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Roland V-Bass


ped
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Hi chaps and chapesses,

I have been offered a Roland V bass through a friend and I am quite tempted. However I thought I should ask here about it first.

The main thing is about the pickup. I want to install it on my 4 string bass which has pickups and associated pickup rings right up to the bridge, which is where I seem to see the roland pickup mounted in all the pictures. Would there be any ill effects in having the pickup in front of the two pickups (see avatar)? I presume near the bridge is ideal because the movement of the strings is less so probably gives a tighter signal to the pickup?

Has anyone tried one? I remember Omar Hakim's bass player using one with his Sadowsky and it sounded really good...

Cheers folks
ped

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By the way, if the pickup is really thin then there is a chance it would fit under the strings at the bridge if mounted on the pickup ring where you can see the white Marleaux logo. Has anyone got/seen one? how thin is it?

I am downloading the manual now to see if it is any help.

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I replied to your thread on TB but here's some more: [url="http://hallgeir.no/bass/electronics/"]solo sound clips[/url] and some [url="http://hallgeir.no/bass/ansgar/ags-cd/"]sound clips from a studio recording[/url] with the gospel choir.

I definetly think the V-Bass is a worthy piece of kit.

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Hi mate,

Yeah thanks very much for your help so far. I have some stuff to read through today but think I will go for the rear body mounting of the unit and if I really like it, have it internal. It is possible to have the brain mounted internally without using a piezo bridge, isn't it? Some of the links to the 'internal kit' however only show the external brain fitted so wonder what it looks like.

I will read through the stuff I was linked to on TB today and get back to everyone. Those sound clips are fantastic too. Cheers.

ped

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[quote name='ped' post='146203' date='Feb 24 2008, 09:20 PM']Hi chaps and chapesses,

I have been offered a Roland V bass through a friend and I am quite tempted. However I thought I should ask here about it first.

The main thing is about the pickup. I want to install it on my 4 string bass which has pickups and associated pickup rings right up to the bridge, which is where I seem to see the roland pickup mounted in all the pictures. Would there be any ill effects in having the pickup in front of the two pickups (see avatar)? I presume near the bridge is ideal because the movement of the strings is less so probably gives a tighter signal to the pickup?

Has anyone tried one? I remember Omar Hakim's bass player using one with his Sadowsky and it sounded really good...

Cheers folks
ped[/quote]

Hi Ped,

I reviewed one for the bass mag a few years ago and personally think it's worth considering. There's a lot to play with, but a lot of possibilities, including some seriously cool synth bass sounds, and no tracking issues.

As I recall, the pickup needs to be fitted close to the bridge, but I'd check this out with Roland or an existing user first. You might be able to get hold of the manual from the Roland website - this would tell you what you need to know.

Hope that helps you make a decision!
Stu

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  • 2 months later...

Update folks - I fully intend on going for this in the next few weeks. I have researched about fitting the electronics internally and this is what I will do if I like the unit. There is a lot of information about the V-bass dotted around the web and it seems it has been well received by those who can be bothered to play with it!

Watch this space, and if anyone else has any experiences or wisdom to add, please do!

ped

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elros, this clip sounds more like a Smith than a Smith!!! Superb...

[url="http://hallgeir.no/bass/electronics/5-4-smith.mp3"]http://hallgeir.no/bass/electronics/5-4-smith.mp3[/url]

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Hey, thanks. I have never played a Smith myself, so it must have been luck if I nailed it that well. It is probably my favourite patch though, at least for the gospel gig.

Speaking of gospel, [url="http://hallgeir.no/bass/ansgar/ags-cd/"]here are some sound clips from the new CD[/url]. The subtleties of the sound doesn't quite come through on the recording, alas. But it's all V-Bass.

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Elros - I really enjoyed those clips. Fantastic playing and overall mix, I thought it was perfect to be honest. It sounded very well produced but also had a 'live' feeling which I thought really enhanced the gospel feel. What I wouldn't give to play in a band like that.

My V-bass will be here tomorrow I hope, so really looking forward to having a play. One quick question, before I go away and digest the manuel - Can you 'share' patches, like you can on the pod XT? I mean email them to others etc, or is there no facility to take them off the unit, so to speak?

I may well be getting the internal kit fitted, though still with the pickup on the bass as I don't want to touch my bridge.

The 13 pin cable - is that a unique Roland job or is it a common type which i can get locally?

Cheers
ped

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It came today - can't be here long so just wante dto say initial impressions are fantastic... I spent a few hours honing a superb modern Jazz bass sound today, going to hit the Musicman tomorrow but initial sounds are absolutely astonishing. The tracking is amazing, you can play several notes at once and each is processed. Brill fun!!

The pickup installation was fine actually, no permanent mods to the bass and luckily my measurements were spot on so i didn't have to remove the pickup surround! Hooray!

Quick and bad snaps:




The 'Brain' is on the back but very sturdy, neat, thin and out of the way.

l8rz for now
V-ped

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Very cool.


I do think there's a MIDI patch dump on the V-Bass but I have never used it. I don't know how to do that stuff.

The GK cables are available from other brands too, like Axon and Yamaha. But I recon the Roland ones are easiest to get. Any Roland dealer can get them for you - they probably have to order them though, at leas here in Norway very few have them in stock.
Be aware that these 13-pin cables are rather fragile compared to the regular mono jack cables. [u]Handle them carefully[/u]. And buy one or two to have as backup cables, it wouldn't be nice to have one go and not have a backup.

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Ste, if you have a Piezo bridge there is no need for the external pickup. I am not 100% on the ins and outs of a piezo element but it can take the signal from there and Bob is your mother's brother.

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[quote name='The Burpster' post='202271' date='May 19 2008, 05:03 PM']Damn, I've been sussed!

:ph34r:[/quote]

Hehe! Maybe you can hit him up for some presents?

I have done a quick recording to show the Jazz and Musicman models - Thing is the volume is really low and I think there is something going on with my computer because I could hear some loud buzzing as I was playing which put me off a bit.. I think it is my USB adapter again, but alas..

The clips are pre eq and everything so they sound a bit bassy through here on my computer but all of course is adjustable etc (plus I am sure in a proper studio it would sound perfect as opposed to my dodgy effort)

Anyway - have a listed and tell me if you would guess these were the same bass!! part one is my Vigier with the standard magnetic pickups, clip 2 is the Jazz and clip 3 the Musicman.

Let me know what you think... I think you will agree that they are fantastic! Of course they can be adjusted to taste even more than the actual instruments, so account for taste too!!

ped
[attachment=8833:vbass_Rendered2.mp3]

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...Also just to add that these settings are for my in ears - I haven't even begun to work out the settings for live and recording use, so again expect them to be a work in progress!!

Cheers
ped

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[quote name='ped' post='202337' date='May 19 2008, 06:00 PM']...Also just to add that these settings are for my in ears - I haven't even begun to work out the settings for live and recording use, so again expect them to be a work in progress!!

Cheers
ped[/quote]
It all sounds good to me Ped! Quite amazing in fact.

Nice playing too btw..

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