thodrik

Doing a gig this Saturday. Singer in the band wants us to dress up as the Blue Man Group. I can't be arsed with halloween to be honest. The very idea of having to go out, buy a bald cap, black clothes and blue facepaint seems to me to a waste of time and money. Its gonna be great...

Used to have a fetish for overdrive pedals when I was gigging with a solid state Trace Elliot combo. I bought a Fafner at the start of the year though and really think it sounds best with minimal effects for what I'm doing. Now, my set up is bass-tuner-head most of the time...well sometimes a overdrive pedal sneaks in there but not that often.

They do get a bit boring after a while. For me though, the Metallica shreds is the best, the timing of the drums for the machine gun riff at the end is quite awesome!

Money no object? Would probably be an EBS or MESA 4x12 if money, space transport were all taken care of! In a practical getting gear in the back of a car, I would take a good 2x12, Aguilar, Bergantino, Glock or one of the two aforementioned names. That said, I'm not going to actually be buying any amp gear for quite a while, so I won't actually be getting any of these!

First of all, I'm delighted to see the Wal name alive and well! The price? Well, if you want a Wal you will have to pay! A Wal is a Wal like an Alembic is an Alembic. I had my chance for a second hand Mk 2 for £1800 earlier this year. I didn't really like the neck shape (a tad chunky dare I say?) but the general tone was outstanding. Still, I didn't bite. No doubt there will be those that complain about diminished build quality just because its somebody new, but I would guess that these are going to be quality instruments. At least now, those that 'have' to get a Wal are able to get one without trawling through 2nd hand markets and ebay fraudsters!

I own a Gibson EB3, 1974. Top heavy to say the least. Really unbalanced, really heavy, awesome tone. I'm gonna guess that the Gibson basses that Jack Bruce and Andy Fraser used were pretty unbalanced too. However, I could be (and generally tend to be) wrong

Well, on occasion I tune to F# on a 4 string P-Bass. Not gigged in that tuning for ages though, I'm usually drop B, drop D or standard. All on 4 strings. If I had money for a decent 5 string I would buy one, no question. In my one instrumental band though I'm tuned to Drop D#/Eflat, which requires tuning up and down and the same time! I also don't really like drop tunings on the bass, it does throw your fretting off and took me a while to get used to. But young guitarists these days insist on them!

Well I always thought Cliff was a great player. A shame though that a lot of his stuff is hidden in the mix. Orion apart, I find it difficult to make out or even hear a lot of his more intricate stuff.

I appreciate loads of different styles of basses, but I always end up coming back to the Precision. 4 strings, maple neck and a cool sunburst. After that I think it comes down to Fender, Rickenbacker and the Gibson EB0-3 styles really. Vigier as well, but that is more due to sound rather than cosmetic looks.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='594363' date='Sep 9 2009, 10:17 PM']Looks like a good bit of kit. Who has tried the head through larger cabinets???!?!?![/quote] I own one of the new blackface amps, and have done a few gigs with the head through an Ampeg 8x10. It was quite frankly awesome and I had no problem being heard despite the two guitarists round me using two Marshall 4x12s each on both sides of the stage! It does snarl and growl when you crank it, which I really love, though I think you have to take care with the gain and master volume, as it is very easy to overdo it when playing a hot active bass. If you are looking for lots and lots of clean headroom I would maybe suggest a bigger amp. I haven't tried it at 2 ohms though, as I generally just use it with the 1x15 cabinet the head originally came in. A lot of people seem to run it at 2 ohms without problem, but knowing my luck my amp would die on me if I tried! In my opinion it is fantastic amp and very 'tubey' for being a hybrid. Expensive but just about worth it as a combo/stand alone head package

