4 Strings

I would imagine the bashing is by people who don't really listen to his playing. I can't comment on Billy Sheehan for the same reason (the only bits I've seen are like those you describe, I'm sure there's more than that!)

Newtones turned up yesterday! Took the opportunity to give the bass a good ol' clean up and re-oil the neck etc (yep, one of 'those' MM necks). These are the Platinum type strings and, yes, there is the promised lack of harmonics. I don't mean when you actually play harmonics, they ring out fine, but the note sound cleaner with fewer overtones. I have to say this made the sound a little less exciting somehow when plugged in. Only playing at home at the moment, 2 gigs at the w/e (got to break them in quite a bit before those!) s see how we get on. I'm looking for definition, I want soul without boom.

You've won the Lottery in Nigeria?! Congrats!

[quote name='OzMike' timestamp='1350023740' post='1833549'] If you don't want to sell to people outside the UK (for example), then take the 5 seconds to write that in your (very brief - I've just read them) adverts. Also consider that English is not likely to be some people's first language. You've specifically mentioned Lithuanians - for them, English could well be a third language (after Lithuanian and Russian). FWIW, I've had successful international dealings with several people on BC, despite being an 'Eastern European' (of sorts). [/quote] I sold a Trace 410 on this list to a chap in Poland. Early payment, picked up by polite and polish couriers. One of my easier sales. I like to think its now being pumped with some polish punk. All true, but my screen is now wet.

Definitely, yes. You can't add treble to flats but you can cut treble from rounds if you want by palm muting, rolling controls etc. I've been able to play Motown etc with rounds but I can't do Level 42 with flats.

Thanks Rubis, hope you put up plenty of posts, looking forward to following this. I wonder if retro-chambering could be done! Kept to the wings it could make a number of heavy basses much more comfortable. Routed from the back, could be painted and left open.

You'd have to go silly to damage wood as hard as maple with 1000 grade. Video advice is good, always go along the length of the grain and with the amount of rubbing he did to just take off the tiniest layer of oil and muck for a fresh surface. The reason he cleaned it before sanding is so that you don't rub any of the dirt into the grain.

Very interesting build! How do you think the chambers will affect the sound? Will they be created by being right through the tambooti capped by the wenge? Will you be putting sound (f) holes? (Do you think it has been suggested that wenge darkens tone because it is dark in colour? A hardwood isn't it?)

That bass he's playing looks like a Fender guitar.

I've found patience is a virtue. Its a bit of a tall order to hope that at the particular time you want to sell a particular item someone just happens to be looking for that, like the price and location and happen also to be on this forum. Took me months to swap a American Jazz Deluxe for a Stingray. Gave up, tried to sell, gave up again etc before someone offered the originally desired swap, we are both delighted! I still have my Hartke HA5000 for grabs, been months too!

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1349884853' post='1831815'] OK, It seems that we will do it. it will be nice to see how we go down.I suppose I was aware of playing for free being a taboo subject oh here. I will post more details in the upcoming gigs section, in case any London B/Cers want to come along. [/quote] Go for and have fun! Let us know how it goes. I think its fair enough when someone is making a nice wad out of a band playing to pay the band for doing so. If they're not going to make anything its a bit difficult to demand any. I also think there is certainly a principal of not paying to play. Not had to do that yet. Both my lads play in bands, both have had occasions when they have been given a bunch of tickets to sell and have been asked for the money for any unsold. In the future they have learned to take none or a few they know they will sell or play elsewhere. Older lad's band now gets invited to play by venues and other bands as they know they will sell out. Had to start somewhere.

This is showboating, not the real thing. Bit like the wheelie car at a drag racing meet, someone doing keepie-ups at football, sinking the fastest pint. All good fun, but not an end in itself.

[quote name='Jesso' timestamp='1349860012' post='1831313'] I've had a compact for about a month now, and only just got the midget. I broke the cab in using the sine wave, and then used it over the weekend where I had 3 gigs in various sizes of room. My first impressions are.... that I prefer the compact by quite a bit. I find the midget to sound "small" in comparison. That's no surprise, the thing is tiny! I think it performs very well for it's size, but I still knew I was using a smaller cab than usual..... I hear the difference, it sounded more compressed at volume. However, I'm not unreasonable, and I wasn't expecting miracles, so I'm happy enough with it, (it really is a tiiny box!). Where it really comes into it's own is when you put it on top of the compact. Then the whole rig gets very loud, very balanced, and very very easy to hear with great projection into the crowd. So... for that reason I'll be keeping the midget, although the thoughts of a double compact set up are very enticing.... I think overall I'd miss the tweeter in the midget. Also, having a cab that small, that can still manage a full gig, is bound to come in handy someday! I had an EBS neo 112 which was about the same size, but that was almost totally useless in comparison, volume wise (although it sounded good up to a point). [/quote] Just about my experience. Bound too be a difference between two different sized cabs, I simply knock the bass up a bit on the amp for the Midget if I need to. I cannot over-emphasise the benefit in convenience of the tiny cab. Parked a little way from rehearsals on Monday, bass on back, laptop on one shoulder, Streamliner on the other, Midget in one hand, car keys in the other, a pleasant stroll down the road from the car and all in one trip. I can no longer imagine what I went through with Trace stacks etc years ago.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1349863539' post='1831382'] Also adds to the cost! [/quote] Absolutely, another £100, but, tbh, these are whincingly expensive anyway, not for the feint of wallet, for such an investment (hopefully long term) what's another 100?

