Ancient Mariner

[quote name='Mcgiver69' timestamp='1432247344' post='2779782'] There are no detailed reviews but here are some videos and make your own conclusions. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTpioN2g7Bg"]https://www.youtube....h?v=XTpioN2g7Bg[/url] [/quote] Proving every bass player really wants to be the guitarist.

Strings Direct sent me a replacement set. That's great service.

I've been a Newtone heritage convert, enjoying the lower string tension that has made acoustic OK to play, rather than both painful and lousy sounding. But it seems like nothing ever comes free, and the trade off has bee, in my case, lower quality strings. Set 1 - the wrap wore through much faster than other types I've used, considering how little I play acoustic, leaving frayed ends sticking out and gaps between intact sections of wrap. Set 2 - just got round to replacing set 1, and the G broke as I was stretching them in - I really wasn't pulling *that* hard. Any other users, anyone find similar things? I'm going to ask for a replacement G FOC.

I have a set of blacks on my (all black, ebony FB) Godin xtSA. Bought for the looks and hoped longevity, they do work OK in synth cntrol mode, but can sound distinctly plunky on the bottom E and A strings. I couldn't recommend them for standard electric use, but they're fine with synth and don't sound any worse than any other acoustic guitar when using the piezo in the bridge.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1437397217' post='2825589'] Was talking to an amp designer about this very thing yesterday... I relayed a few 'observations' from 'bass world' and he took on board a few things abouts cab as they/he don't market them as yet. But he was most interested in the class D thing and he obviously speaks to other amp makers and the conclusion was that marketing plays a huge part in all this. That, in itself, doesn't make it bad but you get what the driver is. Whether that is right in the pursuit of sound is down to the individual but his market is gtrs and he doesn't think they will be led by it. They all want lighter weight but not at the expense of their sound. I wouldn't have to tell him, but gtrs in general are far more discerning and knowledgable and anal than your average bass player about sound. In fact the bass player may well be lower down that chain than all the other muso's in the band... even than drummers..!! and IME...I'd agree with that. [/quote] Thing is, we (guitarists) have already been through the SS vs valves issue, and as you say guitarists are generally very demanding in their requirements for tone where the amp is a major part of our sound shaping, rather than just wanting something loud enough to make eyes cross. But the class D design is much less likely to cause us problems (other than being SS, which is already a loser) because generally we don't need the crazy amounts of power to drive our sound like bass players, and most of us aren't fussed about pristine crystal cleans.

Ah - managed not to understand, sorry. There's loads of preamps that you can whack in like that - have a look on axesRus and guitarfetish.

I'd probably suggest something like this, rather than an onboard amp: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Artec-band-Acoustic-EQ-Pedal/dp/B003R7MZX8"]http://www.amazon.co...l/dp/B003R7MZX8[/url] This also looks interesting if you want something you can control without bending down: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/schatten_design_mini_pre_acoustic_preamp.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...stic_preamp.htm[/url] Either way you'd have something that would save you having to reach into the soundhole to replace a battery at an inconvenient time (complete PITA). If that IS what you want then try this: http://www.axesrus.co.uk/Artec-Sound-Piezo-Pickup-with-Preamp-p/ab1.htm

Interesting to see what Douglas posted about Xavier. My thoughts reading the first few posts were for a thinline Tele with P90s or maybe filtertrons. Should be capable of giving the acoustic essence you're after and also with enough assistance for playing leads with authority. Another possibility would be to look for something with an acoustic bridge pickup (there's a Telecoustic for sale in the classifieds right now) which brings a new tonality and behaviour to a solid guitar. I mostly use a Godin xtSA these days, and often find myself using the acoustic bridge tone when I want something with a much wider sound than an electric.

Sounds good & like it was the right choice then. Strymon kit seems excellent, though I don't own any yet.

Bought a Mooer Trelicopter from Javier - pleasure to deal with - thanks feller.

[quote name='kristo' timestamp='1435669808' post='2811185'] Thanks for the tips. If I run my Martin acoustic (with K & K Pure Mini) into a clean bass amp I'm guessing an EQ pedal before would help a lot. I know the impedance of Boss EQ pedals matches the K & K's, but would I be better off with a bass EQ or guitar EQ? [/quote] Guitar EQ makes the most sense - you're likely to want to control the mids to ensure there's enough fullness without mud and to control the top end to prevent 'brain-darts'. If you have a bass EQ then no reason not to try that first.

