Beer of the Bass

Without looking at the existing votes I went for Subsonic Simpleton, King Bollock and Camden Rob. Nice to hear some double bass in there - maybe I should whip out my Zoom H4N and increase the double bass representation for April.

[quote name='zbd1960' timestamp='1459985813' post='3021605'] All bowed stirng instruments do this: as you apply the pressure to the string and until it 'settles' to normal vibration it usually is sharp for a moment. You can reduce it by not putting too much energy into the string. If you have the bow at the heel and rest it on a stirng, you should find that you can in fact pull the string a fair distance before it overcomes the resistance of the rosin on the hair. [/quote] Agreed, it will always happen to some extent, but I mention the string type as I've found that is more pronounced on the plain steel core strings you get on a lot of new basses. I'm not fully up to speed on the physics of this, but I presume that the stiffness of the core is a factor. When I was first changing over from EUB to double bass I rented a cheap plywood bass for a few months which had the original strings, and changing them out for a set of Thomastik Superflexibles was a huge improvement in intonation and pitch stability. The tone and volume from the instrument were improved too.

Orchestras don't play to small rooms of noisy drunks and they don't have DJs blasting out loud music while they're preparing to go on. So I don't feel bad about using a tuner at gigs rather than doing it by ear every time.

I like them, and the styling is totally of it's time. I had a go on one of these once and remember quite enjoying it. It didn't sound much like a double bass, but I presume the goal was just to make an upright bass that could be played loud in dance bands.

I don't know about the Vanderkley, but looking at your list, I'm fairly confident that the TKS S112 uses the Eminence Beta 12. They describe it as a ceramic Eminence driver and the specs check out. I also found an older post on a Swedish bass forum (via Google translate) where Tommy from TKS refers to using the Beta 12 in the earlier 112 model, the one before they changed the styling and added the S to the name.

I much prefer Joe Gore's demo; http://youtu.be/aWKQXzKVXP0

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1459803605' post='3019908'] The tone of the 12" cabs is too clean and revealing for some players. I can totally understand that. [/quote] I'm never sure about the idea that some gear is "too revealing" for some players, as it implies that those players have to choose gear to hide the deficiencies in their playing. This is not intended as a dig at yourself specifically, but it can come across as self-congratulatory on the part of the people who use the "revealing" gear. I don't think a cab with flat response is necessarily more revealing than one with a coloured response, as for example, a strong upper-mid peak can show up a lot of string and finger noise which would be less apparent with a flatter cab.

I wasn't very keen on the 90s photoflame thing. My brother had one of the Japanese strats with it on, and I always thought it looked a bit fake close up. He still has it, and the finish hasn't aged wonderfully either.

I suppose some of their claims do come across as a little overblown, like "compare one of our 12"s to two of [i]anyone else's[/i] 12s". Comparing the output to a pair of typical 12s like Eminence Betas or Deltalites, Faital 12PR300s etc doesn't seem outrageous, but even their own stated specs don't suggest that one of their 12"s would compare to two Kappalites or other high-excursion drivers. That's more a criticism of their copy writing than of the product, but perhaps they should tone it down a little...

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1459779168' post='3019503'] It starts here, but the meaty stuff is in the middle. [url="https://www.talkbass.com/threads/smallest-2x12-cabinet.1183150/."]https://www.talkbass...binet.1183150/.[/url] [/quote] There are some interesting points in that thread, particularly concerning the Vd and frequency response measurements, and it seems healthy to hold manufacturers claims up to scrutiny and poke them for clarification where necessary. I can recall a couple of entertaining threads on here that have done this too (LawrenceH's posts were always worth a read on this sort of thing). But I'm a bit perplexed by the degree of polarisation on Basschat, where there is an almost evangelical zeal from just a few people in both the pro and anti camps. What's going on there? My take-away from that thread is that perhaps they don't eclipse other high-excursion, high end cabs by such a huge margin as some of their more enthusiastic users seem to imply, but they should certainly hold their own in that part of the market. If one 1x12" cab claims 496cc displacement and another claims 550cc I'm not going to lose any sleep over the difference - they'll both shift a lot of air for a 1x12" and the choice will come down to tone, portability, cosmetics etc. I did think McNach's Big Baby II was a good sounding and well thought-out cab when I've heard it at gigs, though I'd still check out some other cabs if I was in the market for one.

[quote name='borntohang' timestamp='1459764679' post='3019245'] I'm actually in the middle of working up a Devo tribute called DEVO:TION. It's a bit of a labour of love but we're getting some low-key bookings already and we're only a month or two in; we're playing a decent local venue in June and a cool electronic festival based around KLF-themed Discordianism which is entirely our jam. Currently sourcing hazmat suits and energy domes, and we'll probably do the black polo necks and shorts look too. The music isn't going to be an exact note for note tribute but we're aiming for a 'in spirit if not flesh' thing. I figure Devo might actually be amused by us playing their sh*t like a franchised band, but maybe they'd just sue us into oblivion instead. [/quote] That's exactly the sort of tribute band I would probably go and see!

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1459756277' post='3019139'] Recently fitted a set of Rotosound RS77M on a Viola and another set on a Mustang, (90, 75, 50, 40). Good strings, tension and tone-wise. Good price too and very good advice from Jason and John at Rotosound. Some folks love them, some do not. [/quote] I've heard that the long scale Rotosound flats are a quite different string to the medium and short scale sets (in terms of tension, surface finish and tone). I don't know why they do that, but I've heard it from more than one person.

