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Scarf posted:You'd be surprised. Don't rule out getting a nice used Fender 5'er. Or a nice used anything... Don't feel like you have to go new to get a good bass. Yeah, I'll definitely keep an eye out, but I'm pretty used-averse, having been taken on a couple of used gear purchases in the past. That being said, I'll probably just stay off of Craigslist for this one, I'm less wary of music store used items. How do Guitar Center used items fare? It's kind of the only place nearby with much of a bass inventory.
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May 22, 2015 20:11
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MockingQuantum posted:Yeah, I'll definitely keep an eye out, but I'm pretty used-averse, having been taken on a couple of used gear purchases in the past. Used instruments in stores tend to be just as good as new because any decent shop runs things through a cleaning/setup/electronics check before they put it on the rack. Plus no one looks at you funny if you try to play it first to make sure it feels good. Craigslist you're okay to be skeezed out on.
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May 22, 2015 20:14
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You should be able to pick up a (non-American) Standard Fender Jazz 5 for around $700. If you shop for a used one, you can save tons more. My go-to 5-string is a MIM midnight wine Fender Jazz, the model with the mini-tuners (5 inline small Gotoh tuners). Fender has more expensive options, too, and there are some quality Squiers out there that are well within your budget. That said, Ibanez Soundgear is an excellent brand with a long pedigree and a well-deserved reputation for delivering a fairly consistent, quality product at a very reasonable price. I have a 5-string fretless Soundgear from 20 years ago, and it's still perfect. Ibanez's only real problem, in my opinion, is that it's not a Fender... but I'm sure some would say that's a feature, not a bug.
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May 22, 2015 20:53
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I have scored some scandalously good deals in the Guitar Center used section. (early MIJ jazz for $200 labeled as an MIM, for example.)
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May 22, 2015 21:11
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I got a 60's classic P bass used from Sam Ash for like $350, I'm guessing they just saw it was MIM and didn't realize street price on them is $750 and up due to the upgraded pickup/internals.
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May 26, 2015 18:45
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I'm happy to see others are finding good deals in the used departments of big guitar stores because its that very aspect that keeps me coming back. About a year ago I checked out the acoustics department at a local Guitar Center and they had a fretted mahogany ukulele bass for around $550, but I didn't pull the trigger because I wanted a fretless. About a month ago, I checked in again and found it used for $220. Someone had bought it, kept it for about a year and returned it; but, it seemed ridiculous for them to sell it back in perfect condition (it even played like it had been adjusted from factory settings because the intonation had been corrected) until I considered that someone probably looked up "mahogany fretted u-bass" and saw the Rumbler, which is a lower quality laminate build for around $350-ish and just marked that down.
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May 27, 2015 02:37
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I have suddenly found myself in need of a pro level bass rig. I've been in several bands on guitar and/or vocals, but on a whim I tried out for bass with a moderately successful metal band. I think I'm the only guy who auditioned who actually practiced the songs, because they said I blew all the other tryouts away, but I'm not really a great bass player. But, whatever. Point being, these guys play shows at medium and large sized venues, and I need to be able to jump in and be heard on a reasonable budget. Up until now, I've just played on my own recordings using Amplitube. My knowledge of bass gear is... hazy. I'm thinking maybe GK or Ampeg for a head, and whatever decent used 4x10 I can find to start off, with the intention of adding a 1x15 later. How much power do you guys think I would need? The guitar player in the band said I should go with at least 800 watts, but I dunno. He plays high end 100 and 150 watt high gain tube heads. They only have one guitar, and he plays a lot of solos and leads, so I need to be right in there to keep the songs from losing steam with no rhythm guitar. What do you guys think? What would you shoot for if you were me? Thanks!
