Wiseblood

I always forget why I'm not in here that often, but rather stay on Talkbass. You reminded me of why TheGeek 😂

The prices might have been one of the main reasons for the poor sale, yes.

Just have to post this as these two basses are rare. So for all you Fender lovers, here is some history unknown to most of you, at least it was to me. I actually managed to get both the US (2002 -figured maple over alder) and Mexican version (2006 - Sienna sunburst) of this bass. Picked up the US-one for about £ 625 and the Mexican one for about £380. And I managed to find Fenders own words from a Siamese(?) site. A right out steal for the US one (I hope the previous owner does not read this...), the Mexican one perhaps not so much. Both in very good condition, no scratches or dents. I just had to get the Mexican one once I had the US-version. Just to compare... What is there to say, both are tone monsters. The US version a bit heavier, has a far better neck with better fretwork, but other than that they are pretty equal. Soundwise they are pretty close to each other, even though they have different pickup-configurations. The US version came with a really nice G&C Deluxe hardcase. Both necks were lacquered, to a degree that you get stuck the minute your hands start to sweat. So I sanded down both necks and made a nice smooth satin finish. Maybe I should not have done that in terms of value, but now they are so much better to play! Too bad I messed up the picture with the backside of the headstock, but the tuners are Gotoh crome on the Mexican one and the US version got Hipshot Fender Lite weight tuners. Fender Enters the "Zone" American Deluxe Zone Bass Deluxe Zone Bass July 23, 2001 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) will release two edgy new basses this summer with the introduction of the American Deluxe Zone Bass and the Deluxe Zone Bass at the 2001 Nashville NAMM show. Both of the new Zones Basses offer cutting edge features including newly designed pickups and electronics, and in the case of the American Deluxe version, a choice of exotic woods. "This is a very ambitious step for Fender basses," says Richard McDonald, vice president of electric guitars for Fender. "We’ve put a great deal of effort over the past few years in finding out exactly what players want in a contemporary bass. What we’ve come up with is this new line of Zone basses, and we are very proud of the results." The American Deluxe Zone Bass is one of Fender's first ventures into the realm of exotic wood basses, offering a choice of either a highly figured maple top over alder, or a walnut top over mahogany. Engineers in Fenders Research and Development have spent the last two years designing an entirely new electronic platform to match and maximize the tonal characteristics of each of the options, including new hum canceling pickups designed to increase the low frequency response and extend the upper frequency range. Both neck and bridge pickups are designed with ferrous steel pole pieces contained within the core of each bobbin. They are driven with low-profile, wide area ceramic magnets located at the base of each pickup, with the ceramic magnets offering optimal strength and excellent string transfer characteristics that result in incredible clarity and articulation. The unique sonic nature of the exotic woods and their body mass require electronics that can bring the most out of these instruments. To accommodate this, the new American Deluxe Bass circuit is tweaked at the input stage - pre-shape, boost and EQ settings - to match and compliment the instruments characteristics. The Bass frequencies are centered at 40Hz± 12db with a 4db per octave slope, while the Treble is centered at 8 kHz± 10db with a 2db per octave slope, with the Treble cut working as a more passive control for warm, organic tones. The Mid control is centered at 500Hz± 10db and -15db, with a wide-band slope to bring out the growl and new distinctive voices of the electronics. The circuit is powered by a new 18 Volt supply. The bridge on the American Deluxe Zone Bass is deluxe chrome plated steel. The maple neck is C-shaped has a 34" scale, 9.5" radius with a rosewood fingerboard and 22 frets. This bass is made at Fenders state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Corona, California. US MSRP is $1,949.99. The Deluxe Zone Bass is styled after the American Deluxe version, offering straight ahead, professional features and the signature value that is associated with products made at Fender’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. The Deluxe Zone Bass features two new pickups designed specifically for this instrument, with the popular American P-Bass“ serves as a starting point for the neck position pickup. Fender has added more of a top end response to the flush mounted Alnico magnets, brining more top end definition to the full bodied nature of this pickup. The bridge position pickup is a fully customized version of Fender’s Active Deluxe Jazz Bass pickup, with quarter-inch Alnico magnets and end-to-end hum canceling vintage style construction. The new active EQ circuit is controlled by Volume, Blend/Pan, Treble, Mid and Bass Controls. The solid alder body features a contoured top. The maple neck is C-shaped with a 34" scale and 9.5" radius, rosewood fingerboard and 22 frets. As with the American Deluxe version, the bridge is deluxe chrome plated steel. Available colors are Sage, Pewter, Black and Sienna Burst. Made at Fender’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. US MSRP is $849.99.

