surfguy13

My main failing, speed reading everything!

I use a Boss RC3 looper a great deal and although it has a few basic drum sounds they are really very basic and the tap tempo drives me crazy. So, remembered I had my 20/30 year old SR16 in the attic so got it down to see if there was any way I could continue to put the bass through the RC3 and into the amp but somehow incorporate the SR16 too so that I could record loops using the SR16s drums rather than the RC3s on board drums. T I realised that this was going to be a little challenging. The RC3 has 2 inputs, input A and B with A being mono. I put the bass direct into A and using the 'main right' output on the SR16 connected it to input B on the RC3. The RC3 has 2 outputs, again A and B with A being mono. However, the head only has one 1/4" jack input on the front. So used an ancient old splitter jack (two jacks in and one out) in the amp's input jack and ran 2 leads out of the two outputs on the RC3 into the two jacks on the splitter. This actually worked but the volume on the head was almost halved. There doesn't appear to be any way to go direct into the SR16 and then out of that and into the RC3 so I'm a bit stumped; other than midi and I have never used midi before. However, there are connectivity options on the back panel of the head. Its a Behringer BVT4500H. The rear panel has a Speakon output and also 2 x 1/4" unbalanced outs. Then 2 x 1/4" jack send and return effects loop and also a 1/4" power amp input and preamp output. Finally it has a Line Output with balanced XLR out, ground lift, level knob and pre/post button. It also has a tuner out. I simply have no idea if any of the above would allow me to connect the RC3 and the SR16 so that a) I don't have a major loss of volume and b) be able to use the SR16 through the amp and actually record bass and drums via the RC3. I probably haven't explained this very well but any help would be really much appreciated!

PS scroll down to the bottom of the page for technical specs

I have a mid 60s EBO and have done a pretty exhaustive search for alternative pickups. As already mentioned, Curtis Novak does a great replacement but at $265 plus $65 shipping and then duty on top........!!!! Anyway, I stumbled across a guy in Spain who makes 2 different types of Mudbucker at reasonably decent prices. Essentially one is a direct EBO replacement and is 109 Euros and the other is pretty much based on the Fender mudbucker found in tele basses in the late 60s/early 70s and is 99 Euros. This was the one I was interested in as it was a little different: https://www.jlguitars.com/index.php?id_product=57&id_product_attribute=0&rewrite=p-bass-51-replica-envejecida&controller=product&id_lang=8 I reckon the Fender'ish version may work for your P bass fairly well? Maybe worth getting in touch with Jess? Nice guy but after sending me technical specs he offered to send me sound clips which never turned up. Probably just buy. Good luck!

Absolutely brilliant, thank you! I have checked them out and flats for this price is pretty much unheard of unless they're really cheap and nasty, which Status certainly won't be. They have a brilliant range too and I have no idea at all how come I wasn't aware of them.

Yeah, it is a shame they don't make them in the UK anymore and the import duty has increased the price by 50% but even with that you can get them on Amazon for under £30 post free. I'll try and find some Status Hotwires but if they prove to be hard to get hold of I'll check out the D'addario flats. Great to have some options.

Thanks @hooky_lowdown, that's amazing for under £17 posted. I've had a really good search online and can't find any sellers or even info on them. is there any chance you could point me in the right direction?

Good to have another positive review! I just had a long conversation with the guy that is currently selling the Picato flats. He was incredibly helpful and explained that Picato were still there but have ceased manufacturing their strings in the UK. He thinks that Ernie Ball are now manufacturing for Picato. However, as a result prices have gone and I'm guessing that's down to import duty and the cost of manufacturing in the USA. I have used D'addario roundwound Chromes and they were excellent strings, quite bright, but I'm not sure if they do shortscale flats.

