Beer of the Bass

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1421528470' post='2662403'] I think perhaps what Ubit was really getting at is, ultimately, they are still low end/value instruments and the amount being saved in these deals is great relatively speaking, but perhaps not so great in the bass market as a whole? If we were looking at, say a 75% discount for these "unplayable" instruments, my tail would be wagging if £400 basses were being sold for £100 as deko, as opposed to £100 basses being sold for £25. Have there been any more premium instruments sold in a similar way? [/quote] I'd think that the QC rejects of more expensive instruments never find their way to retailers like Thomann, as they either pass through distributors in between the factory and retailer or never leave the factory in the first place. Thomann are presumably getting container loads of these direct from the factory, so have to do their own QC.

I think they're not D'Addario Chromes, as those have coloured ball ends and blue silk at both ends. They're not Ernie Balls either, as those have silk at both ends too. So that's two things that they're not, but I'm afraid I've no idea what they are...

I picked up mine with the intention of using it in situations where I'd worry about a more expensive instrument. It'll be the party/camping/pub session bass. I've jammed on a friend's cheap laminated acoustic a few times, so I have an idea of what standard of instrument to expect.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1421442688' post='2661421'] 'Custom Series' Acoustic 4-string bass. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_clb_10sce_ns_deko.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...sce_ns_deko.htm[/url] The non-deko version claims to have a much shorter scale length????? [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_clb_10sce_ns.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...lb_10sce_ns.htm[/url] One review claims that the bridge pins limit the gauge of string that can be used. I'm not sure about that. But, I don't really see what the advantage of this bass is over the B-30 models that some of us have. Unless someone really likes abalone shell. [/quote] I think the solid spruce top is the major advantage over the B30 models, which have a laminated top. As much as we bicker over tonewoods in solidbodies on here, it's a big deal with acoustics. If I didn't already have the B35 on the way, I would have been tempted by this one.

I'll whip out the tape measure when mine appears and check that the 12th fret is in the right place. I'm sure someone would have noticed the intonation being out already though - it wouldn't be a subtle thing.

If you can measure the internal dimensions of the box and the diameter and length of any ports, people might be a little more forthcoming with recommendations.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1421085145' post='2656980'] [/quote] You're welcome to check it out once it's officially unwrapped...

Cheers for the tape-measuring! I think my D'Addario tapes should be OK, since they start from a .050" gauge G rather than a .065" like the Rotosounds do. I took them off my electric bass because I found the tension a little too low, but with slightly higher action on an acoustic I'd imagine they'll work well.

I've ordered the five string fretted. I'll have a quick peek at it when it arrives just to check it's OK, then we put it away until my birthday on the 29th. It was all of £32 including delivery after the voucher was deducted! I went for the fretted version as when I've borrowed my friend's acoustic bass I like to play it with the heftiest pick I can find, a couple of inches from the bridge for a sort of clanky thump. I feel like a fretted bass might be better for that. I've got some D'Addario tapewounds in my used string stash, so those will probably be going on it.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1421076644' post='2656861'] In a prog band, his left hand should be operating another synthesizer, or maybe pushing his cape out of the way ... [/quote] Or fiddling with the drawbars and flicking the Leslie switch every now and then! I love hearing proper organ in a band...

If it's a Markbass solid-state power amp, I wonder if the bottom half of the box is empty?

I play five string electric, it's just I'm not sure I feel the need for it on acoustic. Still, I guess it would make a good thumbrest, or perhaps a high-C could be fun to experiment with.

I've just got a 35 Euro voucher for reviewing some bits and pieces I bought in the last couple of years. This kind of makes it hard not to spring for one of the cheap acoustics. It'd be less than £35 delivered - I've had sets of strings more expensive than that! I'm choosing between the black four string fretted and the five string fretted and fretless. I'm leaning towards fretted (since it'll sound like its own thing rather than a double bass imitation), just not sure how useful the B string is on an acoustic. I like the natural better than the black though, which nudges me back towards the 5-string since the natural 4-strings have sold out.

When I was at uni I played in a band with a piano player who drove us up the wall. Everything he played sounded like Bill Bailey doing a cockney knees-up, and we were trying to play jazz. Me and the drummer broke up the band on some pretext or other, then formed a new band without him in it. It seemed like a great idea until we bumped into him on the way to a rehearsal! That was awkward...

