Maude

I've had one of those ebay £60 jobbies for a good few years now and I string it with cheapy 'Pure Tone' nickel alloy rounds (45-105), it's only for picking up and bumming around with at home so I'm not too worried about tone and they only cost £4.49 a set , although they do sound alright anyway. Point is, it's never had any issues with nickels on it, I rarely have to tune it much, if at all. The bass is made by 'Atrics' but looks identical to the 'Swift' ones on ebay, I bought mine before I ever saw the 'Swift' ones and I'm guessing they're just rebranded for whoever is selling them.

We do 'Learn to fly' which usually go down well, also 'God put a smile upon your face by' Coldplay if the audience is right and even something as slow as 'Run' by Snow Patrol has been known to work with us, it's funny what drunken blokes will sing along to. I have to say though that the venue and feeling has to be right for proper slowies to work, then come back with a kick in the teeth piece of rock .

The only band to make my area famous for a day that I can think of are Travis. The video for 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me' was filmed on the moors my Village backs onto. The first part of the video up until they all jump in a lake (disused quarry) was filmed on Bodmin Moor across the moors from where I live now and when they all surface up through a floating rooms floor it's filmed on the stretch of the Tamar where I grew up. Why the band came all the way to Cornwall to film in a location that looks so similar to their native Scotland I don't know [quote name='mep' timestamp='1345494405' post='1778226'] Now just round the corner up the coast is Teignmouth where I have heard a rather well know trio come from. [/quote]. I saw this trio in Tavistock wharf before they 'made it'. If you had to pick a band destined for super stardom it certainly wasn't them then .

Please bear with me on this one as I don't have the head to hand at the mo so can't tell you exactly what year etc it is. A few years back one of my neighbours was learning drums in his garage, I used to go in and jam with him just to give him something to groove to. A chap from down the road also started coming in as he used to play guitar and sing in a few bands. To cut a long story short he brought in an old Fender Bassman head and Marshall 410 or 412 cab for me to play with that had been in his loft for years and was (in his words) in the way. Now that was a few years back and the head and cab are still in my neighbours garage, he is moving in a few weeks and asked the chap what he wanted to do with them, turns out he's not really fussed and told him to pass it on to me. Now, when I used it before it made horrible distorting noises and generally sounded bad even at very low levels and I don't want to spend money fixing it up if it's not going to be any good to me anyway. Sooo after all that my actual question is are these amps very good or loud enough for a gigging rock band who play without FOH (for bass) normally. The head is a Fender Bassman Export (silver cloth front) and I would imagine 60's or early 70's, I don't know the wattage and I think the uk ones were called Export as the were from America. If I remember rightly the Bassman or Export was written in light blue on the right hand side of the front. Without looking or hearing what is most likely to be wrong with it, will it need new valves and does anyone know how many are in there and how much they'd be? I know it's impossible to say without seeing but any pointers would be good. It could possibly the cab that was knackered I suppose. The cab maybe a guitar cab but it should take the bass if quiet enough. Would using an active bass in it cause issues? I was using my Yamaha BBG5s. I know I'm just guessing right now but my neighbour is away for the week now and I've got itchy fingers. Any info on what the head is or value would be appreciated.

I've just picked one up so am in the same situation as Rasta above. The way I see it is that I usually use an Aria STB Series P bass with flats and an RBX374 with rounds in my covers band, the Variax does sound remarkably like a P bass and I can get a tone like the RBX out of a few of the other more 'modern' models so it's one bass instead of two and no swapping basses which can break the flow when a gig is going well. If I look at it as a replacement for the P bass, then it does exactly what the P bass does with the addition of being able to 'move' the pickup with the blend knob to get even more variation in tones and all the other models are a bonus. On the 'normal' models (not synth or multi course) it is not in the slightest bit digital sounding even when the notes die away and I like the way the sustain changes on different models. I don't know (or care) if the differing models sound like the real deal or not, I look at it as a massive range of usable tones in one bass. As to the problem of excessive cabling I keep seeing folks refer to, bass lead into box, box into mains and amp, then I have to wonder if they've ever used an effects pedal, exactly the same cabling. I can see the point to the posts about not seeing anyone use one and I agree to a point, but, in my twenty five years of gigging and going to gigs I have never seen anyone use a Rickenbacker bass (not including touring signed acts) does this mean that they are not worth using as well? For the price they go for now I think they are well worth it, no they aren't the best built bass but they are far far from the worst, I have no issues with the quality of mine even if it is a tad on the heavy side, but then so are a lot of basses. The neck is nice and slim, more Jazz than Precision, plays as well as any other bass in the £300-£400 bracket. I am going to put a passive neck pickup in mine with a simple tone/volume circuit and either separate or switchable output just in case anything ever went wrong live, either with the electrics or me forgetting the power supply. If I put a nice pickup in then I have a really nice passive bass with all that Variaxness as extra. To me it's a no brainer ................. at the moment, only time will really tell .

