SamPlaysBass

I'd read a lot about the slave being used to send a signal to the desk, but I was skeptical. The Orchid Electronics DI is a great idea! First time I've come across them, but they look up to job. Is yours like this one? https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/332667391957?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=332667391957&targetid=938697916046&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045368&poi=&campaignid=10204071033&mkgroupid=100040608497&rlsatarget=pla-938697916046&abcId=1145987&merchantid=110659161&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_tyk1si76wIVzuvtCh0nrQI-EAQYASABEgJ36fD_BwE

Beedster and Skidder - How do you guys send a signal out to the PA from your beastly amps? I now run two TC RS112 cabs, which are narrow and long. I'd be looking at a potential sideways mount if I pulled the trigger on a new valve amp!

A few years back I bought an Ashdown CTM 100 and paired it with an Ampeg 410HE and had a jolly good time. It sounded great, up to a point. I could drive it and get some amazing ‘Live at Leeds’ tones using cheap basses and it solved all of my tonal problems. Or at least it did, until I was playing more clean-toned funk and blues. I ended up swapping it on here after a sound engineer I have worked with for years said he couldn’t get a nice, clean DI signal for the biggest gig I had done up that point. It was a case of great package, but wrong application. Having owned a valve amp once in my bass playing career, I had come to the conclusion that they were great, but not particularly practical for a bass player that needed to dabble in all styles. That, and it was a tad expensive to keep for one gig in 10. I’ve used various Class D amps since and I haven’t taken to any of them, except maybe a TC RH450 which is okay. This, along with the advancement of things like the Helix stomp, SansAmps/Behringers BDI etc made me think that there are better ways of achieving the sound and that was that. This week, I dropped my ‘77 Jazz bass to a local legend of a tech to be refretted and set up. He played it through a few valve amps he has on hand when giving it the once over. He was playing through a RD Amplification 100 watt valve head and 2x15 cab. It sounded unreal, with power and dynamics to dream for. I thought I had put the valve amp thing to bed, especially after I’d bought a less practical car and sold my big cabs. The mind wanders... The tech also had an Orange AD200B up for sale for a good price, which had been tastefully modded by another renowned tech. Valves sound amazing, but is anyone out there still using them regularly? I’ve got a potential new gig lined up playing predominantly rock, and I’m half tempted to back down that route. What is putting me off is the initial cost of buying a valve amp and then a sound engineer turning up with an XLR, looking around the back of something like the Orange, seeing no DI and getting his little silver box out to take a line from the bass, thus defeating the object of spending a grand on an all valve bass amp. So, my question is, who is still using big old Valve amps? Has anyone swapped to something new and is totally happy with a new solution? Is it always a compromise? I’ve owned ~10 other amps and never really been pleased with any of them.

On paper, there’s nothing to suggest you can’t set up your Blacksmith with your RS410 and two K210 cabs. The amp head will be running at about 2.67 ohms which is safe for the head. I know TC like to advertise their RS cabs for the Blacksmith head with little mention that the K series cabs can do the same job. Some people may say that sending power to a 4x10 rated at 8 ohms would be a mismatch compared to two 2x10 cabs running at 8 ohms each. As far as my understanding goes, it’s all safe for the head. Just listen out for any of the cabs making weird noises, use your nouse and your judgement if something sounds off or is distorting.

Definitely the ‘slimmest’ P bass neck I’ve owned. I took it to a rehearsal last night after many weeks of playing Jazz basses and I’d say there’s not much in it. I could barely notice the difference. Nut width is P bass territory, but the profile is 80% of the way to being a jazz. Certainly comfy and unexpectedly slim!

Bolted straight in, no drama. Easy to set up and surprisingly cheap as well (~ £30). Used the same screws from the original bass. Easy peasy! Thank you - there’s something cool about black on black on maple. They are painted on, but I don’t get the impression that they’ll scratch off very easily or anything.

