Painy

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1413730967' post='2581312']
Dennis agrees:

[attachment=174170:dennisbovell_450x472.jpg]
[/quote]

My first fiver was an RBX765a in this color, through a green cable into a green vinyl covered pedal board, through another green cable then into my trace stack (AH400SMX gp12, 410 & 115). I always thought it sounded almost perfect but not quite. I now realise that the missing ingredient was this outfit all along!

Having spoken to write a few big names after gigs - as you do - I have to say the most accommodating were Marco Mendoza and Glenn Hughes. Both took a good 15 minutes each to chat to me about bass and music in general. Marco in particular seemed to show a real interest in what gear I was using and the music I was using it for.
Actually bumped into Glenn's guitarist JJ Marsh out on the street after the gig. When we inquired as to whether the young lady he had his arm around was his wife, he replied with a grin that she was at home and that this was in fact his guitar tech's wife. Very rock and roll :/ He was also kind enough to ask our group to go with him for a drink with the band (without Mr Hughes himself however who is of course now tee-total) which would have been fantastic but sadly we had a train to catch.

An old blonde one, a recent natural one and a family selfie

To be honest I was a bit distracted from his playing by the fact that his attire was better suited to sitting on a park bench with a 4-pack of Tennant's Extra than to performing on a stage.

Not that I'm one to talk mind.

Maybe try a set with a taper wound B?

4 hours is a VERY short battery life even left plugged in between uses. I do unplug my bass between sets when gigging etc. to avoid flattening the battery prematurely but, given that this means I'll generally change my batteries once a year if they need it or not, I'd say you may have a short of some sort. Maybe get a multi meter on it?
As far as control knob layout is concerned there isn't really a standard as such so best thing to do is turn all the knobs down completely then turn them each all the way up and then down again separately to see what effect they have on the sound (obviously you'll need to identify the volume first and turn that up so you can hear what the others do).

Good luck.

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1410019480' post='2545464']
My ability to record and upload stuff is not the best, but it does sound just like this

http://youtu.be/ycN9x_5MqHQ
[/quote]

Wow! So much 'mmwah' my ears actually felt surprised that the harmonics didn't go mmwah as well!

Found one online in the states at the equivalent of £825 (and that was discounted) so, given the normal relative price we pay here compared to the US I'd say that's a pretty decent price.

Could try Tony Edwards Guitars in Hunstanton. He's on Facebook.

I'd say any one of them will make your teeth rattle in an average sized venue before they get anywhere near full volume!

[quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1410092062' post='2545980']
Anyone got the link to bass wanters anonymous?
[/quote]

Misread this slightly at first!

Well I come from a musical family and my dad in particular is a VERY accomplished musician (played 1st Violin for the London Youth Orchestra from the age of 12, grade 8 in violin, chello, trumpet and French horn and has 2 music related degrees. Also an award winning private piano tutor and was organist at the Royal Festival Hall). He was determined that I would follow in his musical footsteps but despite daily piano lessons from the age of 4 until 8, I never even reached grade 1 and my dad resigned himself to the fat that I would never be the new modern day Chopin. I continued to mess around on piano and with various other instruments for a few years but never really getting anywhere. Then, when I was fourteen, my best friend suggested I learn bass as he'd been given a drum kit for Christmas and he wanted someone to jam with. The moment I picked up the bass and knocked out my first bass line, it felt like everything that had been missing when I played anything else just fell into place.
Since then I have learned to play guitar and drums to a passable standard but only ever with a mind to how it will help me as a bass player.

Nearly bought one of these when I was shopping for a sixer but ended up going for my Cort A6 as I prefer neck through to bolt on. The Cort is a really good looking bass too IMO and plays really well and is we'll built. New price is a little more than the LTD but I picked mine up for £500 with only light bedroom use so was basically as new. Just another suggestion to maybe consider and I think there may still be one in the for sale section here at a really good price too IIRC.

Thanks, I'll give them a look 😃!

[quote name='MikanHannille' timestamp='1407089867' post='2517241']
[URL=http://s37.photobucket.com/user/hessler312/media/10468361_925261447499486_4589094892737054496_n_zps34c3ff72.jpg.html][IMG]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e84/hessler312/10468361_925261447499486_4589094892737054496_n_zps34c3ff72.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[/quote]

Now that's my kind of rig. No I mean literally... I've have the exact same set up and very awesome it is too ! Just wish the combo wasn't so damned heavy. It weighs considerable more than Mrs Painy (although she is quite tiny).

