molan

I recently had the pleasure of watching Paul Turner slapping like a complete funk-god through a TH500 and into a pair of Aguilar SL112 cabs. There definitely wasn't any lack of sizzle or snap in his tone. He wasn't using any pedals either, just a passive Alleva Coppolo 5 straight into the Tone Hammer. I used to own an original Shuttle 6 and never got on with it. I always found it a bit thin sounding and seems to spend more time fiddling with the eq than playing through it. The TH is a real 'set it & forget' head. When I use one I tend to set most things flat and just tweak bass and mids dependent on room characteristics. I sometimes add some of the drive if I'm after a more vintage tone but I find I'm using that less and less these days. Of course, the cab choice is going to make a big difference to the final tone. The TH is pretty flexible and seems to partner modern brighter neo loaded cabs as well as more vintage voiced ceramic drivers. I find some Shuttles can get very brittle sounding through neos - ha could just be my ears though! If you are after a new TH then I'd strongly recommend hunting one down soon. They are all going to start rising in price soon

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1392446444' post='2368840'] lets be honest it's 95% for our benefit rather than 'the music'. I for one know that I could do 99% of what I do with one of my student 'Stagg' basses, [/quote] I was having this exact discussion with a pro player last week. I had been at a gig with a, painstakingly chosen, early Fender custom shop relic Jazz and there were some lighting issues which meant it was near impossible to see the dot markers. Not a huge issue but I had a backup with me that had clearer dots and block markers. Swapped basses at half time and discovered that my sound was, to all intents and purposes exactly the same in the second set. I really couldn't hear any difference on stage. Not too surprising until you realise I'd swapped to a Mike Lull P bass! From a J with everything on full to a P and, in a live band context, I couldn't hear the difference. My pro player said exactly the same thing The next day I agreed a purchase of a new Fodera Custom and placed an order for one of these Demeter amps. The Pro enquired about a trade for a brand new Alleva Coppolo or possibly a Fender CS Pino. We just can't help ourselves Another day later I bought a new Lull J as well because I liked the P so much! I'm super excited about both the basses and the amp. It's entirely possible no-one else will be able to hear any differences in the sound but if it makes me smile then I'll be happy

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1392409948' post='2368538'] Therein lies the enigma; you fine hone 'your sound' with a lush amp/cab set-up and then a hairy assed sound guy does whatever he wants to get the sound that a ) he wants to hear b ) fits the room acoustics! [/quote] Funnily enough I got the opposite effect recently. Turned up at recording studio with a really good idea of what I wanted to sound like. Engineer insisted on using a DI and used quite a lot of Studio trickery on my signal. Sounded nothing like me on the final recording - it actually sounded really good and very professional. . .

The small shop I help in definitely sells a lot more J's than P's. Overall demand in terms of questions and response via email and social media is massively in favour of J's as well.

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1392405498' post='2368440'] Is it that much more to have it included? [/quote] I'd guess about £175 based on US pricing so total would be £1,300 rather than £1,500. I've been chatting to a fairly heavyweight pro player who tried it at NAMM as well. He said it sounded amazing - so much so that he had to go back and try it a second time to make sure he hadn't got it wrong the first time. I've done some tests using a VTB 201 and a Minnie which is going to sound relatively similar and it was very nice. What was really interesting was setting the VTB up using Lee Sklar's settings. They look a bit 'odd' but sound great - I guess he should know what he's doing though The new pre is probably going to have a bit more of a mid bias compared to the VTB and will sound a little more vintage but I'm guessing this is going to be fairly marginal. I have done some pretty exhaustive tests with the Minnie power amp and it really is a cracking little unit. We've run it with a variety of pre-amps and run direct comparisons against a big money Rackmount unit, a relatively low cost rack amp and the power stages of some good quality integrated heads. It basically beat everything we put it up against for overall tone and sound quality. Th downside is that it's £865 and it's almost certain to rise to £900 on next orders. Adding the valve pre from a VTB is essentially only sticking £250 or so on top of the power amp so that's what is getting the guys in the US so excited

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1392404565' post='2368414'] Does the inclusion of the Jensen output transform DI bump the price or is the price Barrie quoted inc' this feature? [/quote] The price is for the non DI version. DI models will be about 3-4 weeks behind the standard models. The DI will be a Jensen Transformer job so should be a really nice addition for people that need them. They have a great rep for recording. Interestingly I've spoken to a few people since we've known about these and quite a few people have no need of on onboard DI for a gigging amp so happy not to have one. I must admit it wouldn't bother me because I often DI through my Sansamp for live work or use whatever the studio prefers for recording.

