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I've got my CV 60's P-bass sitting in the livingroom with only some flimsy wrapping paper between it and I. I have my flats to be wrapped up too, I can't wait. I'm going to use the stock strings for a while before I switch out to the Labellas, but I can't wait to give it a shot.
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Dec 17, 2013 23:08
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Borderview posted:I just started playing bass with a few friends who have a experimental-prog-rock band going (kinda Sonic Youth and Radiohead sounding). My main instruments are guitar and keyboards which I'm both pretty descent at. Playing with these folks is just for fun as I really don't have time to pursue anything seriously. However, they asked me to play a show with them soon, so I figured I needed to upgrade my set-up. I had been playing through just a keyboard amp that outputs about 120 watts. To replace this, I just impulse bought an Ampeg SVT Pro 3 head with a MarkBass Traveler 102P cabinet. I played the SVT a little bit in a store, but ended up finding a really good price on eBay. I thought it sounded fine and cranked pretty loud, but I'm really not sure what I should be listening for, either. I bought the MarkBass off eBay, too, having never tried it but seeing good reviews for it elsewhere. I'm wondering if this head with this cabinet will be a descent set-up and able to thump loud enough for small-venue shows? I have no idea about matching heads and cabs, so hopefully this set-up will be all-right. Is your cabinet wired for 4 ohm or 8 ohm? Looks like they sell it both ways. I'm playing on a SVT3 with an Ampeg 410-HLF and its ridiculously loud if I want. The SVT3 cranks plenty for any small bar or venue, anything bigger than that should have lineouts or mics to run you into the PA. If you have problems with volume, you might want to find a cabinet that better matches the amp but you should be fine with your setup. The manual for the SVT3 has some suggested settings on page 10 for different types of music, use them as a reference and take advantage of the EQ. http://www.ampeg.com/pdf/svt-3pro.pdf
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Dec 18, 2013 19:24
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From my most recent gig: 
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Dec 19, 2013 00:50
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Ericadia posted:From my most recent gig: That is the least metal metal bass picture ever.
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Dec 19, 2013 02:04
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ZetsurinPower posted:Is your cabinet wired for 4 ohm or 8 ohm? Looks like they sell it both ways. Thanks for the info. Thanks to the others who replied as well. Yeah, the cab is 8ohms. I figure that way I can add another 1-15" 8ohm cab as well (I think that's how ohms work, no?). I've been getting the itch for a new bass as well. Right now, I'm playing a Fender Modern Player Jag, which seems to be OK for the price. I seem to be always making neck adjustments, though, and the truss rod really puts up a fight. Is it just the string tension on basses that make the necks bend more? Or, is this just a thing with it being a cheap bass? I've been considering a Fender American Special or a Road-worn Precision bass. Anyone have experience with either of these?
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Dec 19, 2013 09:26
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I posted earlier about wanting to buy a new bass sometime next year. I finally got my hands on a high end Warwick and a Fender Deluxe Jazz Bass and now I'm having trouble which one I like more between those two and the ibanez SR1400 and SR5000. I honestly didn't expect the Jazz bass to be any good from experience with low end J-basses. I was pleasantly surprised though because the deluxe j-bass was pretty good. The neck was as thin and fast as an ibanez. Choices... choices..
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Dec 19, 2013 11:21
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Ericadia posted:I posted earlier about wanting to buy a new bass sometime next year. I finally got my hands on a high end Warwick and a Fender Deluxe Jazz Bass and now I'm having trouble which one I like more between those two and the ibanez SR1400 and SR5000. I honestly didn't expect the Jazz bass to be any good from experience with low end J-basses. I was pleasantly surprised though because the deluxe j-bass was pretty good. The neck was as thin and fast as an ibanez. What model Warwick? Personally I've never liked the way they sounded, but they've always felt great. Also, coughcoughcoughbuyaLaklandcoughcough
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Dec 19, 2013 15:30
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Bad player and lakland owner checking in - the best bass that I've ever held!
