4 Strings

Can only agree and add a +1 etc. Never looked back since getting my '79 Stingray. Bass up on the preamp, treble on about half, amp flat, even with a little 2.5 Hartke cab, the sound is absolutely huge with no effort. I liken it to cruising in a yank car with a massive V8 engine. Plays beautifully, will I ever use another bass?

That's my understanding too, hand made in fairly small factory in the UK to as near original specs as modern components availability will allow, plus any 'improvements' they may have made. Not so the MaxWatt tranny range which, I believe, is made Eastwards. Can someone explain what actual difference the transformer manufacturer will make? One of my hankerings is their 400W bass amp.

The components will provide a certain output and this is what will be quoted. However, nice, big power transformers and other quality elements give lots of head room, peakiness and ease of performance would mean that they perform well. There are other amps similarly conservatively designed with quality components, so its difficult to say if TE are louder than some 'typical' other but they are quality products, reliable and powerful. I had the 150W version for years, never a problem, was only ever pushed once when I underestimated a gig and only brought a 2x10 along. Put into 2 cabs even this so called modest output was plenty enough for anything I used it for. If you like the sound, and plenty do, you cannot go wrong with TE. I remember seeing Mark King in a pub like venue in Essex, before the recent re-rise of Level 42, he had one AH350 with the classic 4x10 and the 1518 bin and he had it up loud enough to make me feel physically sick (honest!). Exquisite pain.

Just as a sort of reverse reply, the button screw came loose in my bass and I found out it was due to the longer button plus bit on the strap of the strap lock touching the floor when I put the bass on its stand. The weight of the bass being plomped straight down on the button when I thought it was onto the body on the rubberised arms of the stand. Might be worth a check if you have one of those collapsable stands like me.

Rick is happy to allow those who request the password to get in, in fact the password is pretty well published on the net anyway, but it does allow cover him for putting this stuff on his site. Anyone know of any other sources of Jamerson (or any Motown isolated or semi-isolated) tracks?

Hartke, anything 2000 upwards, all incredibly cheap, very powerful, great sound, will cut through with a 4x10 no problem, give it some wellie and pin people to the wall. These go from £100-200 s/h and, in my opinion, are excellent value. For new, the 500W ones are only £250!

Don't know who the biggest twerp is, the guy with the monster round his neck or the camera man who favoured this and ignored Babbit. Oh, my pet hate? EB0 basses, especially the copies, but even the Gibsons look and sound horrible.

Shame the Hartkes have fans (although its never been a problem for me, even practicing at home). They seem to be out of fashion but have fabulous, clear hi-fi sound, lots of flexibility, powerful, valve pre-amp and cheap. Swear by them, even if they aren't the most lavish item. Other than that, the most fun would be had sticking around for the T&B to turn up, although you may be equally impressed with one as you were with your H/H (rose tinted earplugs?). What's the big objection to fans. I don't like them either but in the end I don't really notice them until it gets switched off!

Was Trace only until a while back, used AH200 with a 2x10 ported wedge shaped cab (not seen the like since and wish I never had to sell it) along with a huge and wonderful 1518 (Ported 1x15). Band mates always complained about the weight and van space of the 1x15 (flightcased too, but at least that meant on wheels) but I have never played through a speaker like it since. It was an old one, even at the time - not black paint though - and the sound from the rig took years for me to ever think of even bothering to try another amp. So much floorboard rattling depth, it gave you the option of another instrument altogether if you wanted to pluck at the neck joint. After the head was pinched, and an uninspired foray with an SWR I now use Hartke, but only because I couldn't afford Trace. Very happy with the Hartke, no reason to change now but I still look with fondness on Trace gear. Got a 4x10H still but rarely use it as its such a lump and the Hartke 2.5 does all I need for most things. No doubt you'll have a great time with yours, yeah go for the 1818, you will find unchartered depths of bass!