@Helderius What did you end up with? Any luck on your hunt in 2009? I bought a Hwy1, 2003 model this April. I sanded down the neck and gave it some tung oil, and also installed EMG Gzr pickups. A fast and comfortable neck with low action and no dead spots. Love it!

I have the 2x10 extension cabinet and can definetly recommend them. I am quite sure the result will be fine with the 1x15 as well. The sound get fuller and richer, and ridicuously loud. It definetly will improve the sound (and add some headroom that you propably won't need). But it is definetly worth the investment. The drummer and guitarist gave my cab a big thumbs up.

Same here, whenever I have to read music I need to transcribe the score from bass to treble clef.

🤣 My man! 😂

How would you compare your Barefaced 4x10 to your BigTwin2? If you were to pick one of your cabs to play at low volume in church and also at loud volume on a stage that suck treble where cabs tend to go boomy/muddy (around 150 - 250hZ)? Edit: The amp is an Aguilar AG700

I'm after a Berg (or maybe Aguilar) 4x10, or a 3x10 if Vanderkley, not a 2x12, as that is what I prefer. Talkbass members know next to nothing about Vanderkley (but a lot more about the Bergantino), so I thought I'd ask here about the Vanderkley. But it seems like there are not too many 3x10 Vanderkleys around, so I better ask Morten at Bass Buddha what he think. I will most likely do my shopping there in Denmark as it is easier for me as a Norwegian.

It has definetly NOTHING to do with weight (no one mentioned weight here), but air resistance due to size. Take a big umbrella and a small one and go outside a windy day Alex, and you'll find out simple laws of physics. I know that you know more about building speakers than me, not going to argue about that. 🙂 I was asking for an honest opinion about Vanderkleys vs Bergantinos.

Well, I was not here to argue about physics, soon enough one of the guys in here that make cabs can tell you what and why. But there is a reason why you never have seen a 15" tweeter... I simply wondered if you guys had any experience wht the Bergs ves the VK and what your experience was.

The math is quite simple. The 10" speaker has to push less air than a 12" or 15" speaker and will because of that move faster back and forth. There are of course loads of things that affect this as open or closed cabs, size and type of magnets etc, but if everything else is equal, the bigger speaker will have to work harder and hence move slower. So what you are saying is that the Berg and Mesa are better in terms of clarity than the Vanderkley?

On a more serious note... I practice at least an hour a day, and need something to keep me going. Some new gear every now and then spice things up. So really, no need to settle with just one bass. Unless you are poor and can not afford one. Been there, done that too... So if I can afford a new bass, I get one if I want to.

If I spent like £ 200.000 on my house, £ 30.000 on my car etc, why should I settle with a £500 bass? Just because? The guys that make and sell our gear need money to support their families. Think of the starving children!

"... and justice for Jason"

I gig a lot with a Fender Rumble 500 v3. Light, cheap and loud enough for most gigs. With the dual gig bag housing 2 basses and a HX Stomp I get the whole rig in the back seat of my small Peugeot 2008. And bring the whole rig in one go without breaking my back in the process.

