Conan

[quote name='The Burpster' post='962937' date='Sep 21 2010, 07:58 AM']The 'isnt quite right' option is a right bugger to find.[/quote] Quote of the week!!

[quote name='eubassix' post='962685' date='Sep 20 2010, 08:28 PM']"And if you finally do get to play a solo, everyone shall leave the bandstand and go to the bar for a drink."[/quote] What's a solo? Great stuff - thanks for posting!

I'm sure there will be lots of suggestions for very expensive gear, but if your budget is important and you don't need many features, and likem a clean but powerful sound - you can't go far wrong with the Hartle LH series (500 or 1000). Cabs wise, there seems to be a lot more choice in some ways, and it could be argued that these will have a greater effect on your overall sound... My own experience is limited in this field, but I'm sure others will be along soon to inform you better!

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='961525' date='Sep 19 2010, 08:22 PM']Don't get me wrong I'm just opening this up to debate, I already know what I am going to do. [/quote] Well tell us then!

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='961282' date='Sep 19 2010, 04:17 PM']The 500 is also double the weight of the OTB.[/quote] ...and would look very silly indeed perched on top of a midget. Er.....

Hartke LH500 or LH1000? Certainly does the clean sound, and has a pre-amp valve... Not exactly over-burdened with "features" though... Oh, and it ain't smaller either. Just forget I said anything!

[quote name='JTUK' post='961212' date='Sep 19 2010, 02:42 PM']Like it or don't like it...come or don't come.. that is my attitude to the audience.[/quote] Again, I see your point. But I have to say that I would rather play to full houses, even if it meant slightly compromising on my sound/tone/set-up. Obviously not so much "compromise" that I no longer felt comfortable mind! I guess its a kind of professional pride thing isn't it. If every band member sorts out their own stuff, then the band will sound as good as it possibly could. But does that work in reality? If, for example, the drummer buys a new kit and there is some kind of frequency clash with the bass sound - who should change? Should he re-tune his kit or should I re-EQ my sound? Or should we both say "sod you, this is MY sound and I ain't changing it!"?

[quote name='ikay' post='961070' date='Sep 19 2010, 12:03 PM']John Giblin played bass on Babooshka and the Annie Lennox one. Some more info about the basses and techniques he uses can be found here [url="http://bashkov2.narod.ru/giblin.htm"]http://bashkov2.narod.ru/giblin.htm[/url] (about half way down).[/quote] Thanks for that Giblin link! I love his playing, but for some reason it's really difficult finding information about him....

[quote name='JTUK' post='961091' date='Sep 19 2010, 12:26 PM']Shouldn't matter...nobody knows better what tone I am after than I do. And I would think most players know what they want from an instrument, be it saxes, harps, etc etc[/quote] True, but as we all know, the tone that [i]we[/i] hear when stood up on the stage can be very different to the one that the punters hear. This begs the question, do we play for our own personal satisfaction or for that of the audience and/or other band members? Are the two mutually exclusive?

[quote name='chris_b' post='961051' date='Sep 19 2010, 11:45 AM']I'd use the bass that feels and plays the best and then get your sound out of the EQ. I think that most higher quality gear will get the tone you want out of any bass.[/quote] Good point. It would be interesting to hear from the people who preferred the sound of the PRS to explain or try to quantify [i]exactly[/i] what they preferred about it, and if the difference is something that you can allow for with EQ then you get the best of both worlds... It's a dilemma I'd love to have - which of my top-end basses sound best through my top-end rig!

Remember that Alex has a one month free trial option, so if you buy one from him and don't get on with it for any reason, we will take it back for the cost of shipping (usually about £25). You could even think of it as £25 to hire a cab for a month.... Oops, did I say that out loud?

It's definitely a difficult one! If you think your playing and desire to play is going to suffer by using the bass that sounds better but plays worse... then that's a bad thing and I would stick with the better player that sounds less good. I guess it depends upon just [i]how[/i] different the playability is and just [i]how[/i] different the tones are. If the only people who notice the difference are friends/family and other bass players - then most audiences won't notice anything at all! There are possibly two conflicting angles here... one is that [i]knowing[/i] you have a killer tone can make you more confident in what you play and therefore enjoy it more. The other is that if your bass feels good in your hands and makes you [i]want[/i] to play, then you enjoy it more... Maybe the secret is compromise? Does the PRS feel less playable because it is poorer quality or just because you're not used to it? Would more practice with this bass allow you to feel more confident/happy with it? If the answer is "yes", then I think the problem has solved itself. For me personally, I'd be inclined to go with the bass that makes the band sound best - as long as I didn't have to really struggle with it...

Plenty of second-hand Trace Elliot gear around! It's as heavy as a b@stard but delivers great tone and volume for a low price. Try the amps and cabs for sale thread on here.... or even (God forbid!) E-Bay!!