[quote name='Rasta' timestamp='1344455687' post='1764950'] I shall be returning home off my hols to a 4str Variax later this week....quite looking forward to it...although shame to hear the synths are pants...we'll see [/quote] With a bit of tweaking and work on technique so as not to confuse it you can get usable synth sounds from it, but it's certainly not what I'd hoped. I can get it to do Jamiroquais 'Deeper Underground' pretty well with a nice dirty moogey type sound but it just craps itself at Muses 'Hysteria'. Rehearsal night tomorrow so we'll give it a run at a decent volume and see how things go. All in all I'm really pleased with it, as I said earlier I never expected to be getting a top end bass and never expected it to sound identical to the basses it models, but you can get just about any tone out of this thing you could want, it doesn't sound at all digital ( apart from the multi courses and synths) and I really like the differing sustain on different models. I've nearly always played mid priced Yamahas and to me this neck feels nice to play, not uncomfortable at all, I'm not sold on the colour scheme (black with pearloid pickguard) but if I decide it's a keeper then it might get a refinish and new pickguard anyway.

I'm in exactly the same place, I could sell my pedals and have around £400 to spend on a very nice all in one. The only thing that really annoys me with multi pedals is when you want to just quickly adjust a sound, too many menus. I know individual analogue pedals will sound nicer but can anyone else at the pub gig tell, short answer, NO! I think I'm definitely going to go down this route sooner rather than later but I'm not sure what to get. I've just picked up a Variax for the same reason, play three basses at a gig to get the sounds I like, or use one and not be entirely happy, enter the Variax, not exactly like the modelled basses but close enough I get the sound I'm looking for and some of the crowd will notice the bass sounds right for the song with no time consuming bass swaps.

£50 for the lot, absolute bargain. Not to miss a chance of a quick piccy, only to show some more Aria bargainyness (not entirely sure that's a real word) Plays and sounds better than any Squier or other non Fender P bass.

Agreed it's a tiny bit 'clanky' but that's not really a criticism, just my taste, still sounds really cool as it is . I've never really been drawn to the Fender side but I picked up an Aria STB Series P bass for £40, I'd heard the necks were really nice and they weren't wrong, I put some Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders in it and set of Chromes on and somehow it became my main bass. It plays beautifully and sounded instantly like the sound I had in my head, especially in a band situation, strange how you stumble across the sound you're looking for when you're not really looking isn't .

Warwickhunt, thanks for that, at least I know mines not faulty. Bassmachine, I'd love to get [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]a Rick,Musicman,Thunderbird and a P-bass and if you know where I can buy them all for the £290 I paid for my Variax I'll happily trade .[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]In all honesty if you take it for what it is and don't assume you're gonna get tens of thousands of pounds worth of basses for £300 then it really is a good bass, I don't think it was ever worth the £1000 or so they were new.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I gig with a covers band and usually use a P bass with Chromes but this will allow me to have a few different sounds without swapping basses which breaks the flow when a gigs going well. [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]At most gigs you could line our three 'guitarists' up and ask most folks which one plays bass and they wouldn't know, I'm not being mean but why would they, most folks just hear the band as a whole. Only us 'sad' bassists would pick apart the music and say that doesn't sound exactly like a Rick or P or whatever. If I can get a close enough approximation of an upright, a P, a rick and a hollow body then I'm good to go and I think the Variax will do it.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I just need to shut off my critical side and just have fun playing.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I am tempted to try some Chromes on it, I use the 50-105 set and love them but have heard the lighter gauges are too piano like so was thinking matbe trying a light set on it so I still get the high end for the roundwound models but have the feel of flats that I love using. Most of the models need the treble or tone rolled back at tad so upping it a bit would maybe compensate for the Chromes.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Man that was in depth for a Sunday morning .[/font][/color]

