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Agrikk posted:I have $1200 to spend on something indulgent and i can't decide whether to buy a new bass or a new tube amp. Help me decide? Tube amps are heavy as poo poo and the maintenance is substantial (at least in comparison to solid state maintenance which is essentially zero). But goddamn that tone is nice. I really liked the feel of my Schecter Stiletto Elite, and only had some reservations on the lovely EMG Hz pickups. The higher models have nicer pickups. Edit for new page, gotta have some pics to start things off. My pedalboard case is getting pretty filled up with stickers. 
The Science Goy fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Aug 2, 2018 |
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Aug 2, 2018 00:53
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The Science Goy posted:Tube amps are heavy as poo poo and the maintenance is substantial (at least in comparison to solid state maintenance which is essentially zero). But goddamn that tone is nice. My plan is to use the tube amp for recording and jamming locally and the solid state amp for putting in the trunk and heading out places so the weight isn’t a factor. Can you tell me about your thoughts on the Hz pickups?
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Aug 2, 2018 01:55
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I thought they sounded fine for a while, until we did an A/B thing in college with guest artist Jeff Coffin and his combo. Each time through the form of the song (12 bar blues variant), we swapped who was playing bass along with the rest of the band. She had a basic workhorse Fender of some sort, either a J or PJ. The Hz pickups in my Schecter sounded cheap and muddy and tinny in comparison. Everything else was identical - we were running into the same amp in the same setting. They are okay pickups, but they were definitely the weakest part of the instrument. Playability and ergonomics and balance and sustain and consistency were excellent - with better pickups, that would have been an awesome bass.
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Aug 2, 2018 04:36
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Hey bass thread! I need to get bass amp soon. What's a good a combo with built-in DI that sounds decent and is loud enough to be heard onstage at small venues and in the studio? Looking for something in the $300-500 range because it only needs to be good enough for when bassists forget to bring their amps. Light is also good.
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Aug 2, 2018 04:42
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If they’re the soap bar type of pickups, at least you have lots of options for replacement with nordstrand or bartolini.
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Aug 2, 2018 04:43
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Grand Prize Winner posted:Hey bass thread! I need to get bass amp soon. What's a good a combo with built-in DI that sounds decent and is loud enough to be heard onstage at small venues and in the studio? Looking for something in the $300-500 range because it only needs to be good enough for when bassists forget to bring their amps. Light is also good. If you happen to find a used MarkBass combo in that range (likely at the very top of that range), they are super light and have a nice clean DI output. Otherwise Fender Rumble amps are lightweight and sound pretty good while staying fairly budget friendly. Doomy posted:If they’re the soap bar type of pickups, at least you have lots of options for replacement with nordstrand or bartolini. EMG Hz are soapbars, so yeah there are plenty of good replacement options. I sold that bass to pay for other gear almost a decade ago, otherwise it would have gotten a pickup swap by now.
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Aug 2, 2018 05:02
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Agrikk posted:Right now I'm debating between a Schecter Hellraiser Extreme 5-string (since I have a Schecter Hellraiser guitar that I love) and an Ampeg SVT-3Pro head (because I'd like to finally have the Ampeg tube sound straight through the amp instead of using preamps and effects to get a good tone). Other all tube options would be the newer Fender Bassman 100 and 300 watt versions. If a tube pre is enough, Mesa has a couple like the M Pulse or the Walkabout that IMO are much better than the SVT3 Pro.
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Aug 2, 2018 14:35
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DrChu posted:Other all tube options would be the newer Fender Bassman 100 and 300 watt versions. I have the Bassman 100T and I love it. The direct out with the silent recording mode sounds good to me, even on guitar. I use the vintage mode, but there's a more modern aggressive mode. Looks like you can get used ones for 800+.
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Aug 2, 2018 15:51
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The Science Goy posted:Are you sure you were using flatwounds? That sounds a lot like tapewounds. I think they were tapewounds. Gonna try flatwounds post haste. e: they're good for popping and slapping?
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Aug 2, 2018 20:01
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Shageletic posted:I think they were tapewounds. Gonna try flatwounds post haste. Haha not really the best for it...
