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pokie posted:Dyna, I actually like the minimalistic look of Steinberger guitars. Whether you like the look or not, as a headless bass owner myself I'd advise against buying one. While the headless tuning system is rock solid, the double ball end strings required can be a real bitch to buy and limit your options a hell of a lot. Also, not sure if this extends to the latest models but I believe the Steinberger basses are made from entirely synthetic materials which lends itself to a tone that players tend to either love or hate. Even if you're currently dead set on the instrument, at least try it out on a decent amp before laying your money down. Mine's a Hohner licensed copy (maple rather than synthetic) which I love to death but that has more to do with it being my first decent bass than anything else. If I had the same choice to make over again I would definitely have gone with something different.
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Jan 29, 2010 16:03
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I r Pat posted:I have a question about my bass. It's an Ibanez soundgear with active pickups. Occasionally I get a natural distortion coming from my amps using this bass. It happens on my little practice amp and my gigging amp as well.. it's usually on the low end frequencies only.. a small buzzing. This is most likely caused by the battery in your bass going flat. If the battery is not able to supply the onboard preamp(s) with enough power it will clip and cause an unpleasant sounding distortion.
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Apr 6, 2010 13:27
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DrChu posted:Just curious, does anybody actually use the "Active" input if using active basses? My current Stingray (and the previous one as well) is not really any louder than my passive Precision or Jazz unless you dime all the EQ controls, the L2000 I used to have even at its loudest setting didn't overload the input, and some generic six string I used to have was about the same. With my active Hohner through the No. 1 input on my Acoustic 370 head I would get some mild distortion if I really dug in. I didn't mind it too much at the time and used as part of my playing when I was a teenager. With hindsight though it probably sounded horrible. black_mastermind posted:...my old Acoustic 370 head... Wassup A370 buddy? 
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Apr 7, 2010 05:09
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Seventh Arrow posted:Also, I have an Eden 700 watt head, but I'm running that in tandem with a Bergantino AE112 cab, but it reduces my output to about 300 watts. Why did I buy something like a Bergantino? I'm not sure, but I was at Club Bass here in Toronto and I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. So anyways, I don't have a car, so portability is an issue - but I'm probably not going to be able to find a cab of similar size that allows for more wattage, am I? How about one of one of these? Edit - Oh, never mind, I'm stupid, it's also 8 Ohms... But at that size you could almost cart 2 around... Bill Posters fucked around with this message at 03:21 on Dec 31, 2010 |
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Dec 31, 2010 03:15
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himajinga posted:E: Also, I like fairly bright bass tone, and I've read that the 4001s are designed for use with flatwounds which are generally "dead" sounding compared to rounds. Confirm/deny? I believe this is something of an myth regarding old Rickenbacker basses. I don't think it has anything to do with how the strings are wound but rather the string tension. The story goes that the original Rickenbacker strings they came with from the factory were quite low tension. When higher tension round-wound strings started to become popular it was found that the 4001s neck often wasn't up to the task of accommodating the increased tension. This lead to the company voiding the warranty of anyone who put non Rickenbacker strings on their bass. I tend to believe a slightly different story. Changing to a differently tensioned set of strings is usually going to require a neck adjustment to compensate. The somewhat complicated truss rod system of the 4001 probably resulted in a lot of people breaking their shiny new bass. The 3rd party string clause was probably thought up to cut down on warranty claims due to this. I have also read that the fret wire used in the older 4001s is more quickly worn down by using roundwound strings but I would take that one with a grain of salt. This might conceivably have been true very early on but I can't imagine a design fault like that persisting very long. Regardless of what is true, as long as you use lighter gauge/lower tension strings, I suspect you will be just fine.
