DBerriff

A pleasant surprise is how good the Delano pickups are. I think they must be JMVC 4 FE/M2 in bridge position, and PMVC 4 FE/M2 in neck position, judging by the single J poles. Active or passive they manage the trick of sounding warm and clear at the same time. This is all totally subjective of course but I particularly like the J in the bridge position. A touch of bass boost on the active setting and there is no need to touch the amp. The balance between P and J is pretty good too. The next move is to try it with the big band.

[url="https://flic.kr/p/T1uh2X"][/url][url="https://flic.kr/p/T1uh2X"]Sandberg California II VT4[/url] by [url="https://www.flickr.com/photos/berriff/"]David Jones[/url], on Flickr The neck looks quite a bit darker in the flesh.

[quote name='GreeneKing' timestamp='1490283354' post='3263943'] I bought a Sandberg Cali II VS5 yesterday as it happens. I've owned a Sandberg in the past but this is lighter, much lighter. The neck on mine is shallow and really nicely finished with very dark rosewood and a nicely vintage looking finish to the rear. The 2 band EQ with passive tone sounds great both active and passive and I'm loving it. Mine has a Delano pickup and I think a Glockenklang pre. I do think they have upped their game. The hardware and construction are shouting quality at me. It's 'soft aged' too, something I've never been a huge fan of (that's an understatement) but the 'worn in' paintwork with steam punk hardware really works. Maybe knowing it's new helps? I'd not want a heavy relic however. I'm chuffed to pieces with mine.... [/quote] Yes, same here - chuffed to pieces. The passive sound is a bonus and a really fine one at that. Quick-change battery and sensible tone-control sensitivity for the active side makes it all very useable. I like the matt finish on the body and it should stand up well to the odd knock. [url="https://flic.kr/p/T9ijYN"][/url][url="https://flic.kr/p/T9ijYN"]Sandberg California II VT4[/url] by [url="https://www.flickr.com/photos/berriff/"]David Jones[/url], on Flickr I asked Drew last year for a quote on a VS with, by coincidence, the exact same spec as this except for the fingerboard dots. That is when he told me he was getting this in. By the time it arrived I needed an upright and bought an NXT off him. But the nagging feeling that this was "my" bass would not go away, and now you all know the end result.

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1490281679' post='3263925'] Just our of interest, why didn't you go for a Lull P4 (their simply/passive Precision)? Just fancied a change? Si [/quote] I almost did on a number of occasions but I think the quality gap has closed and I don't know what the Lull would give me that the Sandberg does not. I find the P/J Delanos are a bit better balanced than the Nordstrands on my Lull PJ5. The active circuit allows for a bit of bass boost on the bridge pickup which gives me a sound I want without needing to touch my amp. My requirements have changed and most of my gigs now are on upright. When switching I find it easier to stick to 4 strings. I have been using a G&L Tribute JB2 but I wanted that "P" sound, and this is where it has all ended up. Part of this decision was a realisation that Drew really is closing down his business in Manchester, and that the fact that he had the exact configuration I wanted at a very fair price.

As a practical 4 string the California V ticks all the boxes for me. The workmanship is top-notch too. I like it so much I have ordered a fretless twin with an ebony fingerboard. Perhaps Sandberg has upped their game over the last few years, but my experience is that for less than the cost of a certain mass-produced USA model you now get something crafted, largely by hand, in Germany that easily stands up to comparison in the quality stakes. Playability and sound are right up there with the best of the genre, too. Well, I'm happy. I will post a picture if I can find a moment when our grandchildren have not taken over the house.

I wandered into a well known music store in Liverpool this pm and was taken aback by the current price of well known USA basses. They seem to have caught up with and then overtaken some of the "boutique" makes. So now you can buy a hand-finished bass with German engineering and pay less for it than the mass-produced original.

Tried it. Spot on. Bought it.

I don't need super skinny. I find the profile to be more important. Thank you for the positive feedback.

All I have seen is positive comments. It is looking good.

