Musicman20

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1398266365' post='2432255'] Then it's slowly moved back in a shipping container. Funny how economies work, isn't it? [/quote] Definitely. Having just read how Vox changed the AC30's, it seems bizarre thar its cheaper to get an overseas company to make an amp then buy it in the UK, rather than make it in the UK then buy it!

[quote name='Jonesy64' timestamp='1398202332' post='2431714'] I owned both a little while ago and first thing I will say is I am still pissed off with myself for spending the best part of £400 on two pedals. I didn't think they really overlapped that much and for a brief moment sat happily next to each other on my board until I realised how much money was tied up in them! For me only the B3K has something going on that I haven't heard in another pedal...very modern, clanky metallic and scooped sounding.....you have to want that tone though, it doesn't do much else. I don't think the vintage does anything that can't be found in cheaper options such as the VT Bass and the Solidgold Beta. Come to think of it I bet the VT bass would do a decent B3K sound. Everything is there to get close to it..mid, treble, bass, character, drive controls. [/quote] Aye, I'm not keen on the demo's I've heard. Much prefer the Tech 21 sounds from the BDDI/VT Bass.

[quote name='sk8' timestamp='1398236430' post='2431835'] That and SOOOOOOO much more! [/quote] Sounds interesting! I may give it a shot...plus I guess it also applies to guitars as well as bass. When DI'ing, are you guys just going into a DI box from the Sonic Port? Another option I suppose is to use it as 'options' for a live rig and use a small Class D amp and change whatever you like on the input or use it in the effects return.

I think the pre/etc would probably not drop the price that much, and its good to have a real amp (so to speak!) ready if you need it. I think the best bet is just to get the smallest/most reliable Class D amp, such as the Shuttle 9.2/Streamliner 900/GK MB500 or 800. Carvin is another option, and very very good value. Its definitely a route I'd like to test out as all I'd need is the Sonic Port.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1398239657' post='2431867'] Have you tried the Big Bang? It's my personal favourite MB head. Seems to sit somewhere between the F500 and LMIII tonally and has a few more features than the LMIII as well. Edit - here's a review of the Big Bang that directly compares it to both heads : [url="http://btpub.boyd-printing.com/iphone/article.php?id=1397751&id_issue=158781&src=&ref="]http://btpub.boyd-pr...58781&src=&ref=[/url] [/quote] Just out of interest, are the Big Bang heads made in Indonesia as of now, or still Italy for the time being?

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1398168950' post='2431067'] Completely and utterly this. I too am having the most fun and musical satisfaction playing live right now than I have ever had in 35 years of gigging. It seems to me that those who aren't happy about playing live are playing the wrong music in the wrong bands at the wrong venues to the wrong audience. Also at the risk of sounding like a broken record I'm really not seeing a reduction in gigging opportunities. From my PoV it's never been easier to get decent paying gigs and TBH some of our best ones are in the north of England. I can't help but think that this is a problem mostly affecting those who play covers. Maybe it's time to start playing your own music? [/quote] Out of all the gigging bassists on Basschat, I envy both your gig position and Nigel's position. Both of you have tons of passion for live music and both seem to be having the most 'fun' (which is surely the idea of it!), plus I like the fact you are gigging your own music and have created an image to go along with it. I mean this in a respectful way as well, as it seems you've got to this stage at a more 'mature' point in your bass playing, which is even cooler. I'm no spring chicken at 33 but it is a glimmer of hope. I take a lot of advice from your posts on here, especially with regards to just getting down to writing, get in a band, and play what sounds great. It has, in a way, along with the rubbish time I've had with other songwriters, pushed me to write my own songs like I did when I was 13/14 and I had a lot more imagination.

Really interesting thread. I had no idea technology had advanced so quickly. So basically, I have an iPhone 5S, and I can just buy the Line 6 hardware and a few apps and away we go? Is it basically like DI'ing from a Sansamp?

