Boneless

Hi, unfortunately, all my equipment has been stolen my T-40, my pedals... luckily they didn't take my amp and my cheap basses away Anyway, I used to have a Russian Sansamp GT-2 copy, which quite satisfied me. It was very responsive, very bright, rich upper-mids, it really had this nice "percussive" tone (if you wanted), unfortunately getting the pedal from Russia has been, and will be a nightmare, so I was looking for something else. It must be warm-ish and quite aggressive. IT MUST BE CHEAP I was looking at some AMT stuff, maybe the Communist Pig... and the MXR M-80, although it isn't exactly warm (but it is easy to find second hand, not very expensive as well). Another choice might be the Guv'nor, although I tried it once and it wasn't exactly that good to my ears. I'd get the VTBass, it looks like the obvious choice, but it's hard to find 2nd hand... Just know that I have a blender/line selector, so I might as well use bass-shy overdrives, I can always put some bass in it from the clean signal.

Oh, of course, I never said which pedals are really indispensable for me... If I had a more rock-oriented head, say a GK, or a Mesa, or a Hartke as well (or even a Markbass R500), I'd scrap the Hartke VXL Bass Attack. So, what I really think are necessary are (without considering the tuner, which I don't have as a pedal anyway ): - compressor: as a heavy pick player, I couldn't do without a comp or a limiter, for more punch and evenness - overdrive, I'd probably choose my Yerasov GT-2 over my modded Bad Monkey, since it can be tweaked to sound a bit like it - volume pedal, it REALLY helps on stage I could actually do without the rest, really... I'd be happier with a chorus, of course, or even more happier with a heavy distortion.

Many would say that you don't need any. A comp, probably, can be useful though. I'd say a tuner is indispensable, but does it count as an effect? Personally, I use many effects, I like using them. I have a comp, two drives and a distortion in my pedal board, a chorus, a volume pedal (this may be very useful indeed to make quick volume changes while playing), a preamp/modeler, and I plan to add a homemade line selector/blender/boost in a few days (a blender is VERY useful with drives, since you can blend the wet signal with the dry one, thus preserving lows even with drives that tend to cut lows), and probably a digital multiFX unit (probably the Yamaha Magicstomp, probably the best cheap multiFX unit, old, but still better than most units I've tried in that price range) for all those effects I plan on using maybe once in a while, not enough to spend money on dedicated units (ie. reverb, delay, flanger, phaser, octaver, etc.).

Well, he is! Great player, but a total dickhead C'mon, fellas, that "I'm cooler than you" attitude of his is soooooooooooooooooooooo annoying and obnoxious

[quote]Tim Commerford also did it and he's cooler than beans.[/quote] Tim Commerford is a prick.

Erm, the Stereo Electric Mistress isn't very "whooshy", it's quite weak actually as a flanger. And the chorus is not really that nice. The Stereo Electric Mistress, though, is in a class on its own, it's really, really nice when combining both the flanger with the chorus, it has a unique tone, I don't think it's actually designed as a flanger or a chorus, really, but as a "flanger + chorus combo with a personal touch", that might explain why the flanger is kinda weak and the chorus is a litlle muddy. As for whooshy flanger (you're not going to get jet-like whoosh from a phaser, anyway ) I'd have suggested the BF-2, but you said it's too metallic (which is true, mind you), so, +1 for the MXR (although it's over 100 quid I reckon).

Oooh, a single cut I actually LIKE They generally disgust me

I'd have kicked him in the balls.

There are some aspects to consider: - the TE head might have an underestimated power rating, as you said; - the Peavey Tour head might have a basic tone that cuts the mix less than the TE; - the power amp in the Peavey may be of lesser quality, so less able to cope with high loads; - there isn't a [b]big[/b] increase in volume between 300 and 450W, really, due to the logarithmic nature of sound and the way our ears perceive soundwaves; - don't judge by the taper of the pots, keep in mind that in many heads the pots are designed to yield perceivable results only in a portion of the taper (ie. the LMII). There is also the amp-cab coupling aspect to consider, some amps are able to drive certain cabs better than others (due to impedance ratings through all the emitted frequencies).