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May 27, 2015 15:12
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^ You don't actually need much power at all. If they play decent sized venues, there should be decent PA's which is what the bass goes through. 100 watts of tube power or 300 watts of solid state power will be enough. As far as gear goes, you can't go wrong with either ampeg or GK. What kind of sound are you looking for? Clean or distorted? What's your budget like? You can get old SS Peaveys for really cheap and they're drat near indestructible and sound really massive. As far as cabs go, if you have some extra to spare i'd buy something modern and lightweight, barefaced for example (http://barefacedbass.com/). The audience won't be hearing much from what comes through it anyway, so it will be basically your monitoring purposes. Lighter is much nicer if you plan on touring. Dyna Soar fucked around with this message at 15:40 on May 27, 2015 |
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May 27, 2015 15:31
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Dyna Soar posted:^ You don't actually need much power at all. If they play decent sized venues, there should be decent PA's which is what the bass goes through. Sadly, the venues around here have crap sound systems and/or techs, even the couple of larger ones. From personal experience playing guitar at some of these places (and many, many smaller dingy joints), there were times where I needed a powerful amp so the other guys in the band and people in front of the stage could hear me. I imagine with bass that problem could end up being worse. They also play other cities within driving distance a lot. That's new to me, I don't know what to expect from that. I guess I'd err on the side of caution. I'd rather have more power than I need than be drown out. With bass amps, I don't really know what I'm looking at. Is 500 watts a lot? It seems like it to me, but I'm looking at all this through guitar glasses. My 100 watt Framus Dragon is loud as hell. Dyna Soar posted:What kind of sound are you looking for? Clean or distorted? What's your budget like? For this band, I'm actually shooting to sound a little bit like the bass tone in this Anthrax song. I like that high end punch, it's kind of punky. I would hope to get some more meat to the sound than this, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be7iNHw8QoQ Edit: Oh, budget wise, definitely want to keep it under $1000 if possible.
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May 27, 2015 16:21
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Don't mix a 410 and 115, just get two of either if you really need it. There are lots of combinations of amp and cabinet that will work for your situation, where are you located so we can see what craigslist is like in your area? Around me there's almost always an Ampeg 410HLF for about $500, pair that with something like a GK 700RB-II or 1001RB-II and that will get you a decent metal rig for under a grand. Downsides of the 410HLF is that it runs at 4 ohms so that will limit your future expansion (if you even need it), it's kinda heavy, and some people think it has too much low end (though EQ can help that). What kind of bass are you using?
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May 27, 2015 17:53
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I'd go with a used Ampeg 410HLF and a class-D head (Orange Terror 1000 for the style), both of which you should be able to swing for right at $1000 if you try. The cab can be a little boomy but it's a lot easier to fix that with EQ vs. trying to add bass. Dirt pedal if you need more grit.
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May 27, 2015 18:16
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500 watts is not a lot for a metal band. I would say 300w is too low. I run a 1000w setup myself, and you're still fighting with a loud drumset and kick triggers. Guitars needs far less wattage than basses to be heard, so you can't compare them directly. I personally love my Avatar 4x10. It's not as bassy as the Ampeg models, but my back thanks me for it every time I need to move it.
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May 28, 2015 01:06
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NarkyBark posted:500 watts is not a lot for a metal band. I would say 300w is too low. I run a 1000w setup myself, and you're still fighting with a loud drumset and kick triggers. Guitars needs far less wattage than basses to be heard, so you can't compare them directly.  I brought my 100w 70s V4B and 410HLF to my last metal show with two guitarists and the sound guy had me turn my stage volume down. My 350w solid state head also gives me juice to spare out of a 1x15. If you're running direct and have a decent cab you can make it work with ease.
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May 28, 2015 02:56
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Wattage rating should only ever be used as a general guide for volume as it can vary so much depending on a whole load of factors, particularly the cabinet used and how clean you need your tone to be. It can be especially misleading when comparing newer gear to older gear since there seems to be a lot of marketing, "more watts = better" BS applied to newer gear. Another trap a lot of bassists fall into is to use volume to compensate for lovely EQing. If you cut out all your mids then you shouldn't be surprised when you can't be heard. That goes for your guitarist too, tell them to turn down their bass knob and stay out of your range. 