I would like to add that Markbass really did change the marketplace, and I have a lot of respect for them! Just because I don't use them and rate other manufacturers, does not mean I am against what they do. I would still like to try the TTE500. If they ever want input from previous customers, bring back the F500 at a slightly lower price and design an F800, to compete with the likes of Tercamp. The F500 was great. Oh, and a LM4 with a new limiter and perhaps semi para mids. They do sound awesome with a Stingray.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1398153952' post='2430876'] Possibly. I've rarely used my head through anything other than a single 8 ohm cab. But then I did read that Markbass were planning to improve the inbuilt limiter for the LM3. [/quote] The idea behind the LM3 was meant to be an improved limiter and a DI volume. The DI volume does feature, but the limiter improvment never came about.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1398156639' post='2430906'] Interesting piece here about the growth of Amazon over the past 20 years: [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27055407"]http://www.bbc.co.uk...siness-27055407[/url] [i]Every man, woman and child in Britain spends an average of more than £70 a year on Amazon. That's more than half the country's entire online retail spend. It's an impressive result for a business started on a couple of computers exactly 20 years ago. [/i] [/quote] I really rate Amazon, no matter what tax issues there are. I always end up paying less and having that brilliant service. If we ever get to the stage of them stocking American Series Fender gear, then I'll probably use them for that as well. They currently have little bits like MXR pedals, and in the USA they stock Aguilar.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1398122830' post='2430774'] What a load of softy pussy-footing wimps, eh..? Here's what the good gig circuit was like in the '60s... Want to read more..? [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_in_Hamburg"]Wikipedia: Beatles in Hamburg...[/url] Still want to be a 'star'..? The British circuit was perhaps slightly less uncomfortable, but paid much less. Things ain't what they used to be eh..? Gerraway..! Never 'ad it so good..! [/quote] If I didn't have the day job, and earnt a living off music (and was in a suitably amazing band) this wouldn't bother me!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1398119592' post='2430750'] i guess it also depends on your cab - I imagine a RH750 through a sealed 8x10 or some other vintage cab would feel different in the way it uses power than through some modern designed cab (like barefaced). I do wonder how much of the compressed sound of the TC stuff is the power section or the preamp - anyone stuck something else into the power section of a TC amp to see how it does? [/quote] That would be interesting! I'd like to see the power section/module tested without the ABM. I don't like super deep low bass. Barefaced cabs can clearly handle it but I find a lot of deep low bass muddies the tone, sounds too 'enveloping' and makes a mess on stage. It's why the 8x10 might be an old/not very efficient design, but the low end is just right for stages. Leave the deep lows to the PA. That's just me. Maybe if I was playing gospel/dub/reggae/ things would be different. I prefer a tight quick punchy low end which is why the TC and Genz work for me

I spent about 8 hours this past 4 days learning new guitar parts, tuning/checking the basses and playing ones I don't her chance to, and writing with the aid of recording software. In 3 months ive learnt how to record at a basic level and put bass down to a good standard with some half decent guitar over the top. I don't presently miss being in a covers but the time I've has to write and practice has been great! Hopefully I'll meet like minded people soon and get this music played by a full band. Agree with JTUK...£50 for a full evening, travel, load ins, etc, isn't worth it!

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1398088899' post='2430269'] So it's only twice as powerful as the RH450 then? And 20% cheaper Sorry - couldn't resist [/quote] Well, on that particular way of assessing wattage of an amp, (e.g. a test by a magazine with no proof that it is 100% correct scientifically or whether indeed that is the best way to do it anyway) yes, you'd get more RMS rated wattage with the LM2/3. What you would also get is a hard wall limiter, especially at 8 ohms, so when you hit that limiter, that is it. No power compression, just awful clipping. Also, the Markbass master volumes I've tried hit the max volume at roughly 12/1 o'clock. Lot's of manufacturers do this, to make you think you have more master left. With the LM3, I didn't have any more headroom left. Genz do it differently....eg the volume goes up gradually and you can push and push the modern amps they finished with and they will not clip. TC also do it differently. You can absolutely hammer the master volume all the way up and it will not clip...it will just get incredibly loud, and like a tube amp, it will naturally 'sag' and compress like playing through a large 8x10/SVT at high volumes. Different design goals, different tones. Wattage? Volume? The RH450 sounds louder to me.