Acoustic works best with a full-range setup, so as suggested, choosing something that doesn't colour the sound too much should work best.

This one isn't broken in yet, but seems nice and warm with big bass and warm mids. Doesn't have that tight, controlled bass of a G12H, but it's going to be better and richer in the mids. It's also really big, physically. The basket seems wider than a typical celestion and the magnet is also very large - it *just* fits inside the cab I've used, with the amp loaded back in after fitting. Played out with it Sunday - the wife thought it sounded really nice, so I think it's probably hit the spot.

That does look nice - the headstock appears to have some kind of satin finish on it, rather than being bare wood, though it's hard to tell from a small photo for sure. Differences between budget instruments and MIA Fender: the US instrument should have carefully selected timbers, much better hardware, a thinner finish, better pickups and electronics and be more consistently good in the customers hands. *Should have those things*. Some people find the instrument makes a big difference, while others barely notice. Some cheap guitars can still be excellent players, and hopefully this one will be great for you - HNGD.

About slimming that collection..... Just picked up an Eminence Swamp Thang to try out. To my surprise it didn't seem much louder than the greenback (well, actually a greyback) I swapped out, but it doesn't have that razor-edged high end and it does seem big & fat. I may have to add more highs this time - almost unheard of for me.

And that is entirely reasonable - I feel the same about the Godin Radiator.

I have an Alchemy. Some of the sounds aren't bad at all and it's been on my board as a univibe since Christmas. However the second time I played out with it I noticed a volume drop - quite sure that wasn't there the first time - and can't find a reason why it would do that now, but as a gift I can't return it.

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1434911631' post='2803803'] On the other hand, I couldn't count the number of times I've heard amps/cabs/pedals being tested or played around with, and the result is (to me...) exactly the same, whatever knob is tweaked or cab plugged in. Once it's distorted 'mush' (technical term...), it's distorted 'mush'. The fine nuances between a 'Wild Taurus' or 'Enraged Bear' compared to the 'Dying Rat' scape me. Whatever speaker come across as too harsh, I'd have thought that backing off the treble a tad might make it acceptable. Strange to think that the original 'disto' was literally slashed speaker cones. Question of taste, of course, and afficianado expertise, but the detail differences are not always so flagrant, imo. [/quote] Everyone's ears are different - I have the advantage or disadvantage of being fairly sensitive to tone, but for some everything sounds just the same. However if what you're hearing is mush then no amount of fiddling with speakers is likely to save it.

[quote name='sifi2112' timestamp='1434782140' post='2802718'] A while back I A/B'd my Bagend bass 212 cab against a dedicated guitar 110 cab .... Bagend say that this cab can not only be used for bass but also electric guitar .. Both me & our guitarist came to same conclusion ... Distorted / overdriven guitar sounded better through guitar cab .. it must be something to do with the speaker / cone construction etc. Cleans however did also sound nice through the bass cab and if my memory serves me well I think they sounded fuller (maybe bass freq are enhanced due to its design) but it was a 212 vs 110 so maybe not a fair comparison. I think it's speaker cone breakup which is key for a good driven guitar sound but let the experts out there correct [/quote] Guitar distortion/overdrive tone is very sensitive to the mids and highs in terms of how good it sounds, and people also seem to have a very varied range of ideas about what sounds good. When I'm playing there are only a few speakers I like the sound of distortion through, and I have a strong preference for alnico speakers. That's for a clean amp with overdrive or distortion pedals in front. Once you start pushing the speaker hard enough to breakup (and some are much earlier to breakup than others, plus some are great and some REALLY nasty) generally they sound better. Guitar speakers are very much part of the tone, and can make as big a difference as pickup type, but for most people that's a variable too many, and they'll generally just go with whatever the amp designer spec'd.

[quote name='Guinness21' timestamp='1434702592' post='2801927'] This is BASSCHAT, we don't want your guitar-playing kind around here - leave this place and never return! [/quote]

I had a righty in the 80s. Wanted to love it, but the pickups sounded bad and the maple fingerboard had a really sharp edge to it that gave me a sore left hand after an hour or so. Nostalgia isn't what it was. Replaced it with a Strat, and couldn't have been happier.

Not quite as big as the tone in vid 2, but a few weeks back I tried Crunchbox type distortion into a Rocktron Deep Blue chorus set slow, then digital delay - it was like "Hello 1980s" all over again. The dual amp tone is interesting, and I really appreciate the signal chain info.

Thanks - I'll have to try one sometime.