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Big changes in the past year

#101
joeinsprings said:
I need to get a pickup for mine. :(

Any suggestions? I like a real deep and thuddy bass. Not to worried about the arco sound.
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I use the Clef Revolution Solo II by Upton Bass. Love it! Deep and thuddy but still has a lot of string/body character in it, which is why I'd never play a magnetic pickup despite them being deeper and thuddier. Plus it's the least feedback-prone pickup I've tried other than magnetics. Magnetic pickups are cool if you want to make your upright sound like a Precision, though ;)

Stay away from the Fishman BP-100, BTW. Great for 35 years ago, not so great for today.
 
#106
Started the year with a Yamaha BBT500 head into a Yamaha BBT 210.

Ended with a LMII and a Hartke LH500 into a pair of Aguilar DB112s, or an Acme B-2. All purchased used here on TB! Trying to sell the LH500 (I just don't need two heads right now), but if it doesn't sell, it's ok--nice to have a change of pace head available.
 
#107
2008

--Found Talkbass

--Went from a 65-watt Kustom combo to a 700-watt SWR head and two Avatar cabs

--Quit first band, joined second band, joined third band, quit second band

--Two "real" gigs, two semis

--Any number of random, anonymous jams

--Took a single bass lesson (which also happened to be The Worst Bass Lesson in History)

--Taught self a little little bit of theory

--Probably lots of other stuff

--Bomb :bassist:
 
#108
Read Victor Wooten's book. My listening/playing was transformed the next day. I could hear into the songs. Some covers, some originals. I heard what this music was asking for.

Learned more about my Glock BAC pre. Was able to dial up some much needed mids during live work. Why it's cool, is that it sounded so good before and it was through experience that I got the designer's thinking and pulled up those mids without getting any doink, just presence and punch. Now I have a different perspective on my bass's tonal pallette. Some things just take time.

Tried a slightly lighter guage DR Sunbeam set on a particular bass. It is responding incredibly. The heavier guage just wasn't speaking through this wood combination. The lighter sure is.
 
#109
JimmyM said:
Get one!!! It's the most fun you'll have with your clothes on. Just ask me and Chef..apparently we started on DB at the same time.
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Was playing about on one in the local music shop before Christmas and managed to work out where a couple of "frets" were (not sure what the hell they're called) and was playing some generic blues stuff, most fun I've had with 4 notes in a while :p

The right hand technique is kinda strange, seemed like you could get away with most of the techniques you use on bass like generic index/middle stuff, slapping and vertical, away from the fretboard soft sounding kinda style, just seemed like you have to tailor them quite alot for DB for it to sound good.

Anyway, being able to do all that flashy lookin, but probably not quite as difficult as it sounds when you get used to DB, rockabilly slapping stuff is on my stuff to do before I die list so I need to get one for that if anything else, plus I've never heard anything that sounds as epic as bowed DB.
 
#110
Sold every 4 & 5 string slab bass I owned (except for a semi-acoustic Stylist and a vintage '68 Goya fretless) after finally accepting that I am, truely, an ERB player .... ;)

Sold all of my old & heavy amplification and switched over to MarkBass stuff .... sounds better to me and is 1/4 of the weight ..... :D

Completely fell in love with my Barker vertical fretless 5 and it is now the only bass I bring to jazz gigs ..... :cool:
 
#111
In march my rig consisted of the following:
Peavey Cirrus, Hughes and Kettner Quantum 600, Kustom 2x15.

I ended up getting a SWR Henry 8x8. Got rid of the Cirrus, Quantum 600, and Kustom 2x15.
Got Fender MIM Jazz and Precision.
Got a Warwick Fortress One.
Got a GK MB2-500.
Traded the GK MB2-500 for a Ampeg B4-R+6 space Rack+Furman.
Got a 4 ohm Peavey 410tfx cab.
Traded the Ampeg B4-R+6 Space Rack for GK 1001RB-II+4 Space Rack.
Got rid of the Precision, traded the Warwick Fortress One for a Fender Marcus Miller Sig Jazz.
Traded the Fender MIM Jazz for a GK 410SBX-Plus and 115SBX cab.

So at the end of 2008 I'm sitting at... a completely different rig than I started the year with.
 
