Josh

Hells yeah. £6500+, it's more than enough for a near new Peugeot 206.

[quote name='fumps' post='310991' date='Oct 21 2008, 08:34 AM']i have seen a recording of this kind of music. But hand on heart it the religious side of things that makes me want to stay away. I know that sounds harsh but i just cant get into religion, but i do appreciate what the church does for people (If that makes sence). The recording i saw i was really impressed with the level of musicianship. but being honest i just could'nt get my head round the religious side of things.[/quote] African American Gospel Music will always put white Christian Rock to shame, in every way. [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='311126' date='Oct 21 2008, 10:57 AM']Like helping to spread AIDS in Africa and so on? [/quote] Or providing a regular group consciousness for dellusional thinking.

[quote name='Exile252' post='310908' date='Oct 20 2008, 11:55 PM']You do know I was joking about that, I guess I needed to mention this as you took it extremely personally, as if your the owner of the Warwick company. Quite narrowminded to think I was saying that and wasn't joking. And yes, I play metal. And I'm really quite annoyed at your previous comments.[/quote] I apologise, now you know what emoticons are for, to say it bluntly like you did is most likely going to warrant a reply like mine.

[quote name='molan' post='310786' date='Oct 20 2008, 09:01 PM']How about something high end & American: Roscoe MTD Zon Pedulla etc. Some of these wouldn't be available new for your budget but they do pop up on the used market from time to time [/quote] +1....obviously . But also man try some Spector Euros, their bang on for your price range and your proposed specs. And they're quite different to a Streamer as well.

[quote name='Bullet-Rule' post='310164' date='Oct 20 2008, 12:56 AM']I think it's mainly because of the distinctive Warwick growl. Like you said Josh, there are too many generalisations here, surely Warwicks suit the metal genre sound-wise otherwise they wouldn't be so popular? I think its similar with Spectors, they both cut through very well due to their dominant mids.[/quote] Warwick compliments many bassists in metal who struggle to cut through both live and in the studio, sooner or later they stumble across Warwicks and usually change there set up accordingly, a perfect example of that is Sam Rivers of Limp Bizkit was having countless problems with getting his Ibanez to really stand out, and then luckily he met up with Dirk Lance who let him have a go on his SSII and thus completely revamped his set up with a SS1 CS. Any Mudvayne album is the perfect example of a Warwick cutting through a mix with ease, as is Limp Bizkits later stuff. The generalisations thus far are ridiculous ones, to say a metal bassist only wants a Warwick purely because of the "War" part of the name is just childish and extremely narrowminded, and to openly say anybody who listens to metal and/or plays a Warwick has no taste is just plain pompous. Anybody who plays a Warwick knows they are not just for metal, and I, Warwickhunt and many other members on the Warwick forum could provide many other examples of Warwicks being used in almost every genre of music, if anyone is going to make a generalisation against Warwick basses please make sure you can back it up.

[quote name='dangerboy' post='310153' date='Oct 19 2008, 11:54 PM']In my head, the link was always: Warwick = no taste Metal = no taste Perfect for each other ;-)[/quote] Wow another sweeping generalisation, how many more before this thread gets closed

[quote name='Exile252' post='310107' date='Oct 19 2008, 10:48 PM']Maybe metal bands just think Warwicks are overly metal, they do have "War" in their name after all.[/quote] Please say you've got your tongue in your cheek when you say that?

They cut through the distortion without fail, simple. Other than Spectors and some custom jazz basses, very few other basses in metal have the same presence in the mix.

[quote name='lateralus462' post='306375' date='Oct 14 2008, 04:31 PM']I don't like him cos he's a twat[/quote] Very astute.

Is the reason to why everyone hates Hucknall because he's ginger and has alot more money than all of us and can get around girls pretty easily? Or is it just trendy to not like him?

