BottomEndian Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 [quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='525792' date='Jun 27 2009, 10:47 AM']Mysteriously stained = Doom.[/quote] Something like the cover of [i]Black One[/i] silk-screened onto a grillcloth would look pretty awesome: Or maybe just spattered with the sap, blood and tears of a thousand eldritch trees. Either way = Doom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 The first Vintage just departed in the boot of a Toyota Yaris. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 Alex, was it mentioned that one of these coming up my neck of the woods, or did I imagine it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='528684' date='Jun 30 2009, 03:12 PM']Alex, was it mentioned that one of these coming up my neck of the woods, or did I imagine it?[/quote] To me. Hopefully soon. Money has changed hands. The deal has been done. Awaiting the FedEx man. With short sentences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 Awsome! Please let me know when it lands. I'd love to see it. Looking forward to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylon Pilson Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='528722' date='Jun 30 2009, 03:38 PM']Awsome! Please let me know when it lands. I'd love to see it. Looking forward to it.[/quote] [b]WoT:[/b] Wow [b]BottomEndian:[/b] Wow [b]WoT:[/b] It's... [b]BottomEndian:[/b] ...I know... [b]WoT:[/b] ...so... [b]BottomEndian:[/b] ...I can plug it in, if you like. [b]WoT:[/b] Maybe later. S.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='528679' date='Jun 30 2009, 03:06 PM']The first Vintage just departed in the boot of a Toyota Yaris.[/quote] I should add that that was with the seats still up. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 (edited) [quote name='Stylon Pilson' post='528746' date='Jun 30 2009, 03:57 PM'][b]WoT:[/b] Wow [b]BottomEndian:[/b] Wow [b]WoT:[/b] It's... [b]BottomEndian:[/b] ...I know... [b]WoT:[/b] ...so... [b]BottomEndian:[/b] ...I can plug it in, if you like. [b]WoT:[/b] Maybe later. S.P.[/quote] Yeah, I don't think I could ever plug in something that's achieved such... mythical status. I'll have to get a second one to actually use. EDIT: And as I said a couple of months back, I'm happy to meet up with people so they can try it out. As long as I get to try out their 1971 Precisions... Edited June 30, 2009 by BottomEndian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='528758' date='Jun 30 2009, 04:05 PM']I should add that that was with the seats still up. Alex[/quote] This bodes well for my 3 basses + Pedaltrain + power amp + Vintage + Nissan Micra load-in plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='BottomEndian' post='528772' date='Jun 30 2009, 04:16 PM']This bodes well for my 3 basses + Pedaltrain + power amp + Vintage + Nissan Micra load-in plan.[/quote] I don't think you have a hope of getting a Nissan Micra into the back of a Yaris. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='528784' date='Jun 30 2009, 04:26 PM']I don't think you have a hope of getting a Nissan Micra into the back of a Yaris.[/quote] That's what [b]you[/b] think. I didn't study theoretical physics for four years for nothing. I have the secrets to folding time and space... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 IT'S HERE! More in a few minutes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 *drums fingers* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Right. You know the black monolith from [i]2001: A Space Odyssey[/i]? That's the Vintage. And yes, my god, it's full of stars. I checked. It arrived without me realising what it was, because the FedEx guy literally [i]sauntered[/i] into my shop with it. I thought it was probably just another box full of bibs or highchairs. Then I saw the senders address, and I was amazed by just how light it was. The lass who works for us helped me open the box just before her shift finished. Now, she used to work in a recording studio as a full-time session singer, so she's no fool when it comes to music gear. Her first three comments when we got it open were: [list=1] [*]Wow, that's the biggest one I've ever seen. [*]It's beautiful! [*]How much did that set you back? A couple of grand by the look of it. [/list]The first two are standard comments in a day in the life of BottomEndian, but they made me grin extra-wide today. And the third... well, it says it all. It really is beautiful to behold. The pictures we've seen so far from Alex really don't do it justice. The finish is [b]black[/b]. None more black. And the cloth's just... cool. No other word will do. It's cool. Really reminds me of my parents' old hi-fi speakers. I can't stress how light this thing is, at least in comparison to its size. I'm used to things like my Peavey 410 TVX, which is 102.5 lb, and I can't lift it on my own. The Vintage is actually an [b]easy[/b] lift. I suspect it might even be lighter than my Peavey head. Seriously. The side handles seem to be perfectly positioned and balanced for lifting, and the tilt-back handle-and-wheels combination seems to work nicely. Note that although the box itself is 38" tall, it actually stands just over an inch taller than that, because of the feet. It's really quite imposing, in a good way. Hopefully I'll get a chance to at least test it this evening, but I won't be able to really crank it until tomorrow night, when I'm meeting my guitarist for a jam. It'll be going up against a brutal onslaught of Les Paul > Big Muff > 150W Carlsbro bass head > one or two 4x12s. My Peavey rig (700W into a 410 and 115) has always struggled a touch to keep up with the guitar. Let battle commence... