WinterMute

I have a Tony Levin OLP, it's an extraordinarily good bass for the £200 that it cost, even accounting for the Bart pup and pre-amp I've put in. Flamed maple top, matching headstock, light, good tone and a decent B string. Some are the suspicious orange colour of Levin's original SR5, but some are natural... The pickguard i a bit shabby, and it's next on the list to change. If you can find one, get it.

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1351157456' post='1847950'] Don't bumblebees gain the extra lift, that simplistic calculation said was unavailable from their wing size and reciprocations per minute, through the creation of a vortex which generates extra lift compared to how a bird wing works? Usually when scientific theory differs from reality it's because the science is incomplete! [/quote] Who said "one man's science is another man's belly laugh..."?

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1351081598' post='1847027'] Honestly, a strip or two of auralex foam cures stage boom. Not at a subtle change either, a dramatic improvement. As for the er... debate above, I have no idea. [/quote] Many people report significant improvement for boomy stage and rooms by using such devices, wether they be the overpriced Auralex offerings or a couple of bits of packing foam, so there is, demonstrably, an effect that players like. The Auralex GRAMMA is rated for 300lb I believe, so is good for an 8x10, I'm not sure I'd want to put an 8x10 on bits of foam that weren't up to the job. Several people have made their own versions, Auralex foam isn't cheap, so I reckon the discounts that are out there make it worthwhile. I'm certainly going to be looking at either the GRAMMA or the Iso-tilt once it arrive.

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1248965112' post='556258'] Personally though I don't see much value in bass amp modelling in live situations as you're almost always going to be limited by the loudspeaker cabinet performance. [/quote] Should I be worried about the capabilities of your Big Twin T then Alex...?

I currently have the LD400 Pro combo, which is for sale (plug, plug), and I have the Pod XT Pro rack which I'm going to be using with a Barefaced Big Twin T when Alex's guys can tear themselves away from FiFA 2012....! Unlike Alex I do see the point of modelling live, provided you abandon spurious thoughts of "authenticity", I find the Line 6 bass kit to be good both in flexibility and in tone, but you do need to spend some time getting away from the factory presets and finding your own sound. I deliberately chose the Big Twin T as I intend to use it like a very loud studio monitor, to simply amplify the output of the Pod XT to gig levels. The Pod XT is a great studio tool, providing a huge range of tones, and I intend to make use of that flexibility in the live situation. The models are generally pretty good, particularly the Ampeg and Marshall models, and can yield some very useable sounds. The combo is certainly loud enough to cope with a loud drummer, moreso with an extension cab, but the limitation is the speaker cab, which doesn't handle high volume as well as a very expensive cab would, however at the price you can grab one for they are useable, loud and flexible. Studio wise the DI output with the modelling is very useful. If you don't expect it to sound exactly like an SVT/8x10 rig, you'll find that it sounds close enough for rock n roll. As ever, it's not the kit you own, it's what you do with it that counts. We all know the guy with £1000's in kit who sounds crap and the other guy with the scraped together rig who sounds great.

It's not just a tilt back device, it isolates the cab from the floor, which is a good thing on hollow boomy stages and helps you sound remain your sound in bad acoustic conditions, check out the Auralex GRAMMA pad, not a tilt device just a de-coupler, Alex's plan is to provide the de-coupleing effect with a handy tilt-back.

[quote name='funky8884' timestamp='1350806949' post='1843572'] In one of my emails to Alex asking about a Barefaced Cab solution he mentioned an ''IsoTilt wedge''. Has anyone out there got one / used one ? [/quote] Alex told me he needed to get to see a supplier for the foam I think, anyway, they aren't available as yet. Auralex GRAMMA is your best bet.

