Musicman20

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1380527900' post='2226436'] Some of us are magpies, attracted by the latest shiny thing. Them pretty ones from the Swedish company for example [/quote] From my understanding, (and I could be wrong) TKS have been building cabinets for quite some time, and have a much larger presence in their home country, (understandably). They are very much in the same camp as Bergantino when it comes to high quality, well made, and well finished cabinets. I have tried a TKS 12/6 and, if you could see it and hear it, you would be impressed. The weight/size/volume is quite something. With regards to any aesthetics and fit/finish, I expect only the best for boutique products. If I pay a significant amount of money for a cabinet with high end speaker (s), crossover, horn, and general build, I expect it to be 'finished' in a way that completes the package. It isn't hard to do right, it just takes some time to design and source the right parts, etc. The TKS cabs, despite coming from Sweden, and are actually potentially cheaper than some of our homegrown British products.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1380467876' post='2225696'] Steve Rabe, Dave Nordschow, Jeff Genzler, Stuart Spector, Michael Tobias and many others sold their thriving businesses to larger companies so they could get access to more funds. Sadly, that need to expand and the resultant loss of control eventually killed their companies. Dan Lakin saved Lakland in the hard times by borrowing from his dad! Looks like MTD, Aguilar, Lull, Sadowsky, Roscoe, Bergantino etc are doing the right thing for their brands by staying clear of corporate big business. [/quote] I honestly don't think Aguilar will stay as it is. I hope they do, but money talks.

Despite the fact a lot of owners said they don't need to upgrade, there are a lot of the previous cabs for sale. Looks like they couldn't resist!

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1380204530' post='2222283'] All of it. [/quote] I understand from listening to some music from the genre you enjoy that volume and tone are a BIG part of the huge sound and dynamics. I apologise for making assumptions! Not a problem at all, but I've personally discovered that playing at normal volume levels with a guitar, synth and drums is actually more fun. Why? Because I can hear everything. The problem with having a cab that produces crazy volume for me is that I simply don't need it. I don't want to stress my ears or cause onstage issues for other band members. The last band I was in that toured played far too loud. The bass HAD to be middy to cut through...even at high volumes. It was really annoying. I remember going dizzy at one practice (with ear protection) from the sheer volume one of the guitar cabs was producing. It just isn't needed. Volume wars are almost as bad as speed wars between car enthusiasts. I just don't care to even begin joining in.

[quote name='dan670844' timestamp='1380207987' post='2222344'] Its all about the middle men these days. Case in point my brother has a manufacturing business it was cheaper for him to buy a 250kw diesel generator (the diesel engine is a 37litre V12 diesel) and run it, than get some k nob company to dig a hole in the road/ ground and lay 10 metres of 3 phase cable..... one day everyone will sell direct to everyone and cut out the phat. its better all round, we get better products because the manufacturer makes more money. The other important factor is import tax, it can be as high as 20% on some items! [/quote] Agreed. Just sell direct.

I agree. Mesa's pricing over here is ridiculous. It makes you realise what mark up each person in the chain is making when you see prices from a company such as TKS or Carvin when they sell direct.

[quote name='AndyTheBassBison' timestamp='1372778080' post='2129846'] For me it's Kanye West's 'Yeezus'. Not everyone's cup of tea I know but I think it's superb! Runners up are Daft Punk, QOTSA [/quote] Agreed on these as well. 'Yeezus' is fantastic. I am not a huge fan of hip hop/r n b (although I do like some of it) but this album really is pretty groundbreaking and VERY dark.

Suede - 'Bloodsports'. Without a doubt.

The guitarist popped round yesterday. I've known him for a little while, but not jammed with him as yet. As we both had some time, he popped over with a very small combo and we tried some ideas out. Firstly, off topic, it is a revelation to work with a guitarist who loves the tone of bass guitar and 'gets' it. Not only can we work with just bass/guitar/keys and no messing about with rhythm guitar, it means I can finally have a band the way I want it. Anyway, he was very impressed with the TKS. Not only from an aesthetic/weight point of view, but he loved the range of tones it would deliver. Anything from modern and clean to gritty and rock n roll. It won't extend high into the treble due to no tweeter, but its a very nice cab. I'm in a situation where I may pickup a Genz NX2 or order one of these.

I want to see pics of the new BF cabs! Nigel - Looking cool as ever!

That cab will not handle dub/reggae. Trust me. I would opt for a Genz Streamliner 900, cut the treble, boost the bass, have the mids at whatever you like, and get something like a TKS 12/6 (x2), (I've got one on loan) or a BF cab designed for HUGE bass. The TKS I have on loan is effortless in the low end. Absolutely slams a low B and sounds beautiful for really low bass. The Ampeg cab isn't really designed to handle those low transients. It will, and it'll sound ok, but it won't feel big. However with the PF800 I fear you may blow the cab. Get a high end cab and a decent high powered micro (I don't trust Ampeg's latest PF amps one bit) and you are good to go.

Can you add a tweeter to the Super Compact?

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1379927197' post='2218201'] Redesigns of product ranges happen all the time. Jim Bergantino is a case in point. That doesn't make previous products redundant. All BF cabs sound great right back to the original Big One. [/quote] True, but sound is a matter of taste. I'm very open to hearing and seeing what the new 3rd Gen cabs are like.

