isteen

Been looking for a new P-bass, and are focusing on the Steve Harris bass...or maybe even Nate Mendel bass.

From Youtube comparisons I like the SH tone better than the NM.

Any comments, experiences etc?

Thanks

Thanks guys, I will go and try one in a shop - and might take it home, too 😁

Thanks for your time

I think I am falling in love with this bass.

Okay, this roadworn thing is getting out of hand, but the 61 jazz with 64 pick ups - I want one.

Anyone tried to play it?

Can't really figure out what that "Level" knob in the back of the amp is good for, never seen something like that

17 hours ago, WHUFC BASS said:

Trace Elliot were at one point in the 1980s THE best bass amp around. They were used up and down the country by a ton of bass players (who could afford them) and compared to what was available at the time, were light years ahead the competition. They had a unique, full, quality sound which was perfect for finger and pick styles but excelled in slap & pull style. You could see these amps being used by so many different music styles, from Reggae to metal, funk to pop. They were expensive at the time, but you really did get what you paid for.

The one you have pictured in the Mk V series GP11 AH500 which was one of the best around at the time (early 80s). I had one, along with 4x10 and 1x15 fane speaker loaded cabs. The sound was absolutely immense and super loud, to the point where it really could get uncomfortable for drummer and guitarist. I used it with a 62 Fender Precision, 76 Fender Jazz bass and a Yamaha BB1100s fretless. The sound was amazing and as I said, it really was hard to get a bad sound out of the rig. Sound engineers loved them for their hand DI out at the back and the handy feature of a noise gate was the icing on the cake.

I've used Trace gear in various guises for most of my bass playing career, in fact I remember the Series 6 being demo'd at the British Music Fair in 1986 I'm that old! The weight of them was what put me off, as there were lighter cabs around. The quality that went into them was revolutionary at the time, with the graphic, pre-shaping and sheer volume - not to mention the green and black colour scheme set off by the UV light just looked great on a dark stage. I used a small 100watt GP7 1x15 combo throughout the 1990s along with a Status 6 string and loved the sound. I finally gave up the ghost on Trace after using one of their Series 6 2x10 combo valve hybrid amps and the weight just being too much for me. Still love the sound of Trace gear and always feel nostalgic when I see the Series 5 and 6 amps. Can't believe the second-hand prices nowadays compared to what they used to be.

Oh, by the way, they used to be manufactured in a place called Witham in Essex which I visited on more than one occasion for a service on these amps. They were superb there, with first class customer service too.

Thank you for that great insight. I have two other Trace amps, but this AH500X is by far the heaviest. Big, beat up and only working on one channel (originally a 2x500 watt amp) but monsterous sounding.

Got this old 25 kg Trace Elłiot top.

Monster Sound. What else can you tell me about it? 

12 hours ago, Sparky Mark said:

I have owned both ABM and MAG Ashdowns. The MAG differ in the pre amp stage being solid state only 5 band EQ with bright and deep switches. Both have compressor and sub harmonics. The MAG didn't have the much mis-used pre shape button which I think is responsible for some players thinking Ashdowns are wooly without definition. I actually preferred the clearer punchier MAG600 over the ABM until the latest ABM600 evo iv came along. The MAG heads can be found secondhand for next to nothing and the 600 is very powerful. 

Really? You prefer the MAG? I can get the MAG 600 for a third of what the AMB 500 cost. I have horrible stories og the MAGs blowing fuses constantly, anything you have experienced?

Thanks for your input

Thinking of replacing my bass head with an Ashdown. I have two offers to choose from, the ABM and the MAG. Price is almost the same.

I will be playing through a Trace Elliot 1x15 and a 2x10.

Can you help me pick the best head of the two (or maybe point my interest towards a GK instead)?

I play blues, rock and hard rock

Thanks

I have a TE GP12 combo with 4x10"

Very heavy, but I am wondering about if I should take out the head, and make 4 10" cabs instead. Then I can use whatever is needed in various occasions

3 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The last page of this PDF has the list of patches

https://zoom-na.com/sites/default/files/products/downloads/pdfs/B3_Operation Manual.pdf

 

Thanks mate. I have No idea why I didn’t see that myself, but thank you 

Looks like Zoom company has pulled down the default patch list for the B3, because the B3 is replaced by the B3n. Does anyone have a PDF/image/link to the original patch list?

Thanks a bunch in advance

There are a Bassbase 600 head available there too, I just have to try that out. Thanks for the info guys

Anyone knows this cab?
I have been offered to play with a band on that cab, but can’t find any information about it anywhere. I guess it might be a discontinued bass cabinet, but it could very well be good anyway.
Can anyone enlighten me a bit?

And their amps (Bassbase?), is that good?

It's a German company as far as I know, and it looks like they don't make bass cabs anymore

6 hours ago, Grahambythesea said:

If you really want to go fretted why not just get a luthier to fret your Sire?

Because I bet that would cost almost the same as a new bass

Thank you very much, you have all been very helpful 💪

Thank you very much, you have all been very helpful 💪

I have a Sire V7 fretless, and I have been offeret a Peavey BXP in a trade.

 Can’t find much information about the Peavey, are they in the same price range?

I found a link where the Peavey were ridicously cheap - under half the price of the Sire, but cannot determine if this is a normal price.

Can you help figure out if they are on the same price racket, or I am being screwed either the Peavey? Fretless isn’t my thing, but I might get a fretted neck instead for the Sire

Been looking at that Caline 10-band, but because of danish customs rules, it will cost me a fortune to order it outside the EU. The seller from UK doesn't ship to Denmark 🙄

Artec  vs   Boss

Any experiences with the Boss or Artec EQ pedals?

Noisy, good or bad?

I can get 3 Artec for the price of 1 Boss

4 hours ago, Graham said:

Microbass II straight into the FX return?

On a completely different note, I hear the new Harley Benton Bass Expander are a copy of the Microbass II for 30% of the price

2 hours ago, dood said:

Apologies for not replying sooner!

No worries dood, your input is always appreciated

Would a preamp or a EQ be the best solution to spark up the sound?

2 hours ago, dood said:

Hey isteen, I think the classic can do top end, so I’d ask what bass/cabinets you are using with the EBS? 

Could help in diagnosing where your sparkle is

I use EBS cabs too. I used the 410 CL first, but now I use a 210 Proline with a single 10" Neoline on top. I have a Trace Elliot 210 I might use in that band along with the EBS 210

Basses - Yamaha BB1024 and G&L Tribute, but my favorites are Ibanez SR600, Fender Jazz and Warwick Corvette.

I use a EBS Classic 450 that I like but...

It gives me a real oldschool sound, and that it what it’s supposed to do, but I sometimes wish it would give me a more bright/modern/top-end tone.

I set everything more or less flat, and when I crank up the drive it really gets dark and oldshool. What do you do? Put a Sansamp in front of it, turn the drive off or something else?

Help and pointers are really helpful, so thanks for all information on this amp.