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1392402693' post='2368373'] That's cork-sniffing bs if you ask me... No offence intended [/quote] None taken - I have absolutely no idea what this means Cork sniffing is what people who know about wine do isn't it so I'd take that as a compliment.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1392393180' post='2368167'] So it's basically an improved Orange Terror Bass? [/quote] You wouldn't have to do much to improve an Orange Terror. . .

[quote name='Toasted' timestamp='1392390330' post='2368099'] It's got to be £1500 doesn't it? [/quote] To be honest that's what I thought - however it looks like they will be £1,125 which feels like a really good price for such a high quality piece of kit. A well respected US reviewer at NAMM said: [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#000000]"I[/color][color=#3E454C] did play through the Demeter head, and it was quite honestly the most exciting thing I saw at the show. [/color][/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#3E454C]It sounded great, and knowing James and using his products for years, I know that it is a quality piece. [/color][/font][/size] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#3E454C]The presentation/packaging is just fantastic. I have not had GAS like this for anything for a very long time. I told James I had to have one, and I fully expect that it's going to become my go to head. Just fantastic! "[/color][/font][/size]

[quote name='Toasted' timestamp='1392389937' post='2368085'] … and at the low, introductory price, of only eleventy billion pounds. [/quote] Without cheating and looking it up what would you say a good price would be Joe?

The standalone cab has a tweeter level control and the combo's tweeter is always on (unless, like me, you remove it from the circuit completely!).

Pretty sure I have a trusty old PL12D somewhere. I'll have a hunt!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1388616465' post='2324167'] Great trolling effort, well done. I started this thread on the 28th of December and you've been referencing it in other threads since then, apparently desperate to get a response from me. I am glad I was finally able to satisfy your desperate longing. Actually I paid £100 for that bass. I do have a more valuable bass which I'm very fond of, but I don't feel the need to wave it in everybody's faces all the time. Oh. Well I don't want to alarm you but Companies House have you listed as a director of Bass Gear. I'd assumed you were aware of this? You should get in touch with them immediately and let them know you merely help out there occasionally. [/quote] Wow, your paranoia knows no bounds does it. Whenever someone doesn't agree with one of your 'factual' statements you take it really personally and go after them and try to drive them into submission. If you don't succeed you just attack them and call them trolls - what strange behaviour The inverse snobbery of continually waving your cheap, but perfect, sub £100 bass in everyone's faces is all a bit dull now. Maybe try a new tactic, might generate more sympathy. Companies House see the annual returns of the shop. Why not write to them and ask how much I earn from the business. You'll discover that I've never taken a penny of income. In fact it costs me money to help they guys out and I'm never there more than a day a week. Of course, having access to a, continually changing, array of basses does at least allow me to offer a more 'informed' opinion than people who just spout their opinions (or those they've 'borrowed' from other forums) as if they are somehow scientifically proven. However, my opinions are simply that - personal opinions that I've come to based on direct personal experience. . .

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1388616948' post='2324177'] You might find that the Squier sounds closer to the '61 than you'd expect. Wouldn't look, feel, smell (or cost) the same mind [/quote] Closest I've been able to compare is a Mexican J to a US Standard J to a Custom Shop. They were all quite different tonally but, to be honest, I've played 3-4 Custom Shop J's back to back and every one sounded different to the next one as well. Could be that there's more variation in tone between J's than P's. I have also played a pair of Monarch Standards with a PJ configuration back to back on just the P pickup. Now they were surprisingly different, especially because both had EMG pickups. One was a complete growl machine whilst the other was much more refined. Both had identical pre-amps so all I could put it down to were the woods used. Both were 'officially' the same wood combination but one was very highly figured flame maple and the other was a plainer piece of wood. Necks felt a little,different as well. Of course, both had rounds on so maybe a set of flats would have made them much closer in tone - I still have access to them so that might be a nice test

