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chrkelly

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Everything posted by chrkelly

  1. chrkelly
    Best bet is to hold out for something that has been played in. Those gear4music ones you talk about are nice and cheap but I'd personally stay well clear of anything that comes with a hard case for that kind of money. If you've tried it and liked it, fine, but as jake said you can usually source a well used one off ebay or gumtree for the same money. My advice is reserve a bit of money for a decent setup by a good luthier. It's all good and well doing a bit of sanding yourself but it will in no way will it compare to what the likes of Roger Dawson and Malcolm Healey can do. It doesn't matter what the quality of the bass is, if its setup is rubbish, the bass is rubbish.
  2. chrkelly
    Was having a look through Chuck Traeger's bass repair book and one of the first things he talks about are old school wooden endpins. They're meant to vibrate more freely than mordern day steel ones and therefore improve your sound. I've got a 5/8inch diameter spike on my new Tarrantino which according to the book, will fit a 2B hickory drumstick perfectly. A pair of sticks costs only about £7 so I give it a try. It actually works. My bass has a pretty big resonant sound anyway but now it sounds even more open, especially in the higher register. I wouldn't say it's louder, just a more free sound. Better still, the instrument vibrates a lot more with the low C shaking every bone in your body. This is with arco, I found the effect is less pronounced for pizz. Looks a bit weird though setting up with a drumstick in your bass, I'll see how many funny looks I get at the gig tomorrow.
  3. chrkelly
    Wheel all the way. I use an Onyx wheel, very easy to get around London with. Takes about 90% of the weight of the bass off your back so you can actually play when you get to a gig. It's very easy to control once you get used to it. The stool buggy thing is a complete waste of money. The stool doesn't have enough area to sit on making it very uncomfortable during long rehearsals and is too short. I'd imagine it would become a bit squeaky after a while too due to the moving parts. It's a good idea but has too many flaws to be worth that kind of money. The best light stool I've used so far is the Amadeus [url="http://www.amadeus-equipment.co.uk/estore/erol.html#3002x0&&http%3A%252F%252Fwww.amadeus-equipment.co.uk%252Fopus_chairs.htm"]http://www.amadeus-equipment.co.uk/estore/...opus_chairs.htm[/url]
  4. chrkelly
    ON HOLD!
  5. chrkelly
    QUOTE (chrkelly @ Apr 17 2008, 03:16 PM) * MU flight agreements are being waved in the air Are you saying the Airline ignored this? If so was it reported back to the MU? Completely ignored them! The whole situation was bizarre, and Easyjet's staff were downright rude. Not sure what the MU came back with as I haven't been on a gig with that guy since. Would love to know though.
  6. chrkelly
    Not a chance on Easyjet. We were coming back from France last year with a small chamber orchestra and a member of staff took a dislike to one of the french horns just before boarding the plane. Eventually everything is sorted and everyones seated and ready to take off when "can a mr... please identify himself" comes out of the speakers. Anyway, the whole argument starts again and there's a stand off between pilot, security and french horn. Crazy stuff considering everyone else's instruments including 4 cellos are in the cabin. It's 8am, MU flight agreements are being waved in the air and everyone's got a massive hangover from the night before. French horn goes in the hold about half an hour later, comes out in London trashed. Moral of the story, it only takes one jobsworth to make your life a misery. As Wateroftyne said, plan for the worst, stick it in a good flightcase, try and get it in the cabin, if they say no you're still ok for it going in the hold. Oh, and if possible, don't fly Easyjet or Ryan Air, they don't serve free alcohol to calm your nerves!
  7. chrkelly
    Cheers Nathan, I do like the Epifani gear but I'm not looking to go down the pre/power route. Too much weight and 4 rack spaces is a bit excessive for everyday gigging. Thanks anyway though.
  8. chrkelly
    Those Pelican cases look like they'd work brilliantly, however there's something about putting your bass in a weapons case that just screams 'open me' to a customs official.
  9. chrkelly
    Definitely slacken the strings. A mate of mine had a 60s Gibson hollowbody that had its neck pulled off by the tension of freezing cold strings! Some baggage compartments are climate controlled, some aren't. You should be fine using a Hiscox however if you're going to be touring a lot, put up with the extra weight and get a proper flightcase. After 10 flights the Hiscox will have a few holes in it. Baggage handlers don't like instruments. On my last tour I watched some idiot drop my double bass off the belt and onto the tarmac from the plane window. Also, NEVER EVER lock your case. If a customs official wants to inspect the contents of your case and it's locked, they will break it open. There's a ridiculous horror story about when someone wanted to inspect a locked double bass case. They took a crowbar to the flightcase. Took the bass out of the gigbag and then opened the bass with the crowbar! Can you tell I despise flying with instruments? Never once had a problem flying within Europe though.
  10. chrkelly
    Cheers guys, you're making me want to keep it.
  11. chrkelly
    replied
  12. chrkelly
    Definitely open to trades but only for something a tad more coloured for bass guitar, mainly Aguilar 500SC, Thunderfunk 550, Eden WT550 and maybe a Markbass TA503. I'm going to need an amp for some sessions starting 28th so I'll probably hold on to the EA till after that if I can't find a suitable replacement soon. Chris
  13. chrkelly
    Great bass, hardly used. Set up with Thomastik jazz flats and includes well padded ESP gig bag. Pickup only from London. No trades as I need money for my new upright. £150 Pics to follow.
