Gunsfreddy2003

Hi, I ran exactly that model of pre-amp for over 10 years and do have to say that it was fantastic - never missed a beat once and used to deliver a really nice tone too. There are some good options on the pre-amp if you like bi-amping etc and also the tube or solid state blend which always offered a nice contrast in sounds. I sold mine on e-bay a couple of years ago to a guy in Australia and I think he paid about £250 for it in the end. I am sure that when I bought mine from the Bass Centre it was nearly a grand! If you can get it under £150 it has to be worth it and for that money there is no way that you would be disappointed it was a great amp in it's day! Cheers Mark [quote name='Bobo_Grimmer' post='469415' date='Apr 22 2009, 11:13 AM']I'm interested in this trace pre but i can't find anything about it on the TE site. Does anyone else have one or know alittle about them? How much might one go for? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-GP12-SMX-Bass-pre-amp_W0QQitemZ150340082951QQihZ005QQcategoryZ58719QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ht_500wt_975"]Trace Elliot GP12 SMX Bass pre-amp[/url][/quote]

We must be like exact opposites as I started out with Q-Tron after reading that it was the exact same innards as the Mu-Tron III but just could not get the sound that I was looking for out of it and opted for the Bass IQ which has been a lot better. However I do tend to think that no matter what I do to the Bass IQ it ain't gonna sound like the Agent 00 Funk!! Might just have to bite the bullet and see what the Mark II has to offer. By all accounts the Mark I was not that special. [quote name='burno70' post='461710' date='Apr 13 2009, 11:24 PM']Personally I didn't get on with the EBS IQ. Couldn't get it to quack enough for my taste and no amount of trim pot tweaking seemed to help. I ditched it for a Q-Tron. I've heard quite a few samples of the Agent 00 Funk and it sounds awesome. Dunno about the sensitivity of the knobs though.[/quote]

There seems to be some real differences between the sound from Neo speakers in general. I tried the EBS stuff and just could not get on with it at all and I know others who have found the same and use the EBS Pro Line cabs which do use traditional speakers instead. Having said that I did end up buying an Epifani UL210 and have to say that I love the sound from it - so much for something that weighs so little! My agenda was to replace my old cabs which weighed a ton with something that was much lighter and had a great sound. If you can find that from Neo cabs then of course they have to be a better option. [quote name='DrVet' post='461016' date='Apr 13 2009, 09:05 AM']Hi all, I wonder what is U're opinion on this matter... NEO Vs. Classic Are neo cabs just practical (small, light, loud...), or do they have also a versatil tone...etc. Is it a matter of taste regarding the classic cabs...or is just the price (again, Neo cabs have better prices, when it comes to more W... ) Cheers! F.[/quote]

This sound! [url="http://www.chunksystems.com/sounds/superfreak.mp3"]http://www.chunksystems.com/sounds/superfreak.mp3[/url] [quote name='EBS_freak' post='460398' date='Apr 12 2009, 10:19 AM']Which Agent 00 Funk sound? Start with front pots where I said and tweak from there. YOu will find the greatest change in the response of the IQ by boosting your GBs mid pot... Its more what you put into the pedal than the pedal yourself... and with the amount of boost on your GB, you can coax more out than any other bass.[/quote]

Cool - going to try this out later today. Bernie told me it was best not to f*** around with them!! Can it get near to the Agent 00 Funk sound? Where do you have the control knobs on the front set at for a similar sound? Mark [quote name='EBS_freak' post='460374' date='Apr 12 2009, 09:50 AM']The trim pots are the secret to this pedal!! Start with the left pot at 3 oclock, the right pot at 9 oclock and the switch in the fully up position. Then with the back of the pedal off, alter the trim pots to taste. You'll find a sweet spot where the pedal suddenly starts quacking like mad.[/quote]

Thanks Russ, The demo sounds on the Chunk Systems website sound fantastic but that is for the Mark II which I think has an extra Squelch control! To be fair I cannot get anything similar to this from my Bass IQ. Perhaps I am not setting up the dials correctly? Have you adjusted the internal trim pots on yours? I know a lot of people have done this but it never really appealed to me. Would just like to get this kind of sound but without the expense of buying yet another pedal!!! Cheers [quote name='EBS_freak' post='459917' date='Apr 11 2009, 01:32 PM']Yes I had one (Mark I) - it's now with a guitarist I know. It seems to work even better on guitar. Changed it for the IQ. The IQ just seems to be easier to tweak to get the sounds. I found with the Agent 00 Funk, you could get some great sounds but the slightest movement of the knobs would mess things up completely! Its a big box also... and you'll be hard pushed to beat the IQ for bass.[/quote]

Looking at trying a new envelope filter on my board and so far the Chunk Systems Agent 00 Funk sounds the best by far on the net and probably the only one that I would consider replacing my EBS Bass IQ for. Has anyone bought one of these or demo'd one? Some feedback on the Mark I would also be welcome. Cheers guys Mark

Would anyone say that the Elixir or Rotosound Nexus strings are bright enough for the MM sound when fresh on? [quote name='Rowbee' post='455729' date='Apr 6 2009, 06:43 PM']I would say no, I personally feel they have a "week-on" sound and don't have that zingy MM sound. Perhaps not for you then. [/quote]