Due to the weight of my Ampeg B500 combo being a bit awkward to lift on my own (95lbs!) I've been thinking about separating the the amp from the cab to split the weight up a bit.
The amp itself has the same dimensions as the SVT450H (so won't fit a standard 19" rack) and I'd really like to keep the classic Ampeg styling so looked online for replacement SVT head boxes but only found Fliptops that do them and at $299 plus postage and import duties from the states it's more than I wanted to spend.
Our sound guy is actually a chippy so could probably help if I go down the route of building one myself (I'm practical enough but have no tools) but before I commit to a project (I'm also inherently lazy by nature) is there anyone on here or can anyone recommend someone that could build me an SVT head box at a reasonable price?

Alternatively, if anyone has an old SVT-450H / 350H or 200T that has blown up beyond repair and they'd like to offload it cheaply, feel free to PM me 😜!

I had the somewhat questionable pleasure of living in Yarmouth for years. There's only 2 music shops there that I know of. Allen's Music which is mainly a keyboard and organ specialist and Dan's Music which is mainly drums (Dan who owns the shop used to play drums for my band). If you can make the trip into Norwich there's PMT and Cookes Band Instruments which both carry bass gear but still don't expect a massive range of stuff. It'll be pretty much Fender, Ibanez and Yamaha basses and Ashdown and Hartke amps.

I think this highlights one of the best things about music in general as a 'performance art'. Making music can be an enjoyable pastime whether your playing to 100000 people at a huge festival or just to yourself at home. I can't imagine there's too many actors out there who can just enjoy acting to themselves at home in their bedroom!
Personally though I love playing live to a pub full of happy punters. So far I've got well over 1000 gigs under my belt over the years and I'd guess it'll be several times that by the time I'm done. Just never get tired of it!

So out of interest, what effect is made to the dispersion in cabs where you have 2 drivers but positioned across the diagonal rather than immediately side by side or one above the other?

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1408565260' post='2531462']
The only factor determined by size alone is the angle of dispersion. The larger the driver the smaller the dispersion angle as frequency goes higher. That's why guitar drivers beam like mad in the highs. It's also the primary reason why tweeters are smaller than midranges, and midranges smaller than woofers.
The main advantage to a larger cone is that it takes fewer of them to reach a given combination of low frequency extension and output, but at the expense of dispersion. In theory one may use, for instance, eight tens to get the same low frequency output as three fifteens, without giving up dispersion. But if you put those tens in two rows side by side the dispersion angle becomes the same as a twenty-one, so an 8x10 has narrower dispersion than a vertical stack of three 1x15s.
[/quote]

At the risk of displaying my ignorance, could you define dispersion? Are we basically just talking about spread of sound e.g. how well we hear the sound is affected by where we are positioned in relation to the speakers? Or in other words, will 3 vertically stacked 15s fill a venue with bass more completely and evenly than the classic 8x10 fridge configuration at the same volume?

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1408566130' post='2531467']
So what am I 'hearing' because in a blind test I swear I could tell the difference between a 10", 12" and a 15" speaker
[/quote]

I suspect some manufacturers may play up to people's perception that larger speakers are bassier etc. by designing the voicing of their enclosures to match that expectation?

Or basically what Lozz just said!

Seems one of the most popular topics on here is which size driver to use, with the obligatory response always surfacing that larger cones don't mean more bass / smaller cones don't mean punchier etc.
So my question is, what difference does driver size actualy make to the sound? If there's really no difference between them then why do we need the range of sizes we have available?

Hello Pat. Was that the blue ATK I borrowed off you to save me from the weight of my Warwick Corvette when I put my back out or that all woodgrain finish jobbie you had afterwards? Both nice bases but I was surprised when you let the woodgrain one go so soon after getting it. It did look pretty special!

[quote name='Dig' timestamp='1381267809' post='2236862']
Here's my Ken Smith BSR6GN, it has the lowest action of any bass I've played. It plays like butter, with a great neck, beautiful construction and versatile electrics.

The last five digits of the serial number are FVP11 which stand for

[color=#000000]F= Figured maple[/color]

[color=#000000]V= 5 pc body wings[/color]

[color=#000000]P= Presentation grade 4a figure in the maple (USA grown English Sycamore, old growth)[/color]

[color=#000000]11 = 2011, the year made. [/color]

[color=#000000]The body core is western figured maple, quilt/flame, the dark laminates are walnut, sawn from 1" stock and all matched. [/color]

[color=#000000]The heel cap is tiger maple from British Columbia/western Canada and the smaller cam touching the neck is Shedua. The body strips to the nack/body joint are shedua and the neck is maple and shedua. [/color]





[/quote]

That right there would be my absolute, ultimate dream bass! If you ever find yourself in desperate need of a kidney..... 😜

Many years ago I mentioned to my nan that I was looking for a new acoustic guitar but wanted a steel strung one. Bless her heart she went out and found the most hideously warped old classical guitar you've ever seen with steel strings on it from a second hand junk shop and bought it for me! Can't say I'd have recommended it.