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Dec 19, 2013 19:09
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Scarf posted:What model Warwick? Personally I've never liked the way they sounded, but they've always felt great. I'm pretty sure it was a German Thumb, the sound was actually quite nice, and yeah the feel was awesome. Still though, I think the Deluxe Jazz is what threw me the most, it was seriously a great bass. The only thing I could fault it on was weight; nearly 2 pounds heavier than both the Ibanez basses and the Warwick (one pound lighter than my Warlock though). Feel free to talk up some Lakland basses to me though  my price cap is $2000
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Dec 19, 2013 19:53
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Ericadia posted:I'm pretty sure it was a German Thumb, the sound was actually quite nice, and yeah the feel was awesome. Still though, I think the Deluxe Jazz is what threw me the most, it was seriously a great bass. The only thing I could fault it on was weight; nearly 2 pounds heavier than both the Ibanez basses and the Warwick (one pound lighter than my Warlock though). You can get pretty much any Skyline model Lakland for under $2k, and a used U.S. model for just under that. Both lines are incredibly well made (I'd take my Korean and Indo Laklands over US Fenders any day), very versatile, and have bar none the best feeling necks I've ever felt. You can find tons of videos and sound demos out there, both on youtube and lakland's site. Here's one they made years ago that demo their then-new pickup/preamp. Really doesn't do the actual sound any justice, but it can give you an idea of the different sounds it's capable of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpd7r0PdVnU If you're looking for a super versatile, active, modern-sounding bass, I'd definitely say give Lakland a try if you can get your hands on one. Plus, that's just the flagship model... They have a ton of more traditional J and P-styled basses. Just for clarity's sake, I am/was an endorsing artist for Lakland, so take my opinions as you will. https://www.lakland.com Scarf fucked around with this message at 20:41 on Dec 19, 2013 |
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Dec 19, 2013 20:31
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Scarf posted:You can get pretty much any Skyline model Lakland for under $2k, and a used U.S. model for just under that. Both lines are incredibly well made (I'd take my Korean and Indo Laklands over US Fenders any day), very versatile, and have bar none the best feeling necks I've ever felt. The video sounds okay through my stereo, I can hear it peaking pretty bad in certain spots though. Nice sweet sounding bass though, reminds me of my Ibanez actually but with more oomph at the bridge pickup. And boy that video is embarrassing for the Sting Ray, which sounded pretty mediocre (full disclosure, I have no love for Ernie Ball)! I'll have to call around and see if I can track down a Lakland now. Thanks Scarf!
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Dec 19, 2013 21:27
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Ericadia posted:(full disclosure, I have no love for Ernie Ball) Curious, why not? I can't think of any reason to shame them. They're a great company.
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Dec 19, 2013 21:34
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At the $2000 price point I would start looking at the used boutique market. The downside is that you probably wouldn't be able to play one beforehand if you go online at talkbass or something like that. But something like a used Roscoe bass would simply blow any production instrument away.
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Dec 19, 2013 22:11
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Kilometers Davis posted:Curious, why not? I can't think of any reason to shame them. They're a great company. Aside from Sterling Ball being a pompous jackoff? Personally, I really dislike the sound of pretty much every MM bass. Even the fabled Leo Fender-era basses, not a fan of the sound. Scarf fucked around with this message at 22:26 on Dec 19, 2013 |
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Dec 19, 2013 22:21
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Kilometers Davis posted:Curious, why not? I can't think of any reason to shame them. They're a great company. I dislike their strings, and I've never liked how their basses sound. On top of that I think their basses are awkward or sometimes even outright ugly looking (a bongo should live under a tarp  ). As a company they do most things well, although I feel like their competitors tend to do things better (especially d'addario with their planet waves stuff).This is petty but: I've used super slinks exclusively for probably 4 years now and initially I adored them but in recent months with my band suddenly becoming busy, weaknesses have started to show that weren't apparent before. With how often I play now, they've been losing their tone after a week or less, which just sucks so bad. Fresh super slinks sound sweet and awesome but old slinks sound dull, and that dull tone has been showing up sooner and sooner these days. I've switched to GHS Boomers just this last month, the feel is noticeably different from the slinks (far more rigid and restrained), but tonally I think fresh boomers and fresh slinks are pretty similar. The big difference is the Boomers tone hasn't faded away yet, whereas the slinks would have been dullsville already. So yeah, I'm mad that my once favorite strings are a bit shittier than I thought (I told you it was petty). Rifter17 posted:At the $2000 price point I would start looking at the used boutique market. The downside is that you probably wouldn't be able to play one beforehand if you go online at talkbass or something like that. But something like a used Roscoe bass would simply blow any production instrument away. I have thought about this, but most examples I see are still over $2k, and not being able to play it first is really hard to deal with for me. So far, as far as bass/dollar value goes, the Ibanez SR5000 is the front runner with that American Deluxe Jazz Bass close behind. I kinda want to take a moment to gush-rant about that J-Bass: it surprised me the most out of all the basses I've tried because I genuinely expected to hate it. I've played a lot of j and p basses in the past and was always left wondering "why? what's the big deal?" But the new neck style is almost perfect, and the tone was noticeably more bright. The bridge still seems like something you'd find on a bargain bass but a little more robust, and the body finish was typical Fender underwhelming, but the tone and playability of the bass are far improved from lovely j-basses I've played in the past. I'm glad I have months to decide because so far I'm not even close to a decision.
