JapanAxe

When I play guitar I take out a 15W 1x12 valve combo. In a trio this is plenty - there is no need for PA support on the backline or drums and it is easy to achieve a good balance. In the 7-piece soul band I sometimes play with, the 8th member is our sound man, who takes a mic or DI feed from everything and creates the FOH and monitor mixes.

These days there is no need (or excuse) for monster stacks at the small venues most of us play. Even at mega-enormodomes there are other ways to get the sound you want! I expect those guitarists deserve one another...

Likewise. OK if I am at home with WiFi, otherwise very slow on mobile!

Fender are happy to put their name (i.e. Fender, not just Squier) on the Modern Player Jazz, which is [s]made[/s] crafted in China...

No advice to offer about the direct-to-amp hum without being able to check out the amp in person.

For the pedalboard, it sounds like the earth on the power supply transformer is connected to the signal earth, giving you the earth loop we all know and [i]don't[/i] love! The solution is to keep the safety earth connected to the transformer primary, but break the connection to the secondary side of the circuit. I had this issue with a Harley Benton Power Plant - to fix it I just needed to break a track on the circuit board. This left the safety earth connection intact, so the metal enclosure is still earthed via the mains cable, but left the 9-volt outputs 'floating'.

WARNING: Don't attempt any mods like this unless you know [b]exactly[/b] what you're doing!

I too have spent a good few bob with GAK!
[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1353166959' post='1872325']
I bought a Markbass rig off you in the last year. However when I visited the lack of Warwicks (nil) and also Musicman (I think there was a Ray, a Ray 5 and a couple of SBMM) basses on display was alarming - far too many Fenders I'm afraid - nice as they are it's a bit of a turn off for a casual visit - just my opinion!!
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There's quite a few Musicman basses on your website, but it's important to have a good selection in stock for real live comparison.
[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1353172764' post='1872423']
Godin A4/A5 SA? Would be interesting to be able to demo synth access.
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Loads of Godin guitars on the website (nothing wrong with that - I have 2 solid electros myself!) but where are the Shifters and A-series?

I have a couple of gig bags with rucksack straps, and the big danger with them is smacking the head of the bass when going through ornery people-size doorways. Otherwise it is great to be able to carry bass, lightweight amp and cab in one trip from car to venue!

It would be useful to know what is wrong with your sound at present. Not enough body?Distortion? What speakers are you using with your Mac?

[quote name='Inti' timestamp='1353102286' post='1871762']
Actually yes. There are LOTS of factors behind a bad sounding bass. And there are several EMG models, never thought it was the whole brand that was flawed.

But I forgot...you were trying to be fun or smart there. Hi five.
[/quote]
Fun I hope! I don't have an axe to grind for/against EMGs, I started the thread to get people's opinions on them, as I was a bit wary of buying an EMG-loaded bass 'blind'. On the one hand I'm not surprised to see that responses cover the whole possible range (yours being at one end of the range Inti!), on the other there has been a lot of useful comment, particularly about the operating voltage.

I was originally looking to replace my old Squier with a nicer Jazz, but having put back the original pickups and heard it through my TC/BF rig, I'm keeping it! At the moment I'm thinking EMGs are probably not for me, but if I happen to try an EMG-loaded bass that says 'take me I'm yours', who am I to argue!?

[quote name='Inti' timestamp='1353098360' post='1871709']
I'll had 5 basses with EMG's they all sounded awful. What a garbage PU-brand. At least for bass.
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It took you 5 basses to work this out!?

Having visited the shop, I can confirm that many of their asking prices are (ahem) 'optimistic' on their part.

[quote name='VTypeV4' timestamp='1352918919' post='1869417']
Before you discard or replace the BW, double check the tinsel leads that run from the connector panel on the speaker itself. They run into the yellow suspension support from the black panel and should be clearly visible.

I say to check they're in good order as I've fixed many a dead or bad sounding BW simply by re-soldering broken or nearly snapped ones bringing many more years of faithful service from the drive unit.

I'm not saying this a guaranteed fix but double check yours, it might be a simple (and in-expensive) repair.
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What he said!

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1352629805' post='1865242']
I assume that the column has been hidden while its by now infamous code page problems with quotation marks and similar special diacritics are being fixed, maybe...
[/quote]
Wow - [b]diacritic[/b] - I learned a new word today!

