shizznit

I took a punt on the Mooer Macro two years ago. Still using it now (installed under my Pedaltrain Classic...just about fits) and it’s been brilliant. Very quiet and reliable. It will power up anything you want. Only downside...it is a bit heavy. Not sure if would fit under a Pedaltrain Nano though 😕

Because there are so many sounds you can get out of this pedal I try to limit my use of it so I can quickly remember which settings I like according to the song I play. This pedal is great fun at home or in the studio as you have time to tweak, but on the fly in a performance situation it’s not very user friendly if you need to call up multiple tones. I typically only use two tones which only needs one knob to tweak without changing the mode setting. I start with choosing mode 10, set the frequency and resolution to about half way (give or take a little tweak in either direction), quite a bit of dry mix and roll back the fx mix to about the 2 o’clock position. I leave it like that pretty much permanently. At this point all I have to do is control is the decay knob. All the way up gets rid of the envelope filter and creates a really gnarly gated fuzz tone. I can add additional affects after this pedal if I want to for a bit more fun. If I roll back the decay filter I start engaging the envelope filter which gives a vocal sounding envelope filter for a keyboard synth tone. So, two completely different tones and only one knob to tweak. It’s an awesome pedal, but I am in the market for something that has memory to store and call up tones, such as the Markbass Super Synth or SourceAudio Multiwave Bass Distortion.

There are fake Elixir bass strings being sold on eBay. I bought a pack from an eBay seller about a year ago and I knew something wasn’t right straight away as they felt very rough. The ball ends were a different colour (silver instead of dull gold), the wind at the ball ends were very sloppy, the tension was so high I had to adjust my truss rod on the night and they came in the old design packaging. They lasted one performance and I had to replace them as they began to corrode by the following evening. Which means that they certainly were not coated. Even good non coated strings last more than one gig. Shocking. Bought them for £40 for a 5-string set and I thought that I was getting a good deal. I have used nothing but Elixir strings for over 10yrs and I have never had a dud set until I bought that pack from eBay. I contacted the seller to which I received no reply, which I will get back to in a moment. Thats not the end of the saga! I bought another set from a different eBay seller about 3 months ago...this time for £42. I soon as I opened the package and saw the old packaging design I thought “ah sh*t...not again!”. I didn’t even put them on the bass as the tell tale signs were there. They looked and felt exactly the same as the fake ones I bought last year. Contacted the seller...again...no response. I am suspecting there is someone creating multiple eBay accounts and quickly closing them as I couldn’t find any info for the previous seller I bought from. The seller from 3 months ago has also recently disappeared from eBay. Coincidence?? I complained to eBay, which is a long story that I won’t get into right now, but beware...if you see Elixir strings being offered for such a low price on eBay they are more than likely fake. Every set I have bought from Amazon (albeit roughly the same price as the high street) has been the real McCoy.

I use them for different applications. They behave and sound quite differently to each other in use. The OC-2 has an almost robotic sounding deep synth tone which I can’t get with the MXR pedal. It can get quite close, but when you A/B them the OC-2 wins every time...for that type of sound. If you want that 80’s style keyboard bass effect then this pedal will give you that. I have also used this OC-2 for a drum and bass session I did about 10yrs ago and it sounded awesome. Sounds really great with a gated fuzz too. The MXR is for funkier, choppier uses. It tracks better than the OC-2 and the mid boost function gives a really growly, punchy presence, which I really love. It doesn’t have the same trouser shaking depth as the OC-2, but I don’t need that using this pedal as I mix quite a lot of the dry signal from the bass to keep it crisp and focussed. When I use it with the envelope filter it sounds seriously funky!

My pedalboard setup changes frequently depending on the gig, but this is how it looks this week (with the addition of a fan whilst we endure the heatwave!)

This has been my rig for the past 6yrs. I also use an EBS Reidmar 250 amp (not pictured) with the 210 cab for rehearsals and small gigs.

I switched from EBS Proline Cabs to Neoline cabs 3yrs ago. I did notice some difference. The Neo speakers have a lot more natural upper mid range focus than the conventional ceramic speakers. Its much more noticeable at loud volumes and I have to make a couple of small tweaks on my amp to compensate, which I didn't have to do with the Proline cabs. I think the ceramic speakers are more consistent when cranked. I wasn't sure if I liked the Neo's at first, but I got used to them after a while and I'm very happy them. They do sound good, but they behave quite differently.

