NeonMig

Ok, I tried that and the effect was... well okay... still pretty quiet (my old active Washburn XB120 is still so much louder it's not funny... 9v preamp there too.) The pickups being too high up however were uncomfortable for me to play on. I'll look at the Aguilar and other options, cheers guys.

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='269539' date='Aug 25 2008, 05:26 PM']I definitely agree with you about the feel of the Shuttle 6.0 being a bit ‘cheap’. That was my first impression when I picked mine up, but the sound of the thing is IMMENSE for the weight – I’ve had t-shirts that have weighed more! It’s bloody fantastic, and I love being able to dial in a bit of dirt from the pre-amp.[/quote] Well the only thing that felt a bit cheap were the mute/eq shape buttons. Other than that, it's just a psychological issue about an amp weighing that little :| I'm actually scared that during any outdoor gigs it might get blown away by the wind. Anyway, turns out I couldn't connect it to the Trace at practise (it's a combo) so I guess the real test will be at the gig on 5th September. I'll keep y'all posted.

One is ok in most cases, 2 for the rest. Iron Maiden pull it off well because they're Iron Maiden.

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='268886' date='Aug 24 2008, 04:36 PM'].. how the hell I'm supposed to 'not follow the guitar'? I've been working with riffs sent over from my guitarist and apparently everything is following the guitar.. no matter how different I try to make it???? Surely the whole point of bass is to hold down the root note (with added flair and pizazz ).... it's doing my head in and really frustrating me as it's making me feel like a sh*t bassist!!! Grrrrrr![/quote] You "don't follow the guitar" like this:

Amps I've owned: Rebel 20w 1x8 combo Hartke HA4000 Ashdown Electric Blue 180 Gallien Krueger 400RB Ashdown ABM 575 2x10 combo Warwick Blue Cab 15 Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 Important note: I only got the Genz Benz last week, so not much I can say about it quite yet in most of these areas. [b]Best Looking Amp[/b] - Gallien Krueger, sleek sexy and stylish. [b]Loudest Amp[/b] - Genz Benz, tiny but holy crap is it loud [b]Best Live Sound[/b] - Gallien Krueger, but it just wasn't loud enough. [b]Best Studio Sound[/b] - haven't ever used any of them for studio stuff [b]Most Commented Upon (positive) Live Sound from Punters[/b] - Gallien Krueger [b]Most Frustrating Set Up to get a sound out of[/b] - Ashdown ABM, it was a very nice amp but way too fiddly for me, it felt like an aircraft cockpit. I'm a simple soul, the fewer controls the better. I usually leave my EQ almost flat and just tune it to the room/cabinet/style of music. [b]Worst amp (sound)[/b] - Rebel. My first ever bass amp, I covered it in white paint and graffiti and some idiot nicked it. I'm sure it was a good punishment for the thief. [b]Most reliable[/b] - Rebel. In my attemt to 'accidentally' break it so I could convince my parents to help me get another one, it fell down a flight of stairs, fell out of the back of a car, was kicked across practise rooms, dismantled, reassembled, and had beer spilt on in. IT JUST WOULD NOT DIE. [b]Most dull[/b] - Hartke. I mean, it wasn't bad. It wasn't especially good either.

Played through a VBA400 and a 4x12 at a gig once. Pretty good, but the response was a bit slow for my tastes. I guess I'm just a solid state guy. The sound itself however was truly glorious, even if it wasn't my cup of tea. I can see why people would die for something like that. Better than any 'Nampeg I've played.

Well, I played a Warwick CL and it's a nice little amp. The new ones have neo speakers. Good stuff.

Wouldn't that take away one of Epifani's biggest selling points, i.e. the whole ' boutique handmade with extra loving care' angle? Then again, everything's made in China anyway.

[quote name='benbastin' post='268857' date='Aug 24 2008, 03:13 PM']That being said, i've never heard a bass sound bass with a realist on. Good luck[/quote] Um, not to sound cheeky but I don't quite get what you mean here...

I've got the Shadow, can't remember the model number but the one that fits under the wings of the bridge. Might be the SH950. Sound is okay, does its job but I think in order to get a truly accurate sound out of a PA, you need to have it miced up as well and mix the signals. That's what Renaud Garcia-Fons does and it sounds awsome. Your double bass should sound great through the MarkBass, they tend to have a very transparent and 'natural' sound, which is exactly what you need for double bass.