[quote name='bentdice' post='593188' date='Sep 8 2009, 07:24 PM']This is the problem with Rickenbacker - the likes of Lemmy & late '70s post punk players (where a lot of current indie styling is coming from) would have bought their Ricks when they were seen as a decent workhorse bass in competition with Fender. The Fender US standard series are now around £900 new, but a new 4003 is nearly twice that & I can't see how they can justify the price tag. They [u]are[/u] beautiful instruments, but the company are riding the wave of trendiness while strangling supply, to the point that players are losing interest. Not a good long term strategy... The thing I don't understand is why the company haven't gone down the licenced quality copy road - they'd clean up![/quote] I always thought that the Rickenbacker was a 'love it or hate it bass'. A very much different interpretation of the electric bass than Fender, which some see as a good thing and others see as pointless. Personally I think that they are amazing basses when in the right hands (not crappy indie bands that have money or endorsements). Nobody else really does the Rickenbacker bass, while there are loads of high-level (and budget) Fender clones about, so in that sense why shouldn't they charge a bit more, it is a unique bass and I havn't really come across a bad Rickenbacker as much as I have dodgy Fenders (US delux stuff too). I also wouldn't like it if Ricks became as numerous as Fenders on stages around local scenes. I like it that Ricks are a bit more difficult to find than a P-bass covered in stickers played badly with a pick. If Rickenbacker lowered the price or started to produce Squier-level copies, then even more trendy indie bands would end up using them, which actually annoy me more than now. By the way, I bloody well love Fender basses! Back to bass things I find to be overrated, ummm I'm wasn't exactly blown away by a Sandberg bass I tried, it was the California J, and the neck profile for some reason just seemed a tad chunky for a jazz-style. I also miss the lack of dots or markers on the fingerboards, though more for aesthetic reasons rather than need of help navigating the neck! Horses for courses I know, but I did expect a little bit more as I generally get on well with Fender-style basses.

Given the usual weight of Trace Elliot stuff I find it difficult to believe hoe somebody could 'accidently' throw it away! Well, you couldn't really go wrong with another piece of Trace gear, lots of second hand stuff about and it generally does the job (in my biased opinion anyway!) In terms of new cabs, I personally don't think you can go far wrong with the Peavey TVX range. Headwise, I think that the the GK backline and Peavey tour series series seems to be worth a look. in terms of getting quality though I would look second hand, you never know what awesome piece of gear you will find.

[quote name='Golchen' post='584078' date='Aug 28 2009, 09:56 PM']Dream Theater don't have a bass pla.......... oh no, hold on, it's just that he's always mixed out of the CDs.[/quote] In a similar vein, I would add Metallica ...And Justice for All. Some great songs ruined or held back by lackluster production, but then again, that is often their trademark.

I have been playing the Walkabout Scout with the 15 inch speaker for the last 4 months. I have been very impressed to say the least! The loudest and best sounding bass rig that can fit in the back of a taxi without the driver making annoyed faces at me. There are mixed reivews in places for the Mesa bass stuff but also plenty of people that absolutely swear by them (in a good way, not in a 'what a sh*t poorly designed amp' way). I'd personally put the Mesa bass stuff ahead of Ashdown and would happily take a Big Block 750 over a new Ampeg SVT Classic. The cost of the Mesa stuff puts me off though. I could only really consider the Walkabout Scout as it gave me a quality 300 watt head (that can be taken out) and a quality 15 inch speaker for about £1200 new. Paying 1700-1800 quid for one of the bigger heads just seems a bit excessive, especially when you can pick up a new EBS Fafner for just over a grand! In terms of long term reliability, well I'll probably find out in due course, but no issues so far!

I run an EBS Fafner through Trace Elliot cabs and it sounds great. Never tried a Compact but would guess it would sound pretty kick ass. My only reservation is that I think EBS heads need at least a 4ohm load before they really shine. Mind you, from reading up on the Compact and how sensitive the speaker should be, so I wouldn't really compare it with normal 8ohm cabs. Thus I doubt there would any significant issues.

Not bass related but I would invent a silent vacuum cleaner first. Then I would take the previously mentioned 'talent boost' pedal and see if I could modify it for football purposes in order to be used on the Scottish football team. I would like some kind of electric shock to be fitted into basses that only goes off when a bassist goes up to soundcheck and starts to play any Muse or Rage Against the Machine riff. Of course this would have to be bypassed for the bassists in said bands and designated tribute/cover bands. A bass that could be folded in half or quickly and easily disassembled and then put back together. Then you could fit your instrument into a normal backpack and not have the hassle of people saying 'Give us a tune, pal' whilst strumming on an imaginary guitar. This may just be a Glasgow phenomenon though. Not an invention but a Chuck Norris endorsed bass overdrive would sell very well. Tubes that never die in the middle of a gig and strings that can be tuned down and don't lose any tension. I'm sure the laws of physics make the latter impossible but if only...