[i][b]Features:[/b][/i] The USA series is highest in the whole MTD arsenal, due to being made with the highest qaulity woods and usually finished with beautifully figured tops, all specifically hand crafted by the man himself (Michael Tobias), and also the custom Bartolini pick ups, handmade by the man himself. The scale of this bass is 35', and is comprised of an Ash body with a lovely figured Walnut Byrle top, coupled with a Ash neck and Maple fingerboard and the neck and body are hand finished with an epoxy base coat and catalyzed urethane topcoat. It has 24 frets and the electronics are 4 coil passive pick-ups and electronics are custom made by Bill Bartolini. The controls are: master volume and a pan pot, treble, mid, bass cut and boost, with center click (from neck to bridge). The three position switch selects the mid range cut and boost point. Down is lower mids (250); center is middle (500) and up is upper mids (1000). When the mid pot is at center click, the switch has minimal effect. This eq has 2 batteries and is a 9 volt system. There is a trim pot inside the control cavity to adjust the gain. This bass also has the Buzz Feiten Tuning system which comes standard with any USA model. This system will show a great improvement in tuning when playing chords and when working with a keyboard and horns. It is recommended that you use a Korg DT7, tuner which has the “Feiten Mode” built in. Tuning is normal in every way except the intonation. The tuner has the pitch offsets burned into the chip and all you need to do is follow the simple instructions in the tuner manual to achieve the proper intonation settings. I'm eyt to try this out myelf but apprently going by other reviews it works perfectly. The truss rod is a true double acting rod and will adjust in both directions. [i][b]Sound:[/b][/i] The best way to describe the MTD USA tone is very Hi-Fi and modern. It simply demands attention in any mix, live and recorded. The tone really does shine through the roughest of mixes, obviously you need the appropiate Hi-Fi amp (SWR, EBS, Epifani, Eden, Aguilar etc...) to accompany the bass, I play through an EBS TD650 into a EBS Proline 2x10 and a Eden XLT 4x10, but even through lower qaulity amps the MTD tone shines through and I'm still able to hear the fundamentals of the bass. It's tone really stands out when you dig in, the bark really does come at you and is quickly followed with a lovely warmness. I usually have the bass boosted, the mids boosted and the treble cut, but now and again I add a little for that zingy slap tone. And I'll usually have the the bass panned just a little more to the bridge pick up, being the more comfortable position for me, but just enough that the thump of the neck pick up pushes the tone still. I've played in many different genres with this bass and all I've ever had to do is adjust the pan control a little in some situations just to edge out a little more. It is a very versatile bass, MTD USA basses are the main choice for bassists who play: RnB, Urban and Contempoary Gospel, Hip-Hop, Funk, even Rock and Metal situations. I'm yet to hear a song in which the MTD tone dosen't add to the songs overall sound. If your looking for a Jaco esque Jazz honk or a Warwick Thumb bass growl then you may be dissapointed, but being a player that was in search of the perfect mix of the 2 previously mentioned tones I found a comfortable alternative in the 635 (and my 535 also). [i][b]Action Fit and Finish:[/b][/i] I have this bass tuned a full step down, to achieve a more growly tone but also to save alot of hasstle mucking around with the saddles like I have on previous basses and always gotten frustated. It also makes the strings feel a bit more looser so digging in is more achieveable and the left hand can move more easily, it also lowers the strings a little, enough for me to pull off all the stuff I always wanted to on previous basses. Thus far with this bass, the only adjustment I've had to make is to the saddle of the C string, just to make it that bit more looser, but other than that when I recieved it, it was perfect. The finish in person is brilliant, smooth and you can clearly see the workmanship put into it. [i][b]Reliability/Durability:[/b][/i] The bass is very well constructed, it feels solid and the hardware is very durable. But these basses need to be treated carefully as a large ding could prove unfixable. [i][b]Customer Support:[/b][/i] I've had little need to contact Michael Tobias but when I did, it was regarding the details of my 535, he was very polite and very prompt with his response. I've read in many other reviews, especially those who have had one custom made, that Michael is really interested in making sure EVERY customer is happy with what he has made for them and will always try his best to resolve any problems that occur. [i][b]Overall rating:[/b][/i] I own both this bass and a 535 and I had bought the 535 first, and going from how impressed I was by the bass, the fact alone that the bass was so well made I adjusted to the Low B so easily than I ever had with my past 5 strings pushed me to getting a 6 string, hoping I could adjust to that and I'm happy to say that I have. I've found a bass that does exactly what I want it to do, it requires hardly any adjusting apart from the pan and master volume.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='304486' date='Oct 11 2008, 05:41 PM']Hehe, the Pentabuzz and Smith 5 fretless are both very different instruments so its probably not fair to compare them to one another. Playing the Pentabuzz is a magical, almost surreal experience at performance volumes when the feedback effect starts up. The bass literally feels alive, like its playing itself, and the most dreamy sound comes out of it. But I can't use it for every song. Sometimes I've needed a more polite and warmer sounding instrument and the Smith 5 does the job nicely. Having said that, I only needed matching fretted and fretless instruments for my last band which split up 18 months ago, so I don't really play the Smith 5 fretless that much any more.[/quote] If your Pentabuzz sounds anything like Jeff Schmidt's then it is the best fretless sound I've ever heard, so clear and so much mwwwwwahhhh it's almost criminal. And you've got the perfect amp as well so it probally sounds even better.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='304481' date='Oct 11 2008, 05:27 PM']Well if I don't get a permenant job before Christmas or I do get a permanent job but have to relocate overseas then I'm going to be facing a sell off of one kind or another just to reduce the storage or shipping costs and maybe raise some cash. If the Shuker headless 6 works out, the Smiths would be relatively easy to replace so I'd consider selling both and the Spector for the right price, perhaps also the Pentabuzz and the V8 too but the Alembic, Celinders and Stingray would be staying as workhorse instruments. Not sure about the Cutlasses yet, I keep vascillating over them whenever I think about options.[/quote] I'll "Hopefully" be saving for a car by the time you possibly list it up so I'll be saving myself from temptation in it's worst form. But is the fretless still fairing ok or is that even taking a mild beating from another bass?