Quick run down from owning/hearing the amps: Shuttlemax - Clear, bright, clean, punchy. Very modern, FET channel is pretty flat. TUBE channel can add warmth and some grit. Streamliner - Effortless volume, it will stay clean all the way unless you want it to have some hair on the notes, very much like plugging into a high end studio tube preamp. Very crisp, but warm and 'syrupy'. As with a lot of amps, it has a mid scoop with all controls at 12 (like GK's, etc). Boost the mids to 1/2, bass back to 10, and its pretty much flat. You can boost and cut the mid and treble all the way and it STILL sounds good. The treble is crisp and will allow it to be bright and snappy, but roll it back and its much more vintage. TH500/TH Pedal - Very much the Aguilar sound. Punchy in the mids. Warm and full. The treble can be an issue for some as it is at 4K. Lot's of volume available, grit available if you want it.

It seems they are on the website but photos to follow. I can imagine a flurry of sellers wanting to upgrade now.

Both are great. You miss quite a lot of the treble snap with the TH500 though, (treble is set at 4k) so if you like the 'winding on the strings' tone...eg lots of metallic and bright tones, the TH500 will totally smooth that out... Best bet is to get a Tonehammer pedal and the Streamliner, then you have both The Streamliner sounds stunning to me. The treble is like a passive tone control and you get very clear highs or more vintage rolled off treble.

I'd get this tweed...it stunning. Two of these 12/6 cabs would absolutely kill.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1379812804' post='2217050'] Glad you like it! I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of it at the rehearsal.... [/quote] Me to! Looking forward to hearing this and starting back writing again. It's taken a long time to find the right 4 people, and we are still searching for a good frontman/vocalist.

[quote name='MOSCOWBASS' timestamp='1379803738' post='2217013'] Looks like BF [/quote] It doesn't, trust me. I think all in all they are cheaper as well. The quality of build is on par with Aguilar and Bergantino, as it should be at this price.

Really impressed. I've been testing it with my Big Al 5 in passive, then in active and trying a LOT of bass boost and it just doesn't flinch....at all. A heck of a lot of volume, punch and tone from a little light box. I tried some music through it and the more dance orientated sub bass stuff or heavier music sound excellent. I haven't really missed the tweeter plus my bass strings are a little old. It is EXCELLENT for plec/lots of tube grind....just sounds effortless for that. I couldn't believe such a little box could kick that much bass.

Ay....I will do. Hopefully get some playing time on them today. New band members popping round tomorrow to have a quick chat before we rehearse properly and the guitarist wants to show me some songs he's written, (thankfully he's a big fan of low on stage volume).

They look cool, more G&L than Musicman to my ears....I think the bridge H is out of the Stingray sweetspot on the HH...(not sure). This would make the HH model more like a Bongo HH. If they are reasonable prices they could do quite well with these. I imagine they are having to tread VERY carefully not to be 'too Stingray' to get into trouble. I think Fender having some cool stuff out at the moment...they just need a GOOD passive 5 string PJ model to the standard of something like Sandberg. That would go down VERY well.

All - WOT has just been kind enough to drop off the 12/6 cabinet. My word, I haven't had chance to plug in yet, but the quality just oozes from this cab. Very VERY slick aesthetics and attention to detail. It's not a tiny box but its easy to move and pretty light. Just from the aesthetics I'm impressed. It's 450W, 12+6, lovely tweed covering (which lines ups perfectly all over!) chrome corners, grill behind the cloth. I have a new band starting on Weds so I'll take this along. I'm going to try it in my room tomorrow to see what it sounds like.

It'll be the protection circuits kicking in on the amp.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1379495155' post='2213238'] Nah TC say and sell it as n watts, when it isnt, its g watts run through a multiband limiter/(other assorted shenanigans) rather like a simple digital mastering cover all solution, in order to get a higher average level to peak ratio (think radio station broadcast limiter). The amp runs harder than a real n watt amp to achieve the same level as an n watt amp (by which I mean in achieving that same level the amp is running closer to its theoretical maximum more of the time - just look at the graphs in the pdf). Which may or may not worry you. It also means the transients are very definitely curtailed, and that is something you may be able to feel. I can honestly say the TC stack sounds really loud, possibly louder than my rig in fact, but I prefer the sound and feel of my rig (I had a day with my rig sat next to Charics - IIRC - at a previous bass bash, so this is a personal subjective impression of the two rigs suide by side for an extended period of time). I have no problem with that approach from an engineering point of view, if they said thats what they did, but in their initial push to market (anyone remember their bass 2.0 ads?) they kept this all very quiet. Any kind of limiting or compression is a form of distortion of the signal, and to claim they have 500, 1000, 1700 watts of [i]clean[/i] usable power is frankly a lie. Whether this is a negative thing is entirely up to you of course [/quote] I agree the tone and feel is subjective with these amps. However, they still state the power modules used inside the amps are capable of producing the wattage stated when 'uncapped' by the APM. If this is the case, then in theory, they are the stated wattage amps, and it would have probably cost less to use the power module on its own than develop a load of new technology (APM) to add to a low powered module. I would not be one to know exactly what the APM is, and I very much doubt any of us understand it completely without seeing their no doubt confidential information.