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Aug 2, 2018 20:26
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Grand Prize Winner posted:Hey bass thread! I need to get bass amp soon. What's a good a combo with built-in DI that sounds decent and is loud enough to be heard onstage at small venues and in the studio? Looking for something in the $300-500 range because it only needs to be good enough for when bassists forget to bring their amps. Light is also good. What's the intended use here? From your wording it sounds like you are not one of bassists who will be using this but it also doesn't sound like we're talking about a backline situation for some particular space. For in the studio and any venue with a decent PA, a $200 SansAmp DI would probably do the trick. Anyway, for what you described I'd say the Fender Rumble series is probably a strong contender. A used/open box 200 or 500 combo should be around that price range. Very light, a lot of volume for the wattage (as far as solid state amps go), and reasonably versatile although there is a certain amount of Fender bass amp tone "baked in." For some people that's a plus, since it has some character and sounds like a much more expensive amp, for some people it's an obstacle to getting their preferred sound.
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Aug 2, 2018 20:38
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I've been doing PA rentals for punk shows in a bunch of small bars, and some of the bands seem to think that when I write "I will will not provide any backline" that I am providing backline. I'd just DI the bass and run it to the mains and the bassist's monitor but these venues are small/promoters are cheap enough that they pretty much never spring for monitors. Studio use would be just to have a backup available if a guy comes in to record and his amp takes a poo poo, which is possible but hopefully unlikely.
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Aug 3, 2018 04:59
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Shageletic posted:I think they were tapewounds. Gonna try flatwounds post haste. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA_KrCDjbV4&t=40s And you were looking at a Precision Bass, yes? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEXlGgMNstg Not the best demonstrations but you get the idea.
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Aug 3, 2018 15:23
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Grand Prize Winner posted:I've been doing PA rentals for punk shows in a bunch of small bars, and some of the bands seem to think that when I write "I will will not provide any backline" that I am providing backline. I'd just DI the bass and run it to the mains and the bassist's monitor but these venues are small/promoters are cheap enough that they pretty much never spring for monitors. Guitar Center used site has a GK 500-watt 2x10 in "good condition" for $300, that's pretty drat good. I feel like GKs are mostly considered quite good, super clean amps that cut through. Probably not a bad choice at all for punk gigs. https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Gallien-Krueger/MB210-Ultralight-500W-2x10-Bass-Combo-Amp.gc
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Aug 3, 2018 17:10
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So bad news, my amp won't be arriving until next week. In the meantime though I'm striking poses in my living room before going to bed every night
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Aug 3, 2018 17:38
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Rugoberta Munchu posted:You have a Sting Ray, right? Thanks!
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Aug 3, 2018 18:44
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Any tips on keeping a pick steady in your fingers? I've been moving up to some songs with faster notes like "Clockwork Angels" and I've started having a problem with my pick rotating in my fingers as I strum until I'm picking with the round sides and need to wait for a pause to adjust it. I feel like taking a firmer grip is being too firm and stiff.
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Aug 7, 2018 04:26
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Its alllll in the wrist! Its alllll in the wrist...
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Aug 7, 2018 06:06
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Gator Grip picks. Or buy a little Jar of Gorilla Snot and share it with your drummer.
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Aug 7, 2018 13:44
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Constipated posted:Its alllll in the wrist! Its alllll in the wrist... I find that if I pick fast/hard for a long time using wrist rotation (like turning a doorknob) as the main source of force, it makes my hand hurt really bad. The area below the thumb in particular. The more I can make my arm do the work of generating the momentum and use the wrist to make finer adjustments, the happier my hand usually is.
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Aug 7, 2018 21:36
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Thermos H Christ posted:I find that if I pick fast/hard for a long time using wrist rotation (like turning a doorknob) as the main source of force, it makes my hand hurt really bad. The area below the thumb in particular. The more I can make my arm do the work of generating the momentum and use the wrist to make finer adjustments, the happier my hand usually is. You're wearing out a tiny muscle in your wrist that helps work to do the doorknob rotation motion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronator_quadratus_muscle The big muscle in that group is by your elbow on your forearm. That's what should be wearing out as it should be doing most of the work.
