Bridgehouse

Au contraire - Tweedchat

Mention modelling on some guitar forums and you will be banned for spamming

I don't mind at all - I was more amused that one mention of something modelling and it started to feel like trench warfare

My band is so crap and unpopular that in some venues we have to play on a tiny stage. That means that for those gigs I have to leave the 100kg valve head and cabs at home otherwise there wouldn't be room on stage for the keyboard player, the drummer and possibly the guitarist too.

Well this is interesting, isn't it. I post some thoughts on an FRFR speaker I bought and look where we end up. I bought it to amplify my bass signal from the DI of my Ampeg SCR-DI. Last album we just finished? Bass - Ampeg SCR-DI - Desk. And it sounds like, Er, a bass. Recorded just like most bass tracks for the last 60 years - straight into the desk. I like the recorded sound, and to replicate that live, I have bought a cab that lets me do that as neutrally as possible with no colouring from a bass cab or amp. But this thread ends up as a modelling vs valves vs massive amps vs well, you get the point. Emotive subject huh? I always thought bass playing was about what you did with your fingers. Then again, you know what they say - opinions are like bumholes - everyone has one, and usually they stink. I would also like to subscribe to the "I know s**t" gang as well please!

Interesting. I've just been in contact with a UK "boutique" amp maker to discuss a small wattage bass amp a la b15.. We talked about a DI transformer and various other options, but looks like it's a possibility and I'm on his waiting list now. Will keep you posted and no doubt there will be a thread if it comes off..

Looks like they have gone up then.....!

True. But not for a tort guard model tho

£11k? Seems a bit steep that! Have they gone up that much??

Cor I don't know how you all got here. My original post was about buying a specific FRFR after most reviews pointed to the Yamaha. However, to be clear, I have a full rig, I have this one (lightweight FRFR) and I have Helix/Preamp DI options. I am in an originals band. We play pubs, clubs, venues, festivals large and small, all sorts of things. Even a town hall this year. It is pretty much always through a house PA. For me, the choice is to enable me to pick the gear for the venue. Sometimes traditional backline, sometimes a DI with monitoring. Horses for courses. For me in this band there isn't one solution.

For me, playing in a band is more than just "my sound" It's also about portability and not having setup and tear down being a massive hassle. It's about the other band members hearing me and me hearing them in a good mix It's about having fun and sounding as good as we possibly can It's about being able to adapt to any venue and any stage Sometimes the gear can get in the way of the main reason we go out there to play..

I'm waiting this one out.. it'll be a one off.. most excited. Stuff the b15n heritage..

Just to show I'm not completely mad, I've started a discussion with a very well respected amp maker about a small valve head with DI as a sort of B15 clone...

Judging by the last 53 years shrinkage, I'd say probly 25 years or so

Well. Sometimes you have to be pragmatic. The angle of the screws on the peripheries meant that the chances were that the pointy bits were going to crack and snap off. I pulled the screws for a look. The holes were basically disappearing under the guard and the screws must have been putting a huge load of tension on the points. So. Big boy trousers on. Decision to make. Screw the value. If the guard cracks it will be similar anyway. It's a lovely bit of tort and I want it to stay. So. New holes drilled through the metal plate and into the body. Screws refitted and they are level and flush. No more tension in them just a snug fit. Only had to do 4 screws like this. I reckon it will give me 20 years or so (hopefully!) Yeah. It's got 4 new holes in the body. Oh well. In the grand scheme of things for original uncracked tort that will have no meaningful effect on value. Plus it's a keeper. It's going nowhere. I keep the original tort without fear of it going at the points. There.

Much as the big cab and more watts thing is interesting - my FRFR choice mostly came down to weight and portability. It really isn't very big or very heavy, and I don't need a head for it either..

Seen any decent EB-650's recently?

It's pretty big in the guitar world what with Helix, FX8 etc. But it's just as relevant for bass players where FOH is DI and you want some dedicated monitoring that you can control directly

Are those two bits linked?

Like most things, the internet as a medium for making money is still in its infancy. By now, it's a screaming toddler in the troublesome twos. There is still a high risk profile for anyone wanting to invest and the returns can be great, but there isn't an accepted norm yet. Just like most shifts in medium it is a process to get to a point where it's got some ground rules and some universal acceptance. Its sort of no different to when the talkies came in with cinema, when radio became universally popular, and then when TV took over from radio. "Digital music will kill the business" - well, it will change it, but kill it? No. In my view, once the really smart business heads get their brains around it, a method for fully exploiting the new way will come to prominence. Regardless of how this happens, an investment won't work without the talent - the really savvy investors know this, and will want to look after their investment. How do you do this? You make sure your investment has enough of a return to not go elsewhere.

You'd be surprised at just how many big name touring artists have no amps or cabs...