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1352633178' post='1865297']
A long time ago I was in the middle of an on stage volume "incident" with an idiot guitarist. It was also his band.

I stopped playing and just stood there looking at him with my arms crossed.
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I bet that taught him a lesson! (not)

[quote name='subrob' timestamp='1352600521' post='1865127']
Sorry folks. I would like some help, if only for long term planning, for a specific bass that I might like to buy. Briefly, a black one. And like a stingray, but with a thru neck. Gotta love the humbuckers. I've always wanted a thru neck, as it seems to make natural sense to brace the strings against a single piece of wood. Does such a beast exist anywhere?
[/quote]

It will if you order it from a custom builder!

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1352600772' post='1865128']I think you need to step back and re-evaluate...but I am not sure about resigning via e-mail...
[/quote]

I agree, that would be on a similar level to dumping someone by text!

In the meantime, weigh up the pros and cons (or do a SWOT analysis - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and see what emerges.

Seems a bit of a design flaw that a flick of a switch will fry your amp with double the correct voltage! If it was just a fuse, surely the nice folks at Fender/GB would have spotted that?

[b]TC Electronic Classic 450 head + Barefaced Compact cab[/b]

I previously left a 'micro review' in the heads and cabs discussion forum, and promised a full review when I'd gigged the Classic, so here it is...

The gig was a dep job with a 6-piece country band, with drums, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel, and up to 4 people singing at once (including me). Material ranged from old trad country to modern country-rock. I took my CIJ Fender Precision and MIJ Squier Jazz. I had set up the Classic at home with bass flat, lo mid +1, hi mid flat, treble +1, spectracomp 4, tubetone 3. The room was a large hall (300 capacity seated if used that way) with a 4ft high stage. Based on the PA guy listening from the floor I set the master to 4.5. I also turned the tubetone down to 2. The bass didn't go through the PA.

I played the P for the first set. A couple of numbers in, it was apparent that the bottom end was booming (the stage was probably the culprit) so I turned the bass control down one notch. I can only describe the resulting sound as perfect! I could hear every note clearly, and they stayed full and fat up to the 12th fret, which was as high as I needed to go.

I broke out the J for the second set, and that's when I really started to smile. I have never heard that bass sound so good. There was no lack of dynamics, even though the head was filling a large room through a single 8-ohm cab. I realised I probably didn't [i]need[/i] the Barefaced Midget I have on order, but I can't wait to hear how it sounds with the Classic, both on its own and with the Compact .

For me the Classic and Compact are a winning combination. It's easy to get a great sound from the Classic, and the Compact lets you hear exactly what you are playing. The only downside is that there is nowhere to hide, and I can't get away with murder by putting out a muddy rumble in the bottom end of the mix!

Bugger! Already got a gig that night

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]One-finger-per-fret kind of goes out the window below about 5th position. I seem to recall an article by Jeff Berlin where he recommended backing up your pinky with your 3rd finger in the lower positions - the pinky makes the note, but most of the hard work of holding the string down is done by the 3rd. [/font][/color]

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1352153371' post='1859541']
I think they're probably too heavy Dom and would double the price
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Couldn't you just pop them both in a jiffy bag and stick a couple of first class stamps on?

Did anyone mention the spanner thing?

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1352053547' post='1858215']
1st gig last night since being helped out by you guys, turned both VLE filters right off (not 12 oclock) and it sounded great, high notes were as loud or even LOUDER than the lows, it was a bit "honky" but i think that was because the mids were turned up but i never adjusted it cos it was so crisp clear and LOUD... Problem solved... I hail you Basschatters
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Result!

[quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1351709851' post='1854510']
Does anyone run a speaker cable far from their head? I've seen it done but not often.
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In one venue the drums used to go on the opposite side of the stage to me, with the guitarist in the middle. I ran a long speaker lead to an extension cab behind the drummer so that he could hear me better.

How much for the tennis shoes?

Plenty room in the world of bass for both brands. 'Versus' (Latin: [i]against[/i], often abbreviated 'v') need not mean a fight to the death, simply a comparison of sounds and features. If TC does not give you [i]your[/i] sound, you need a different head.

I can only report that at a rehearsal last night, I plugged my Classic 450 into an ancient no-name box with a 12in driver (probably part of some antique PA setup), and my Jazz sounded great - I decided there and then that I wasn't going to sell that bass, and enjoyed a temporary relief from GAS!