Skybone

That's another one that's swaying me away from the Line6 Pack.

They've focused on developing the Guitar specific stuff, and kind of left the Bass side to fend for itself. They integrated bass models on the PODx3's, but seem to have left them out of the HD line.

Been using my good old Line6 PODxt for both guitar and bass duties for a long time, but I'm considering (again) whether or not to get a dedicated bass multi FX pedal. The PODxt sounds pretty good to me, using guitar amp models & cabs for bass for practising at home, recording and (very) occaisional jams.

In the past I've had both a Behringer V-Amp Bass modeller and a Line6 Bass PODxt. Neither, IMO, sounded that impressive in comparison to the Guitar PODxt, the Behringer seriously failed to impress, where the Bass PODxt was good, it wasn't that good (or maybe I've just got used to hearing the bass through the red PODxt!).

Been specifically looking at the Vox StompLab 2B, which is getting good reviews, but doesn't have the deep editing faciility of the POD or other USB connected pedals/modellers.

Has anyone got or used one?
How does it sound?
Can you get a good sound out of it without too much messing about?
How is it to edit patches?
Is the interface intuitive?

Another option would be to get the Line6 Bass Expansion pack and load it on to the xt, but at $100 (not sure of the exchange rate just now!), is it worth it? The plus side is that I know the interface, can use the PC based Editor software to tinker with patches/sounds/mic placement etc and don't have to worry about where I'm gong to keep another piece of kit!

In one way, I'm pretty happy to keep using the guitar amp models, but a part of me wonders what the bass would sound like with a virtual SVT or Super Lead Bass...

Got the DVD, a very entertaining film, though I found it incredibly humourous that, of all the people interviewed for the film, the only one to get sub-titled is D*A*M's Dave Main... from South Yorkshire!

Anything by My Bloody Valentine

Thanks for setting me straight on that, I am forever in your debt and bow to your superior knowledge and wisdom.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1386191602' post='2297098']
What sort of amp are we talking about here? I still think it sounds like you're talking about a cathode-biased amp, which can be considered "self adjusting" to some extent. I wouldn't like to suggest to the OP that he could swap any octal valve into his Alphabass with impunity (without adjusting anything), as that may not be the case.
[/quote]

[quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1386171911' post='2296719'][b]However, you should get the amp serviced by an Amp Tech & get him to change the valves for you at the same time.[/b][/quote]

But as I understand it, and one of the reasons that I bought this particular amp in the first place (as well as it being incredibly versatile, sounding superb, and being built in the UK), was the fact that because it is a fixed bias design, it enables the end user to change the power valves themselves, without having to take the amp to a tech. This particular amp works in both Class A and Class AB(1), and can be switched between classes and valve configurations to acheive a range of tones and outputs, from family friendly single ended operation to pummeling your eardrums at gigs.

But, one of the great features of this amp, is that you can use pretty much any octal valve (still have to be in matched pairs), and it'll still sound superb. And I have tried it a few times, with no detriment to the amp or the volume, through this experimentation though, I found that it sounded best with the stock EL34's.

I used to have an Ampeg VL503 (guitar combo) where you could flick a bias switch on the back and then change the power valves from EL34's & 6L6's, then simply adjust the micro pots at the back to get the valves into bias using rear panel mounted LED's.

Likewise, the Peavey head should sound best with 6L6's, but with a fixed bias, you should be able to swap them yourself. However, you should get the amp serviced by an Amp Tech & get him to change the valves for you at the same time.

Fixed bias means that the bias is fixed, and therefore won't need to be adjusted when you change the valves. In other words, you can change the valves yourself without having to take it to a Valve Amp Technician.

Matched pairs: Most high output valve amps work in Class AB or "push/pull" (IIRC!). Where some Class A valve amps can work with a single valve, Class AB amps need pairs. However, with a fixed bias amp, you can put 3 different sets of matched pairs (1 pair at 1 bias voltage, the other two pairs at different voltages), and theoretically, because the bias is fixed, the amp will still work without having to have a trip to the Amp Tech's.

Beacuse of this, you should also be able to use pretty much any octal base (8 pin) power valves (6L6, EL34, KT66, KT77, 6550, etc).

Also, one of the other benefits of fixed bias is that your power valves will last so much longer than in a non-fixed bias amp.

It's always baffled me why more manufacturer's don't produce valve amps with fixed bias, though the Amp Tech's are glad that they do. And yes, I own a fixed bias valve amp that I can use any octal base power valve without having to get it re-biased each and every time I change valves (saying that, I'm still running the original set of valves it came with when I bought it 7 years ago, and it still sounds fantastic).

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1386085010' post='2295509']
Notice the headstock on the first strat. It's a hondo or something? Once he smashes it, he then is given the proper one to finish the song with.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2miLo3hbEZE[/media]
[/quote]

R.I.P. R.J.D.

My old 4003 was always in D standard (D, G, C, F) and played brilliantly with only a couple of minor tweaks to the bridge (intonation & string height). Used stainless 105 guage Stadium Elites.

For C or lower, maybe look at using slightly heavier strings (110's?).

My Rockinbetter's tuned to D, without tweaks, and it sounds just fine.

