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Opticaleye

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Posts posted by Opticaleye

  1. For sale (accidentally closed the previous listing)

     

    RMI Basswitch pedal. Extremely high quality, no longer made as the designer has retired. In excellent condition including original box and manual.

     

    RMI  Classic Boost          £125 incl. P&P

     

    IMG_20240227_120608.thumb.jpg.86773fb285572c5a98442c9742c36f86.jpg

     

     

     

     

    This is more vintage sounding than the other RMI EQ pedal (the clean boost). which was more for active type bass sounds. The frequencies on the EQ are great for vintage passive basses with Alnico pickups.

     

    This is built like a tank by Lehle using high quality components. It has Velcro on the bottom ready for fitting to a pedalboard. The pedal accepts a wide range of power supply voltages from 9-15v AC and DC. It does not have onboard battery capability .

     

    I have effectively retired from gigging, as things stand, and can't see myself using this despite its quality.

  2. For sale 

     

    Two RMI Basswitch pedals. Extremely high quality, no longer made as the designer has retired. They are both in excellent condition including original boxes and manuals.

     

    1) RMI Dual compressor** SOLD **   £150 incl P&P

    Bass specific unit that can work as a single band compressor also. The manual (included in the box) explains it better than I can but the gist is that you can set a frequency below which the compressor treats the signal separately and with different  ratios and attack/release settings. There are 4 knobs on the top  that intelligently interact so that you don't need the 12 or more knobs that a dual compressor would normally have.There are suggested settings in the manual and it's quite easy to grasp.

     

    2) RMI  Classic Boost          £125 incl. P&P

     

    This is more vintage sounding than the other RMI EQ pedal (the clean boost). which was more for active type bass sounds. The frequencies on the EQ are great for vintage passive basses with Alnico pickups.

     

    Both pedals are built like a tank by Lehle using high quality components. Both pedals have Velcro on the bottom ready for fitting to a pedalboard. They also accept a wide range of power supply voltages from 9-15v AC and DC. They do not have onboard battery capability .

     

    I have effectively retired from gigging, as things stand, and can't see myself using these despite their quality.

     

    RMI.thumb.jpg.361c494f20aa438737026012b0fbcf65.jpg

     

     

     

    • Like 1
  3. Markbass LMII bass head. 500w into 4ohms.

    Class A/B Made in Italy.

     

    I had been using this as a backup to my other Markbass TTE heads so haven't really used it for years.IMG_20240219_134108.thumb.jpg.ccd2c9f07f47ba4aa71c0edf28a38301.jpg

    IMG_20240219_134119.thumb.jpg.803ebf48fa598066677306c357b4f0cf.jpg

     

    I'm not gigging anymore unless something unforeseen happens, so it has made it onto my list of items to be sold.

     

    I have tested it and it works fine and still sounds great. I would prefer a pickup from York so you can see it working, but could arrange a meeting or would consider sending (UK only).

     

    • Like 4
  4. 6 hours ago, pineweasel said:

    A lot of people seem to think this is the case but according to the the original Stingray manual both controls are boost and cut: http://www.musicmanbass.global/1978-hangtag-manual/

    Having just looked it up, apparently the preamp in the 76 model is different to the 1978. I'm not sure in what way though although there were 3 revisions between 77-78 .

    I also read somewhere that the bass control might have been boost only (or 10% cut 90% boost) and the treble was boost/cut which kind of fits with my recollection. With no centre detent on the 2EQ though I may have just assumed.

     

    12 hours ago, NickA said:

    Still don't see the point of the slab bodied, chrome pickupped, thumpy sounding, passive "Florence" though.  The world has moved on. 🙂

     

     

    I doubt it's a huge market but, since the 90's (yes, I had a TE bright box), some of us went back to liking a variety of more classic tones. 😁

  5. I've owned a few active basses. My first was a Stingray when they first came out in 1976! 

     

    I decided that as much as I liked playing that bass I didn't like the preamp. It was boost only and the bass boost just sounded flubby to me.

    After that I had passive basses until I bought a Warwick Fortress passive that I didn't like the sound of so I thought I'd try an active circuit to see if they'd improved.

    I sold that and owned Fenders until I tried Sandbergs and at one time I owned 3 active basses of theirs.

    I mostly played them with the actives bypassed though and I've ended up with 5 passive Sandbergs and plug them into a high quality outboard Pre like my Basswitch or one of my valve Pre's.