I think I spent like £ 800 (ok more like £1100 with the 2 Boss WL-20's) on that between my bass and my amp, and with that HX Stomp I pretty much got everything covered. I spent like £ 800 on the Rumble 500 with the extension cabinet (and will propably blow £2000 on a new amp + cab now). That is a lot, but it is pocket change compared to what I/we in here spend on basses. Just the Stingray, US Fender and the Maruszczyk I bought in April this year ( boy the missus was not happy....) cost more than the total of everything else I have bought together. And I do not think twice about that, I just keep getting more and more basses. And for what? @glassmoon, if you got any other pedals, basses you do not need or whatever, now is the time to cash in and put it in the HX Stomp (or PodGO or effects). You will not regret it. The idea behind the Line6 for many is that you can get whatever sound you like out of that box almost regardless of what is before or after that box. (but who am I fooling, my 6th bass of 2020 is on its way from the Sire factory).

If you got the dough you could get one of these and turn the HX Stomp into a real monster: https://tgt11.com/product.html/morningstar-mc6-mkii-midi-controller You can program it and it has a display where you could name effects, presets and what not... I went for the cheapo that cost £15 🙂 Edit: The foot switches do not require power, and have no light....

It is actually a stereo patch cable (not a regular jack/patch). It is one of these: https://www.thomannmusic.no/ebs_ebs_pcf_dls58_dlx_flat_trs.htm The Rowin came with one of these, but it was not angeled, so I got me one that was (the same as the one mentioned above).

You program what they do. You can use them as extras for whatever you want them to do, effects, tuner/mute (that originally on the 3rd swtich), scroll between presets or whatever. So instead of having 3 switches available you now have 5.

You also have Jon Willis page with loads of useful presets you can download and use (this is the BIG difference between the Helix-line and the other lines of Line6, the Helix (HX) community is part of the package). http://drtonelab.com/?fbclid=IwAR3uiuOc7qYz2LIp6w8PVmkfaUa7IzbPNKUn4YH6n_USaIT43Hko_PC028s I use his Jon Willis live comp when I gig, but also use many of my own presets.

If you go for the HX Stomp, remember to get a footswitch. Mosky Dual switch, Rowin Beat loop footswitch or another cheap option to get a couple of extra footswitches. My pedalboard right now: Edit: Just got to mention this: You hook the HX Stomp up to a PC or Mac and set your presets (chain of effects) there, you can have over 100 different presets. I use my extra footswitch to go up and down between the presets I have.

What is good on the Sire basses is that there is hardly any difference when switching from active to passive mode. I'm not a jazz-guy and prefer anything but a jazz (I have P/J, and humbucker basses that can be set in single coil mode, among them a Sire M7). The active/passive thing on the Sires is really not an issue for those who prefer passive as you can choose between active and passive mode. In 95 % of the time I play my Sire basses in passive mode. Really looking forward to getting my hands on the Sire U5 I have pre-ordered (short scale passive P/J).

Remember that you can (or rather should) adjust pickup height so that you get an even tone on all strings and across basses. 🙂

I play in loads of different settings: Church (together with a piano), big band, choir (right now a gospel, but we did a musical), jazz and a loud intrumental band. That is why I need a amp without tube distortion (I can add that before the amp), so I need a jack of all trades. And I need it to be "clear" as in articulate, that is why I prefer 10" speakers and not 12 or 15 ". And it need to be kind of loud, that is why I would prefer 3 or 4 10" speakers. I have used 4 x 10" now (a Rumble 500 v3 and a 2X10" extension). But most 4x10 is heavy (except for the Berg410HG), so that is why I'm after the Vanderkley or the Berg as those can move lots of air very well. What I have read other places is that the Berg CN 212 is kind of mid-heavy (so very good with a Fender Precision and a loud rock band), but I think the 410HG has another character? The 410HG is a 3+1, so 3 in the front and one in the back (that obviously does not do all that much without a back wall). It is supposed to add some kind of surround/3D effect.