ThomBassmonkey

I first tried a Fleabass at LIMS just before they were actually released. I was expecting them to be a MM equivalent to the Squire Affinity range (i.e. £120-150). I think I actually did a double take when I saw the original price tag at £450. I don't think they're horrible basses, just vastly overpriced. The QC seems to be all over the place though, some people have said they're unplayable, some people have said they're amazing basses with a few mods.

If I have a 5 string and only need to use 4 (or less) strings, I can. If I have a 4 string and need to use 5 strings, I'm screwed. In my band, the guitarist sometimes drops down to D (and I go even lower sometimes) so I need a 5 string on some songs. Obviously if you only need 2 strings, then a 5th string is wasted. If you need an 8 string, then a 5er won't be enough. Basses are tools, you wouldnt use a screwdriver to drill a hole, get the one that's suited to what you're doing.

If you want a spare head, you could always get a micro head. GK do the MB200 which is a nice little head, has a DI, it's tiny and weighs nothing so you could keep it in your gig bag. Also pretty cheap. I'm sure there's other similar products that are available if you don't fancy the GK. Failing that, a DI pedal never hurts.

Just go for the GK you've been eyeing them up for a long time now and who knows how long it's going to be til the American ones hit the UK and if they'll have a price hike. There's nothing wrong with the current ones anyway, they're built like tanks.

Another option if you can't get a cab that has two speakon sockets is to get a specific cable made up (OBBM on here would be able to do one) that can connect the head to two cabs. As said, the line out wouldn't work.

I think Monster's pretty much hit the nail on the head. Should be a great cab.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1335346686' post='1629483'] Could be risky on some finishes, acetone is quite a potent solvent. Things like binding and plastic knobs would also be at risk. I've used white spirit for years for sticker goo removal and not had any problems. [/quote] I thought acetone was pretty mild (especially in nail varnish remover where I assume it's not concentrated), I also thought white spirit was pretty strong as it's main use is to take paint of brushes etc. Maybe I'm wrong though.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1335112548' post='1625914'] Its all one wave is kind of all of the point. Only separate waves after you run a Fourier Transform, or filter through a crossover network which is a bit artificial, although your brain functions in an analogous manner. [/quote] Ok sorry, let me change my wording. It's not all one frequency.

[quote name='JJMacL' timestamp='1335114579' post='1625953'] I've only got tuppence - but here it is .....that the Neo 212 II is a fantastic cab. I'm using it with a GK 500 Fusion MB and if I could have 2 I would. In fact, I probably will. One day. Woah! There goes the gas.... [/quote] Do eeeeet! That's the rig I use for most of my gigs, absolutely awesome. You can really feel that extra cab.

Remember that an instrument isn't just one wave, it's a collection of sound waves that make up the sound of the instrument. The differences in the presence of different tones is what makes up the timbre of the instrument.

Nail varnish remover is also a good one for getting rid of the goo. If you're trying to take off paper stickers and they're ripping, you can try holding a damp cloth against them for a bit and hopefully they'll disintegrate, then just rub off whatever remains with your solvent of choice. Much easier than scratching at your bass and destroying the finish trying to get them off.

What kind of price range are you looking at? If you're able to go to about £450ish (maybe less depending on if you can find a nice one), a G&L or MM Sub 5 will be within your budget and they're both great basses. For really cheap basses, I'd probably be looking at Ibanez personally. The problem is that lots of cheap 5 stringers are horrible with floppy B strings with no definition.

Spend it on promotion

If you have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad you could use an iGig or the variants on it with the small passive speakers you can get that are designed to work with ipods and the like (or even just use them with your vox).

If you can plod along with root notes, you're ready for a band. Be honest with whoever you join though (before you join of course). If they give you a song to learn for an audition and you play it brilliantly after spending a week on the one song then turn up to the next practice and you have to spend 2 hours learning one section in back to black, they'll be frustrated. Don't come across as though you suck, but if there's an area that you're weak in (particularly in relation to learning songs) they should know about it before you commit to them and they commit to you. If you're a reasonable bassist (and if you weren't, you'd have given up a while ago if you've been playing on and off for years), then you should be able to jump in at the deep end and be able to hold your own. One thing I always told students is that bass is a great instrument because it's easy to learn (anyone can fret with one finger and pluck a string with your finger off the other hand) but it takes a lot of dedication to become technically brilliant. There's a whole range in between though and you can be an amazing groove player with very little technical knowledge if you have good feel. That means whatever your skill level, from punk to prog metal, there's a band for anyone.

iirc recently there was a thread by a guy asking the same question and his bass had the same headstock shape. I can't remember what the results were, maybe if you search you can find it

Another ray fan here. I've had various basses and although I loved my Sandbergs, I still had GAS. Now I'm totally happy with my gear. The Ray is actually pretty versatile (whilst still sounding like a Ray) which is surprising for the one fat bridge pickup. It just feels and sounds right whatever I do with it though. It helps that mine's a bit battered too so I'm not scared of thrashing it about a bit.

I don't feel the need for a 4 string. A 5 string does everything a 4 string does and more. If I found a 5 string uncomfortable, it'd make sense but my 5 strings fit me so I'm happy always using them.

[quote name='ben604' timestamp='1334652428' post='1619020'] Ha! Be grateful, you professional types! [/quote] haha, if you like a company, you should just ask them for an endorsement, worse they can do is say no. I've been turned down by a couple of bass manufacturers, won't stop me asking again when I want a new bass. I'm lucky GK said yes though (especially after turning down another amp manufacturer because I wanted to use the GK rig I had already bought new), I really wasn't expecting it but the artist relations guy loves my band and is a really great guy to deal with.

[quote name='joeystrange' timestamp='1334652539' post='1619025'] How long did you have to wait for the second cab? Your rig sounds pretty sweet! [/quote] It wasn't too long I don't think, maybe a couple of months. I don't really remember. The whole UK had ran out of stock at the time so one was being shipped over from the US especially. I do love my rigs. I need to get the big rig out again at a gig but it's so much effort to move it about. The "mini" rig is so easy in comparison haha. I mentioned to Joe that you guys would be interested in playing with us at the Bell again btw and he's up for it. Just give him a buzz or a nudge on facebook or something and assuming the Bell stops having all these problems it's having currently, I'm sure we'll find a space for you.

We were on the way home from a gig once when we had a blowout. Not fun in a camper (not of the VW variety) so we pulled over. The blow out was driver's side so we didn't fancy changing it at the side of the M1 and called out the AA. To keep ourselves entertained, we decided to ring a friend who had been out and pulled. Him being the classy act he is answered the phone, when we asked what he was up to, he told us "I'm in bed with some bird". We then did the obvious thing and asked him to put her on the phone so we could sing her a song. We also had to pull over under a bridge on the M1 again after our singer had been drinking. He can't go more than 3 minutes without a pee when he's drunk so we just pulled in there for ease. Him and the drummer hopped out. Queue 5 minutes of hearing them yell "don't cross the streams" at each other, then when they got back in, we wondered what had taken so long so looked out and the singer had managed to pee almost the entire length of the bridge. He must have a bladder that takes up about half his body. The singer in JWP is a great guy, very funny but not much common sense sometimes (though he is very smart). One time we were going on tour on the cheap so bought a load of supernoodles before we went on the road and took a camping stove with us. I was in the venue with the gear when he brought up the food which tasted AWFUL. Turns out he'd used a rusty tyre iron to stir it with.

Damn, that sucks. I had the same thing with GK with one of my cabs. Luckily a 2001RB into one 410RBH was plenty. These bloody endorsements, they're not all they're cracked up to be.