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1388614608' post='2324144'] I think that to an extent you're right, a modern Squier Precision with flats will sound much the same as a Fender Custom Shop Precision with flats (and dare I say, a pre-CBS with flats). I'm not sure it holds true in all cases though, and I'm also not convinced that the same isn't true with rounds? [/quote] I don't have a Squier to compare with but I have listened to a '61P up against a modern Lull P fitted with the same strings and they sounded really different. There's a loose similarity in the core P bass sound but the general tone was quite distinct between the two. Couldn't really say which I preferred (although I'd like to own both!), lol.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1388613836' post='2324133'] I'm not enormously surprised that you turned up and behaved like I'd just molested your gran because you've always made a great show of how expensive your gear is and you're often plugging your boutique gear retail operation. Even to the point of defending that monstrosity that Jimmy Coppolo managed to sell to some mug for a small fortune. So that's fine, you've got your angle and I'm well aware of it. You've got Foderas to sell after all, and so anyone who challenges the need for a guitar that costs more than most peoples' cars must be opposed. My point was that the sound people are usually going for with flats is a sound that came out of simple tech and the quality of cheap gear these days is good enough to get that sound. You also went on to say that you put flats on one of your basses that cost more than most peoples' cars and it made a sound like angels having an orgy. I'll have to give you the benefit of the doubt because you didn't back it up with a recording. Anyway, thanks for your input. [/quote] Yay, I knew you'd have to take a personal pop eventually, now that is genuinely funny. I was pretty certain you were trying to set up another 'let's have a go at people with expensive basses' thread but good to see you've at least brought it out into the open. The thing that genuinely surprises me every time you start one of these threads is that you always say you're so happy with a£200 Korean Squier. If that's so why do you feel the need to keep taking a pop at people who feel like spending more than £200 on an instrument - I just don't get where this animosity & bile comes from. PS - I don't have any Foderas for sale and the latest line at the shop where I help out (entirely for free) is the far eastern one from Bass Collection. Not very 'boutique' at all but quite fun to play Also, if you've managed to molest either of my grans than I'm impressed with your level of necrophilia, both have been dead for more than 30 years so you'd have to go to a lot of effort to dig them up. . .

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1388612501' post='2324111'] Nobody has said it but the title hints that it's a negative thing to put flats on an expensive bass, presumably due to your 'great leveller' theory and how fitting them will somehow make the expensive bass sound like a £200 bass with the same strings. [/quote] You may well be right - I'm off to fit some super bright steels on all my basses right now

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1388608080' post='2324023'] BIG plus 1! Also, does it really matter how great/sh!te flats sound on someone else's expensive bass? I like the sound of flats on my bass and that's all that matters. I'd never tell Molan/anyone that flats shouldn't be on his bass or suggest its a waste of his time, it's just pathetic (and mostly not based on any actual firsthand experience!) [/quote] To be fair I don't think anyone has said I shouldn't fit flats to an expensive bass. I think the core 'thrust' of this thread is the old favourite 'spending any more than £200 on a bass is a waste of money because my bass sounds perfect and that's all I spent'. It comes up again and again, often with a slightly different slant, but that's generally the gist of it. . .

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1388610528' post='2324071'] I have to own up to that one molan. I thought you might like it. I just couldn't resist. [/quote] And there was me trying to keep it anonymous Still making me chuckle though. . .

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1388605517' post='2323983'] You're right, it seems Molan thinks it's hilarious. I sometimes wish I was so easily amused. [/quote] Although I hadn't found that much to smile about I did spot a comment in another thread that did make me smile "Just put Flats on it then it will sound the same as an exotic boutique bass with Flats costing many thousands of pounds. P.S. That sounds like it should be in Viz 'Handy Hints' now i come to think of it. Changes voice to very posh and serious....... "hey! Johnny Bass Player! Fed up that you can't afford a very expensive boutique bass guitar with quilted maple top? Then you need Wizzo Flatwound Strings. They will make your 1965 Top Twenty bass guitar that your Granny bought you for Christmas in 1965 sound just like a £5,000 custom bass guitar"

Someone bought a bass in to the shop I help out at for a set up. It had a neck like a banana and fret ends that, quite literally, could shred the tips of your fingers. Th neck was fastened to the body with massive flat head rusted wood screws. The killer thing though was that the fret markers ran 3 / 5 / 7 / 9 / 11 / 13. . .

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1388605517' post='2323983'] You're right, it seems Molan thinks it's hilarious. I sometimes wish I was so easily amused. [/quote] Why do I find it hilarious? I don't think there's anything particularly funny about it at all - maybe I'm missing the really humorous stuff somewhere. I guess the only thing that is most obviously funny could be that someone thinks flatwound strings are some kind of magical leveller that make all instruments sound identical. I guess most people would have a quiet chuckle at that