Musicman20

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1395525701' post='2403460'] I'll repeat. Although I wouldn't cut anything. I have the pickup mix set towards the bridge, but works equally well on a middle pickup solo too. Boost the 1khz area, I have my mids set to that and have mid level set to around 3 o clock. Mixed with some drive instant rage. [/quote] Cheers

You can't beat a new Musicman! Nice finish!

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1395478571' post='2402828'] Mid cut centred somewhere around the 200-600 Hz range. And/or hi mid boost centred somewhere around the 1000-1500Hz range. In fact I'd start with just the upper mid boost and only cut lower mids if necessary as you will get lost in the mix if you cut lower mids too far. Treble and bass to taste. I'd start with the J bass, both pickups full on. I "think" that might be the sort of tone you might be describing. I have the NX2 cab myself and that should be fine, tweeter control about midday upwards if you want it bright & cutting. [/quote] Cheers!

Hi all When I first started playing and gigging, I used to have a VERY bright bass tone. New sound to the strings, no flats, mainly played with a plec, and I boiled the strings if they were sounding a little dead. I used a Trace GP12 400 SMX and it was fabulous at that super aggressive, bright modern tone. Lots of crisp clear upper mids and treble available. I only used a cheap Peavey 4x10 and it worked fine with the tweeter on a little. My tastes have changed and I’ve pretty much tried all different types of tones. I’d like to replicate a similar bright/sizzly tone. I miss cutting the mix and having a lot of aggressive bass (it used to be my signature tone…everyone used to ask how I got it!). I’m sure this MUST be possible with the GB Shuttlemax 9.2 and the cabs I have (most the cabs I have now are probably more modern in tone than my old ones). Suitable cabs I have would be Aguilar DB212, TC RS210, or GB NX2 212T. What do you recommend I boost/cut? Boost the high mids? The Max 9.2 is super flexible and has a very good control of low mids/high mids and has a High Freq Attack with variable control. Maybe I can even get this with the Streamliner 900? The treble on the amp seems pretty damn clear and bright. I assume that I probably used to gig with a mid scoop somewhere in the mids…. Bass wise, I use Musicman basses, Fender P and a Fender J.

Matt Freeman (Rancid) Carlos Dengler (Interpol)

Ah I see. Well that would be fine with me. Many criticise the BT500/AD200 from Orange, and indeed the Genz Streamliner (mids are flat at about 2 on the dial so room to boost) due to their 'mids aren't flat at 12) EQ...when lets face it, dial position doesn't really matter. If it sounds great, and works with the band, then everyone is happy!

Great helpful review. Nice tone (although for me its more the bass I like!). I like how bright it is... Am I right in thinking this has a mid scoop like the Bass Terror (just using an example) and that the mids won't 'boost'....so to speak, as mids flat is mids dialed up to full on the dial?

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1395392261' post='2401853'] Thanks for that Karl, I'm not keen on a 4004, for me it wrecks the best thing about Rics, which is the looks. Having played it some more last night, it's just not good enough; by which I mean, the woods and contruction are there, but the design is ergonomically hopeless, and with eyes closed it actually plays like a £450 bass, not a £1600 one. The neck pickup is incredibly low output and wooly, the nut's cut way too high, and I don't know what strings they ship with, but it plays in a pretty lifeless, inconsistent way. There's no zing to the thing, acoustically or plugged in. If I'd paid £450 for it, I'd grit teeth, possibly compromise on the ergonomics and make some mods, change the strings, fettle with it, etc, but for £1639? No chance. I'm on to GAK's returns department when they open at half nine. For the record, I'm not a 'Fender player', I've had many, many different sorts of basses, from luthiery lovliness to Explorers and Thunderbirds to 8 and 12 strings, and even my rather idiosyncratic but appealing Wishbass, so I'm very happy with lots of different styles of bass. I'm not exclusively a pick player, either, but there's no way to play it with your forearm on the bass that doesn't leave a mark on your arm within seconds, the edge is soooo sharp. Still gutted, but I'll get the money back, get over it and get something else. I'm almost as upset for my other half, she'd bought it for me for my birthday, so she's quite disappointed, too. It still looks lovely, though... [/quote] Ric basses are just a stunning design aesthetically, especially the 4003, but I have to agree (and I'm sure that this is where me and Dingus agree) that the ergomics are either right or wrong for you. Almost every year I seem to yearn a Ric, play one, get put off, pick up a Stingray/Bongo, realise how easy they feel to play and hold etc. Yet the aesthetics and tone still drag me back to the Ric, especially with this run. I've also tried to get the 'Ric' tone in a shop and never got it right...it felt quite weak This could be setup or the amp though when it comes to my try outs. I'd then go home, pickup a Musicman, and be instantly comfy. The Bongo gets a fair amount of stick, but that bass is just purely perfect ergonmically...so fun to play. Super responsive and powerful. I'm sorry it didn't work out, but £1600+ is TOO much to have in one instrument you don't instantly think 'wow'. You have made the right choice IMO. This is the advantage of the modern internet world - try before you commit completely.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1395237446' post='2400043'] No, that's not true! Right around the time I started playing right at the beginning of the 1980's Fenders were out of fashion in the same way that Victoriana went out of fashion in the 1950's. The general consensus was that Fenders were old fashioned, outmoded and boring. If you did have a Fender it had to modernized, with a big heavy bridge and hi-tech pickups to try and drag it into the Modern Age. This was the era when so many Fenders were vandalized in the name of progress. The renaissance of Fender basses is a far more recent phenomena than you might think, although they have of course been a residual presence regardless of whatever the trend in basses and never completely went away. Nowadays, it's as if history has been rewritten to assert that bass player's dalliance with basses other than Fenders and similar vintage models was a big but short-lived mistake, but up to about fifteen years ago most of the basses in high-end shops were modern hi-tech designs and, to a greater or lesser extent , that is what most serious players aspired to in the era from the mid-1970's to the turn of the Millennium . During that era, a lot of bass players might indeed have a Fender bass, but as another option to their main bass which would be an up-to-date contemporary design. [/quote] I agree. Even into the 90s I usually found quite modern shaped basses, very slim necks, almost Warwick-like styles. I found the shops had a few Fender's but not like it is now. That or Stingrays...which seemed (in my area) to be the holy grail (and they still are for me!).

