Musicman20

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/gibson-reissuing-gibson-g3-912908/ It is one of the Gibson basses I've always been curious about along with the Ripper/Grabber...mainly because of my teen years listening to early Green Day.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1346500870' post='1789946'] Really unless someone comes up with a standard test its all nonsense [/quote] None of these 'tests' performed by any of the mags or experts are official tests. They are merely their way of attempting to gauge the watts. Which leads me to ignore them now. In the real world outside forums, the RH750 completely slays. So did the RH450. There are plenty of traditional amps that have also 'struggled' to hit their wattage. Eg: Mesa 400+ (ridiculously expensive, huge, and heavy) Ampeg SVT Pro 3 (not my cup of tea at all, and needs to be maxxed out on the gain and master to keep up with amps in the same category that are barely ticking over). Personally, I don't care about wattage. My Orange AD200b could smash down walls, but it depends what you want it for. I've given up on caring about the advantages and disadvantages of neo/ceramic class D/tube/SMPS, etc. Play what you like, for the right reasons. If it sound great and has good quality aftercare (eg like Genz) then stick with it.

I enquired and zero basses have been ordered for the UK market. Zero. You would think it would be wise to have a Ray or two just in case! They do have guitars on order but that doesn't help. However, USA MM Customer Service said that in the circs, they would authorise a USA dealer to ship to a UK customer, but the warranty would be difficult to follow up.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1346071188' post='1784814'] I dont understand why no one has them to try! [/quote] Shops are tight when it comes to Musicman

Not that I've seen. If that Classic at BD was maple boarded I'd be v tempted.

I will also add that the latest album is still one of the best if not the best albums released over the past few years. It is totally solid and much more raw that you'd expect. I think it's their best album yet close to TC&TS and the self titled.

That is the spec I have! Beautiful bass. S&T have a few 5 string ones in stock that Soundslive might be able to get you pre-price rise. I'm in Newcastle if you are ever up here

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1346061181' post='1784557'] Yep, he just has this look on his face when playing that says "F*ck me, I`m in The Foo Fighters, and I`m playing to thousands of people". You can see how much he enjoys playing, and that in itself is a quality I wish more musicians had. [/quote] Plus one haha! He loves it. My dad is the same age ish and always comments on how Pat has something cool about him.

I think the problem seeing anyone covering the Foos is that most cover bands don't actually go for it live...they tend to stand still and concentrate. Half the adrenaline rush from seeing this band is the fact they absolutely love every second of it. Everyone can get in that zone no matter what your age (Pat Smear is in his 50s!).

Pat Smear is essential purely because he is dead cool.

Fantastic choice. The Shuttle amps are brilliant but the new .2 models really do push technology to an almost perfect state between weight, tone, price, versatility. If it is anything like my Shuttlemax 9.2 you have many tones at your disposal. I read that the new filter on/off buttons are much less extreme and really well zoned in on the frequencies we bassists need access to quickly.

[quote name='Bassman Sam' timestamp='1345910969' post='1783056'] I used to break E strings regularly and it was always Rotosounds. No trouble when I changed to Elites. [/quote] Plus one re: the Rotos. I was always breaking the Es when I played with a plectrum.

I've seen these basses get more and more popular over the past year or so. They are clearly the market leaders in absolute top of the line quality and attention to detail, there is no doubt about that. I do actually like some of their body designs, and the dovetail neck joint is stunning and that's only in pictures. Would I buy one? Even if I had the money right now? Seriously doubt it. I haven't heard them 'live' but the demo's (and this includes their recent experiment between the neck joints on three identical basses) leave me a little 'bored' with the tone. It doesn't stand out. It doesn't sound unique to me. The other thing I cannot get on with, aesthetically, is a Ying Yang used on a bass. It just looks tacky.

The MB800 is very cheap at Thomann.

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1345648117' post='1779988'] When i tried to break away from MarkBass i got a GK 1001-RBII. I hated it. I felt compared to the SA450 it sounded thin, lacked the punch i was used to and seemed to need pushing to get the volume i was used to (and the GK is rated slightly higher). This obviously has nothing to do with class D amps as neither have them, its just down to different tones for whatever reason. If you like the GK tone then the cleaner, more polite GB tone is the issue, not the power stage IMO. [/quote] Agreed!

Now I really want a VT4 or 5 (the older name was PM). Do the basses come with series/parallel switches? A few reviews say they do...but a mod?

To be honest, I've never heard a Stingray not sound like a Stingray, no matter what amp!

Sounds virtually the same as all the new heavy hardcore...and probably a glimpse into how they record haha. That sounds so much like a guitar!

[quote name='classrock' timestamp='1345317818' post='1776296'] All I can say is that nothing on this planet sounds like one of these. I am no historian but I know Leo Fender 'over-egged' the top end of the Stingray because of his hearing. Something changed when EB took over, they just mellowed the sound. [/quote] The treble will still slice your head off, but the bass isn't set at the sub end of the bass freq. like they used to be.

LM3, Genz Shuttlemax on the FET channel, one of the EA amps. Plenty more.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1345304199' post='1776113'] Great demonstation of one of the best sounding and best designed basses of all time, in my opinion. I know Bongos tend to polarise opinion , but have loved them from the first moment I saw them when they came out, which must be nearly ten years ago now. I am genuinely mystified when some people say they look ugly- anyone who has seen one in the flesh must surely be won over by their mixture of angles and curves and the 3-d chamfering of the body . For my money, this is still the best bass EB make and one of the best basses on the market full stop , and I mean even compared to sky-is-the-limit boutique basses. They tend to be fairly light in weight , feel great and sound as punchy as a kangaroo in boxing gloves.. That four band preamp is brilliant too. That Buttercream and tort. special edition . is the nicest colour scheme I have ever seen for a Bongo . [/quote] I totally agree. Nothing, not even a Ray, sounds like the Bongo. Its clearly a Musicman tone but it just sounds so powerful...hard to explain. They do polarise opinion. I didn't gel with the bodyshape aesthetically when I first saw the inital pictures, but now, I love em. It's a bit like beer/ale, when I was 15, I wasn't keen on even a sip. Now i'm 31, its great haha! I have a Tangerine Pearl 5HH on order and I cannot wait!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLyV5JLvxM0

[quote name='spike' timestamp='1345300889' post='1776066'] All the pub gigs I've done over the last 20 years have been with a Trace Elliot AH100 amp and a single 15" cab and I've never had either of those problems. Never run out of headroom either. [/quote] Exactly where I was coming from. I don't ever use thunderous huge amounts of low end anyway. It just isn't my sound.

Y'know what. I was looking into getting a P bass with maple board to match my rosewood version, but the more I hear Rays, I just think 'nah, get another Musicman'. Despite the fact I had those problems with the HH Ray (which were nothing to do with the factory, and the one I actually ordered and received eventually is stunning) I still think you can't beat Musicman for tone/aesthetics/quality/hardware at the price point. The new price points are a bit crazy, but I suppose it was going to happen The P bass/J bass I have sound great. Play well, look great, lightweight, etc. Plug in a Ray, and the core tone just stamps all over everything. I love it!