If the band or organisers are willing to cover your travel expenses then it's your choice to play it or not. There's nothing wrong with playing for free. If you are viewing it as a 'bit of fun' then crack on. But, it's your choice. As a dep you should not be out of pocket in any circumstance. I would never expect my dep to cover me for a gig that would hit them financially.

Most of my pedals are BOSS. Affordable, tough, reliable and sound pretty good. Enough said.

I used to use Euphonic Audio gear a while ago and their amps and cabs are the cleanest, most transparent amps I have heard. I didn't buy an EA cab though as it was too flat sounding for what I needed at the time and I only used the iAmp500 for recording mostly. Their Wizzy range of cabs are superb for a studio quality, uncoloured result.

Yup...it was a blown fuse. Opened up the amp and there it was in all of its blackened glory. Replaced it and works perfectly. Not sure what part of the amp the fuse protected (I'm technically deficient in that way), but ignorance is bliss. I'm ready to roll tonight! Thanks for the help guys.

[quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1437877173' post='2829707'] Do you know what is powering up? Is it just the front end or is it everything but the speaker out? What amp are you using? Tube, solid state, or both? - does the DI or line in work (if it has them)?. I'm not sure if most amps have separate fuses or circuit breakers for the power and pre-amp sections of the amplifier - if it has the pre could be working but it might just be a single part of the power stage that's gone . . . hope it's just the fuse! [/quote] The amp in question is my EBS TD650. It both tube and solid state. It looks like the front end that's knackered. It's not accepting a signal from the bass, but even if I crank the volume all the way up the speakers don't hiss. It's a strange one. I am going to pop it open later to see if a fuse has blown. I had a similar problem with an EA iAmp 500 a few years ago and all it was was a blown fuse, so hopefully that's all I will have to replace.

I just played a wedding gig and the mains that my rig was plugged into tripped. The power was put back on after a trip to the fuse box back and everything seemed okay, but the amp is not producing any volume. The amp powers up fine, but it's not delivering anything to the speakers. Any ideas what could be the problem?

I watched it last night. He is not a person I would like to be around to be honest. Way too unpredictable in his behaviour. One moment he seems like a guy you can have a laugh and a joke with and the next moment hit you with a walking stick. A very volatile man, but god damn...what a drummer! Can't help but think after I watched the doc that he is his own worse enemy.

The HD350 was the first EBS amp I owned. I used it for 7yrs before moving onto the TD650. You won't be short of versatility! I used mine for all kinds of music styles and it never disappointed. It has plenty of power and is very loud despite being a 350w amp. As already mentioned, it's a very clear sounding amp, but you can warm it up by switching off the character switch and boosting the drive control for a more classic tone. So, when you read comments about EBS amps being one trick ponies is absolute rubbish. The inbuilt compressor is the best I have ever heard in any amp I have used. You can actually use it and it works...very well! Reliable? Mine never skipped a beat and it travelled more miles than Judith Chalmers! I worked it hard in the 7yrs I had it and never let me down. The only criticism I have about the amp is that the DI out is pretty hot. It's a common trend for EBS amps and the HD350, TD650 and Reidmar that I have used have always had a hot DI out. I stopped using the amps DI out a while ago and now use a Radial DI box instead as I was getting too many moans and groans from FOH engineers. Read into that as you will, but the quality of the amp supersedes that little nuisance. I still use it though...for my IEM mix (DI post). Sounds awesome!

Have you tried Elixir strings before? I have been using Elixir strings for approx 9-10yrs. What other brands are you familiar with? D'Addarrio, DR, GHS, Ernie Ball, La Bella, Ken Smith. What bass(es) will you try the new strings on? Lakland 55-02, Shuker Uberhorn, Fender Jazz, Warwick Thumb. What sort of environment will you be playing them in (e.g studio, gigging, practicing) Professional recording, performance and rehearsal Why do you think you'll be a good candidate to test the strings? I have been using Elixir strings for approx 9yrs and I am very familiar with the quality of the strings. I would be able to pick up up on any subtle changes in tone, feel and life of the strings very easily. I also play several types of music where different bass tones are required, so strings that can give me a versatile response is very important to me. Links to reviews... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/168025-ebs-neoline-210/ http://basschat.co.uk/topic/159447-ebs-reidmar/page__st__60