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Feb 11, 2011 00:04
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Narwhale posted:I brought my guitar head to practice today to make sure it was working OK since I just got it out of the shop. I played through it the whole time and it was pretty great. It's a 60w Reverend which is pretty much a Bassman circuit and I was playing it through an SWR 4x10. I have to say I'm seriously considering making this a permanent thing and selling my GK combo. The only thing holding me back is the wattage issue. It was loud enough for practice and I doubt I would need more volume for this band at least. I would also think about upgrading in the future to something a little more powerful that I could use for guitar or bass, like an Ampeg V4 or a Hiwatt (in my dreams). The things I would do for a Hiwatt rig, new or vintage, you have no idea... They're very hard to find around here though. Also far more expensive than I can currently justify. I am very curious about the Bugera 1960 head though. I know Behringer gear can be a crap-shoot quality wise but I've heard a lot of good things about the Bugera amps. A cheap DR 103 clone may just be too much for me to resist.
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Feb 14, 2011 03:52
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MancXVI posted:http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/scrap-lumber-bass-vs-alder-bass-can-you-tell-difference-743932/ Came here to post that link as well as this one and this one. Those threads are equal parts hilarious and depressing. It's worse than nerds arguing over Kirk vs Picard. Or this. Picard > Kirk
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Apr 23, 2011 01:43
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Not Eek posted:Has anyone tried the Squier CV 50's Precision? Here's Ed Friedland demonstrating the Classic Vibe series. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Cd98DH__U I'd recommend giving the stock pickup a chance for a while at least. You might not end up wanting to change it. If you're still bent on changing it though I hear good things about the Seymour Duncan antiquity series. http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/antiquity/bass/
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Apr 25, 2011 08:23
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Edawg06 posted:Reading the above advice re: first bass makes me hesitant, but I'm planning on picking up the bass and had my eye on this Rondo set. Rondo seems to get good marks from Goons and the price is extremely enticing. In my opinion if you're just starting out then any amp is fine as long as you can hear yourself clearly. You can worry about a decent amp when you want to start playing with other people. With regards to Precision vs Jazz they are both pretty versatile. Some might argue that the Jazz Bass configuration is more versatile due to its dual pickups, however the one sound that the Precision Bass has is the one sound that works for just about any genre you could wish. If I had both a good Precision and Jazz I'd probably never wish for another bass. Well maybe if I had two of each so I can permanently string two with flatwounds... maybe another for BEAD tuning... ooh a hollow-body would be nice too... arrrrgh Again though, when you're just starting out, you're just as likely to be happy with either. Pick whichever one your favourite bass player uses or whichever appeals to you the most visually.
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Apr 28, 2011 04:56
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baka kaba posted:I'm exaggerating a bit but there's definitely more friction, I'm assuming because my finger's in contact with a bigger surface area. They're very grippy. I've heard that eases up as you wear them in though, but I definitely have the next level of calluses coming in. To be fair that's partly because my action's too high (the truss rod's broken apparently - thanks eBay) but they're catching my plucking fingers too. Quick skippy notes are being dragged back unexpectedly, so I just need to adapt. This isn't too surprising, the smoother a surface is the more friction it's going to produce. Think about running your finger along a smooth pane of glass as opposed to a lightly textured wall. Your fingers will grip a lot more on the glass. Also, certain flats, such as D'addario Chromes, seem to come from the factory with some sort of grippy residue left behind from the manufacturing process. This will wear away with time. Just for kicks, once you've gotten use to the flats try out some heavy gauge stainless rounds like the Roto66s. Then you can basically say goodbye to the skin on your fingertips. 
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Jun 9, 2011 03:45
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lazerwolf posted:The cab seems to be working fine also but I was thinking maybe getting a 610 or another 4 ohm 210 or 118 to push the head to its capacity at 2 ohms It's generally a bad idea to mix and match driver sizes (ignoring bi-amping for now). Different phase responses will mean you could sound drastically different in different parts of the room. Adding a 210 would be a better bet but an 8ohm would match better with your existing cabinet. At 4ohms it would be receiving half the amps power into only two speakers. At 8ohms the power should be more evenly distributed. The total impedance will also be about 2.3ohms. Not far off 2. The best match for an existing cab is always one more of the same though.
