Wolverinebass

Oh no!!! Who will bail out Westside Distribution when they can't totally fleece us anymore?!! I hear a faint screeching sound of the world's smallest violin.

When I was younger I wanted to own a Mesa 412 for bass. I injured my knee really badly in my 20s and decided that heavy gear wasn't going to work, but I never really let go of my dream until recently when I've ben using a Vanderkley 2x12 which kills. 

Every year I saw the price get even more insane. I resolved that I'd never pay something that was basically marked up to the clouds. Westside are truly awful. I decided when I read (whether it's true or not it sounds true) that they weren't going to service Mesa boogie gear not bought in the UK.

4 hours ago, bloke_zero said:

I agree - I was thinking that about the Wilcock thread - https://www.wilcocklondon.com/

I hasten to say that they sound brilliant as well as I played a couple at last year's bass show. The pickups are like flamethrowers. 

2 hours ago, uk_lefty said:

So the reports from NAMM that some high profile players have placed orders is not a good indication that they will be at least OK? (there's a video somewhere with Mark Gooday talking about these at NAMM and he names them) People who could just phone up most guitar companies and get given stuff for free have chosen these basses... Just saying. 

Oh come on. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would say "I don't get free stuff from guitar companies and I wouldn't have one!" Or some other nonsense. Am I not right in that Ashdown don't pay people to endorse their products? You actually have to buy them I believe. Kind of like Wal or Alembic, but noticeably unlike Hartke who would pay anyone to play their stuff.

They're not something I'm bothered about as my needs are more than covered presently, but that's not to say they won't be good basses.

None of this is anything new. Check out some of the virtual guitars by Musiclab. I used them on my solo album and nobody could tell the difference. Is that okay because it's a guitarist that got replaced? Besides, if you use the 8 string guitar, you can use it as a bass which you could have done years ago. I tried it out of curiosity and it's not bad.

As with all these things, the detail is how much you're prepared to do to make it sound real. Yeah, play straight 8ths if you want U2, but I bet there's plenty more under the hood. If you're decent with midi editing and programming, you'll be fine. That's just to show you how easy it is to get something usable.

Does anyone here actually object to Superior Drummer? Really?!

As we all play bass here why would we ever need this software? Are folk complaining because it's "comin' over 'ere, takin' our jobs!" Really?!

In the end I got a Lomenzo Hyperdrive. Meh! Meh! Meh!

As much as I would have loved to get an original rpm or a retroglide, with funds the way they are and my studio stuff being vastly curtailed, it's about all I can swing really.

On 17/04/2020 at 23:45, AndyTravis said:

This angle...rather than a fluid line...just...I’m glad I want the P where they seem to have followed the traditional look.

Yeah. I always thought it was the done thing that the top of the pickguard should follow the contour of the upper horn. At least on fender type basses.

In truth, I was thinking Retroglide. Then I realised most of my studio work has been shelved for as long as we're all in lockdown, so it might not be the best time to spend £500. Bummer....

I was toying with a retroglide. Is it really 800W or are the specs rubbish?

16 hours ago, Seige said:

Hail fellow Graphite heads!  This is my main workhorse. Interestingly, this is called a “Stealth 2” (not a Stealth, and not an S2) and was made in 2000.  One piece graphite moulding.  Originally had front and side leds but asked Rob at Status to swap them out last year for the newer wraparound leds. It’s also had custom Roman numeral inlays fitted. I switch all the hardware between a black set and this gold set when I get the whim.

Funnily enough, that's pretty much my spec were I to ever get one. I'd go chrome and get the B2 circuit as I prefer the 2 band eq and Mids in my Buzzard rather than the 303 board. 

I'd never seen a stealth with roman numerals before though. Top work squire!!

Honestly, if anyone wants a shot on mine, once all this lock down crap is over you're welcome to pop over to mine and try it out.

It truly is the best pre-amp ever. 

17 minutes ago, songofthewind said:

I’ve got a pdf of the Sub Ray mod if anybody wants it. I haven’t tried it yet, but plan to.

Carry on.

What mod is that? Just curious.

I run my own recording studio in South East London. Anybody need anything recorded or mixed and mastered?

Prior to this, I was a civil servant for 17 years. I'm a pharmacologist by degree, but I haven't used that professionally for over 15 years.

Whilst Gibson has been going downhill for some years it's really become quite noticeable the effects of the "Mickey Rooney's crazy pills," which the board members have been taking.

Crushing instruments, sueing every smaller builder with a zeal that has to be seen to be believed. It's just monumental hubris. They deserve to fail and go bust.

10 hours ago, Kev said:

The X Ultra is the best bass preamp I have used. Once you learn how to dial those frequencies in (its not a quick one), it sounds absolutely huge.  My entire tone relies on it now!  I haven't come across anything that can replicate the clean low frequencies and boost them in such a way, its wonderful

I did try the Dug out and its a cool pedal, but for me lacked something.  Body, 'X' Factor?  Don't know, but I can see why some like it.