  14. chrkelly
    Brilliant site I stumbled across with some great info. Andy Anderson's virtual lesson section is great for showing the basics of technique. [url="http://contrabassconversations.com/"]http://contrabassconversations.com/[/url]
  15. chrkelly
    [quote name='jakesbass' post='175736' date='Apr 13 2008, 05:53 PM']Cheers Chris, I'll stay in touch re the progress of your sale and let you know should I manage to sell my two. I do know several players so I'll also mention your instrument to them. Best of luck and thanks for the PM. Jake[/quote] Cheers Jake, the more people who know this is on the market the better. [quote name='owen' post='175971' date='Apr 13 2008, 11:35 PM']I use a Full Circle and due to being a complete wally managed to pull the cable away from the pick. Fishman very obligingly fixed it. Phew. I like them as well. I will shortly be trying an Audio Technica ATM350 because one is about to cross my path. Some say that if you put your pick up through your amp, but 350 through the F.O.H. then you get FAB tone for the punters and no feedback.[/quote] Yeah, the desigh is a little flimsy. Brilliant pickup though if handled with care. The only thing I don't like is the white wire and the ridicously heavy jack socket and mounting. It acts like a mute on the string afterlength. I've used a 350 a few times blended with the full circle. Sounded great and doesn't get in the way. I had it mounted in the treble f hole.
  16. chrkelly
    No worries, selling and buying basses takes a hell of a long time. The instrument is designed as a solo bass so the sound is very focused and very even across all strings. The G is particularly sweet around the neck join and really sings. Thumb position and beyond is very comfortable, D neck and very small shoulders mean I can reach the harmonics beyond the fingerboard with ease, also definition isn't lost the higher you go (some basses turn really muddy above an E). Lower register is again sweet and focused, not as big as some but still packs quite a punch. Approx dimensions in cm: String length - 105 Overall length - 185 Upper bout - 45 Lower bout - 68 Ribs at upper bout - 20 Ribs at lower bout - 23 The full circle is a great pickup and the best I've used so far. Similar sound to the Gage Realist but without all the muddiness. Works so much better at high volume as well. On my bass threads are down although I doubt the other way would sound different. Chris
  17. chrkelly
    Double bass made by Joel Mentec, Avignon, France in 1994 Brilliant bass which I'll miss dearly but I've now found a great Italian bass to replace it with. So, if any professional bassists on here know anyone looking for a great orchestral/jazz instrument with a powerful projecting sound, drop me a pm. The luthier's website is [url="http://www.mentec.fr/home.php"]http://www.mentec.fr/home.php[/url] I'm looking for around the £12,000 mark but I'm open to offers. Cheers, Chris
  18. chrkelly
    Bumpage
  19. chrkelly
    Also, forgot to mention Azola [url="http://www.azola.com/sys-tmpl/door/"]http://www.azola.com/sys-tmpl/door/[/url]
  20. chrkelly
    The removable neck Eminance bass sounds just like a real double amplified. Ridicuously portable however I'm not sure how stable the instrument would be taking out the neck and bridge all the time. I was really impressed though when I tried one. I think thomann have a few at reasonable prices. [url="http://www.gelbass.com/"]http://www.gelbass.com/[/url]
  21. chrkelly
    Brilliant amp with a super hifi sound. One of the older models in white with built in Sabine tuner and non-digital power section. Even cleaner sounding than EA's current range. Not sure of the year of manufacture but I bought it about 2 years ago from Walbassist. Still in excellent condition with just a small amount of rack rash. Comes mounted in a Thon 3U flightcase rack (not the rack bag pictured). I'll be sorry to see this one go. Pickup from London. £400
  22. chrkelly
    SOLD
  23. chrkelly
    The Corelli's are very nice. A really good hybrid string. They feel quite different to other similar strings. Loads of attack on the front on each note for pizz (more so than spiros), big sustain and loads of focus but they tend to choke a bit when played really hard. Easier to bow than spiros but I dont like them in an orchestral setting as they're very bright. Have changed them for a set of original flexocors at the mo for an orchestral tour. Overall a nice alternative to the hybrid competition and very good value for money.
  24. chrkelly
    There are two types - sticky and powder Sticky (nymans, carlson, pops etc) is the most used. Gets the string vibrating instantly, good grip, more volume(?) Powder (artcraft no.6, violin rosin etc) requires better technique but bow changes are less scratchy and gives an overall smoother sound. It's all down to personal peferance though most people I know use Nymans or Pops.
  25. chrkelly
    Definitely depends on the playing situation. In jazz/rock etc a good player should be able to get a very similar sound out of different basses due to their technique (provided the bass is decently set up and can vibrate freely). I like playing plywood basses in very loud situations because they don't vibrate so much and feedback is much harder to get. Unless in the unlikely event that you find a Fendt in a junk shop for £50, the orchestral world is completely different and you will struggle to find a suitable bass with massive strong fundamental for less than 10 grand. You can of course still use a lesser bass but you won't blend into the section as well. When I'm gigging back in Ireland I usually borrow a massive old Italian flatback from one of the Ulster orchestra guys. It's worth a fortune and sounds incredible in the orchestra, but in an amplified situation, i'd imagine it would sound awful because it vibrates so freely and its acoustic sound is so huge and boomy.
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