Conan

Hmmmm. I watched the video. Twice in fact! But I'm still a little confused about their use of the term "sweet spot". All you are doing is adjusting the actual output signal level of the tonepump aren't you? Or am I missing something? Having the output at its highest setting might cause some distortion of your preamp I guess, and having the trim set at its lowest value will mean a quiet output from the bass that would entail turning the gain upon the amp. But is there anymore to it than this? Are we simply talking about matching the output of your Spector bass to the output(s) of your other bass(es)? I think I must be missing something here! Also, it is my understanding that the Tonepump only [i]boosts[/i] bass and treble - whereas that video talks about boost [b]and cut[/b] of the two frequencies...

Just had a very pleasant visit to Si's palatial abode in leafy Smogland... I left my BF Vintage and came away with his Compact and some UK currency. An extremely easy deal with a lovely guy who has some very nice basses with some exceedingly old strings on 'em! Highly recommended

Try your Geddy first!!

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1369768904' post='2092604'] Watch the f***in' video - that's what I posted it for! [/quote] I was saving the video until I had the bass.... don't want to jinx it or something - you know what these couriers can be like!! Then all will be revealed...

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1369756230' post='2092374'] Do you know if the one you've just bought has the Tonepump with the volume trim control or not? [/quote] No idea I'm afraid. It has been owned by a couple of basschatters to date, but that is a question I haven't asked. When it arrives, where would I find the trim pot? Is it external or in the control cavity?

I totally misread the thread title...

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1369744607' post='2092188'] I love the Tonepump circuit, I think it sounds fantastic... it just sounds great as it is. [/quote] Now [i]that's[/i] what I wanted to hear!

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1362470726' post='2000058'] I've never played a Spector. In a nutshell, what am I missing? [/quote] Heh heh! Not for long! I've just pulled the trigger on a Euro 4LX on here, so within the next 48 hours I should be able to answer my own question!! One thing that does confuse me slightly is the talk about the active preamps. There doesn't seem to be much love for the Spector Tone Pump. Why is that? I can see the advantage of the EMG systems (particularly the ones with the midrange controls) as presumably they are highly compatible with their own pickups; but what do people see (or hear) as the shortcomings of the TP circuit?

Ad bought a Roland MicroCube guitar amp for me (well, from my son to be accurate!). Great comms and prompt payment made in faith. What's not to like? Highly recommended!

[quote name='DogHammer' timestamp='1369394248' post='2088662'] Am I being a bit tight and funny? or should I have been consulted? [/quote] No and yes respectively. As others have said, if they were inexperienced they may just have assumed it was the house rig. If not, they need to sort their manners and attitudes out! I will normally let others use my gear if they ask, but if they didn't ask I would stop them and remove my gear from the stage. If they haven't bothered to bring their own - that's their problem. I would also take a look at the organisers too, who should have made the situation known to all bands beforehand!

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1369382296' post='2088493'] Sounds very flatwound to my ears [/quote] Mine too. And if that's a Jazz, it is very much played on the neck pickup I would say...

Great stories!! That Tom guy should write for a magazine!! Oh, er... wait...

[quote name='Ziphoblat' timestamp='1369274696' post='2087259'] Mids are grossly over-rated on this forum. If it sounds good, who's complaining? [/quote] Maybe.... but mids are often the key to sounding "good" - certainly in a band/stage scenario. Recording and home practice are different things altogether.

Good stuff! Possibly a bit reminiscent of some early Matt Johnson stuff, but still very original. I like it

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1369303893' post='2087444'] it's worth trying it with the midrange on 10 and the bass and treble dialled back well below halfway. [/quote] I have mine set with mids on 10, bass and treble both set at between 2 and 3. The "brite" switch pretty much removes the need to boost treble, but more bass can be added if necessary. It is rather counter-intuitive, but as the manual says - it is hard to find an unusable sound!

IME the LH500 is a massively powerful amp, but it is very clean. Maybe you are more used to hearing a slightly "coloured" (i.e. distorted) sound from your Peavey? Sounds like you are comparing apples and pears - although I have no experience of the Warwick cabs, I guess that they are higher quality than the Peaveys, so again you will hear a cleaner sound that is more transparent... It is also very hard to describe sounds in words! I would give the 500 a chance. The volume control on the LH500 is a bit strange too. It seems to make very little difference to the volume you hear until you hit about 6... then even a small increase make the sound MUCH louder! Not sure why this should be, but it takes a bit of getting used to!