thodrik

What is your budget? Also, if you are playing drop D/C etc, you can generally set up a four string to achieve those tunings. My main band plays in drop C. I have a five string and four string set to drop C. I generally gig more with the four string as I generally don't need the extra string but I do more writing and rehearsing with the the five. You could of course play a five string tuned BEAD but if you are in a band playing a lot of open string riffs (as a lot of rock bands tend to do) trying to transpose riffs can be more problematic than simply setting up the bass to a different tuning. It might be worth getting to a shop and trying a few different five strings. String spacing at the bridge is one end, shape of the neck near the nut is another thing. It is generally just worth trying out different makes. You might be surprised at what you prefer. In terms of the sub £1,000 market, a Squier/Fender/Sire might be worth a try as they will definitely have wider string spacing than the Ibanez, as will something like a Sterling by Musicman (though I think that is narrower than a Fender design). There are loads of good five strings at every budget, including used ones on the BC marketplace.

Honestly, it might be worth contacting EBS directly and they might be able to provide/sell you replacement drivers designed for the cab. In general my understanding is that EBS use Emminence drivers made to their own spec. The Prolines I think used speakers that were very similar to Emminence Gammas, however I don't have any knowledge of the equivalent Neo speakers. My best guess would be something similar to the Emminence Deltalites but made to EBS' own spec. Accordingly I would contact EBS directly. They are generally very good to deal with in my experience. If they can't sell you the part direct, they will point you to their UK distributor or dealer.

For what it is worth I have been using the Fafner with a Mesa Powerhouse 6x10 and it is fairly tremendous. Heavy, impractical, but tremendous. Prior to that I used it with Peavey-era Trace Elliot cabs, a 2x10 and latterly a 1x15. I have also used an HD350 with Ampeg cabinets and it was pretty good. However I personally think that the EBS amps are better suited with modern cabs with either a flat response or good high range extension. So Vanderkley or Bergantino would be my choice if not the matching EBS cabs.

I have had a Fafner since 2009, still going strong. There is a big similarity in terms of the EQ between the Fafner (mk 1), the TD650 and the HD350 except that there is a 12AX7 tube which forms part of the drive circuit in the TD650 and Fafner. The Fafner is a hefty lump of an amp at about 440watts at 4 ohms it isn't massively more powerful than the HD350 which is more portable as well. Generally the HD350 is the most practical of the amps. I was going to buy one back in the day but bought the Fafner because I thought it looked really cool (still does). Not tried the class D amps but I would reckon that the EQ system will be similar as well to the older bigger amps so I would have not hesitation getting one of them. However while the Fafner is still trucking on I don't see the need. The 802 unfortunately is not in my price range (well it is, but it would risk divorce).

My NYXLs are still working okay after about 3 months. However, I am not playing that particular bass regularly (gigging and rehearsals have dried up recently), so it probably gets played about 2 hours a week at the most. Even then I am not convinced that the NYXLs last demonstrably longer than normal XLs as they have started to dull slightly even in that time. From being a long time user of the D'addario XL strings though I am not convinced that there is a massive jump in quality from XL to NYXL. I think I still prefer Elixirs though so will be going back to using them next as over the long terms they are a good investment. I prefer the initial tone of the fresh NYXLs (and fresh XLs) to most strings I have tried but the Elixirs deliver a 8.5 out of 10 sound which remains constant for about a 18 months. On another bass I got a set of Ernie Ball Super Slinkies which I loved, well for two weeks and then the E string just died.

I use it with a Dunlop brick. No issues.

I have had one for 5/6 years. Really great transparent compressor. The best thing about it is that I have never thought ‘I need a new compression pedal’ once since I bought it. Highly recommended unless you need a compressor that really has an affect on the overall tone. Works great on guitar too!

I agree. In terms of production I think that Load and Reload are the best Metallica albums. Really should be one album though. Neither of them are Metal albums, but rather a mix of 90s alt-rock and 70s classic rock. Sometimes it works brilliantly and sometimes it is pretty derivative.

Like I listen to it every 18 months just to check that I wasn’t missing something that the 9/10 2003 Metal Hammer review and 4/5 Kerrang reviews heard. I still can’t find much to like or even tolerate. However, I do actually like Load and bits of Reload more than most.

if I am being honest, I expected much worse. Not so much Hit the Lights but reassuringly nudge and Reload the lights. Bass is buried in the mix but to be honest it is kinda there just about. Drums overpower everything else. Kinda forgettable and lacks that ‘so disastrously bad it requires repeated listens’ quality that St Anger had.

I will need to watch the video. Generally I really like the Andertons videos, though the guitar ones more than the bass. I think that the videos are pitched at consumers who might not be aware of the intricate details of manufacturers and spec, so there isn't the same level of assumed knowledge that you get at watching something like the Peach Guitars Youtube page (which admittedly doesn't really feature bass content) or the BassTheWorld Youtube page. I find that the the Warwick and Spector demoes consist mainly of ten minutes of 'Cor blimey, these look a bit special!' chat. In terms of shape, I don't love the Streamette shape but I do like the pickup configuration. Not for £3.5k though.

