wateroftyne

Hi folks

We had a band photoshoot tonight. I took my J along, but It didn't really get used. We had a couple of individual shots taken, though.. I thought this one looked pretty cool by the time I cropped my ugly mug out of it...



...and, a proud Dad moment.

My daughter came along to the session, too. I put her in the guitarist's empty case, and the photographer got a great shot...



Awwwwwwwwwww.............!

Wow... people really take the post count that seriously? Goodness.

Hello!

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=105&hl="]This might help...[/url]

It's worth noting that the pups on the 'US Pickup' MIJ basses aren't US pickups as such - they're built in Japan to a US design.

Not that that makes them inferior, y'understand.

[quote name='ped' post='1379' date='May 18 2007, 01:14 PM']Superb picture! That was from the gig in that great big hall wasn't it?[/quote]

Hey Ped!

Nah.. that was from a gig last weekend. This is from the gig in the hall...



Great room... awful stage sound.

[quote name='d-basser' post='1358' date='May 18 2007, 12:47 PM']quick Q, how does the 12" handle lows? i will be playing a 6 string through it.[/quote]

Hello!


In truth... I dunno! A low E is as low as I'll ever get. You're welcome to try it if you're around this neck of the woods any time.

[quote name='subaudio' post='1222' date='May 18 2007, 09:51 AM']could this be used to stright into a power amp for a live rig?[/quote]

Absolutely... I go straight into the FX return of my AI head.

My big rig - Schroeder 21012L, Acoustic Image Focus II, EBS MicroBassII:



My little rig - Mini 12" (custom-built by BC's vry own JPJ), , Acoustic Image Focus II, EBS MicroBassII (EBS Valvedrive pictured):

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='738' date='May 17 2007, 08:15 PM']I use one of these as well, perfect if you use lots of basses. The boost on Channel A is to bring the level up to the same as Channel B, which may be louder if you are using a lot of Drive. Obviously affects the overall sound if you mix though. Marvellous bit of kit.[/quote]

Hello!

It can get a bit tricky 'cos If you have the tube simulation on, boosting channel A adds more drive to the signal.

So he is... I didn't know that!

Sorry my postings aren't in the correct format... I'm just transferring over my idiotic ramblings from BT/BW before they're lost forever. You never know.. someone might find 'em useful.

(note: I wrote this review about 8 months ago, and I still stand by it.)

Hi all

My search for replacement pickups for my '73 J has come to an extremely successful conclusion.

I've had this bass for nearly a year, and I love it dearly. However, the lack of definition on the E string has always bothered me a bit, which I put down to the non-original pickups of questionable origin. The bridge pup was a bit weak, as was one of the poles on the neck pup.

When it came to swapping them out, I liked the idea of something slightly overwound, and I considered the likes of Fender's 60s CS, Fralin, Aero, etc. While I was looking into this, someone suggested I have a chat with Andy at Wizard Pickups in Scotland.

I believe Andy used to work for Kent Armstrong, and he started his own venture building and rewinding pickups when Kent moved back to the US.

I had a look at his website, and saw he had two 'stock' J offerings - the traditionally vintage 64s and the dirtier, overwound 84s. I emailed him and told him I prefer I prefer a warm, smooth tone with lots of bottom end and not too much in the way of sizzle, but I was concerned the 84s might be a little too dark for my liking. He suggested some custom winds, using the same wire as the 84s, with a few less turns and slightly longer magnets which increases the power, volume and presence.

So, I coughed up a perfectly reasonable £70 (no extra charge for custom winds) and waited...

...for a day! I placed the order on Thursday afternoon, and they arrived via registered post on Saturday morning. They're well packed in a funky little box, with black and white cloth wires.

I took them to my tech chap, who dropped them in (I'm an idiot with a soldering iron) and took it to a gig last night.

What a result! My J has been pushed into a different league. I'm a P-nut at heart, but my J now has an incredible thumpy punch with the neck solo'd. Open both pups up, and it's warm, smooth and growly. Every note is perfectly defined and even, right down to the E. It was the most fun I've had at a gig for a long time.