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Jun 10, 2011 02:34
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baka kaba posted:Also you've got me watching James Jamerson videos now I highly recommend the film this clip is taken from, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown." Even better is the book/CD that it was based on. Unlike the film the book is very much focused on Jamerson and his playing and has many of his basslines transcribed.
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Jun 18, 2011 05:07
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LordPants posted:Additionally, could you just get a set of five string strings and toss the G? Or grab a set of these. You might be better off tuned to BEAD though.
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Jun 23, 2011 03:27
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Cast_No_Shadow posted:How easy is it to transition from guitar to bass? I've played guitar for years and years now, enough that I consider myself at least reasonable at it. A friends band are in need of a new bassist and I'm considering giving it a go with them. Aside from the unholy amount of effort to get up to speed with all their material is there anything I should be looking out for\paying attention to? The bass is another drum. This is the single best piece of advice you can get as bass player. Otherwise look up a post.
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Oct 7, 2011 14:53
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JohnnyMondo posted:I figured you just always need to adjust it after shipping anyway. I've only ever got 2 basses in the mail, but both came with the neck separate, and I had to adjust them both anyway. If you're shipping across the country (or around the world) wouldn't the weather difference require setting up the neck anyway? Not really. It's pretty much standard for shipping basses to Australia. It more than halves the shipping costs. With regards to the bass requiring a setup, the ideal setup will vary from person to person anyway. I generally expect to have to adjust any new bass which comes into my possession. In my opinion, if you're the sort of person who is often buying and selling instruments then being able to do your own setups is a necessity.
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Jan 19, 2012 05:18
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Vahtooch posted:Do you know of any good sites that do poo poo to Australia? Most of the ones I have found don't mention international shipping at all. For brand new stuff; no, not really. Most manufacturer/retailer agreements seem to forbid US sellers from shipping internationally. Presumably so they can continue to mark up their products locally to a ludicrous degree. A lot of US retailers seem to skirt this using eBay so that's worth looking at. Also, there are good retailers here who will try to give as fair a price as possible (eg. dropping prices as our dollar gets stronger) and so deserve support. The Bass Centre in Melbourne is one such retailer. In any case I was more referring to the second hand market through private sales and eBay. Retailers are entirely unlikely to remove a neck for shipping and I can understand anyone being a bit put out if they did.
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Jan 20, 2012 08:49
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At least it doesn't look like a toilet seat. I don't mind the Tele styling, although the neck dive is probably pretty bad. I can't really see anything that it does that can't be done by your average boutique with half a dozen switches and knobs. Just as many useless sounds alongside the one or two that you like. The difference being you can program your settings with a computer and recall them later with a flick of a switch. The glaring unasked question is why. They should reissue the Sabre. That had nearly as many options without the (undoubtedly) overpriced computer chip bullshit.
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Jan 25, 2012 16:36
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Schatten posted:Q - Anyone out there do any fretjobs? I need some frets replaced, and maybe a nut. It's an old Jazz Bass Special that I picked up cheap - nothing too special. I lack time, patience, and can ship the neck out. Are you sure they need to be replaced? Levelling and re-crowning seems to be pretty basic once you have the appropriate tools (which should cost no more than a fret job from a reputable tech). Replacing a nut is trivial. Full disclosure: I've not done any fretwork myself but I've been looking into it heavily in preparation for a fret dress on my old Hohner headless. It seems like a pretty useful skill to have. I'm sure someone more qualified than me can chime in though.
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Jan 25, 2012 17:18
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Scarf posted:Well, it does have 5 factory presets stored onto it from the start. No, but don't you see... Having a fancy computer UI will totally make out-of-phase pickup options worthwhile... this time... for sure...
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Jan 25, 2012 17:41
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Besides the pretty bound and blocked fretboard on the deluxe it also has an active pre-amp. I'm not fond of active basses myself but a lot of people are. It is switch-able between active and passive however.