I have a Trace Elliot V6 and the main cab is a Mesa Powerhouse 6x10. How do I run the master volume? Very carefully. Seriously, I run gain at or around 12 noon or less (depending on output of the bass) and the master to taste/decency. The amp is a clean machine and there is no real preamp tube grit in the traditional sense and power tube saturation only happens at a volume level that borders on inhumane, so the old 'run master on full and gain to taste' SVT trick to get more clean headroom is essentially redundant. As it is the master never really goes above about 10 o'clock. With a smaller cab I would probably run the master higher, that is about it.

Looking at the 'People who also viewed this item' led me to this. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175482894477?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D243356%26meid%3Da307fdd531e443d08998d681112d359d%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D325410992171%26itm%3D175482894477%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWebV9BertRefreshRanker%26brand%3DFender&_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1 Slightly newer, £100 more expensive but in much better condition. Has a jazz pickup fitted but this is a fairly common mod. Heavy lump though at 11lbs but I think I would pick that one instead.

It would be a pass for me. You could get a late 1970s one for about the same price in much better condition. It might sound great, it might be great to play or an absolute dog. Just on looks it would be a no from me though. The pristine whiteness of the pickguard looks out of place with the rest of the bass to me.

When you have an interest in doom metal and have two daughters under the age of 4, it is quite isolating to hear cries of 'not daddy's music!' when I reach for my phone in the vicinity of the bluetooth speaker in the kitchen. However, in my daughters' defence, there are some truly banging My Little Pony tracks.

BBE Two Timer Delay. Got it thrown in for free when I bought a Peavey 6505 guitar combo from a shop in Glasgow. So much fun and opened up a lot of sounds that I never access to. Not all of them good. Never really been into multifx myself, however the Helix stuff is incredibly impressive compared to the old guitar and bass pods. I would certainly consider one as do-it-all guitar and bass rig.

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Nice! I must check the serious number on my Excess but it is definitely from the same year! Though curiously all of controls on mine are centre dented. Frankly I really like the non-chrome knobs. I also prefer the look of the basses with a pickguard, though mine does not have one. In terms of sounds, to me I have always though that the bass seemed like a hybrid between a dual pickup Musicman, a Rickenbacker and Jazz bass. Definitely not another Fender Jazz clone. Also, agreed that getting intonation right is a bit finnicky. Also I find that the treble control must be used very sparingly. Generally I have never had the Bass control above the centre point and treble is usually just about a quarter turn from 'off'. I find that the coolest sounds are by panning the pickup blend slightly towards the bridge. Having the tone controls not 'boosted' generally helps with the single coil hum and noise. In terms of set up I generally lower the front pickup a bit as when the pickup blend is at the centre point the front pickup can be very overpowering. In terms of the stability of the neck. I have used my bass since 2004 in all kinds of tunings and gauges. Presently strung with Elixirs in drop C (130, 95, 70, 50) with pretty high tension. No issues whatsoever, Quick change of nut and I could have it back in standard tuning with a 100-40 set without any worries. Unless there is a defect (which is highly highly unusual) the necks are incredibly stable. I have an Arpege five string (newer bolt on design) which is a more 'state of the art' design. However, personally I prefer the styling of the Excess models in that they are solid, bomb-proof gigging machines.

True, though that era was full of artists who were considered to be a massive PIA. However, for me Fleetwood Mac can only be appreciated alongside the knowledge of how dysfunctional the band actually were. For me it is part of the charm.

For sure.

It has taken me a while. I have never had lessons on guitar and my main 'teachers' consisted of watching guitarists in my bands over the years. I bought my first guitar at 20 and really only started to take it seriously after I treated myself to a nicer guitar at the age of 31 (I'm now 36). Through 5 plus years of semi-regular practice I have improved from 'woeful' to 'distinctly average'. At this point I can even manage a vaguely cackhanded medium paced pentatonic blues solo in various keys. Loads of guitarists and bassists play without their pinky. Improvement takes time, don't rush it and don't get frustrated. If you are playing for your own enjoyment then just focus on your enjoyment rather than your technical limitations.

I just treat Green era and Buckingham/Nicks era Fleetwood Mac as completely different bands. I enjoy both. However, I like watching retrospective documentaries on the band more than I do like listening to the music. The infighting, internal affairs, membership changes, mental illnesses, massive drug binges, joining of cults, fallouts, songwriting and royalty clashes and general willingness of members to air dirty laundry in public is fascinating viewing. As a purely technical guitarist however, I consider Buckingham to be one of the more unsung guitar heroes of the 1970s and 1980s. A phenomenal talent and great songwriter.

Or that!

'Can I play with Madness?' by Iron Maidan will always sound like 'Can I play with Magnus?' to me, as if Bruce Dickinson is a 5 year old asking his parents if he can go on a play date. Also, I have heard many a lyric which is so naff that I thought that I must have misheard it when I heard it for the first time. Hearing James Hetfield scream 'I AM THE TABLE' repeatedly in the Metallica and Lou Reed collaboration in The View will live with me forever.

I am sure that the usual bunch of YouTube influencers are preparing their absolutely glowing '100% honest reviews' as we speak.