mikebass78

[quote name='zero9' post='977621' date='Oct 4 2010, 08:42 PM']You could contact / have a look at these guys:- [url="http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/"]http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/[/url] A Celestion 15" PA speaker might suit your needs.[/quote] would running a 400w PA speaker cause any problems though, or just be inefficient?

I've just had a speaker die in a 15" trace combo for no discernable reason but I'm having trouble finding a replacement, I'm sure there are better speakers but i like having frequency response down to 42-odd-hz, more or less a true low E, which the celestions do. i'm stuck with a choice at the moment between putting in a 4ohm speaker and losing the option of using an extension cab or downgrading from a 300w to a 250w speaker (time is a big factor). I'm leaning towards the second option as i generally don't use more than 50% volume on stage, and i have access to a 4x12 cab if i need more, but i do play a punchy style with a lot of drive and I can't actually work out what went wrong with the last speaker, there's no sign of anything wrong except it don't work. does using a lower powered speaker sound like a dumb idea? I've also looked at eminence and legend speakers but keep getting turned off by the listed frequency response, can anyone recommend a roughly 300w 8ohm speaker that can match the celestion at the low low end??

Wooly sounding E could be string/pup height, might need to tweak your setup slightly?

[quote name='mikebass78' post='722356' date='Jan 23 2010, 05:39 PM']I bought one recently and I'm very very happy with it, taken it on tour and played through house amps and just sounds great, but haven't get it sounding really dirty yet ( I do need to take some more time to tweak things)[/quote] Correction : didn't buy one of those, bought one of these DHA VT2-Twin-Std-Bass 2 channel tube overdrive for Bass

[quote name='Clarky' post='722247' date='Jan 23 2010, 03:41 PM']I have taken a look on the web at the various products mentioned so far and - while they all seem to deliver what I need - most have much greater functionality than I need TBH. If that is what is available then fine and I will try and decide which one to buy. However I was wondering if there is a simple plug-and-play option with perhaps little more than basic gain and tone controls (I don't want to play much with tone as I like the tone from my P basses) and an XLR output for the backline? I spotted this DHA model for example which is very utilitarian but maybe does what I need? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DHA-VT1-Std-Bass-overdrive-and-distortion-pedal_W0QQitemZ310194954458QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item48390f60da"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DHA-VT1-Std-Bass-ove...=item48390f60da[/url] Has anyone tried one of these? Edit: just seen it needs an external power supply which is not ideal, I prefer a battery powered pedal for convenience.[/quote] I bought one recently and I'm very very happy with it, taken it on tour and played through house amps and just sounds great, but haven't get it sounding really dirty yet ( I do need to take some more time to tweak things)

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='715927' date='Jan 17 2010, 07:30 PM']I am an ignorant buffoon compared to many people here, but this sounds like it might be a capacitor failure somewhere? Since it's affecting the input level monitoring it's almost certainly in the preamp stage, possibly in the circuitry that feeds the input level lights themselves. Almost certainly repairable by someone who knows what they're doing. But that's not me sadly![/quote] Thanks for the help, think I'll have to get it looked at just to be safe

bump, getting worried about it now

it's still there without the pedal now, any problem is definitely in the amp. I can affect it by using my TU2 as a mute, and it's not happening without a lead plugged in. It's do to with input, it's like it's become hyper-sensitive.

I was trying out a new pedal at normal practice/small stage volume, when I toggled the pedal back on I heard a loud pop and since then my input level shows constant signal, whether or not bass or pedal turned up. The level also runs into the red when playing, but not consistantly with the notes played, there is sometimes a small delay of half a second or so. I would think this would sound crap (I've always to tried to avoid this before), but there is no audible difference as far as I can tell*. I play through a TraceElliott SS 500w 15" combo, has anyone had problems like this? Is it possible that the "pop" has affected the pre-amp or power amp in a way that I won't know until it melts? EDIT : there is a low level hiss/white noise, it is affected by the input level and is constant while there is a lead plugged in, and it wasn't there before.

Great to deal with, bass was exellently packed, very quickly delivered and exactly as described in the ad (if not slightly better), would definitely deal with again

Can I call a walking bassline over-rated, or is that too far out on a limb?

[quote name='lowfer' post='670350' date='Nov 30 2009, 08:00 PM']it feels to me that there are almost 2 schools of thought here. When i learnt modes i was taught that the different modes were the same scale i.e same notes played from a different starting point. It certainly seems that other people have the same thought. However, when the major talks about using modes he is introducing different notes from the original scale. This certainly sounds that it has the potential to add more flavour to your improvisation. However i am now really confused. For me i am currently in the process of learning all the notes on the fingerboard so i have a much better understanding of all the notes in a scale as opposed to knowing the shape and leading from the root. Any suggestion for getting to grips with learning fingerboard would be great.[/quote] I think some of the examples have used the different modes all played starting from C which gives you more of a feel for the flavour of each mode and some have given examples of the the modes OF C started from the note relevant to the mode which gives you more info relevant to one scale. saying the notes as you play scales over multiple octaves while using different "paths" up and down the fretboard has helped me, also refering the notes as thirds, fifths, etc while playing arpeggios+scales has been helpful with ear training.

Any advice or potential pitfalls with stringing up a 4 string (fender P) using 65-135 gauge strings?

