discreet

10 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

I'd say if it's impossible to get a useable tone the amp itself may need a service. It's old gear, chances are it could have been thrashed by someone previously, dropped, left in a damp garage for ten years, etc. While not everyone loves the classic trace tone there still should be a good acceptable place to be found in the EQ options.

Good point - the combo I just picked up had been recently serviced. It does smell like a church however, which is a bit unsettling. But it sounds just great. Took it to rehearsal last night and listened to the recordings this morning - the bass is round, warm, punchy and articulate. You wouldn't know it's a Trace combo just by listening. But it does have a dual-band compressor, which fattens things up no end...

7 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Well, no - the scooped bit comes with pre-shape 1.  Without engaging that the eq can be most things for most people, I guess - I just happen to really like pre-shape 1   Which makes Life pretty straightforward for me. 

Yes, that's kind of what I meant. I think some people (not you) think that all you need to do is press that preshape button then overload the EQ circuit by maxing out the graphic sliders  - then (unsurprisingly) they don't like the resulting sound and think Trace amps are no good. Like most things worth doing the Trace EQ needs time spending on it. Trace is NOT 'instant gratification' gear.  Totally agree that Trace can be all things to all people - if it is addressed with an open mind.

What I particularly like is the slam - I'm no techie but I believe this has something to do with the way the power stage works. That big iron round thing is involved.  The fact that they are reliable doesn't hurt, either.

11 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Well, I completely acknowledge that I am in a small minority but I much prefer a mid-scooped sound.  It doesn't cut through like a mid-boost but it is gentler and gives the tone that I am looking for that underpins the rest of the band without being too prominent .  I hate those tuba-like honky noises that some sound engineers produce at some venues - sounds like a flock of geese passing overhead.  I found the Rumble too middy and punchy - the very things that most folk are looking for.  I was also looking for light and loud and, for me, it wasn't quite light or loud enough.  But that is just me.

Fair enough, but Trace doesn't necessarily mean a mid-scooped sound. There is a huge db range available on the graphic EQ, and very small movements can equate to very big changes in overall sound. I think people imagine that because the physical movement of the graphic sliders is quite small, they're not important, somehow. And I found the Rumble can have a lot of low end - if you want it. But then I don't play that loud live.

15 minutes ago, Roger2611 said:

I spray a tiny amount of silicon spray onto a cloth and wipe the back of the neck, it cures the problem instantly...

Good call, but I have a thing about minimising bass-related clutter. Plus, I'd probably forget to do it at a crucial moment. 

9 minutes ago, musicbassman said:

I think a small tin of Vaseline might be quicker and less demanding...

Compared with groupies? Definitely.

*SOLD* Fender Rumble 500 V3 Combo + HotCovers Padded Cover + Fender USA Metal Logo

• Model: Fender Rumble™ 500 (V3) Combo
• Amplifier: Solid State/Class-D
• Colour: Black and Silver
• Controls: Gain, Bright/Contour/Vintage Presets, Drive/Level, Bass, Low-Mid, High-Mid, Treble, Master
• Effects Loop: 1/4" - (Send/Return)
• Inputs: 1/4" Jack; Aux In 3.5mm Stereo; 1/4" Overdrive Footswitch (not included)
• Outputs: XLR with Ground Lift; Headphones 3.5mm Stereo
• Voltage: 230V UK/EUR
• Wattage: 500W RMS @ 4 ohms (with Ext Cab), 350W RMS @ 8 ohms (Internal)
• Speakers: 2 X 10" Eminence Ceramic Magnet, Compression Tweeter, Twin Ports, Cloth Grille (removable)
• Cab Material: 12mm Baltic Ply, Black Tolex, Chrome-Nickel Corner Protectors
• Handle: Moulded Plastic Strap with Chrome-Nickel Plated Caps
• Controls: Vintage-Style Radio
• Dimensions: 23" X 19" X 14" (59 X 49 X 36cm) HWD
  
   
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I'm sure you know all about these! But my band is quiet and has a quiet drummer - this amp is simply overkill for what we're doing. At gigs I'm running it more quietly than I do for practice at home! So, very reluctantly, up for grabs is this pristine Fender Rumble 500 Combo PLUS a fitted HotCovers padded cover (with cable pocket), PLUS a genuine Fender USA metal blackface amp logo upgrade (fitted). I really want to keep it - it's one of the best gigging combos I've had - but I simply can't afford to have two gigging rigs on the go if I'm not using one of them, and that's all there is to it. The combo is in excellent working and cosmetic order - like new, basically.
  
  I'm looking for £340 FIRM, which will include the HotCovers padded cover (£50 value), Fender USA blackface amp metal logo upgrade (imported and fitted - £30 value) and postage to mainland UK via an appropriate method. I will send the buyer an ETA and tracking information. Combo will be very well-packed. Payment is via bank transfer, please. My feedback is here. If you want to try before you buy do cash on collection, price will be £320. I'm in SE London near the A205 South Circular. Here's a precis of my original review:
  
  "...All you need do is set everything flat, plug in, switch on, and there it is - that great bass sound you have in your head. And the louder you turn it up, the more natural compression you seem to get - everything gets tighter and punchier somehow - just like an all-valve amp. It's very warm-sounding and organic, and it's difficult to get a bad sound out of (it also has 3.5mm sockets for Aux In and Headphones, both stereo, for silent practise - bonus).
  
  The Class-D amp sounds excellent and even though you're getting 'only' 350W maximum without an extension cab, this combo easily handles medium to large rooms on its own. It's LOUD. With an extension cab, you'd get more headroom, certainly a lot more beans and you could play any room. Or at least up to the size of room that would surely have a PA, at which point the issue becomes moot. I think Fender have done their homework very well indeed, which would explain why these combos are shifting rapidly by the container-load.
  