I hasten to say my comment was based on people not having the patience to sit down and fiddle. It takes a bit of time, but you can get some great sounds out of it. As a pedal it's great and I have used it to record on a few clients songs to great effect. The point I was making was that the Dug (to me at least) is more intuitive to use, but the Darkglass has a bigger feature set. As it should really as its about £150 dearer.

I like to fiddle about with pedals so none of this bothers me. Some don't and they'd be frustrated.

4 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

As I mentioned earlier, it's eight rusty screws.

I've been though it, and I'm happy to report there were no tears, or PTSD. I'd actually forgotten about it until this thread.

Still, I guess it could be Limelight's equivalent of the 'Barefaced handle'.

That was my point. Obviously the facetiousness didn't fully come over. It's not a big deal. Like, you've chosen a relic bass. This stuff can be easily fixed. Let's not start stocking up on Gaviscon as the solution has been clearly stated by Limelight and seems reasonable. 

Much like the barefaced handles nonsense a few years ago, now for 2020 we'll have #rustedlimelight as Basschat's new customer service issue.

10 minutes ago, CalDeep said:

So did anyone actually buy one and have anything to say on it? 

I got one for my studio. In direct comparison to the Tech21 Dug Pinnick I'm going to do a comparison because only by doing that will it make the review seem fair. 

The Dug has a fixed crossover so it should be the inferior pedal. It isn't. The Darkglass by having an adjustable low and high pass makes everything too fiddly. You'll get a wider variety of sounds, but it'll take you longer to find them. In itself it's a great pedal, but not the most intuitive thing. The EQ is great as is the adjustable cab sim. It honestly depends on how many sounds you need to get out of it as it does take a while.

1 hour ago, wateroftyne said:

There's some proper drama students here, isn't there?

Just drama queens my dear boy. I welcome tips on my prose style from such practiced scholars such as yourself.

In truth, I find it sad that someone's got a really nice instrument that can't be adjusted. It just seems like a bit too far down the line of relicing to me.

In some ways, I can't decide if this is awful or utterly hilarious. Sure, getting a bass that you can't intonate properly is awful. That shouldn't happen. Then again, paying good money for a bass that has been reliced so much that the hardware was probably pulled out of a skip in 1981 and doesn't work because it's nothing more than a cube of iron oxide is hilarious. 

I guess that's what you get for an "authentic" relic job? Loads of rust, ulcers and tears.

40 minutes ago, ClassicVibes said:

Lifelong Chili Peppers fan but couldn't get the new guitarist's name right? 

Yeah. The joys of auto correct.

1 hour ago, ClassicVibes said:

Skimmed? Right, that's a valid point then. 

As a lifelong chili peppers fan absolutely nothing grabbed me. They're bland, crap albums. To me at least. Some might argue that their whole back catalogue is like that. However I digress. If you're outside Kiedis or Flea's house waving a placard saying "Bring Back Klinghoffer!" I wish you all the best of luck with that. You'll be the only one.

My point is that kind of like how you can listen to 10 seconds of any recent Dream Theatre album or song and know it's all crap.

32 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Mmm - not sure I agree, especially with JK’s first name.

Quite. The "Josh" of auto correct....

I skimmed both those albums and they're pants.

I don't think his tone matters. The albums with Justin Klinghoffer are crap. The fact that they've been badly produced is only one more nail in the coffin.

5 minutes ago, Dood said:

Ouch! The bass going public aren’t going to wear that. 

I made a joke at the time that not only had they copied TC Electronics styling, they'd even copied their falsification of their power output ratings.

1 hour ago, Dood said:

I suggested years ago (at least ten) to Larry that they should have put a 1000W D Class module in the LH series. Actually, there was a discussion on here it too, but I cant remember who I was chatting to. Funnily, around the same time I spent quite a few emails suggesting to a well-known not-so-british-anymore UK brand that they should have taken their hugely successful valve based amplification and added D Class power amps to those as well. Paul the tech guy liked the idea but sadly it never happened, though both brands have finally embraced D Class amplification now though. Possibly a little late to the party? I don't know. 

They've totally messed up Dood. The class D offerings Hartke have now are crap. They're underpowered. Laughably so. Plus, they juked the specs as someone on Talkbass took them to bits and sadly the power module labels don't lie.

They're stuffed.

22 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I always really rated the HA series heads.

They could’ve just kept that user interface and look and downsized it using a more modern power stage to reduce weight.

The LH’s were uninspiring. From what I remember - although remarkably tidy on the inside.

The Kilo made little or no sense (When it arrived) and we had 4 on order for people which never showed and resulted in cancelled or switched orders.

If a brand gets landed with a crap distributor - it’s game over.

 

 

 

Exactly. The HA series is great. Just put a 1000w class D in it. Job done. But no. Let's discontinue the 5500 which is well beyond its alleged 500w output. It's just devastating. Total morons.