difference to what you can hear. The other thing I haven't asked is what kind of slap sound are you after? There's a load to choose from Louis Johnson, to Mark King and Marcus Miller. I could also put a quick plug in for my Acme 2x10's but I'm not sure whether your EA head would put out enough for them. Generally they need 500w each.

I first listened to my Trace V8 400w through Tonyf's Warwick 611 and it sounded fine. If the cab is fairly sensitive (ie >100dB) you should be able to use it with a lower powered head with fairly satisfactory results. Why not drop Tony a PM and ask him about the heads he's used with his? Always try before you buy though.