cureswhatailsye

I played a MAG210 combo with an ABM 15 underneath and it was seriously loud. Did me well for 5 years, had a service every year. The pots got a bit fuzzy. For the money they're great through! Got me an eden now so a very happy bunny!

Hi everyone, Just took delivery of an Eden WTX500 after a 6 month wait. Not many reviews of this little baby around so thought I'd feed back about it. I got tired of lugging a big ashdown rig around for 5 years and bought this on a slight whim, as I couldn't track one down to try out! (Having lusted after Eden gear since I was a bright eyed teen working in the Brum Bass Centre) [url="http://www.eden-electronics.com/products/amps/indiv/wtx500.aspx"]http://www.eden-electronics.com/products/a...div/wtx500.aspx[/url] Price paid= £569 new (from the Bass Centre) Its a great little head, but apparently they've stopped making them since David Eden left. [b]First the tech specs: [/b] Front end consists of 7 pots, (with push/pull functions making them multi function)= Gain (pull for 12db pad) Enhance (pull to bypass built in gain compressor) - this is a really cool scoop effect basically... boosts very low bass, upper middle and highs while scooping low middles (a similar but more punchy effect than the NE-1 EQ pedal) Bass EQ - standard 30Hz +/- 15dB (pull for the bass boost - this is seriously cool, uses something called a Fletcher-Munson curve to fill out the very bottom, so the tone is seriously fat even at low levels. Unlike the bass boosts on some amps, the effect is lessened as volume increases, making tone consistent as your up the volume) Mid EQ - a choice (push/pull) of 550hz and 2.2khz High EQ - standard 2KHz =/- 15dB (pull for post eq send on the on board DI) + Input jack, effects send and return jacks, stereo aux input jacks, tuner out, mute button, clip light On the back= D.I out Optional footswitch input (for mute toggle and enhance circuit bypass) Ground lift D.I level control Headphone jack 2 jack speaker outs 1 speakon out Power rating= 280W @ 8Ohms/ 500W @ 4Ohms Other cool features: passive cooling system which, if the amp overheats, will reduce the output without cutting the DI or eq, until the unit cools back down. [b]What I think:[/b] (I've tried with a fretted TRB4 and a fretless V, and paired up with a GS112) - I play: Jazz, soul, blues, pop and shows My first impressions of the sound of this were the amazing clarity and fat bottom end. I don't think I'll ever be disengaging the bass boost, because it gives such amazing bottom end, while retaining clarity at the top. Where the EQ section is concerned, a little goes a very long way! I have basically left the EQ flat and gone with the enhance control to get my sound. Apart from a little mid tweak here and there, i haven't even needed the rest of the EQ so far. The on board compressor is good for tight, punchy fingerstyle, and level of compression is set with the gain pot. Higher compressions gives a great slap tone, when you fiddle the enhance knob up slightly. In terms of volume, I've only run this at 280W, which filled a 400 seater theatre behind a very loud big band, with output at about 1 o'clock, so its ample for me. I would love to hear it with a partner for my lonely GS112 (any offers?). I got a load of comments after the gig about how nice it sounded, and the drummer was especially impressed (always a good sign). I am yet to use the D.I but will post on it when I've tried it out. [b]My conclusions[/b] Having only ever owned fairly low end gear this is a serious step up. However, I have played through a fair few amps and this licks anything I've tried. I've read reviews saying the Little Mark is better, but I haven't tried one so can't comment. The only con I can find is that this thing is so small, I'm scared of breaking it, or getting it nicked at a gig, and it needs a sturdy case to carry it around. Hope this is helpful if anyone is considering. Nick

My hand hurts after playing Lessons in Love...but its wicked. Just a thought... Although the camp for super scoop for slap is significant, a little low mids will help you cut, sometimes if you have a separate signal path for slap which sounds great soloed, it'll disappear completely without any mids. (or get a Yamaha NE-1 parametric EQ, set it to 12o'clock and you're good to slap senseless)