In a rehearsal situation, my EBS Neo 210 cab copes very well. It performs surprisingly well next to a hard hitting drummer. I have used it for small gigs when I am not going through the PA or monitors, but for larger gigs, outdoor stages etc....it is not quite enough and I normally add another cab to my backline. Small gig - 210 / Medium gig - 210+212 or 410 on its own / Large gig - 410+212. As I said, the 210 on its own really holds its own, but I don't like to push my speakers too hard. I always try to keep at least 20% in reserve to get a cleaner result and prolong the life of the speakers. If they flap they sound crap!

[quote name='danweb22' timestamp='1422382913' post='2671981'] Would love to get my Shuker Uberhorn 5 back, had it built for me and I believe it has gone through a couple of members on here now (see members pic below as I don't have any of my own anymore!) [attachment=182157:f7d55f9b.jpg] [/quote] I can remember when you had this bass advertised on eBay and I missed out. A few weeks later I thought "sod it...I'll call Jon and order one instead!".

The LMIII gets my vote

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1422286373' post='2670682'] I haven't read through this thread but I'm assuming the previous 41 posts is everyone saying their current rig is the best they have ever heard? [/quote] The market for bass amps at the moment is the best it has ever been. Build quality is very high, reliability, efficiency, price, portability, variety...there's an amp for every type of player. The only problem is that there is so much to choose from.

My current rig is my fav. EBS TD650 into an EBS Neoline 210 and 212. Very flexible setup. The amp gives me any tone I want and the cab combination is powerful, articulate and above all...very light to carry. I have used EBS amps for several years and I can't see myself using anything else for several years to come. I also have an EBS Proline 410, but I rarely use it these days (I will probably look towards moving it on soon). Other amps I have owned have been awesome. The Mark Bass LMIII was great, the EA iAmp 500 I had for a few years was very good for recording and before I bought my first EBS amp I used Hartke amps for a few years, which are great amps for the price.

My TD650 developed the same problem over the the few weeks and gradually got worse to the point whereby it was unusable. The tone was breaking up very badly, even with the input gain almost off. I emailed Ralf at EBS and replied with the following possible fixes... 1. Clean the effects loop jacks. Spray with electronic cleaning spray and jack in and out a contact in both jacks a few times. 2. Take the lid off (when not powered of course), and use the cleaning spray where all pots are attached to the chassis. Then make sure they sit tight against it, and turn the knobs back and forth a few times. 3. On a spot on the circuit board, there's a ground cable attached with a screw. If you find that screw, make sure it sit's tight, if not, tighten it. 4. Check so the big transformer sits tight. When I popped my TD650 open I immediately noticed that the large transformer was rattling around quite a lot. It must have shaken loose during transit over the years along with additional vibrations whilst sat on top the the cabs during use. I tightened the screws as tight as I could, switched the amp on and is now back to normal. Clean as a whistle...no more break up, pops or squeeks! So, that appeared to be the problem in my case. I cleaned the pots as a couple of them have been a bit scratchy for a while and the amp is like new. Easy 5min fix and avoided a potentially expensive trip to an amp tech. I used it last night for a gig and worked perfectly. If any other TD650 owners get this problem try these 4 possible solutions. Could save you a lot of money.

Guitarists grow on trees and I don't think you will have much trouble finding a dep for those gigs. When your a dep, learning a huge list of songs in a short space of time just for what could be a couple of gigs. It's the nature of the beast. I am depping for a band at the moment and and I have had to learn a list of songs for tomorrow night that will make up 3x 45mins sets...I have had just over a week to learn them with only one rehearsal which will be later tonight. I know how to play a few of the songs already, which helps, but trying to remember how this band add their little nuances is the tough part and they do chop up a few things to make the songs their own. If you play the songs as per the artist then a deps work is faulty easy as they can learn the songs at home to an accurate level, but if are planning to use deps you have to try to make their lives as easy as possible because learning all those songs is a challenge.

I watched this a few moments ago and want to share with you all. Awesome masterclass session from Roger Sadowsky and Mike Tobias. The audio isn't the best and you might have to crank up your speakers, but some awesome tips from two incredible luthiers. Worth a watch! http://youtu.be/QzDxC98VNx8