Well, we brought the kit, used it as-is without the hole and it was fine. The sound guy suggested taking the skin off, but he wasn't going to push the point. He miced it from the front and the FOH sound was perhaps a little less immediate and punchy than with a mic inside, but the mix was fine and it didn't seem to deter anyone from dancing. After that, I really don't get why the promoter was so adamant about it before the gig. Because we were sharing gear, I was obliged to stay around after my band had played, drink a couple of beers and dance to McNach's band. There are worse ways to spend a chilly Saturday night in January!

I've installed my master volume on the back panel and given it a quick try. It seems to work more or less as expected; with the original volume turned around halfway and the master reduced to taste it does a decent job of adding just a little hair on the peaks of my clean tone. That was what I was aiming for, so it may turn out to be a good solution for me. I'm gigging tonight, so I'll have a chance to check it out in a little more depth. Post-gig update: Yep, it seems to work. Run as described above with the master around halfway, the amp still sounds mostly clean in the mix but it has the tiniest bit of grit on the hardest played notes and feels a little livelier and more fun to play. Set this way, it takes a bit of the rasp off my overdrive pedal too. Our trumpet player tends to grumble if I use too much volume on stage, so keeping the stage volume just where I need it to hear myself and letting the FOH sort out the rest is a good strategy with this band. I can see why people generally don't recommend adding a master volume to a blackface Fender type amp though,as while it's good for adding a tiny bit of grit to your clean sound, cranking it further into overdrive with the master turned down is a little raw and harsh sounding and generally not as satisfying as the right pedal. So you can't really use it the same way as the master volume on a Marshall type preamp, but it's useful for what I'm after.

Just how big are the acoustics? (Say in terms of how wide the lower bout is). Is the unplugged volume reasonable? I don't expect one to be nearly as loud as a double bass, but some ABGs are more useful than others, and big is good in that respect. I had fun jamming with a cheap ABG I borrowed from a friend last year, so I know I could get some use out of one...

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1420816075' post='2653824'] Oh, ok, yeah, I agree entirely about that! I'm going to use my red cabs tomorrow. I hope they like the colour [/quote] See, this is why we should use Hamish's kit. Red cabs with black grilles, next to black drums with a red pinstripe. It'll look good!

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1420810119' post='2653715'] I think the poster above is refering to the vocal doubling the main bass line? [/quote] Not so much the vocal (which is clearly audible), but listening on the TV speakers when my wife has a music channel on, it sounded to me like there was some kind of synth sound thickening up the bassline too, though the fills are unmistakably bass guitar. Listening again on headphones, I'm not so certain now - it may just be the bass and the low pitched vocal...

Hmm, I really shouldn't be buying instruments. But it's occurred to me, I have a birthday this month, and I could totally use an acoustic bass guitar as a party jamming instrument for the times when I don't want to bring my double bass. I'm kind of tempted...

I figured it was bass guitar, but doubled with a synth for the main bassline. The production in general is very Parliament-esque, and that's exactly the sort of thing they did on the old P-Funk records.

I have the kit version of the Hjart Muller from a few years ago, I'm not sure if it's the same as the version you're talking about. It's a decent fairly mild overdrive, which doesn't lose too many lows or scoop the mids. Perhaps not the most exciting thing out there, but useful enough.

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' timestamp='1420536315' post='2650298'] The mooer di speaker emulation works on the 1/4" out too. I've used on both outputs at different times [/quote] It's a shame the 1/4" output isn't switchable between the emulated output and a straight input link. As a tweeterless cab user with a Superfuzz, I'd like to be able to have the cab emulation on the XLR out and leave the jack output untouched. Perhaps I should look at the Palmer.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1420710732' post='2652312'] almost all the multi band bills I've played on there's one kit and the drummers bring their breakables except maybe the headliners, changing a drum kit for every band would be a nightmare. If your drummer insisting on using his own kit I think he's being a bit of an arse, if I've got the wrong end of the stick except my apologies [/quote] There are practical reasons why the other drummer can't bring his kit, so we're supplying the drum kit for the whole night. We're not swapping the kit for one band.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1420672159' post='2652145'] What's all this about the drummer changing his gear just to suit other players? If someone wants to borrow his gear they get [i]his[/i] gear! [/quote] As far as I know the other drummer is fine with it, and the sound guy in this venue has mic'ed this kit before without any major difficulties. It's the promoter who has a bee in his bonnet about it. Promoters are a funny lot...