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A while back I asked a shitload of questions about amplifiers, speakers, ohms, watts, etc. Then I posted that I'd bought a portaflex pf-500 head and the guy who was going to sell me a cabinet same day flaked and I was really frustrated. Then I asked a shitload more questions and got lots of good advice, some of which was "just wait and keep an eye on classifieds and stuff and something will come along". Today I bought a PF115-HE used, with almost no marks on it, for literally half the price that a new one's selling for around here - only thing it's missing is the screws for mounting the head to the top. So thank you everyone who helped me out (and also everyone who constantly posts information here), I'm sure I would have hosed something up without you. As it is, I'm happy as hell and I've got enough budget left over to go hunting for a used fuzz pedal and maybe a chorus or reverb too.  The setup sounds pretty good with all the knobs at 12, and I'm finding it super easy to get different sounds out of it.
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Apr 26, 2016 03:43
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 That's a nice setup, especially for such a good price.
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Apr 26, 2016 04:50
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Seventh Arrow posted:Haha, playing my new Rickenbacker in church. I await my interview with the Chief Inquisitor any moment. Hey, as long as the hollowbody gets some love from time to time, I'm cool with it 
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Apr 27, 2016 04:04
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Might be trading off some old ham radio gear for an old Mann bass and a Yorkville 120B. The old ham guys refuse to offer cash, so it's the best offer I have on the table.
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Apr 27, 2016 19:39
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Sockington posted:Might be trading off some old ham radio gear for an old Mann bass and a Yorkville 120B. Hope the radio equipment isn't very valuable because you're looking a little less than a couple hundred bucks of gear, there. The Yorkville is a decent little amp, but I am reading nothing but complaints about Mann for just being old knock-off basses and back breakers to boot. e. the bass does look like it's a neck through design, though, which could be a neat feature provided its real and not just some trickery with the body color; even then, I can't attest to that company's ability to make a design like that function properly so you're gonna have to rely on their word or your own experience Jeff Goldblum fucked around with this message at 22:21 on Apr 27, 2016 |
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Apr 27, 2016 22:15
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Edit: nvm
Sockington fucked around with this message at 03:07 on May 8, 2016 |
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Apr 28, 2016 02:15
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Seventh Arrow posted:I think it's the HD112, if I recall correctly. It's not yours I take it? I ask because I've been hoping to try some Berg cabs for a while now, but they rarely show up in stores around here.
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Apr 28, 2016 22:07
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Juaguocio posted:It's not yours I take it? I ask because I've been hoping to try some Berg cabs for a while now, but they rarely show up in stores around here. Well, I bought it about a decade ago. I originally got it from Club Bass, but I don't think they sell them anymore. I still remember Dave being surprised when I walked in the door with a gig bag that he sold me almost 20 years prior. Those things hold up!
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Apr 29, 2016 02:44
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Anyone have any tips on what bass strings to buy? Most of my life I've used Ken Smith medium or medium light but I've also really liked GHS Boomers and Ernie Ball strings. I'd just like to try something new. I play most any kind of music but right now I'm getting ready to do a show with a surf-punk band. I prefer bright-ish strings and play with a light to medium-heavy right hand. Sometimes I use a pick and sometimes I don't.
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Apr 30, 2016 12:14
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DR Fat Beams
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Apr 30, 2016 12:31
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I used to have a Conklin GTBD-7 7 string bass about 5-6 years ago, but had to sell it when some bills came up. I've been getting the itch to grab another 7 string the past few months and was wondering if by chance anyone has tried the Ibanez BTB 7 that they have? I currently play SR506 and I like they way it plays enough, but I've never tried a BTB before. I know the scales longer but I'm not too worried about that.
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Apr 30, 2016 14:06
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Avian Pneumonia posted:Anyone have any tips on what bass strings to buy? Dunlop Super Bright Nickel or Steel If you don't care for those you can't ever go wrong with D'Addario imo. I've used their strings on tons of different instruments and they're always the best balance of sound/durability/feel. I've rarely ever preferred other companies. Kilometers Davis fucked around with this message at 15:03 on Apr 30, 2016 |
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Apr 30, 2016 14:59
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Completely forgot about steel strings. I actually tried what I think were DRs when I was playing in a rock band a while back and I loved the sound/attack.
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Apr 30, 2016 15:37
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If you've got a Precision type of bass, GHS pressurewounds are a nice tamer of the aggression, and wear extremely well.
