JTUK

I would suggest D'addarios as a decent quality with a variety of gauges..that will clean up well enough if you are careful with the winds. XL Pros is SS are a good start point, IMO In my 12-18 months of testing..I would put these in my best 5 that I used and the price is ok.

Good to offer it here, tho..

If you couldn't hear everything..I'd say the sound was bad... This whole subject is funny... you have bass players having to have cabs around their ears..?? People saying they don't care what they sound like as long as it sounds ok out front..?? What about the band not getting off on a sh** stage sound...?? All sorts really... A band needs the best stage sound it can get... for all and sundry, and if you don't run P.A support, you'll probably do better to get your 'good'stage sound out into the venue/room.. It isn't likely to magically 'fix' itself I actually think P-basses work better when mixed and controlled FOH... They can be a great bass for that.... but if you loose the high notes..or D and G strings, that is a poor choice of bass for that environment. But a lot of bands get into fight for the space and make it so hard for themselves

I find I am ignoring threads more and more..... but the flip side of that is you can let things go more easily.... and don't bite or care so much. It is what it is...

Never heard a good Markbas rig..... but I think they use good drivers, it seems. If you must go Markbass, don't do what a lot round here think they can do..which is match up a MB cab..or most cabs for that matter, with a single driver and expect it to compete tonally with a pr of gtrs and their 212 stacks. The least you should do is pr up the Markbass cabs and then you'll stand a chance. I prefer the 10's they use, rather than their 12's and 15's which struggle with range, IME.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1355853471' post='1903724'] I'd go for a second GK 210mbe then you'll get the same tone, just more of it. [/quote] This.... if you like this cab, then you will LIKE the pair of them, IMO. I don't think the 115 version will improve anything..altho it might stack higher, but I expect it to be bigger to move around and possibly heavier.

4 fingered patterns on the RH at all speeds...altho sometimes defaults to 3... which I assume is my brain working out what needs to be done in conjunction with my LH. Nezt is split and shift the 4 on the RH. Well, it keeps it interesting and the aim is to play straights 8's with either tenchinue as regular as a plectrum... as I don't like these 8's with just two fingers. It just lacks that consistancy in sound...

2 GK 210's or 1x210 and 1x15.

GOLD..!!

If you really want to know how this affects the sound, you should try and run it through the desk and experiment ... but most decent amps with have pre and post DI and should also have a level as well. The percieved wisdom is to send pre-EQ to the desk and let the sound guy go from there...but that depends on the relationship you have with the Engr. Defore making that decision mysefl, I'll check out the desk and P.A spec.

The older cabs weren't so powerful, IIRC so running them stereo/bi-amped would hamstring the cab by reducing its power delivery to futile levels..?? Why woukd you carry such a cab for that output..?? Adding a speakon makes sense in terms of connection.

The path is clear

You have to have minimum standards and aim to beat them by some distance. If helps no one to carry someone who can't play.

Played so many these BB type gigs in the past..way before the Commitments things took off, so I wouldn't be that fussed about the gig anymore. Great for a dep gig, maybe...as you'll have to have all those numbers down anyway, but too many bands of that ilk about so I'd be looking for something not so over-done. We do have a couple of singers from the licensed revues doing the rounds so having a decent Jake and Elwood on board would be great but they are just as bored with it now anyway, I suspect. So, not for me, Would be far more interested in grafting on a horn section for special shows to shake up my current gig, But if it appeals and the band is different from usual pub fare, then go for it.

Force the issue.... one way or another.