That's a confusing one. AFAIK LaBella do the only tapewounds with clear nylon, but they don't use coloured ball ends. D'Addario have the coloured ball ends and blue silk, but their tapewounds are black.

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1459712731' post='3018904'] Only if you are Talk bass ;-) [/quote] Though equally, you need two 2x12" cabs and 500 watts bare minimum to play a bar over there. And on the double bass side, you don't need an amp at all if you're a serious jazz cat. 'Tis a confusing place!

[quote name='geoham' timestamp='1459691824' post='3018647'] I put out a 'bassist available' ad a while back, looking for a working covers band. I received a response asking if I could sing and would I be interested in joining a Police tribute! [/quote] That has to be the same guy who contacted me, and I wasn't even looking for a covers band!

My bass has held it's setup quite well since the last full setup 8 years ago (new fingerboard, bridge and soundpost), requiring only minor tweaks since then. For a bass which looks a bit patched-up it's a nice player! That was done by Ken McDonald, a local jazz bassist and luthier who has retired now. I was impressed at the level of understanding that went into it; he asked quite a few questions about what I was going for and what my pizz/arco needs were, then after the initial setup I went round to try it and he adjusted it a little more to suit my playing (a little more scoop under the E-string IIRC). At some point I'd like to do some proper reading on the subject (like the Traeger book on bass setup and repair) and learn a bit more about it. I've certainly noticed how crucial the bridge/soundpost relationship can be, as once my bridge moved less than 1cm further from the soundpost when swapping strings over, and I was surprised at how different the bass sounded.

There do seem to be a couple of different sorts of tribute bands - the guys who do the agency/function type gigs (who would probably do whatever there was a market for) and the enthusiasts doing it for their own amusement. I think I tend to enjoy the latter more, especially when they're decent musicians doing it as a bit of a side-project. Gumtree ads do seem to show up a large proportion of dreamers though!

I don't know what the Thomann basses come with, but I've played a couple of new Chinese basses which came with really cheap strings. Because they're made with a plain wire core (like bass guitar strings) rather than a flexible braid, the stiffness causes them to go sharp when bowing loudly or with firm pressure. Loud pizz notes come out slightly sharp at the attack, then return to pitch as the note decays. It tends to be more pronounced on the lower strings. Does that sound like what you're hearing? If you've got a set of those strings, almost any quality string will be a big improvement.

I'm in the habit of checking local musicians wanted/available adverts and noticed a pattern which strikes me as bizarre. Now, I have no interest in doing a tribute band myself, but I'd always imagined that when forming one, you'd start with the frontman or most recognisable member. Yet in recent months I've seen a Police tribute looking for a Sting, a Bon Jovi tribute with no Jon or Ritchie and a Guns n' Roses tribute with no Slash. Oddest of all would have to be the Dio tribute looking for a Dio, or the Nickelback tribute looking for a singer/guitarist, bassist and drummer (so who posted the ad?). Apologies if anyone local recognises their band in this, but I just found it a little perplexing. Is this a common situation in tribute-land?

The mute part is just the Jaguar guitar mute with different mounting holes. Apparently the Jaguar version is available separately and people have successfully fitted them to basses - there was a thread about it on Talkbass. It does require some drilling though.

[quote name='Gottastopbuyinggear' timestamp='1459446387' post='3016720'] Also, from the drawings it seems the baffle sits 30mm back from the front of the cab - is there a specific reason for that, as it seems quite a deep recess? I'd probably be thinking about leaving a smaller recess and then adjusting the port length to account for the additional volume if necessary. [/quote] I recessed mine 25mm, but I would definitely not go for any less than that for the reasons Phil mentions.

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1459505148' post='3017151'] Having struggled to cut some holes with the cheapo hole-cutting device I recommended some pages ago (I notice that Beer of the Bass had the same problem - OK for a shallow cut but hopeless for more than that), I have been looking around for some proper hole saws. Unfortunately, they are really expensive. As luck would have it, our friends at Aldi are currently selling a bimetal hole saw set for under a tenner. Not only that, but they are currently offering free delivery to launch their online services. As this kind of set normally retails at over £30 (check on the Screwfix site), it seems like a bit of a bargain - especially as it contains a 68mm saw that should be perfect for fitting drainpipe. Have a look here: [url="https://www.aldi.co.uk/hole-saw-set/p/093008008220200"]https://www.aldi.co....093008008220200[/url] [/quote] The cheap eBay fly-cutter was passable once sharpened and carefully adjusted (I didn't get it right first time), but these do look much better for only slightly more outlay.

It occurred to me that I have another set of Spiro Mittels of indeterminate age, with knackered looking silks which came in the bag pocket of an old bass. They look like a 4/4 E with the rest 3/4 size. I'd hung onto them as spares but just assumed that the condition would probably be worse than the ones I'd played for years. Upon trying these, it appears that I have indeed killed the set I've been using, as the ancient spares are livelier and better sounding and just seem to have the thing that the set I took off lacked. They're not metallic, but just have clearer pitch and a generally sweeter sound. So that's interesting - I wonder what I did to kill the last set? Perhaps the alcohol soak cleaning method I'd used a couple of times was less benign than I'd thought? But I do at least have a functioning set for the moment, which is nice. I guess this set are the "good kind of dead" that people talk about.

That's a much better way of doing the baffle holes than my "freehand with a jigsaw followed by lots of cleanup" method!