Bass Culture

[quote name='Doddy' post='862111' date='Jun 9 2010, 02:18 PM']That's the one.[/quote] Great - I'll try to get along. Cheers, Mark

[quote name='Doddy' post='862025' date='Jun 9 2010, 01:02 PM']For what it's worth,my Roscoe LG3500 has taken a backseat to my Shuker singlecut. They are both great instruments,but I find the Shuker to be slightly more comfortable to play. I notice that you're in Chester. I'm playing at Alexanders on the 25th June,and will probably have my Shuker with me if you fancy a look.[/quote] Doddy, I see that's a Friday. And, more to the point, pay day! I'd love to pop along and catch you guys. What's the band? Mark EDIT: Gotcha - The Funky Doctors?

Appreciate the comments. Given the positive response I've actually summoned the courage to drop him a quick e-mail asking whether one of the stcck basses he's got listed on his website can be adapted from the specification shown. If it can that might well be the answer for me - with the added benefit that it'll will already be a few weeks into the build too, of course.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='861847' date='Jun 9 2010, 10:17 AM']I like my Shuker a lot, its every bit as good as a Fodera but, like many, I had a long wait. Jon works to his own deadlines for custom work so if you want something special then you'll need to be patient.[/quote] Noted - the wait's not a problem as I'm quite happily ensconsed in a meaningful relationship with my Roscoe LG3000 at the moment anyway. I'm not in a hurry to 'kick her into touch' and it would proably give me the time to save the money to finance the new bass too. As a matter of interest, how long might a 'long wait' be? I've had to wait a year for a previous bass I ordered from a different luthier before. Cheers

Much appreciate these responses so far - all very encouraging. Keep 'em coming, folks. Thanks.

I've been rather taken with the Shuker website recently and have been wistfully compiling a spec in my mind for an order - horn bass, ash body with a high gloss amber finish and black grain enhancement, musicman type pickup with a John East filter-based preamp, 33" scale and 38.5mm nut width - but as I'm unlikely to try one in advance I wonder if anyone can comment on the characteristics of the neck, especially anyone who has one with the 38.5mm nut width? I've found over the years that the neck profile and feel is the most critical aspect of my response to a bass and the days have long sinced passed when I'd take a speculative punt on something based on specifications alone, so I'd really appreciate some feedback from you Shuker users out there with regard to 'real world' experience. Thanks, Mark

"That's a really kind offer Mark, many thanks. I think I'll probably need to buy one as it looks like we're going to be rehearsing as a band without a drummer quite a lot (the potential newbie lives about 100 miles away). Chris" No problem. Hope you find the drum machine of your dreams in the near future! I have to say that now I've been reminded about my own MRT-3 I think I'll dig it out anyway to get to grips with it so I can start demo-ing some stuff. So - thanks for posting in the first place! Mark

Chris, I think I've got an MRT-3 lying around somewhere. It's so long since I've used it that I'm not sure if I actually have still got it. If I have I'm happy to send it down to you to use for the duration for postage. Do you want me to see if I can dig it out? Mark

[quote name='crez5150' post='857326' date='Jun 4 2010, 03:00 PM']It's Crez... actually Most of the function gigs I have PA support anyway... Though played at the NEC a couple of weeks back and I was about 20 ft in front of the cabs and they really throw out.... I'm looking forward to getting the 4 x 10 and am also speaking to mike about a custom cab with angled up 6" drivers..... I'm still working on that at the mo though[/quote] Crez, As a matter of interest where do you hail from in sunny Essex? I myself am a Colchester boy - or was until I moved up to Chester 20-odd years back. Mark

[quote name='alexclaber' post='857001' date='Jun 4 2010, 11:14 AM']Just to update y'all, we've had a sudden flurry of orders so this is on the backburner until they're sorted![/quote] Which has reminded me, Alex - you better take me off the Compact tour seeing as I am looking forward to taking delivery of one of that flurry of orders in a few weeks! Cheers, Mark

[quote name='discreet' post='854884' date='Jun 2 2010, 02:24 PM']Was looking at this also. Would be very interested to know what you make of it.[/quote] I'll post on a new thread once I've got a couple of gigs under my belt with it. Even though I'm really looking forward to it I have to say I was well impressed with my single remaining Purple Chili cab at rehearsal last night! Really nice, tight, punchy sound with a lot of depth too. I can't help thinking that a single PC cab would be ample for most small to medium sized gigs. That said, I'm sure the Super Twelve will be excellent and the idea of only ever having to load one cab for both rehearsals and gigs, as well as the consistency of sound that will give me, is growing on me more and more.