When you say not uber bright - can you give any more clarification? Or should I say that I like the Marcus Miller type sound - are they as bright as that? Thanks Mark [quote name='Rowbee' post='455701' date='Apr 6 2009, 06:12 PM']I personally think so, they're not uber bright out of the box, just right and they stay that way for a looooong time. I found much longer than Elixir strings, which once they were going they went very quickly. Best place is Ebay and at the moment you can get them for £30 a set. Because of the current exchange rates it's not so attractive to buy them from the US but still a little cheaper.[/quote]

Do they keep their brightness for a long time? What sort of price do they go for? Mark [quote name='Rowbee' post='454452' date='Apr 5 2009, 01:02 AM']You could also try DR coated strings and the bonus is they come in all kinds of funky colours too.[/quote]

Thank you! [quote name='Delberthot' post='454038' date='Apr 4 2009, 12:56 PM'][url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=44101"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=44101[/url] Ask and ye shall find[/quote]

Has anyone tried the new Nexus coated strings from Rotosound yet? I am going to try a set of coated strings as I love the zingy sound from a new set of strings but just wish it would last longer. I have read on the forum that the life of the Elixir strings is good but also some really bad comments about the coating coming off which I must admit does worry me a little. Hoping the the Nexus strings could be the answer but not keen to shell out on them if they are crap and not as good the Elixir's. Any advice appreciated. Cheers Mark

I'm a crap bass player but sure look good with my GB Rumour!!! Sometimes in life, like EBS Freak says. you just find something that you love and then you just have to buy it. Anyone can appreciate the beauty and sound from a GB whether Stanley Clarke or John Smith from down the road. Mark [quote name='silddx' post='450572' date='Mar 31 2009, 03:03 PM']Do you reckon, to justify buying something like this, you should be a pretty fabulous bass player? Or, if you appreciate and can afford this sort of sublime craftsmanship, playing ability is secondary? If you were a maker of these sort of basses, would you feel like selling one to a substandard player, or for someone to put in a display case and play at home three times a year? My feeling is, if I won the Pools, I would still not buy something like this because I am simply not a good enough player - I would feel overawed by it and scared shitless of putting a ding in it.[/quote]

I thought that the wood on the back of mine was nice and then I saw yours! BTW welcome to the club (both GB and Basschat!) Mark [quote name='walkew' post='447504' date='Mar 27 2009, 05:00 PM']That is my bass but I changed the pots before leaving the shop so looks a bit different. Nice finish though!!![/quote]

Absolutely Russ - had a rehearsal last night and did a tune with some slap bass in and I have to say that the GB "slap switch" is nothing short of fantastic!! When you then add the EBS multi-comp it is an unbelievable sound - definitely makes you play better!!! Did have a problem with some fret buzz just before a live radio session so I was frantically playing with the action minutes before we went live!!! Spoke to Bernie and he advised that the truss rod needed adjusting slightly so I have done that and it cured the problem although the action is a little higher now then when I first had her. It is to be expected on a brand new guitar though - I will take her back down to Bernie's in a month or so that he can do the set up again. I am intrigued about your new bass - go on give us some clues? Mark PS Keen to see the GB guitar too - what electrics will they have in them? [quote name='EBS_freak' post='447196' date='Mar 27 2009, 01:21 PM']Is it still love then Guns? Anyway, the bass above... I actually think it looks great. It's all down to personal taste though. I have burl and quilted finishes. I still have a soft spot for walnut but for everybody that likes that sort of thing, there is one that will go for quilt... one that will go for bursts and one that will go solid colours. The owner of this bass got what he asked for I guess. As it happens, I still think one of the best looking Rumours out there is an all black one which went out to Holland. It was proper magic. Wait til you see my next one... it's going to be like nothing you have seen here before. Although it will be some time... The delivery that I am most looking forward to seeing at the moment, is the GB guitar... (oh and I have to pick up my red one with the new bridge on it... I'm looking forward to that too!)[/quote]

Another masterpiece from Mr Goodfellow - not as nice and mine or yours come to think of it!!! Mark [quote name='EBS_freak' post='446346' date='Mar 26 2009, 07:25 PM']As promised... this thread has been overdue a proper update with some proper pictures. Time to change that. So... this is a Rumour that has been completed today - and it's a bit special. Thought I'd give you a sneak before it heads up to it's new owner in Liverpool. Check out the bookmatched billets on the rear of that neck... outrageous woods and a cool burst on the body. A different lacquer has been used on this bass - it really reacts with the light and hence depending upon which angle you view the bass, you get an outrageous change in colour... pinks through to orange and reds to brown. Cool vibe? What do you think?[/quote]

