Musicman20

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='890154' date='Jul 9 2010, 09:52 AM']First off, i didnt even know about the Sadowsky Outboard Preamp up until an hour ago so sorry if this is going over old ground. At the moment i use a Behringer BD21 to give me a more active tone. I tend to keep the EQ fretty flat on the BD21 and the drive off. This works well i guess. I dont need or want distortion, and to be honest the output from my bass (via my radio system) is good so i dont need to boost it. I dont need a DI as such as i use my amps DI whenever i have to, although having a better one is always nice. I have been thinking about a Audere or maybe even a East pre for my CV Jazz but then stumbled on the Sadowsky in the effects for sale section. I think this might be a better option, as i wont have to keep unplugging my bass between sets. Im just wondering how different it will sound compared to what i have. Any thought would be much appreciated. Anyone use both?[/quote] Ah I had a similar choice when I thought about putting a pre onboard a Lakland, then I realised it would be nice to have a pedal as an option because I have a few passive basses so it would make more sense. I've not tried the Sadowsky one but I expect it's pretty damn good, although subtle. The Sansamp will give you the character Sansamp tone which some love but others don't. Like an Ampeg being pushed into slight tube drive all the way to tube grind. It sounds quite modern and aggressive although I think it can be bypassed and just used as a DI. If you aren't sure on the Sadowsky, there is the Aguilar Tone Hammer which Aguilar have demos of DI'd on their site.

Ive had a fair few. MIJs are great, but the pickups are a little thin sounding compared to the MIA range although some models have US pickups. Dont get me wrong, the MIJ/CIJ basses are great for the price (or used to be before they became expensive), but I wouldnt take one over the new MIA basses. The new 08 onwards Ps are pretty much spot on. I was looking at what I can get thats 'above' the latest MIA 2008-on range, and if you want the Fender sound/feel, there is no point getting anything else. I was asked to write a list about what I dont like about my Ps, and if im honest I couldnt really say anything. If you check the bass over and make sure its a good example, you will have a fantastic Precision. The new maple boards are lovelyyyyy! Seriously smooth and look great. Rolled edges as well and more attention on the frets. If you check the Fender site you can find all the other upgrades. I wouldnt change a thing apart from the strings every now and then, as the bridges and pups are fantastic. Possibly the most noticable addition is the high quality hard case. All this for approx. £830. They may be creeping up in price now though.

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='889644' date='Jul 8 2010, 04:17 PM']Well Gareth maybe you were too quick triggered once again you should have known what the new pegs which you like, that EBMM have just designed, are still only a drawing on their blakcboard and will not see the light of day for at least another year or more. I really can't understand how you've cancelled the order just becaue the new pegs won't be fitted to the Big Al, specially when EB intends to fit them on the Reflex as they missed it for the 25th. Now about the sound: this bass is a lot punchier than a Stingray on blue pills, it covers a variety of styles, it's great for rock, if you like that sort of thing, and has a very captivating passive sound so blues and jazz lovers will be right at home there. I was also lucky: I've put it on the scale and was surprised to find that it is quite light for a fiver, at only 9.12lbs!! So far I am loving it a lot![/quote] I think I got swept away with the whole GAS of the Big Al over on the EB forum. The thing is, as Im still awaiting to find my feet with my legal career, the Big Al cost is a LOT of cash to spend on one bass for me, so I sat down and worked it out. Its not just all about the tuners, its the fact I dont want to order a bass that Ive never even seen or heard in the flesh without my own approval, if you get me. But, I am one of those people who like the most recent version of things, so if they do put the new tuners on it, then ill wait for them to start shipping. One player might love a bass, the other might hate it. I dont like the sound of Sadowsky basses that much, but I got caught up in the 'wow these are great' and it was only until I tested that I could make an informed decision. I personally would choose a Stingray Alnico over a Bongo and Sterling everytime, but thats me, some people think thats crazy! Stingray tone (3EQ) and feel is part of the bass sound I grew up with, and I cant get any better with active basses at the moment. I have zero problems testing an EB then ordering my own spec as I know they have (normally) great QC, but if for some mad reason I just didnt like the Big Al, then im stuck The Big Al is the one bass I really want to try out and hear...the youtube demos and pictures make it seem like a dream bass to me As I said, I need to be more patient. Maybe next year I might even get a 4 string version if Im honest, despite the fact I think it looks better with a low B. Hope you enjoy it anyway, youve had a long wait. I still have 2 EBs incoming so I cannot grumble.

