Bobby K

[quote name='faceman' post='804432' date='Apr 12 2010, 11:54 PM']So I decided to add a third bass to my collection recently and have ended up with the Squier's 2010 addition to their lineup. I was going to for something cheaper that could be bashed around a little (a gigging bass) and with a different sound to my current one. I purchased this from the great staff at The Bass Gallery in Camden, London, in return for them selling my Musicman SUB on my behalf. I was enjoying the SUB and hope to own a StingRay in the future at some point in the future. The Teal Green wasn't my cup of tea at all. It was at the slightly hefty price of £349, it can be found cheaper online for around £329 I believe. It came as-was, with no case, strap or anything, but I had the case and strap from my SUB I'm guessing it hadn't been in the shop too long, as these only came out recently and all the wrappings were in tact. It's your standard Precision Bass. Two knobs, one pickup and comes with standard Fender roundwound strings that didn't do much for me. After several days of playing around and being fairly impressed, I splashed out for a pair of D'Addario ECB81 Chromes 45-100 Flatwound strings, at the great expense of £39.99. However, it was all worth it and has made the key difference. [b]Sound[/b] It's true what they say about a Precision bass and flatwound strings - a match made in heaven. As soon as I started playing, I knew this was something else. The sound was growly, thick and deep. Exactly what I want my bass to sound like. You can see straight away why all the great groovy records from the 60s and 70s used Precisions to get that tone. I just [b]love[/b] it and I must say, it pretty much kicks the crap out my other bass. Playing along to all the records I love and having that exact tone is just pure bliss. I was going for the Duck Dunn, Jamerson and Bruce Thomas vibe and have certainly got there in one shot. I've no idea how it will stand up live and how well it will cut through. My band and trio are on breaks for Easter but I'll report back in the future. I've plugged it into my Ampeg 15" cabinet through a Little Mark II but it was too close quarters to make any judgement. It sounded...large! [b]Playability[/b] I'm used to the 'tree trunk' of my 4003, which is wide and deep, pretty much the same dimensions as a cricket bat. In comparison, it felt wide but thin at the same time. Very nice at first play, and one of the reasons I chose this over the Classic Vibe Jazz. Thanks to the Rickenbacker, I can navigate very easily most bass without problems. It feels extremely comfortable, and the body also for that matter too. It's much lighter than my 4003 but not too light that it affects the tone. The action is rather low and has no loss of clarity around the neck. All in all, it's great to play. [b]Looks[/b] It looks pretty fantastic, up there with my blueburst Rickenbacker. It's offically called Fiesta Red but there seems to be a controversy over what colour it actually is. It's rather bright and glossy (the finish me thinks), more than photos would have you believe. The pick guard complements the body very well and the colour was one of the reasons for the extra dosh. It may seem mad to pay extra for the Red over the Sonic Blue but I didn't really want two blue basses. Probably going splash out on Fender chrome bridge/pickup covers for the authentic 60s look. I pulled up the pickguard to look at the state of the wiring and grounding and it all seems to be solid. The soldering seems to be clean and tidy unlike many of the other CV series that I have seen around here. There are some little stains on the first few frets but it doesn't affect how it sounds at all. [b]Sound Samples[/b] I've recorded four of my favourite bass lines with this baby - it's simply plugged into GarageBand and recorded along with the songs. They are in the background to act as a reference point. Ignore any mistakes in playing, it should give you a sample of how great it sounds. Slow Dancing is what I play with my acoustic trio so it's a little more busy than the recorded version because we have no guitar. [b]Do It Again - Steely Dan[/b] - [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/DoItAgain-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url] [b]Fake Tales of San Francisco - Arctic Monkeys (with pick)[/b] - [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/FakeTalesSanFran-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url] [b]Slow Dancing In A Burnign Room - John Mayer [/b]- [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/SlowDancing-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url] [b]Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding[/b] - [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/DockOfTheBay-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url] [b]Conclusions[/b] For around £300, this has been the most enjoyable bass I have owned so far. Compared to my Rickenbacker, it's easier to play, it's more comfortable and it sounds better. It sounds better off the bat and is a design classic. It's not as unique but with the chrome, I think it'll be pretty snappy. I'd never get rid of my Rickenbacker but I could see it taking a back seat during gigs, simply due to weight and playability. Compared to my first Squier standard, it's a whole other league. It's better than my old MIA Fender Jazz and Precisions I owned in the past, and more fun to play than the SUB. So that gets a hearty recommendation from me. Do try them out at your local music store and post below if you have any questions or if there is anything I have missed.[/quote] Nice one Faceman I think I'm gonna purchase one of these

