Painy

I've just ordered my first ever set of flats I'm trying the relatively inexpensive Fender strings to begin with but hopefully they'll do the job. I've always gone for a super bright, aggressive rock tone but the Sterling SUB Ray I got recently is doing a better job of that than my precision ever did - only some of the stuff in our set really needs something warmer and a bit more old school. Can't wait to try 'em out now!

Just a quick update on this. Contacted Barnes and Mullins - Aguilar's UK distributor - and they don't stock the grill cloth or the piping so they in turn spoke to Aguilar for me who were apparently also unable to provide the cloth or piping. They did however offer to provide a complete replacement baffle for £204! I have just bought enough cloth and piping to do both cabs (so that they match) for under £20 total.

Thanks for that. I'll have a read through the other thread too (probably a bit at a time - like you say, it's a bit of a monster). Given that the difference in cost between buying a second receiver and buying a complete second system is only about £50, I'm thinking it probably makes more sense just to get 2 complete systems.

When I started out it was literally a case of buying whichever amp had the highest wattage that I could financially afford in an effort to simply be heard over the rest of the band. So my gear progressed in power (but by no means in quality) from 30W to 60W to 75W to 100W until I got a 150W Trace Elliot 1x15 combo which was the first amp I owned that I actually liked the sound of. After that I reached the stage where my band was earning me enough money to go out and buy pretty much whatever rig I wanted so I stuck with Trace Elliot and bought an AH400SMX head with 4x10 and 1x15 cabs. When the head eventually started to get a bit unreliable I replaced it with what I thought was the logical alternative (TE having folded at that point) and bought an Ashdown Evo 500 head. Unfortunately I absolutely hated it. Just couldn't get it to sound any good for me no matter what I did with it so traded my whole rig in against a Line6 Bass Pod XT Pro, a QSC 1450c power amp and Hartke 4x10 and 1x15 XL cabs. Enjoyed gigging that set up for a good while until our current singer joined the band and mentioned his friend was selling his Ampeg B500 2x10 combo for a stupidly cheap price. Bought that and picked up an Ampeg 1x15 classic cab to go with it. Finally had a rig that I loved as much as my big old Trace set up and gigged that for a few years until the amp in the combo finally gave up the ghost. Unfortunately by then having children had drained my financial resources so I had to once again look to the cheapest solution and bought the Behringer copy of the Ampeg head that my combo had been based on, to run the speakers I already had (I removed the amp from the combo to use as a cab). Sadly it wasn't loud enough, didn't sound much good either and my back was starting to complain about the weight of it all but it was all I could afford at the time. Shortly afterwards though my wonderful wife inherited some money and at the start of the year was generous enough to buy me my current Aguilar rig (AG500 into 2 DB112 cabs). I struggled for a good while to get it to sound how I wanted as I prefer a very bright, aggressive tone and I was finding it a bit polite. A couple of weeks ago though I bought an MXR M80 Bass DI+ and a Sterling SUB Ray 5 string and all of a sudden it's all fallen into place. The sound I had at last night's gig was quite possibly the clearest I've ever heard my bass on stage in over 21 years of gigging and by all accounts it sounded great out front too so right now I'm a very happy bunny. Can't wait for my next gig now to hear it again (got next weekend off though which is always the way). In the words of Vinnie Jones, "It's been emotional".

Yeah, it was the separate frequencies bit that I had doubts about. Second thought then: Both of us use monitors only for vocals and therefore would prefer to use just one earphone so we can still hear the band (as the instruments other than drums aren't mic'd up) with the other ear. I'm guessing we could just have his mix through the right and mine through the left then just use the right or the left earphone to hear whichever mix. Any reason that wouldn't work?

My band has just ordered one of these for our lead singer after his old wedge monitor was knocked off the stage by a drunk punter and stopped working. Looking at the spec for the transmitter on the Thomann site, it has separate left and right inputs and can apparently be used for "2 systems parallel". Would this mean that we could use one transmitter sending to 2 receiver packs, set to different frequencies and with 2 individual monitor mixes? If so I could order myself a receiver pack and save having to take my own wedge monitor to gigs for my BVs.

I use a pair of Chocolate Thunder (basically brown) DB112s with an AG500 head in a matching box. The head box is standard 19" rack width and is slightly wider than the DB112 cabs so if your power amp and pre-amp are standard rack size then there will be about a half inch overhang each side of your cabs.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1477747430' post='3164247'] This was me rather than the band, but I always like to tag Teddy Bears' Picnic onto the end of minor key rock/indie numbers. [/quote] Oooh, I might try that tonight!

When we're playing the big atmospheric into to Another Brick In The Wall, our singer will often start singing the beginning of Bootylicious by Destiny's Child (the "Beyonce, can you handle this" etc. bit) but substituting in the names of our band's members. Normally raises a smile .

