martthebass

Well thanks to our very own Mr Cougar who has very kindly lent me his brand new LM250 for a few days, I've had a chance to A-B this against my current TE combo.

I'd agree with Eude that it's a lot louder than my current 150/300W TE. However I think I'm going to have to play around a bit because it seems 'compressed' compared to the TE (less distinct/clear) - maybe a hefty dose of EQ is required? Granted this was with a MIA P bass with old strings tho (my lowest output bass - thought it'd give me the best idea of whether this would give me enough volume at a gig.

So........before I commit anyone know how the Genz Benz Shuttle 3 sounds in comparo?

Tort all the way.
Gotta get one for my MIA Jazz 3TS........................how much and where from?

Hey, I'm looking for a Little Mark.

.........................I'm sure it won't come to that Nick.

I was in exactly this situation a few years back - drummer wouldn't practise then got frustrated/angry when chastised for making a b******s of everything. Got me up against the wall with a drum stick half way up my nose once too often and myself and the guitarist walked. For the last 5 years we've had a trio with a singer and dare I say it - some MD backing. Works well, cuts down on the rehearsal requirements and means we can play smaller places (for more money/person).

Don't get me wrong, I still miss the fully live vibe but I can usually get this out of my system by going to the odd jam night. Look on it as an opportunity - you might be surprised with the fun you'll have in the semi-acoustic project.

I've had a Corvette active standard and a Thumb BO4.
Both IMHO sounded the mutts. I personally had no problem on the neck of either and I was swapping between Jazz, MM and Warwick - also both were the 'less desirable' ovangkol necks which according to Talkbass are like bass ball bats?

In the end I did sell the warwick Thumb but it was a balance issue - I hated the twice per minute position adjustment on a 2 hour gig. However not everyone has this problem but the moral is definately try on a strap for half an hour before you buy.

Thank god it's not just me then. Thought it might have been some sort of noise related epilepsy thing.
Yup I get it, but only occasionally and on certain frequencies - cymbals in particular can 'floor' me.

All I know is...........it isn't me. However this does help my talent to money spent ratio.

[quote name='beerdragon' post='212693' date='Jun 4 2008, 07:26 PM']Dunno if i'm missing something but the Pbass seems cheap for the pbass everyone seems to go for Balack on blaco with a maple neck. i fancy it but i onl have a P bass to swap at the moment.[/quote]

Think its about standard at the mo. I've got the RW neck sister to this (2004), picked up last year - same price. Guess I'm biassed but the 2000-2007 series precisions in 'near minty fresh' are pretty good value at this price point. Also, maybe I've been lucky but I haven't played a bad one in this age range so I don't think inconsistency is the issue it used to be IMHO.

I'm in the process of doing the same as you Ian - cept mine is the 150/300W version. Can't think of anything to touch these combos at the normal second hand price these go for. To get anything like a sensible improvement I'm going the MarkBass 151HR/LM250 or LMII route.

Good luck with the sale/changeover

Lovely bass Chris. Was looking for one of these for ages and nothing came up. I preferred one of these to the DJ5 I had and I guess in these Lakky-centric times thats got to be a good endorsement. Sorry I don't have any cash or 5 string trades - Kidney?

Must be loads of us 60's & 70's kids who started off on the VS amp. Loved and used mine for over 10 years with a range of cabs. Hated the way the spring reverb 'clanged' tho when you knocked the amp mid gig....

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='211320' date='Jun 2 2008, 07:29 PM']I used the S1 on my Jazz quite a bit. It really did give you the thicker precision-type sound. Very useful! But people with Precisions don't seem to bother with it. With no bridge-based pickup it's not going to sound like a jazz, just a thinner, weedier precision![/quote]

Exactly.

Unfortunately my new (old) Jazz doesn't have S1

Got a 2004 S1 Precision. No neck dive and never use the S1. Sounds pretty good to me. I agree that the bridge is not as substatial as that on my old Lakky's or Warwicks (or the MM back up I use) but as I string thru the body it doesn't seem much of an issue.

