JTUK

The Sadowsky works, IMO....and this is what he does very well as he has that good eye for styling, IMO. The Dingwall really doesn't as the wood isn't very subtle or precise enough..plus Dingwalls are an aquired tastes aesthetically anyway, so it is just toooooo much..IMV.

Looking back..I think he was trying to impress the client and get more work from them..and I was the fall guy. Anyway, learnt that lesson, bought the tuner, end of issue.

First decent session I did, I tuned by ear...and then had to live with engr talking about bass being out of tune. Well, I couldn't hear it and I am sure I wasn't, but went straight out and bought one after that. I wasn't confident enough or experienced enough to argue with him..which I would do so now..but then I would have a tuner to hand anyhow. Why make things complicated for yourself.... ? It shouldn't even be an issue now .. and that should be a good thing.

I wouldn't have used them if user insisted they couldn't be tuned with whatever was available. They are a tool..and so is the bloke for not having tools to tidy up his kit. He wouldn't be on the next session...or the next gig either, IMO.

I wouldn't be giving a second thought...tbh. As long as it worked in the track.

I am a few weeks into a set of custom wound Newtone strings ( taper core on all strings and no wraps otherwise the Diamond series ). I haven't used the bass exclusively so this is just a feeling, but the strings haven't shown any marked tiredness soundwise. Liking them very much. Not overly overly bright out of the box..but very constant and look superb as well. I have all but given up on DR's and will commision more sets from Newtone... No doubt at all.

As I understand it, Overwater offered a returns policy on a Custom jazz but my mate liked it so much, there wasn't much chance of it going back anyway. Also, with Customs..you'll get little tweaks out of it as a matter of course, after the sale...but if you have to argue build quality, you didn't pick a very good luthier in the first place. You can pay £2500 for a Custom build to you..and wait a year, or have to accept a compromise in a SH version that might crop up. I've done both and the SH one with the supposed most compromises is now my fave bass....and all I did was change to scratch plate and bed it in. Gets the most attention at gigs, plays and sounds like a dream For this, you need patience.... so stash that cash and wait one out. Having the money in the bank means you can move as fast as you like. Call it your belated 30th...

Good on her

Opposite shifts..??? hope they will not clash

I would take the refund...and regroup. Put the money aside for when a stellar bass crops up and then dive in all guns blazing to get it. Buy SH so as to limit any loses and be prepared to do the research and travel to get what you want. Be patient. You have enough basses to cover what you need it to. you don't need any decisions now if a bass isn't on the horizon.. Just be ready when one shows. Driving 2 hrs or so to get that bass is nothing IF it works out..if not its only time and petrol money. You still have gigging basses. Custom is a great route, IMV... but it still needs to do what you want it to do. If it were me..I'd spec a dream Sei... and put the deposit down 4/5 st... RW block and bound whatever colour. String spacing, everything, the whole deal. If you want to downshift a notch...go Overwater or the like. IMO. But... you have to visit your luthier in the 1st instance...so a day out is the minimum.

I like the room to react and just as the room can hinder, it can enhance, so I just let it be. I can do everything I need to have to do with the amp anyway so I don't bother with the pad.

In this day and age, I think there is no excuse for it in a £1500 bass. IMO. But... the point about £1500 to a UK luthier is way better money spent than £1500 to a production made bass, with shipping costs etc etc ...and then 30% or so of that price in retail. so, you are comparing a £1500 bass in small workshop, virtually hand-made etc etc...against a bass worth barely £500 to my mind ...hmmmm!!!!

I'd forget about buying blind .... too much hassle and stress and waiting time. I'd take the money and look out for a cash SH deal here that wouldn't lose much money if it didn't work out after a few months. I'd check out the Sadowsky 5 in vintage type spec on here and look to have to spend a day travelling getting what you want...for example It is the only way...go and look over the thing in situ and decide if it is everything you want. Sorry it didn't work out, but this has been nigh on a year getting these basses and it isn't working..so I wouldn't be looking at them again

Not sure anyone is upset/toys out of the pram.... we are just piling into a thread to make the place look active. If we don't have activity and opinions..the place will get pretty boring and deserted soon.