I can't recommend them enough, and as they cost significantly less than most of the alternatives out there, UK or EU-based folks looking for new pups should definitely have a chat with Andy to see what he can offer. He's made an old, tired Jazz (and it's owner) very happy!

[url="http://www.wizardpickups.co.uk"]Wizard Pickups[/url]

Hi all

[note: I've had this cab for about 10 months now, and I've used it at least a couple of nights a week since then. I wrote this review a little while after I got it, and I still stand by it.]

First, a bit of background.

I play my flat-strung early 70's Jazzes and Precisions, and Bassix EUB through Acoustic Image Focus 2 head, routing the slabs via a SABDDI to add a bit of grit. My desired tone is classic fingerstyle, veering towards the old-school, Duck Dunn, Tim Schmitt, John McVie, Glenn Worf, John-Paul Jones, with a dash of Geddy Lee growl when I'm in the mood. I'm not at all interested in how it sounds solo'd - I'm a 'band' player first and foremost.

I play with a few different bands, ranging from a trio with a violin and acoustic guitar, a full band backing a rootsy singer/songwriter, to a rock'n'roll five-piece with noisy guitars. I also play in a lot of different venues (I'm a gig whore!) - small noisy bars, large noisy bars, arts centres with well-behaved audiences, theatres and outdoor concerts, all with and without PA support. Quite often, I never know what to expect until I get there.

Previously, I've been using a combination of Ashdown ABM cabs - a 15" and a 2x10" depending on the gig. They have served me well, but I've been looking for a fairly compact one-size-fits-all cab with plenty of headroom.

So, I spent a month or so doing my homework, looking at the likes of Tech, Epi, Aguilar, Accugroove... all the usual suspects. There's certainly some great stuff out there, but based on what I've heard I get the feeling that a lot of the top-end stuff is just a little hi-fi and not grunty enough for my liking. So, based on reviews on TB and elsewhere, I took the plunge and pulled the trigger on a 4ohm Schroeder 21012 Light from Gear4Music, one of Jorg's European distributors. My location means it's almost impossible to try any manufacturer's cab before I buy, so, I had to take a leap of faith and buy it blind.

This cab is 1000w and slightly smaller than your average 2x10, but with lows similar to an 15.

Things didn't get off to a great start - it went AWOL during shipping, and when it arrived grille was bent and the front panel had a couple of hairline cracks in it. Judging from the damage to the packaging, it took a hell of an impact, so it's pretty understandable. I informed Jorg and Jeroen at Gear4Music and almost immediately there were emails flying backwards and forwards with a view to sorting it out. To cut a long story short, a new empty cab has arrived, the components have been transferred across.

The cab is ply, with the exception of the internal baffle which seems to be MDF. The construction is - to my untrained eye - very tidy and solid. Certainly, my tech didn't see any cause to complain and I trust him! The wiring and connectors are very substantial, too. Very neat and tidy.

One observation - the cab seems to be a little heavier than advertised (56lbs). This may be incorrect - it's just a gut feeling. It's not something that particularly bothers me, as it isn't excessively heavy by any means. I bought the Light version for tonal rather than weight reasons.

Anyway, on to the really important stuff. How does it sound?

In a word, marvellous. It's a HUGE sound for such a relatively small box. At tonight's gig (a long, noisy bar without PA support that I play fairly regularly) some friends at the back of the room said the bass carried extemely well, far better than the Ashdowns.

I feel like I don't have to drive things as hard. The Schro seems 'effortless' - the lows are tighter and more focused than the Ashdowns, the angled 12" seems to move a remarkable amount of air, and the 10s are punchy and defined. A previous gig was a theatre with a big stage (the Tyne Theatre, in Newcastle) - and the rest of the band could hear me just fine to the point where I asked the monitor guy to pull it out of the on-stage mix.

The Selenium horn is extremely powerful, and as a result I roll it back until it's barely on. It's nice to know it's there if I need it, though. Because I'm so horn-phobic, it's unlikely that I'll ever experience any hiss..!