[quote name='BassBus' post='800767' date='Apr 9 2010, 12:39 PM']Like Bobby K I don't use the mags too much but they can add a bit more depth to the sound of the bridge pickup. On their own the mags sound not unlike a fretless Jazz with the bias towards the bridge pickup.[/quote] Agreed Bassbus. In hindsight though, if I were to go back, I'd probably buy the CR4 instead (without the EMG's). Could've saved myself some money on an already extremely expensive bass

[quote name='dub' post='799562' date='Apr 8 2010, 10:13 AM']Hi there I was wondering if anyone could describe the tone of the NS upright magnetic pickups. I've installed a magnetic pickup on my own EUB which compared to the piezo has stronger mid frequencies which combine well with the piezo. I wondering how the NS EMGs might work as pickups for a bass guitar.[/quote] The sound from the NS EMG's is quite similar to what you're describing with your own pickup and is a nice strong level tone. You do tend to get a bit too much sustain though, especially with the stock NS strings. Whether this is down to the bass materials or the EMG's I don't really know. I tend not to use the EMG's too much on my CR4M though, favouring the polar piezo. Can't really imagine these going on a bass guitar. When you look inside the NS, the EMG's are quite deep, maybe about 5 or 6 cms. Still, maybe it could be done by someone who really knew what they were doing. Wouldn't it be easier to just put in bass guitar specific EMG's?

pics now added bump...

Ok guys All done and dusted, just need to play the drivers in now. Thanks a million for all your advice along the way Bob

Thanks for the advice guys. Here's a point though; is it normal for these cabinets (it's an old Trace 1048) to be full of fibreglass??? Had a look inside earlier and there's sheets of this stuff behind the drivers.... Hmmm.....

Hello folks! Come and see the UK's finest tribute to The Smiths. Andy Rourke is an unsung hero in the world of bass playing, his lines are legendary and I reckon I'm doing a half decent job reproducing them, so come on down for a great night! While we're on the subject, if anyone's selling a Yamaha BB2000, give me a shout cheers Bob

[quote name='wrinkleygit' post='794096' date='Apr 2 2010, 10:58 AM']2 core mains cable in 0.75mmsq section toolstation or screwfix do a 50m roll for about a tenner, used this for all my speaker leads for years, don't be fooled by more expensive imitations, always use good quality ie Neutric jacks tho, mike b.[/quote] Hi wrinkley. I've got decent speaker leads with Neutriks on already. I was actually referring to the wire [i]within the cab[/i] which connects the drivers... Thanks for the contributions gents

Hi guys I'm going to rewire a bass cabinet (4 x 10) and was wondering where to get the right wire from?? Any particular brands to look out for? For that matter, which gauge of wire should i get? 16?? Any help is much appreciated

[quote name='BarnacleBob' post='790852' date='Mar 30 2010, 05:44 PM']There is a USA(?) one in the for sale forum but that was mis described and not cheap IMO[/quote] These basses generally aren't cheap. My CR4M cost £1895 from The Bass Centre back in 2002, still wondering how I ever managed to buy it ! The WAV models (like the one referred to above) are meant to be NS's budget versions, have never tried one though, so not sure how they compare to the CR models in terms of quality.

Hi guys I'm still selling the flight case I had made for my NS CR4M. It's hardly been used since i got it a few years ago. It's basically the same design as the one featured on the NS website which can be seen [url="http://www.nedsteinberger.com/instruments/flightcase.php"]here[/url] The NS version is listed at $600! I bought mine from Flightcase Warehouse in Staffordshire for just over £200 a couple of years back. [b]I'm now dropping the price to £100.[/b] It's a rock solid case and will keep your investment well protected in the tour bus (just don't try and get on a regular bus with it ) The bass goes inside the NS tubular gig bag (see pic) and then inside the flight case. The tripod stand can be slotted alongside in its own bag- It's a snug fit, but it goes in As you can imagine, it's quite a large item, so local pick up would be ideal Cheers

Would Celestion BL10-200's be suitable replacements? Would be getting them wired to 2 ohms of course...

[quote name='Bobby K' post='781776' date='Mar 21 2010, 04:41 PM']So I'd need to know the wattage of the cab first. Is it simply a case of taking the drivers out and looking at the figures on them? When you say [i]250w mode [/i] do you mean when the output power selector switch is on [i]low[/i]?[/quote] Ok then. I've now removed the drivers from the cab... I was very dubious about these from the start, but imagine my horror when I looked at the back of one of the drivers and saw the words [b]McKenzie Disco Series[/b] on the back of the magnet! These it turns out are PA/disco drivers and most certainly are not bass drivers! Gutted, but you live and learn eh? Thankfully, the cab itself seems to be a genuine 1048, so I'm now thinking of turning the cab into a 2 or 4 ohm version by getting the correct [b][i]bass[/i] [/b]drivers. I'll have a look around the forum but in the meantime, can anyone recommend some decent ones that won't break the bank... Looking forward to getting closure on this [i]enclosure[/i] issue!