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Dec 19, 2013 23:09
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So what type of music do you play generally? Is it mostly metal? If it is I would say go for the SR5000. If you play different genres I would go for the Jazz Bass. Personal opinion.
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Dec 19, 2013 23:31
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If your strings are going dull in a hurry, you might want to try coated strings. Might save you money in the long term.
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Dec 19, 2013 23:38
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Stravinsky posted:So what type of music do you play generally? Is it mostly metal? If it is I would say go for the SR5000. If you play different genres I would go for the Jazz Bass. Personal opinion. My band is indie/alt rock, I play prog and metal on the side with a friend, and I also write little solo songs where I sing and tap/slap, these tend to be more funk and alternative.
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Dec 20, 2013 00:01
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Ericadia posted:I posted earlier about wanting to buy a new bass sometime next year. I finally got my hands on a high end Warwick and a Fender Deluxe Jazz Bass and now I'm having trouble which one I like more between those two and the ibanez SR1400 and SR5000. I honestly didn't expect the Jazz bass to be any good from experience with low end J-basses. I was pleasantly surprised though because the deluxe j-bass was pretty good. The neck was as thin and fast as an ibanez. If the Deluxe Jazz is anything like the Deluxe Precision I got, definitely check it out before dropping cash. I am not sure if the preamp / pickups are different from what is in my current year example, but it can be "sensitive" to electrical interference. I love the instrument, it's beautiful and feels great, and I do not regret the purchase but you should definitely be forewarned. Depending on your environment this can be pretty profound.
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Dec 20, 2013 00:23
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I just randomly ran across this video (I liked the look of the bass in the thumbnail) and I got a kick out of it, so I thought I'd post it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgXJzzJFNFs
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Dec 20, 2013 03:03
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Ericadia posted:My band is indie/alt rock, I play prog and metal on the side with a friend, and I also write little solo songs where I sing and tap/slap, these tend to be more funk and alternative. Definitely go for the Fender Jazz Deluxe. It has a very versatile sound that can be shaped and formed to fit just about anything. Plus they are well put together to boot.
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Dec 20, 2013 03:39
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Stravinsky posted:Definitely go for the Fender Jazz Deluxe. It has a very versatile sound that can be shaped and formed to fit just about anything. Plus they are well put together to boot. Yeah of all the basses I've tried that one is really sticking in my mind. But that might be because it was one of the more recent basses I've tried. I suspect if I went and tried the SR1400E or 5000 out again I'd flip-flop some more. Still no luck tracking down a Lakland! EDIT: I'm also considering a Carvin because I respect them a lot as a company (my bass amp and a lot of my bands live equipment is Carvin), but this would be another bass I couldn't try before I buy. Plus there is something about the way they look  at first I thought they were pretty ugly but the headstock has actually grown on me. Still not sure if I like how the wings splay outward like that though. I mean, its not as bad as the obvious penis wing that all Warwicks have* but still.. * 
Ericadia fucked around with this message at 19:51 on Dec 21, 2013 |
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Dec 21, 2013 19:37
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Everyone I know of who has a Carvin absolutely loves it. If you can try one out I'd recommend it, naturally, but the big thing is that you're going to eat a lot of money trying to sell that thing if you don't like it.
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Dec 22, 2013 03:10
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On the flip side, you can probably find a great deal on a used Carvin. Same goes for USA Peaveys. I haven't played a Carvin bass, but I had a DC127 guitar that was a joy to play.