I was looking for this thread and I couldn't find it anyway! Probably better in this subforum anyhow. Here we go, pics: [url="http://imageshack.us"][/url] [url="http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=244&i=dsc00050ms8.jpg"][/url] [url="http://imageshack.us"][/url] [url="http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=183&i=dsc00052nq3.jpg"][/url] Right, so this thing is very small as you can see... I ran my double bass through it today, here are my thoughts: Crazykiwi, I felt the transparecy issue really showed with the double bass. Since the Warwick has a strong midrange in any case, I figured I needed to use the total opposite to really see this amp's properties. You got the good low thumping from pizzicato, but the strong low midrange was still there, a midrange which doesn't really exist when you play it acoustically So if I was playing jazz, probably not the amp of choice for double bass, but again I don't think it was intended to be! Also I've got a cheap Shadow pickup on there which doesn't really do my bass justice, so there you go. Anyhow, it's a cool sound. Of course, we've yet to see what effect the cabinet has on the sound... From all evidence seen and heard until now, this amp will be a little monster for rock and metal. I'm taking it along to practise tomorrow through a Trace Elliot 1x15, so I'll let you all know how it holds up.

I have to agree. I mean, we all [i]want[/i] to like the store. Great location, fantastic stock... just something is amiss which, if it was put right, would make it perfect.

So I got me a tiny little amp day afore yesterday. I hooked it up to my Ashdown ABM 4x10, and plugged my Warwick Thumb 6 into it. All of the following are based on mucking about alone in my room. I'll take it along to practise on Sunday and hook it up to the 1x15 they have there, then I'll give my final review on a big outdoor gig I'm playing on 5/09. Ok here we go. I picked up the box which had been delivered to my door from bassdirect.co.uk. It was way too light. I open up the box to assure myself that indeed, they did send me an amp. I wrenched it out of the packaging, and put it on top of my cabinet. Ok, this thing is tiny, and light. No way, you find yourself thinking, no way could this possibly be for real. 600 watts? I told my mates about this amp when I ordered it and they still refuse to believe me. It's a solid little piece, my only gripe is the mute buttons and eq shape buttons seem a bit... I don't know, not up to the rest of the amp. Not cheap, but not as solid as the rest of the do. The control knobs are really solid feeling and overall the build quality is brilliant. Another minor gripe is that this thing just looks a bit silly perched on top of a full-sized cab but I guess that can't be helped. So anyway, I turned it on. Wow. First of all, this amp has BALLS. I mean, it's just rock & roll man. You can get a really thick, gooey sound out of it, but it also allows the high-end sparkle come out. For midrangey stuff, it excels. Very strong low mids, and the sweepable parametric helps narrow down your tone. And if you play metal, then the mids are your friend. It wasn't as hi-fi as a Trace or GK, but I could still bring up a delicate, crystal clear sound that would be great for fusion/jazz soloing stuff.. the high C string sounded wonderful. Considering I've had a set of Rotosounds on my bass since about March (and I play a LOT, gigs and practising all the time) it sounded fantastic... I wonder how great a new set of strings would sound through this. But this amp's strengths lie in the low end, and low mids. It's not as transparent as many other brands such as MarkBass, this amp definately has its own sound but it doesn't cover up the bass' own qualities, it helps enchance them. I'm going to give my double bass a spin through it today so I'll report back. The controls are really simple (given the size of this thing, not much space for many!). The tube pre warms things up nicely, but don't expect overdrive/distortion, that's not what it's for. The eq shape buttons are a nice touch, I can see them being really useful during live situations (I have to get me hands on the footswitch though...) You've got a low boost, a mid cut, and a high boost. They're definately not subtle, but I don't think the point of them is to be. The mid cut is obviously great for slapping, high boost would be ideal for soloing, and I think the low boost is designed simply to scare people, or if you're playing a single note accompanying something it would be awsome. Great stuff all around. Handy little mute switch (really should be standard on all amps today) and the amount of line out stuff is great. So, all in all, a pretty promising bit of kit, especially for metal, and I'll be sure to give more details when I run my double bass through it (with a cheap-o Shadow pickup), practise and from the gig. I'll post some pics later. Edit: having just seen the reviews format thing, I'll go with this: Sound: 9/10 Build quality: 8.5/10 Features: 9/10 Customer Service: N/A (although, I frequent the Harmony Central forums and 2 of the designers also haunt the place, and it seems Genz Benz really value their customers and go to great lengths to look after them) Overall: 9/10

Sounds a bit dodgy, I've yet to see an amp blow up just by being turned on that wasn't abused in some way.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='265522' date='Aug 19 2008, 04:13 PM']If you don't get fixed up and are running on a budget (and don't mind leaving the 3rd band mid setting alone) my 18v 3 band MEC preamp circuit and pots will be available soon. [/quote] Interesting, I'll keep that in mind. Of course, I'd have to take it somewhere to be done since I trust myself with electronics about as much as I'd trust a 5 year old with a flamethrower. Cheers!

