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[quote name='geilerbass' post='1330623' date='Aug 7 2011, 08:43 AM']In short, there's a huge difference between the various instruments - they're variations on a theme, but very big variations. As well as the body wood, the neck/fretboard wood, the bridge, pickups and eq all vary depending on the type and specific model. Generally the cheaper basses (SR3xx) are made with cheaper materials and have fewer 'features'. The mid-range instruments (e.g. the SR5xx, SR6xx) instruments have more features and better pickups - the Bartolini branded MK pickups - and the 3-band eq. However, due to the rising prices of certain woods, they've, for example, recently replaced the wenge in the necks with jatoba. Some of the other models have different features - e.g. the SR7xx range have tone blocks in the body. There are also variants with different neck woods - I believe there are SR5xxM models that have a maple neck, rather than jatoba. Ibanez have recently introduced a 'Premium' range, in which they use high-end components (wenge neck, nordstrand pickups etc) and also have the mid-range selection that the SR5xx now has. Moving up to the top, the SR Prestige range of basses are Japanese-made (which of course adds a lot to the price), and have more 'nice-to-have' features, such as the power curve mid-range control, which is more of a true parametric mid range control and US-made Bartolini custom pickups. The one thing with Ibanez that I've found (and also appears to be the case with Yamaha) is that the higher-end instruments really do not retain their value relative to cost, which is surprising as they are incredibly well made instruments for the price and even at the higher-end, you're still getting almost boutique-level quality at less than boutique-level price. I don't understand why they don't retain value. As such, with £500, you could maybe stretch to one of the older Japanese-made instruments that pop up for sale on here occasionally. You could also get hold of an SR505, SR705 for probably around the £300 mark or maybe even a through-neck SR905 or SR1005 - the latter has the old vari-mid III parametric mid control, that preceded the power curve in the prestige models. Have a look here: [url="http://www.ibanezregister.com/Gallery/bass_gallery.htm"]Ibanez Register[/url] for more information on specs for some of the older models out there.[/quote] That's some good info you have there. The Currrent Prestige SRs have the Powercurve III eq & the dearer SRs from the early 90s (such as the SR1000) have the Powercurve I eq. I've no idea if they ever did a Powercurve II. If you can get hold of an older Jap model 5er, you wouldn't be disappointed. Infact, it probably doesn't even have to be a Jap one to be excellent!

[quote name='RhysP' post='1306531' date='Jul 17 2011, 11:49 AM']Second coolest. This is the coolest space craft ever IMO: Awesome! [/quote] Isn't that a studio mic of a sort? Loved Blakes 7, but the coolest spacecraft has to be...

I've got a SR1000 I bought new 20 odd years ago (ok, it's a 4 stringer) & it's still my main bass. It's went from being a metal/rock bass to a folk/country bass to a DnB/dubstep bass & hasn't let me down. It has the original Powercurve EQ section. I think the main difference between cheaper & higher models is the quality of parts used as well as the woods.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' post='1329520' date='Aug 6 2011, 03:17 AM']Because bass players tend to be more learned about how their gear works and are less mired in antique technology. If guitar'd players used the same standards for buying cars as they do their kit most would be driving Morris Minors.[/quote] This'll be why one of my guitarist drives a metro (& manages to load it up with a Vox AC30, 2 electric guitars, 1 electro acoustic, a largish pedal board, a tool box, a box of wires & a few other bits) & the other one drives a Fiat Doblo.

I tried a couple of pedal compressors a few years back & never got on with them. I know a little about compression as I've used it for years in rack format for PA rigs & also in VST format when recording (from the early days of cubase up till now). The worst pedal I tried was the Boss Comp/Limiter thingy (sorry Chedda, just my experience of it) as it raised the noise floor quite a bit & Moog pedals can pick up a little background noise, so this ended up 10x louder. I think most pedal compressors are a case of "you'll like it or you wont". I don't use a compressor live, so the answer is No, you don't "Need" one, but you might find one useful. Do what I did & find some local musicians with different ones (that's when guitarists come in useful).

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='1327572' date='Aug 4 2011, 06:19 PM']Tune it CGDAE?[/quote] Is that a weird tuning or just the left hand version of EADGC?

You do realise that if you get either the Ashdown or Ampeg head, you'll end up with gas for a Markbass! (& probably vice versa).