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='304467' date='Oct 11 2008, 05:01 PM']I guess its all a question of taste. I've gigged both and felt the Spector was definitely drier sounding and easier to hear in the mix. The Smiths are very refined and a little chocolatier by comparison. They're also superb recording instruments and great in a small group but I've always had to contend with the scooped sound they have while playing in a larger band (and particularly battling against percussion) so the Spector's slightly more aggressive sound does punch through the mix a little better. I don't really need a lot of low end for our gigs because we play a lot of small venues and the boom can be overwhelming on stage. Having said that, the soundman does keep asking me to turn up when I play the Spector. He usually expects to be hit in the chest by the warmth of the Smiths when I play through the PA...[/quote] Are you mildly thinking about moving one of your Smiths on then Steve?

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='304459' date='Oct 11 2008, 04:50 PM']Well the funny thing is Josh that with the u-retro installed I can get a pretty good fascimile of a Smith bass IF I dial a lot of the mids out using the mid-sweep control. Same levels of growl in both instruments to my ears but the Smith 5 still sounds fuller though. No question in my mind that the Spector Euro, if you can get one for a reasonable price, is better value for a gigging instrument with everything else being equal. The Smith has slightly better build quality than the Spector Euro and the Smiths do have a very distinctive tone which is why I got them. [/quote] Smiths are amazing, alongside a Thumb NT 4 string, your 5 string and your old 6 string are the only basses I actually get mild gas for. Also, I'm getting my old Spector Euro 4 back next week and I'm really looking foward to how it'll fair against the MTD's, I may be in for a pleasent suprise oing by your experience.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='304396' date='Oct 11 2008, 01:53 PM']Yeah, its not bad for a spalted top, this Spector has a much less scooped sound than the Smiths, it could be a serious contender for replacement as in someways its easier to hear on stage and just as growly. Adding the u-retro was a good thing too - the mids are nice and controllable. However the body does feel cramped on my rather generous frame and my Shuker is supposed to be finished by next weekend...[/quote] That's odd, every example I've ever heard of Smith in action have always been ones that display the very growly yet punchy tone which is their main associated tone, they are a favourite of many Gospel players, so that Spector must be pretty damn good if it can out do your Smiths Steve!

Just found a pretty good live version of SGS: You may hate Hucknall but the guy can sing. Ohhh and some tasteful playing going on here:

I think somebody on here owns a bass that belonged to one of Simply Red's bassists, a Lakland if I remember correctly, hideously underrated whoever he is though.

Meh.

I can't wait until I get my old Spector back, it's been a while.

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='301661' date='Oct 7 2008, 07:45 PM']Never understood why [/quote] Come on John, your smarter than that