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1395231064' post='2399933'] Under good old 'invitation to treat' legal rulings I don't think a shop has to sell at a price that's displayed so, if I'm correct, he could have refused your 'offer to buy' at the displayed price [/quote] This is true, however I think unless its a glaring error, eg £1000 instead of £10000, then the shop would be best to sell it for the £10 and put it down to a mistake.... Very odd though...you would have thought they wouldn't have questioned it....

[quote name='paulconnolly' timestamp='1395184875' post='2399661'] Have to agree about Liverpool being a bit crap for buying basses. Dawsons do have quite a few but they're mostly precision/jazz basses of the Fender/Squier/Ibanez/A N other make. Very few interesting ones though there may have been a Gibson in there the other month and I did buy my BH250 from them. Curly music have even less choice and the staff are even less helpful than Dawsons. Good bars/venues [b]Musicman20[/b] - what do you want? There's endless chavvy disco and karaoke shoite around concert square and Matthew street and The Academy may have someone decent on. Try the Caledonia on Catherine Street or The Grapes on Roscoe Street (not the one in Matthew Street) for a bit of jazz, real ale and something a bit unusual (The grapes this Thursday has Swingology for Gypsy Jazz stuff). For a Friday take the Wirral line train to Hamilton Square and get a taxi to take you to The Swinging Arm for a bit of rock music. Sorry thread drifting away from bases to beer. Feel free to pm me for a bigger list of alehouses [/quote] To be fair, beer/nights out are probably the priority with the trip. I've never been so it will be interesting! Any indie/rock type bars would be great...I don't mind if they are a little pricey.

Every boutique manufacturer is jumping on the P bass with a zillion strings, 40" scale, yet still just sounds like a P bass trend. P basses have always been popular, but they are currently very very popular indeed!

[quote name='Mark Dyer' timestamp='1395179060' post='2399584'] It's Dawsons or bugger all in Liverpool sadly, which considering the musical heritage of the city is damn shameful. I, on the other hand, can show you round some truly top-notch drinking establishments nearby which should take your mind off the dreadful five mins you will waste wandering around Dawsons. Apologies to any members of Dawsons Liverpool, who may be reading this, but it is a bit sh*te? [/quote] Haha! Good bars/venues centrally for a thurs/fri night? Cheers

Cheers all! Very helpful.

Pics and reports pleaseeee! Congrats by the way!

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1395151790' post='2399215'] Exactly my problem, Gareth. I love the sound of Rickenbackers, and they are surely one of the most beautiful basses ever in terms of overall design, but I just can't get on with playing them! The lack of taper to the neck feels very weird to someone raised on Fenders, the strings seems to hit the pickup polepieces all the time when I play them, and the action never seems that good on any Ricks that I get to have a on. Definitely a bass that like to be played hard . [/quote] It's a shame. They are stunning and sound superb. It must be the last of taper...something I could probably get used to but I'm a Stingray/P Bass neck fan through and through.