Silentfly [sfx] seems like a good bloke & has offered to look at building me a pedal for blending my signals (that will be used for blending signals I split from the bass murf & put through various fx).

I'm very happy with my rig & have been for the 3 years that I've had it. If your amp & cab choice can produce the frequencies you want at the volume you want, then you should be looking to your bass or effects if you're tired of the sound you're getting. My sound has changed over these past 3 years from just my bass with round zingy strings straight in to the amp to now being a very bass heavy sound using flat strings & a few effects & the rig still does the job I bought it to do. It is a MarkBass LMII.

I suppose that could be classed as "fixing" it.

I take it you fixed it?

I really like the headstock & would like to see it on some other bass designs from Dingwall. I even like the fact that the gold & black D reminds me of transfers from the 70s when I was a kid (almost like a new nostalgic bass). Now gimme a 5 stringer with 2 extra frets!

I had a 4x10 Trace combo, t'was a heavy lump but did have a good sound. I now have a 2x10 Markbass combo which blows the socks off the TE. Produces wads more bass & volume than the TE could dream of & I can carry it with one hand. My pedalboard weighs more! No chance would I go back to a 4x10. But like I said, in the OPs case, a light amp & a 2x10 cab would be better for his budget. Then he can upgrade his cab at a later date. & if I was in your sons position, I could always pop the head out my combo, pop a lid on it & put it in my gig bag.

Whilst I don't fully agree with combos being heavier than separates, in your situation amp & cab would maybe be the better option. If you can stretch another £200 or so, then a Markbass combo is both light & loud & should you need more, then you just add another cab & job's done. I'd probably try & get as good an amp as poss with your money as decent non neo cabs can be picked up for not a lot of £s. You can get a Markbass LMII for @ £3-350. 2x10 cab would be my choice & add another 2x10 if needed at a later date.

I've never really looked at one of these until now. From what I can see the 8B has 8 ins & 8 outs (numbered 1-8) & the GL has 16 so I'd suspect that pedal 1 would have it's out & in go to the input 1 & output 1 on the switchblade. Adding in a loop would be your decision on where to put it & experimenting with one would let you know where suits you. As for your other Qs, I've no idea

Try a Soundgear & then if it's not what you want, fret a GWB35.

The Beatles? Didn't Macca use a Hofner? I had a wee Youchoob at 4003 & after hearing them, I guess the vid above is using the bridge pick up? The neck pick up doesn't lack bass.

I'd say keep it fretless. Get an SR???? with frets.

Do Rics usually lack any actual "bass" to their sound, or is it just that video? Nice looking basses though.

That's why I like my Markbass combo, it's very light. My drummer often asks if he can carry it for me as he'll pick it up in one hand & have some of his gear in the other (he says it makes him look strong ).

Can you take the neck off the thing or is it a set jobby? You can get cheapo necks off ebay if you can.

I like the looks of the Super J a lot, just a shame it only has 22 frets I have a few songs that requires that high G (could actually do with the A too for 1 song).

[quote name='stevie' post='1320974' date='Jul 29 2011, 11:57 PM']I think you always have to try to compare like with like. Yes, you can get hi-tech 10s that will do wonders, and 12s that will outperform many 15s. Interesting that you bring up the question of driver quality though, because the total cost of the drivers in a 4x10 is about three times that of the equivalent 1x15. Anyone trying to buy a half decent set of 10s is going to be spending over £200. Spend £200, or even £300, on a 15" driver, and your 15" cab becomes a completely different animal.[/quote] I was comparing just single drivers & not 4 10"s to a 15". In the OPs case, if he likes the sound of his 4x10 & wants more of the same, then an Ashdown 4x10 would be as close to getting that. Adding a 15" to it alters the sound (as you know, with varying results). The debate of will a 15 go lower than a 10, it depends on how the cab is tuned. Taking out the equation of how loud you're wanting it to go for a mo, if you managed to perfectly tune a cab for the 10 & a cab for the 15 & both drivers was of a high spec, then both should be able to produce the same frequencies. Adding in how loud you want it is how much air you can move. So a 15 can move more air, therefore in theory, be louder. You add more than one 10 & you're moving more air, hence more capable of moving more of those lower frequencies. 4 10" drivers covers more area than a single 15, so should move more air & if the cab is tuned appropriately, should move more lower frequencies also.

Sorry Bill, Alex's definitions win.