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Feb 15, 2012 07:24
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Manky posted:The hell is that a tele bass in a dual cutaway That's what a Telebass is. It started out as a straight reissue of the original P-Bass but was eventually updated with the humbucker at the neck. Ever since I saw the Fender CS Lotto Bass I've wanted a Telebass with a bridge humbucker. As such I'm very interested in the Modern Player. If only they'd start appearing in shops around here...
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Feb 15, 2012 08:37
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Alex Otextin posted:I have been playing bass for a few months and own a Dean Edge 09 that was part of a $200 starter package. I have since bought a used Kustom 100 watt amp and enjoy playing this bass, but keep thinking I should buy a nice Fender P Bass because that would be a nicer instrument to play. Am I being delusional in thinking that I will sound better on a nice American made Whilst it's not unreasonable to think a better bass will make you a better player it has more to do with the individual instrument than anything else. A bass you enjoy playing is a bass you will play more often. If you think you might be ready to move to a better instrument your best bet is to get out to the stores and start trying some. If you're lucky you'll find an instrument that you really click with. If you're very lucky it will be inside your price range. If you're very, very lucky you'll decide that your current bass cannot be improved on and is the one for you... but I wouldn't count on it. GAS can be a terrible thing.
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Feb 16, 2012 03:58
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Fender versus this beater Dean?
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TyChan posted:OLPs are decent, aren't they? Not really but it could be one of these. They pretty good quality from what I've heard. The same electronics and hardware as the Sterlings.
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Oct 24, 2012 22:39
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Jeff Goldblum posted:The 1x15 has the better low-end, I assume, but would it have the same volume as a 2x10's mid-range, treble and gain coverage? It's a fairly common misconception that larger speakers have better low end than smaller ones. In reality it has little if anything to do with it. Some of the bassiest cabs on the market are 4x10s. Additionally, it is almost always a bad idea to mix different speaker cabinets and especially differently sized speakers (unless you are using a crossover and the speakers are designed for a particular frequency range). Different cabinets have different phase responses which will lead to your tone being wildly different in different parts of the room (amongst other things). There's a lot more to it but you're probably better off having a look through the FAQ here. I'll definitely second grabbing that amp right away though. Pair it up with a 4ohm 2x15 and you'll have a pretty classic olds-chool rig. Alternatively grab a couple of 8ohm 4x10s for some versatility when you don't need all that volume.
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Jan 11, 2013 00:43
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You're certainly right in saying that it won't automatically cause problems. I used to have a mismatched ghetto rig (1x15 & 1x18) and thought the sound was usually pretty good at most of the gigs I played with them. Probably because, as you say, it only had to sound good right where I was standing. I used to have no end of trouble with them in the various rehearsal spaces we used though and have been much happier using a single 4x10. It would probably be more correct to say that there is a lot more potential for problems when mixing and matching cabs. There is also the issue of mismatched impedances and one cabinet overpowering the other. I'm more concerned though with dispelling the notion that bigger speaker cones automatically means better bass.
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Jan 12, 2013 02:54
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Noise Machine posted:I am trying to lubricate. Would vaseline work for a cheap-o solution? Doesn't have to be pretty, just get the job done. Go to a hardware store and buy some graphite powder. You'll get more than you ever need for only a couple of dollars.
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May 9, 2013 23:23
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Smash it Smash hit posted:Everything sounds much better now, I think I might switch back to a .100, I tried .90 on recommendation from a friend. Is there any particular reason that this would be better, I went in with the assumption that .90 would be better since it would be tighter? Am I completely wrong. Pretty much. A lighter gauge string is always going to be a bit looser and less focused than a heavier gauge due to the lower tension. The short scale of your bass will exaggerate the effect even further. Think about it this way, if you tuned your A string down to E, and it somehow remained playable, how do you think it would sound? Probably like one of Kirk Johnson's farts. Likewise if you tune any string a step or so higher than normal it will sound tighter and more focused.
