stingrayfan

The magazine's improved ten-fold in the last couple of issues.

Whole editorial needs more edge though and needs to feel much more newsy. They need to be more circumspect about stuff (esp, reviews), rather than just treat everything equally. It sometimes reads like a brochure; whereas it needs to have an identity and sense of humour. Simply being Britain's only bass mag is not enough.

On the plus, layout and art direction is big improvement.

It's a great price - only slightly more than an LH500. Things to be aware of; the power's split into two feeds - unless you use the speakon bridge out which then delivers so much power, you'll prob blow the cones out of your single cab. The LH500 is a single feed. Apparently they LH1000s a fair bit heavier too. Reverb doing the LH500 for £299 at the mo.

If you're running a couple of cabs though, this would prob sound HUGE.

Edit: first impressions of the LH500 (at low level) is that it is very warm sounding; creamy almost. Mert will prob be along in a minute to back that up!

[quote name='budget bassist' post='552957' date='Jul 27 2009, 06:00 PM']sweet, how does that rig sound? thinking about one of those heads myself.[/quote]

First impressions are that it is very warm sounding; creamy almost. Haven't used it in anger yet though - will report back after a gig on Sat.

Cheers Nik!

Just acquired a s/h Hartke LH500 head (cheers, Raggy) so here's my updated gig rig:

Hartke LH500



...with my Warwick 411 4-ohm 4x10 (600w).



...and with the G&L L2000 Tribute I use at most gigs. It's a great sounding bass, that's light and easy to play. Not really found anything to better it.



Also have a 1x15 Trace combo that I use for the smaller gigs. It's like this one (will take a proper photo, next time I wheel it out...)

Watch the right foot - and make eye contact. Not like at a candle-lit meal - more 'what you going to play next?' glance.

[quote name='Merton' post='547498' date='Jul 22 2009, 12:57 PM']nor here it goes up and down and i can put it where I want it.



[/quote]

[quote name='iamapirate' post='544897' date='Jul 19 2009, 08:45 PM']how long roughly does a litre last??[/quote]
Ages normally. Smoke machines + a few lights make pub gigs look cool.

Nice bass!

Couldn't gig with a passive bass - wouldn't sound lively enough for me. But it's horses for courses, everyone's got a different sound in their heads.

One of these:

Line 6 Toneport UX2


into one of these:

IMac


running this:

Garageband


Works a treat. Runs MIDI through a USB lead, and is so easy to use.

[quote name='OldGit' post='538921' date='Jul 12 2009, 10:34 PM']Seppos?[/quote]
I'm guessing: septic tanks = Yanks

Mine sold for £1000 if that's any help. But it wasn't a pre-EB like yours, so you could add a few quid to that, me thinks.

Think the shippings costs would make it very expensive and he would have to do a customs carnet to prove that the bass was exported from Oz and will be brought back. They cost ££s.

Prob better bet is to buy a secondhand bass here and sell it before he goes home. He might even make a profit!

Just returning from a trip to Los Angeles. Swung into the Guitar Centre as is tradition and was a bit taken aback at how expensive everything seems to be now. Basic Stingrays were $1500+, Geddy Lees, $1300, MIA Ps, $1000 all plus 9% sales tax on top. I'm sure prices never used to be that high. You could buy cheaper in the UK at the moment - and I never thought I'd say that!

They were selling an Orange valve head for $2500 too. Plugged into it and it sounded like cotton wool. I've plugged into sheep with less wool - but that's something the magistrate told me was not acceptable.

Boutique basses don't really do it for me, got to say. Most seem to look like Fender copies or overly ornate coffee tables. Fine for sticking on a stand in your living room; not so good for gigging at pubs and parties.

I've actually become an inverse snob with gear, selling off my expensive USA basses and using the cheaper ones that I've found I enjoy playing more, live. The G&L, for example is a great workhorse that feels great, sounds brilliant and does the job. It cost £350.

Not knocking anyone who owns/wants a custom or boutique bass by the way - just my personal take.

[quote name='charic' post='519815' date='Jun 21 2009, 10:48 AM']My next logical step is an upgrade in amp.[/quote]
Bear in mind the "ohm" thing with separates. If you get a head and 1 cab, it'll only be running at 2/3 power, if it's 8-ohms. You either need two 8-ohm cabs or one 4-ohm one to get the most juice out of your head. Combos *tend* to be 4-ohms, so run hotter.

That's not gospel, but a good rule of thumb to bear in mind. Nothing more frustrating that upgrading to head and cab and then wondering why it doesn't sound very loud!

[quote name='Hamster' post='532198' date='Jul 4 2009, 12:58 AM']Nathan Watts plays some fantastic bass line so nonchalantly [/quote]
Great bass player - big man though!

Trace 4x10 combo. Sounds like it needs fixing but could be a great buy. Used to have one of these - they sound HUGE.

[url="http://www.gumtree.com/london/25/40938525.html"]http://www.gumtree.com/london/25/40938525.html[/url]

[quote name='pegman1' post='527841' date='Jun 29 2009, 03:56 PM']When you say:

"Ok guys why dont we turn down a bit so that we can hear each other with a bit more definition."

Guitar player walks over and turns up his amp.[/quote]
So true...

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='526942' date='Jun 28 2009, 07:24 PM']Don't know, but someone in the business has told me they had a body/voice double lined up to do the lion's share of the work during the now cancelled concerts.
Fanciful? Maybe....[/quote]
Rumour in the industry that Jacko was only contracted to appear onstage for 13 mins at each gig.

News Of World also claiming that he was so out of it on painkillers and prescription pills, he didn't realise he'd signed for 50 shows.

Edit: typo

[quote name='neilb' post='526276' date='Jun 27 2009, 09:10 PM']When you can play your band members intruments and they cant play yours.[/quote]
+1

Neither Stax or Motown but similar ilk:

Jackie Wilson - Sweetest Feeling.

Wow, sunburst. Breaking the mould.

[quote name='Sean' post='520472' date='Jun 22 2009, 07:46 AM']+1 for Garageband and Mac - it's all so easy to use.[/quote]
Get one, you won't regret it. I've done more on Garageband in a few months than I ever did in years of running other software on a PC. Garageband is dead easy to use and can get a finished result onto an MP3 player or CD in very few clicks. Oh, and it's fun in the process.