     

     

     

    • Like 1
  6. 2 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

     

    There will be an option for a black headstock, but you'll have to order it like that and wait a year.

     

    They'll do pretty much anything you want.

     

     

    Yeah, I realise that they will customise most options that don't involve altering the CNC programming (and some that do).

     

    Luckily my Umbos have the the tones in the videos covered and as the Florence is only available in short scale (I'm far too big to wear something so dinky) my bank balance is safe as things stand.

  7. Personally, I'm not  a fan of the quality of onboard electronics. 

     

    There's a purity of tone that you get with the passive cutting of frequencies that I've not heard in a 9v onboard pre and I prefer not to introduce bloat into the signal purely for the inconvenience of having to run a shorter lead for a passive signal. 

     

    Luckily my Sandberg Umbos have a fairly elaborate passive circuitry with a varitone-like filter switch and choke coil that enables a wide variety of sounds without having to reach for my amp or pedals.

    I also have a (made passive) Sandberg VS4 fitted with a Tonestyler and a G&L L1000 with both treble and bass cut and a clever 3 position switch for more pickup options. I would say that all these basses use electronics regardless of the voltage applied to the circuit.

     

    As for the Florence I prefer the mahogany headstock on the mahogany option as the maple headstock looks plain wrong (It reminds me of the Fender Coronado).

    If there was an option of a black headstock it would be better I think.

    • Like 1
  8. 12 hours ago, wintoid said:

    So if you had to compare the VS pickup against a P, how different is it?

    It has a wider frequency response and faster attack. 

     

    The VS's (mostly) have the pickup in the conventional arrangement, the VM and VT (mostly) have the P pickup in the reverse configuration.

    I couldn't get a traditional P tone out of my old VM4 even with a Fender pickup in it. I changed the Sandberg PU in my current VS4 for a more vintage sounding alnico one.

    • Like 2
  9. On 02/12/2022 at 22:21, Chienmortbb said:

    To be fair, Markbass cabs are not in the same class as Vanderkley and although I was not that impressed with the GR cab at the South West Bass Bash, it was better than any Markbass cab I  have heard. 

    I've played through Vanderkley cabs and I'd be happy gigging with them again but I think that there's a lot of downplaying of Markbass cabs, perhaps because of the aesthetics. 

    I have owned a number of MB cabs and I've liked most of them. I was previously using an Eden 410XLT and preferred the Markbass.  I currently use TKS1126's and whereas the Markbass cabs maybe don't sound as smooth as the full range TKS, they perform well in a band mix.

     

    In the old days Markbass used OEM B&C speakers (very good quality) and moved over to Indonesian stamped construction about the same time that B&C discontinued the chassis that  Markbass's speakers were based on. B&C's recommended replacement for the original driver was also stamped but people perceived this as a drop in quality.

     

    I've owned Italian and Indonesian MB speakers and I'm just as happy with either.

     

    The new stuff looks interesting.

    • Like 2
  10. I used to own a VT1 EQ DI and currently have a VT1 Bob the Blender DI.

     

    I've tried numerous preamps /DI's and the closest I've got to the DHA is the non-valve Quilter Interbass (which also can be used as a 45w amp) although it uses a laptop style 24v power supply.

    The nearest valve pre that I own to the DHA is the Markbass Vintage pre. I also own a Two Notes LeBass.

    Surprisingly, I also modified a Source Audio C4 patch, based on a very subtle autowah, that provides a lovely thick clean tone that can be varied using the mix knob. This works really well as a vintage tone control especially with flats.

    My pedalboard consists of Markbass Vintage >> C4 >> Quilter Interbass, with a compressor and HPF in amongst them.

  11. 51 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:


    Umbo is not the only passive only design, Marlowe DK is another…and I think the bass the world TT

    Yeah but they're both straight Jazz basses really. The Umbo is a more unique design with the slanted Alnico 2 pickups, strange passive circuit and pickguard etc. is what I meant.

     

    There's no active version of the Umbo. 

     

    edit.... Forgot about the Lionel !

     

  12. Just to add, the standard pickups on the passive TT4 are really good, In fact , they are the best jazz pickups I've tried IMO.

     

    I had been planning changing them before I actually tried my Birdseye maple/ mahogany TT4, 

    I had a set of Nordstrands that had previously been in my Active TT4 (sounded nice too) but the vintage style Sandberg Alnicos sounded phenomenal. The neck pickup is much more in Precision territory than any other Jazz bass I've owned.