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May 28, 2015 04:00
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NarkyBark posted:500 watts is not a lot for a metal band. I would say 300w is too low. I run a 1000w setup myself, and you're still fighting with a loud drumset and kick triggers. are you serious i have a 8x10 4-ohm orange cab and i used to have a 500-watt hybrid head and i could never turn the volume up more than 1/4th of the way at a gig. i now have a 200-watt tube head and i can never turn the volume up more than 1/4th of the way. are you playing like, big venues without any pa or something? is your drummer the hulk? Dyna Soar fucked around with this message at 12:04 on May 28, 2015 |
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May 28, 2015 12:02
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Bill Posters posted:Wattage rating should only ever be used as a general guide for volume as it can vary so much depending on a whole load of factors, particularly the cabinet used and how clean you need your tone to be. Exactly. You shouldn't need more than 300W~500W. Proper EQ for both the bass and guitar(s) makes a poo poo ton of difference in perceived volume rather than raw db. If you need to keep up with "100 and 150 watt high gain tube heads" in a band where you were "only guy who auditioned who actually practiced the songs" (red flags for volume wars) then your best best solution would be more SPEAKERS, not more wattage. I'd get an amp that can handle 4(or down to 2) ohms and then two 8 ohm 410 cabs if it were me. You would absolutely kill everyone/everything in its path with that. If you needed more volume after that then that's just silly and you'll probably end up hating being in this band if you're a normal person. Good luck, hope you can find everything in your budget!
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May 28, 2015 12:47
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1000w head jesus, talking about overkill
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May 28, 2015 12:53
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I always feel the urge to recommend the Aguilar TH500. It's sounds amazing at any volume and those 500 SS watts go far. I tried cranking it on -10db setting in the house once and didn't get anywhere near even 90% before I felt like I was going to turn everything into dust. Best EQ I've had on any amp as well. It excels with deep pounding tube tones but you can definitely dial in something modern. Aside from maybe an Orange bass head it's a piece of gear that ended my search for anything better.
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May 28, 2015 14:33
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Converge used to tour with both guitar and bass both using a v4. No one would ever complain about them not bein loud or intense. In a band setting EQing with the rest of the band is very important. My band uses a v4 and a custom 120w head for bass, and we can be plenty loud. We have actually had another band quit at the sheds we practice at quit practice because we were too loud and they have 2 half stacks and a 810(svt pro 4) the only difference is that my bassist and I both communicate well and dial back when needed to make a loud cohesive sound. blah blah if I were you i would buy a gk rb800 and a 810
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May 28, 2015 14:43
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DrChu posted:Don't mix a 410 and 115, just get two of either if you really need it. I know on paper it doesn't work and Bill Fitzmaurice dies a little on the inside every time you hook the two together, but I get great sound out of a 410 and 115. Though these days I rarely have the need for both of them together. All of the suggestions have been good, but I'd throw Genz Benz into the ring as well. Most of their amps have great headspace, and are very clean/transparent tone-wise so you can add in some drive or character with something like a Tech 21 VT Bass. Same goes for any other effects you'd want to throw in. edit: Nevermind, apparently Genz Benz is out of business  What the gently caress
Scarf fucked around with this message at 15:38 on May 28, 2015 |
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May 28, 2015 15:34
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Scarf posted:
Fender bought them and the new Fender Rumbles are basically GB Shuttles. I'm not sure if they have the built in high pass filter though, which I think is a huge part of how tight GB stuff can sound at high volume. On wattage - my thoughts are that wattage is so cheap now that you might as well get more than you think you need. The aforementioned Fender Rumbles - 100 more dollars takes you from 200 watts to 500.
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May 28, 2015 16:01
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I was going to mention the thing about EQ'ing last night, but I was tired, so I went to bed instead. Long story short: if you're having trouble cutting through the mix, make sure you have mids in your sound. It depends on your bass, which mids you want. For example, my Fender P-Bass Special with a maple fretboard and nickle-wound strings loves having slightly boosted bass, slightly less boosted treble, and a decent dose of upper mids. Add just a soupcon of overdrive to give the accented notes a bit of sizzle, and I can be felt and heard. For my rosewood fingerboard instruments, though, I boost the lower mids, because that's where they need the most help. Going with the typical metal-style scooped EQ setting doesn't work for anybody. It makes the guitars sound loving awesome... until anyone else in the band starts playing. Then it's poo poo, and hard to hear poo poo at that. The same goes for bass, except a little worse, because you're competing with power chords and the bass drum if you don't have any mids. Guess who wins that war. As for watts, another important thing to remember is that Watts =/= Decibels. Someone's 500 W amp is not 1 and 2/3rds times as loud as my 300 W Sunn 300T. In fact, cabinets being the same, it's really only a little louder. Noticeable, sure, but not almost twice as loud. And a 1000-watter is not twice as loud as that 500-watter. That's just not how it works. Bigger numbers do mean more sound, but only on a very basic level. It's not to scale. (That said, guitarists play in a range that's easy to make loud with an economy of watts. A 150 W guitar amp is going to be able to hold its own with a 300 W bass amp. 'Dems just 'da breaks.) And don't let people tell you not to mix 15's and 10's. I have a 4x10 w/ a piezo horn, and a 2x15. Sure, it's far too much to bring to most gigs, but I've done it on occasion, just to show 'em. (This combination is also pretty good if your amp has a bi-amp mode.)
