dave_bass5

Fran (Grand wazoo on here) has both a RS 2 and MIA P, might be worth asking him. For what it's worth I've had his Roadstar II PJ for a few weeks and it packs a real punch. A bit more growl than my P bass, and the neck is very, very comfortable. one of the nicest basses I've played in a long time. EDIT: Sorry, just re read the first post. Fran has a modern MIA, not one from that eara. Still, he knows his stuff so might still be worth getting him on board with this topic.

I must admit my lack of (as many) gigs has helped me with GAS over the past couple of years. I really shouldn't be spending money on new gear with just a handful of conirmed gigs, but for the first time in a good few years I'm actually enjoying playing bass again. Plus as I've almost cracked the finger style hurdle I've had for years I'm quite enthusiastic about it all. Couldnt do it without a gig to look forward to though.

I know we all know what it looks like, but thought id take a few pics anyway. Still loving it......a lot :-) [url="https://flic.kr/p/Agfqch"][/url] [url="https://flic.kr/p/Agfqch"]Barefaced Big Baby 2[/url] by [url="https://www.flickr.com/photos/davebass5/"]Dave Pearce[/url], on Flickr [url="https://flic.kr/p/AxRDFk"][/url] [url="https://flic.kr/p/AxRDFk"]Barefaced Big Baby 2[/url] by [url="https://www.flickr.com/photos/davebass5/"]Dave Pearce[/url], on Flickr [url="https://flic.kr/p/AwE7Vh"][/url] [url="https://flic.kr/p/AwE7Vh"]Barefaced Big Baby 2[/url] by [url="https://www.flickr.com/photos/davebass5/"]Dave Pearce[/url], on Flickr

It should be me thanking you Dood. It really helped clear things up. I also got my BF Retro two 10 based partly on your review, although unfortunaly that didn't quite work out. You win one you lose one lol. Compressors are some thing I buy when I have GAS but not sure for what. Over the years Ive never found one that was worth keeping. Guess that means I have never needed one. With this one it's different as I can actually hear a change in my sound, for the good. I got it as I was starting to play finger style (after so many years of using a pick), so it seemed like a good idea. It works for that but this one see se to do more. It does seem to change my tone for the good, due to the blend knob. For me it's set and forget, I don't find I fiddle with it at all, and I guess that's a good thing. Saying that, Im going through a lot of tonal changes at the moment, and I can see the comp will not be here this time next year.

My totally outrageous thoughts are these. Get the bass working as you want it. forget the resell value and just enjoy what you have. If everything ticks the right boxes just sort out what doesn't. The JV range are lovely basses and designed to be played, not sold at a later date. If you are worried about that pack it away and just use the MIM. I got one when they were first released, and sold it about 10 years ago. There wasnt a single original part left on it other than the neck (with new tuners) and body. I was told by Chris at the Bass Centre that its the neck that sells this bass, the rest are just bits that come with it. Of course buyers like the complete package, but IMO thats just par for the course with buyers. I bet none of you hate your JV basses with different bits on them, its just a money thing. IMO they are also very overpriced these days. Back in the day they were outstanding value, but these days there are many, many basses that can out preform them at the secondhand price point. They have a stigma attached to them that commands a high price, but IME its too much.

Ah yes, the slappers delight button lol.

[quote name='Musashimonkey' timestamp='1445806912' post='2894428'] Really glad you like the BB2, I had a similar experience. I'm still in love with mine and its here to stay! Hope some gigs come your way soon. [/quote] It was a gamble, still can't get my head around a 1x12 replacing my 2x12, but I do now at least know where my tone issues have been these past few years. Can't believe I waited so long to get this. [quote name='Merton' timestamp='1445808587' post='2894443'] In my opinion you won't go far wrong with one, it's a versatile little beast but I've not had huge experience with Mark Bass stuff so not sure how it would compare. [/quote] I mainly use the MB flat, so it might as well be a power amp sitting there. I do have a MAG combo and although I don't use it much I've always liked the tone. Having a much higher powered head version can't be a bad thing. I do need a good reason to get it though, so I'll wait until I see if I'm pushing the MB a bit too hard, and decided then. At least I could cut down on clutter as the RM800 has a comp built in, so that's one less box to wire up at gigs (even if it's not going to be in the same league).