#112
On a whole, not much really happened in 2008:

  • Bought 2007 Gibson Zebrabird as I call it
  • Changed my strings on my P-bass for the secong time since early 2007
  • Related to above^ I bought my first set of Rotosound RS66, and have since let them go dead, and have still yet to decide whether I prefer the sound of brand new or dead roundwounds
  • Bought a old Dunlop Bass wah
  • Bought a Mandocello, which I really enjoy
  • Caught Tube Fever, and will now forever strive for a tube head
  • Discovered the wall of sound that is an 8-string bass (normal bass+chorus strings)

New Years Gear Resolutions
  1. Buy Bassman 300 pro/300T and a EBS Classic cab (410 or 212)
  2. Take some therapy to ease chronic GAS

On a side note, regarding a post a bit back, I've also found that it is more comfortable to wear my bass higher. And don't think of it as un-rock, I mean Entwistle wore his basses high-ish, and so did Duck Dunn and Pete Quaife
 
#114
JimmyM said:
In the last year, I have...

-- Downsized
-- Upsized
-- Quit playing 10's regularly after 30 years
-- Found a solid state head that actually sounds like tube amps
-- Found a SS stompbox that sounds even more like tubes than the SS head
-- Got my old broken tube gear working (sort of...the SVT's back in the shop again)
-- Decided that I missed using all tube amps and went back to them fulltime
-- Sold my old hybrid amps and took a beating on the prices
-- Started playing two 15"s for the first time ever
-- Quit using a DI and went to only a mic
-- Fell in love with 125 hz and fell out of love with anything above 3k
-- Spent more money on amps this year than I have in my entire lifetime
Click to expand...

What's the SS Stompbox that sounds so good? It seems like we have similar tastes in equipment, and both like the Markbass stuff, so maybe your Stompbox would suit me well?:confused:

I like 15's also, but have found my way back to 10's again.................I think it is a never ending cycle! :eek:
 
#115
I am pretty new to the forums here, but 2008 has been an exciting and eventful year for me. Lots of ups and downs!

* got engaged
* fiance bought me a schecter custom 4 bass for my birthday
* bought a fender american active jazz bass
* bought a warwick corvette 4 string
* returned the fender american
* bought a warwick 5 string instead of the fender :-)
* went through countless brands of strings and still havnt found what brand I like, but I am settling on fat beams and ernie balls for now
* got a GK 410 cab and 600RB head
* worked for a company that went bankrupt (lehman brothers)
* found a new job (while still being employed by barcap)
* moved to santa monica, california
* picked up a boss loop pedal
* got engaged
* picked up a Line6 UX1 pod for recording
* picked up a 5 piece drum set for the studio in my basement
* got an SM57 microphone for xmas which I cant wait to try try out

Its amazing how much music gear costs and how when you think you have enough there is some other little toy you want to get :-)
 
#117
Ya, the VT. Pedal of the future.

I need to add one more big change...I just became a grandfather!! My boy and his gal just had a healthy 7 lb. 20" baby boy! I was there for the delivery, too...saw the whole thing. He shot out like a rocket.

I know, no pic, no grandbaby, but I've been all over the place working. I've got lots of pics, but no time to upload any. Just picture Mr. Magoo in a baby bonnet ;)
 
#119
Bought my first upgrade from begginer bass.
Fell in love with 5 strings
FOUND TB!
accually started liking fender-style basses (comming from HATING them, thanks TB)
Got my first proper amp
fell in love with tubes
Got a band together and broke into the local scene, got a manager, and supported touring bands
bought my first effect/preamp and fell even more in love with tubes (sansamp)
said band split up
bought my first very good quality bass (I still cant beleive I have a $2000 bass)

I'm sure there is somthing I forgot...
 
#120
Discovered the magic of a Ampeg B15 and went from using an ampeg stack (still have it collects dust in the back room keeping it for just in case situations) to a 30 watt tube amp miked through a PA. Convinced the rest of my band to do the same. Also rediscovered my love of P basses. 08 was a good year for gear purchase, in addition to buying and restoring the B15, I also bought a new AV 62 reissue J bass and a used AV 62 reissue P bass. This is the first complete year that I owned no active basses and Im not missing it a bit! Maybe 09 I can concentrate less on gear an more on being a better musician!
 

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