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May 28, 2015 16:29
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on the phone so too lazy to quote but the scooped mids metal guitar thing is so true. I have seen so many bands sound check separately only to have the final product be mush
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May 28, 2015 16:45
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CheesyDog posted:Fender bought them and the new Fender Rumbles are basically GB Shuttles. I'm not sure if they have the built in high pass filter though, which I think is a huge part of how tight GB stuff can sound at high volume. loving Fender. Dammit. Now I regret never popping on a Streamliner or Shuttle a few years ago. Hopefully I'll be able to track down a used one when I'm ready to buy again.
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May 28, 2015 16:49
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Smash it Smash hit posted:on the phone so too lazy to quote but the scooped mids metal guitar thing is so true. I don't even like the way scooped mids sound on the guitar alone. It always sounded really dry and nasal to me. 
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May 28, 2015 16:54
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Scarf posted:loving Fender. Dammit. Now I regret never popping on a Streamliner or Shuttle a few years ago. Hopefully I'll be able to track down a used one when I'm ready to buy again. Apparently they sold the rights to ANOTHER company now and there are rumors that Genz Benz might be resurrected at some point. They're still pretty common on the used market, too. So I was just in the market for an amp upgrade and ended up with a (also now apparently discontinued) Kustom KXB500 . I always thought of them as 'used to make puffy amps, now makes lovely pawn shop amps' but there were a lot of people going crazy over these new heads online so when I found one with a return policy I gave it a shot and it seems good so far. Apparently has the same power amp as an Aguilar TH 500. Running it through an Avatar 2x12, and if I stay in 2 bands I'll probably pick up a light 210 at some point so I can leave 1 cab at each practice space and use both if I ever need to be really loud, speaker mixing be damned.
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May 28, 2015 17:53
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Shugojin posted:I don't even like the way scooped mids sound on the guitar alone. It always sounded really dry and nasal to me. metal dudes love it cause the extra bass makes it chug
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May 28, 2015 18:01
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Dyna Soar posted:are you serious You have a 4-ohm 8x10, the loudest single bass cab you can possibly be running so anything you plug into that is going to crush. Try plugging your 200-watt tube head into a 3015LF-loaded 1x15 and you'll very quickly run out of headroom before you hit anywhere close to that kind of volume. If you want to be loud you can have low wattage and a ton of speakers, or you can have high wattage and fewer speakers (provided those speakers can handle it.) Doubling your speaker surface area has the equivalent effect on volume as a ten-fold wattage increase. If you have low wattage and few speakers you're not going to be very loud, period. DEUCE SLUICE fucked around with this message at 19:17 on May 28, 2015 |
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May 28, 2015 19:11
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To clarify a bit, I wasn't saying 500w is bad, it should be fine, I just wouldn't say it was "too much". I ran the same 350w solid state setup the other guy mentioned earlier and I was constantly fighting to be heard. Not a scoop issue either, I have a very bright tone. But when you're dealing with two guitarists with full stacks and a drummer who plays very hard along with bass triggers going through a cab of his own, it's tough. 1000w is not necessary and not what I'm recommending but it IS what I'm running now, and I don't have to worry about getting drowned out anymore. The venues he described sounded like they had no real PA system so he must rely on stage volume. A lot of places I've played are like that too. Going direct is great but a lot of times you won't have that option.
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May 28, 2015 19:48
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Wattage is so cheap and light nowadays that it makes no sense to go with something less than 500w.
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May 28, 2015 20:32
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NarkyBark posted:To clarify a bit, I wasn't saying 500w is bad, it should be fine, I just wouldn't say it was "too much". I ran the same 350w solid state setup the other guy mentioned earlier and I was constantly fighting to be heard. Not a scoop issue either, I have a very bright tone. But when you're dealing with two guitarists with full stacks and a drummer who plays very hard along with bass triggers going through a cab of his own, it's tough. 1000w is not necessary and not what I'm recommending but it IS what I'm running now, and I don't have to worry about getting drowned out anymore. Jesus, it must be physically uncomfortable to be near that. Why all the stuff? And where are you guys finding venues with no PA but big enough to warrant huge rigs like that? Every tiny bar around my area has a proper PA, and the DIY/punk show spots are so tiny you wouldn't need much to blow the roof off anyway.
