ashevans09

[quote name='coasterbass' timestamp='1337113445' post='1655789'] I had a first generation SVT4 (1998) and to be honest I was continually disappointed with it. If it didn't have the Ampeg logo on the front I'd have changed it much quicker. It was alright, but never had the authority that I felt it should, particularly given the huge wattage it parades so strongly. Once I'd sold the SVT4 (and keep in mind I had it for 10 years so I gave it a good shot) I've had an SVP-Pro (so the preamp section) and separate generic poweramp and was faaaaaar more impressed with the tone it put out there. Crucially the SVP had a drive control whereas the SVT4 only had the basic gain level. It's just far more ballsy and can be pushed harder. (This isn't meant as a plug, but aforementioned SVP and poweramp are in the for sale section at the moment, sadly) EDIT: I was using a 410HLF too, and using Musicman and Warwick at the time. [/quote] Also owned an SVP and put it through a Mesa Strategy 400 (the power section of a mesa 400) and it was boss. Can recommend this too!

Sorry to hear it was a scam, but I can weigh in on this since I used to gig with an orange bass terror running into a powerhouse 210. In short, yeah, small gigs it does great . Awesome cab, sounds really good. I stacked it vertically and it sounded nice and big for its size. I kind of like being able to feel the bass behind me and I couldn't always do that with the cab, however if you went out into the crowd it felt and sounded really good. Nothing on an 810 however, but there we go.

[quote name='BossHog' timestamp='1337016621' post='1654093'] The fans on the 751 are quieter. [/quote] Have to say I hope so - the one I tried today was really loud! That said I don't think it's much of an issue - not going to make a difference at a gig. I Tried one through an aguilar DB410 and an eden D series 210 and it sounded really good, though quite polite. I think it excelled when the gain was low and the master was giving most of the volume. Also found it was quite an unforgiving amp in terms of really showing up any mistakes. Probably a good thing though!

I own a 400+, and tonally I think it would be right up your street. I tried mine against an Aguilar DB750 today (not really comparable, though isn't the ampeg svt 4 a tube preamp and mosfet output like the aggie?), and I have to say I felt the Mesa had more balls. That's not to say the aguilar wasn't good - it was great - but comparing the two was like apples and oranges, and I feel you'd probably have the same issue. For what it's worth, the aguilar was quite polite, and I felt it had more tonal variation potential to it. It was quite musical, and I think it would sound great in any setting. The mesa on the other hand is just an absolute beast, and while others I think will probably argue with me over this I think it's limited. What it does it does brilliantly - a ballsy, punch you in the face tone - and I don't think any other amp can beat it in those situations. However, I think it would struggle in environments that weren't rock or metal. Also it weighs loads and as I'm finding out to my horror now retubing it costs a fortune. As for reliability, I've mentioned the retubing aspect, but my Mesa seems pretty tank like. Also, while I remember, it's worth thinking about the cab you pair it with - I thought the aguilar cab I messed around with today really took away from the rawness of the Mesa's sound. So really, it's up to you, but I don't think it'll be easy to make a choice until you've tried both. Hope that helps EDIT - another point, again realise they're not directly comparable (the aggie and svt4) but the aggie couldn't touch the mesa for that tubey, high gain sound. It sounded good, but not as good. I think the aggie sounded better clean. So depending on how you like to run your tone that could be a factor

I was just wondering what advantages would be had if I ran both my Mesa's channels simultaneously? Any neat things I can pull? It's being serviced at the moment and I miss the thing, up to this point I'd just been running into a single input and fancied changing things up when it came back. Is it as simple as just running a Y cable into both inputs? I just don't feel I'm getting the best out of this head and was wondering what I could do.

[quote name='GregHughes' timestamp='1336641240' post='1648681'] Just recieved an email this morning from Session music that my bass has arrived and is ready to ship! Photo's as soon as its arrives. [/quote] Awesome! Can't wait to see . My bass arrived on Friday, however I'm yet to lay my hands on it - had it delivered to my parents because I couldn't guarantee I'd be in. As a result it's in Oxford and I'm in Exeter! Going to be recording with it next week so I'll take photos when I see it .