This has now turned into a bit of a saga. After trying everything I could think of to remove the grill (pulling on the badge screws with pliers while levering under the edge with a screwdriver etc.) And even with the help of my neighbor, it was simply not shifting. In the end I had no choice but to bite the bullet and cut through the grill cloth to get to the frame underneath ! Even then, with both hands firmly holding the wooden frame and my neighbor pushing down the on the cab itself, I think I still nearly ruptured something exerting enough force to get it off. I couldn't believe it was just held in with velcro. I reckon a square inch of it would have taken my whole body weight! Anyway, the speaker is now changed over and working again but I'm now in the process of ordering some new grill cloth and piping (which also took a bit of a hammering in the process). I think when I put it all back together I may just use blu-tack instead of the velcro .

Just completed a very smooth and easy transaction with Chris trading pedals. Thoroughly pleasant chap to deal with too, deal with complete confidence .

I have an AG500 which I love but to get the best out of it I have a pre-amp pedal (MXR Bass DI+) in front of it - although funnily enough not to to add 'heft' or lows (I feel the Head has plenty already) but to add a bit of sparkle to the highs. So I'd have to agree that I did feel the Aguilar had a certain something missing at first. My quest to fix that with other pedals that did also add lows (mainly Aphex Bass Xciter) have actually lead to a dead speaker in one of my cabs as you can see in my current thread on here. Turns out that missing something for me was crisper highs than the amp's own EQ was giving. Adding those highs with the pre-amp pedal seems to have allowed the rest of the frequencies more room to breath somehow (if that makes any sense). Anyhow, I'd put the sound that I had in last weekend's soundcheck (just before the speaker died ) up against any other 'big iron' rig I've owned and still be smiling so for me anything lacking in that head was just down to EQ not the power section - IMHO.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1477342015' post='3161631'] Looking at the specs the Aguilar ag500 has 40hz shelving anyway. [/quote] That's interesting, I didn't think to check. In that case, hopefully just not adding all those extra lows in future that will be enough avoid further damage. Looks like I'm back on with Santa for the chopper bike and Beano annual then, get in!

Finally. Porn featuring twins that won't get me in trouble with Mrs Painy!

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1477303944' post='3161176'] I meant if he was moving the bridge to maintain the scale length. This would move everything towards the left hand, thus making a longer reach. [/quote] Ah, gotcha.

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1477334546' post='3161540'] Or side by side straight down the fretboard. Obviously maple for the crisp D and G strings and rosewood for the warmer E and A tones. [/quote] Best. Idea. EVER!

This really makes me so happy to see! This bass held quite a lot of sentimental value for me but after a very tough gigging life (I'd say it probably played around 900 sweaty pub gigs in the time I had it) it had pretty much been put out to pasture as the type of bass I needed for gigging had changed. After a while of not being used, the bridge seized up completely so I couldn't get it set up with the much lower action I'd gotten used to from my other basses. After that it was left to languish unplayed under the bed for the best part of a year. Recently though I started feeling that, despite its sorry state and my sentiments towards it, there was the core of a truly excellent instrument being wasted on me. Fortunately Granger here came to its rescue and it looks absolutely fantastic! I have to say this bass still has one of the best tones I've ever heard so for it to be back to its best and getting the love and attention it really deserves is brilliant. Top job, it looks amazing!

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1477324566' post='3161428'] same here, but I think I can trump you.... I play with a guitarist who is regularly asked to turn up!!! [/quote] You lie!!!!

I used to gig a fairly high end Warwick bass through a decent Ampeg rig which sounded great as you'd probably expect. When the Ampeg died (it was pretty elderly to be fair and had a hard life before I got it) I resorted to using a Behringer for a while - didn't sound quite so great. Earlier this year I bought my current (very nice) Aguilar rig but now using cheap and cheerful basses (Squier P and as of last weekend a Sterling SUB Ray) and the general consensus amongst the band at this Saturday's gig was it was one of the best sounds that I've had (at least until I blew one of my speakers - but that's another story). Seems I get a better sound with a cheap bass through a posh amp than I do with a posh bass through a cheap amp. Strangely though I'd rather turn up to a gig with shared backline and use my own bass than use someone else's bass through my own rig. In conclusion I'd have to say that overall I haven't got a clue what I'm on about.

I'm not using the Xciter anymore in any case (I actually sold it a few weeks ago to remove temptation) but I think a Thumpinator may still find its way into my letter to Santa this year (shame because I really wanted to ask for a red chopper bike with a flag and a Beano annual). As far as removing the grill goes, a chap in the Aguilar owners facebook group refund you have to unscrew the corner protectors first to release it so I'll try that later.

[quote name='taunton-hobbit' timestamp='1477243978' post='3160828'] Umm - I'd be a bit worried about how 'I killed the speaker' ???? [/quote] I've a feeling it may have largely been down to an Aphex Bass Xciter that I'd been using until recently (turns out it sounds better without it anyway) but I think the damage had already been done.

Cool, thanks. Was hoping it was as simple as that .

Double post.

Well it looks like I've killed the speaker . Tried wiring the driver straight to the input and nothing so tested with a 9v battery and no movement there either. I can get a new speaker next day delivery which is great as I have a gig next week but now I can't work out how to get the grill off to swap the speaker over. Any help from any Aguilar DB112 cab used would be very much appreciated.