Oh, it seemed quite large from the photos... oh well.

Well, but it's more unstable than a conventional 4x10", plus the fact that a vertically stacked 4x10" it's more cumbersome and more difficult to transport. In the end, there is a thing called "compromise", if you don't really need outstanding performance (many valve amp owners actually WANT a low sensitivity, inefficient cab so they can drive the valves better, when you have a VBA400, overdrive is hard to achieve as it is PLUS they often search for a tone which has a very low frequency response, hence the lack of a tweeter and sealed cabs, many players actually look for a cab that perform best in a very limited range, ie. 100Hz-2.5KHz). I also think that nowadays having very efficient cabs is less of an issue, since power is readily available and at a low cost. I've read what you say about your cabs, Alex, and while, I repeat, they intrigue me, I can see why not many big musical companies would be prepared to make such a cab. Fine-tuned crossovers, and lightweight, maybe, but CUMBERSOME cabs (the Big One is... a big one ) doesn't really appeal to the mass market, since all I see is players who want either a lightweight and small cab/amp (hence, the small Markbass combos, for example), or big, vintage voiced amps and cabs. Your "best" product, the Big One, is neither vintage or small, although I can imagine you actually have quite a bit of success and profit. Don't get me wrong, I am not dissing your products, and I repeat, I actually think you're making a great job (I still wish I could try them out), but you must understand (and I'm certain that you do) that the musical industry is a very "traditional" one, and even the most "modern" musicians are generally looking for something else (by what I read on the music forums and listening to what most people are looking for).

[quote]science vs ears[/quote] There is no science vs ears. Science determines what ears hear. The fact is that we don't necessarily need a very "efficient" cab, really. And science can't always be "applied" (thoroughly). For example, you could try to design a cab, that plays exactly like a sealed 4x12" but only has a couple of drivers and takes up a third of the space and weighs a tenth. But would people actually buy a cab that's probably going to be expensive as hell?

Interesting.

What about 4x10s? I thought they were one of the most efficient solutions for bass When they were introduced, they were seen as kind of a revolution, and while many years have surely passed by, I can't really see the problem with 4 identical drivers in a well designed cabinet

Or, on the contrary, someone (not me, though) might actually like big, inefficient cabs. Such as the vintage design 4x12s/2x15s/8x10s. Big, bulky and heavy, with a somewhat reduced frequency response, low sensibility and projection when compared to modern cabs, etc. But if you want the tone of a sealed cab you're not gonna get it from a very well designed ported cab I have a very sharp, percussive tone, but I see many others who actually like what I'd describe as utter sludge

It has a far-eastern vibe indeed, if you look at it closely

The New York 121 is supposed be the MiniCMD121P's perfect "companion". I think they share the very same cabinet.

But maybe you are misunderstanding me. I actually "get" you. But what I meant is that, as with sealed cabs, sometimes "better" is "worse". [quote]And no manufacturer, save a small entity like Alex with his barefacedBass cabs, is going to invest in the R&D and tooling for a superior product that won't sell because it doesn't 'look right', especially when same old same old continues to go out the shop doors.[/quote] That's just not true. Just take Markbass amps (and all the alternatives that came afterwards), who would have even thought of spending money in a 3lb head? Who would have thought that you can actually have a 500W head in such a small package? And don't you think people might have said "nah, that's sh*t". But, surprise surprise, lightweight amps are the latest craze, and a "revolution" in their own right. And Schroeder is making some "different" cabs as well, and they sell alright... (and they're not exactly cheap, although they're not really expensive either). That said, I'm actually intrigued by Alex's cabs, for example (I'd really like to try them out, but as I live in Italy, I doubt that's going to be easy ), but then again, many people will still prefer 2x10+1x15 combos, sealed cabs, etc.