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May 1, 2016 06:38
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Avian Pneumonia posted:Anyone have any tips on what bass strings to buy? I tried GHS Bass Boomers many years ago (the 1990s) because Stu Hamm and a bunch of other famous bassists endorsed them. What I found was that they sounded slightly better than the Darco strings I could by at my local music shop (the cheapest brand available at the time), and they stayed bright precisely as long. I can't begin to explain how disappointed I was that strings that cost twice as much still burned for half as long. It was my first endorsement-fueled heartbreak. loving GHS. I gave them two shots because I was an idiot, and I'll never buy them again. OK strings, terrible value. For my fretted basses, I use Fender nickelwound strings. They're not expensive (but not the cheapest), and I actually like the feeling of the strings under my fingers--and I might be in the minority on that. They have a pretty cool vintage tone, they don't mess up your frets much, and they last longer than many other brands, though not by much. For fretless, I get nylon tapewound strings. The brand here is less important. If I need new strings now and I'm just about broke, I get an Earnie Ball Slinky set. They're OK strings, but they do not stay bright all that long.
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May 1, 2016 16:41
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If you want bright-ish strings but not something as aggressively bright as, say, Dunlops you could always try groundwounds. Ken Smith Slickrounds in particular are pretty cool.
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May 2, 2016 04:00
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Sorted out my need for a bass amp this weekend.
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May 2, 2016 11:11
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Sockington posted:Sorted out my need for a bass amp this weekend. One of us One of us One of us Haven't looked back since I bought my Little Mark head, great equipment.
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May 2, 2016 11:55
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Just picked up a PRS Kingfisher at a good price - the shop was selling it used, but by looking at it, I would guess whoever used to own it had never even touched it. My one problem with it is the volume/tone pots. They don't adjust levels even close to smoothly, and just seem like PRS went cheap on them. Any recommendations on what to replace them with? I have plenty of electronics and soldering experience, so that won't be a problem, but have never done this kind of replacement on a guitar/bass before and don't know if there's a brand or resistance that's recommended.
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May 2, 2016 14:58
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Golden-i posted:Just picked up a PRS Kingfisher at a good price - the shop was selling it used, but by looking at it, I would guess whoever used to own it had never even touched it. Is it passive? If so change the pots to linear taper. Use the same value as whatever is in there (250K or 500K). To verify look at the pots you have, they should have a number value followed by letter code ( A for audio, B for linear) stamped on them. Edit: or the better option is to just play with all controls up all of the time.
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May 3, 2016 00:33
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CaseFace McGee posted:Haven't looked back since I bought my Little Mark head, great equipment. I just found that out tonight. CaseFace McGee posted:You won't need to do any upgrades to that for quite a while, especially if the 1x15 plays nice and you don't get any weird phase issues. 20% off makes it a drat good purchase. It played very nice together.   I'm pretty much in love with it. I'm not 100% sure on how to EQ what I want right now, so it remains mostly a mystery for me. I cut some lows to not compete with the kick, and kept everything else pretty flat. Gain about 75%, volume about 15%. 
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May 3, 2016 03:16
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That markbass combo looks awesome. So my ampeg cab had a really nasty buzz/rattle when turned up beyond about half volume, and figured I'd found the reason the previous owner got rid of it that cheap. hosed around with it for half an hour while my wife was out, and figured it sounded like the grill/face/whatever part and might be an easy fix, so I took that off, the rattle continued, I got really paranoid that I wasn't going to be able to fix it, and then found that one of the screws holding the tweeter in was barely finger tight. Tightened it, which solved the problem, then tighetened everything else up as well. Doesn't rattle any more. I'm assuming the thing gradually shook loose. How do I prevent it from happening again? I mean, I can just keep tightening it, but unscrewing the grill to get to it's a pain in the arse. I'm not leaving the grill off, I'm too clumsy to leave a speaker exposed like that.
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May 3, 2016 13:45
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AlphaDog posted:That markbass combo looks awesome. Keeping screws from coming loose because of vibrations is what loctite is made for: http://www.amazon.com/Loctite-Medium-Strength-Threadlocker-Bottle/dp/B000132VDA/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1462279614&sr=8-9&keywords=loctite That would only work if it's metal to metal so metal to wood contact (like most amps) I would suggest a drop of gorilla wood glue or something on the tip of the screw right before putting it back in.
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May 3, 2016 13:54
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or you could just leave the grill off if you don't plan on moving your cab much.
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May 3, 2016 14:01
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OK, I'll get a little bit of wood glue in there. Thanks.
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May 3, 2016 14:01
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One of my friends heard I wanted to learn bass so now I've got a 5-string Peavey Grind. I'm looking for a tiny amp that I can just plug some headphones into and practice on without spending a ton of money, but I also don't want some cheap thing that blows out after a week. I won't be playing with other people for a long time, and right now I'm mostly just concerned with being able to actually hear myself play rather than getting a good tone. That Roland Cube in the OP looks very nice, but it's out of my current price range - is it at all possible to snag a bare-bones practice amp in the $50 range that isn't total garbage?
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May 4, 2016 21:56
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A friend of mine uses a vox amplug for practicing in his bedroom. It's a very tiny headphone-only amp but it was pretty cheap and sounded ok. This thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbRY6O48gbc
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May 4, 2016 22:13
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The Amplug's not bad. I have to roll the tone off or it gets a bit hissy. If mine died, I'd probably replace it with a Zoom B1on - similar price, tons of extra goodies (effects, amp models, looper, etc.)