Bought a 2020 CV Precision in black just before lockdown. The shop had a brown one and a black one - tried both and the black one was slightly sweeter. There was no one-thing that I could note was better about the black one, just the feel in the hands and the sound. Try before you buy is the best bet. Quality is great, although I am tempted to give in and have it set up professionally. I can't quite get it buttery smooth, and it may need a bit of fretwork from someone more skilled than I. Still, for £339 I would gig this bass happily and not care too much about it being dropped, chipped etc. I did a few mods to mine over lockdown, like adding a high mass bridge and new pickups (Entwistle Neos, then a Tonerider). Made the bass better sounding. I'm not going to say that these are on par with my Fender Elite Jazz, but they are great looking, sounding and if you choose carefully, well built.

This is a wonderful sentiment and one that I’m going to carry forward. Good point, well made! Indeed, it’s always going to be a subjective thing. That’s the beauty of preference! What’s wonderful to someone is horrid to another. That’s what makes life interesting. To go back to your point, it’s not necessarily a criticism of threads like these, but more a realisation. I, and I expect everyone else on Basschat, knows that price isn’t necessarily an indicator on how well a product will work for you. There are hundreds of threads on it, I expect. However, it wasn’t until I tried my basses back to back that I realised and felt exactly what that commonly known fact is describing. I had traded my way up to what Fender was billing as the ultimate in technological advancements on their Jazz bass design (in 2016). When I compared it to a bass that I know I love from years of playing it, I wasn’t magically blown away as much as I thought I would be. I was tongue-in-cheek about being disappointed, but the reality is that I had experienced the feeling that I knew about - the foregone conclusion that more money doesn’t equal better. I took to Basschat because my better half told me to shut up about comparing basses, haha.

I fear I may have to admit that my pursuit for the ultimate jazz bass has led me down a rabbit hole. I’ve started rehearsing with a new band. New band, new bass - right? I’ve been lucky enough to own some great basses over the last 15 years or so, but I was very very happy with my new-to-me Fender Elite Jazz from 2016. I played it in a new rehearsal venue with a lovely USA made Ampeg SVT II and 4x10. The ultimate in Fender build quality into a great, vintage SVT. Tonal perfection. Next rehearsal, I thought I’d bring my well loved but often forgotten about Mexican jazz, which I’d chucked some Tonerider pickups in. I opted to use my own Markbass Evo 1 set clean through the same Ampeg 4x10 as I’d be using this head predominantly for gigging with this band. May as well see if it works. Well, it was equally great. Similar low mid mid bump as the Elite, fantastic punch and warmth. There wasn’t enough in it to choose based on sound. In all honesty, I was disappointed. My parents bought that Mexican jazz for me one Christmas and I remember it costing about £339 from GAK in 2007. The Elite cost the original owner over £2k. Don’t get me wrong, the Elite is a nicer thing to hold in your hands and to look at, but which do I feel better about leaving in a van? Or left on a stage whilst I grab a pint and a meal deal? I’m starting to think that all those naysayers, chanting about spending lots on a lovely bass makes little difference to the sound, are true. Bastards.

The best "cheap" P bass pickup for me is a Tonerider. They are British but make the pickups in China, supposedly they were the pickups used in the original Classic vibe basses? Anyway, I have them in a NMendel P bass with one of John`s wiring kit and it sounds great. £35 delivered. I’ve got a set of Toneriders in my Mexican jazz and they are amazing. I’ve just ordered a set for this P bass!

I know, not my original plan. They face my door this way. Walking past it’s like catching a glimpse up a girls skirt 🤤 🥵

Difficult. It was meant to be my main bass indefinitely. Denied the existence of shoulder cramp for 9 months, tried 5 different straps. Ultimately, it took me to marking out in a mirror where my hand, elbow and shoulder were positioned before I understood (or rather came to terms with) why I having pains. Swapped it for an absolutely immaculate Fender Elite Jazz Bass. I’ve played Jazz basses for 14 years. I have a type... (with the exception of the P, just because everyone needs one!).