Cheers. Hopefully the gigs will pick up. It's a new band, and we kept the agents that booked the old band, but so far they aren't exactly rolling in. Got a few though so it makes getting the cab worthwhile. Going to look in to a louder head at some point. Maybe the Ashdown RM800.

Right then. Just back from researsala and all I can say is WOW, that's THE tone I've been looking for. Can't think of one negative thing to say about the tone I had today, and this was in a room that's been causing me grief for a as long as I've been rehearing in it. The tone was very clear, and punchy. The room is mostly stage, so I've always had issues with boom and low end. Not so today, right down to low E I could hear every note clearly. I've been worried that the BB2 has been described as like a full range monitor. Not something I was really looking for, and expected to keep the tweeter off most of the time. Today it was on for the full 4 hours and never did I feel the tone was harsh or clanky like I've got from my 1212L. I could even hear the effect my compressor was making, and that's not something I've noticed before with the 1212L. To sum it up, everyting seems to have fallen in to place today, and it's a huge relief. If there is a negative it would had to be this has come along at a time when I'm not gigimg much, and don't expect to (at least not every week like I have been over the past 12 years). Shame.

It was your video review that sold me on it :-). Until I watched it I couldn't understand why the blend control was there, but you explained it perfectly and I ordered it as soon as I had finished watching it.

Ok, here we go with round two. The BB2 has just arrived (big thanks to Alex and the team for getting this to me waaaay before the estimated delivery date), and its lovely. I wont be able to plug it in until tomorrow though. it feels more substantial than the RT10. Its seems bigger and heavier than i thought it would, and thats a good thing. Also nice to see the grill has had a nice polish ;-) Pics and more thoughts tomorrow. Got a full 4 hours rehearsal on sunday so plenty of time to get used to it before the gig on 6th Nov. Good times ahead....hopefully.

I dont agree that its the drummers fault, although i do understand the comments. In my case i play loud enough so that the people that need to hear me can. If that means at the back of the room, and i dont have PA support (99% of my gigs) then my volume is pretty much dictated by this. Even if the drummer played quieter that wont help those at the back of the room hear the band better.

My thoughts exactly. I also thought the handle covers to be a bit pointless, although I'm sure some find a use for them.

As I said above I had one for my Retro two 10. As the cab was only going to be in the back of a car I didn't think it worth going for the full set, so I went for the basic finish, with just the logo and under strap added. I was more than happy with it. It's not quite as padded as the Schroeder cover I have, but I'm always carful with my gear. I just ordered the same as the above, minus the logo for my yet to be delivered BF BB2.

Ive tried using compressors a few times over the years. Never really found i needed one, but i can see how they can help. The last one i had was the MXR one. It worked well and didnt really change my tone much, just tighten up things. At the moment i have a Seymor Duncan Studio bass compressor pedal, and this is a bit different to a lot of the others. You can blend back in certain frequencies from the unaffected signal, and this helps to stop louder low notes (for example) triggering the compression and cutting the higher ones. You can also set it to allow some of the low end signal through unaffected, and so the higher peaks get tamed without loss of low note definition. Ive never had ne that has this feature, and im finding really useful and a bit help during my transition from pick only to finger playing. Im sure i wont have it for too long but its the most useful one ive used. Not cheap at £180+ but for me it was worth it.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1445030834' post='2888387'] I enjoy playing every single song we play. I also love The fact that I get paid for doing something I love doing. Blue [/quote] +1 In fact I'd go as far as to say as I enjoy playing, the song itself can sometimes be irrelevant. Then again i do like all the songs we play at the moment, even though quite a few are complete new to me. Saying that, doing the same songs week in week out can start to become a chore if the set isn't rotated every now and then. This was the issue with my last band. Two of the members just wanted to get through the same songs every week, never progressing and never learning new songs. After a couple of years like this even my easy going attitude got to boiling point.

