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JanSpeeltBas

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Everything posted by JanSpeeltBas

  1. I've played Steinberger XL's for the last six years: solid, portable, stable, in-tune and a sound that cuts through. But since I've ended my 23-year carreer playing professionally Top40 cover music and have been getting back to the Jazz stuff I've been looking for a bass with piezos (and a little bit more Tone) - luckily our fellow BC'r Nobody's Prefect sold me his Turner fretless which I really love. Better? I'd say Different.
  2. [quote name='BottomEndian' post='498002' date='May 26 2009, 03:21 PM']Same goes for much of Paul Young's [i]No Parlez[/i] album. Especially "Sex". What a terrible way to end an album, but what a lovely bass riff.[/quote] The album version of "Sex" never turned me on but I used to have a live tape of it: Superb Pino Bass!
  3. Beautiful! Good luck with the sale...
  4. [quote name='Aussiephoenix' post='497391' date='May 25 2009, 06:12 PM']the thing is... wouldnt sound or feel like one.[/quote] Well maybe would sound or look like one but indeed not be the real thing. I forgot to mention: in the Netherlands we've got our own "Sadowsky", his name is Andre van der End and he makes J-style basses that are worth checking out! www.vanderend.nl
  5. [quote name='largo' post='469693' date='Apr 22 2009, 05:03 PM']Is it just me but I found the Sadowsky's too perfect ? And they all looked a little too machine made. The neck pockets was too perfect, the fingerboard end is too straight-edged, the headstock just the right shape for a CNC router. I don't know, there's just something about the curves that all look like computer-generated curves if you know what I mean. Not saying that's wrong. Are you sure they aren't made by wee Robots ?[/quote] Yes, the Robots at Warmoth's...years ago it was revealed Sadowsky's are parts-instruments - bodies & necks are aquired from suppliers and finished and assembled in Sadowsky's workshop. But this is true for most small builders, just like the defunct A-Basses (designer of Laklands Darryl Jones Signature) etc. One of these suppliers is John Carruthers - worthwile to check out his own line www.carruthersguitars.com (he's a true bass icon, involved with Music Man's Stingray, the original Yamaha BB-series and the very different Staccato Bass...). Sadowsky (great basses - owned two - one is possibly the best sounding bass I ever touched but due to all the Fender-Style-BASS-limitations (dead spot on C, playability high on the neck) sold them off) have been very fashionable in the nineties (and I sense they're having a revival right now?), followed by Lakland's (USA models) and the last time I checked it was Alleva Coppolo's. They're all good modern Jazz Basses but my choice would be Fodera's NYC Empire. As for Lakland - anyone played a japanese Skyline model (made by ESP, exclusively for Japan - but aren't we global?)?
  6. If they're as bad as Stagg guitars & basses then stay clear...no good!
  7. Elton John's "Nikita" has a beautiful basspart by Pino Palladino but the song makes me go YUK...
  8. Let them laugh, this piece of plastic sounds better than most of the custom made exotic wood basses proudly owned by... Anyway, I sold mine last year for 1500 euro's and the guy who bought it felt it was a real good deal. For those interested: these L2's sound rather different than the later XL2 models, partly because of the different pickups. I find the sound of L2's more traditional P-bass like - XL's sound more modern.
  9. More luck with me: I've found an ancient Maya bass. That makes me LGFOJBIA (lucky guy finding old japanese bass in attic)
  10. Great doing business with Ville - absolutely perfect!
  11. [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='488895' date='May 15 2009, 03:01 PM']Their site says it uses relays and requires quite a lot of current. Not so passive, maybe.[/quote] Well I meant no active electronics in the signal chain...
  12. Now that's a good idea! Anyone want to trade my '60s japanese made Rythmline for an Alembic?
  13. Do you really want a seperate poweramp? Why not use a head like the Hevos 400D (http://www.hevos.nl/engels.html) - tube preamp with digital poweramp in one rackspace and VERY GOOD sounding. As for the preamps you mentioned: I consider the SWR Grand Prix not a [i]real[/i] tube preamp, though it's marketed as "all tube" it has only a single preamp tube. And IMO it just doesn't sound as good as other (SWR)stuff. Had one for years but prefered the sound of the Groove Tubes preamp of my SWR Studio 220 (also single tube stage!). But then again, I'm really not into that tube sound...
  14. [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='488347' date='May 15 2009, 12:03 AM'][url="http://www.woboge.com/boxes_inverter.html"]Wobo[/url] do one, I think a few others do too.[/quote] Yes the Wobo Inverter delivers exactly what you need - passive operation, easy to use, just what you're looking for!
  15. Have done this before on a Tokai J-copy but it changes the sound somewhat. You'll need a special pot for the blend control, just can't remember what type. Best sound still happens with the conventional wiring, though I've read about alternative (series vs parallel) ways that must sound good too. Let's see if I can dig up that Rick Turner/BassPlayer story.
  16. Tony Levin used diapers/"nappies" on Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" - and that's a great (Stingray) sound...
