Musicman20

What is everyones ideal features for a combo amp? When I was younger, I was quite happy to sell my Trace combo for a Trace Amp Head/Cab setup. Great, it meant I could just take my amp to certain gig! Im still liking the idea of separates. Im happy with my amp/cabs, and I have no need for a combo, but I always end up looking at them. It would HAVE to be: Small Light Great clear tone (as it wont be used to for loud rock bands, Id like it to be very clear and crisp) iPod input Ability to play small gigs (against a quiet drummer) Good value Now, there is no need to vote for the Mesa Walkabout. We all know they are fantastic. Clarky did have a topic up a while back which was similar, but I thought I start something a little different. I think the GK MB combos look great. I wasnt exactly stunned by the Genz Shuttle 9.0, but I can see the advantages of the Shuttle 6 Combo. Then, there is obviously Markbass. Any other ideas? What works for you for small gigs and home practice?

I can guarantee that if you get a good 08-10 Precision, you will be very happy. I was so happy with mine I went and got another.

I've searched and found nothing...but I don't doubt for one second that this is real

Nice picture! Very nice collection.

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='853684' date='Jun 1 2010, 03:40 PM']That does sound interesting...do you have an option to effectively take the pre-amp out of the equation and see how the power amp sounds completely 'neutral' - it'd be good to know the difference between that and the stock voicing which to my ears doesn't sound flat at all.[/quote] Ohh, never though of that! Hmm, ill check it out.

A much more interesting update today! Uffe from TC has just emailed me a new update to the program. This is the part I was most interested in! Now, I can actually changed the 'baked in' tone of the amp, just like TC did with the Staccato 51. This then means you have full control of the EQ as normal once its saved onto the amp, but at completely different frequencies compared to the normal RH450 settings. Im assuming this means the world is your oyster with regards to tonal goals. You want a more clean Markbass tone with more sheen on the high end, youve got it! Then back to the normal RH450 settings once you plug back into the PC and restore the settings. I will let you all know once Ive had a play around.

[quote name='JMT3781' post='853554' date='Jun 1 2010, 01:44 PM']+1 on trying a 1515 I'm a little bit disappointed with my 1212L, i think i expected it to defy the laws of physics. I am still trying to find a 2x12 with as much grunt as the genz benz neox 212 which was just a complete stunner[/quote] I spent ages looking for the right 2x12. Its a difficult one, as the market has lots of options. So far, I havent found anything better than the Aguilar DB 12s. Ive tried Berg, and they still werent quite up there with the DB. Its not light, its pretty large, but its a seriously good one cab solution. The advantages are the casters that are removable, and the fact they look amazing and sound massive Im stilll looking for a lightweight 2x12 that ticks all the boxes, 4 ohms, nice horn, etc. BUT, I havent found it yet.

Sounds good! I still need to test a Schroeder.

Yep it seems they have gone up again. I agree, there should be no actual damage especially to the neck!

Hmm, not 100% sure. I'd check the Orange forums they will definitely know

Great

I wonder what Nashs are on order?!

Congrats on joining the club. I agree, the 115 is an ok lift, but the 4x10 is sooo heavy. I've got my amp in a flight case and it's defintely a two man lift. Worth it 100%.

[quote name='Clarky' post='853082' date='May 31 2010, 10:45 PM']My bass Sid is a 70RI CIJ P bass. These are seriously good basses with easy, slick playing necks (mid profile, not big and chunky, leastways mine's not). Nevertheless, if it weren't for sentiment value and the fact Sid serves a purpose (for use in skankier venues where I don't worry so much about a cheaper bass being damaged/nicked) I would choose an MIA Precision over Sid no question. The quality of the new 2009/10 MIA Precisions is noticeably higher (heavy duty bridge, lighter tuners, more stable neck due to graphite rods) plus they come with a hard case. Really depends on your budget. If you want to spend £400-450, go used 70RI; if you want £650+ go used MIA would be my advice.[/quote] +1...makes perfect sense. I'd still like one for a bass I don't have to 'worry' about as much. They are very good for the money and look the part.

There is a reason other than gear that makes me want to be able to get to this! (Bassida).

Having owned a 62 RI MIJ P Bass, which was great, I can honestly say the new American Standards are worth the extra. I do like the MIJ/CIJ basses a lot, but I still think they lack a little something. The case is worth at least £100. My old drummer came up the other day and looked at my music room, and was really impressed with the new Fender cases. Other than that, the pickups seem to be beefier, punchier, etc. You now get a quality bridge, rolled fingerboards, lighter tuners, great colours and great tort plates. You can pickup a new American Standard in Oly white for around £829 is you look around. Just make sure you give it the once over if you do go down this route.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='852644' date='May 31 2010, 02:37 PM']BurritoBass has hit the nail on the head as far as im concerned. Its been nice buying new basses but ive focused to much on having something new and not enough time appreciating what i had.[/quote] +1 Perfectly summary of what Ive been upto!