AFAIK, a guitar head should be fine, just remember to use a bass cab/speaker (unless you want to blow the guitar speakers that is).

80's covers tips?

Invest in a fretless and work on your Pino Palladino impressions.

And don't forget the BIG HAIR.

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1384978350' post='2283115']
The snack shop up the road from me got a cease order from the makers of the Ally McBeal show as they called their shop McBeals.

The shop, all 10 sq feet of it, was a serious threat to the tv program.
[/quote]

No, it was because they were selling food, where the star and the rest of the female cast of the Ally McBeal show were ordered to cease & desist from eating.

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1385493049' post='2288969']
Never thought of any bass as an "investment" I can think of far better things to invest in.
My basses are instruments that I saved up and bought because I liked them, gig money and months in without beer and nights out to buy each one.
Nothing snobbish or protective, but something in life cost and if you want them you are far better going without for a while than wasting money on overpriced copies, especially ones that cost £500 and come out of the box like a carriage clock thrown from the Eiffel tower.
[/quote]

Congratulations in your dedication to acheiving your dream...

However, some people can't stretch to saving anything towards purchasing a real Ric, be it new of second hand because of their economic position. There's a news report out that nearly nine million people living in the UK have serious debt problems, there are plenty of others working for minimum (or even minimal) wages and simply can't afford to save anything as they have, like the rest of us, bills to pay, food to buy & other living costs to consider before anyone can even consider buying such a "luxury item". Let's face it, most of us are damned lucky to be in the position where we have the diposable income to purchase musical instruments in the first place, and some are luckier still to be able to afford their "dream" instruments. Sometimes, a "best alternative" fits the bill better than "the real thing".

As for [i]"overpriced copies, especially ones that cost £500 and come out of the box like a carriage clock thrown from the Eiffel tower."[/i], then that is your opinion, but you should remove your blinkers and open your mind to the fact that these are actually decent instruments in their own right. You mentioned cars in an earlier post, yes, you could drive an Audi A3, but at the end of the day, the fact that it's an Audi still doesn't hide the fact that it shares a large number of components with the VW Golf, the Seat Leon AND the Skoda Octavia.

Apologies, but it was definitely not aimed at you, I was merely stating that the issue with copies (and bitsa's) is mostly a case of certain people "having their cake and eating it" or "cork sniffing" ("I have a "real" one, you don't, therefore you're a pleb").

It's like someone with a "real" furniture grade PRS guitar looking down their nose at someone who has a PRS SE version. Remember the late 70's/early 80's accusations of "Jap Crap"? Remember the late 80's/early 90's accusations of "Korean Crap"?

[quote name='badboy1984' timestamp='1385476387' post='2288673']
Whats wrong with copy bass? I have a parts build p/j bass that play better then most real fender in the market. I'm a happy pround owner.
[/quote]

Having your cork and sniffing it?

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1385473795' post='2288625']
Which is what I said it is up to the individual and for the record I have played a Rockinbetter and I was no where near blown away if you like it thats great I am in no way knocking the instrument you have so I am a bit confused as to why you are coming across as defensive and a bit sarcastic? if I have misread your reply I apologise
[/quote]

It was in response to spacey's post prior to yours, however, it could be pertinent to your "not worth £400-500" comment.

The issue is that there is no option for a "decent brand" used instrument of that particular type of guitar, if your after that particular type of instrument. You can get branded copies of Gibsons, Fenders, G&L's, Warwick's, MusicMan, and many of the other bass guitar manufacturer's. But because of a decision made by Rickenbacker, those of us, who want to play a Ric, but don't have the Ric budget, have to "make do" with either a different brand/style of instrument (which can be a waste of money when you don't get on with something), or buy the "best alternative" (to use the correct economic term) to the product that you would like.

The days of used Ric's selling for £350 are long, long, long gone. And yes, I severely regret missing out on that early 70's, checker bound 4001 that I could have bought for £350 from a dealership. And it also seems that the days of sub-£1000 used 4003's is long gone as well. I haven't seen one go for less than £1200 in the last couple of years (including my old 2005).

Which I believe also goes someway in backing up the argument for Rickenbacker to produce a budget line of instruments, following the Epiphone/Squier model of building "copies" of their own guitars overseas where the labour costs are lower, and still produce and sell the higher end guitars. If they manage it correctly, it's a "win win" for both the company and the consumer.

If you'd tried one, you wouldn't be saying any of that.

I owned a 4003 for 6-7 years. I now own a Rickenfaker which, IMO, is certainly a far, far better instrument than you claim it is. It certainly doesn't feel like a £150 instrument or a £300 instrument for that matter, it feels far better than that.

Yes, there are a few "chancers" out there that ask a far higher price for the instruments that they're trying to sell, but that always has happened, and always will happen when you have a quality instrument, regardless of the fact that may be emulating another.

I had a Gibson Les Paul for a while, but sold it because the Tokai Love Rock I bought as a "spare" was simply a better instrument by far, even though a) it wasn't a Gibson Les Paul and b} it was half as expensive as a Gibson Les Paul. You simply have to look at the reviews that brands like Vintage and Fret King are getting to see that lower price doesn't mean lower quality.