[quote name='lojo' post='889650' date='Jul 8 2010, 04:23 PM']Yeah I dont get this dont mix drivers stuff, orange always promote both the 410 and 115 as the perfect combination and there is no reason for them to if say 2 x 410 was better, they would promote that instead, also if you use pa support then your sound is coming from all kinds of drivers anyhow MM what combinations of your TC cabs have you gigged?[/quote] Ive rehearsed 'loudly' at full gig volumes with the RS210, then the RS210 + 212. The RS210 did a LOT on its own I must say. The RS210+212 sounds fantastic to me. If you want a more full low mid and want to move a little more air, 2 x RS212 would be the best choice.

Orange - dirty warm rock tone, but can also do big clean warm motown thump. Think of traditional bass tones. Aguilar - Clean and articulate. GK1001 - Great loud amp, very bright IMO. The Aguilar is a little more boutique and probably built with more expensive components, hence the cost. The GK and Orange BT are very very good amps for the money.

Nice! As you may know ive cancelled mine for various reasons, but I still want one. Great looking bass and really individual. Im going to try and test a 4 vs a 5 next year when Ive had chance to enjoy my other incoming EBs.

[quote name='Floyd Pepper' post='889410' date='Jul 8 2010, 12:15 PM']Have you checked with Mark at Bass Direct ? He had a few hanging up last time I was in there. Jim[/quote] Thanks Jim, just checked, out of stock on his site. Mono themselves said they are struggling to keep up as they are very popular! I might just have to sit tight.

Im not sure who has them in stock at the moment. I just want the Small Black Mono GS1. Its been on order for a while but still out of stock. Im allowed to cancel if somewhere else has it. Price ive been quoted is £29.95....including delivery. If somewhere has one in let me know! I dont want to pay anymore than that though. Thanks!

Sadowsky....safer purchase.

I love the simplicity of choice. I wasn't born until 81 but you guys seems to have had a blast back then. Despite the fact we are lucky to have sooo many options now in bass, it sometimes seems best to go back to basics; p/j/rick/ray plus amp. No faffing.

[quote name='walbassist' post='888924' date='Jul 7 2010, 08:52 PM']Yes, I spotted that, but more sites (including Ashdown) say 400 watts RMS!!!![/quote] Me thinks the 200W is for the 1x12 version?

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='888892' date='Jul 7 2010, 08:26 PM']I'm interested in all this too, I'm after a jazz (been saying it a while now and had a few offers, still waiting for stuff to shift before I can afford it now) and it's mind boggling the amount of jazzes available from Fender alone. Now they've got the "MIM, assembled in the US" style basses and the "MIM with a few US parts" style basses, it's even more confusing. I still wonder if you had one of each price range bass (e.g. Squier CVJ, MIM Standard, US Standard) and stripped out all the electrics and hardware, then put on identical parts, how much the difference really would be. I expect certain things like finish and fret finish would still be slightly better on the more expensive models, but even with a fret dress the Squier would be a fraction of the price of the US.[/quote] Its is confusing! Personally, I still think IF you can pick up a new 2008 onwards American Standard for under £900, (which you can) you are getting a good deal. There are still SOME QC issues on a few to watch out for, but thats something Ive seen with nearly every bass manufacturer if im honest, bar the real high end gear. If you get a good one, which it is more than likely nowadays, you will be happy. Ive rattled on about the new American Standards a lot, but they seriously are a step up in quality and the upgrades/case are excellent. No need to mod in my opinion....unless you want a different pickup 'sound'. I still smile when I use mine.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='888896' date='Jul 7 2010, 08:28 PM']You're not as far out as you think, there! I actually DO think that there's a difference between thick/thin/no/nitro/poly and even satin/gloss finishes with regard to tone. My satin finished Zoot is a superb example in this respect. My unfinished/natural Zebrano Warwick also. I also think that the fact that my MIA Jazz has a decent, 2 piece ash body with a (thinner) trans finish contributes to it being as good as it is. I've played Highway 1 Jazzes that I thought were very good for the price, and attributed [i]part[/i] of that to the nitro finish.[/quote] Good info, thanks The new 08 onwards Fenders have a slightly thinner coating with Fender's blurb 'allowing the body to breathe' more. I must admit, there does seem to be a difference. They sound exactly how I wanted them to. Its a shame the Highway 1s dont get more coverage....seem like a bargain.

[url="http://www.dv247.com/guitars/ashdown-lb-212-bass-amp-cabinet--73744"]http://www.dv247.com/guitars/ashdown-lb-21...-cabinet--73744[/url] £382! Downside....200W Handling Designed more for the low wattage LB Amp.

Where do I pay?

Wow..thats cheap!