[quote name='patch006' post='853980' date='Jun 1 2010, 07:15 PM']Bass Culture and Chez, can I ask you guys what size venues you have been using your cabs in ? I'm guessing these two should be able to handle most situations do you think?.[/quote] Hi Patch, I've used my pair (well, pair until last night, when I sold one to Shambo!) in small halls and pretty large pubs gigs with no problem at all. I'm playing mostly chart covers but I don't suspect that they'd struggle with any music in those and larger venues though. You might struggle at Wembley but they more than handled the kind of gigs I do. Mark

Kind words, Andy - thanks. Mind you, equally effortless and enjoyable transaction on my part also. Cheers, mark

You know, GAS is such a terrible thing. I've happily been running my two PC112's with my TC RH450 for about six months now. Happily, that was, until I saw Alex's new Super Twelve on the Barefaced website, which I have now convinced myself is the ideal one cab solution (why - when the whole point of getting my modular PC rig is that it is both a one and a two cab solution?!). So, Shambo has jumped in to relieve me of the first cab and I'm now getting nervous about letting the second go (hence I haven't posted it for sale yet)! But the order for the Super Twelve has been placed so I think I'm going to end up moving on cabs I was perfectly happy with in every respect just because of bloody GAS! I hope I don't regret it because I can't speak highly enough of the PC cabs. The really are terrific - light, punchy and full-sounding. And great looking too! My hope is that the Super Twelve surpasses them - difficult as that's going to be...

That schedule looks fine to me - thanks.

Very comprehensive review, Frank - thank you.

Thanks for this review - really helpful. I'm now seriously considering changing my two Purple Chili 1x12's and swapping them for one of these as I think it would represent a realistic one cab solution for me. Mark

My first experience of BD was when we paid it a 'quick' visit when we were holidaying in the Cotswolds after we'd been to Warwick. I left my wife and our two friends in the car outside and said I'd be quarter of an hour or so. An hour later I came out having fallen in love with a Roscoe LG3000. I spent a couple of days more on holiday trying to convince myself that I talk myself out of buying it before we went back to pick it up. He's great guy to deal with, Mark. You never feel pressured and when he suggested I try the Roscoe it felt more like he was introducing me to someone he thought I might get on with than sell me a bass! He really knows his stuff. When I took my Rebelhead back recently because some of the buttons had started to crack he was as genuinely bemused as I was and was straight on the phone to TC to report the fault, before he swapped it for a new, boxed unit - no third degree, just a genuine interest in the problem and a strong desire to sort it. As a customer I think he gets it spot on - I feel valued without feeling fawned over. Which means I'll be shopping at Bass Direct for years to come!

Dear All, Thought I'd share our reworking of Jordin Sparks' 'Battlefield' with you. As we've acknowledged that, with our minimal line-up, we can't compete with the overblown, over-produced originals of some of the songs we're doing we've decided to go down the making them our own path instead. Hope you enjoy it and would welcome any comments. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWCW8Cy2GHs"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWCW8Cy2GHs[/url] For you gear hounds out there I'm using my Roscoe LG3000 through my TC RH450 into two Purple Chili PC112 cabs btw. Our guitarist has posted 5 songs from the gig on YOu tube so there's other stuff there if you're interested - including a cover of Sia's rather wonderful 'Buttons'. Pip pip! Mark

Only had a quick flick through my copy and missed Alex's column so I'll look forward to it when I get properly down 'n' dirty with the mag this weekend...(I think all this w*** talk has rubbed off on me - see what I've done there?)

[quote name='daz' post='838441' date='May 15 2010, 09:07 PM']Im in Chester and would love to give one a whirl. cheers. Daz[/quote] Hey, I'm in Chester too! I'd like to join the list as I did own a Compact for a short while and am beginning to think I didn't give it a fair crack of the whip after all. Would definitely like to give it another chance now I'm settled on my TC RH450 as my amp of choice. Cheers, Mark

Can I add my name to the list? I'm in Chester. Mark

I'm really looking forward to reading M&MB's impressions when he gig's with the Super 12. I'm not particularly gassing at the moment as I love the flexibility of my two PC112's; even so, there's still something really appealing about a genuine one cab solution (at least for me with the size of gigs I'm likely to play for the foreseeable future). Looks neat too!

His solo stuff is good, his Weather Report stuff better, but his Joni Mitchell stuff is untouchable. 'The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines' anyone? Inspirational!