  It's light, it's loud, it's affordable and it sounds great - it's a premium brand and the retro design is on-trend. What more d'you want?"
  Weight: 36lbs (16.3kg)
  
  So there you have it. Take advantage of the fact I play in a quiet band and get in quick, before I change my mind! I thank you!
  
  Now SOLD, thanks.

I used rounds for decades, discovered flats, enjoyed them immensely, but after about ten years I'm now back with rounds. Obviously they aren't as slick, but I counter this by playing for hours every day and thus have developed huge pads of hard skin on my fingers. The issue I get at sweaty gigs is my left hand sticking to the back of the neck, but found that judicious use of a Scotchbrite pad makes the neck silky and satiny smooth. Next!

1 hour ago, Paul S said:

Tone is very subjective.  For me getting a decent tone out of an old Trace Elliot is easy - eq flat, pre-shape one engaged, adjust the balance for boominess depending upon the room - job done.

When you said you preferred a Trace over a V3 Rumble I thought you were nuts. But now, I'm really not so sure...

1 minute ago, stewblack said:

flip me that is a pornographic picture.

Too right, I took it wearing only pants.

15 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Now that they’ve done drums, I wonder if they’ll do other instruments 🤞.

Hope they don't do bass. Bass players are pure lame bro.

8 hours ago, TheGreek said:

I had hoped to pick up the Transit unit to mate with the Elf ( lots of little puppies) in the hope that I'd get something resembling an original Trace tonal palette. Still waiting to hear from others whether this a reality.

You know, I doubt it, as the new Trace stuff just isn't like the old Trace stuff... I could be wrong, though.   Meanwhile, this just arrived...

5 hours ago, Steve Browning said:

I have had the great pleasure of playing with Dave Mattacks. If you are in West Sussex he occasionally surfaces around Worthing playing with Bob Brookes and Miller Anderson.

Wow! You are now officially a leg-end and I am filled with great pulsating lumps of envy! It's a real eye- (and ear-) opener when you get to play with a drummer of that calibre. Nice work.

I acquired a TE combo quite recently and found it difficult to get the sound I wanted from it. But with perseverance I got there. As said above, you need the gain way up, as you do with an Ashdown. And the graphic EQ works a lot better if you cut instead of boost - flatten everything then cut the low lows - you don't need 'em. And cut the presets, too.

I also didn't need the high highs or high mids, either. Nor did I need 500kHz, which is a hurty frequency for me, but it cuts through a mix like nothing else if you need to! Trace amps are for gigging with. They don't sound so great solo. But get them in concert and they can sound very lush, with great power, articulation and slam. That's what they are made to do. Definitely not a Class D amp.  Couple that with their legendary build quality and reliability and you've really got something.

Modern mainstream amps are made to sound good solo in a shop, in your house, in your man-cave - and setting the EQ flat is usually a reasonable starting point. It's a sales thing. But that may not be the tone you actually want to be gigging with - in fact it almost certainly isn't. The EQ facilities on a Trace aren't there for show and time spent finding a sound that is best for you and your band is time well spent.

I moved my TE combo on because I imagined it was too heavy, but I really missed it. So much so that I've just snagged another on the Bay and am picking it up at the weekend.

Any list of 'best' drummers needs to have Dave Mattacks, Steve Gadd and Nigel Olssen in it. Just sayin'.

On 10/10/2018 at 23:53, pete.young said:

Oh. I thought it was because Noddy wouldn't pay the ransom demand. Have a free bump on me.

Everyone was expecting that reply.

6 minutes ago, pete.young said:

I say discreet, why have you got big ears?

To dissipate the heat.

3 minutes ago, Jonse said:

That's a new one...!

Meh. I'm always trying out stuff.

4 hours ago, Jonse said:

Just when I was thinking about new strings for the Rickenbacker! 

What are you implying? It doesn't matter how crap the strings are, because they're for a Rickenbacker? 

11 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

and a skip to take delivery of all the grain filler needed, and then another skip full for filling in the vast yawning chasms that will open up whenever anything liquid like say, paint, varnish, cleaner gets within 100 metres of it.  

Worth it! My back thanks me.

Thhp!

*SOLD* KLUSON Slotted-Screw 70s 4-String Bridge *£20 Posted*

70s-style Kluson 4-string, 5-hole Fender-fit bridge with slotted screw saddles. Good condition. Hard to find in the UK with the 70s-type slotted saddle screws, this one was imported from the States. Fits the standard 5-screw Fender bridge pattern. Good for a 70s Jazz or P project. I'd like £20 for it, which includes postage to your door. Payment via Bank Transfer please.

1 hour ago, Muzz said:

...an anagram of 'Fender Precision Bass' is 'Reinforced Penis Bass' 

'Precision Bass' is also 'Biceps Iron Àss'.

Plywood is strong and stable, but tends to be heavy.

1 minute ago, phil.c60 said:

Paulownia, Paulownia, it's what makes my jazz bass so good...

Shut up!

1 minute ago, FinnDave said:

I don't think I could cope with a bass called Paul. Precision, Jazz, or a string of random numbers and letters, fine, but Paul - no.

Call it what you like - it can't hear you.

My Jazz body is Paulownia and I love it because it's light. The bass weighs 7lbs in total. Choose something light, easy to work and easy to finish. Tone considerations don't enter into it, there aren't any.

If you do choose Paulownia be aware it's quite porous and needs grain filling, dependent on the finish you want.