JapanAxe

deefer, keen to know which way you jump as a Jag bass may be in my future too...

Met up with Stuart today to hand over my (now his) Ashdown rig. He had already paid me upfront. Spent a happy half hour over coffee talking all things bass, and was sorry to have to say goodbye!

Just tried a couple of the Sterling Rays in Gloucester. 2-band with maple board priced at £749 in Remus - liked sound a lot but action could have become tiring on long gig. 3-band with rosewood (or similar) board priced at £599 in Soundhouse - didn't sound as growly to me but different amp used anyway. Definitely preferred the 2-band but at that price would look for used US model.

Thanks for your encouragement guys. I have trawled the web and found no reports of this kind of TC amp death. By contrast, 6 of the 22 buyers (27%!!) reviewing the Ampeg PF500 on the Musician's Friend site have reported power supply failures, or the amp going into fault mode. Best stick with the TC methinks... I have also PM'd bruce@tc so the TC guys can make sure they get hold of the returned unit for a post-mortem. I'm delivering my Ashdown rig to vmaxblues tomorrow, so for a short while I will be without a gigging bass amp. Yikes! Just as well I am mainly playing guitar at present...

By way of a follow up, the Classic 450 is now dead. Defunct. Shuffled off this mortal coil. Used it this morning, went to switch it on after lunch, loud crack and flash from mains inlet, second pop and flash from the mesh by the carry handle. Result: trip switch went, one dead amp. Hope it hasn't caused any damaged to my BF Compact (output was muted anyway). GuitarGuitar are picking it up on Monday. Now undecided whether to go for replacement (I do like it) or push for refund and look at some of the usual suspects (MB, OTB, PF500...). But for now, just

[quote name='Greggo' timestamp='1350623573' post='1841312']Coming from guitar, when I first picked up bass over 10 years ago I used to be exclusively pick because I hadn't learned fingers. I played in a number of bands and whilst I was never commended for my playing (as I imagine most players aren't on bass in typical bands - nature of the beast) but no one ever said anything about not playing with fingers. I did learn fingerstyle and in my new band I am now exclusively fingers with the odd pick dabble here and there. Even though I feel I could probably excel in my playing by using a pick more, I still have this thought in my head that although pick playing can sound awesome, that fingers just looks better on the stage. So I'm wondering, does anybody actually care? After all who notices the bassist anyway? [/quote] My route into bass playing was identical to this. Most of the audience won't hear or understand the difference (even assuming they can tell which is the bass guitar ), but in terms of the satisfaction of getting a sound that makes you feel good, I try to match my playing style to the idiom/band/whatever. And this approach gives a much-overlooked variation: [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1350626924' post='1841330'] For a lot of rock & pop songs it probably doesn't matter, you can roll the top off so the pick isn't so clanky if needs be. [/quote]

I think the answer is that your band is just[b] too loud[/b]! (I know - I'm too old...) Once the volume wars begin, there is no winner. Another thought: Have you listened to the [s]mess[/s] mix by walking out into the audience and still playing? Like most people, I have ears either side of my head (a bit like Shrek in fact), not on my ar$e cheeks. I have often found that what I can barely hear stood in front of my rig (up till now a 2x15 500W Ashdown stack) equates to alarmingly loud a few yards further forward. Try it! Other than that, I concur with this: [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1350633344' post='1841388'] True, of course, but even they have to be as loud as the drummer! He is usually the one that determines everyone else's need for volume... Try turning one of them down! [/quote]

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1350590749' post='1841075'] There is a little phrase where I need to actually pluck the string and move quickly to the next. Barring means the first string will ring and it doesnt sound right. Three strings on one fret. Does this makes sense? [/quote] I think what you are describing is called a 'layover' (not a sleepover or a lie-in btw). Guitarists do it a lot. You are right, if you get more than one string sounding at once it will sound naff. Alternative approaches: 1. Use different LH fingers. 2. Drag your fretting finger across the strings as you play (sweep fretting!?) 3. 'Roll' you LH mini-barre (Stop already! I'm ahead of you!) so that by the time you sound the second note, the first has stopped ringing. 4. If any of the notes can be played as an open string, precede or follow it with the other note fretted on that string. 5. Damp unwanted strings with your RH thumb or finger(s). That should be enough to be going on with!

Seems like a jolly nice chap, kept in touch throughout the transaction. Pleased the G&L has gone to a good home, though now suffering seller's regret...

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1350577615' post='1840822'] I wonder if removing the 4 screws at the top would allow it to tilt outwards & then be lifted up? [/quote] You would probably expose a lot of internal gubbins doing that!

I have had the privilege of conducting a sort of 3rd-party ABC test on a MarkBass, OTB, and Eden. This was when I was playing guitar alongside andyonbass, and he used them on 3 consecutive gigs. I can't 100% remember the models, except the OTB was definitely the 500W, and I [i]think[/i] the MarkBass was a Little Mark. Anyway, the only one that didn't sound good in a band context was the Eden - it just sounded muddy to me. Well that's my 2p worth...

[quote name='oggiesnr' timestamp='1350460751' post='1839044'] Doesn't set the bar very high does it? Steve [/quote] Oooh! Controversial...

The body on my MIJ Squier Silver Series Jazz is well beaten-up - I think the previous owner was some kind of teenaged numpty. At some point I may be moving it on, or I might just sell the body and build the rest onto a new and nicer body. If that happens I'll let you know!

Got my (used) Compact last Friday - very pleased indeed. Decided to amend my BF order to a Midget on the grounds of maximum flexibility, and the extreme unlikelihood of me ever needing to fire up 2 Compacts at once!