Evenin' all, I got my Variax yesterday (ebay unseen) and had a proper play with it today to set up some of the models to my liking. I have a couple of issues I am hoping someone on here can shed some light on. On the whole I am really pleased with the different models but the 12 string has bad tracking issues, obviously I had to try it out by playing 'Jeremy' but when playing the harmonics in the intro the harmonic over the fifth fret really breaks up digitally, if you know what I mean. Also if you play a couple of higher notes together it does the same, it's like the octave two above is just too high for the software to deal with. Secondly the synth models sound quite good but are almost unplayable as the sound keeps fading in and out as if the envelope filter is cutting the sound, actually it's more like a phaser which is cutting the sound, that slow in and out thing but it doesn't have a phaser. If you keep playing 16ths on the same note it almost mutes some notes and every now and again chucks in a random off note almost sounding like a pitchshifter. Are these problems just the way they are or has mine got issues? It's not really bad, more annoying than anything, as I said most of the models are really good and wether or not they accurately emulate the real deals there are some really varied usable sounds at the turn of a dial, which is what I wanted so I don't have to change basses at gigs, but I did want to use the synth for a couple of tracks and it's really not reliable enough, if you play slowly it's not too bad but pick up the pace and it just goes wierd. I am used to bass synths so it's not just the way they are but is it just the way the Variax is? Hopefully someone can shed some light. BTW, jeez these things are heavy .

Thanks Police squad, It's this one on ebay ([url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150835879478?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648#ht_1674wt_1110"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150835879478?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648#ht_1674wt_1110[/url]) I reckon I'll give it a go. I have an old blue metal cased (DOD I think) passive A/B box which I'm going to use instead of the XPS, solder in a stereo input with instrument pos/PSU pos/ instrument & PSU neg for the TRS lead and then send the outputs to my amp head and a tuner, the AB will mute my signal for tuning and then just be straight through for playing. What's the worst that can happen, fry my new Variax ? Thanks for the help, it'll be here on Friday so let the fun begin .

Cheers guys @ Police squad, is that because you're using it as a DI or is the bass that thirsty? Does the XPS do anything else that uses that power? It does seem strange that a 9V battery will power it but not a proper pedal board PSU. Mine will just be power for the bass. I see you can get an alternative replacement PSU on ebay for just under £15, 9V AC 2000mA, although Line 6 sell them for twenty something including vat and postage, I didn't write it down as when they said they couldn't supply the XPS I lost interest, the chap said it would be cheaper to get one from ebay though, at least they weren't doing the old "you must use a Line 6 PSU or it will bring about the end of the world" line . I also want a pick guard off the sunburst one as I really don't like the pearloid on black theme, I think it would look nice with the red tort on a black one but they can't supply that either , if anyones got one , I'll probably get one knocked up in red tort if not. Anyway thanks again.

I'm using an Ashdown James LoMenzo Hyperdrive at the mo and am liking it a lot. It's very versatile will go from bluesy grit to full on meltdown but it is (like all Ashdown pedals) a bit on the large side. Only around £50 though.

Firstly I'm new around here so be gentle . I've just bought a used Variax but it isn't coming with any extras so no TRS cable, Di or power cable. I know you can just use rechargable AA's and a standard lead but I just know I'll get to a gig and realise I haven't charged the batteries so I need to make up a power supply. 5m TRS cable, about a tenner on ebay, 9v power supply, just a normal pedal one, They're both easy, I'm gonna use an old A/B box with a stereo jack socket wired in for the input and then the two standard outs, one to amp and one to a tuner. What I need to know is which part of the cable does the power go to, tip, ring or sleeve? And I assume it will earth through the negative side of the sound signal. I hope my question makes sense, I'm no electrical whizz but this should be simple enough. I haven't got the bass yet so can't have a look but was hoping someone here might already know. Or even better have a link to a wiring diagram for the XPS Di box. Thanks in advance Allan.

Thanks for the welcomes

Hi, I've come across this site a few times now when searching for stuff so I've decided to sign up . Been playing for a good number of years now but hope to be taught some new stuff on my visits here.