LLOYDWT

I bought the CQ-20B, and it arrived yesterday. I own a Midas MR18 and a Korg MW1608, and I regularly run live sound with a Midas M32 and have a fair amount of experience with other "prosumer" and pro-grade mixers too (Midas/Behringer, A&H, Yamaha, PreSonus, Soundcraft, etc.). I primarily bought the Midas for use when I was doing the sound and playing, but I now tend to use it exclusively for when I'm purely running sound. I bought the Korg with the intention of its being a permanent installation in my practice room, but it's the mixer I tend to choose when I'm both playing and doing sound now. I used to play and mix relatively large events at relatively large venues, but since Covid I've been keeping far closer to home and have been consciously trying to put together a system that can approximate the features I grew used to on larger gigs but fits in the boot of my car and at a less eye-watering price point. An outsized frustration of mine with the Midas is the poor implementation of WiFi on the mixer. Having to carry a dedicated router, find space for it and power it definitely detracts from the appeal of the MR18. Another niggle with a stage-box mixer is the responsibility falls solely to me as the only person with an iPad, and I end up making endless monitor mix changes for others. Despite the form factor of the MW1608, it's been a more convenient mixer for use whilst playing with a band whilst mixing, with people able to take ownership of their own monitor mixes, and, with the sub-group faders (somewhat rare in this form factor), people taking some ownership of the master mix too. My final niggle with both mixers, which has only been a reality for me since upgrading both my phone and iPad last year, is the lack of Bluetooth support. Neither my phone nor my iPad has a 3.5mm out, so I end up running either a Bluetooth dongle (unreliable and poor battery-life) or a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter into a 3.5mm extension cable (ungainly and a trip/tangle hazard) in order to play music between sets. I was sold on the CQ-20B purely on the improved native WiFi, the Bluetooth implementation and the monitor mix features. (Also, the mic-gain summing appeals for the rare occasions I mix speaking engagements.) The 18T appealed, but with my usage, I imagine the built-in screen would've ended up being somewhat redundant; the extra stereo in on the 20B, the form-factor and lower price point made the decision easier. I wouldn't have bought this were I not confident I can shift the MR18 fairly easily, and I've recently sold a Shure Dante system with mics with the justification of rationalising some of my audio gear. I'll not be gigging with it for a few weeks, but I took it through its paces in my practice room yesterday and my first impressions are all really positive. The UI, in my opinion, is an improvement over the Midas/Behringer app. Everything is very intuitive and I found every feature or parameter I was looking for in seconds. No matter how hard I tried (distance, interfering devices on the same frequencies/channels), I couldn't get my tablet or phone to disconnect from the unit's WiFi and there was no discernible lag whilst mixing. It's built like a tank, the MR18/XR18 is a well put together unit, but this looks and feels far sturdier. I bought the soft case too, an impulse purchase. Most of my gear is in flight cases, but I was conscious that I'd be gigging this before one was offered by Swan/Thon/etc. It's well put together and protects the unit really well. I'd argue it's a little overpriced for what it is, but I had some credit with Andertons which lessened the blow. I can't see myself replacing it with a flight case anytime soon. I'll post again when I've had a chance to play with the FBA, the auto gain setting and the inbuilt FX, but I'll keep an eye on this thread if anybody has any specific questions or requests.

I'm sceptical you fill a gap in the market by releasing a tiny amount of stock exclusively in Japan via eBay with absolutely zero advertising, marketing or acknowledgement of the legitimacy of the products being sold, all at vastly different price points. When Fodera built the Empires they marketed them well, finished the basses in NYC and they were distributed globally. A dozen dubious eBay ads does not a rerelease make. I don't want to waste Fodera's time when I'm almost certain that whatever the truth of the matter is, it has little or nothing to do with them.

That's where we're at with the Ken Smith Burners. But at the £4K price point, yeah, I'd want something pretty special.

Someone on TalkBass already tried that and received this response — The one thing that email does show is that production had ceased. So where are these new basses coming from?

Thanks @bubinga5. Is there anything online confirming this? I can't find any info on it anywhere, and I can only find them for sale on eBay and nowhere else.

I get that, but these aren't used basses. These are "new" basses with slightly different finishes to the bulk of the Empires out there. And they aren't being sold by musicians, they're being sold by retailers with 1000s of sales. These are new basses, sold as new by shops.

Thanks @bubinga5, I had seen that thread but there's nothing there that addresses a batch of entirely "new" or "as new" basses. Am I the only person who thinks it's weird that a bass model that's been out of production for over a decade suddenly has lots of marketplace listings for "new" basses?

Yeah, AFAIK the original Empires were Japanese too, made in the same workshop that built Bottomwave and F Clef basses. As the Talkbass thread that @Acebassmusic linked to says, the aesthetic anomalies of these newer basses do, in Fodera's on words, conform to the design of the last Empires produced. It just seems unlikely that so many "new" basses would be popping up so long after production ceased. Either somebody has come across a container full of NOS basses, or somebody has been using the original CNCs/templates to reproduce the Empires in their entirety. £4K is definitely more than I'm willing to spend, even on a bass with excellent provenance, but whatever the story is here, I'd be interested to know.

