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Just acquired an MB2 500. Can't quite get my head round the fact that something so small and light can produce such powerful bass Had a quick play with it and it sounds great (Ric bass and Ashdown cabs), so +several thousand to all posts in praise of this mighty atom.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='810693' date='Apr 18 2010, 08:37 PM']However... it isn't a lightweight amp in the sense that some of the latest digital/switching amps are lightweight! [/quote] Yeah, it says about 10kgs on the spec sheet, but still about half the weight of the current beast. 3kgs sounds like heaven to me though

As I'm getting a bit old and knackered the time has come to sell (reluctantly) my trusty HA5500 to replace it with something a bit more portable . I've been looking at the lw threads with interest but the price of some the stuff is on the high side for my budget (e.g. the LM3 which sounds great), plus at the end of the day I know I'm not going to win any bass playing competitions I just like to chug along in the groove and enjoy playing - strictly no slapping, it just doesn't look right when you're pushing 50 I play in a rock band with two guitars so need the 500W or so on offer from the HA5500 to make my presence felt and ruffle hair and trousers. Have any of you encoutered the Carvin BX500 or the Hartke LM500 in your travels, more my budget really and both getting a decent write up in BGM. I like the tone I get from the HA5500 and having taken up Larry's offer to phone him, had a very enjoyable 20 minute conversation with him about all kinds of bass stuff so feel a bit of brand loyalty so please don't tell me it's pants. Interested to hear views. Thanks

Hi people Please excuse my ignorance on this but I am seriously consdering an LM amp due to the great reviews feedback etc and in particular the light weight! I currently use two cabs, a 2x10 and a 1x15. I notice from the images of the rear panel that the LM2 and LM3 have one jack socket and one combined speakon/jack socket. Are these mutually exclusive of can I plug one cab into each? Probably really obvious but I don't want to spend my hard earned only to be disappointed. I look forward to your collective wise words and advice! Thanks A

One knowing Basschatter made an excellent suggestion to me when I was in a similar position - that was to seek out a used Spector. I got myself a Spector Legend 4 for less than your budget and have never had a single regret! Alain

Good morning all I'm hoping some kind person can give me a steer on this. I've just bought a Hartke box from another kind Basschatter and am now looking for the best way to use it. I've seen the couple of examples in the user's guide but there are a couple of things I'm not clear about. Firstly, exactly what is a balanced output as opposed to, presumably, an unbalanced output (wouldn't it be great if the opposite was unhinged! )? Can you plug the balanced output into an amp? And finally I notice that a number of you good folk have the HBA pedal last in the chain - is this the best way to string pedals together. My modest collection is a tuner, an octaver, a distortion pedal and a chorus/flanger. In the Hartke guide it gives an example of creating an effects loop around the Hartke pedal but this only leaves the balanced output to go anywhere hence the question above. I would really appreciate any views, advice, experiences etc that you people can share with me. Many thanks Alain

Thanks fellas, most enlightening. Personally I've yet to pick up a Warwick, but I do enjoy my Spector Legend, modestly priced model though it is! Alain

Pardon me for my ignorance in these matters but I notice the NS bases produced by Spector look very similar to some of the Warwick range. I presume Mr Steinburger had something to do with Warwick at some stage. Did the Spector come first and what is the story please? Alain

Hi all I've just had a shiny new Yamaha catalogue through the door and couldn't help but notice the new AIR bases. Has anybody tried one at all, either 4 or 5 string? I think they look the part but wonder if the performance matches the hype... Alain

[quote name='Maxcat' post='203384' date='May 21 2008, 12:02 AM']Cant get her to stop asking why do you want 6 basses when you can only play one at a time tho. Bless [/quote] Have you considered the "well you've only got 2 feet why do you need 28 pairs of shoes" argument? I tried it once...won't make that mistake twice.