[quote name='Rumble' timestamp='1317845763' post='1395432'] JTUK, thanks for your comments and suggestions. The strings on the bass are pretty new so they shouldn't be an issue. I'm also a bit like you in that I prefer the plug and play type of amp, but I guess I could get used to the semi-para EQ. Will probably keep my eye out on the for sale thread in case anything comes up. OOI, what's your opinion on the power+pre option?? [/quote] Not sure what is to be gained apart from power ..... Personally, I don't like to run higher powered amps over the rated cab output as you can't tell how loud is, say 7 on the dial..or flat out on the power amp and the gain trimmed on the pre... Therefore, you are more dependant on hearing your cab being overdriven... which in bad acoustics or with FX.s could be a potential minefield. Having said that, if you are running a big stage rig then this would be the better way, IMV... I would be checklng out Aguilar, Demeter, Alembic. as those come with valve stages, IIRC... I have heard good things about Mike Pope...but never got near one. Expensive way to go about it maybe...but the louder you go, gets more cost effective, potentially I think you'll be paying £500 for the pre alone...for starters Atm, my fave way of EQ'ing...is ..er ..not to, as the TFB550-B is very good straight out of the box. The SWR SM takes more work but is just as capable..IF..you have the time. Both feature a 4 band para EQ..which you can just notch for any problems..but with both those amps, I rarely even have to use it. The last time I played a big hall, high roof and a bit too much bass..I just rolled off the bass control....and a bit of enhance/timbre bias..and that was it. Sound checked in less than 5 mins. For a pro rig/large stage...into 2 large cabs, I would consider the pre/power amp route...or just run a power amp off my best amp but atm...most of my gigs are well covered with 550watts max. If you are running a hi-powered stage rig, you should have decent volume in the side-fills anyway so cosmetics come into play more than they need to with personal rigs

you felt like that and lasted 8 years...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1317831202' post='1395147'] So ... people are making judgments about £700+ premium speaker cabinets by listening to them though: a microphone of unknown quality, a life sucking amount of mp3 compression, and finaly spewed through a £50 pair of PC speakers probably incapable of reproducing the bottom 2 octaves of sound ... makes about as much sense as those people who post demos of high end plasma TVs so we can watch them on a computer screen ... [/quote] I could hear enough of a difference to know which cab I'd be more likely to be interested in. so I posted to be some sort of indiacation to the OP. would I buy on that basis..???

I thought Jesse J really had something when she got that little girl up on her large debut gig at Glasto ( and all the importanace and pressure that entails ) and nailed the ad-lib act. The girl was great but JJ carried it off compleletly with no ego and GREAT panache. You can't train that to that degree...IMV..and she is a natural performer. Her interviews are refreshening..as are Adeles, and her vocals are very good. She writes her songs, they say, so I do think she is the Real deal. Gaga is not so much a musical performer but a great show...songs aren't too bad..and she out Madonnas Madonna who wrote the work hard/limited talent book, IMO. At least Gaga has a passable voice to carry her tunes. Madoona was sheer marketing built on sand...but you have to say she maxxed that right out. I am not sure you cab blame Gaga for marketing strategy even if you get sick of the ideas running a tad thin these days.

[quote name='Rumble' timestamp='1317817276' post='1394862'] Do you guys think that the power + pre-amp thing isn't necessarily required to get the best out of the cab? The alternative is to go with something SWR, Eden maybe EBS with plenty of ooomph?? JTUK - I know what you're saying about the option of matching the Ashdown head with an Ashdown Cab, but I agree that it looks like a slightly backward step. [/quote] The advantage of the 4 band semi para EQ is that you can notch a specific frequency and boost or cut it...within the freq steps of the amp of course. This gives it a lot of control IMV. The old SM series SWR were very good at this and consequently a very powerful tone shaping amp. It had a valve pre as well. The minus side was that this took a lot of getting use to. Eden did the same sort of thing...4 band, with valve pre and had a different voicing. I have way more time of a SWR model so I preferred this amp but would have been quite happy to have gone the Eden rioute. The newer Thunderfunk models have valve simulation and 4 band but it is really hard to get a poor sound out of one, IME... so therefore very plug'n'play and a MAJOR plus over the SWR, IMO. I still like to use the SWR but have less tendency to put up with it not working as well, so quickly. Still a great amp though, for all that and when it is on..it is ON, IMO. As these are my currents amps (SWR and TF) I haven't looked at the EBS model in the FS....but I would be interested to hear that and the Epi... One final thing..which I really believe...is a decent set of new-ish strings is the first step into cleaning up your sound from boom.. as clunky old strings are notorious for it....IMO.

In terms of quality, the Epifani trumps the Ashdown, IMO. All the Ashdown heads I have used are a bit basic and one dimensional which is fine if they produce the sounds you want/like. If you have to start to Eq them, then you get into trouble which is a bit like the Ampeg model. ..good sound but it had better be the one you want and can work with. I think Epifani cabs work better with a more willing adaptable amp..possibly with a semi para 4 band EQ..so something like an SWR SM, Eden, Thunderfunk, maybe..!! But then again, my personal taste would start there with any cab. I like para's As for the match, I think you need to back either the Ashdown sound bias and match the amp to another Ashdown type cab...or back the Epi model and go a bit more modern

The later Thunderfunks have a switch on the back for voltage selection so that is an easy mod. If you can use an adaptor, then you can rewire the plug, same difference, IMO.