[quote name='davehux' timestamp='1444987211' post='2887829'] I've had....... An LM II A TTE500 2 F1's ...think I quite like Markbass Currently running a Geddy Jazz through a BDI-21 VT pedal, through an F1 and into a Barefaced S12T and I'm in tone heaven [/quote] Must admit i couldn't use a MB head without some form of pre amp in front. Got a VTBass Di at the moment but ive had BDDi's/Paradrivers/ Darkglass VTMD and still got a BDI-21. These things seem to breath a bit of life in to my F1 head.

When i got back in ot playing bass 12 years ago i started with a Ashdown EB-115 combo, but quickly moved up to a MAG 300 C-115 combo. It felt it did the job for many gigs but lacked volume for some. I got a ABM 300 head when the MAG started distorting at low volume. I used this head with the speaker for a while but didnt relaly like the ABM tone. I then got a Schroeder 1210R. This was ok but i still didnt really get on with the ABM. I then discovered MarkBass and got a SA450 (after loaning a LMII while i waited for it to be delivered). Over the years ive tried getting away from MB but keep going back to them. At one point i had the SA450 and LMII. These days its just a F1 head. I have never had any issues with any of the MB stuff, although i hated the one MB cab i had. I still have the MAG combo but it doesn't get used these days. Good as a back up though.

I must admit ive had a hard time dialling the Schroeder sound out of my 1212L. I sort of agree with John, it seems easier to dial in a mid hump than to get rid of one like the 1212L has. Not that it always needs it, its just after using one for so many years i want a more traditional tone, and the 1212L just cant seem to get it. Ive been using a Gramma pad for years, at every gig, and i dont really have issues with boom, but i dont hear true low end like i did with the Retro Two 10, and hopefully the BB2.

To be fair to my Markbass heads it was probably more down to the rubbish cabs I was using at the time. And by rubbish I'm talking about a MB traveler 15 cab on one occasion, and a Epifini UL212 the other times. Each needed pushing very hard to do the same job as the 1212L had done at the same venues with less effort. This is one reason I've stuck with the 1212L for so long. I might not totally love it, but it's never let me down as far as gigs go. And we all know that if something works it's not a good idea to mess with it. I know, Ive tried over the years and keep going back.

Agreed John. As my old band is now dead and a distant memory, i must confess i did cream a bit off the top every now and then, as i was doing most of the bookings. It shouldn't have been like that, i wasn't running the band as such, but two of the band were so bloody lazy i felt 0% guilt. I would often split the money with the drummer who did give me lifts etc. It was all contract stuff, and i would always email the contracts around, but sometimes they would go through Acrobat first ;-) Yes, im a bad person, but with a full time job and a family i often wondered why the two that had neither wouldn't make a phone call every now and then.

Cheers. It will be a novelty actually using the EQ on my MB F1 head. Normally its just set flat or close to that. I do find the EQ on my VTBass DI to have a lot more impact but the lows are so powerful id be worried about turning that knob up with the BB2. This will be the first 8ohm cab ive had for a very long time. I might look at getting a new amp, something more powerful, just to give me a bit more clean headroom from the amp. Going from a very loud 4ohm 1212L to to the BF at 8 ohms might involve me having to turn up a bit more on the head. Normally its run at around 11 on the master. I have run had it at just past 1 o'clock a few times and its wasnt a pleasant tone. Ill have to see how the first gig goes though, i might not need it. The Ashdown RM800 looks like a good move if i do go for something louder.

It's been a while since I played a 5 string Lakland, but my first reaction to my V7 was that it reminded me of my old Laklands. Although the necks are different, to my fingers it was the closest I've come to a Lakland since my last Lakland. Could be more down to the fact that both makes use smaller frets. I love the smaller frets on my basses so this might be the only thing they have in common, other than they both have very playable necks.