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Dec 22, 2013 03:14
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What's the best way to get headphones to work with the bass? My Aguilar TH500 doesn't seem to have a headphone out. If I plugged my phones (normal sennheiser HDs) into the effect send, would the low frequencies gently caress them up? Do I need a headphone amp? I moved into an apartment and don't want to piss off my neighbors.
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Dec 22, 2013 10:53
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Dominoes posted:What's the best way to get headphones to work with the bass? My Aguilar TH500 doesn't seem to have a headphone out. If I plugged my phones (normal sennheiser HDs) into the effect send, would the low frequencies gently caress them up? Do I need a headphone amp? I moved into an apartment and don't want to piss off my neighbors. Chances are good that your effect send is only a mono channel, so you will only get sounds out of one side of your headphones. Also, that type of output is usually way too hot for headphones. Even if they could handle the load, you could mess up your hearing. Wasn't there something from Amazon posted a while back that was like a cheap headphone-specific interface? EDIT: something like this? The Science Goy fucked around with this message at 17:35 on Dec 22, 2013 |
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Dec 22, 2013 17:26
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my red GSR200 gets here tomorrow, thanks for all the info guys!
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Dec 22, 2013 19:03
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Declan MacManus posted:Everyone I know of who has a Carvin absolutely loves it. If you can try one out I'd recommend it, naturally, but the big thing is that you're going to eat a lot of money trying to sell that thing if you don't like it. A guitarist I work with has a custom carvin and it really is a remarkable guitar. I think later tonight I'll peruse eBay and the carvinbbs to get a feel for the used market. That being said... I customized a SB4001 bass on their site last night. Chambered swamp ash body, 5 piece maple neck with koa stripes, ebony fretboard with abalone block inlays, gold hardware and a single coil bridge pup, humbucker at the neck. Flamed maple top wood, ruby red finish with black burst edges. Came out to ~$1800. Not a bad price at all.
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Dec 22, 2013 21:15
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Welp, you get what you pay for I guess. I've only been playing bass for about two or three months. While I'm fully aware I have a cheap bass with lots of problems, I'm not performing or anything with it, just playing for myself and learning so I'm willing to put up with it's shortfalls. Until...hey what was that white thing that went flying in the corner of my eye? And why is my E String so out of tune and buzzing so much?  What's sad is that I'm holding another nut in my hands, but it doesn't fit because it's just a tiny bit too wide. I'm not upset or anything, I'm just more amused because out of the million of problems I've had with this bass, that's the last thing I expected to happen. I'll probably just end up taking it to my teacher next week and see what he can do.
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Dec 22, 2013 23:41
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Renegret posted:Welp, you get what you pay for I guess. You should be able to take it to a tech and get him (or her?) to carve a new one for you. It shouldn't be too expensive.
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Dec 23, 2013 00:16
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CisSTAR 19 posted:You should be able to take it to a tech and get him (or her?) to carve a new one for you. It shouldn't be too expensive. Yeah, not too worried. My teacher will do it for free and just charge me for the nut (he loves me  ) I just can't get to him before my lesson on Thursday and I'd rather have it in some sort of playable condition so I can practice and have a proper lesson.I actually just got back from the local hardware store with a small file set and some sandpaper. I'm going to try and see what I can do with this nut that doesn't fit, what's the worst that could happen? I was looking to buy a new bass after the holiday season anyway so I'm not going to go crazy. I already have my eye on a used Ibanez in his shop, it's not for sale right now but my teacher's going to see if he can wrestle it out of the guy so he could sell it to me.
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Dec 23, 2013 00:29
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Hey all! I'm going bass shopping for my first decent bass. I've played around a bit so I know what I'm looking for, but I don't know which brands make the bass I'm looking for. I'm looking for some sort of J-Bass with active pickups. I'm not too fussed if it's an actual J-Bass body, but the big thing that I'm stuck on at the moment is active J-Bass pickups. I've got a P-Bass already and it's not working out for me so yeah. I've tried a Warwick Corvette and loved how it sounded. However on 2 different Pro Series basses, the neck or fretwork was off. Both times, I thought it was the intonation so I got them to double-check that it was okay. Using a tuner, we checked and the intonation at the 12th fret was spot-on, but on BOTH Warwicks, there was a dodgy fret somewhere that made things sharp elsewhere. On the first one, the G# (4th) was sharp and on the second, it was the A# (6th). Since 2 different Warwicks, both worth about $1600 Australian were off, I'm not too keen on Warwick anymore. So what other basses are out there that have active J pickups?