Tesco Finest or Tesco Everyday Value?

The reason they're so expensive, is so that owners of real Ric's get to gloat over those of us poor souls that can't afford them.

I had a real Ric, I [b]had[/b] to sell it, the Rockinbetter's the next best thing in the absence of an official Rickenbacker budget line along the Epiphone/Squier model.

Get off your high horse and smell some reality.

Like many, I've owned a fair few different basses over the years, from a dodgy Kay P bass to Westone to Aria Pro through to EBMM & Fender, but always lusted after a Ric. A few friends have owned Ric's of various vintages, and I've been able to get a shot on them, but never actually got around to owning one myself until about 6 or 7 years ago when I managed to pick up a Jetglo 4003 from 2005. I admit, it did take me a while to get used to the neck, as they are so glaringly different from the traditional P or J style neck, it's worth putting the playing time in to get used to it though IMO.

Last year, due to the economic situation, I had to sell my 4003 ( ), so the hunt was on for a replacement. The Fender Modern Player Jazz had been getting some good reviews in the guitar press, looked good, and having owned a few Jazz & Jazz inspired basses over the years, I bought one to replace the Ric. Initially, the MP felt & played nice, but there was something wrong. I wasn't getting on with the neck and so started looking for alternatives. The main contenders where a Fender/Squier P bass (preferably with the P/J pickups) or a Yammy BB. Having never played a BB before, I tried a BB424 in a local shop, and it felt good, though the finish of the neck was a bit rough.

While looking for good deals on either a Fender P/J or a Yammy BB424, I stumbled across a gorgeous looking Rockinbetter. It ticked the boxes more than the others, so I bought it. When it arrived, it looked better in the flesh than in the pics, and it not only had the look of the bass it's emulating, but the feel of it as well. Very happy with it indeed, cracking bass. There's a couple of things I'd like to change, but they're very minor indeed, and purely cosmetic (like finding a copy of a certain "Born to Lose" sticker).

For anyone who says that I bought it because I can't afford a real Ric, you're right, I can't afford a real Ric, I had to sell my old one because I couldn't afford to keep it. But in the absence of an official Rickenbacker budget line along the Epiphone/Squier model, the Rockinbetter not only fits the bill, it's a cracking piece of kit in it's own right.

I bought a black one last year to replace my old 4003. Well built and decent sounding, but at the end of the day, I just couldn't get on with it.

I bought a Rockinbetter the other week, and it's absolutely fine with no issues at all... apart from a dead spot on the 2nd string (D in traditional tuning) around the 10th fret.

Can't believe how good these things are, I had to sell my 4003 last year due to the economic climate etc, replaced it with a Fender MP Jazz (MIC), which frankly just didn't cut the mustard after the 4003. Even though I've had Jazz basses & Jazz inspired basses (with Jazz style necks) over the many years I've been dabbling, I couldn't get used to the neck after the Ric. Got the Rockinbetter, and felt right at home again.

I've had some brand new, big name guitars, straight out of the box, that have had not only bad setups, but dodgy electrics. Remember having to take one guitar to bits to sort it out properly, before taking it back & trading it in for something else that worked.

AFAIK: All Aria guitars & basses up to the mid-late 80's were built in Japan, even the budget lines. I've had a few Aria's during the late 80's/early 90's, and they were all MIJ.

The Elite I & II were basically single & twin pickup SB 900/1000's, with different fret markers (ovals instead of dots), and finished in red, white & blue as opposed to the clear finishes that the SB series usually had. The SB 900/1000 and the Elites were through neck designs, with a vaguely J bass feel to them. Both the SB's and the Elites had gold plated hardware and active electronics. The basses that Cliff Burton used were called the SB Black'n'Gold I & II, and were surprisingly black with gold hardware.

The reason that the 80's basses seem pricey these days is because of the acceptance that MIJ instruments during the 70's & 80's were of pretty high quality and most have stood the test of time (blowing the "Jap crap" argument levelled by some out of the water), and also that they have Artist association, the SB's with bands like Duran Duran & Spandau Ballet, the Elites/Black'n'Gold's with Cliff Burton and other rock/metal bands of the period.

I've had an SB Speciall II (passive/bolt neck - sold and then bought another years later), SB 900 and an SB 1000, all were great guitars at the time, but all were turned around for something else when the GAS set in, though the Special II is the only one that I regretted selling (both times) and the only one I'd consider getting again. I do kick myself for missing out on the Elites that I've seen gathering dust in various shops over the years, but missed out on them I did.

Check out: [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/guitars.html"]http://www.matsumoku.org/guitars.html[/url] for more Aria Pro II & other Matsumoku built guitars from the period (had quite a few MIJ Westones over the years as well, and I really, REALLY regret selling my old Thunder 1A!)

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1336147712' post='1641725']
Cynically I am guessing the reason it doesn't have a DI/XLR is so it doesn't massively undermine the Sansamp franchise
[/quote]

Erm... Tech 21 make SansAmp's.

IIRC, the VT Bass was released as a pared down/cheaper version of the Bass Driver DI. If you want the DI, get the Bass Driver.