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May 28, 2015 21:40
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Squire Classic Vibe 70s P Bass, how are they? I see they seem to be newer ones and I'm wanting a P Bass lately. My Squier 70s Jazz is killer but the tiny neck bothers my hand and I don't need that much versatility considering my bass tone is dial out treble, dial in huge loving low end. Curious about the neck profile if anyone has played one.
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May 28, 2015 23:38
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Kilometers Davis posted:Squire Classic Vibe 70s P Bass, how are they? I see they seem to be newer ones and I'm wanting a P Bass lately. My Squier 70s Jazz is killer but the tiny neck bothers my hand and I don't need that much versatility considering my bass tone is dial out treble, dial in huge loving low end. Curious about the neck profile if anyone has played one. I have the vintage modified 5-string P-bass, I dropped in a Nordstrand and now you could be fooled into thinking it's the real thing.
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May 29, 2015 00:11
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Are the MONO gig bags really worth the price?
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May 29, 2015 02:15
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NarkyBark posted:a drummer who plays very hard along with bass triggers going through a cab of his own I found your problem. Scarf posted:loving Fender. Dammit. Now I regret never popping on a Streamliner or Shuttle a few years ago. Hopefully I'll be able to track down a used one when I'm ready to buy again. The buyout doesn't seem to be common knowledge. I bought a Shuttlemax 9.2 off craigslist a few months ago, and the seller had no idea Genz-Benz was done. I saw a 6.2 combo recently, but refrained from adding to the stockpile. I'd definitely snag a 12.2 if I came across one, though.
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May 29, 2015 02:54
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Bruce Boxliker posted:I have the vintage modified 5-string P-bass, I dropped in a Nordstrand and now you could be fooled into thinking it's the real thing. Same here, Vintage Modified PJ with Nordstrands. It's awesome. JayKay posted:Are the MONO gig bags really worth the price? Yeah. My bandmate's been using a Mono double bag for at least five years and it's still in awesome shape. They're the only thing out there right now that I think stacks up to the old Incase bags I'm still using. I've been tempted to switch, as the Mono is lighter and slimmer for air travel and the material is more water resistant but I like the extra rigid protection of the Incase. (I've had my Incase double bag since 2005 and beat the crap out of it in the back of a trailer for a few years. Still looks new. I wish they'd start making these again.)
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May 29, 2015 08:43
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DEUCE SLUICE posted:You have a 4-ohm 8x10, the loudest single bass cab you can possibly be running so anything you plug into that is going to crush. Try plugging your 200-watt tube head into a 3015LF-loaded 1x15 and you'll very quickly run out of headroom before you hit anywhere close to that kind of volume. well, my point was that when you go over a certain limit (be it 300w-500w with an SS or around 100w with a tube head) with watts, just adding more won't make you any louder. other ppl have said it and much more eloquently though so i'll leave it at that. Bruce Boxliker posted:Jesus, it must be physically uncomfortable to be near that. Why all the stuff? And where are you guys finding venues with no PA but big enough to warrant huge rigs like that? Every tiny bar around my area has a proper PA, and the DIY/punk show spots are so tiny you wouldn't need much to blow the roof off anyway. same. i've never played a venue where i'd need a 1000w head and a massive cab just to be heard that didn't have a PA. Dyna Soar fucked around with this message at 09:17 on May 29, 2015 |
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May 29, 2015 09:13
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tbqh a wall of amps is completely unneeded but it just looks so loving cool
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May 29, 2015 13:11
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Any of you guys have a ZVEX Wooly Mammoth fuzz pedal? I'm thinking of buying one to play stoner doom. I have an OKKO Diablo fuzz pedal that I'm using right now. Looking for something different.
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May 29, 2015 13:36
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Juaguocio posted:I found your problem. Good to know! I haven't really been looking at any gear in so drat long, I had no idea. Apparently this all took place back in 2013?! I guess that's what happens when I stop going to TalkBass.
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May 29, 2015 13:37
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