Tomorrow I am off to Manchester to try a Sandberg Cali. II VT 4. I gigged a 5 string Mike Lull for a couple of years but I want to return to the (relative) simplicity of 4 strings and a P pickup. So, is there anything I should know about contemporary Sandbergs before I head up the M62 to try a couple out? They look terrific on paper. I am just looking for a few anecdotes to take my mind off fhe anticipation.

In my experience the GB DI is as good as anything and has all the switchable options needed for different mixer/PA setups.

Because seing what note to to play is the easy bit, and you make an assumption about how sight reading "works".

We forgot extension leads on our first gig as a newly revised band. The pub managed to find a spare 4-way for us. I went straight out and bought a long cable reel from B&Q. Our guitarist would just stand there, bless him, "where do I plug into?". So I had to take care of him too.

Your fingers approach the finger board from a particular side. That is the side where the high notes are otherwise you would be stretching across the fingerboard to play the highest notes. It is the same with all orchestral instruments. Guitar and electric bass follow suit.

I used one of the Genz Benz Shuttle combos for a while. Basically it had a sheet-metal frame screwed to the top to hold the amp. It was undoubtedly very convenient for quick set-ups but ultimately limiting. Use the cab with a different head and you have an awkward lump of metal getting in the way. You will also need an adaptor to plug into the male Speakon connector. Using the head with a different cab and it takes longer to remove it from its mounting than just grabbing a gig bag. I found the format useful, but I am not sure that I would choose it again. For the price of plugging in a Speakon cable I prefer the flexibility of what I have now - separate head and cab.

I am glad I bought one when I did. I am abusing mine by using it clean for swing band work. With a G&L JB-2 and BF One 10 it cruised through rehearsals last night and sounded "right" with the tone section flat. The tone shaping suits me as being quick and simple to set and check. On balance I prefer the switchable mid controls to semi-parametric. After 2 hours it wasn't even slightly warm. That should mean a long component life.

The Streamliners are not designed for frequent valve swapping. I recall one TB member complaining about a broken valve base. He might have been heavy handed. I came to trust my GB gear in regular gigging use, and simply used them in stock configuration.

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1477919428' post='3165233'] Thanks for that, every little bit of info I can get will help.. [/quote] Scroll down to the post where he discusses Bass Gear of Twyford and their decision to switch to online only sales.

Check the simple options first. Does it hum with no instrument plugged in and the input gain turned down to zero? Have you tried another mains lead and a different supply socket to check for suspect earthing/grounding? Beyond that, take it to a competent repair shop for testing. The Streamliner has a few valves in the preamp, so it is possible a valve has failed.

If you are thinking of setting up a bass-related business then you should look up The Great British Bass Lounge on Facebook. Drew is a great guy and very open about his thoughts on the current state of the market.

Bass Direct recommends Noiseworks for setups. John, who owns the shop, is a great guy with a huge amount of experience and knowledge.

I feel uneasy about the way individuals are being targeted by these posts, although I would agree many comments are complimentary. We hide behind our aliases while feeling free to comment on a couple of young men doing the job probably to the best of their abilities. I think it is a great shop and we, as a bass playing community, are lucky to have it as a resource.

Noiseworks in Coventry has a Tribute JB-2 in stock.

One feature of G&L basses is that most models share the same basic non-offset body shape. It is so obvious really. You can switch basses and immediately feel at home. I find this most important when I am reading and do not have time to look at my finger positioning.

If you want a jazz configuration then from the G&L range I suggest you seek out a Tribute JB-2. They are exceedingly well made. The SB-2 is the bass player's revenge. That innocent looking P pickup will eat most actives for breakfast, and throws out a strong fundamental for real weight in the low frequencies. Fellow band members might not like it. So, it is not so much the J pickup being weak in my opinion. It is usually the case that the P predominates though. Even my expensive Mike Lull PJ5 suffers from that. Any passive tone control will bleed off some treble at all settings, although whether or not you can hear it depends on the component values. The SB lets through the raw output which means a bit more top end agression. You can tame it somewhat by winding back the bass volume and increasing the amp input gain. If you then need to cut through, turn up the volume and you not only get louder but add clarity too. Genius (Leo Fender, that is).