I'm finished, finally.

[Edward G.]

I have never been more satisfied with my basses or my amps. I have the right number of each, and they all are wonderful.

There used to always be something to chase after. For years, the goals were power and performance, then later the formula included weight reduction. All those itches have been scratched...hard.

So, after years of horse trading, I am finished. This is not a statement of resignation, but one of triumph. I got it right.

Now it's time to focus on playing.

\Exit to the woodshed

[sikamikanico]

good for you, but why don't you rather post what you learned in the process instead?

is this what you ended up with?

"2 Markbass LMII amps Genz-Benz Series 1 210T Combo, Schroeder 1215BMF cab, Schroeder 15+L cab, Ashdown combo 1x15 cab, 2 Custom P-type 4s, Warmoth Custom Jazz 4"

how custom are these basses?

[Edward G.]

Originally Posted by sikamikanico

good for you, but why don't you rather post what you learned in the process instead?

is this what you ended up with?

"2 Markbass LMII amps Genz-Benz Series 1 210T Combo, Schroeder 1215BMF cab, Schroeder 15+L cab, Ashdown combo 1x15 cab, 2 Custom P-type 4s, Warmoth Custom Jazz 4"

how custom are these basses?

Yep. That's the current lineup. (Also note all the other things that I parted with.)

They are custom in the sense that they aren't off-the-rack instruments. None of them sports any logo. The P-Basses are MIM bodies, one with a birdseye maple/rosewood Warmoth neck (9.5 lbs), the other with a one-piece maple Mighty Mite neck (9 lbs). Gotoh bridges on both. Both came together wonderfully. Both are solid, stable, and great looking. The stock electronics in them sound very alive.

The Jazz type was a great find on Craigslist. I think it's a MIM body, but it has a Warmoth birdseye maple/rosewood neck (9.5 lbs), Rio Grande 'Muy Grande' pickups, and a Badass II bridge. I met the seller in a store parking lot at night, never knew his whole name, and paid a shockingly low price for the bass. (I figured if I didn't like it, I could recoup the purchase price by selling the pickups.) As it stands, it's the one instrument I would never never sell, because it would be so stupid to do so. At first I couldn't get the action right on it, then I discovered a shim under the neck. It's an amazing bass with a serious player's vibe, and it's beautiful (Midnight Wine w/ white pearloid PG).

These Warmoth necks almost never need adjusting. The Might Mite neck is clearly one of the good ones. I'm really anal about neck adjustment. I can tell instantly if it's off by a millimeter.

One of the Precisions I bought for the specific purpose of parting out (CL again, cheap), but when I played it, it was obviously such a great player (as well as cosmetically perfect), and I couldn't part with it, much less part it out. The Warmoth neck just made it better and more solid (and a half-pound heavier).

Almost every part modded into these instruments was purchased on TB.

So, what I learned about these instruments in the process is that I could have three magnificent instruments for less than what I used to routinely pay for one, as long as I didn't care about brand recognition.

[Lazylion]

Originally Posted by Edward G.

So, after years of horse trading, I am finished. This is not a statement of resignation, but one of triumph.

Uh huh...

I give it 3 weeks.

[Edward G.]

Originally Posted by Lazylion

Uh huh...

I give it 3 weeks.

LOL!

[AltGrendel]

Congratulations, what about the amps?

Not what, but why.

[Edward G.]

Originally Posted by AltGrendel

Congratulations, what about the amps?

Not what, but why.

Truthfully, if I had stayed with my first really good rig (Ampeg SVT-3 Pro, 2 Mesa Diesel 1x15s), I'd be so far ahead of the game it wouldn't be funny, weight of those cabs be damned. Not much I ever bought after that ever sounded better enough to justify moving it along.

But the grass is always greener wherever you aren't.

This is what I learned:

1) 200-400 watts in an amp is plenty damned loud. Everything beyond that is largely unusable headroom. If you play any venue that really needs more than that, someone else should be paying for that rig.

2) Don't underestimate how semi-useless features can drive up the cost of things. My Mesa Basis M-2000 was a great example. It had loads of features I never used. Now I know that all I need are a gain, three tone controls (for lows, mids, and highs), and a master volume. Everything else costs extra and has little to do with power output, which is the most important ingredient of all.

3) An expensive amp isn't necessarily more reliable than a cheaper one, and is not automatically better-sounding.

4) Power ratings on cabinets are next to meaningless, but resistance ratings on EVERYTHING are absolute. Cabinet efficiency is the key to high volume.

5) A cabinet you have to struggle with to load, unload, and store for every gig is not worth the bother, particularly at 3:30am. In fact, it helps shorten your life as a working musician.

6) The audience overwhelmingly doesn't care what brand of equipment you play, only the kids, wonky musicians, and equipment marketers. What impresses everybody is your playing.

7) If it sounds good to you, little else matters. Just be honest with yourself about how it sounds, and be your own ears.

8) Your mileage may vary. My most massive rig sounds awesome and thunderous and weighs in at about 50 bruising pounds. It is a great advantage.

That's all I got. Enjoy your travels.

[aledeville]

[Edward G.]

LOL.

I'll put some up soon. It's not that much stuff.

[Tampabass]

Originally Posted by Edward G.

Truthfully, if I had stayed with my first really good rig (Ampeg SVT-3 Pro, 2 Mesa Diesel 1x15s), I'd be so far ahead of the game it wouldn't be funny, weight of those cabs be damned. Not much I ever bought after that ever sounded better enough to justify moving it along.

But the grass is always greener wherever you aren't.

This is what I learned:

1) 200-400 watts in an amp is plenty damned loud. Everything beyond that is largely unusable headroom. If you play any venue that really needs more than that, someone else should be paying for that rig.

2) Don't underestimate how semi-useless features can drive up the cost of things. My Mesa Basis M-2000 was a great example. It had loads of features I never used. Now I know that all I need are a gain, three tone controls (for lows, mids, and highs), and a master volume. Everything else costs extra and has little to do with power output, which is the most important ingredient of all.

3) An expensive amp isn't necessarily more reliable than a cheaper one, and is not automatically better-sounding.

4) Power ratings on cabinets are next to meaningless, but resistance ratings on EVERYTHING are absolute. Cabinet efficiency is the key to high volume.

5) A cabinet you have to struggle with to load, unload, and store for every gig is not worth the bother, particularly at 3:30am. In fact, it helps shorten your life as a working musician.

6) The audience overwhelmingly doesn't care what brand of equipment you play, only the kids, wonky musicians, and equipment marketers. What impresses everybody is your playing.

7) If it sounds good to you, little else matters. Just be honest with yourself about how it sounds, and be your own ears.

8) Your mileage may vary. My most massive rig sounds awesome and thunderous and weighs in at about 50 bruising pounds. It is a great advantage.

That's all I got. Enjoy your travels.

+1,000 somebody make this a sticky!