JTUK

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1330797' date='Aug 7 2011, 11:46 AM']I tried a Puma amp and I had a cabinet. Its on par, quality wise, with TC. Everything looked very professionally made re: fit/finish. I think the Taste might be like the VLE?[/quote] I think things like aural enhancer were trade marked so that is why you got variations of the same trick. Of course, everyone would have their own spin on it and claim it as unique..so therefore you get these glut of terms. My amp tech tells me that certain EQ stages can be reworked many many ways..some good design, some quirky or even bad practice..according to him ( he has a pretty impressive design pedigree himself, so I don't argue that point ) What SWR did, Eden copied...AIUI as did Thunderfunk, to name just a couple. Maybe what Markbass do is the same as well...but they can hardly come out and say, we nicked the idea from..????

Now that's a point I have to disagree with you on, sorry. I'm always tweaking the EQ to suit the room, the way the band's sounding, etc. I'd be lost without sweepable mids! To each his own as they say! Greg ............................................................... Had problems parapharsing your point, Greg, so I have pasted it as above Both my amps have semi para EQ, and my basses have sweeps, but again, can't recall ( literally) the last time I had to touch that in any room or stage. The basses are good out the bag..so with a decent set of strings and its sthere. The sound might change a tad, and have a different nuance, but it is never bad, so I don't fight it. I can rotate basses, amps and cabs and I have no problems at all. This is why I say people invite too many complications in their signal chain. Each band sound is sorted as well, IMO I don't have to contend with space problems with gtr, keys or drums..and sound checks are 10 minutes typically...or little more than line-checks. Quite happy with that...

[quote name='4000' post='1330084' date='Aug 6 2011, 05:27 PM']I love Stanley's tone. One of my favourite tones ever. I love the tone of pretty much all the "Other Alembic" guys too. I'll say it again; GOOD TONE IS COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE.[/quote] well, kinda...Clark got his down to be ok...but sometimes the other guys stank. I'm talking Entwhistle, McVie, especially. Youtube will be full of sh*te sounds from those guys and I admit I'd never go and watch them, but how wrong can a recorded sound that you'd have release control over be from the live rig..?? And I'll post a few examples that noone could argue was good...no matter how much a fan of them, you'd be. Sorry, no other way to say that.

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1330149' date='Aug 6 2011, 06:11 PM']Who is this 'Wotten' you speak of?[/quote]

Twas ok... function type thing.....but I REALLY don't want to do these again. Sure, the money is good, but so soul destroying and all about..'what am I doing here'..again..!!!! Bass sound was great though... drummer loved it with his kick, so the room was good in that respect, but the gig vibe was flat for me and we never got out of 3rd gear.. which is a shame for this band.

[quote name='dan670844' post='1330321' date='Aug 6 2011, 08:37 PM']The 64's are best for this they have unbelievable clarity, well just like original fullerton pickups! 74's (rub my invention haha!) have the power of the 84's without that overloaded low end. The 84's are great for MIM Jazzes std's as they can be pretty thin, it turns them alive. It depends what you are putting them into.....[/quote] I don't need a change of pickups, but I found out long ago that I really don't want excessive winds that over-power the sound of the bass.

[quote name='OzzyGreg' post='1330628' date='Aug 7 2011, 08:54 AM']. Man, I'm [b]SO[/b] with you on that! It was these buggers ( [i]ie talkbass guys[/i]) talking about their heads and cabinets and stuff that made me begin to release the moths from my wallet. They're still flying out! I almost have my perfect rig assembled. Just waiting on the GB Shuttlemax 12.0 and Eminence Kappalite 3015LF to arrive. Greg[/quote] But those same guys go through so much gear that you'd have to say they can't be happy otherwise they would stick...so why would you put much stock in that process..?? Bass amps have too much EQ..... IMO, and I can't recall when I touched more than the gain/master even if I take different cabs out.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1310322' date='Jul 20 2011, 02:16 PM']When i put 84's in my CV Jazz i felt it was a bit too dark. To me this means too much low mid bump and lack of sparkle. I felt i lost some definition in the harmonics. The bass itself is quite warm sounding IMO so this didnt help (the same pups in my HW-one sounded very different). Have a word with Andy and ask about 74's . These are in the middle of the 84 and 64. Still with a nice low end thump but with more going on up top. Im also playing weddings/functions etc and i find they work well with this bass.[/quote] This is what I would expect. The 84's would have a power that I wouldn't need. I'd want a thinner sound with more character...and something I could beef up if necc..without it being there and not being able to get rid of it.

