Franticsmurf

Here it is. To be honest I'm a bit disappointed by the sound. I was expecting a solid body box but when I took the free gift out, I found it was a hollow body. The sound is a bit boxy and muffled - very percussive but there's no bite and I suspect it would disappear when played within a band. And the build quality! It's held together with staples and packing tape. The body isn't contoured so the playing position is uncomfortable. But worst of all is that neck profile and width. 🤣

Thanks for the recommendations above - and with the heads up about string lengths. I was thinking of replacing the 84E with a 95 or 100 and shifting the 84 to the A. Bearing in mind that this is experimentation until I find a combination I like. I'm happy with the other 4 as they are although I wouldn't be averse to going lighter on the B and high E. One of the reasons for this purchase was to use in a band with a lot of chord/rhythm instruments (3 Ukes, two guitars and a piano) to allow me to add some melody when the bass is not required to drive the songs. The lighter high strings will help cut through.

I can understand that. Day 2 and I haven't really put it down much (I didn't sleep with it). I have a gig soon and I intend to use it then so I want to get used to that string spacing after years of big boy bass spacing - that's the excuse I'm currently using. I'm probably going to change the string gauge (as has been recommended elsewhere) but apart from that I'm really happy.

Hi Rob. My hands are too small to be a bass player, but a bass player is what I am. It just means I have to move my fingers a bit further that other folks. 😃

New Cardboard Packaging Day! I ordered a cardboard box from Thomann and it came with this little beauty included for free! 😃 Reading another thread, I was intrigued by the Bass VI concept and I thought I'd give it a go with the Harley Benton version as I could do with the extra couple of strings but I have small guitar player hands. So far, very impressed with the quality (the only adjustment I've made is to raise the height of the neck pick up as it was quite quiet). Not too heavy and the string spacing is the same as a guitar, which is comfortable for me.

Psychokiller.

We did that once in a club - ran a very long cable out through the window to the outhouse. As you say, sorted! 😃

I agree. I'm really happy with the sound - I don't use a really deep bass tone. I've been using mine on it's own (with a TCE BAM200) in rehearsals in a large hall with full band and PA and have been told (nicely and correctly) to turn down, and at a couple of gigs recently with the same set up. And when I practice at home, I usually have the original songs playing through it and the sound isn't too bad for a 1x10" without a tweeter.

Welcome on board.

Welcome Tim. Just a smoke machine? No flamethrower? 😃

Hi JC.

Hi Eddie, good to know that you're finally ready to confess. 😃 Guitar was my main instrument for several years. Yes, I am a guitaroholic and it's been 20 years since my last solo.

Hi David.

What is your favourite bus pass? 'P' style, 'J' style or some more modern classic? 🤣

Hi Alina.

Dep gig with a band called 'Gettin Even' last night. I was in Gettin Even when it was a duo way back in the mists of time (about 25 years ago). I depped with them a few weeks ago when it was a trio with singer, singer/guitarist and backing tracks. Last night there was me depping on bass, the drummer from my other band depping on drums and the singer/guitarist. It was ok - the audience were of advanced age but loved the more modern, rocky stuff. Dancing was reserved for the rock 'n' roll and bluesy songs. At half time the Ent Sec came in and told us we could turn up! In more than 30 years of playing that's the first time I've been told that. I used my short scale Gretsch Electromatic through a Zoom B1-4 (just giving me a basic compressor sound, a chorus patch and a slightly phased driven patch) into my Peavey MiniMax and out through a Warwick 10" cab and my TE 10" cab. First live outing for the Gretsch - sound was a bit woolly but nice to play. IEM for vocals and to help manage the onstage sound.

This used to be a rule in a lot of the social clubs I used to play in the 90s. No dancing in the first half, strictly enforced. I agree its weird. All the acts adjusted their sets to play the less 'dancey' stuff first.

This is why I love recording. Playing live is great (and will always remain my no.1 passion) but I love trying new things out in the studio.

Played a private party on the South Gower Coast last night. This was the view as we set up: By the time we went on, it was dark and very cold, with a wind coming in off the sea. It took a couple of songs for me to even be able to feel my fingers. Slow start with a small but ultimately appreciative audience, including some sheep in the field behind the marquee. The PA took care of the heavy lifting, so the Trace and BAM200 were for monitoring only and I DI'd the Ray34HH via my Laney Digbeth pre-amp.

They earn their farthing. The truck is tricky to park, though. 😃

If it was the only song in an encore, then a new one would be inappropriate (IMO) but as part of several songs I think it is acceptable. I've played in a band working in the social clubs around South Wales for years and I've never really thought of the encore as anything more than a slightly extended gap between the last two songs. Not arrogance on my part, but the tradition of the social club - the compare comes up on stage, thanks the band and asks the audience if they want one more song. The conditioned response is 'yes', and we launch into a familiar up tempo tune. The 'new song' option doesn't apply, but we would never think of playing an obscure song as our last number. As has been said above we are thanking our audience for their appreciation. A rendition of 'Close to the Edge' would be a punishment for most present. 🤣

Yes, the Warwick cab on its own isn't enough without FOH support. I find the combination of TE and Warwick cabs just right for the sound I'm after. I have an outdoor gig tonight with FOH support and I'm using this set up: The drummer and I are getting a nice monitor volume from this and there's enough play in the volume knob (here it's at 10 o'clock) to account for being outside.

Come on in! 😃

Thanks for trying. I tried an active and passive bass (the active is my Ray34HH which isn't particularly hot) through the passive input, compressor initially set at unity. Once I realised I wasn't getting any obvious differences, I started trying combinations as set out above. The situation has changed slightly as following a re-evaluation (in other words, yet another change around), the Digbeth now resides on my minimalist board for use with the festival band (FOH sound only, with IEMs) and only shares it with a tuner. The main board with compression etc has a Behringer BDI21 at the end of the line. I don't have the same issues with the compressor in this combination.

Queen's 'Flash'. I was in a room full of mates who all played something, and I'd never played any kind of instrument before. Being good mates, they hung a bass around my neck, placed my finger on the correct fret and told me to pluck the string with my right finger - over and over again. For a few seconds I was a rock star, until the chord changed. Then I wasn't. But it got me hooked and years later, after dabbling with guitar in an originals band for a while, I hung a bass around my neck and stood up to play 'In the Midnight Hour' in my first covers band.