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='908742' date='Jul 28 2010, 11:10 PM']Avon EB0 copy. Gave tin and firewood a bad name. Awful thing. Probably worth £150 as a 'Lawsuit' now.[/quote] Yes, exactly mine too! It was my first bass, given by the bass player as I swapped from rhythm to bass. Absolutely horrible, terrible sound, nasty to play and looked like an SG, not a bass. I'm afraid I broke it.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='909067' date='Jul 29 2010, 11:49 AM']There was an email exchange with one of the Celestion engineers about speaker break in on some other forum, he said the sound of a Vintage 30 does change but it is supposed to sound right from the box, so the bottomier tone after they are played in (favoured for Doom) is actually the sound of a worn out driver. It is fairly noticeable with guitar drivers when you are expecting lots of bottom from them.[/quote] Worn out? Didn't know they wore, no moving parts touch, if the coil or suspension goes, it goes.

[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' date='Jul 29 2010, 09:29 AM' post='908920'] "... everything full on for half an hour. Eventually the aluminium dome shattered!" Mix loud then?

[quote name='stevie' post='908226' date='Jul 28 2010, 02:29 PM']This, of course, depends on how you define speaker break-in.[/quote] This is one way:

Wasn't the OP talking about the use of rare woods from places where there should be rare trees? I'd go along with that argument, I would certainly enjoy my bass less if I knew it was a contribution to abuse of our environment and making someone/thing homeless. Assuming the wood comes from a place where it is plentiful and being replaced and if someone can make that wood look fabulous and shiny and someone likes it like that, well, as someone else said, each to their own. Mine tend to be boringly black.

I'll go along with escholl with 2 comments. If you've ever heard a Fender Telecaster, Fender-Rhodes piano, even a Fender Precision bass guitar ('course you have!), you'll come to the conclusion the designer/champion behind these instruments was a genius and knew a bit about sound. If he wanted to cut treble and a ceramic cap did it in the wrong way then I'm convinced he'd have used something else. I suppose someone might be able to tell the sonic difference, if there is one, but would it actually be better? Secondly, I have no experience from which to pull, but I thought the breaking in of speakers was to make allowances in performance expectation for the improvement in suppleness of the suspension, settling of the cone etc. The Barefaced man appears to believe speakers improve significantly after some use, he appears to know a bit too and is likely to have had the opportunity for that experience. It's also said that amps improve as they warm up, my Audiolab hifi amp definitely does so, definitely warmer, deeper bass. Can't explain it though.

HiWatt proper certainly is, anything with Maxwatt on is Eastern in all respects. Similar to the proper stuff in badge and colour only.

Just a quickie about Speakon/Jack leads - plug the jack end in first, then you get the advantage of avoiding the little shorting episode of using jacks as the circuit remains open. If you plug in the Speakon end first you may as well have two jacks in that regard. If you always plug in your speakers before turning the amp on it matters not either way. While I have never pitted, cooked or had any other problems with using jacks for speakers (still do) I did get a real kick once from a jack lead out the back of a Hiwatt, years ago. More than 120V from the back of that thing!

[quote name='nick' post='899373' date='Jul 19 2010, 08:35 PM']Though Jamerson is synonymous with Motown bass; Bob Babbitt, Tony Newton, Wilton Felder etc... are also worth checking out.[/quote] All good, all different. Babbitt was more 'perfect' in his accurate repetition throughout the song, Newton was rather more whacky and, in my opinion - although I've not heard much of his playing knowingly - less groovy than Babbitt (check out the difference between the US (Newton) and UK (Babbitt) versions of tears of a Clown) and Felder is great, plays with a pick, excellent timing, like Jamerson. There's no ranking of who's best of these guys, they are different.

Have a dig about here, lots of JJ info and lots of isolated and semi-isolated tracks. Really interesting stuff. [url="http://www.ricksuchow.com"]http://www.ricksuchow.com[/url] The password for the tracks is well known but I don't think it hurts to send a request to Rick with a compliment or two to keep him encouraged in his excellent site. If you really want it now pm me, but its also in another posting in these pages.

Don't know a lot about Zadowskis, is that neck very broad or is the body small?

Is this 'roasting' an over done way of reducing the curing time for the neck wood? Sounds cheap and cheerful to me, looks great, and so is marketed as a boon. Anyone actually know about this?

[quote name='NJE' post='902855' date='Jul 23 2010, 09:38 AM']..., too many rock/metal bands and not enough funk.[/quote] Oh, thank you for that, thank you!