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Jan 23, 2014 22:59
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Scarf posted:Did someone say... FIELDY?!?! I love that you can see his fingers moving about all over the fretboard but all you can hear is "Farts in the key of A".
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Jan 24, 2014 00:24
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Korn is the reverse of Poe's law.
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Jan 24, 2014 01:14
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Kilometers Davis posted:I don't even pay attention to hockey and this offends me greatly. I think Jaco's bass tone was horrible. It's basically at the exact opposite end of the scale from Fieldy's; Nasal honking instead of mud farts. Jaco was an amazing player but I don't think I could ever actually listen to him for enjoyment.
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Jan 24, 2014 05:23
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Ericadia posted:You aren't the only one, Jaco sounds terrible in spite of his skill. Gets me thinking about basses that are marketed as having "vintage tone," like a lot of Fenders. I don't understand why "vintage tone" is supposed to be a selling point. Its almost the same as saying "hey, this bass is the least versatile thing you'll ever play, that'll be $2000 please" I personally wouldn't equate vintage tone with Jaco's tone, but I think that's probably the reason they use the term. It's really just designed to appeal to the nostalgia of the bassist version of Bluesdads. When you think of the range of different sounds and styles that have been played on Fender basses over the years, 'vintage tone' could mean any number of things (which probably have far more to do with how the bass was recorded than anything else). Alleric posted:P.S. Thanks for getting me currently hooked on Tricot. Jerk. Same. Scarf posted:You're not allowed to like Rush AND Yes... Pick a side English prog = best prog. 
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Jan 25, 2014 00:01
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Juaguocio posted:Looks like it could be based on one of the older, simpler Acoustic models like the 140 or 150. Almost certainly. 
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Jul 7, 2014 05:02
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If you don't think you will need to go all the way down to B consider grabbing a five string set and throwing out the E string. That should let you tune to drop C without the usual B string floppiness (the B goes up to C and the other three strings are dropped to GCF).
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Jan 7, 2015 01:41
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pointlessone posted:That's exactly what mine do, I didn't know it was a thing. My guitars roll on and off nice and even, I thought it was related to that god awful pre amp. The thing was advertised as a "BOOM KNOB", I should have realized it was a gimmick when I got the thing, but I was only playing it through rocksmith and didn't really notice it was awful until I got an actual amp a few months down the line. Seriously, there's no middle ground, ninety percent of the knob gives about five percent volume and rest is in the top of both of the pickup controls and the preamp goes from a tiny boost to overdrive sounding by barely brushing the knob. Running without the pre amp gets me clean tone, but it sounds really thin. I'm going to try the offset volume controls, I'd never heard of that before. First off, have you changed your battery lately? Assuming the battery is okay, what sort of amp is it and how many inputs does it have? Bass amps will often have a Lo and Hi input with one of them being padded for use with active instruments. Using the unpadded input will often result in distortion.
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Feb 4, 2015 04:23
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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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Scarf posted:
Any excuse. 
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Jun 2, 2015 03:31
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Flats sound waaay better on a Jazz Bass IMO.
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Jun 4, 2015 07:26
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DrChu posted:Truss rod adjustment at the body side. Different tuners maybe. Some have different finishes. If there's no problems with the MIM neck there's no good reason to update, since you'll be spending almost as much on the neck as the whole MIM bass. This is all true and good advice. If you are interested in upgrading though, I always found the tuners on the MIMs to be garbage and a set of Hipshot HB7s or similar would be a totally worthwhile purchase.
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Jul 23, 2015 02:31
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Squier Vintage Modified basses are very good and right in your price range. Squier Classic Vibes cost a little more but are really excellent. At least as good as any standard Mexican fender I've played.
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Sep 22, 2015 04:50
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Unless you've got a decent monitoring solution sorted out that's going to suck a lot. Giant amps 4 lyfe 
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Feb 16, 2016 00:36
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