[quote name='longtimefred' timestamp='1336493738' post='1646414'] nice one dude, buying a Sandberg is the right choice! i fecking love mine, i bought it without trying it and it was just perfect. Good choice on the Haussel pickups, i got them and they are just incredible. 5 string PM for me next i reckon! yum yum [/quote] Thanks! I'm really excited about this, got some elements I've never had in a bass before! What do the Haussels sound like? I got them because they were already in the bass. Only description I've found is that they're quite vintage sounding? And haha, I'll give you feedback about mine , they're mighty looking basses. Been tracking mine via UPS since Monday. It's been sitting in a warehouse near Stuttgart all day! Hoping it's just waiting for a night freight flight over here! Ash

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1336400542' post='1645004'] I was in my local music shop recently on a possible impulse buy..I asked what Bass Effects they had.."sorry, we don't have any..there isn't a demand.." Now firstly there clearly is a demand otherwise firms wouldn't manufacture them and secondly,..err I'm standing here trying to give you money..suggests there might be a demand!! Probably explains why firms like Thomann are thriving and local shops (which I like to support) and dying.. [/quote] Well that's balls, I've spent ages waiting for a particular pedal to come in to a shop only to have it snatched out from under me so there definitely IS demand. Most bassists I see on the circuit these days have at least an OD pedal. And I honestly think that's true about Thomann and the like. I emailed them too about this and despite getting something like 105,000 emails a day (so there website says), they still emailed me back 2 days later with a note from Sandberg, so they'd obviously taken the time to look into it for me. [quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1336401674' post='1645036'] Very lucky in Cornwall- Modern Music in Truro is just about the best for customer service I've ever encountered- although the shop is tiny. I will continue to spend as much money in there as physically possible. [/quote] Ah! Might give it a visit - I live in Exeter and have friends in Truro so when I visit them I'll drop in . Just out of interest did it used to be a chain? There was a Modern Music in Abingdon a few years back. It turned into a Dawsons and is now a pound shop unfortunately

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1336408803' post='1645198'] and we wonder why our economy is in freefall and germany's isn't.... [/quote] I'll be honest that thought definitely crossed my mind too.

Basses owned (in order of purchase - I think!): [b]Peavey International Series 4 string (first bass)[/b] OLP MM3 - 5 string Pedulla Rapture - 5 string Soapbar version SGC Nanyo bass collection - 5 string, didn't dig it too much Musicman Stingray - 3EQ, 4 string version 1978 Fender Precision - weighed a ton! [b]Fender Geddy Lee Jazz[/b] [b]MTD 535[/b] [b]Double bass - Zeller 3/4 size [/b] [b]Spector Euro 4LX[/b] [b]Spector Euro 5LX[/b] [b]Sandberg VM-5[/b] Not as many as I anticipated tbh. In all honesty I've probably run through far more amps. Still own all the bolded ones. Amps: Peavey microbass Behringer BX3000T -> Laney R115 Ashdown ABM500 evo II -> Ashdown ABM410/Laney R115 Ampeg SVT3 -> Ampeg SVT410 and SVT115 Mesa Big Block 750 -> 2x Epifani UL410s (2nd series) - very smooth sounding rig Ampeg SVP preamp -> Mesa Strategy 400 -> SVT115 [b]Mesa 400+ -> Matamp 410 [/b] Ampeg SVT810 Orange TerrorBass 500 -> Mesa powerhouse 210. Jesus that's a lot of gear. And I'm thinking of moving on my current rig. Jeez. UPDATE: Not any longer, completely fallen in love with it again.

Really am wondering if this is just me finding this. I recently put in an order for a sandberg. I wanted to go through a UK store (y'know, help the local economy and all that) so I called up my local PMT. They took my details, took down the specs of what I was looking for and said they'd call back. Week and a half later I've heard nothing, so I go into the store and tell them they never called back. "Oh I thought we'd said you'll come in and we'll discuss options" was their response. Bollocks, Anyhow, I let it slide and have a started having a conversation with the bloke (it was the same guy from on the phone). At that point, a coworker then walks in to show the guys his newborn. The guy I'm talking to obviously wants to go over and congratulate the guy and meet his child (fair enough, have no problems with that), so I say it's ok if he goes over and says hi, I'll just wander around the shop. 40 minutes later I'm still waiting for the guy. I'm not hiding in the back of the store, I'm waiting by the till and playing with my phone so it's not like he thought I was trying basses and didn't want to be interrupted or the like. Anyhoo, my parking ticket is running out so I eventually walk over to ask if we can quickly wrap things up and he (again) writes down what I'd like and all my details and says he'll call and forward me any emails he gets from the supplier, A further week and a half passes without a word and I give up and try elsewhere. I email Station Music in Germany about a bass they have, and within 20 minutes have an answer. After a six email back and forth that took approximately an hour, they have their money and I have a bass ready to be shipped. They promised they would email me the shipping details on Monday when it shipped, and they have. Why is this such a difficult thing for UK companies to do? I'm not asking for the world, I'd just like them to do what they say they're going to do. Every overseas retailer I've used has literally tripped over themselves to make my buying experience a good one yet UK companies don't seem to care. I felt throughout that they felt they were doing me a favor by even considering getting me a quote. Jesus, I want to support your business, give me a sodding quote. I can't say all UK music stores are bad - I've had great experiences with the gallery in Camden and Mansons and have heard great things about bass direct - but they really feel like the exception rather than the rule. Am I expecting too much? Gah, rant over.