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 *drums fingers* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='530728' date='Jul 2 2009, 03:35 PM']*drums fingers*[/quote] Yeah, you and me both. Still 90 minutes till hometime... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Just under 24 hours til I get mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Well, it works. I've quickly tested at low levels (read "semi-detached with 2-year-old child sleeping directly above and disapproving looks from Mrs BE" levels) and it sounds sweet as a nut. It feels like a very open, transparent sound. Compared to my Peavey cabs at similar volumes, it's like a duvet has been lifted. It feels so counterintuitive to me to get that sort of mid and high-mid response from 15"s, and it was great to hear it. Can't comment as yet on the bottom end (not enough volume to really tell), and obviously tomorrow night will be the acid test of volume and power, but it felt (and I'm going to go all "zen" on you here) strangely like there was no amp rig at all. I forgot all about it. I had a direct connection between what I was playing and what I was hearing, to an extent that I've never experienced before through any amp setup. If it can do all that at volume and deliver bottom end in spades... well... happy, happy times. Roll on the noise. P.S. I'll be trying out all manner of drives and fuzzes through it tomorrow. Can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 So Alex and I realised today there's no pic of Compact and Vintage together... ...well, here are two slightly fuzzy pics for you! I gotta say, the Compact looked awesome but the Vintage looks stunning, can't wait for its first gig! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Thats going to look SO good on stage Hurry up and spill the beans about how it sounded against the 6 stinged wall of buzzin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Balsamic Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I've never owned a cab with a cloth grill and these vintage style cabs look great, but are they less protective? When I eventually gather up enough for a Big One I would definitely consider having it 'vintage-ised', but I'm concerned that it would get wrecked easily. So, what have been you're experiences guys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 So... anyone interested in how it sounded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 Dish it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 (edited) OK, I'm going to waffle on for a bit now, but here's the TLDR version: [b]I've never sounded this good before[/b]. Or, in the words of guitarist Tim, the Vintage is [b]"f***ing immense"[/b]. Now, the phrase "I've never sounded this good before" comes with a small caveat: I've not used that much decent gear before, but I've played through plenty of Peavey, bits of Hartke, a smattering of Marshall, some Ampeg and a dabble with Trace Elliot and Fender. So although I don't necessarily know my onions, I'm at least acquainted with a few shallots. Here's last night's setup: MusicMan SUB or Ibanez BTB775PB > Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor > a handful of dirt pedals in switchable loops (more later) > Hartke VXL Bass Attack preamp pedal > Tapco Juice J800 power amp (bridged @ 800W into 4 ohms) > Barefaced Vintage Everything was set with flat EQ (basses and preamp) for the majority of the evening, so we could hear exactly what was going on. In all honesty, I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said about the Compact (although I'm sure Merton will fill us in on the differences). All the standard Barefaced adjectives apply: deep, full, but very clear, articulate and above all... PRESENT. The Vintage has a sort of almost "vocal" quality, like there's a little peak around 1kHz like an SM58. I'm sure this would help you "cut through" the mix if that's what you were after. To me, it allows me to reach the holy grail of being able to blend properly with the guitars. The noise we make is kind of a massive, down-tuned, chunky, riffy, stonery, doomy wall of fuzz. Tim's guitars occupy much of the lows and low-mids, along with a smattering of high-end fizz. Previously, my Peavey rig (410 TVX, 115 BVX) has never been able to muster the high-mids I've been looking for in order to sit properly in the mix. I've just ended up with a rumble of ultra-lows and