EBS_freak

Its always a fine line... and the end of the day, the amp manufacturers are there for one reason. To help sell amps. If people can't try the amps, then they won't sell. If the amp manufacturers aren't given a chance for them to run their rigs at volume, there isn't really any point of them being there. If they aren't there, the show organisers aren't going to have any exhibitors or income. No exhibitors, no income, no show. Ultimately, the exhibitors are the one with the power - if they aren't satisfied with the ability to show off their wares or realise an increase in revenue that can be traced back to them being at the show, they simply won't book a stand again... hence why some notable names may be missing... or they simply because they don't need to be there.

A lot of people find that FRFRs are lacking in mids - usually because bass cabs are heavily coloured in this area. If your FRFR cab isn't doing it for you - its probably down to the model of the cab not being as forward in the mids as you'd expect. I would wager that you should be looking at the low mids as opposed to the bass - bass cabs aren't actually as bassy as you would think.

Just get making in your spare time and get it all refined. You have to learn through trial and error - also, repairing other basses I guess. There is no one method for building instruments- that's what makes each luthier interesting. You only have to look at the jigs for putting a radius on a neck for example. Each luthier has their different approaches - I absolutely adore Schack's take on the neck join for example. You may find some of the luthier groups on facebook interesting - there's lots of novel ideas shared on there.

In reality, most independent luthiers aren't hitting minimum wage - but what they don't earn in money, they have a job which many, love doing. Its interesting to see how many luthiers have come out of the rat race as they realised that they were ultimately unfulfilled doing the 9 to 5.

If you want loads of sub 56 hz coming out of your PA, guarantee your mix is going to be sounding pants anyway. Bearing in mind you rarely hear the fundamental of your bass guitar anyway (more the harmonics), only going down to 56 hz is certainly not a bad thing for bass monitoring purposes - or out front for that matter. Anything lower is going to be eating up loads of power and for very little reward.

Worth mentioning that FRFR with passive cabs is a bit of a BS game... (many passive cabs claim to be flat response but are far from it) but with DSP in place, particularly the cabs with DSP and power amps built in, the deficiencies of the cabs in terms of not having a flat response, pretty much anything can be made flat. Then it becomes more about the speakers that are being used and whether they can handle the volumes at each of the frequencies that are being demanded from it. As charic says, bass amps are designed to be coloured... as are some bass amps... that is is why some cabs work with some amps and not others... and vice versa. You don't really have the same challenges with FRFR. If the model is pants, its going to sound pants through all FRFR cabs. I wouldn't agree FRFR = top end speaker. It's more about being uncoloured and full range and flat response hence FRFR.

Umm. I don't really get that quote. Perhaps he's operating on a different level to me...

The whole point of FRFR is that it is transparent and hence adds no colour. So in this case - it sounds like a valve amp through an 8x10. If you take the speaker emulation off and put the amp emulation through a real 8x10, it should sound the same as the real thing too. Likewise if you took the speaker emulation off and use the FRFR, it would sound thinner - because the colouring of the 8x10 isn't being added.

Yeah - nuts colours!

There was a bass that Alan from ACG was displaying with some mad top. I was meant to take a photo of it but forgot to go back to the stand to do so. Was good to see that row of independent luthiers represented at the show. I had taken some time out from going to the show as it was beginning to do my head in - although I have to say that the changes in the layout has done wonders in terms of improvement I feel.

Yes! The GB electronics are certainly something that make Bernie's instruments sound unique!

Bernie is very much still going and very busy with builds. He's got something in the works apparently! Funnily enough I only spoke to him this morning - he wants his website renewing as he feels it no longer represents the stuff that he is doing - and he was wondering whether he should have exhibited at the show or not!

Yes - Spitfire.

Keyboard amps are generally flatter response than most so will certainly get you in the ballpark.

Can I fit you for some UV ones?

It shouldn't surprise you - because the 735s kick crap out of the evox for sound quality and output. Portability and look is a completely different thing. The thing is, I'm not a fan boi of the 735 and 745 like people may think. They are just great cabs.The reality is, those cabs have drivers in them that really shouldn't be in a cab made out of plastic, or at that price point. It's like shoehorning a Ferrari engine into a Fiesta. That is why they are so performant and streets ahead of what the other manufacturers are offering at the same price point.

Looks fine - probably looks more balanced just having the two big Marshalls either side of the stage. A bigger bass rig would make it look unbalanced... well, to me anyway.

I for one would defo take a pair of 735 over a set of evox.

Here you go - clearly a take off of Larry G's Moon bass (without the slanted pick up). I tend to take pics of basses like this as it's one of my fave looking finishes that you can have on a bass... in fact, it's not too dissimilar to mine! I did toy with the idea of the buying the 5 string that Bass Direct also had - but I presume sold.

It all comes down to the size of venue and the volume that you require. Arrays are visually pleasing and that in itself can have a huge appeal. Personally though, pound for pound, traditional boxes still work for small scale better than these mini array systems. It depends what you are going for though. The portability is certainly a big plus of these array systems. If you want some really tidy portable array systems that have comparable performance to the bigger box stuff, you probably need to up your system to something from the NX range. Like everything, all of these products are designed for a specific market - and mini arrays I think are for those that need to ensure portable systems that are visually more "pretty".

Well people, I have to say that I am disappointed. There's a distinct lack of selfies with Dave Swift so far.

So the biggest unanswered question.... were those the Warwick special discounted show prices...?

I'm sure they will get lots of further work due to the "exposure".

I don't know if it's my place to say... but it involves plenty of DSP...

Did anybody check out the new Smooth Hound product at The Guitar Show?