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May 4, 2016 23:04
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I'd recommend Vox Amphones, not as cheap as the amplug but you would need a pair of decent headphones anyway to use it.. The tone is really good with plenty of bass. For some reason though it doesn't like my Fender Mexi Deluxe Active Jazz, maybe because its active. No problems with my Squier VM pbass.
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May 5, 2016 09:20
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DrChu posted:Is it passive? If so change the pots to linear taper. Use the same value as whatever is in there (250K or 500K). To verify look at the pots you have, they should have a number value followed by letter code ( A for audio, B for linear) stamped on them. Thanks for the info - it is passive, so I'll match whatever resistance is in there now and go for linear. I'll see if it's bad enough to bother me in the short term, though, and maybe just playing with the controls up will be fine.
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May 5, 2016 19:06
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Spanish Manlove posted:DR Fat Beams How do these compare to DR's other strings? I really like Nickel Lo-Riders, but I'm thinking about experimenting a bit.
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May 6, 2016 01:59
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I really like the ElectroHarmonix headphone amp, aside from it not having an aux in. Gets loud and sounds awesome.
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May 6, 2016 07:19
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AlphaDog posted:A friend of mine uses a vox amplug for practicing in his bedroom. It's a very tiny headphone-only amp but it was pretty cheap and sounded ok. I've got one of these, been using it today to practice outside now that summer has arrived in Western Europe. Aux in is great for jamming along to stuff on your phone too.
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May 7, 2016 15:33
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Picked up that "Mann" bass in trade last night. Most likely an old Fuji Gen with the neckthrough setup, brass nut, and Fender headstock.   The only noticeable flaw is a slight crack behind the brass nut  Going to have my guy look at the bass and see what he says about the frets 
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May 7, 2016 18:22
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I'm an extremely new (and fairly terrible) bass player, and I have a show coming up soon. What sorts of things should I be on the lookout for when playing live? It's a pretty small venue, and I think I am using someone else's/the venue's amps and stuff.
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May 9, 2016 13:29
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Christabel posted:I'm an extremely new (and fairly terrible) bass player, and I have a show coming up soon. What sorts of things should I be on the lookout for when playing live? It's a pretty small venue, and I think I am using someone else's/the venue's amps and stuff. I just played my first gig in a small venue too. Mostly, don't worry about it. You'll do fine, it's fun. But other than that, make sure you have a monitor that you can hear the entire band (including yourself!) though, otherwise everything gets much harder. And try not to stare at your bass all the time, there's an audience out there (I failed at this, and it showed). But really, it's mostly like practice, except some people are there too.
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May 9, 2016 14:37
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If you screw up (hopefully you wont but it does happen) keep playing and bluff it, that's much better than stopping mid song. If you use a pick keep spares on you. Where possible keep your rig as simple as possible, and bring spare cables just in case. I know you say you think you may be using the venue's rig but make sure you know for certain before arriving, I've seen many gigs go south before they even began because everyone expected the other bands to supply stuff. Most importantly, have fun! I haven't played a gig in years (can't find a band to join or whatnot) and its an experience unlike any other. And hey, if it goes wrong then you'll have some stories to tell!
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May 9, 2016 18:11
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yeah stuff i've learned after 5+ years and around 100 gigs in small to mid-sized venues: always bring your own head if possible. get an ultra portable one if you so prefer, but having your own gear will save you a lot of headache. as mentioned, extra cables. both instrument and cabinet cables. make sure to have 1 xlr-xlr, 1 xlr-plug and 1 plug-plug cabinet cable. spare strings are a good idea. practise changing strings at home so you can do it between songs if you have to. 2 minutes per string is pretty much how fast you want to be. use your rig as a monitor and be prepared to play without hearing yourself much at all (if you play loud music that is). small venues often have maybe 1 or 2 monitors and a lovely pa. don't sweat any mistakes, everone makes them. if you gently caress up, just do a long slide and look at your guitarists hand to see where he's going, hah.
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May 9, 2016 18:49
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If you're using the venue's amp, definitely bring a back-up. Unless it's a really nice, and somewhat larger venue, chances are all of their house equipment has been beat to poo poo and barely works. At least, that's always been my experience.
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May 9, 2016 19:36
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Thanks for the replies! Holy poo poo, I don't think I could do a timed string change in a dark room. I have been keeping an eye out for a second bass in case something like that happens. I will definitely bring back up cables and stuff, too. I'm going to email the organiser and nail down who is bringing what, and I know a few bands who have played this venue before so I'll ask them what the set up is like. I'm using one pedal - Big Muff - for two songs, and if it doesn't work out I don't think it'll make a huge difference. I'm not sure where I can keep a spare pick. Under my tongue maybe?
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May 9, 2016 20:06
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