No..no one can say. It is all about how the strings feel under your fingers. Technique-wise, slappers might go lighter ..I use 40-120 or 125 max. People who want a big powerful sound with a solid L and RH input could get away with 50.... If you are a light flicky player..you probably will not have the strenght to work the bigger strings on finesse parts.

I think I read somewhere that Jackson had unprecedented extra time for his parts. Have to say he made full use of that, as well, but even so, a luxury not often repeated for a studio band. But then looking at the line-up..that must have been some budget as it was pretty much NY's first call all on the same gig. I think Cissy Houston would have been on most tracks as she was a pre-eminent backing vox at that time, and it is also where she ( Whitney) probably got the idea for 'I'm every woman' which made her. I think.

I'd go with a management control which is mapped to the TC speakers characteristics. This is why I'd be interested in hearing a TC head with other cabs. I's suspect that optimum sound would be within TC own range...much like PA speakers with a controller. Sure, they work without it, but nowhere near as good or effectively. That would be my expectation.

Move me...Steve Ferrone, Phil Upchurch, IIRC. Unmistakeably Anthony Jackson though.

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1329575' date='Aug 6 2011, 08:27 AM']JTUK you are being rather simplistic as I'm sure no matter how good the bass is, if the heads preamp is very coloured and made of inferior quality components you are going to get a very different sound than what you can from a very well made head. then you have to take into account the cabs voicing. Crap head into crap speaker sounds crap, good head into crap speaker sounds crap. crap head into good speaker sounds good. I can get my sound from either the markbass range or TC but the only reason I switchwas that the marketing deluded me into thinking I needed all those nice lights and features.[/quote] I seem to have had this conversation before about parts and cost..but lets not go back to the Sue Ryder thread...which if I recall will all be moved on by now or modded out of sight. I'd say that crap at any stage makes the job difficult. A great cab can't rescue a poor head any more than it can influence a poor sounding bass. Thinking of it as a chain, in hi-fi terms. If you have a weak part and that part is at the source, ie the bass...the rest of the project is compromised. Some basses sound bad, so the amp is under pressure straight away..and that assumes the amp is any good, so by the time you get to the speaker, you have no chance. And out of the chain, the cab has the least amount of influence...as the sound character is inherrent and can't be changed. the cab is the cab, non EQ...it just repoduces the end product. I think you have been brainwashed if you think a cab can make the chain stack any good. All you are amplifying is crap..

The point about good wood combinations AND construction is very pertinent, IMO. I have 2 basses that sustain like crazy and resonate very well to my ears. I put that down to the quality of construction..which just happened to be hand-made. How that really compares to the norm, I am not really that sure, but I buy into the idea because it has worked for me on 3 basses I have owned by the same luthier. I also happen to have seen the build process which is a two man effort. I also know that other more mass produced basses have also been able to hit that target, but maybe less consistantly. But that doesn't mean you cannot find a gem, that way, every now and then.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1327759' date='Aug 4 2011, 08:43 PM']Funny...I think Marcus' tone is awesome,whereas Victors is a lot thinner and not as nice. I'd reckon that Marcus has an extremely high standard when it comes to his sound.[/quote] Got to agree. Stanley and Wotten are fantastic players but tone wasn't their forte. MM has always had pretty much the same sound, so much so that he redefined the Jazz/sadowksy model, prety much. Clark had his Almebic tone at a time when the amp chain probably didn't cope as well with it. Other Alembic at that time guys really struggled with this live as well, IMO. But Wotten is ALL technique..and sound/tone is the least impressive part of it all. IMO.

