Wonky2

I used it in a studio last week, di'd out the back and the recorded sound is great. (Not sure if the id is pre or post eq?) Will persevere for now and I'm sure it will come right. My fear is using it in a gigging environment and having such a floppy sound.... I'd be mortified !!!! I've searched the net on more detailed instruction of how to use the parametric eq.... Not much out there, a video would be really good. My next step is to get someone else to play my bass whilst i make adjustments on the dials as its hard to do just let titling notes ring out.

Thanks for the very useful comments guys.... My bass is a fender jazz with flats on. I got rid of the status as again the controls were just too complex for my liking. The room is a bog standard rehearsal room with a solid floor, but poor sound in general. I haven't used the ext cab yet. The sound I'm getting even with everything set flat is wooly... Even slight adjust Kent can mess up the frequencies so bad the sound is "wobbling" ??? Honestly, sounds like a Leslie rotary cabinet at times... What I have noted is that when the band goes out for a cig, i stay and try to find a better sound. I tend to give it a bit more well as its just me in the room. After this the sound improves...... Do I need to get any valves hot perhaps ? Last night after switching from muffled and wooly to wobbly and out of shape, then clear and middy but all bottom end lost.... I lost patience and plugged into a cheap ampeg rocket bass 100. Instantly the tone was spot on and easily shapable. I understand the need for patience but its just got me so frustrated...... I tried sweeping through the frequencies individually untill I could hear a prominent increase in the sound/ frequency, then i cut the volume to that dial. Have I got that wrong? Bottom knob frequency t nob cut/boost? The status i had was my dream bass I'd wanted since being a kid but when I got it it just did my heD in, great bass, to complex for me tho.... This amp may be the same. At home, I've got some absolute wicked tones from it... But with full band its a mess.

I recently splashed out and bought myself a mesa walkabout 15 and matching mesa wa15 ext cab. I had landed myself something special and was really chuffed with it. Fantastic bit of kit in every way. But having lived with it for a few weeks I'm really struggling with the parametric eq and literally dementing myself with the sound. I end up fiddling with it all night. I'm frustrated to death with the fact I have a great bass and a fantastic amp and yet I still find it hard to dial in a simple tone!! It's me, not the gear, it's got to be......I think if just got hung up about it now..... I have dialled in the example tone settings set out in the mesa manual , tried my own variations, but still seem to be continually fiddling with the parametric EQ... Tonight I have literally done my own head in with it and fear that this amp is not for me..... The tones which it will produce really are rediculasly good but I seem to be unable to dial out the unwanted frequencies and when I try to sort them out I just end up making it worse !!! I think it may be because I'm only running it at low volumes ? Guess I need simplicity. May go back to ampeg which is not nearly as "full" or rich a sound, but just so simple to dial in tones. It's not the amp its me. Anyone else struggle with this or am I just an idiot? (I'll accept suggestions that I am an idiot since the amps reputation is that is is one of the best combo' money can buy) Edited to show new signature - ad to follow shortly.

Its possible? I took a real critical look at it all last night. Amp set flat. The issue with the tone pot having very little effect until two thirds of the way down and then all of the adjustment in the last third of the rotation....... Well, the volume pots are the same !!!!! Turning each pick up volume up from fully off there is a SIGNIFICANT increase in the volume on the last third of the rotation.??? The first two thirds being audible but low but having no real increase or decrease within that two thirds of rotation , other than off. This is the case, individually on both vol pots and the tone? I've never noticed untill a sat down and critically examined the effect of the rotation of each pot against the effect it gives. When there all open full it sounds great and they are all working. Not creaks crackles nothing. The bass is a brand new 2014 model american standard, the amp is a mesa walkabout and the leads are whirl wind. So not exactly crappy gear..... Anyone, any ideas? Returning the bas for inspection would be tricky as it was bought on the hush as a fender staff sale (A favour from an old friend)

Doh! Yep silly me, VVT.... The tone pot just doesn't seem to have a huge effect until its two thirds of the way down. There is some effect, but not what I'd call an even spread of a tonal range ? My leeds are old but they are whirlwinds and seem to be working fine? I do have a new amp, mesa scout 15........ It could be something I've dialled into the parametric eq cancelling out what I'm dialling in on the bass? Thinking about it, that makes sense........ But one thing for sure, the bridge pickup doesn't have that same mid sounding growl that my last american standard had. The only thing that has changed is the pick ups. The old one had the standard Alnico pups whereas this bass has the 60's custom shop pups in it. May have to try getting my hands on some of the alnicos just to see ?