[quote name='TheG' timestamp='1336345085' post='1644411'] I would be interested in the breakdown of the costs to be honest ie original cost, postage, import duty etc to see how the import thing works. I've got a fretless with an ebony fingerboard. John Diggins replaced the maple fingerboard and it sounds Great. It will give it a nice punch. Not as bright as maple. [/quote] Fair enough, I'll PM you when I know

I'm really excited! I've heard great things about them and you're certainly making me even more like a kid on christmas eve . I too kind of only bumped into them when I heard someone playing one. Heard one at a gig and it sounded brilliant, think he was playing through an EBS if memory serves. Great sounding things. This is my first ever ebony board though so I'll be interested to see what it brings to the table. I've heard it's very bright. And that's really cool how they do it, I guess having it predone takes the agony away when you ding a bass for the first time. It's really weird, I hate it when I ding a bass but I love the look of roadworn/relic'd basses! Guess I like the end result but not the process of getting there. I'll definitely keep you posted! I'll put up pics in this thread when I get it . It's being shipped on Monday, hopefully customs won't hold on to it for too long! Am I going to get walloped on import duty? Hoping that because Germany and the UK are in Europe I might get a bye...

It's this one in fact http://www.station-music.de/images/bass/instrumente/sand_calvm5tbsunbrw.jpg

[quote name='TheG' timestamp='1336319882' post='1643948'] Which one and where are you getting it from? [/quote] It's a VM5, tobacco burst, ebony FB, haeussel PUs, 35" scale . Went through station music. Really excited about it! Been looking at yours more, that ageing is really nice. Always wondered though, is it still laquered over? Don't know if I'm getting across what I mean properly... do they paint it normally then sand it down/do whatever to it after that? Thanks! Ash

[quote name='TheG' timestamp='1335003880' post='1624553'] I really wanted a particular Sandberg but didn't have the cash at the time at all. Well not a new one, even though I was tempted to just stick one on a 0% interest credit card and worry about it later. (I was SO tempted). Anyway I saw them coming up on eBay and put a saved search in. I noticed Sandberg basses did come up regularly and even close(ish) to matching the bass that I wanted. A California, 4 string, tobacco, hardcore aged, JM model. I persevered and waited to see if the exact model came up. They did come up but were 5 strings, different colours, etc, etc, etc. I also had a price that I really didn't want to go over because I didn't have the money. In the end "MY" bass came up on eBay the right model, colour, price and location. The guy put it up on the Sunday and I was round his house with the cash on the Monday. It did take 8 months so I understand people may not want to wait that long but if you haven't got the money its a waiting game. In my experience second hand Sandberg basses came up on average every 1-3 weeks. I collected it within 15 miles of my house and it cost £650. The only compromise was that it was soft aged and not hardcore aged. No problem. Wicked bass! [attachment=105642:P1050273.JPG] [/quote] Awesome! Glad you like yours . Really excited, I found one that worked for me and it should be here sometime this week!

Serious need of photos! That's unbelievable!

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1336159472' post='1642028'] Sounds like an ideal job for one of those Harley Benton heads? 500W for like £150 if memory serves, they get great reviews too. [/quote] Really? I just assumed they'd be cheap tat. Definitely will have a look, thanks

Really nice looking bass you've got there. What's it sound like with the dimarzios?

Lovely looking basses, there was a guy who had a blue one at the first ever gig I played. I was young (only 11 or something) and he saw me staring at it in awe and he was nice enough to pick it out of its hardcase and hand it to me saying "would you like a go?". Lovely memory. Awesome basses, would love to own one in the future . Post pics!

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1335999911' post='1639488'] If you take a Sansamp as a backup you've got to ensure that you can easily switch it into the system if the main amp fails. Your cabs will be silent so most of your monitoring will have gone west. Will the fold back you’ve been given be enough? [/quote] Very good question. I'll look into that. I'd imagine it would be - venues are predominantly o2 academies or similar. [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1335999911' post='1639488'] I’d take a backup amp and replug it into the system in the event of failure. You will waste 1 min replugging but everything else stays the same. And don’t forget to sound check the back up source in the FOH and foldback. [/quote] Good idea, again, thank you I would never have thought of all this stuff!