[quote name='thunderbird13' post='959537' date='Sep 17 2010, 03:03 PM']I'm taking a guess here does NSFW mean Not Safe For Watching [/quote] Not Safe For WORK usually.....

[quote name='Chris2112' post='959523' date='Sep 17 2010, 02:54 PM']There was a good thread on Giblin just a couple of weeks ago, it turned out that a lot of what I thought was Giblin with Kate Bush was actually someone else! (namely on Wuthering Heights!)[/quote] Maybe, but there's plenty of great Giblin stuff with John Martyn and Fish!

[quote name='Golchen' post='959155' date='Sep 17 2010, 09:42 AM']It's a good point, but I'd hate a day without coming across the girl in the pink bikini (ooer!!!!!)[/quote] Oh yes indeed.... JTUK's avatar isn't it?

[quote name='Raggy' post='959189' date='Sep 17 2010, 10:21 AM']Only that I know Alex does not make the Vintage any more [/quote] I didn't know that. I wonder why?

Thanks for that!! Brilliant. Love that bass tone and groove - always have, although I never knew the guy's name... :blush: The drum stuff is really cool too - I wonder if that's where Tony Levin got his "funk fingers" idea from? :brow: BTW, what's that bass he's using? I can't quite read the headstock - is it a Shadowski?! Oops! Sorry, just re-read the OP!!

[quote name='largo' post='957260' date='Sep 15 2010, 03:03 PM']What ! It's only a couple of months since I had the "new" Tour Compact and then purchased a cab on the back of that. You telling me it's out of date already ........ (wonder if I'm within my month's trial still)[/quote] Maybe the new one's got carpet covering...

[quote name='tonyf' post='956772' date='Sep 15 2010, 12:23 AM']In terms of whereabouts, who's got it now? Really keen to get my hands on the Compact to see how it sounds.T[/quote] Dunno if Alex would like to jump in here... I have the current touring Compact. I brought it down from Edinburgh just over a week ago and used it last week at rehearsal. I plan to do the same this evening and then pass it on to Water Of Tyne. Alex then plans to collect this particular cab as there is a "new improved" version that will be taking it's place on tour! I am not sure who that "new" cab will be sent out to. Who's on the list after WoT? (Edit - I guess that would be "bassfunk" in Manchester). Hmmmm.... just had a thought. I wonder if the current one might be for sale....

[quote name='Protium' post='953122' date='Sep 11 2010, 08:34 PM']The 8ohm issue is worrying me too, as my amp classes as "totally weedy" according to the website. Good marketing there [/quote] True. And as two Compacts comes in at nearly a grand... it's an expensive way of getting the full 300 "Ashdown" watts out of it! Question for Alex - would it be difficult or inadvisable to market a 4 ohm option on the Compact?

[quote name='razze06' post='906915' date='Jul 27 2010, 12:01 PM']The handle on the compact is nice and simple and balances well. The metal corners could have been more flush with the sides, and the screws that hold them in place would have been better flat-headed. The rubber feet are a very nice touch, and I personally like both the logo and the silver cloth grille.[/quote] Totally agree with Marco on these points. The quality of construction is great, but a few of the details of the finish do slightly let the package down IMO. Having tried the previous touring Compact I think I prefer the metal grille plate to the "Fender-style" cloth (which could also be a bit tighter...). The painted coating on the cab is a bit "slippery", so you may need a non-slip mat or something to stop the amp being accidentally pulled off the top... Anyway, I used the Compact with my LH500 at rehearsals on wednesday evening. I enjoyed the sound a lot, and the best thing of all is that my 12 year old son could carry the cab in one hand into the studio!! How cool is that?! Once it was set up, it did look a bit small compared to the Ashdown stack that I am used to (No sh*t, Sherlock!) but the sound soon showed that size does not matter. Punchy but deep. Rounded and warm. Smooth but biting. Clear but raunchy... It certainly brought the mid-range to the fore far more than the 410s do, which was nice as I like a rather "mid-heavy" tone. Volume wise, it had no problem at all - even though at 8 ohms the amp would only be putting out around 300w. It would be great if the Compact was available as a 4ohm version as well. Our keyboard player (who is also a sound engineer) was very impressed with the sound. The guitarist thought the tone was great, and cut through well - but as he put it, he could "hear me, but not feel me". Which I take to mean that some of the real low end was missing. Not sure I agree with him, but he's entitled to his opinion I guess! If nobody minds (I think WoT is next in line) I'd like to use that cab again this wednesday as we try to nail some new tracks. The style of music, BTW, is mostly eighties rock and "hair-metal" kinda thing (Van Halen, Winger, etc), so fairly straightforward bass lines that really need to cut through and provide a sound foundation to the guitars and keys. So, all in all, a great cab that does exactly what it says on the tin. One or two minor drawbacks (finish quality and 8ohm impedance chiefly), but it's main advantage is it's mass. I just can't believe how light it is! And that quality pretty much outweighs the minor niggles.