I recently bought a brand new fender american standard jazz bass to replace one i foolishly sold. The new model comes with the 60's custom shop pickups as standard. Now I'm not sure what pickups where in my last am Stan butt he tone is massively different, particularly with the bridge pick up. It doesn't have nearly as much mid growl as my 1995 american standard..... So, I have some options...... One is obviously to swap the pick ups... The other is to try different capacitors on the tone pots....that is if anyone can tell me this will make the change I'm looking for? I know nothing about this but I figure any experimental swaps can easily be changed back. Has anyone one this or can any one advise what capacitor I should try ? Is it just capacitors or the tone pots themselves that I should be looking at? The tone control at present seems to have minimal effect when turning down from full for the first half of a rotation, the most apparent change in tone is all at the bottom end of the dial, ie when fully off its dull and muted but the first few degrees of turning the knob seems to have the most significant effect on tone? From half way up to full the difference is negligible ? Thanks Wonky

Rick Rosas has left the building Simple but solid lines....... So long buddy http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2014/11/07/in-memoriam-rick-rosas/

Sounds like a nice project to me bub Seen a bass and a couple of guitars wrapped (vinyl) last week, they look very trick indeed. Looked into it and there are a lot of great finishes/ designs.... Two were vinyl wrapped and one was done with Hydrographics, this is done using a process were they have the colour floating on water then drop the body in so that it wraps/ coats the body, then lacquered..... Some mind blowing results. Look at this : https://dipthis.co.uk/things_we_dip/. Potential for Some Awesome designs!!! And high gloss lacquer too.... I like the tattoo themed wraps.... I also looked on you tube at about a million videos of swirl painting a guitar , not what your after I know, but I'd love to have a go at it I have no idea of cost, but the vinyl wrap, which in this instance was covered in a Roy Lichtenstein pop art type print wasn't expensive.... There are some great ones on the net, just google wrapped guitars.... Lots of 3d or even textured patterns too.... In answer to your question about does it need to be stripped back to the wood? I guess not as many of the great looking genuine road worn fenders show the wear of one colour through to a different base colour. ..... ??? It may need to have the paint coat keyed in though for better adhesion ? No expert just applying common sense approach and volume to my thoughts

One thing I have noticed which has an impact far bigger than I would have considered is the amount of gain dialed in. Low gain and a higher out put was a totally different sound to higher gain and a lower output.... Obvious really I know , but as I say it didn't have quite the effect I had assumed. Gain isn't just about growl.

I stand corrected, said the man in the orthopaedic shoes..... Ba bum tishhhhh!!!!

Check out the tower of power back catalogue.... What is hip is his puck style down to a t

Bobby vega...... I just love that guy http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cpnIl2WpR1U

Interested..... I recently bought a mesa walkabout which has the parametric eq....... I've been mucking about no end with my sound at rehersals.... at one point the frequencies must have been sooooo mixed up it began to sound like a Lesley cabinet with the bass almost "wallowing" like it was underwater ???? Cutting the lows out resolved it but I really needs to get a better understanding....

Back to the music issue...... Think of music in another context....what about dancers? Surely they love and "feel" music as much as a musician? Apply this to thousands of clubbers who completely loose themselves (with the aid of the odd disco biscuit or two) for hours and hours to the music in the most intuitive subconscious way ? Granted, some people don't "listen" to music it just exists and at times fills a part of their day as a back ground distraction.... I genuinely feel sorry for these people who just don't seem or even want to connect. There are many different ways of appreciating music, and your commitment to it is admirable.... But no matter how good you are or how much your life revolves around it, never assume that other people can't connect or "get it"..... There are many ways

Thanks guys... Steve, that sounds like good advice.... I figured the amount of bottom end that this thing can produce ,, there should be enough left to dial in what the bottom roller tray takes out? I'll give it some thought. Any one else with experience of this please pipe up

+1 for Marlowe DK...... His tutes are great. Like scott d but marlowes great.

Wicked tune mate Me, I have issues with runs that run down the neck .....up no problem, down...... I have to think and it doesn't seem to flow as well as up... A definite deficiency in my playing. Should really find some excersises to help with this i suppose but as you say, you can get comfortable and tend to stick to what you know. Raising the bar is always healthy i guess.

I expect too, that's why I'm asking if anyone has done this and what the actual effect is? Is your comment based on opinion or experience as requested?

Was "thinking" of flight casting my walkabout to get round portability issues and the desire to put castors on it....... Has anyone else flight cased their Wa scout and if so, did it affect the radiator when playing with the combo left sat in the bottom wheel tray of the flight case?