Do you guys know what sound you want...have you ever been close to getting it..? Do you think it is this magical thing that you'll just magic out of the air when you find that certain amp...? It seems to me that there is way too much idealism about a sound when you aren't sure how to start gong about it. Your signal chain is made up of a good few parts and then you'll have variables like room, etc etc.. so changing an amp to get to Room A will change a LOT when in room B...does that make the amp crap..? No.. you need to be able to run with different paramenters of bass signal, amp, cabs, strings and others... If your bass sounds good from the start, you stand the best chance of getting a decent signal out time and time again..but it might not always be the same. This is why you don't want to mess with a lot of EQ,...that is another variable to turn over in different circumstances. IMV, a typical example will be a bass sound with vintage thump..read old gunky strings. This can work really well, but it is also the sound that has least leeway when things are 'off'... you'll find you are adding bass to an already bass gunky sound...so compounding what is upsetting the sound in the 1st place with more gunk.. Of course, you will not worry when it works out to be something you like..but when you don't, start tearing your hair out. And when you hear players talk about upping the mids to cut through...??? which can totally destroy a sound...but hey, you can be heard, right..?? Once the amp is decent, you should be able to work with it... if you are disatisfied with a slight change of nuance in sound, you'll be forever chasing your tail. This is why amps with enhance/timbre/VPE etc ...work, as there is less to mess around with and get confused. You need to start with a good core sound off the bass..and then be able to live and work with the variations that are thrown up all the time. I'd start with a very clean lively peaky bass sound ( clean strings) and I know that everything can..if need be..be added onto that. All my amp/cab does is enhance that sound... Maybe people are not that knocked out with their core bass sound and expect the amp/cab chain to rescue it...when that is a REAL uphill task. IMO.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1329436' date='Aug 6 2011, 12:32 AM']I like him. He's an awesome player and he actually speaks a lot of sense. As far as Jacos bass,he obviously loved the Jazz Bass,the same way he used to lug around his Acoustic amp....he dug the sound. To be fair,he'd have sounded the same no matter what gear he used. Just because he may have had the chance to play more 'exotic' gear doesn't mean he should have-The Fender gave him what he wanted.[/quote] This.... nothing more to add.

i think luthiers have known about this issue for 20 years plus... I certainly paid a premium for using woods from a sustainable source all those years ago...apparently. If producing countries allow their resource to dwindle, then they will lose a valuable commodity. Softwoods are sustainable ... although they tend to grow quicker, so you need to be more proactive with harder woods.

No..can't pop up there..too busy myself. I hope it is good

I'm getting my best sounds ever.. There is nothing I'd want that I haven't got. I am sure I could stir up some GAS, but I have money sitting in the bank not being spent on Bass gear and don't envisage a change anytime soon. Also..as I made my choices carefully, I am not selling anything either so how much gear do I need to double up on? I have two top rigs already, IMO.

What dives do some people play where they have to consider what gear to take out..rather than how it will sound? I take the same 2 basses, but switch between a 2x112 or 2x210 stack. The amp is a whim but since I am playing in an new one..I concentrate on taking that atm. Don't ask about the value but it would likely be a rack of expensive suits

ohhh..interesting. I like the RH750, so will be interested to hear comments

[quote name='xzodar' post='1325429' date='Aug 3 2011, 11:33 AM']Thanks for all the replies so far. I think I definitely need to start using both Aggie 112's for all gigs as a matter of course and see how that sounds. Maybe I have been pushing my luck a little bit with just the one cab and am not being heard in the mix so well?[/quote] I've used GS112's before and my opnion is that a single is crap compared to the two. As much as I like GS112's..I've never ever recommend them as singles unless the gig is VERY quiet. I like 2 GS112's and have gigged them extensively, but when the gig is discerning and there is space, I don't take then above 2x210's. I think you need to do this at more than a few gigs rather than a simple A/B test. A one-off test tells you not a whole lot, IMO. If that is the best you can do, then you'll have to go with that, though I wouldn't put too much store in it myself.

The forum is a bit slow..but I think it is summer and the weather is very good. Not sure how I feel about the main OP, so I am off to see if I can buy something Now, what do I want...???

Depends on you level and what you wnat to get back to and how much effort you can/will put into it. But I would have thought if this was a consideration, it would have cropped up as an issue before. As you are committed, you might get a chance to have a blast once in a while..but I'd just make sure you dive in and get working on your bass when you get back...IF you still feel the same way about it all then.