I wasn't going to reply in this thread as I think that any debate over 'the best' in a field as subjective as music seems to be pointless. Nevertheless I felt that this would a good a place as any to state my opinions on Flea. The guy is a household name and is in my opinion one of the most influential bassists in mainstream popular music. He is a great player as evidenced by the stuff in the RHCP and the first Mars Volta album. He has sold millions and millions of albums and is often the first guy beginners look to when they think of bassists that are at the forefront of their bands. While this often leads to kids going to music shops, picking up a bass and slapping away badly, at least they are playing the bass rather than another instrument. I think that people while like Wooten, Jaco, Berlin etc often inspire bass players to improve their technique, it is guys like Flea that inspire people to pick up the bass in the first place. Edit: I'm not sure about those new Flea basses though! The thought behind them was admirable however.

My brother played guitar, he wanted a bass player. It ended up being me! The first few years were generally spent with me trying to keep up with him The first few years were spent playing Cream, Free and AC/DC. Black Sabbath were a big deal to me but it wasn't until I heard Tool, Dozer and Kyuss that I found out that I did just want to play bass, I wanted to be a bass player.

Holy grail of bass sounds? Hmmm, I not a fan of overly processed bass sounds, despite being a massive Tool and Rage Against the Machine fan. My most favourite bass sounds generally tend to be ones with a general quality throughout an album, rather than constantly changing from clean to overdrive to chorus etc. Here are some of my personal favourites that don't contain Tool, Rage and Flea! Scott Reeder in Kyuss. Just some very cool stuff. The Kyuss stuff is brilliantly under-produced, you can almost hear them thinking. Geezer Butler in Black Sabbath, though I don't listen to anything after Never Say Die. John Calabrese on the Born a Lion album by Danko Jones. Not everybody likes the band, but I just think the general bass sound on that album is very funky and fuzzy without being overly-produced Lou Gorra from Halfway to Gone. Precision bass overdriven, simple and cool. Andy Fraser in Free. Yeah its old, but the general sound he got out of his bass was first class. Also, I'm not a massive fan of the band generally, but I think that Ben Kenney from Incubus always manages to get a fantastic sound, recorded and live. Oh and the bass line for All Along the Watchtower by Hendrix. In my book, its fantastic and it still doesn't feel dated or overplayed to my ears.

[quote name='jamiejames' post='574103' date='Aug 19 2009, 01:17 PM']Hi all I am opening a bass shop in Glasgow, yup, no guitars no drums no keys, just bass stuff, everything from beginer to pro level and i would appreciate a bit of help with a few questions to help with the marketing, you can reply here or to [email protected] i guarantee you will not be contacted via your reply unless you specifically ask to be, i would be grateful for your input and suggestions 1) Do you welcome a bass specific shop in Scotland 2) What would you like to see in stock 3) Are you more likely to visit the shop or use our online service 4) Roughly how much do you spend on bass goods in a year 5) Is this likely to increase if you had a bass shop you could visit? The shop will be for bass players and by bassplayers so please take a minute and help us to provide the best possible service and to stock the things you want to see. cheers jamie[/quote] Hi, good luck with this venture. 1) I do welcome it very much, though the stuff at Guitar Guitar and CC Music is none too shabby. If you were planning something like a Scottish version of the Gallery though, that would be nice. 2) Well, DR strings would be nice, you can't really find them anywhere past the border! Its going to have to be a mix of everything, I would suggest stocking some upright bass equipment and sheet music, just to cover the whole bass spectrum. Second-hand stuff is always cool. Try stocking amps that aren't just the usual Ashdown/Ampeg fare. Also, try stocking pedals that aren't Boss. 3) Being in Glasgow, I would probably adopt the same approach as I do to Guitar Guitar now. Look online, have a look to see what is in, if I see something I fancy I phone them and check that its in, then I'll go down and try it/buy it. That requires a frequently updated site though. If it was local, I would probably drop by just to see what was in. 4. Last year was the year I finally upgraded my entire set-up (after about a 6 years of saving and waiting), which ended up costing me about £3000. Generally though, its gonna be strings, a few pedals and maybe a set up through the year, so generally in the £200-600 bracket. 5. I would probably buy more pedals/accessories if I had a greater choice. I'm pretty sure the next bass I'm going to get (financially it might take a while) is a great Jazz style bass. If you stocked stuff like Nordstrand, Modulus and the like you'd would get a sale out of me sooner or later! Also, some kind of notice board would be cool, and clinics would be welcome. You could also offer lessons for people starting out and so on. Oh, and make sure that the people working there have decent product knowledge. I hate asking about something only to find out that I know more about the product than the guy who is trying to sell it to me!