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Aug 7, 2018 21:44
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After pounding flatwounds for 28months (same set) in a rock cover band, I finally switched to the same diameter roundwounds. I blew the string at a sound check for a very well paid festival gig, so I ran out and got some rounds and made it work.  Festival time  Gary Lalonde and his Dingwall  Then the next night’s gig at a fairly posh bar for bands to play in.  Holy crap is it easy to slam those roundies with a pick. I used to get cramps hard picking some fast songs, but it hasn’t been happening since the switch. I feel like it was a Dave Grohl moment with the marching band sticks while learning drums 
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Aug 8, 2018 01:17
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"the one that got away" came up before in this thread. I regret selling my first bass, and one just popped up on my local CL. $100 for a Peavey Fury. I remember it weighed a ton, was boring and somewhat lifeless, but I'm going to check it out anyway. My mother used to call it "buying back her childhood" so I guess it is genetic and I can blame her. Mine was in a pristine case, and I remember how good it smelled every time I opened it. I'd pay a lot more for that.
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Aug 10, 2018 06:10
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I wish I had my old white Peavey Foundation 5, my first 5-string bass. And my first P-bass. A nice, basic, MIM Fender Precision Bass. Red with a white pickguard and a rosewood fingerboard.
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Aug 10, 2018 13:13
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I got lucky since I messed with guitars so long. Got a Classic Vibe jazz bass, knowing the CVS kickass, used it for a couple months, then sold it and got the Geddy Lee jazz bass. No regrets. 
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Aug 10, 2018 19:18
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So I got another question after showing my ignorance last post, but there's a chance i might get ahold of an upright bass. The person who's giving it to me says I can have it for free but he never repaired a busted end-pin, so the bridge and strings are unplayable. How much of an expense do you think it would be to get this fixed? I've been leery of buying an upright bass due to the cost, but this seems like a much cheaper option...
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Aug 10, 2018 19:47
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pumped up for school posted:"the one that got away" came up before in this thread. I regret selling my first bass, and one just popped up on my local CL. $100 for a Peavey Fury. I remember it weighed a ton, was boring and somewhat lifeless, but I'm going to check it out anyway. I kinda want to buy a Peavey now just to have. I saw one for like $130 but I need to get more mileage out of this Davison before I switch.
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Aug 10, 2018 19:58
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I just tried an American elite p bass and their knob game is next level. 3 band EQ, master volume, pickup pan knob, and a master tone all in 4 knobs. Awesome as heck. Also like 1500.... 
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Aug 10, 2018 20:28
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Shageletic posted:So I got another question after showing my ignorance last post, but there's a chance i might get ahold of an upright bass. The person who's giving it to me says I can have it for free but he never repaired a busted end-pin, so the bridge and strings are unplayable. That would be best answered by a local luthier who can do the work, but a loose ballpark estimate would be $400-1000 USD for a new endpin/bridge/strings, depending on what replacements are used and whether there is additional damage from neglect. I would expect about $600 USD to be the median price.
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Aug 10, 2018 21:18
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What would be the string gauge for D Drop C tuning? I've been having a problem with my strings being too loose and slapping the fretboard when I tune too far down and some reading suggests a different string gauge will help. I have no idea what gauge my current strings are because the bass was bought secondhand from an individual.
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Aug 10, 2018 21:23
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pumped up for school posted:"the one that got away" came up before in this thread. I regret selling my first bass, and one just popped up on my local CL. $100 for a Peavey Fury. I remember it weighed a ton, was boring and somewhat lifeless, but I'm going to check it out anyway. Those things had great necks, though. I bet with a little love (and some decent strings) you turn it into a fine machine. tarlibone posted:I wish I had my old white Peavey Foundation 5, my first 5-string bass. I have only sold one guitar or bass in my entire life and I regret it: a Korean Epiphone EBM-5, my first five-string. I sold to my ex when I got my Stingray, and I don't think I've seen a Korean one since. Man, that was a cool bass.
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Aug 10, 2018 21:45
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chitoryu12 posted:What would be the string gauge for D Drop C tuning? I've been having a problem with my strings being too loose and slapping the fretboard when I tune too far down and some reading suggests a different string gauge will help. In my experience 45-105 is OK for drop C as long as you're not going too crazy with your right hand, but if you like playing hard you're probably going to want to go up a size or two.