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1349855942' post='1831244'] Think of it as an "as live" rehearsal where you don't have to pay for the rehearsal room. If you're not bringing your own crowd, and you're a new band so no one has heard of you, what's the logic in a landlord promising to pay you £200 even if there's no one in the venue? Sounds to me like the promoter is being more open than most about how the deal is going to work. I wouldn't have a problem with that. [/quote] Quite right, you get better as a band much quicker at gigs than at rehearsal.

As Krusty once said [i]"..if we can't copy other people's ideas where's all the original thinking going to come from?"[/i]

Its impossible for a promoter to drum up an audience for a band that no-one as ever heard of and is new. Venues need to make money on every evening, if you're not going to bring a load of people with you why would they put you on? If the venue gets pretty busy regardless who turns up I think you should expect £50 as a new band. If it relies on the band to bring the audience you just need to agree how many people are required before you start getting some of the action. Then make that your target for your 'launch'. If you're not going to get that number, just decide if you want to play or not. If you want to get out there and play and start building your following I believe taking the advice of a lot of the posts in this thread would count against you.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1349817510' post='1831046'] Wow! An embarrassment of riches! All being well I am picking up the used Compact on Friday. I will probably take a few days to get used to it, then I will be shamelessly PM-ing Raggy and bassman7755 to try and sort some kind of AB test. Alex at Barefaced has agreed to put my order on hold until I''ve quit dithering. Thanks 4 Strings, that's really useful. 'Motown' is pretty much my default tone, achieved with a P-bass, tone knob set to about 3/10. I'll probably pass on the tweeter though - I've always got enough top end out of a 15 when playing (for example) Green Day covers with a pick. Cheers guys! [/quote] TheTweeter is totally adjustable (down to nothing) and just gives the option if you ever need it at some time. It adds weight and takes from the elegance of the Midget design (in my opinion) but its all marginal. With it in place I feel I have everything.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1349718660' post='1829592'] Anybody in the Swindon area with a Compact and Midget? I have a Compact on order, but have just done a deal to buy one from a BC member. I need to decide whether to stick with 2 Compacts, or change my order to a Midget, so would appreciate the opportunity to compare. For Midget: even more portable than Compact, 3 rigs from 2 cabs (Midget; Compact: Midget + Compact) For 2nd Compact: possibly bigger sound, not a big fan of aggressive mids (but do like the mid frequencies that flatter a fretless) So - anyone local to Swindon with this rig? [/quote] Sorry, not near Swindon. I'd recommend the Midget 'T'/Compact route. Def go and try, of course, from my experience there are few places where you'll need more than one Compact. I have a Midget/Compact set up, use the Midget constantly and the Compact for Motown (perfect!) and when the Midget will look a bit silly. Not really used them both together in anger. I'm not one for aggressive mids either, I use the Midget as my default cab as with the Streamliner its sounds fine with everything at 12 O'Clock. I often tweak the bass to 1 O'Clock for some warmth, if I go beyond that I'm asked to turn down. I'm playing almost entirely soul music at the mo' (happy days!) with pretty thuddy strings and often palm muted, clearly not the same as belting with a pick which may bring out some aggressive mids. Would recommend the 'T' option, opens all tone options.

[quote name='legoman' timestamp='1349740624' post='1830043'] Well I tried out the MiBass but as I was playing a larger venue than normal I basically found it couldn't pump out enough volume during the soundcheck so I swapped over to my EVO II instead. Basically I had to have the volume maxed out and it wasn't loud enough so tried to increase the gain a bit more but the thing just started crapping out on any peak levels and distorting so I gave up without gigging it. It's odd because this thing is supposed to kick out up to 550W, which is close to the same as the max of one channel of the EVO II (of which only had the volume up to about 1 o'clock when I gigged it on Sat) but it was really way behind in terms of power and punch. Shame as it's a nice little number and probably be fine for smaller gigs but isn't up to what I need The search continues... [/quote] Ooer, glad I didn't go that way in that case, especially as my base cab (geddit?) is the Midget which needs a fair bit of juice to drive. Glad I'm happy with my Streamliner.

[quote name='stu_g' timestamp='1349478026' post='1827027'] i must say i have owned 75 precision 77 precision two e serial jap precisions jap squier series korean squier series and american 98 hot rod i prefer american precisions [/quote] Because they're american?

Are BF cabs the champion of the wealthy amateur? Do any professionals use them (yet)?

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1349473359' post='1826973'] Yes,that's obviously the reason why people recommend non US Fenders Despite having a lot of nice basses (inc. Warwick,Shuker,Roscoe,Pre-Nashville Tobias) two of my hardest working (and favourite)instruments are my Japanese Fender Jazz and my Mexican Fender Jazz Deluxe V. Being 'hard up' has absolutely nothing to do with. [/quote] Think how happy you'd be if they were MIA!