la bam

Can't wait to give this a try at volume. I have a 610 sealed can to try it though.

You could buy 5-10 vintage v4 reissues for the price of a USA precision. I love my v4s to bits. BUT from what I can see, despite being called v4, the models are all slightly different. The blk standard is my main bass. Love it. Laqured neck. Very easy to play, loads of tone control and power. The v4 icon has an un laquered neck and different sounding pick ups. Definitely more vintage sounding. One thing I have done is put shielding tape all over the back of the scratchplate and cavities. Works a treat. Cost less than a tender for a huge roll. The blk was bought new for £230 (and I swapped for identical Wilkinson gold hardware). The icon was bought as new for £95. One weird thing I will mention is I have absolutely no idea how the pots are wired! I'm issued to one being volume, and one tone. These definitely are not that simple. The tone control definitely adds volume too the more you go to fully open. But it does add even more tone shaping possibilities. I've had an excellent USA p in the past, the finish was like a work of art. But I genuinely feel these v4s are more playable and have more character about them. And cost nearly 10 times less. If you had a range of them - with their different types of neck (laqured or unlaquered) and pick ups (modern or vintage), and you can buy straight replacement hardware in different colors, and scratchplates - you could create an awesome bitsa to your exact spec for next to nothing.

thanks lozz - is that with everything else at 12 noon (or centre on the sliders) ?

Afternoon all, Im have been tinkering about all week, and ive really got in to EQing my amp to find out just how many different types of bass sounds, and musical sounds can be achieved by playing with the 9 band eq on my ashdown evo iv. Its genuinely amazed me, having not bothered too much with eq before. However, im struggling to find how to create an ampeg svt "type" sound. I know you cant make it identical or as valvy warm etc, but does anyone know any eq settings that may work or help to get close? I have it in my head that its close enough, then when i A/B against a demo online its miles off! I have every type of music covered - rock, soul, warm, funk, 60s, slap, dub, reggae etc, but this one has me stumped! Im not looking to add in any pedals etc - just whats on the amp - 9 band eq, valve drive, compression and sub harmonic if needed. I know its not as easy as making one amp sound the same as another, just looking for some starting points and well known cuts and boosts. Its just a bit of fun for those into this kind of thing! Or if anyone has any other interesting eq settings to share feel free!

Hi all, I'm considering getting a combo probably second hand for smaller gigs and gigs where we are travelling light in one vehicle etc. However, if need a few things: 1. Approx 300w (old school level). 2. Built in tuner. (Which must be good). 3. DI out. 4. Decent comprehensive eq. 5. Fairly compact. A 2x10 or 1x15. Otherwise I might just as take my full usual rig. Weight isn't that much of an issue, but I really don't want to be hoiking 50kg of trace around if I can help it! If it has wheels, that's great. Budget probably £200 second hand. Any ideas welcome.

Im interested in this topic. However, must add .............. our practice room had an old batted ampeg 8x10 and svt3 pro. I tried the amp once before the band turned up and it sounded like the worst thing ever ....... dull, really low bass and growly, but in a speaker blown way, so i didnt use it. A couple of months later i left my amp head at home so had to plug in to the 3pro. Same sound, poor. Then the band kicked in and WOW! it fitted perfectly, plenty of power and lovely bassyness without that stacatto bass note sound that some amps can give out. It was very musical and just blended lovely with everything we did. So, id always see how it sounded with a band, rather than stand alone.

My one tip for improving technique is to rack your treble on your bass right up! It exaggerates any sloppy fingering and helps you get the notes sounding full and tight as you automatically improve your left hand technique to make it sound good and not scratchy. Playing with the tone/treble rolled off can hide or disguise these errors. Try both ways, see if they make a difference or expose any issues. Song wise - anything like classic Elvis. When i had to learn that it really stretched me (i have an injured left hand, so i can only use 3 fingers) but brought my playing on a million percent. Its simple when youve got it, but those pentatonics etc really help improve you. I always found red hot chilli peppers really interesting for technique. Not the over complex stuff, but things like Under the Bridge, where the rhythm of the bass is completely out there, it took a lot of getting into the song to get that right. Lovely bassline, quite simple but a very odd way of timing that worked brilliantly! I always found Walking on the Moon helped me in a weird way that helped my lock in to the drums........ automatically id play the C,C,D ...... but then in my head id sing the high hat drum beat which would bring me back into the next phrase of bass. It helped me appreciate the drums.