[quote name='Clarky' post='852602' date='May 31 2010, 02:00 PM']You are of course right, although as many of us tend to look at basses as objects of desire (almost like works of art) I think GAS is hard to kill off (witness recent tide of enthusiasm for the MM Big Al). I have too many basses and some of them I have bought purely on looks (Thunderbird) or because of BC-inspired, misplaced enthusiasm (fretless Precision; I am rubbish at fretless so why???). TBH, my 72P and Nash Jazz could cover everything I am likely to need, plus I have Sid as my 'beater bass' for skanky venues where all the gear is thrown into a big pile in a locked cupboard (if you're lucky). I would like a nice 5-string (I am after an Alembic) for variety but it would be a luxury and absolutely not a necessity. As regards rig, my Mesa Walkabout sounds fab and is a portable version of the warm, tubey sound I have in my head from a whopping great Ampeg or Orange valve rig weighing several times as much. No need to change that all. So I think I'm agreeing with you [/quote] Haha, I know something with catch my eye, but that 'different instrument' I craved for my 30th (which was almost a custom) ended up being part Ray 5 and part Big Al 5. I think for me its time to spend money in other areas of life now though. I want to concentrate on playing and writing with the originals band now. Obviously Ill never leave this place, but I must resist GAS! Especially of the Amp kind. I almost thought of selling the Orange rig, then I plugged in and realised it was an insane idea. I too nearly went for a fretless, and I think for now Ive got enough on my plate to concentrate on. Maybe a few years down the line ill try my skills at fretless, and see if I can get my skills upto a decent level on it.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='852591' date='May 31 2010, 01:46 PM']I think that after a frenzied period of buying, selling, trading, etc., we all find our personal "nirvana" at some point. Mine is Status basses for the main part of my playing, and if I need a more traditional instrument, a Fender Jazz does the job just fine. I've been through a long search of wooden basses & arrived back at the passive Jazz bass after trying active Jazzes, Super Jazzes (they're all fantastically made & well equipped, but somehow miss the mark!), Music Man Stingrays, an ACG, Precisions, etc, etc. At the end of the day, if I'm not using a Status bass, the Jazz will do just fine. As for amplification, my rig has been a gradual evolution over 25 years from cheap Laney gear, through lots of Trace Elliot, Ashdown, Mark Bass and finally onto Genz Benz. I don't really GAS for amplifiers. As long as they're reliable, light weight and faithfully reproduce the sound of my instruments, I'm not really fussed.[/quote] I agree Rich, we hit a tonal nirvana, then we move on, only to want it back. I think Im a Fender/EBMM fanboy for a reason; because they work for me. I also agree a little with the super-jazz. Ive tried some, (although nothing as good as a Sei/Overwater as Ive never had the chance) but for me, a passive Fender Jazz IS the Jazz tone im looking for.

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='852573' date='May 31 2010, 01:24 PM']Musicman20... I understand your frustrations, but I also believe that both Darren at the Bass Merchant in Colechester and Strings & Things (the official importers) would have done backflips to have your Classic returned and swapped for a perfect one, if only you'd wished to, and a big part of me tells me that perhaps you were too quick triggered in deciding to return it for a refund. The comment you made about 2 or 3 band EQ is a totally different matter that maybe you should have elaborated before making your decision to buy one, after all EBMM has been offering 2 EQ stingray 4's as special order for ever, just to satisfy the old school types. Finally as for the mutes, trust me, it's nice to have a bridge with them on, but any bit of foam will do and it's way easier to replace in case it wears out whereas the EBMM mutes are difficult to source and you need to undo the blades from the bridge to fit new ones. I slide a 1/4 inch of foam on and off at the bat of an eyelid on my basses. P.S.: I told you not to click on that link, didn't I? [/quote] Thanks, I agree. 100% happy with S&T and Bass Merchant and how they dealt with it. It was a case of 'heck, I've sold two REALLY good standard Rays for this, do I really want to wait or should I just leave it for now?'. As you can see, im still confident in EB as Ive got two incoming and it wont sway me away from getting more EBMMs. The two I sold on here were such high quality basses in terms of QC I was a little shocked about the Classic I received. My girlfriend could see how much it stressed me out, with it being the most expensive bass Ive ever ordered, so she just advised for now I should leave it, and perhaps replace it with a standard Stingray 4, which I am 90% sure on now. The 2EQ sounds amazing, and I see why people like it. But, as I could not find a 2EQ around here to test, and the Classic colours just sucked me in, I had to give it a gamble. I agree, its more the traditional Stingray tone, but I grew up on insanely fast and melodic modern american punk, and they all had that cutting 3EQ tone. So, now I know what to order for a standard Stingray....stick to what I love. I agree on the mutes. Its much easier to source some foam! I think the mute material is that type that will need replacing, so Ill just stick to a normal ol' Ray with some foam! Cheers

