geoham

I just tried scanning the barcode in to the Amazon app and it didn’t find anything. I don’t know how ‘official’ it is. It’s released by ‘Picture Music International’ and has a wee bit of German on the back of it. I think I got it on EBay about ten years ago.

I have it on DVD! Think I bought it while waiting on Pulse being released. I’ve not watched it for years though.

Status do a Guy Pratt signature, the Vintage GP. The only time I’ve seen his use it was with Roxy Music (or may have been Bryan Ferry) - never seen him use it with Gilmour. He does a tonne of studio work, so who knows how much he actually uses one. I’m surprised that Fender haven’t made a clone of ‘Betsy’ - I’m sure it would sell plenty!

I also had no idea who Sarzo was until a couple of years ago, when a band I was playing with got a support slot with his band Gunzo. (My bandmates were disappointed in me!) He’s a great player and seemed very humble too. Though I think he played a Warwick all night!

Good chance it’s nothing to do with your fault, but there was a recall on these a while back...may be worth getting in touch with them. http://www.tcelectronic.com/bh250/bh250-product-recall/

[quote name='YouMa' timestamp='1508098952' post='3389775'] It seems pretty good through the amp. I have noticed i seem to be getting some sort of natural compression aswell which is weird cos i wasnt using the compressors on the b3. [/quote] I wonder if there is a limiter being applied when headphones are attached or something like that? Have you tried the Active / Passive switch on the B3? Maybe it’ll work better if you set to active, since it should reduce the level of the input signal - and may reduce the compression effect you are getting. Good luck! George

How does it sound with the B3 through the amp? I’ve always found my B3 to be pretty transparent sounding, never sucking tone (with no effects enabled at least).

[quote name='Hellzero' timestamp='1507804057' post='3388030'] http://basschat.co.uk/topic/313371-fenix-by-young-chang-jazz-bass-fretless-for-peanuts-again-i-know/ [/quote] Looks great... forwarding to the wife..

[quote name='Raslee' timestamp='1507388933' post='3385159'] I think the weak spot of the HB’s are the electrics (pots). I soldered up some old CTS pots I had lying around yesterday and the difference really surprised me. [/quote] I genuinely find this really interesting. I’d always had the view that a pot (particularly when fully open) had a negligible impact to tone. I never tested it, I just can’t understand why it would. Could you describe how it was different? I do know that better quality pots would last longer, have a more consistent and quieter sweep and just feel a bit more sturdy - so I’d never consider upgrading as wasteful.

[quote name='JohnFitzgerald' timestamp='1507316164' post='3384782'] I have a Harley Benton JB40-FL, the poor man's bass of doom I call it. It makes 'that' sound, now I have the right rounds on it and the action just nice. Havign previously a MIM Jazz, I wouldn't ever swap back and I wouldn't play or sound any better with any other bass. (I bought mine S/H for £60). [/quote] £60! I never find bargains like that!

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1507234439' post='3384183'] How about this one: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/312781-buy-one-get-one-free-2-bitsas-j-and-p-trades-welcome/page__p__3383442__hl__free__fromsearch__1#entry3383442 [/quote] Collection from London kind of kills this one dead for me. Looks a good enough deal though!

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1507230918' post='3384151'] I’m going to be downsizing my collection soon if you fancy a good deal on a Yamaha RBX270F... [/quote] Could be interested... for me an IM with details and I may suggest it to the wife!

[quote name='Raslee' timestamp='1507229928' post='3384137'] Really rate the Harley Benton jazz fretless. I got one recently - may be the 'Emprorers New Clothes' but it feels more enjoyable than the past VM Squires I've owned - can't go wrong for the money and very resonant [/quote] I think this is the kind of response I was hoping for! The Squier VM gets a lot of love, but I can’t help but feel it isn’t worth double the HB. Then again... it always is a game of diminishing returns with music gear!

It was this type of situation that prompted me to buy a Zoom B3. I was buying pedals to use in one song, and sometimes we’d drop the song! (For example I bought a chorus for Don’t Stop Believing and it got old pretty quickly!) I know some folk just don’t like multi effects, but think of this as three interchangeable stomp boxes and you’ll do just fine!

I have both the B1on and B3. Some pros and cons of each as I see it! B3 Pros Can basically be treated as three separate stomp boxes. (Though I do use a couple of sets of them) Easy to edit on the fly Very sturdy DI out Works as a USB audio interface Can edit patches via USB too Cons Only three effects at a time (i.e, ‘always on’ effects like a noise gate or compressor take up a slot) B1on Pros Fits in my gig bag (good when rehearsing straight after work - one less thing to take on the train) Five effects at once Sounds identical to B3 Cons Need build a patch for each sound you want. Computer connectivity limited to updating firmware Difficult to edit parameters in a live situation Not as sturdy as B3 I’ve been favouring the B1on lately. I created a base ‘clean’ patch, with a mild compressor, preamp and noise gate - then copied to other slots and added effects to it. I have about 5 patches I use in total.