[quote name='gsgbass' timestamp='1398082135' post='2430177'] I've used both, and I found for myself, the TC had a thinner sound to it, where the Markbass had a fuller rich tone to it. Markbass cut through the leads, and drums great. And MB is a true wattage, not just a ratted wattage. [/quote] The LM2 did not hit the rated wattage if I recall correctly. Obviously not how the TC heads did, and thats different, but the LM2 was about 450 watt or something, maybe a little more or less.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1398067651' post='2429950'] One interesting little observation I have about instrument retailers is that almost all of them are 'players'. A lot of them are relatively young, have been through years of learning at school, university or music academy type places After all this preparation for a career in 'music' they end up flogging guitars in a shop because there's either so few opportunities to earn money playing or they simply didn't have whatever it took to get into the band they really wanted. This can often result in a resentful workforce who look down on their customers. I'm not defending this attitude one bit, I've always thought that if you do any job you should try and do it to the best of your abilities, but it might explain some of the attitudinal issues from some music shop staff [/quote] Completely agree Molan!

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1398078727' post='2430116'] I've also had a bad experience of Guitar Guitar who are praised in previous post. [/quote] Same here...although in the end they sorted it out. Still not keen to test it again though. I got the impression because I wasn't interested in typical shred metal guitars they weren't interested.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1398077848' post='2430106'] Genuinely interested (and a wee bit surprised) you're using TC stuff - what model you using? and why the switch from Genz? [/quote] Sorry I should have worded it better. I have TC and Genz gear.

I've switched from MB to Genz and TC now. The RH450 always felt like it had more grunt than the LM3, so whatever the power management does, it works. Clipping is the issue with some MB heads; they never did improve the limiter from the LM2 to LM3.

[quote name='ash' timestamp='1398004014' post='2429420'] I use Promenade Music - just down the road in Morecambe. Despite doing a lot of business online they always have a decent stock of good quality basses thanks to Gary who works there and happens to be a bassist himself. I can't fault the staff and service there and there's none of that elitist rubbish of many shops - they welcome beginners and established pro musos equally - as indeed it should be. Guess we are spoilt here! [/quote] +1 I've used Promenade for puchases and Gary is fantastic.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1397935881' post='2428868'] Wow, very interesting. Especially in this colour combo: But I have a horrible feeling an HH would be a touch over my budget... [/quote] That's the ticket. Unfortunately they are quite pricey and I think they have a price rise due very very soon. They are worth it though. You might be able to pickup a 4 HH Stingray secondhand or £850-£1000 depending on condition and colour.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1397989137' post='2429187'] Agreed, not just music shops, the same issue is everywhere. John Lewis is a notable exception in my experience. [/quote] I agree with that. John Lewis are great, and they give very generous warranties with their electrical items.

Exactly why shops are struggling. It's that almost aggressive / arrogant attitude of music stores that will be the death of em!

Although the Musicman tone can easily be tamed and made more 'vintage' classic bass sounding, (almost upright if you use the right EQ etc) it is true that a lot of the time, people play one because they want to be quite an upfront bassist. They can, if you want, really grab attention in a mix. A P sits nicely and will growl, a J can get lost but has that alluring tone, the Ray, with new strings and treble up, just slices and dices like no other bass.

In comparison to a decent Jazz, IMO the Musicman sounds 'bigger', faster and more responsive. I like a nice Jazz tone but even the active Jazz tone doesn't have the Ray quickness of attack.