Hi all With all my buying/selling, I think Ive reached a point where Im struggling to find anything thats better. Its almost like I expect there to be something I should be looking for, but it isnt there. Ive decided to stop once my orders arrive, and enjoy and gig what Ive got. More practice, less GAS. I tend to find when I use my gear I realise how much I like it. There is one thing left; a 'void' where the Classic Stingray sat for about 24 hours. I sold 2 great Stingray 4s for that, and owning two was definitely overkill. But, I still think I will fill that void with another standard 3EQ white Stingray with maple board. Mmmm. I also discovered that more exotic manufactures just dont work for me.

Ok, so Ive tried finding a RW Jazz in Fiesta Red for a decent price, and so far they are far too highly priced. More than the American Standards in some cases. So, Im probably going to give up! I have found the RW P in Fiesta Red for a great price. Why the massive price difference?!

Ok, so Ive had some time to calm down from the disappointment I had a week or so ago now. My mind is a little more open to what these nice basses can do! I notice a few things after listening to this demo (which is yet again another great demo from Ed): 1. There is little point getting a rosewood board when you have splashed out extra money for the flame/birdseye maple neck. If its not all maple, it doesnt look as 'stunning' with this model. It doesnt grab my attention like the very aged yellow maple Ive seen on these Classics. 2. I should have plugged mine in. I never had chance unfortunately. In a blind panic about a few problems it had, I made sure I didnt 'use it' if it was having to go back. 3. Following from point 2, I realise after this video that I prefer the 3EQ.... Dont get me wrong, I like the 2EQ punch, but I miss that complexity in the mids that the 3EQ gets you. I found I can make a 3EQ very 'old school' and vintage with a little EQ taming, but that 2EQ just doesnt have that really aggressive 3EQ tone that I personally grew up with. This makes me realise yet again that listening to any internet discussions on 2EQ vs 3EQ (unless there are tone examples as per our very own Linus) is pretty much null and void until you LISTEN yourself. Everyone has different tone goals, and grew up with different sounds in their own head. Mine was the 3EQ, so Im pretty much 100% sticking with it. Back in the late 90s when I bought one of my Rays, everyone said 3EQ is the optimum setup, but now it tends to be 2EQ that gets the vote. Im sticking to my guns on this now instead of experimenting; the 3EQ is right for me. 4. This means I cannot get another Classic. Ah well. Im going to stick with a normal Ray from now on. 5. The colours look very different in every single picture I see! The Vintage White I had for a day or so was stunning, nice and 'yellow' and creamy. The pics Ive seen of the Powder Blue are not as nice as I imagined. The Mint Green/Coral Red look great. 6. The only thing Im really going to miss is the mutes. But, Im sure I can get around that. Ive never used them before, but I really did fancy having a bass with them. 7. Dont let my experience put you off. Ive owned a few normal Stingrays and they were flat out amazing in the QC department.

Hi everyone Ive managed to start fiddling around with the top end again, as per how Ken (KJung) did a few weeks back. Now, Im not one for massive high end anyway. A nice sweet treble but with a warmth is what seems to work for me. Anything else is just a little 'piercing'. I do think TC have pretty much nailed the high end on this amp. But, I do think the addition of being able to tweak this for whichever bass/band setting/user requirements is a very good concept, and I would still like to be able to open up that high end. Its a good option, even though personally I wouldnt use it that often. Im going to try out the compressor 'settings' that Uffe sent out soon. I must admit before this amp, I never used compression, but Im finding a few clicks on the Spectracomp can have very nice results. Im really enjoying just trying new things out. I have a full rehearsal tonight with my originals band (very complex modern punk...) so I will be seeing how things go with the TC amp. The main guitarist has been away teaching in India, but now we are ready to get going as a full outfit again and I think he will be very impressed with this TC gear! I will make sure he tries out a Polytune (whether it be the App or the Pedal itself!).