I loved my LMiii, but i always found the eq and vle and vlf a confusing combination. I always thought theyd be better with either a 5 band eq or just the vle or vlf. However, scratching my head to remember, isnt there a daft set up with the markbass regarding on, off, and flat? I dont think 12 noon is flat on some mb amps? Cant quite remember, but worth a check.

Dont waste you money firstly. Dont forget if you have no FOH at all, you could buy x100 svts etc to be heard........but then no one will hear the drums. Unless theyre micd up....in which case theres no reason they cant di the bass as well. Youll just end up sounding bad as a band, but also damaging your own hearing getting it that loud so someone half a mile away can hear it. IF, and its a BIG IF, you really wanted to carry on this route, youd be better investing in PA for the whole band to get a good mix, and putting that through the event PA. Either way, the events sound really really clueless.

make sure you get the 'reissue' ones, i think there was a lesser range before then. also, there are different models within the V4 reissue range. I have a black V4 standard (which ive swapped the hardware to gold) on, and it has a lacquered neck and slightly echoy pick ups. Sounds great and easy to play. I also have a V4 icon in sunburst, that has a smooth neck and slightly growly pickups. Again, sounds great and easy to play. IMPORTANT: one thing i will add, is that i added shielding tape to the underside of the pick guard and cavities inside - cost £10 for a massive role from b&q. This eliminated any hum you might get. I made a slight diary of one of them here: I love them for loads of reasons, but also not worrying myself sick about dropping it, or losing it, or having it stolen (although itd be bad its not £1000 bad) is a major relief. £200 and youre back up and running!

The rig (in the last 6 months) has gone from: Class D MarkBass EVO 1 & Barefaced Super Compact (to be fair a great rig). to Markbass EVO 1 & Markbass 6x10 ported cab. to Ashdown EVO IV ABM 600 & Markbass 6x10 ported cab.

1. a great big cab. a 6x10. i absolutely love it. so much power and definition i can go anywhere and not have to worry about anything sound or power wise. indoor or outdoor it doesnt ever break sweat. wasted years replacing amps and cabs trying to get that big sound from a 300w amp and 1x12 or 1x15. Pointless. A 6x10 has it all day long with almost any amp. 2. a "proper" pro amp. i spent years with the next level down in a range or lesser makes. absolutely no point. buy a recognised pro level amp and the world is so much easier for not that much more money. i did love my barefaced sc but the 6x10 beats it hands down for power and sound. if i ever was to get another barefaced it would be a modular 2x10 system, but the expense would be completely unrealistic. i did love my usa precision, but my vintage v4 reissue at a 5th of the price is just as good. if i was to ever get another it would be purely for vanity, sound wise theres nothing in it. i did love my spectracomp, but my amps compression is good enough. i loved by zoom b3 but never used it live - i just dont trust thin adaptors and connections on stage. if i was to ever get another fx unit itd be a recognised rack system or helix etc.

The evo iv is utterly outstanding if you are prepared to perservere and experiment with the settings. It pretty much does anything you want. It really does. If any abm is wooly etc, make sure the shape button isnt active, the eq button is active, and enhance the lo and hi mids, it really then starts to shine through.

i had one of these - they have horrendous neck dive. so much so i couldnt play it.

The EVO 1 is fantastic. Just a bit limited n the eq side.

ABM all the way. Sits great in the mix, very powerful.

With so many players now going to in ears, i was just wondering a few things....... 1) If all members apart from drums are on in ears - what happens if yours go down and break mid gig? From what i can work out you wouldnt be able to hear yourself, OR anyone else (as theyd be on in ears too). 2) How do you go about changing your mix mid gig should it need it? (ie certain songs were guitar levels suddenly jump or fall). Using backline i can walk closer or farther away from what i need(or dont need) to hear - how would you do that on in ears? Just curious to how it all works?.