Big move away from 58's for us as they pick up a lot of stuff... which can be useful, but need to be used with that is mind. Overspill into 58's is an issue, IMO. A decent quality power amp like C-audio is good but they will be HEAVY. Personally, I think they are worth it as I like a sound with guts. Not so sure, I would be buying cabs unloaded, tbh.... as I would wonder what they are tuned to...and also how you are going to do that with the new units. Horns and x-over...??? Many P.A cabs are too mid biased and this doesn't help seperation. and a 15 and decent horn can do this quite well. I post this all the time, but we got 2 Martin Audio ICT500's PLUS controller for £450 off Gumtree ...and those cabs will walk over most cabs ..let alone anything else you can pick up for that price... plus you can put a lot thru them as they are 410 units per side. We currently run QSCKW12's..and they aren't anywhere near as good with out subs..IMO. I also heard Martin type cabs without bespoke drivers or controller and they DID NOT work.

First off.... check out Bassgear at Twyford, nr Reading, as well.... Loads of QUALITY basses there and Phil is great to deal with. Active will do not a lot if your bass doesn't sound good tonally. My basses are active with passive options and I can run them just as well passive but I then lack a bit of gain. The active is used to beef up anything on the bass..that is all... I don't want massive of tonal change from it. And I don't want to be faffing around hunting down sounds.after soundcheck when I have set the rig up for the room. This mainly will be a minor adjustment on the amp, if tha..normally it is gain only. If, for any reason, I need a bit more during the track, I have it to hand on the bass when running active. But these things run +- 15db in some units...and that is a hell of a lot of EQ...and I defy anyone to have to run them flat out. That would likely sound awful and akin to a MM bass with +bass and treble full on.. Tone is a tweak here and there...IMO...not a chase around the houses as that is a hiding to nothing. Active should be an enhance approach on passive sound.

Not a fan of Behringer myself.... but they use they same bits that some others do...like some PV, LD, Mackie etc ...IIRC They do a job.... but not so well, IMO. but band for buck, then maybe. I'd probably be most interested in the QSC myself but it also depends on the quality of the rest of the chain. What mixer, mics..?? What are the BFM cabs like...??

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1355564866' post='1899911'] Quote from our singer after our last jam night: 'I bloody hate the lights on that stage -I cant read the words off me bit of paper.' Sez it all really. [/quote] If a one off, then ok.... but otherwise, deal with it to make it work.

I am saying that I wouldn't buy a bass like this from a company like that without playing and hearing it. I have relatively recently ( in the last year ) been in a chain shop which must have had about 50 basses... that narrows the shop down, .. and maybe 20 were 5's... I could go through all the common names and I couldn't find one that was playable..

Pic in the OP looks great...colour scheme not withstanding.... but there is NO way I would be buyng that off spec. The one you try might be a beauty but I don't think that is a given..it isn't for many 5's IME..let alone Fenders... No way round that legwork..... I'd suggest

In theory, yes. Depends how many sends you have back from your mixer as to whether you have to 'share' the mix and your bass will have to have a signal into the desk.. It might help if you say how you think you might be able to do it.

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1355487193' post='1899000'] The problem is, budget 5 string basses can put you off the whole idea of a 5 string. It did with me for 10 years or more! (Tanglewood 5 string back in the day....awful). [/quote] Which is why I got Sei to make me one... Most 5's back then were not good... Are they much better now...??? probably more are better but still a minefield and still the B defines TOTALLY whether they work.

I don't think Jazz necks work on 5's... but the transition isn't ..or should not be, about how thin the neck is... If is obviously going to be wider as you have to cram 5 strings in and I like the wider spacing...but if you have a good hand position and technique then you will not have the trouble there... it is about about the striking hand and the way you have to re-align your techniques, IMO. Just a fraction off and you'll be making some strange noises...!!! I agree that scale and neck construction..ie bolt-on or neck thru are irrelevant for the B.. Well made and good construction are far more important ..

This is a classic busking song.... but some gtrs have some strange ideas about the changes so I would get the key nailed down and also write out a chart ... and if this track is the sticking point, get the gtr to send over his chords. It will not matter if he can't write it down properly, it will be easy enough to x-ref your version with what he is going to play. Do the same if the keys leads this... I jammed this at a party the other day and the gtr/leader had some strange ideas..and made it a complete mare..