My bandmates love it. They feel like it has 'cleaned up' the bottom-end of the overall sound, without sacrificing warmth and without becoming intrusive.

Reading reviews elsewhere, it's apparent that these cabs just don't do it for some people... I'm guessing they're after a completely different sound to me. That's fair enough! It's what makes the world go round.

After every gig, it tells me 'Hi Honey, I'm home!'. It's all good!

Hi folks

Postman Pat knocked on the door yesterday, and delivered my new Fretless Franklin P.



[url="http://www.jollybeggars.co.uk/bass"]More photos here...[/url]

I have a '71 fretless P that I love dearly but, although I have no desire to follow in Jaco's footsteps, I've been GASsing for a Franklin for a while to give me the option of dialling in a J pickup.

It's a nice medium weight, the ebony fretboard is lovely, the 'burst is vibrant, it balances well, acoustically it sounds vibrant and lively. I put on the D'addario half-wounds off my '71, and, thanks to the ebony board, they sound like new strings.

Unfortunately, I don't have a gig for a couple of days so I can't say at this time wether it hits the spot in a band mix compared to my '71 but, through my practice rig, it sounds fantastic.

The J pup on its' own is very Jaco - it's a sound I'm unlikely to use. The P pup on it's own sounds massive... lots of growl and mwah. I suspect it has more than my '71. Both pups, as you would expect, the best of both worlds.

Apparently the pickups are buffered so you can switch between the combinations without significant change in volume. This cetainly seems to be the case.

As for the down side... well, it's all down to preference.

I'm used to clubby early 70's necks. The neck on the Franklin is very wide and narrow. It's almost identical to the Elite Precision I used to have, which didn't lend itself to 'digging in'. I find myself backing off when I play the Franklin, too - It could well be that I just need to adjust. We'll see.

Another thing which was entirely expected: It's new. I know, I'm weird. You're all laughing at me now. The thing is, it's very shiny and I'm overly worried about dinging it, which is rare for me. Usually I buy basses that have already have a few bumps'n'scratches and a worn-in vibe. The headstock is very pale, too. I wish Fender would give them a little bit of colour. Obviously, this is just personal preference.

Also, another preference thing is the drop-D tuner thingy. I doubt I'll ever use it and I'll probably swap it for a 'normal' one.

[b]UPDATE[/b]

Since I did this review, I let this bass go. A little silly with the benefit of hindsight, but there you go. Basically, I finally found the tone I wanted using my '71, so the TF was surplus to requirements. Even so, I strongly recommend checking these out if you're after a traditional-looking fretless.

[url="http://www.jollybeggars.co.uk/bass"]More photos here...[/url]

[I posted this on BW/BT a while ago... I thought I'd repost it here for posterity]

Hi folks

My main and much-loved cab is a Schroeder 21012L, which is utterly marvellous and can knock walls down at 100 paces. Recently though, I've thought about getting something a bit more compact for small gigs, recording, rehearsals, open mics, and even the better theatres that are equipped with decent monitoring. My amp is a tiny Focus 2 that puts out 600w into 4ohms, so it would be a fantastic mini-rig. It would need to be something portable but with kick.... you know the drill.

So it was that I recently found myself in possession of a 12" 500w Eminence Delta speaker, and set about finding a cab to put it in. Nothing really took my fancy until I got talking to Bassworld's very own JPJ (Kev). He put forward a very convincing case that, for the cost of the parts + £50 (I suppose this will vary depending on requirements), he could build me a teeny tiny cab that would probably do what I was looking for. Why not? I asked him to go for it.

He regularly sent me photos of the work-in-progress - the speaker is mounted internally in a diagonal baffle which also has a port in it. As requested, there's no rear port as the point of this cab is that it's going to get used in some pretty tight places. I also wanted it horn-free. I'm not too fussed about 'em.

I picked it up about a month ago, and was mightily impressed!

To my untrained eye, it's well-built and reassuringly solid. It has a couple of speakon connectors on the rear plate, and fixed side-handles. Best of all, it's easily a one-hand lift.