Strangely, TC have no reports of problems with mixing drivers. Not only that, most of their Artists use the RS210+212. I asked Uffe himself, the chap who was behind the whole RH450 idea, and he said they designed them so they could be mixed. I dont care about mixing anyway, I use a 4x10 with a 1x15 purely because it sounds amazing.

[quote name='bumnote' post='888823' date='Jul 7 2010, 06:59 PM']There are a couple of sites with quite extensive information on Fender paints. They claim that from 63 onwards nearly all fenders were primed with a polyester finish called fullerplast. I lifted these comments from one of the sites Quote Fact: The two-part catalyzed coating named "Fullerplast" (Fuller for Fuller O'Brien, the products creator, and plast for the obvious PLASTIC"), solved all of Fenders finishing problems; encasing the deep wood pores in a self-hardening plastic that wrapped the body in a rock-hard solid coffin. In some cases we have found it to be as thick as a.060 string. Yes, all of the wood moisture and characteristics are sealed in a virtual time-capsule, only to be vented from the body through screw holes and paint fractures. Share this info and be the hit of your next guitar gathering! Fact: Fender rarely mentions Fullerplast, or the way it prepares its bodies before applying Lacquer. If they mention it at all So, when someone tells you that a Fender "nitro-cellulose" or "nitro" finished guitar will sound better, have more warmth, or will dry out... they really don't have the full story. End quote It is also claimed that from the 60s onwards acrylic paints became more popular, and Fender used paints from different suppliers, some were nitrocellulose, some were acrylic. I have no idea how true these statements are.[/quote] Interesting!

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='888226' date='Jul 7 2010, 11:28 AM']I still think the HW-ones are better value if you dont want MIM. And the pups are (i think) USA vintage. Heres a thought Gareth. If you do like the RW look send me one of your new SR4s when you get them and ill customize it for you and give it that RW look lol.[/quote] I didnt realise how much cheaper the HW's are! Why dont people see the HW's as a good instrument? I dont understand... [quote name='artisan' post='888244' date='Jul 7 2010, 11:49 AM']i strongly disagree with with this,having owned a 60's classic & a RW,they may be made out of some of the same parts but it's how they are put together that makes the difference. the 60's classic just feels,plays & sounds like any modern poly finished jazz bass whereas the RW feels,plays & sounds like an old vintage well played jazz bass--THEY ARE WORLDS APPART .[/quote] Dont get me wrong, the Road Worn Jazz I played did have a nice tone and the neck was great (although I think there was an issue with the neck being very heavy and the body being pretty damn light so it felt odd). I asked Fender UK and USA what was 'in' the RW series to make them get the rave reviews. They said basically the only difference is the fact the nitro does attribute to a slightly different tone (although the Highway Ones are nitro) but the main reason they are the same price as USA standards is the fact that some players prefer the relic-look, and it takes them quite a while to get it right, hence higher costs. I asked about Pups, and they said there has been confusion over this. They are standard Mex pups. Nothing wrong with that, but if im honest my American Standard sounds fantastic and was cheaper than some places are charging for a RW, and it comes with the new upgrades/a very very nice hardcase. I dont want to see like im attacking the RWs one bit. They are great, and I like the whole relic thing, but I expected a US pup at least. The one thing I noticed is that the output of the pups were a little low, again this is maybe more in line with a 60s bass although they are just 60s Classic pups with a relic on the surface. The Lakland JO I tried next to it sounded pretty huge compared to it. I still want one, but I think its pointless for me to get one when Ive got the American Standard. Im going to look into other options for now.

Dont worry, the RS210 and RS212 TOGETHER will absolutely bury the 4x10 youve got. The RS cabinets are very loud IMO. I play in a LOUD melodic skate ounk band and we have no worries practicing with ONE RS210. The RS210 is that little bit easier to move which is great.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='888073' date='Jul 7 2010, 08:18 AM']How light are we talking for the bass that you tried out?[/quote] I guess it was under the 9lbs mark...gut feeling around 8. What I didn't understand is that the neck, when I was sat testing, seemed heavier. I couldn't test with a strap so no idea if there was any dive, but I've never encountered that before.

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='887870' date='Jul 6 2010, 10:34 PM']This has been puzzling me. Why don't people rave about the Classic 60s then? I find it hard to believe the finish makes such a massive difference. Do you think they are picking the better tonewoods for the Classic 60s, or better QC, or are the Classic 60s seriously underrated?[/quote] Exactly my thoughts....I've never played a Classic 60s but Fender confirmed it's exactly the same bar the, IMO, great colours and finish. It's a lot to pay though. My girlfriend thinks I'm better off with my American Standards.