So I think, I had the problem backwards. Rather than lacking low end, the sound was actually too bright and resisted any attempt to pull up the low end, it just made it sound wierd. Part of the problem was the greasebucket tone control, replacing the pot with the pups solved part of the problem, however the new SD Quarter Pounders where incredibly hard to control once I got the setup right, with a load incidental noise. After coming across a thread about high mass bridges (my P has a badass II) I figured that could be causing the unwanted harmonics as well as adding to the brightness of the sound. So I lifted the bridge and put some fabric (a 2cm strip of bandage to be exact) between the bridge and the body of the bass, It's killed a fraction of the sustain but that's more than made up for by the pups anyway but more importantly it's taken just a fraction of top off the sound and deadened the unwanted harmonics. Will take it into the practice room soon, but I think I've solved it as far as I can (until my new DHA VT2-twin arrives of course) Thanks for your help all.

Through body stringing + Drive + playing behind the bridge = The only reason to do it really, IMO. Fun for a coupla minutes though.

[quote name='DHA' post='657532' date='Nov 17 2009, 09:58 PM']order direct please as the ebay costs are a pain. It's not on the website yet so you can still use paypal, just send the money to [email protected] and add a note about the BC offer. Dave[/quote] Sold!

I bought a 715x combo (500w 15" solid state) as my first amp two years ago and have come across the same problem, after tweaking the best sound I can get out of my bass the amp sounds best (not good) set flat. I'm hoping a pre-amp/modelling pedal will sort it for me (helpfully I have such a flat sound to work with) until I can upgrade but if you haven't spent the money yet...

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='651518' date='Nov 11 2009, 12:31 PM']Try getting someone else to play your bass without changing any settings on your bass or amp. If they 'click' too, maybe its your set up. Sounds like a mixture of techique issues and eq problems to me. Tough to say without hearing you play.[/quote] Had the same problem myself, on analysis I was 'hitting' the string rather than picking it. maybe check that your not playing the string 'inwards' towards the pickup instead of letting it vibrate up+down. you can dial off towards the high end of your eq to avoid the fretty sound, but you may still be betting an odd tone to the note people are hearing.

Little to add except that I'm in the same position of trying to advance my playing through the same stage, while in context, with the slight difference that I'm in a post-punk band with an [u]advanced[/u], and thankfully patient, guitarist. Root and fifth variations work, use octave shifts in the progressions for colour, don't forget that changes in your right hand position can add dynamics or a sense of movement and a well placed slide can give the impression of passing notes without worrying about the 'right' one to hit. Also listen the drummer to get a feel for if/where you can add rhythmic variation. I'll definitely be bookmarking this topic for the excellent advice offered, cheers all PS Oh, I am still learning the major modal shapes in my own time as an excercise, but I learn them as alternative fingering patterns rather than trying to apply them to songs. Letting them soak in rather than studying them I guess.

[quote name='DHA' post='655815' date='Nov 16 2009, 11:20 AM']The Vt2-Twin-EQ-Bass pedals are now shipping, some already with customers and others due out this week. The reduced cost VT2-Twin-Std-Bass is also now shipping and can be seen on ebay [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DHA-VT2-Twin-Std-Bass-2-channel-tube-overdrive-for-Bass_W0QQitemZ310182132184QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item48384bb9d8"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DHA-VT2-Twin-Std-Bas...=item48384bb9d8[/url] offer of £185 for BC members including P&P and power supply still stands for another week or two if ordered direct Dave[/quote] GAS. ordered direct through your site or the ebay store?

[quote name='ahpook' post='656876' date='Nov 17 2009, 12:21 PM']recorded many times wit the EBS best sound straight in i've had (missus !)[/quote] Have you recorded using the EBS valve emulation? It's one of the things I'm looking for until I can afford to upgrade my rig, cheers

I've heard that Sansamp fall short in studio situations, has anyone recorded with the EBS MicrobassII or DHA VT1? do you get the same quality or are they a live only tool? Does anyone know where I could trial a VT1, they look great but I'd like to hear one

The pre shape makes the low end on my precision hard to control and I get lost in the mix from the second G (fifth fret on the D string) to the next octave. At the moment I'm playing off an EQ with a slight boost in the lows/low mids and SD quarter pounders and it sounds good.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='648837' date='Nov 8 2009, 03:15 PM']The HW-1 P is Alder as far as i can tell (its no the Fender website). I assume this is a HW-one if it has a BAII although if its second hand it could be an older HW1 thats been upgraded. The HW-one's are well respected and are made in the USA, not Mexico (again, its on the Fender website). I believe the body and neck are shipped over form Mexico though but its all assembled in the USa, together with the electronics. I had a HW-One P and it sounded fantastic (to my ears). Could also be the amp. Are you trying to get a certain tone that a maybe larger rig is producing, if so the bass could be irrelevant (just a thought).[/quote] Cheers for clearing that up for me, and thanks for the advice everyone. It's a recent HWone, bought new three years ago. I've played through a bigger rig, a Trace Elliot through marshal 4x10, and it's a comparably brighter sound to my friends P played through the same rig on the same settings. I've got the setup giving a clear sound, with the action as low as I can without fret-buzz when playing hard. I'm including some pics of action, bridge, string positioning and headstock in case I'm doing something fundamental wrong. I've installed the new PUPs and rewired completely (pots, jack + cap) it has upped the output and given a rounder tone with a nice mid punch that's given me more confidence in the sound, but it's still lacking the resonance I'm chasing - amped or accoustically. I got scientific last night and compared the weight of my P against my friends and it's noticibly lighter with a lot less weight in the neck, could this contribute? Has anyone replaced a neck? Is it something I should even attempt or should I be heading off to the nearest recommended luthier (cheers for the list in the other post) thanks again