Well dressing respectably will help wherever you are (bank trying to get a loan, haggling for a car, etc.) but ultimately, The Customer Is Always Right. And many musicians may look like the scum of society and still be loaded with cash (our drummer is covered in tattoos, has pink braids and the rest of his head shaved, but is the dictionary definition of a professional musician and has an endorsement with Pearl drums), it's the nature of the beast and if the staff at the store are musicians as well, they'll know that. Maybe they've had a lot of bad experiences? Lord knows I've wanted to strangle customers when I worked in retail before. I always stayed polite however. But yeah, like anywhere else prove that you know your stuff and they won't want to try to muck you about.

Battle scars show that a bass has been used. I don't mind them too much as long as they're not too unsightly.

I promise to be civilised when the MG guy checks in. As we should all.

Me, I like the old German grip myself. How about you lot?

I'd like more headroom. And the ability to really drive a preamp section if I want to, I like a bit of crunchiness and I'd rather not have to boost the input gain too much in order to avoid too much noise. I mean, it's not a massive issue but I would feel better with say an 18v preamp.

[quote name='Mike' post='265247' date='Aug 19 2008, 11:35 AM'][i]The Bass Cellar is at the heart of London's busy West End on Denmark Street, Tin Pan Alley to those in the know. Any bassist who fancies a trip down the street will be greeted with a more eclectic mix of kit than even the most worldly player will be used to. [b]Any small amount of time spent mooching around The Bass Cellar will endear you to us straight away with well-humoured staff[/b] and pictures of all-time great players adorning the wall. Whether you're just getting started with bass, or a seasoned veteran, [b]tell our expert staff what you're after, and they will find you what you want.[/b] We also carry a full range of pedals, amps, cases, bags and cables. Whatever your bass playing bag the Bass Cellar is worth a visit, especially as a part of the overall Denmark Street experience. A perfect way to while away a sunny afternoon. [/i][/quote] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdK_CXYyzAk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdK_CXYyzAk[/url]

Hold onto one bass, the best one. You'll regret it if you sell them all.

6string Stealth Bongo is one of my dreams. It is one of the ugliest looking basses around, along with most Warwicks (and I like Warwicks) but the sound and playing is phenomenal. If I didn't have a Warwick, I'd be getting that Bongo. Great stuff.

[quote name='budget bassist' post='265133' date='Aug 19 2008, 02:41 AM']Yeah after i'd been in the bass cellar i went into another shop accross the road, looked very retro, there was a p bass that had apparently been owned by sid vicious behind the counter along with a guy wearing a hawaiian shirt with greased back hair, can't remember what the shop was called though. That was a cool place, went in there, tried out a precision, had a short jam with a guy playing guitar, the guy working there asked what i thought and i told him i didn't like it much, wrong pickup placement and i couldn't get used to it and all that and he was very nice about it all and was like yeah come back in and try stuff out whenever you like mate, really nice bloke and a pretty cool shop. That's what they should ALL be like.[/quote] Portuguese/Spanish guy, long hair? I think I know who you're talking about. I went in there with a friend of mine (who is a brilliant metal shredder) and he tried out a Fender strat. The dude comes along, picks up a tele a previous customer was mucking about with, and they have a metal/blues showdown that was sort of Crossroads-ish, and a great laugh. Then we had a cool chat about guitars and amps, and my mate bought a new cable and some picks purely because he felt bad about going into a store and having the staff be friendly and him not buying anything! Good customer service [i]does[/i] bring returns! I agree about the 'right of reply' thing. I'd really like to see what the Bass Cellar management have to say about their rep. The discussions here have been (mostly) civilised, and I think if they did know what their rep is like, and the fact that they're definately losing buisiness to places like The Gallery, they'd like to answer and who knows... maybe even do something about it.