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Aug 10, 2018 22:09
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Anime Reference posted:In my experience 45-105 is OK for drop C as long as you're not going too crazy with your right hand, but if you like playing hard you're probably going to want to go up a size or two. The songs in lower tunings I've been trying are like "Lives" by Scars on Broadway. No complex noodling, but fast strumming on single notes. I'm also pretty much exclusively a pick user. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsmmQ1EqSIc
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Aug 10, 2018 22:13
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I reckon you go up a gauge for every step down you tune? Like if you use 9's normally then you probably want 10's for D standard, and maybe a heavier bottom if you're dropping the low string (like if drop D feels a little too loose) not too scientific but it's always felt like a good ballpark e- oh lol it's the bass thread, maybe adjust those numbers baka kaba fucked around with this message at 23:08 on Aug 10, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 22:13
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chitoryu12 posted:The songs in lower tunings I've been trying are like "Lives" by Scars on Broadway. No complex noodling, but fast strumming on single notes. I'm also pretty much exclusively a pick user. Give these a shot if it's a bass you're planning to leave in drop C full time: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EXL160BT--daddario-exl160bt-balanced-tension-nickel-wound-medium-bass-strings
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Aug 10, 2018 22:32
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chitoryu12 posted:What would be the string gauge for D Drop C tuning? I've been having a problem with my strings being too loose and slapping the fretboard when I tune too far down and some reading suggests a different string gauge will help. Having a .105 low string will just barely work for this tuning. But in my experience, if we're talking a standard scale bass, then .110 is the minimum you want if that's going to be your main tuning. D'Addario has a set of these: Heavy Gauge, 55/75/90/110. I've used those for this tuning, and they work. But, if you need to go to standard tuning for some songs, that's going to be an issue because the D and G strings will be much tighter than you probably want. So that set is good for always playing in D standard (D-G-C-F), with drop C available when you want it. To get around this limitation, I use these strings. Gauges: 45/61/82/110. Notice the light gauge G, D, and A strings: this set is balanced. The tension on all strings is roughly the same when the instrument is tuned to 4ths (as is standard). The neat thing here is that these strings put less overall tension on the neck at the same tuning than a standard set from, say, D'Addario. So, the Kalium set can play in standard tuning while putting less tension on your neck than a medium gauge D'Addario set (50/70/85/105), but unlike the D'Addario set, they can easily handle the D standard and Drop C tunings. (By "less tension," I mean less overall tension. They won't be floppy at D standard.) ((Also, .115's are great for drop C, but you will definitely have to file your nut a bit, and standard tuning is out of the question.))
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Aug 11, 2018 01:33
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I have an old-rear end Squier P-special that I threw some GFS pickups and converted into fretless years ago. I dusted it off recently and there's a problem - it's super quiet unless I'm touching literally any metal component on it, whether it's the strings or a knob or a tuner. The hum is pretty severe when it "works". This stinks of a grounding issue. Any ideas about how to fix it? Second question - $500 (CDN) for a Chinese Warwick Corvette fretless. Worth it? CmdrSmirnoff fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Aug 11, 2018 |
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Aug 11, 2018 04:29
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CmdrSmirnoff posted:I have an old-rear end Squier P-special that I threw some GFS pickups and converted into fretless years ago. I dusted it off recently and there's a problem - it's super quiet unless I'm touching literally any metal component on it, whether it's the strings or a knob or a tuner. The hum is pretty severe when it "works". This stinks of a grounding issue. Any ideas about how to fix it? It's a wiring issue, quite possibly grounding. Certainly sounds like it. A nearly disconnected ground could do something like this. But, you could also have a partially shorted-out pot; I had one of those and it made my P-bass act weird like this until I fixed it. Go over the wiring again. The wiring is the same as for a Jazz bass with a V-V-T control configuration. If you want to rewire it, you'll probably have to get a mini pot for the tone control, though.
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Aug 11, 2018 05:07
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pumped up for school posted:"the one that got away" came up before in this thread. I regret selling my first bass, and one just popped up on my local CL. $100 for a Peavey Fury. I remember it weighed a ton, was boring and somewhat lifeless, but I'm going to check it out anyway. I shouldn't have sold my black/maple P Bass Special. That thing had a great neck, and good pickups too.
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Aug 11, 2018 21:05
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Posting to agree with the previous sentiment, if anyone ever comes across an 80s Peavey bass with Super Ferrites for <150 dollars, do yourself a favor and snag it. I have a 93 foundation that I love the tone of (just wish it had the beefier 80s neck and hardware). Speaking of tone, I still can't quit buying heavy poo poo  Early 70s Ampeg V4 added to the collection.
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Aug 11, 2018 23:38
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