I think that you mentioned the Prunes & Custard pedal to me before - have you got any clips of you using it to get this type of sound? I did have the AF-9 set on Low Pass but still found that it just didn't give me the sound that I was looking for - I have found the EBS Bass IQ much more funky Mark [quote name='Higgie' post='441075' date='Mar 21 2009, 01:54 PM']You won't get the "Light Years" sound with a Mutron or any standalone filter pedal. You will need some kind of fuzz (I would recommend the Crowther Prunes and Custard - Really squlechy synthy sound by itself) then run that into a filter, and you'll be somewhere close. Ps. Were you using the Maxon AF-9 on Band Pass or Hi Pass modes? Always stick to Low Pass with a bass, unless you are using a signal blender like the Barge VFB2/Xotic XBlender, otherwise you will lose low end. I never found the Maxon to suck the lows at all in Low Pass mode.[/quote]

Yeah I think you are right that it is going to be a couple of pedals needed to nail that sound! But yes it is the low notes between the main riff on Light Year - just how do you make that sound??!!! Mark [quote name='sshorepunk' post='440859' date='Mar 21 2009, 08:43 AM']I always figured a distorted squelch was gonna take a couple of pedals? If any of my filters started doing that, I would be thinking somethings wrong, or batteries are dying, Sir Psycho stylee! At this point I had to go listen to Light years, not heard it for years, err, light years! ... are you meaning the low notes between the main riff, if you know what I mean? Tony[/quote]

I had a Maxon AF-9 but I honestly felt that it just sucked all the bottom end out my tone so sold it on very quickly! I like the EBS Bass IQ but just cannot get that distorted squelch that I am looking for (thinking of Light Years by Jamiroquai) and every time I struggle I just keep thinking of biting the bullet and going for an original Mu-Tron but I would hate to spend that money and find that I still can't get that tone. I see that the Subdecay is about $225 so not too bad once the exchange rate sorts itself out again - certainly a lot cheaper than the Mu-Tron. Mark [quote name='Higgie' post='440257' date='Mar 20 2009, 01:24 PM']I've used it yeah. Compared it side by side with my Mutron It DOES do a great impression of the Mutron. Not exactly spot on, but it's got it's own character that's very pleasant on the ears. It's also smaller, has True Bypass (the bypass on the original Mutron is terrible), has an LED, and then not to mention the step filter mode (which can be tamed into an auto-wah) make it altogether a better option unless you absolutely cannot live without the "Mutron" sound. As I said before, if my Mutron were to break or be stolen (or even if I decide the Mutron takes up too much board space ) it's the Subdecay I would replace it with. That slot used to be open for a Maxon AF-9 (sounds more Mutronish than the Subdecay) but it isn't as versatile so I figure the Subdecay is the best bang for the buck. Not cheap, it's one of those pedals that you'll be glad of spending the money on afterwards Cheers Hope that helps![/quote]

Hey Higgie, Have you tried a Subdecay Prometheus yet? If so does it sound anywhere near the Mu-Tron? I have looked at their site and they only have audio samples from a guitar which is no bloody good! Cheers. Mark [quote name='Higgie' post='428552' date='Mar 8 2009, 01:11 PM']That would be a clone of the DOD 440, which is completely different to the FX25 that others have been talking about. The song the OP mentioned isn't actually an envelope filter but an auto wah. It's got a constant sweep controlled by an LFO. If you want a pedal that will do this, plus cover all the rest of your filter needs, with a sample and hold filter too, the Subdecay Prometheus will get you there. It's currently the forerunner in the list of which pedals I will buy as a backup to my Original Mutron. Great pedal. If you want something that's a little cheaper but can get this sound, and a fairly conventional filter sound, the MXR Bass Auto Q is a lot of fun. Bare in mind it will be nowhere near as versatile as the Subdecay pedal, which is what IMO, justifies the price difference. Try and buy used too, you'll save a lot of money I hope you find some kind of help in the above section of waffle!![/quote]

Will have a look now - cheers for the lead! Mark [quote name='josh3184' post='437779' date='Mar 17 2009, 08:47 PM']www.stringbusters.com are pretty decent and I think they do bulk buying![/quote]

Can anyone recommend a good source for buying bass strings? I am not terribly brand loyal but would just like to know if there is somewhere where I can buy in bulk to get a good deal or alternatively sells single sets for both 4 & 5 string at a great price? Any help or advice appreciated! Cheers Mark

You betcha! [quote name='EBS_freak' post='436866' date='Mar 17 2009, 08:21 AM']Good, good, good! Nothing quite sounds like a GB huh?[/quote]

Hi Guys, Sorry - been busy since Thursday! Rehearsal with the bass was fantastic - the guys thought that it looked amazing and were even more gobsmacked when they heard it. I have to say that it plays like a dream and has a really tight sound. I am loving it through my rig too - nice and bright but still with a very tight and focussed sound. Used it on a live session that we did for a local BBC radio station and was pleased with the sound from that too. All in all 150% happy and yes Ferret I think it is love!! It is true though Bernie does make the best guitars in the world. Mark [quote name='bass_ferret' post='436491' date='Mar 16 2009, 07:10 PM']All quiet from Guns? Must be love Done 2 gigs now with Gracie and all is not well. Dont know what Andre has done to it Think I will go single coil and the new pre with the precision switch. Sounded good on a red Rumour that Bernie has laying around that appears to be nameless [/quote]