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Dec 23, 2013 05:33
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Renegret posted:Yeah, not too worried. My teacher will do it for free and just charge me for the nut (he loves me Too wide in which direction? If i's just too wide to physically fit in the slot it's not too big an issue to sand it down until it fits. They are actually sold slightly oversized so you can custom fit them. Just put the sandpaper on something flat like a piece of glass and take a little off each side, and keep testing it until it fits. That being said if your teacher can cut you a whole new nut ask if he can do a bone one.
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Dec 23, 2013 10:39
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Hammer Floyd posted:
If you go to musicians friend, you can actually filter by active, passive, and active/passive. Even if you don't intend to buy from them, you can at least see what models are out there.
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Dec 23, 2013 11:07
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Thumposaurus posted:Too wide in which direction? If i's just too wide to physically fit in the slot it's not too big an issue to sand it down until it fits. They are actually sold slightly oversized so you can custom fit them. Just put the sandpaper on something flat like a piece of glass and take a little off each side, and keep testing it until it fits. That's actually exactly what I ended up doing. I was shocked the hardware store was open so late on a Sunday. It's not pretty but it gets the job done. I played violin for 7 years, and with those instruments it's a cardinal sin to take tension off the instrument since you run the risk of having the sound post fall out. Let's say I didn't have a spare nut, would I have hosed up the instrument by leaving it like that for a few days? There's no sound post to knock loose but I don't know if the neck would start bowing from lack of tension or twisting if one string was left loose.
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Dec 23, 2013 12:43
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Renegret posted:That's actually exactly what I ended up doing. I was shocked the hardware store was open so late on a Sunday. It's not pretty but it gets the job done. You'd be fine for a few days, and even if the neck were to bow a bit, you could adjust the truss rod.
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Dec 23, 2013 14:10
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R3M posted:my red GSR200 gets here tomorrow, thanks for all the info guys! Great choice, sir. I started out a a GSR200 over a decade ago, and still play the thing today. It's held up extremely well.
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Dec 23, 2013 19:50
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The OP is a little light on practice amp recommendations. Is there anything else people like? I was messing around at guitar center and all of the practice amps in the $150 or so range and below had this terrible buzzing when playing certain notes, particularly a low A. The pricier amps didn't have it, but it doesn't seem like something you should have to drop $250 to avoid. Were their amps just busted / abused? The sales guy seemed as mystified as me.
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Dec 23, 2013 23:54
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So I'm looking for my first decent bass... The two basses that got my attention were Fender Jazz basses and Warwick Corvettes. I loved how the Fender Jazz played, but it didn't have enough bottom end for my liking. The Warwick Corvette had pretty much the exact sound that I'm looking for BUT: I played 2 different Pro Series Warwick Corvettes. BOTH of them had fret issues that made some notes out of tune. At first, I thought it was the intonation, so I had the guys at the store fix the intonation so that it was perfect at the 12th fret. However, on the first Warwick, the 4th fret was STILL pitching the note sharp which had a knock-on effect to the other notes and the second Pro Series it was the 7th. I know Warwicks have a great reputation and all, but these were 2 different, $1500 basses that had poo poo fretwork that you couldn't fix. So even though a Warwick Corvette pretty much fits the bill for what I'm looking for, I'm not going to go back to those. I've played both a Mexi and a US Fender Jazz. The US definitely sounded better, but in terms of playability and everything, I didn't think the Mexi Jazz was a compromise at all. My only complaint is as I said: They don't have enough bottom end for my liking. So: I'm thinking of grabbing a Mexican Fender Jazz standard and replacing the pickups with a set of active EMGs (since that's what they use in the awful expensive Warwicks). All up, that'll set me back about $1300. ALTERNATIVELY: Fender do make Mexi Jazz basses with Active pickups and they seem to go for $1100. What would be your call? Would you prefer to rock a Jazz bass with active Fender pickups or active EMGs? Or is there something else entirely that you would rock?
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Dec 24, 2013 02:00
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Blakkout posted:Great choice, sir. I started out a a GSR200 over a decade ago, and still play the thing today. It's held up extremely well. And it's here! I love it so much.
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Dec 24, 2013 03:21
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