I'm got one of the G7 SM300 combos, which has served me well over a ten year period. Had to change the speaker last year which was the first thing that went wrong. My pet cat tended to use it as a scratching post though, due to the carpet finish. I've never tried the 'classic' 1980s Trace gear, so can't comment on it, but I consider the new Trace cabs to be fairly functional. I'm using the 1028H and the 1518 and I'm very happy with the sound I'm getting. Also, the new cabs are very light when compared to the Kamen and Gibson era stuff. The 2x10 is pretty much a one-hander, for short distances anyway!

Hmmm, tough. Lots of stuff I'd like to own but not sure whether they would be used as part of a gigging setup. There is lots of stuff I'd like to have just for the sake of having it! Basses: I would like a nice Fender Jazz bass Some kind of 5 string A fretless 4 string bass Vigier Arpege 4 string or another Excess, Amps: I would probably stick with the Fafner to honest. I would not say no to a Mesa Big Block 750 or Aguilar DB750 though! Cabs: Probably the EBS 4x12 cab, though only if my unlimited funds extended to transport! Also tempted by the 1x18 matched with the 4x10 done by Trace Elliot, not mega expensive or 'boutique-cool' but I would be very confident that they would more than meet my needs. Pedals: Any number of fuzz/overdrive pedals that I could try out. I'm not really on the lookout for anything just now though. I've made my gear choices and might as well stick to them.

I think for a £500 'metal' bass you can't go too far wrong with an Ibanez or Yamaha. You could also try some of the Fernandes basses, Really though, I can't understand how any kind of P-bass wouldn't cut it for metal. A P-bass with thick strings played through a decent amp should deliver for most metal (and for me most music in general!) apart from maybe some technical-metal that requires you to slap, pop and tap all over the place. You could look into a decent pre-amp for the P-bass rather than a separate bass. Changing the pickups is also another possibility, but if you like the sound of the bass for other types of music, you might not want to change that.

I used to be very fussy in terms of action, My 1979 P-bass that I've had since the age of 14 has always had a stupidly low action, it plays like a dream and I can do all kinds of slappy, tappy stuff on it. I used to compare every bass to it, and assumed that if the action on another bass was higher then that bass was somehow inferior to the Precision. I ended up getting a Vigier, and actually went through a period quite like the topic of this thread. I went through almost a year of thinking that the higher action of the Vigier made it not as good as what I already had. It was a slow process but I'm so glad I stuck with the Vigier, its an outstanding bass. To be honest, I probably bought the bass before I was good enough to play it. I now think that while its easier to play flashy stuff with a low action, tone is so much better and clearer if the action is higher, especially if you are digging in. If you can master even a slightly higher action, you will be all the better for it. I think that if you going through boutique bass after boutique bass and are feeling let down, then I suggest getting a custom Fender/Sadowsky/Lakland type thing, as those are top quality basses that are very familiar and generally pretty easy to get a very low action on. Fretting about basses and gear just gets in the way of playing, just find an instrument you like and commit to it. Also, I have tried raising the action on the Fender, but the bridge is kinda wrecked and the string saddles collapse back down when you dig in after you have raised the action. Now I know why the action has always been so low!

I've been using it for gigs for the last 4 months or so. Very impressed with the overall sound. Since its a tube pedal it seems to react well to the dynamics of your playing rather than giving off a constant fuzz like some other pedals. You can switch the tubes as well to suit your sound. I think its better for more gentle overdrive rather than full on fuzz, but it can do both really well. However, it is pretty bulky, I'm not convinced by the placement or design of the power source and I'm not too sure how its going to last in the long term in terms of build quality. Also, the on/off switch tends to work with a loud click on pressed on and off, which can be annoying when turning the pedal off during a quiet part when the drummer isn't playing! I don't know if anybody else has had this problem, but it has been an issue for me, I actually returned the first Muff'n I got because the on/off click was [i]really[/i] loud, the second has performed better but is far from flawless! That said, for the general sound, I was totally impressed and since its a 'mostly always on' pedal when I'm doing a rock gig (which are most of my gigs) I can live with it. Would have liked to have tested it against the EBS Valvedrive, but the EBS pedals aren't in any shops in Glasgow, which leaves me almost having to buy them to try them, which I'm not going to do.