In the 80's I ran a GK 800RB bi-amped into an Ampeg 8x10 and a TE 4x10, I played a 5 string Thumb and it sounded awesome... 400 watts was plenty to shift the air and the decibels, however it weighed slightly more than the car I use to shift it around in and I was young, strong and stupidly keen... I also only ran one basic bass sound, and this is the key element. I'm 48 now, I play 5 string fretted and fretless and the bass sound shifts to suit the style and content of each song occasionally during songs, I need a rig that shifts the air and the db, but can cope with the different tonality and playing styles I employ, plus it has to be small and light... I have a Pod XT pro and a Crown XTi1000 awaiting a Big Twin T from Alex, I fully expect it to be able to outperform the old rig. I love 8x10 and large scale rigs as much as the next Teutonic Bass Monster, but sometimes technology and the application of knowledge and design comes up with something different. I'll let you know if Alex, (and by extension, myself) are right.

[quote name='Jools4001' timestamp='1350332455' post='1837529'] +1 I've gigged my Big One for a couple of years as well. I drive it with a Pod XT Live, an ART ProChannel and a bridged Crown 1000XLS. I'm no spring chicken and I've used rigs from Ampeg, Trace, GK, Marshall, Hiwatt and Eden amongst others over the years. It took a bit of a learning curve for the rest of my kit to play nice with the Big One because it is so transparent it will reveal stuff you didn't notice before.I've got it cracked now and it's the best rig I've ever had,. You know that the Big One sounds awesome when non-bass playing, non-musicians tell you that your bass sound is the best they've ever heard. It's cured my cab GAS anyway....well....except maybe for a super 15 [/quote] Looks like I'm taking the same route, Big Twin T, Pod XT Pro and a Crown XTi1000 in bridged mode.... Just need the cab now...! Glad to hear that the theory works so well.

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1350031607' post='1833640'] Look it at like with cars. An efficient car might do 60mpg, an inefficient car might to 20mpg. Put 10 gallons into one and you'll be able to go 600 miles but only 200 miles with the other. mpg=sensitivity; fuel put in=power from amp; fuel tank capacity=max power handling. [/quote] What about acceleration, cornering and the leather seats then?

Save up and go for the Etymotics, I use ER4p and they are very very good indeed, the HF range are good too. In-ear canal, single armature designs rely on a solid seal in the ear canal to provide their bass response, the Etymotic plugs are variable and very secure. Shures are good at this too, but I prefer the ER4s.

I considered the Big Baby when discussing the issue with Alex, I also looked at the Super Twelve T, but in the end we both felt the the Big Twin was the way to go, I'll be driving mine with a Crown XTi1000 power amp, 1400 watts bridged into 4 ohms, 1 cab... I can't wait.

Line 6 Studio 110, 75w 1x10, good sounding models, line in for MP3/CD, headphone and a proper modelled DI output that sounds very good recorded... it's a 1 foot cube. You can have mine for £130...!

Might not be your bag, but the Line 6 Low down combos are very versatile for the money and the 2 Pro variants are plenty loud enough for gigs. The 300 goes fit £180 odd second hand and the 400 2x10 goes about £250, I got my 400 for £200, and will be selling it shortly as I have a Barefaced based rig in production. Loads of good tones, well built and cheap.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1347389779' post='1800196'] I met a fella recently who claimed to have a Jaydee Flying V guitar...now that's going to be unusual.. [/quote] I played in a band in the 80's with a guitarist who had a JD Flying V, there was an explorer too I believe... This is the only pic I can find, and you cant see the headstock, but it's definitely a JD, this would be 1980 or thereabouts, in Tamworth. [attachment=118061:OMEN1.jpg]

I bought an XTi1000 on ebay for £250, it's 1400w bridged into 4 ohms and I'll be using to to power my Big Twin T once it arrives. It's light and very clean.

My old Warwick 5, it's an 87 Thumb with the one piece bridge, EMG pups and gold hardware, and it was a monster... Sold it to a lovely fellow in the States who collects vintage Warwicks. Sold it when I thought I'd given up playing seriously and bought a Geddy Lee Jazz and a Squire VMJ fretless, sold those to go back to 5 string when I realised I needed to play some more....! [attachment=117680:DSC_0012.jpg] [attachment=117681:DSC_0033.jpg] [attachment=117682:DSC_0036.jpg] [attachment=117683:DSC_0038.jpg]