loads of high pick clank, which fits around the guitar, but leaves an aching void in the middle. Well, the Vintage changes all that. Just naturally, with everything flat, it's got the mid to high-mid voice I need. Perfect. Playing with Tim's guitar, it fitted in beautifully. And the lows... oh lord, the lows. Smooth, fat, rounded whump. Even from the SUB, which has that typically Stingray mid-heavy "crack". In fact, speaking of the lows, when I got the BTB on the case, there was [i]too much bottom[/i]. I've never had that before. Never in my life. I think we both wept uncontrollably before haemorrhaging internally. Thankfully, it was tameable using the BTB's onboard preamp -- I think I had to knock about 10 or 12 dB off the bass control! I should mention here that the BTB has the highest output I've ever come across, the electronics are naturally a bit dark, and it's strung with flats, so it doesn't entirely surprise me that there was too much bass. Still, when I was playing the low B, I took off my shoe and stuck my sweaty, stinky foot in front of the ports. Instant cooling airflow! So yeah, too much bottom for rock, but easily EQable, and it sounded smooth and sweet playing a few (terrible) jazzy walking lines. I'll point out here that I've had a PM from Alex stating that (and I quote): "don't forget that it'll get a bit fatter and deeper sounding as the cone suspensions loosen up". I can't believe that's physically possible. I'm sure I'll report back when it happens, unless the building I'm playing in collapses due to bass-induced structural failure. Talking of how much air was moving, yes that was impressive, but what was even more impressive was how the speakers didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat at 800W. I don't doubt that the Vintage could cope with 1000... 1500... maybe 2kW without distortion from the cones. And yes, while we're on volume, this thing is [b]LOUD[/b]. [u]Dirt[/u] I've had trouble in the past with the top end on some of my dirt pedals. They can get too fizzy, and even the bass-specific ones have seemed to lose a bit of low-end punch through the old Peaveys. Enter the Vintage. The Bass Big Muff was absolutely pant-flapping, especially in "Bass Boost" mode. Smooth, creamy lows and mids, with enough top to add definition but not so much that your ears die. Beautiful. The Wren & Cuff Pickle Pie B has been a bit of a mixed bag in the past: loads of low-end fuzz, but a real harsh brashness through the mids and highs. Now sorted. The Vintage eased it all off, especially when combined with a bit of the tube-simulation grind from the Hartke preamp pedal. Smooth but biting. Lovely. And the Hjärt-Müller gave a sweet, thick, grindy, old-school drive. For dirt-lovers, I'd give the Vintage a big thumbs-up. I think I actually did last night. [u]Guitar[/u] This might be sacrilege to some, but in the interests of completeness, we decided to run Tim's guitar setup into the Vintage. Now, Tim's a registered lurker on here (he tends to use a fair bit of bass-end gear in his rig), so he may pass better comment than I can. I would say his sound is somewhere between Smashing Pumpkins and Sunn O))), so plenty of scooped fuzz. He usually runs Les Paul > Big Muff > old Carlsbro bass head > Eminence Tonker-equipped 4x12. Last night we tried running from the Muff into the Hartke bass preamp pedal + Tapco power amp out to the Vintage, and we also tried just swapping the 4x12 for the Vintage (running from the Carlsbro). Either way, it had [i]awesome[/i] punch and bottom end. Obviously, it's not voiced for guitar, so we had to pull out [i]a lot[/i] of mids, but once we had, it was incredible. Tim is a very, very jealous fella. In summary, there were two very smiley faces in a Newcastle rehearsal room last night. A lot of awed silences. A lot of grins. A lot of thumbs up. To quote Tim again, the Barefaced Vintage is "the balls". The only downside I've found is that (being a short guy) the side handles are at the exact distance from the top that causes me to whack my larynx on the top edge when I pick it up. But hey, [b]I can pick it up[/b]. I've never had that from a bass cab before. I would heartily recommend the Vintage to anyone with a need for severe volume, unbelievable bottom end or a huge collection of dirt pedals. I'd love to hear it with a valve head. Probably not one for the slappers or the Michael Manrings of this world -- not enough top-end sparkle. But I didn't start playing bass to sparkle. I started playing bass to make people's clothes fall off, to make people's skin stretch back past their faces like they're in a centrifuge. The Vintage is the answer. EDIT: Note that this is all first impressions. I reserve the right to get even more enthusiastic when I actually gig this baby. Edited July 4, 2009 by BottomEndian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomEndian Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Oh, and Foxen... Vintage = Doom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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