     

    My Umbos are a different thing entirely and with an overall sound somewhere between a Jazz and a Precision, probably due to the warmer sounding Alnico 2 pickups,

    • Like 2
  13. 4 hours ago, Davebassics said:

    I super dig the asthetics of these basses, can definitely see myself playing one. Reports are unanimous that they're great to play. They're just not my cup of tea in terms of tone. I'd love it if they did a version that was voiced more traditionally.

     

     

    The passive TT4 has a very traditional tone. The Umbo is Sandberg's "passive only" design.

     

     

    3 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

    I agree. I love my Sandbergs but i'd like the Sandberg quality with a vintage Fender tone. Could always just change the pick ups.

    Dave

     

     

     

    I  have a VS4 that I put an EMG Geezer Butler in and it sounds like a good Precision.

     

    Here's my basses (again). All passive. All traditional sounding.

     

     

     

    Sandbergs.thumb.jpeg.21735ade97e0d1211a74c1f4a5040b13.jpeg

     

    I've also owned a VM4, a TM4 and an active TT4 previously.

    • Like 5
    • Thanks 1
  14. I find the Sandberg Umbo to be the perfect mix of P and J. 

    The warmer Alnico 3 pickups put the front pickup into P territory alone, but still sound like a Jazz when both are selected. Having 2 of the same pickup sidesteps the issues of a P and a J together that I find with my actual PJ.

     

    The passive circuit is quite quirky but capable of very diverse tones, from thumpy to bright to even semi acoustic like tones. 

    988343708_redumbo.jpg.f338544ef0586ad2801a0f963d714d9c.jpg

    • Like 3
  15. I half remember removing the OMG cap on my 81 L1000 to run it as a straight series option years ago, but returned it as I preferred the extra treble with it connected. It's a clever design to get the bass response of series wiring with the extra treble of single coil.

    • Like 2
  16. 19 hours ago, petebassist said:

    Anyone rate the Delano or black label pickups that you get on the recent TT, TM, VS, VMs, or Californias? Particularly, can they cut it live? I hear about people having to swap out the stock pickups but I don't know whether that's on earlier models from years back with different pickups or still an issue with the latest basses. Advice welcome. Thanks.

    I don't think anyone has had to swap out pickups for any other reason than getting a different sound. The large pole pickups have a particular modern sound and are ceramic like the Black Labels.

    If you wanted a more vintage sound then an Alnico set might be to your taste. My TT4 passive has the exceptional Sandberg Alnicos and they are my favourite jazz pickup. I replaced the large pole Sandberg in my VS4 with EMG Geezer Butlers, My Sandberg Umbos have the stock Haussels in.

    • Like 1
  17. 30 minutes ago, Beedster said:

    Yep, I know, that’s not what I’m hearing, definitely some PP on there. No problem, sounds great, but I don’t buy the pure P-Bass tone thing here

    Yeah I'm not sure. To me it sounds like his other Noble videos which, they say, are recorded into the Noble pre and then into the recording interface. Not a million miles away from the Ian Allinson and Tim Lefebvre videos too.

    Great sound though.

  18. On 24/11/2020 at 12:27, Beedster said:

    Lovely tone, playing and track, might be wrong but on my device it sounds to me like there’s a bit of something other than pure bass signal in there? 

    His bass has a damping contraption near the bridge.

    I have 5 Sandbergs (all passive) and they all sound like traditional basses rather than the active models with big pole pickups.

    I have 3 Umbos, a TT4 passive and a VS4 that I made passive (with an EMG Geezer Butler and the included passive harness) and a Stellartone to fill the spare hole in the control plate.

    I've had to work a bit to get a classic P tone out of the VS4 but I'm happy with it now. However all my Umbos can get the P vibe if I just use the neck pickup and the TT4 can too, surprisingly.

  19. On 16/09/2020 at 20:53, FDC484950 said:

    You young’uns don’t know a good thing when you see it. When I started, tuition consisted of some crap books, ropey VHS videos, deciphering stuff off records/tapes and, if you were very lucky, your local teacher was half decent. It’s paid for and I don’t subscribe as I’m good as I want to be, but i would have killed for such a resource (and others online) when I was starting out. 

    At the risk of sounding like Monty Python's 4 Yorkshiremen sketch. when I started there weren't even video tapes and I learned to play by picking up the record players arm and moving it back 1/4".

    Even cassette players weren't yet a thing.

    Kids nowadays don't know they're born!

    • Haha 2
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