I've always fancied one of the Fodera NYC Empire basses, so every now and then I browse the forums and marketplaces to see if I can find one that fits my requirements and budget. Recently, I keep coming across "new" or "unused" Empire basses from Japanese eBayers. Examples — Ash and Maple Red and Rosewood Gold and Maple Blue and Maple Sunburst and Maple I can't find anything on Fodera's website regarding a rerelease of the NYC Empire; and aside from Japanese eBayers, I can't find any mention of their existence anywhere on the internet. Aesthetically they look identical to the basses I know to be legitimate Empires, but the headstocks of these new basses incorporate the Fodera name in large font, whereas the older basses have "N.Y.C. EMPIRE BASS® by Fodera" in smaller font. The Fodera butterfly is also outlined in black unlike the originals and they've added a string tree. If they're fakes, then they're pretty good ones. From the photos they look as well put together as the ones I've seen in the flesh; and they're priced inline with what I'd expect to pay for a real one. I'm unlikely to buy a bass from Japan at the best of times, but there's a real red flag for me on these and I'm curious if anybody knows what's going on.

I'll try and take some better ones soon.

I hadn't seen this post before today, but I purchased this bass from Sue Ryder, so it remains in Suffolk. It is actually an AB-1, not an AB-3, so it has an imbuia back and sides, a mahogany neck and a satin spruce top. As opposed to the AB-3's maple back, sides and neck, and gloss spruce top. It is the nicest acoustic bass I've ever played, though Furch comes close. Its acoustic sound is excellent and reasonably loud, but it really comes into its own when it's amplified. I'd been after one of these since seeing Flea play one in the "Road Trippin'" music video and Victor Wooten playing one with Béla Fleck back in the 90s, though they were well out of my price range back then. I wish Taylor/Klein had made a five string version, as it's the only bass I play without a low B (though I imagine the lower notes would be useless without amplification). But it really is a faultless instrument. If an AB-2 or AB-3 came up for sale, I don't think I could stop myself picking one of those up too.

This one haunts me. I didn't have the money for it in 2010. It was listed again in 2015 around the time I got married. I had the cash, but was keeping hold of it just incase I needed it for unforeseen wedding/honeymoon expenses. I'd resolved to buy it if it was still available after I got back from my honeymoon. Alas, it wasn't to be, but I picked up a Jamerson style Mike Lull P5 from the Gallery instead which is a great bass that I still own https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/82303-alleva-coppolo-kbp5-traded-traded/

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1428852410' post='2745253'] You weren't confused at all Lloyd [font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][size=4]The S112 uses ceramic magnet 12s while the 1126/2126 have neodymium magnets. The ones with the grille cloth we set up first were the neo-equipped 1126's. The snakeskin 12's and the white 2x12 + 6 were the ceramic ones.[/size][/size][/font] [font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][size=4]The reason for the S series being lighter is that the neodymium magnet speakers used in 1126/2126 have a design that requires a larger magnetic force on the voice coil, Tommy uses neodymium in them to keep the weight down, but they still get heavier than the S version. It would be hard to make a ceramic speaker with the same capability, and even if it was possible it would make a ceramic version of the 2126 weigh maybe 40 kg or more.[/size][/size][/font] [/quote] Thanks for the confirmation Barrie. Just need to work out how to justify buying one now :-P

Got the opportunity to play through this head yesterday when Billie Apple brought it into Bass Gear whilst I was relieving my bi-annual GAS. We ran it through all the TKS gear as well a Berg CN212 and Billie Apple's EAD. Really blown away by it. The range of tones available from quite a small array of bells and whistles was impressive. Every combination seemed to create something usable. The cleans were suprisingly clean, not the hifi tone I was getting from the GK gear I was getting but they had a clarity that worked really well with the EAD and the TKS cabs. Hearing it played through the S112s with some dirt mixed in created a much rockier tone that suited the snakeskin finish of the cabs. Amazing bit of kit for the price and definitely worth checking out if you have the opportunity.

Hehe, Billie Apple might be right, it doesn't take much to confuse me. I thought the first TKS cabs we plugged the Orange into were Neo and the second ones were Ceramic, the first ones had a vintage 60s style front with cloth over the grill. I remember saying to Barrie I couldn't believe they were neos as they sounded very full. Sadly I left before the Jule Monique came out (probably best for my bank balance). It looked like a work of art. Massively impressed with the whole TKS range though as I'd heard so little about them before hearing them.

Played through these at Bassgear today with Billy Apple's Orange OB1 and Spector Helium when I went to pick up my new Berg HD112. Amazing cabs - Massively impressed with them. Completely different beasts to the Berg and if I thought the missus would let me have them too, I'd be ordering some as well. Fit and finish was top drawer and they where the first neo cabs I've played through that didn't feel like a compromise to me.

I should've probably started this years ago, but it's so infrequent for me to part with gear...

Just bought a Bergantino HD112 from Dunc, great price, great communication, fast shipping, exceptionally well packed. I wouldn't hesitate to trade with Dunc again. Thanks :-)