Ive had the following cabs - but bare in mind these were mostly all used with different amps and experience level: Trace Commando 12 - starter bass amp, not great and was heavy. Ashdown MAG 4x10 - very middly, not warm, big and heavy, but loud if needed. Ashdown mini 4x8 & 4x15 - only used for one practice before band split. It was let down by the underpowered superfly i was using with them, so never got chance to gig. Line 6 LD300 - ok all rounder combo, nothing special. Mark Bass T210P - Great cab. Very well built, very light (one hand lift) and very powerful and loud. Really impressed. Had good punch. Genz Benz Contour - combo. Really weak, not loud, had a baked in thin chorus like sound. Ashdown ABM115 combo evo2 & ABM 210 - Very good kit, had that ashdown tone, not particularly loud, but sound carried well. I find Ashdown cabs are difficult to put your own bass tone into (or get out of). Barefaced Supercompact G3 - excellent cab. unbelievably lightweight. good tone. suitable for a lot of gigs, but does get lost on stage in a larger environment. Id suggest the double 12 or x2 SCs if youre thinking of one. Mark Bass 610 ported - lovely cab. amazingly lightweight for a 610 (34kg) easy to move about and great rock tone. switchable horn, endless power, punch and volume. Works great on any stage, area and even at an outdoor festival i only had the amp on half.

I too have gone back to the dark side. From a barefaced SC to a mark bass ported 610. The 610 is amazing - sound superb, easy to move around at 34kg, has wheels and bar, and i NEVER have to worry that i wont have enough oomph on stage.

If you haven't got the pedal because you thought you needed it, I really wouldn't bother with it. Compression can really mess your sound up if you don't really know what you're doing. I'd avoid using it until you personally think that's the exact effect you need.

I recently bought a Evo iv ABM 600 and I have to say it is quality. It's looking like it's going to take over as my first choice amp. Firstly - power. Well, more than enough. Through my 6x10 it'll blow walls down. Secondly - build quality. It's built like a tank. All quality. Leather, metal, stitching, components - all top notch. It's amazing how you forget how a good amp should feel and be built after dealing with lots of throwaway class d stuff. Thirdly - Tone. What tone do you want? They're all in there! Granted they're not all that obvious to find, but theres some real lovely tones from classic Ashdown, to full on reggae, smooth funk and slamming ampeg style. The eq is second to none. You quickly learn what cutting out boosting a certain frequency does to shaping your sound. Some smooth it out, some add grit, some thickness, is a good learning curve. Fourthly - in the mix. The amp really sits well in the mix. I've spent about a day looking for a tone I was after, then did some recording and it genuinely couldn't have mixed in better, and that's without any tweaking or adjusting. Add to that great customer service, reliability and an amp that's built to last and you've got a great amp.

The older ABMs and ABM combos are hands down the best value second hand amps and cabs out there. Also, no one mentions it, but the fact there are so many available is testament to how well they are made and how long they last.

Good topic! When I first started bass and want much good, I used to roll all the tone off and it disguised sloppy, clanky playing. Eventually I played with it fully open, which accentuates any sloppy playing, and made a concious effort to iron out those playing errors. It took a while but improved my playing and technique no end. I now mainly use the tone pot fully open and then roll it off a bit which seems to give a nice sound with a bit of punch.

The evo2 i had didnt have the compressor on, but this compressor on the evo iv is pretty much outstanding for what i use it for. No hassle, no dramatic changes, just great compression at the turn of a dial. Its very very balanced without squashing before 12 oclock. the more you add the more your sound changes but the core compression (used for balancing output) is fantastic. The valve drive is more warm and gradual. So you can use it with a little bit of drive and it warms up your sound without grit, (you can tell the difference b switching it in and out) then the more you go the nicer it becomes. As always with this, make sure your input is registering fairly high to help the valve drive. The finish really is top class. the handle is like a piece of hand crafted furniture. really thick, strong and superbly finished. Job well done, Ashdown.