[quote name='tauzero' post='202866' date='May 20 2008, 02:15 PM'][1] Why do they still get called "babysitters" when the baby in question is 12?[/quote] ...they still get called babysitters when the baby is 15, is about 6ft, plays rugby in the back row of the scrum and gives his (6ft3) Dad a hard time in "mock" Dad/Son battles for supremacy! I think referee would be a better description for this age group! Alain

I have no complaints about my wife of 22+ years. She tollerates the bass playing although she prefers it when I play the violin! We (the family) have taken over her dining room and turned it into a music room with my bass gear, my son's drum kit & tuned percussion plus a piano and assorted violins. She will come to gigs despite not being into the heavier rock music I am bless her and harbours an urge to learn the sax. I have been trying to convince her that the 23rd Wedding Aniversary is the Rickenbacker Anniversary, but she said it's not listed as such on the tea towel (note to self - consider knocking up a list of suitable bass anniversaries). Anyway she's lovely and I wouldn't swap her for anybody! Alain

[quote name='paul, the' post='200893' date='May 17 2008, 09:36 AM']I think if you had been literal, that would have been a very good excuse to buy the bass.[/quote] Damn, didn't think of that! Was very tempted to make an offer, but I would have been hung, drawn and quatered when I got home with it. And then the really bad stuff would have started! Alain

Firstly I think that your girl friend is to be roundly applauded, placed on a pedestal and perhaps held up as an example to all womankind of a loving and supportive partner prepared to make sacrifices for GAS afflicted bassists worldwide. I got a cheepie Yamaha RBX270F (lined) to see if I could cope with a fretless bass and once I had the fretboard reprofiled and fitted proper strings, it plays and sounds pretty good (when played by people that can play bass properly that is)! The whole project cost me £160 so quite chuffed really. Now finding it hard to justify upgrading as fretless bass playing is definitely something I want to keep on with. Alain

Hi all With Soundcontrol in some financial disarray, I popped into the Manchester (Salford) branch yesterday to do some bargain hunting. I came across (not literally you understand) a Spector 5-string bass of USA manufacture in Cherry burst I think they call it. Looked gorgeous - I think I successfully managed to wipe all my drool off it before replacing it. They were quoting £3k for it but I reakon they will negotiate...however still too rich for me sadly, I'll just keep on keeping on with Legend 4. A few nice Warwicks too for those of that persuasion. Alain

[quote name='thedarxide' post='185902' date='Apr 26 2008, 01:26 PM']Well I've mentioned the weight but I'd say it's actually quite comfortable. It's less uncomfortable than playing a thunderbird, it's nicely balanced. It's very playable, the necks are very chunky which i like, a good D sized profile. The low B is very nice, I've had some 5 strings where it hasn't felt like part of the rest of the guitar, tension feel and tone have all been off but this is consistent. The instrument quality on mine is fine, but I know they have been hit and miss. Common account is a the jack socket hole, which could have been sanded better but then I tend not to look down it Looking like a prat..... well, I play mine with a leopard print strap. If the bass was bright pink I'd be set Mine was well worth the £200 ish I paid, not seen anything similar. There is another German company offering similar guitars but they do different configurations of neck.[/quote] You could set that look off nicely with some luminous green trousers I think! Final question if I'm not bugging you too much. I notice there was some talk earlier about buying similar bases in Lancaster, and you mention another German alternative...do you know which companies/websites and are they all manufactured in the same place in the far east do you think? Found an intersting clip on youtube of some dude playing both necks at once - I think I'd get beaten up if I tried that at rehersals!! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW-EsrNl7yk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW-EsrNl7yk[/url] Thanks again for all your help Alain

[quote name='thedarxide' post='185567' date='Apr 25 2008, 08:42 PM']*Very* It's a one-two song instrument. Personally would have preferred the fretless on top, as it takes more pressure to fret and it can be uncomfortable reaching round the lower neck. The sound across the necks is very consitent however, alkthough there is a noticable volume drop with both necks on, so you have to be quick with the switch. depends what you're playing I guess.[/quote] Umm..food for thought. I have tended to use either my fretted (Spector Legend 4) or fretless (RBX270F) bass in gigs and we (the band) have tried to arrange sets to minimise guitar swapping by any of us so this bass looked like a good solution - plus having a low B. However what you describe is rather cooling off the GAS fervour even though the finance committee has reluctantly Okayed it! Any other pros and cons that I should take into consideration bearing in mind I'm not an expert bassist (intermediate I think is about right). I've only been playing about 3 years but before was a violinist so not scared of unlined fretless instruments, in fact I think playing a fretted bass has actually made me a bit lazy about listening to my intonation if anything. I suppose my concerns, in no particular order, are weight/comfort, playability, instrument quality and looking like a prat! Any advice you could offer based on your experience would be most welcome. Thanks very much for your guidance so far too!. Cheers Alain

OK thanks for the reassurance. Just out of interest how heavy are these instruments to dangle around you neck? I've a nice broad padded Overwater strap (only thing I could afford of theirs) so I hope that will even out the pressure a bit. Cheers Alain