I should stress at this point that I know nowt about cab construction and that - I just play 'em. I'll ask JPJ if he wants to drop by and offer some specifics re: materials etc.

So, how does it sound?

OHMYGOD... it's marvellous. I tried it at a couple of loud-but acoustic open mics first. The was an initial problem where the original spring-mounted handles rattled at certain frequencies at volume, but Kev took it straight back and swapped them for the fixed handles. Now, it's 100% rattle and buzz-free.

Then I used it at a full-band rehearsal. I had my Schro in the car just in case... but I needn't have bothered. This thing rocks. Even with the band in full flow, every note was warm and even, and it showed no sign of running out of steam. It was very Motown-sounding (I like an old-school P-or-J-with-flats tone) and my fretless P still sings. It's going to be great mic'd up in the studio, and I'll have no qualms about using it as a monitor in theatres.

In a nutshell, if you want to have a cab custom-built for a VERY reasonable price, drop Kev a line. He knows his stuff. And he's the double of Dan Tyminski!

Hi folks

Historically, I've always used a SABDDI into the FX return of my AI Focus 2. By and large I've been happy with it, but I've never been too keen on a couple of things.

First there's the SABDDI mid-scoop, which plays havoc with my fretless P, and it just doesn't suit some rooms. I know you can defeat it to a degree by rolling the bass and treble knobs back, but the resulting tone can, to my ears, sound a little unnatural. I like plug'n'play.

Also, the drive is a little aggressive for my tastes. I think it works better with basses armed with roundwounds.

To cut a long story short, I began to look for something compact, with a more subtle drive and an effective-but-simple EQ... specifically the [url="http://www.ebs.bass.se/2007/microbass.htm"]EBS MicroBass II[/url].



I am SO happy with it. It's about a third larger than a standard SABDII, a bit heavier, and extremely well-built (like the SABDDI).

It has a myriad of knobs on it, all of which are incredibly useful. There are two channels - you can plug a bass into each, and switch between them, or plug one bass into channel A and swap between A and B, or you can simply sum A+B.

There's another feature which is of great use to me at the moment - you can plug headphones and an audio soure into it and use it as a personal practice amp. This is a godsend for those sunny days in the garden...

Anyway, channel A has a high impedance input, along with volume, bass and treble knobs, and a bright switch. These are all self-explanatory. In addition, there's an enhance filter. If you engage this, boosting the treble scoops the lows (for the slap-fans, I guess), while rolling the treble off increases the mids. This is *perfect* for my fretless, as it helps tame the clacks and clatters that result from my apalling technique, whilst bringing out the mwaah.

Channel B has a low-impedance input, along with a Drive (simulated tube drive), Edge and semi-parametric mid knobs. The channels can be a little tricky to balance, but I use A+B summed for my fretted, and A alone for my fretless (it's a little cleaner). I do need to give the volume a nudge when switching to A alone. It's not a big problem, though.

On top of all this, there is a variable effects loop, a mute switch, and two features which area God-send to me - Tube Simulator and mic'd Speaker Simulator.

As mentioned before, I do play quite percussively sometimes, and the resultant clicks and clacks can sound a bit unpleasant through the FOH, or when I'm recording. The Tube simulator adds a subtle growl on the extreme peaks, taking the edge off them without loss of punch. It's different to the channel B's Drive, or the SABDDI's drive.

The speaker simulator does what it says, and adds smoothness to the sound - the genius being that only the DI signal is affected. The output to my amp passes through unaffected.. after all, why would I want to run a simulated speaker signal into my amp? This was always a problem for me with the SABDDI as I would end up with an overy wooly sound sometimes.

I've used it a lot of gigs now, and instantly everyone mentioned how much they preferred the tone. I sat in the mix far better - the sound was round, tubey and defined with no muddiness. I found myself leaving it virtually flat. Also, my fretless sings now... I've finally found my sound!

It's a bit more pricey than the competition, but they really have thought of everything. It's remarkable and I love it. My SABDDI has now been sold...

Thanks to all for all your hard work... 'tis appreciated.

WoT... another talentless Geordie numpty, addicted to crusty old Fenders.