  17. TC Electronic Chorus, it's a classic (eg.Jeff Berlin!).
  18. [quote name='rmorris' post='485732' date='May 12 2009, 11:54 AM']+1 sticking with having normal 'high Z' pickups with a buffer internal to the bass (rather than lo Z EMG type pickups ) - an active buffer/driver circuit has the simple but important advantage of improving the electrical interface in terms of impedance matching / line driving which has advantages wrt frequency balance and noise pickup. Your pickups sound the same except they are not loaded by the cable capacitance ( = treble roll off ). It's essentially taking the 'use a short lead' approach as far as you can. And even allowing for manufacturer / retail mark up a good buffer circuit isn't an expensive item. Everything else after the buffer can go anywhere in the chain - bass / fx board / amp etc. - and it sounds the same. Just a case of where you want it. You may want/need an eq box in addition to the eq etc on your amp / desk but soundwise it won't matter if it's in the bass itself or not. Practically, electronics in the bass is more likely to be battery powered so the more in there the shorter the battery life (all other things being equal )[/quote] Well said! Though I've used a lot of EMG's (and like them) this is the way to go. I've got a little box with a buffer preamp with the Don Tillman design. This circuit is out on the Internet and very easy to make (six or seven inexpensive parts) and it sounds real nice. You can order it in a slightly adapted version from dutch piezo-pickup maker Rebel Pickups. That version has a higher input impedance (10M, for better interface with piezo's) and a 20dB boost switch, a variation suggested by Tillman himself on his website www.till.com.
  19. A real beauty - must be great sounding as it stems from a glorious period of the Fuji Gen Gakki factory. They made the Ibanez Studio & Musician neckthrough, as well as similar Greco and Roland models. The near-identical Ibanez Rick-copy is also a great find, used by Bruce Foxton in The Jam's early days.
  20. Steinberger for me - the old ones of course. Until recently I owned 4 of 'm but since I stopped doing TOP40 etc.-gigs I sold some gear. They're pefectly balanced, a breeze to play, instant good sound on whatever you plug it into (PA, mixer, small combo, large rig) and easy to carry around. From all the graphite necked basses I've played in my 27 years of playing bass Steinbergers have the least "flat spots". Wooden necks have dead spots, no matter what quality your bass (even Sadowsky's, Alembic's, Vigier's), graphite necks are much more consistent. However they do have notes that ring a bit shorter than others - I call them flat spots. I've found a lot of flat spots on Status' necks. The worst one I encountered is a Music Man Stingray Limited Edition fitted with a Status neck - it has a "flat spot zone" ranging from 4th to 9th fret. I don't know if others have experience with these necks?
  21. You've got a stereo setup - try switching left & right - If the buzz is still in the same speaker then it's a problem with this speaker, if the buzz is now in the other monitor it'll be a connection problem. A ground loop or shielding problem within your bass would show in both monitors.
  22. [quote name='Robin UK' post='484091' date='May 10 2009, 01:09 AM']I was really surprised reading this thread. I have a Boss drum machine (can't remember the model right now) which i think is early nineties and it tracks bass/guitar to midi. Has a small but noticeable amount of delay, and is monophonic, but tracks down to an open E atelast (didn't have a 5 string last time i tried). Got it off ebay a few years ago for £40. I guess it's not as compact, but it's hardly the selling point of the unit, more a little feature. it has audio and midi outs, and allows you to record midi loops etc on the fly fairly easily. Just didn't realise this sort of this was so saught after. Robin[/quote] Korg had an analog guitarsynth in the early 80s with a direct input - the Electro Harmonix Synth pedal works the same. I used the infamous Roland G77 synth for some years (ca '88 - '89) and strung it with GHS piccolo bass strings - tuned up an octave which improved the tracking a lot (actually not good enough)...
  23. Owned two Sadowsky 's but never used the preamp. My first one (ash body, maple 'board, Sadowsky pu's) sounded incredible in passive mode but developed a really annoying dead spot on the g-string which made it unplayable for me. My second (#2424) was custom made, with a figured maple top and an ebony fretless fingerboard + EMG pu's: it sounded good but not great - traded it for an Alembic that sounded great but not good - traded it for a Steinberger that I still play...bottom line - the magic isn't to be found in the preamp.
  24. [quote name='6stringbassist' post='459224' date='Apr 10 2009, 01:50 PM']As the contender for the longest title on Basschat says, I'm after something to enable me to do this, something that won't affect my sound. My amp is a single channel Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0. Thanks.[/quote] Less gear is more sound. You've got active basses with volume controls - no need to have extra volume controls, EQ etc. So my best shot is a simple passive A-B switch. I use a Morley ABY but the Lehle is really very good. Using a (cheap) mixer or Boss pedals are IMO the worst thing possible for your bass sound...
  25. [quote name='BigBeatNut' post='462599' date='Apr 15 2009, 12:20 AM']I do like mine, for small gigs it's great (this is BG by the way). However (and I may have been unlucky here) I've had two problems with mine which have caused me to spend on it as much in repairs as the price I paid for it (a touch more, just a touch, than you quote). This is over 4-5 years. 1) Power supply blew. UK agent says the transformerless power supply is unreliable and they'll replace it with a PS with transformer. Pocket £200 lighter, amp is 2 lbs heavier (okay 1 kilo, then). 2) Speaker blows, cone rip 2" long. In a small venue, relatively quiet gig (competing with 18w guitar amps). UK agent says a 10 year old (estimated) speaker this is quite likely. Pocket another £200 lighter. Amp travels back and forth 3 TIMES before it's properly repaired (no point in boring you with the details). Doesn't change the fact that I do like the amp, but kind of wish I'd splashed out on a new one. Which I've more than paid for. Have I been unlucky ? (I guess so, or the amp wouldn't have so many fans). Andy[/quote] Yes, I've got the older 200MB model from '89 - still working and only had to change the input jack once... For EUB amplifiction they're really OK (I used it with a Fichter EUB for some time) but ofcourse not that refined. The Markbass might be a better choice. (Edit) With everybody complaining about ripped speakers I checked it: Aha - So That's That Funny Sound I've Been Hearing. Mine's ripped too. So out goes the Pyle, in the Eminence...
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