Cheers Eude.
You're pretty much telling me what I thought - it's just I'm taking up most of the porch with the TE combo and the 151 at the mo and I don't know if I can stand the earache from Mrs MTB for 3-4 months . Generally the gigs we do are smallish (<100) and if It's bigger then I DI. The TE has more than enough for most of what I do - if the LM250 and 151HR can deliver the same volume then I'd have no problem. I know the 151HR has good sensitivity (100db/w) but the LM250 only delivering 150W into 8 Ohms makes me think it would struggle with a 400W handling cab? I was thinking I need about 300W minimum unless someone can advise me better.

Does that mean you can sell all your other basses as you have reached Bass 'nirvana'?

Well the cab thing has now been sorted in the form of a Mark Bass 151HR. However with less gigs forthcoming than I would like I'm having to consider 'bridging' options on the amp. Ideally I would like to go for a LM11 but I may have to wait a while until the GAS fund is replenished or I can find someone to take my TE GP715SM in px. So, in short would a LM250 be capable of driving this in the meantime or any other (reasonably lightweight) options anyone can suggest for the time bridging option?

Cheers Mart

Love my P bass. 2nd bass I owned was a JV series P (1982 bought new) kept it for a couple of years and moved onto Jazzes/Rays/Warwicks etc til buying a MIA P bass last year. Don't think I'd be without it now but I wouldn't want it to be my only bass

Nick, it suits you.

No disrespect intended.

Yup, think that's a steal. Even the old Electro 1's (with less desirable wood neck) come in at about £5-600ish.

[quote name='Old Horse Murphy' post='204999' date='May 23 2008, 02:33 PM']too).

Why black and maple? My wife bought me this, so if it's the same colour scheme, she'll never know (hahahaha!!)[/quote]

Nick, you've no chance.....my wife seems to feign complete disinterest in my basses but amazingly always knows if I've changed anything - even a change of white to minty pick guard. You should know by now that women are an alien race with special superpowers that are all aimed at subjegating their menfolk

Also if you find someone willing to swap a SR5 for a SR4 - ask if he has another and wants another SR4.

Think I've said it before somewhere that I think MM prices on here are at least £50-£100 less than ebay on recent averages. 2 Fretless Rays got away from me on the bay in the last few weeks at >£700, wheras my near mint Ray4 purchased on here a few weeks back was significantly less - go figure.

[quote name='dlloyd' post='203658' date='May 21 2008, 12:36 PM']Fretlesses are a different matter, but I can imagine that two materials of equal hardness and stiffness would be indistinguishable. I remember reading somewhere about a guy who was making fingerboards from glass and granite... would be interesting.[/quote]

I was easily able to tell the difference, soundwise, between my Graphite necked fretless Jazz and RW fretless Jazz. With flats on both I could never 'tame' the zing out of the graphite. The RW was always much warmer and easier to get the mwah sound on.

On fretted basses - never been able to tell the difference. My RW necked P bass is mellower than the maple necked Ray but that's bugger all to do with the neck.....IMHO.

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='203439' date='May 21 2008, 07:03 AM']Tread carefully. Word is MarkBass cabs are not as good as the heads and not as good as EBS cabs, and dont work as well with a certain custom builders basses. Are you going to A/B them?[/quote]

I'm sure there are also many people who love MB cabs and loathe the MB amps.
Always preferred 'objective' to 'subjective' meself - must be the engineer in me.

[quote name='Josh' post='202427' date='May 19 2008, 09:03 PM']Soooo any Warwick is in fact, not a Warwick?? [/quote]

Yup.......according to your sig you have in fact a wrawick.

Sorry, it's been a long day.......

How long have you had it?
I played Jazzes for years and then decided to have a go at Warwick - I also loved the sound but hated the neck profile. I persevered for a few weeks and it got much easier and I had no problem switching backwards and forwards between Jazz and Thumb.

'Fraid I parted with the Thumb tho a few weeks ago - nothing to do with the neck - just hated the neck heavy balance on a long gig. Ended up buying a 'Ray. C'est la vie.

In all tho, if you haven't had it long give it a while you will grow acustomed to the neck in the end.