[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='664063' date='Nov 24 2009, 05:37 PM']Randy was a let down, and I was really looking forward to that performance, but everything else was great. I tried so many basses it was hard to decipher them all. GB Spitfire my fav, followed by the Everson range... massively surprised by how well they played and at £800 a piece they blew the socks off a few 2k plus priced basses I played that day!!![/quote] I felt a bit bad for Randy, he's obviously a great player, but if you're not a soloist, and have to come up with somethin to play on bass and drums what you gonna do eh? He's clearly more of a solid workhorse player than a virtuosic soloist. Was a bit disappointed though, thought he might have prepared a bit of something. As for: [quote name='pantherairsoft' post='664063' date='Nov 24 2009, 05:37 PM']I'll be there next year. I may even practice my slap as well to make up for the lack of slap bass around ;-)[/quote] Feel free to join the winge [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=68315&st=0"]here[/url]

Man this thread has turned into a bit of a war. I feel bad now. I was just surprised having never been before. But I agree with GreeneKing, it was a minor headache, but unavoidable, and the shows and clinics were great, Nathan's been my hero since I was a nipper, so it made up for it. Lets spread the love...subjectivity is what the arts are all about eh?!

[quote name='OldGit' post='663203' date='Nov 23 2009, 09:35 PM']This seems to be a wider discussion about why people seem compelled to slap like slappers in shops and on trade stands. That's not a crticism of the BassDay organisers just a comment on human nature.[/quote] Yeah, I seem to have opened a significant can of bassy worms here. It was my first bass day, and wanted to make a bit of an observation...I thought the whole thing was amazing, I guess its just the guitarist in us all slipping out when a public platform appears!

Yeah, if I go next year I'm definitely taking some filters, my ears were in a state by the end...particularly after Randy Hope Taylor...too loud. Yolanda was great I thought, some good advice given. I liked the band educationals on the boom stage also. I thought it was a shame that there was no way of really trying anything out properly...I wasn't gonna spend £1500 on a bass when I could only try it in the loudest room in Manchester.

Sir Duke...Stevie. Been running it over in my head for days and days since I learned it. A good way of cementing your transcriptions.

Run Run Rudolph...bluesy Xmas number right there.

Hi everyone, I had a great time at Bassday UK yesterday, my particular highlights being Nathan East, Maurizio Rolli and Poogie Bell Band. I wanted to see if anyone else noticed anything about the trade stands, in that I'm not sure I noticed anyone playing anything with fingers or a pick all day? I have nothing against slap (one of my favourite bass lines: Freddie Washington on 'Forget Me Nots'), and I know that everyone has their favourite "shop licks", having worked in a bass shop. However, after 7 hours milling about, I was thoroughly confused ( and in a small amount of ear related pain). Surely if you're trying to demo a bass, you want to show your customers its full palette (sp?) of sounds? Anyway...just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this thoroughly gripping issue! Ta.

[quote name='arsenic' post='661094' date='Nov 21 2009, 03:30 PM']Brum used to be one of the best places for music shops in my youth....Musical Exchange was on Broad Street, Woodroffes was in Dale End, Yardleys was on Snow Hill.....Oh how times have changed.[/quote] I agree...my first job was in the Bass Centre in Snow Hill, up until it closed in 2003...a dream job for a 16 year old...spent all day playin on £2000 basses and Eden amps...shame its gone!

All right now - Free Feel like makin love - Bad Company Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd....however you spell it All three chord wonders...no problems

I used to have a 70s P and A Mex J, and the problem was that because it was so much easier to play (for me anyway), I used to gig the jazz, and the precision which cost me 5x as much sat in the case unplayed...whenever I've had more than one, I just end up playing the nicest to play, so now just stick with one! As for an amp...definitely worth the investment. A decent £50 bass through a nice amp will sound great, but a £10,000 bass through a £50 amp would most likely be less than pleasant. Lets start a one bass only club! Cheers guys

Hello all, Sayin hi as a new member from Birmingham. Play functions with 7 piece soul band, playing Big Band with MYJO, do a lot of rehearsal and gig depping, and generally whatever bits of jazz, soul and RnB I can get! Rely solely on my trusty Yamaha TRB1004 (as a very skint student, cannot afford a stack of basses, and this one does me just fine), paired up with recent investment of Eden WTX500 through an Aguilar GS112 (soon to have a twin brother!) Favourite living players: Nathan East/Jimmy Haslip/Pino (Can't wait to see Nathan tomorrow!) Cheers guys.