This was what made me look around as La Bella are getting stupidly expensive and in a way I'd much rather buy a British product if I can. Good to know that the Fenders are good too.....I use their roundwound and I think they're excellent. That was exactly what I wanted to hear.........these are for an old mid 60s EBO and that's about as thumpy as you can get!!! Yes, I agree about gauge too but as these are for a short scale bass you can happily go with a slightly heavier gauge.

I have always used La Bella flatwound strings but saw a really good deal for Picato flatwounds but have never used them before. I think they're UK made which is a big plus and I seem to remember hearing that their strings and really high quality. Anybody out there used Picato flats?

They are a REAL pain and I sincerely hope this isn't going to be a permanent fixture. It is genuinely putting me off using the forum.

Paul kindly responded to my 'wanted' thread for a 4ohm cab and had exactly what I was looking for. He got it out of storage, hoovered it and generally gave it a spruce up. Above and beyond!! Lovey guy to deal with, brilliant comms and wouldn't hesitate to buy a bit of gear from him in the future; really nice to meet another Basschatter in the area. Thanks for a great deal.

Thanks for that, it looks like a pretty decent bit of kit! Definitely worth considering. That is REALLY helpful and really does help me better understand. For me the most important point is that a preamp will increase gain which in turn can result in distortion, something I just don't want. I love Ampegs because they give you a really great clean sound. I have had another look at the ART tube preamp I use for phantom power with an acoustic (with my glasses on this time!) and I see it has a +20dB gain button. It also has an input knob with up to +40 and an output knob with up to +10. This is definitely worth a try before I do anything. When I initially tried it in front of the amp it didn't really seem to give me that much in the way of an increase in volume and it also definitely seemed to muddy the signal as the input/output was increased. However, I hadn't depressed the +20dB gain button! The Behringer looks like amazing value for money and many thanks for the link! Interesting, I didn't consider the possibility that it could be a dirty pot or dirt on the socket. I will get that checked out now. Wouldn't it be great if it was as simple as that!

First of all that's a hell of a preamp!!! It sounds like it may be worth a try. That looks like a custom/home made preamp......is there such a thing off the shelf with that sort of dB boost? I guess all I have to be careful with is ensuring I don't blow the speaker. Mind you, I don't want huge amounts more volume, just enough.

This seems to reflect my experience. Love the tone, always have with Ampegs, but the output is fairly poor. I think you're right about not being able to increase output so I think that's a decision made!! Yup, this is now dawning on me!!!! Great to have the advice and feedback though; didn't want to ditch the amp and realised there was another option. Strangely enough a Trace is what I had decided to go for. Such a shame about the Ampeg combos as they really do sound great but the lack of power seems to be right across the board and the fact that they've introduced the HP range suggests that they're aware of this!! That's exactly what I was hoping to do! I wonder if this works because you are going into a PA? I have tried an ART valve preamp box that I use for the acoustic and although it makes a difference it just doesn't make enough difference and also it doesn't sound right somehow?

Well, relative isolation!! However, I think a lot of it is due to the fact that Ampeg seems to make very conservative combos. The amp appears to be functioning perfectly but, as you say, there could well be an issue. Had it not been for the B3 being equally underpowered I would have assumed it was a fault. It's OK'ish with both gain and master flat out but I really don't like having the gain that high.

That was exactly what I was thinking. I definitely don't want more gain, just volume. Really appreciate the advice and I guess I will stick to plan A and keep on looking for a new amp!!!

This is probably a very stupid question but I have an Ampeg BA-115 Mk1 combo and as with many BA Ampegs it is seriously underpowered. My old USA B3 that I had for many years was also very underpowered. I just use it at home but even so it definitely doesn't quite give me the volume I need without turning the gain right up and even if I max out gain and master it still falls short.. I probably need to buy another combo or head/cab to resolve this but noticed an Eden preamp on Ebay today and just wondered if this might give me a a bit of a boost? I've never used any sort of pedal with bass and certainly not a preamp pedal. I suspect that putting a preamp in front of the preamp in the combo may not be a good idea but....................

Aha, thanks for that, I will have a look now.....