[quote]Only to the matter of sizing them to the same width for stacking. A 1x15 and 2x10 truly engineered to work together does not and never has existed.[/quote] Maybe from an "audiophile" point of view. A 2x10" cab may not perfectly acoustically pair with a 1x15", but it's a common solution: there must be a reason for it, and the reason is that many people actually like this speaker configuration. It may be "wrong", but many people actually steer away from high fidelity and clarity and frequency response. I prefer a better engineered cab / pair of cabs, but in the end, it's all down to taste.

Usually anyway the brands design their cabs to be matched (especially cabs not commonly used as a standalone/commonly used as a pair, such as 2x10 + 1x15). It would be stupid for a brand make a 2x10 that can't really be matched well with a 1x15 of the same brand and series

[quote]That would be true if the economy didn't flip itself on its head, the exchange rate is so that in the UK atleast it is costing a fortune to import their own products from China.[/quote] That's why it's called a crisis... Here in Italy things haven't still worsened (much), but I reckon that in a few months' time it's gonna be sad over here as well Most probably China is going to benefit even more from the global crisis, though, since many people will decide to buy cheaper far-eastern made items and compromise on quality (because nowadays people can't seem to do without loads of stuff). Of course, less items will be bought altogether, but in comparison, China and India will actually benefit from the crisis. [quote]Am I the only person who actively seeks out "Western" world made products, aka UK, America, Japan/Korea and Europe. I just think the quality is far superior as they have a solid work ethic. China is all about mass production.[/quote] Most people prefer having something cheaper and lesser quality than not having it And most people would never give up their standards of living, and if they used to buy western made stuff, they're going to switch to Chinese made alternatives in the future

[quote]However, British labour isn't much more expensive than other European countries but our labour laws and our governments' long-term disinterest in manufacturing makes it much easier to close down UK factories and there are fewer incentives to open UK plants.[/quote] But it is true that manufacturing entry-level/mid-level stuff in the Western world (Europe, Northern America, Japan, etc.) is counterproductive and silly, since there are China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, etc. to cover this production. You can't escape the fact that it is cheaper to outsource production to developing countries. The future for manufacturing in the Western world is in the high-quality, highly-specialized industry. Things that China and India simply can't make.

I know the OP has already made his choice, but anyway... having never tried the Tone Hammer, I'd probably go for the MXR DI+. The BDDI sounds "boxy" to me, it just doesn't sound natural, the MXR DI+ is very nice indeed, a very modern sounding box though. The distortion is very nice, but it's more of a fuzz really. I really like the Hartke VXL as well, but it can get slightly hissy (nothing you can hear in the mix of a band, though).

I have the SFX (Silent Fly) modded BM, and it's been a great buy. Have yet to test its full potential, but it sounds great. I used to have a Bad Monkey, but it broke and the mod is surely an improvement over it. The standard is already very good, just a little bit shy on the bass frequencies. The only thing I don't like about the Bad Monkey (both the standard and the modded one) is that's a bit dark sounding and doesn't have much attack, it's very, very creamy, which I like as well, but I'd like to get some treble out of it, but I have a Sansamp GT-2 clone which does that kind of job perfectly, so never mind

If I remember correctly, it's all (at least for the main part) in the power transformer, which is a "switching" power transformer (at least, I THINK this is the correct name ), which weighs much less than traditional power transformers. It's a relatively new technology, this kind of transformers used to be less stable and less able to adapt to sudden increases in power request, AFAIK, but recently they've improved greatly, and have become much cheaper as well. Some say that this kind of power transformers influences negatively the amp's tone, though (here in Italy we have had the chance to compare the old Markbass amps - which used traditional power supplies - and the new ones, and some say the new ones have a more mid-strong tone, but sound less refined and a bit more compressed, while the older ones were fuller and warmer, and less compressed.