I've gigged with a variety of amps at different price ranges and configurations over the years, so I'll share my thoughts on how I got on with them. My overall view is that I prefer the sound of modern 12" speakers, and portability is a huge deal. I find that I can't properly hear a 15 in a pub setting, since I need to stand quite close to it. Regarding portability, some might say old and heavy is fine - but if you need to park half a mile away from a city centre pub to then get your amp down a narrow stair case, then the reality is very different! [list] [*]Laney 1x15 combo (can't remember model) - heavy and awkwardly shaped, but did sound quite good (in a vintage sort of way!). Didn't have a car and quite difficult to get in boot of friends' cars or taxis. [*]Behringer BX1200 1x12 combo - wedge shaped. Again, quit awkwardly shaped, but a bit smaller and did sound 'tighter' than the 1x15. [*]Ashdown Mag 300w head + 2x10 cab. My expectation was that a modular setup would be easier to transport and I could extend it. The reality was this was still difficult to move around - the cab weighed a tonne. The tone was quite wooly - which I liked at the time. It was also good to take my own head to rehearsal rooms. [*]TC Electronic BH500 + 2 BC210 cabs. Much lighter than Ashdown and overall a clearer sound. Still fairly bulky though. Often used just one cab, and eventually replaced the head with the tiny BH550, then one cab with an RS112. [*]TC Electronic BH550 + 2 RS112 cabs. I eventually rid myself of the 2nd BC210 and replaced it with another RS112. It's a really versatile setup. A single cab is often enough, and when I have to park a distance from a venue I can move my gear in single trip. A bag with effects and the head, a bass on my back and a cab I can easily carry with one hand. The tone is fantastic - really clear, loud and punchy, though I can make it sound wooly with EQ or amp-sim effects. The opposite is rarely possible! [/list] I play in pubs most weekends now, so small and light is important to me. If you are gigging less often - a heavy 1x15 may not be a problem to you. Definitely look at used gear - if it doesn't work out, you won't lose too much if you sell it. Happy shopping, and enjoy the gigging life! George

[quote name='mark76' timestamp='1506702649' post='3380565'] Does it have to be a Jazz? [url="https://www.revelationguitars.co.uk/guitar/rpb-65-fretless/"]Revelation RPB65[/url] [attachment=254580:RPB65-F-Red-front.png] [url="https://www.revelationguitars.co.uk/guitar/rpj-77-fretless/"]Revelation RPJ77[/url] [attachment=254579:RPJ77-F-Sunburst-front.png] Either of which you should be able to get for well under £300 [/quote] I could definitely deal with a PJ!

I'm considering asking Santa for a fretless this year. It may end up getting used on a maximum of two songs on a two hour set, so I guess it'll mainly be a house toy! I want a Jazz style bass, though it doesn't need to look like the Bass of Doom. From what I can see, I can drop ~£300 on a Squier or Vintage, or alternatively spent half that on a Harley Benton. I know the Harley Benton stuff is well regarded 'for the money', but has anyone done a comparison between any of these? Any other cheapies I'm missing? Thanks George

+1 for ACS I also liked how Flare Audio Isolates sound, but the foam tips just kept falling apart on me. No such problems with ACS.

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1504883158' post='3368058'] My Maruszyck Elwood L 5 weighs just 3.4kg (7.5lbs) and is really versatile [attachment=253167:21390614_10154688212496372_1938782146_o.jpg] That said, i genuinely think core strengthening and fitness could be well worth looking at first as that can improve life in general as well as your playing experience. [/quote] That is a great looking bass... but I agree, probably a good time to be sensible rather than buy another bass!

[quote name='AntLockyer' timestamp='1504855503' post='3367757'] Was chatting to a friend about back pain and his was caused by something very serious indeed. My new advice is go to the Dr [/quote] I've only had this for a couple of weeks - There's a bit of a correlation in that it's at its worst the day after a gig or rehearsal then gets better for a day or two afterwards. I know that speaking to a doctor would be best - I think I'll get something booked soon if this doesn't go away! Cheers, George

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1504816808' post='3367606'] I was also thinking that the cause might not be your bass. Your back doesn't necessarily get painful at the time it's being abused. Got any Trace Elliot gear? [/quote] I don't get too much pain when I'm playing, it's more so the day after. I've never had an Trace Elliot gear, but I got rid of my Ashdown stuff in favour of TC Electronic for a reason!

Thanks for the advice and recommendations! Lot of pretty awesome looking basses there! Definitely a few things to think about too. I definitely could be fitter, though I've always considered myself to be strong. (I'm always the guy to lift the PA speakers or heavy box!) Work stress and lack of could be an issue too... just at the tail end of a 4 year Finance/ IT project at work that's been tough going, plus the fact that I'm also gigging more that I ever have too. The joys of being an adult AND a musician! I have a few weeks off gigging now, so I'll see how my back does. I'll run with a Fender four string for a while before splashing out too. Cheers, George

I've been having a bit of lower back pain recently, and suspect playing bass may be responsible. I've been gigging with my Lakland 55-01 recently. I don't know how much it weighs, but it's definitely heavier than both my Fenders. I took my Fender J to a rehearsal this week and will gig with it on Saturday just to see if it has any impact. (I've been gigging and rehearsing every week with the 55-01 for the past while) I love the bass, but I suspect it may have to go if I can rid myself of backache using my four string basses. I really hope this not to be the case, since I love this bass! So, to get to my point... is anyone aware of a modern, versitile, lightweight five string bass? I really quite missed the B string the other night! Another caveat is that I like the 35 inch scale and wide string spacing. (I realise I may be asking too much!)

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1503437322' post='3358327'] Why's the fifth in parentheses on the major 6/9? [/quote] Just a guess - perhaps it's optional? Five separate notes could be tricky on a guitar or keyboard. Or perhaps to reduce the dissonance a bit - a 5th and 6th together doesn't sound too nice in my view.