Hi I'm taking a trip from the North East to Liverpool soon, (possibly via Manchester). Can anyone recommend any good bass-related shops I can take a look in on the way? Thanks

I went to see one of my favourite bands play a small fairly imtimate venue this past Sunday. The bassist had the traditional SVT/8x10/P Bass. It sounded amazing. I was right near the front on the bassists side so I wasn't just hearing PA.

I think as its limited, that is a good price...eg the normal Ric price...nothing more. I have my eye on one elsewhere but I'm still not 100% sure I can bond with the ergonomics.

I agree, they are beautiful. I would have preferred the normal rosewood board, and for the wood to have gloss on it (or something) as apparently its very much a dry matt type finish. Otherwise...love it.

String spacing and neck profile makes a huge difference. That is all down to taste. BigRedX hit the nail on the head - don't be put off by cheaper 5 string basses. Some are fine. Most, IMO, aren't.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1394389250' post='2390921'] I bought a brand new 400+ in the late 90's so I know all about Mesa Boogie; the prices, the company and their products. They're handmade. Mine didn't come off a shelf, it was made to order. They are very good and they sell at their price point. Anything imported from the US is going to have an addition cost comprising transport, tax and currency exchange. They are what they are. Deal with it. [/quote] Great for you. No need to have that attitude towards another person's opinion. The fact that you think those that share my opinion don't realise how importing products work is just bizarre. I must have hit a nerve.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1394373155' post='2390751'] Yeah, let's pretend the 6000 miles and different tax regimes don't exist. [/quote] Have you carefully looked at how much more Mesa gear is over here? I'm not alone in thinking this, and I've always spent a fortune on USA made gear (or gear from US companies that may be made elsewhere). It isn't all USA products (or any overseas product), its that [b]certain[/b] products have a dramatic difference in price compared to the US, and some don't. I for one do not splash out £1500-£2000 without thinking about it.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1394367598' post='2390674'] Based on personal experience I think if there wasn't a distributor for Mesa then their cabs wouldn't be available in the UK at all [/quote] More than likely! I'd be interested in a Walkabout or Prodigy if they were a little more 'usually' priced (e.g. how a USA price would normally be reflected over here).

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1394365582' post='2390643'] I must admit that, as someone who sees the retail side of the business, I'm seeing the reverse of your suggested trend Gareth. More manufacturing brands are realising that they can be much more effective by concentrating on R&D, quality control and production rather than the monster hassles of distribution and handling retailers or, even more problematical, direct customers. The cost of managing internal customer services and distribution can be huge and the time drain on senior people can cause all sorts of problems. One of the biggest areas a distributor makes a difference is in storage of large stocks of cabs. The size and weight of most cab ranges mean they have to be land or sea transported to make any kind of financial sense. Buying one or two cabs direct from an overseas manufacturer means the relative cost of shipping compared to product value is huge. This means a retailer who's buying direct has to make large bulk orders. From initial order to delivery can take 12 weeks - I've tested this more than once and this is a fairly average schedule if the products are built to order (remembering that most specialist bass equipment manufacturers do not hold large stocks and make most things from scratch as they are ordered). For a retailer this means laying out large sums in advance of delivery, long wait times for products and then problems trying to find storage space. The net effect often means that product range availability is cut right back or even discontinued completely. My personal example would be Carvin - they make some really nice bass cabs but do not operate a European distributor model. Because shipping costs are so high compared to product value they are virtually unobtainable at a price even remotely close to their US equivalents. Our store doesn't even take orders on them because we can't justify the UK prices A quality distributor can make a massive difference in terms of product availability and after sales service. My current favourite example is MSL who handle MarkBass. Their customer service is exemplary, product knowledge is great and delivery times are very fast. Warranty claims are handled without question and with total efficiency. Synergy, who handle Phil Jones and Sandberg, are right up there as well and the new arrangement from Barnes & Mullins with Aguilar is proving to be top notch as well. Without these guys in the chain you'd see massive issues with product availability and delivery times and warranty claims would be both delayed and patchier in service and quality. Unsurprisingly they need to earn some money in order to offer this kind of service but in many cases their outlay is huge in order to hold decent stocks (this is much more of an issue with US made products because many Euro brands have a central storage hub with land delivery access). Without distributors I'd see a lot of products disappearing completely from many UK retailers and, bizarrely, prices for some might rise due to scarcity and costs of individual shipping. Of course, not all distributors are as good as others. Rather than getting rid of them I'd much prefer to see the better ones taking over more stock lines [/quote] I realise there are specialists out there who manage a brand in the UK, but some distributors are basically just another bill to pay and a middleman. The store has to make profit, the distributor has to make profit, and the manufacturer has to obviously make profit. Some distributors will be brilliant, some will just store and sell.