Mayo player here, or at least until last week. I swapped it due to this issue - I’m not a tall guy (5 ft 9, broad shoulders, built like a miner) as we aren’t particularly famed for height in Wales, but I found the 1st fret to be too far away to be comfortable on my Mayones Victorious. If the first fret was where the second fret is, it would’ve been bearable. It would make my shoulder cramp and my arm feel strained, which I have experienced with other 24 fret basses. This problem isn’t limited to the Mayones/Warwick family, but most 24 fret basses with small bodies. My Mayones was the best built, most luxurious bass I’d ever owned. The craftsmanship was second to none. It would’ve been at home on display as it would be on stage. It’s was more solid and stable than any of its Fender brethren I had here, and it felt like someone wouldn’t let it leave the factory until it was absolutely perfect. The neck was flat and shallow, with a fatter P bass width nut. Pickups and EQ were Seymour Duncan running at 18v and had a serious amount of tone shaping capabilities. It had the double humbucker sound, which isn’t my favourite. However, it always had compliments on its sound from sound engineers on stage and in the studio. Plus the fact that it’s a bit rare sends the guitar lads over for a nose. I feel like they’re from the same school of thought (nice woods, powerful EQ, 24 frets) so you won’t go wrong with either. There is more variety from Warwick, but I’m seeing more Mayones and Mayones devotees. Of the Warwicks and Mayones I’ve played, the Mayones have felt better put together, but only just. I’d gig a Warwick as happily as a Mayones.

Thread resurrection. I’ve had the Entwistles in there now for a few months and despite not being able to gig them, they are starting to become a bit... brash. They’re great, if a little characterless. They’re like normal pickups but LOUD. ALL THE TIME. EVEN WITH THE VOLUME TURNED DOWN A BIT. By chance, I’ve overpaid a credit card and find myself £99 in credit. I’m thinking about going against the grain spending this money on some snazzier pickups to see what the difference is. I’ve thinking along the lines of EMG GZRs, Fender P pickups (but not the custom shop ones because I only have £99 to spend) or even giving the guys at Creamery Pickups a bell to see if I can have something made up. The 58 sounds good. In fact, they all do. Any recommendations for nicer but not ridiculously overpriced pickups? Sort of a cheap-ish challenge, now!

Phenomenal cabs. Enjoy your rig and shake the walls with studio quality sound!

I've got an RH450. It doesn't work as well with non-TC cabs as your RH750 as the TweeterTone can compensate for some high frequencies, but I absolutely adore it through my RS112s. I'd recommend the TC RS range every day of the week for the RH series heads.

Definitely. I've played some basses with £xxx pickups and they sound great, but compared to the likes of Entwistle and Wilkinson, there isn't much in it. In fact, I'd say that pickups are different rather than better or worse. Plus I quite like representing the underdog in badge wars Perhaps some pickups are better suited to certain applications but even sub £30 pickups are a vast improvement over what a lot of manufacturers put in their basses from the factory. YMMV but the pickups I had in my old MiM Jazz from 2007 were absolutely dreadful. Actually uninspiring.

I think you're right! Any advance below £39? 😜 Congrats @skankdelvar, you built an entire bass for nearly the same price as my 'budget' bridge cost me.

@PlasmaZombies They are great basses and they happen to cost £339. There’s no downside! If a second hand one comes up that would be unbelievable value for money. I’d definite recommend them.

What a little beast! The Entwistle pickups are seriously good. Plenty of attack but can also do mellow pretty well with some gaming of the tone knob. Bet that bass can flap some trousers.

The Fender Hi Mass bridge fits perfectly. I unscrewed the old bridge, used the same screws to the screw the new bridge in. Took less than 5 minutes. A very worthwhile upgrade in terms of playability if you are thinking of keeping the bass. Otherwise, save it for something you’ll keep. I think any Fender-shaped bass that’s strung through the bridge will benefit from one of these.

@ead they are lovely! I did try looking for DiMarzio DP126s but there were none around and I was getting impatient. Both of those look awesome 👏🏼 Do they still get outings? There’s something wicked about giving a cheap bass a bollocking on a gig.